Friday, August 29, 2008

Friday Five: Labor Day

Singing Owl over at RevGals has this Friday Five:

Here in the USA we are celebrating the last fling of the good ol' summertime. It is Labor Day weekend, and families are camping, playing in the park, swimming, grilling hotdogs in the backyard, visiting amusement parks and zoos and historical sites and outdoor concerts and whatever else they can find to help them extend summer's sun and play just a little bit longer.

It is supposed to also be a celebration of the working man and woman, the backbone of the American economy, the "salt-of-the-earth neices and nephews of Uncle Sam. With apologies to those in other countries, this is a Friday Five about LABOR. All can play. Put down that hammer, that spoon, that rolling pin, that rake, that pen, that commentary, that lexicon, and let's have some fun.

1. Tell us about the worst job you ever had.
Umm... it's a toss up between a church ministry job (LOL) and working as a burger jockey at the Ohio State Fair. For the latter, I went home every night, smelling of sweat, grease and grilled onions. Even my shoes stunk. The pay was... lousy, too.

2. Tell us about the best job you ever had.
That's a hard one... probably being a camp counselor, because I got to play all summer.

3. Tell us what you would do if you could do absolutely anything (employment related) with no financial or other restrictions.
Ahh... I think I'd go ahead and open that pastors' rest and retreat center. I was going to choose the mountains, but I think instead I'm going to go for a beach location. Any place where quiet outweighs commerce, and seagull outnumber people! It would be a healing place, a place to create, to study, to write, and to eat fresh shrimp by the gallon.

4. Did you get a break from labor this summer? If so, what was it and if not, what are you gonna do about it?
Yes... we had our week at the beach. It was not long enough. But it was good to unplug, to have BODACIOUS amounts of fresh seafood, and to chill with the fam. The photo here is the sunset our first night. It kinda set the tone of the week!

5. What will change regarding your work as summer morphs into fall? Are you anticipating or dreading?
Ah. It's already started. My classes. Work. The Harpist's senior year (and college visits and applications). Reedy Girl's last year of middle school. Bearded spouse. etc etc etc...

Bonus question: For the gals who are mothers, do you have an interesting story about labor and delivery (LOL)?
Both of my labors were "precipitous." From first twinge to final push, #1 daughter's labor was 8 hours, #2 daughter's labor was 4 hours! And both labors, over 10 days late, were brought on (unscientifically) by a no-holds-barred HOT Mexican food dinner. Beans, burritos and birth pangs... hmmm... sounds like a book title!

And now it's time to... GO to work!

Deb

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Friday Funnies

Check out this one:



If the embedded video doesn't play, you can find it here!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Quotes that encourage me...

I finished re-reading the Gospel of Matthew and found myself going back to read over a pithy comeback from Jesus to (surprise, surprise) the Pharisees:
"Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." [Matt.9:12b-13 MSG]

I had to stop and try to grasp a truth that has often eluded me... God is looking for people to serve who are about mercy, not religion. The problem is, many of us in the "religion" business (like the Pharisees!) are forgetting that we are actually in the "mercy" business. How many times do I react to someone, or pre-judge them because of a previous interaction or experience with them, or someone like them? How many times do I accuse in my mind and find them guilty without a hearing?

Way, WAY, WAY too often. And I suspect, if you are human, you are with me on this.

I remembered something in Michael Kelly Blanchard's book Unsung Heroes...
"What I have only recently come to see is that mercy is ultimately not a tool of judgment, to be dispensed or withheld in response to our behavior, but a free choice of a loving God originating from His tender
heart."


"The wild card of mercy is a characteristic of God - not just one of the many ministry arrows in His quiver. It is who He is, not just simply a description of what He so frequently does."

I was feeling a little guilty and doubting my "fitness for ministry" because I can't seem to get a handle on this. I begin to doubt my effectiveness because of my judgmental nature. Or I wonder if I can honestly, gently preach grace and mercy when I can not extend it to someone else.

Self-doubt is part of this down spiral of self-accusation and I seem to wallow around in my own whine. It's not a pretty picture, that.

