Sunday Morning Worship

Found out at about midnight that services were cancelled because of a water main break. I intended to get up and return to a Chrysalis team retreat... but woke up at about 11 a.m. instead. Hmmm guess I needed the sleep!

In lieu of church and worshipping with my friends at the retreat, I found a video I'd like to share. It's by Misty Edwards and is called, "I will waste my life." I can't think of anything better to do...

Peace-
Deb

Friday Five: Take me or leave me

Songbird from RevGals writes:

Although written by a young man, this song from "Rent" became an anthem for women of a certain age ready to be taken on their own terms. Maureen and Joanne love each other, but they are *very* different.

Whether it's new friends or new loves or new employers, what are five things people should know about you?

1. I love my kids and my husband and my large extended family. You mess with them, you mess with me. The mama bear don't take kindly to people who don't respect my fambly.

2. I love music. All kinds. Classical. Rock. Christian. Chants. Celtic. (hmmmm... that's a lot of C's!) I love to play my piano and sing. I love to noodle around on my flute. I don't love loud for loudness sake, or wobbly virtuoso for snobbery's sake. And I really don't like singers who don't know how to sing, but think they do. (And that's all I'll say about that!)

3. I love people. But, I sometimes get in too deep and lose perspective on how to love them and help them the best because...

4. I feel things very deeply. VERY deeply. I stuff my feelings and my tears a lot. When they let loose, it's like a fire hose. Tissues at the ready...

5. I like to have fun and laugh. But I don't like to have a laugh at someone else's expense.

And that would be pretty much "me" !

Deb

BUCKEYES understand...

You just simply have to be a Buckeye to get this one...

Our musicians.

Here's where the fruit of all those scales and arpeggios finally can be seen... Both daughters had end-of-semester concerts in the last week.



First out of the gate was Reedy Girl's middle school instrumental music concert. If you get a strong magnifying glass you will find her near the conductor's left elbow...


Reedy girl tuning. She didn't see me.

Stealth Mom mode...

Closer...

Closer...

Closer...

(I didn't post the next picture. She saw me and ducked behind the music stand.)












The crew....

Reedy Girl, hanging out with friends, waiting for their turn to go on stage.

Left to right...
Clarinet, French Horn, Flute, Oboe and...
Cello!

All heading to high school next year.







Tonight it was The Harpist's turn. The high school music department has a "Masterworks" concert every year. This year they combined the chorus and orchestra for selections from Handel's "Messiah." There was only one ringer (piccolo trumpet is a bit much for most high school kids.)


Our lovely harpist with her harp, named 'Elrond.' Why, you ask? Because it is his name. He told her. She listened. That's how it goes.

Actually this was taken after the concert when the music staff wisely decided to get yearbook photos while everyone was relatively clean and well-behaved.

Relatively.




















The Harpist, flanked by two of my borrowed daughters. Both in the chorus...

I think they are all keepers.


And that is the end of my evening.

I'm proud of our progeny. They both did very well...

Deb

UNBELIEVABLE

I thought perhaps it was a hoax. I mean, it had to be. NOTHING could be that bad, that sappy, that... horrible. Could it? But no. It's true. Microsoft has developed software to make music composition craptastic everywhere...

I mean, after how many years of studying music... how many hours of practicing... all I needed was THIS???

(I warn you... it's 4 minutes and 17 seconds of putrid.)

hat tip to Laura (and congrats on your engagement!)

Deb

I just really like this song...

Friday Five: Pancakes

Sophia from RevGalBlogPals writes:

Last week Sally gave us a beautiful, spiritually reflective Friday Five, so it's time for something light and fluffy (literally). It's inspired by the fact that as I write this my dear spouse TechnoGuy, with the assistance of daughter Ladybug, is making a batch of chocolate chip pancakes with two Christmas presents. One is the Knott's Berry Farm mix which came along with jam, boysenberry syrup, and biscuit mix from my aunt (we ended up with two sets, since my parents passed theirs on to avoid sweet and carb-y temptation). The other is the large size Black and Decker electric skillet he was thrilled that I got him online -- our trusty wedding present normal size one still works at going on 20 years, but the Teflon is getting worn, and he wanted more cooking space. So pull up a chair to the kitchen table and tell us all about your pancake preferences.

1. Scratch or mix? Buttermilk or plain?
Always from scratch. Usually plain. However, if we are camping, I do bring a pre-made mix because it's easier.


2. Pure and simple, or with additions cooked in?
Most of the time, I make them plain. However, our progeny are convinced that they MUST have chocolate chips dropped on them as they are cooking. If I use a mix however, it's got to be Trader Joe's wholegrain pancake mix!

3. For breakfast or for dinner?
Either. It's a favorite winter weekend meal.


4. Preferred syrup or other topping? How about the best side dish? Real Maple Syrup. If we are feeling pinched in the budget, I'll stretch the syrup with brown sugar and water, heated with the syrup. But the syrup MUST be hot.

The best side dish (it goes without saying!) is COFFEE.
5. Favorite pancake restaurant?
Um. I find restaurant pancakes to be a little sponge-y to my taste. So... none.

Bonus: Any tasty recipes out there, for pancakes or other special breakfast dishes? Bring 'em on!

Sure... here's an easy one!

"The Best Doggone Pancakes You Ever Ate"
My family's "old family recipe"
(taken from a vacuum repair service postcard ad from Mansfield, Ohio)

1 cup milk + 2 Tbsp
2 Tbsp oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking power (YES - 2 TBSP)

Mix egg, oil and milk in a medium bowl. Sift dry ingredients together and add to milk mixture. Add remaining 2 Tbsp of milk. Fry on a hot greased griddle or electric skillet set to 350-360 degrees (F).

Serves: 4 (barely -- we usually double it)


Enjoy!
Deb

Small Brain Explosion...

Too many "AHA" moments to list. But since the semester has started, it's been kind of a steady stream of Hhhmmmmm....

I have a couple of posts and thoughts in process. Humor. Poetry and a few pictures. But at the moment, there's a temporary work stoppage in my brain.
So -
g'night!
Deb

2008 - The Year In Review

New Year's is that season of looking back to assess and looking ahead to make goals and plans. I'm doing this for school and work and it seemed appropriate to do at least a review of my blog in 2008.

It's a fun way to see how I blogged the year. And it is noteworthy that in 2008 I blogged the most I ever have... 291 posts!

If you'd like to play, here's what you do... take the first sentence of the first post of the month... and see if you notice any pattern or common theme.

I've linked you to the post, if the sentence intrigues you.

January
Look out! The mothership has landed!

February
Well, first, you have to understand what has happened to the American brain.

March
I knew this week's schedule would be draining.

April
I finished reading Gracism by David Anderson last evening and have been mulling it over all day.

May
I turn not because you push me but because I want to move and face the change.

June
WHEN: July 12, 2008

July
There are moments...

August
Pre-GPS days, I would play "radio roulette" and just keep punching the "search" button on my FM radio.

September
Is it possible to sprain your brain?

October
SOooo... this makes me stop and think and believe for all of the "orchard possibilities" in my life, and where God may "plant" me in the future.

November
John Ortberg in The Life You've Always Wanted talks about 'hurry sickness."

December
There's a virtual Advent Retreat going on over at RevGalBlogPals today...


It's been a year of growth and change -- all for the good, though at the time the painful parts truly sucked...

Here's to what GOD intends for 2009. I'm ready!

Deb

New Year's Musings

Rev Honey from RevGalBlogPals says...

Welcome to this new day...and new year. For many, it is a time to make new or different choices about how we will live out our Christian vocation.

Perhaps you are choosing to take on a new devotional discipline, or act on some wisdom you have received from someone whom you respect.

Today, let's share some advice that we have received or claimed for ourselves, or some new direction we are choosing for ourselves in our ministry.

I've been doing some pondering on this, mostly because of the nature of being a seminarian! Every semester I have to write "reflection papers" on what I am learning, thinking, discovering, doing in my spiritual walk. My profs want pages. You get bullet points, non-Turabian. Hope you don't mind! ;^)

* I am doing a simple 5x5x5 Bible reading plan. 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week with 5 ways to go deeper on a chapter of the New Testament.
The plan allows for "catch up" days and will take me through the New Testament s-l-o-w-ly through 2009. This in itself is a nice change from my classes: "read the book of Mark and trace the themes of ________, juxtaposing them with the treatment of the same theme in John, responding to areas of personal spiritual growth needs." (or some such topic crammed into 12 pages.)

* I am making the women pastor's support group a priority in my life.
We met four times in 2008, we are going to go for monthly in 2009. I really love these women and can't even imagine what it would be like to be in ministry without their "outside view" of my life and ministry! We don't attend the same church, so there's no crossing of supervision and personal "stuff" which is really, really healthy.

* I am continuing to remember my priorities...
Especially, I want to a) remember ALL of them (God, husband, kids, church, friends, family, LIFE) and b) keep things in perspective because things WILL get out of whack -- I just need to get them back in line with "ideal" and live with that imperfection.

* I am looking to slowly read and reflect on four books in 2009.
I get very little reading done outside of my school reading, particularly this upcoming semester where the profs have promised "heavy reading requirements." I'm keeping my promised book list short since I am given a lot of "required" reading -- even for my pastor's role; last year I read 8 or 9 books -- just for my job!! Needless to say, those books, and schoolbooks, do NOT count! My first book of 2009 is a re-read... The Book of the Dun Cow. I read it years ago... it was given to me as an ordination gift and I think I need to re-read it.

If anything else happens in 2009, I will consider it a double bonus.

Peace - and a Joyous New Year!!

Deb