Samuel Rutherford, in his letters... (found in The Loveliness of Christ) and quoted in Jan Karon's book Home to Holly Springs:
"When I am in the cellar of affliction I look for the Lord's choicest wines."

I am grateful for a merciful God who sits in the cellar with me... and then walks me upstairs to the High Places, too.

Deb

Back to School...

SIGH....
It's official.

Summer is over and the time for the typing of papers has come.

I'd rather be beaching. Ah well...

Deb

Friday, August 22, 2008

Friday Five: Friday Dates

Songbird of RevGalBlogPals writes:

It's Friday afternoon, Eastern Time, and this is your faithful Songbird with a calendar-related Friday Five. Due to some confusion with our dates, I'm stepping in today, although I am usually here only on the 5th Friday, when there is such a thing.

Here are five things to ponder about dates. I hope you'll play!

1) Datebooks--how do you keep track of your appointments? Electronically? On paper? Month at a glance? Week at a glance?
Our church staff now uses Google mail, calendars, etc. It syncs with my personal Outlook 2007 stuff, including my "smart" phone. I love it. However, I also use a paper calendar to make sure that my family is all on the same page. It helps! I also have ALL of my class assignments, due dates, etc. on a paper calendar. It's my "brain" and I can't do life without it.

2) When was the last time you forgot an important date?
Anniversary or birthday - never. Appointment - probably more recently than I can remember. Which, at the moment, I can't remember at all.

3) When was the last time you went OUT on a date?
Wednesday. :)

4) Name one accessory or item of clothing you love even though it is dated.
I don't know... I am sure my fashion consultants (aka teenage daughters) will tell me, though.

5) Dates--the fruit--can't live with 'em? Or can't live without 'em?
Eh. Great to get things moving, if you get my drift. Otherwise... not so much.

Thanks, Songbird... :)
Deb

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Meet Up with one of Mindy's friends!

We're leaving in the morning.... sigh...

Here in Beaufort, you can meet just about anyone. Bill and Hillary Clinton have been sighted at Hilton Head. Tom Hanks filmed a movie here, and so did a whole passle of other folks.

Beaufort is a sweet l'il ol' southern town where they still make sweet tea from scratch and call you "honey." It's just a nice place to vacation.

So, it really didn't surprise me when I ran into one of Mindy's friends...

She had some kinda rash! She told me that a girl can get her skin really roughed up if she doesn't use sunblock and moisturizer. Looking knowingly at my freckled, slightly pink face, she 'llowed as how I was gonna be peeling myself in a few days.

As for the things on her back? She shrugged. She was sure SOMEONE thought it was a great pun -- "bloom where you are planted. ha ha."


And she wondered why the Beaufort Arts Council decided to make her live just a half a block away from Talbot's, where, she noted, NO ONE with HIPS ever bothers to shop!!! As she pointed out, she was facing the other way... towards the Dairy Queen just a few blocks the OPPOSITE direction!


I like her style.

Deb

Oh... to Mindy she says, "y'all come to Beaufort any time."

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

WOW.

Hat tip to fellow-Twitter Evan Courtney...
I can't get the video to embed properly, so please go visit HERE! for a video from Rob Bell on the feminity of God!

Deb

Major Oogies.

Haven't figured out a lot of things that God has done... including why God created mosquitos... or palmetto bugs... or these...






Talk amongst yaselves...
Deb





Sunday, August 17, 2008

Not really a country music fan...

I'm not really a country music fan (despite being from OHIO). However, I was introduced to the song "Anyway" by Martina McBride... I read at another pastor's blog (Deanna) that it is a take off from Mother Teresa's poem, Anyway. After surfing around the web a bit, I found out it is actually by Dr. Kent Keith, from his book The Paradoxical Commandments.

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas
can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001


Here's a link to the video from Martina... (worth a listen!)

Deb

Why should I leave??








Why should I leave?? I could do distance ed. from the beach... right???

I could send everyone home and coach them on what to do by phone... right???

I'm sure I could type a paper at the beach... right???

No one would miss me... right??? right???

sigh...

deb