AAARRRRRRRR!!

Did you know?

It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day! And for those of you studying theology you had best go over to LutheranChik's Blog and larn Ye Ten Commandments with Piratitude! Else Ye'll be walking the plank at dawn!

AVAST YE SCURVY SWABS! GO!

Aarrrrrrrrrrrr!

Deb

The Ugly Shoes Contest

Saturday, we had a fun expedition to a shoe discount place. Both The Harpist and Reedy Girl needed shoes for fencing (as in foils, not what surrounds your yard.) And they needed dressier shoes than for the occasional moment that we are not in our favorite outfits (jeans and Tshirts!) Marketing Genius (a friend from church) wanted to find some pairs for work and for kicking around. And yours truly needed something besides her Birkies for upcoming student sermons...

SOOOOO.....

We went to the big shoe store. Big. Hundreds of shoes. Lotsa choices. And we did find shoes we liked, but we also found some BODACIOUSLY ugly ones. I mean it. See?


So here's a very serious question...

Which pair is the ugliest? PLEASE VOTE!

Pair number one: I shudder to think if one could find socks to match...

Pair number two: And WHO could walk in these shoes without needing to have ankle surgery afterwards?

Pair number three: Potentially perfect for that special purple-luscious outfit... but who would want an outfit that color?

Pair number four: Words fail me... that could politely suggest what "occupation" might require wearing these!



Oh.. yes.. I did indeed find shoes for a preacher woman. :) I'll model them later!

Deb

3-0 Start - GO BUCKS!

Yeah, they came from behind. It wasn't always pretty. But put another mark in the "W" column!

Ohio State 34
Washington 14

O-H!

Deb

Credit: SeattlePi.Com and Elaine Thompson, AP Photo

New Curriculum

I have spent this afternoon listening to presentations on "Christian Disicpleship Curriculum" and am bored silly. But "this will be on the test" means that I sorta had to pay attention. (Good doodling fodder, though.)

However, this class was good for something. It made me realize two things...

1) If what was presented was "the best" of what is available in discipleship, it is no wonder that people vote with their empty seats when they see what is offered.*
2) I would like to attend any class by Presbyterian Gal! (Even though her curriculum commentary was not what the institution originally wrote... she made me laugh. hard. Not quite so hard that milk can out my nose... but close.)

Deb

*P.S. To wit: the "NOT FUNNY" quote of the day from Nicky Gumbel of "The Alpha Course," who jokingly suggesting that the downfall of the Anglican church and the rise of women priests are related. And no, the people in the video didn't laugh, either.

Friday Five: Meetings, Meetings

Reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals must be "meeting-ed out!" Here's this week's Friday Five...

In honor of a couple of marathon meetings I attended this week:

1. What's your view of meetings? Choose one or more, or make up your own: a) When they're good, they're good. I love the feeling of people working well together on a common goal. b) I don't seek them out, but I recognize them as a necessary part of life. c) The only good meeting is a canceled meeting.
d) ALL of the above. Kind of on the order of a necessary evil if you want people to work together towards a common goal and not duplicate their efforts or not be unified in direction. Just please - no goofy ice breaking "tell everyone your favorite vacation spot" exercises. When I am on vacation from work, I don't want you to follow me there!

2. Do you like some amount of community building or conversation, or are you all business?
It depends. If it is a church meeting, we are talking about an organism (the BODY of Christ) not an organization! An organism has systems and unity, but it also has weaker, hurting or less-trained or less-strong parts that need encouragement and back-up. If it is a business organization, then yes - - get to work and let me go. In any case, if you are not in a dictatorship and you need and want participants to "buy-in" you need to spend time talking and working through strategies and direction together.

3. How do you feel about leading meetings? Share any particular strengths or weaknesses you have in this area.
I can lead or not. But it is very hard to sit in a committee meeting, for instance, where the person in charge is not only not ready, they can't remember what they did the last time.

4. Have you ever participated in a virtual meeting? (conference call, IM, chat, etc.) What do you think of this format?
I have them all the time for my on-line classes. If I already know the folks involved, it is fine. If we must "get acquainted" in order to then do business, it is sometimes not as productive as my phone bill (or Skype subscription) would like me to think! It is less expensive than a plane flight and hotels, though.

5. Share a story of a memorable meeting you attended.
It involved a boss whose accent was so bad we spent each meeting figuring out what she said and repeating it to each other.
Example: She wanted to know about the progress on the "KEY-CHAIN POTE-SINK GAR-BAHGE DEES-POSE-ALL." We sat around the table and she said it over and over. Finally. The light dawned... "OH! The kitchen pot sink garbage disposer!"
Every meeting, the entire meeting, was like that. The staff would listen, look at each other and whisper "What did she just say?" until someone with the "gift of interpretation" figured it out... Two years of my life with that. Oh my... (Wish I had read this book back then!)

DEB'S BONUS:
What is your pet peeve about meetings?
When people cancel them or don't show and don't call me!!!!


Deb

And cats think HUMANS are strange...

This is just TOOO funny.

This morning, I came in the bathroom recently to find one of our cats, Tiria, having a good ol' chew on a toothbrush. (It wasn't mine... but... I replaced my toothbrush AND my beloved's.)

After I replaced the toothbrushes, I covered them. Apparently the new minty-fresh taste we just started using is cat-tastic in flavor. Interestingly, the girls have been covering theirs for some time... and never told us why...

How long has this been going on? I don't want to know!!! I will be sure and tell any house guests to keep their toothbrushes hooded!

At any rate, Tiria apparently was annoyed with me and blogged about it here.

Here's to a good chuckle along the way...

Deb

It's "only" grace

I have once again learned something important this week... and I hope that I remember it a little longer this time. It is simply this...

When I remember the grace extended to me...
When I see the magnitude of forgiveness God offers me every day...
When I see the lengths God went to in restoring a relationship with humanity... let alone me...
I am humbled.
And when I remember that time and time again, that God-kinda-Grace is extended to me through my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am undone.

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. [Philippians 1: 9-11]

Matthew Henry wrote:
Lord and Master... Lord, forgive the past, and enable us to follow thee more closely for the time to come.

"Only Grace" by Matthew West

I am undone.

Deb

Invitation to Poetry: Rumpled Sheets

Abbey of the Arts invites one and all to her newest Invitation to Poetry on her blog:

I shared the other day about the freedom a messy spirituality is inviting me to and my dream of rumpled sheets. Then over the weekend there was this brilliant moment when the sun was illuminating my sheets and I captured it in the photo below. What does the image evoke for you? What words are stirred?

Feeling particularly messy and rumpled at the moment, I will most definitely PLAY! You see, I have realized... Sheets are NOT meant to be left folded in the package. Or covering a bed and not used... Sheets are meant to be rumpled. And so is life.

Oh. Sorry. On to the poetry...

I was taught
hospital corners and
fluffed pillows and
a neatly pulled-up bedspread
was how you started your day.
Routines. Organization.
Security.
Life.

I grew up
and said,
"The bed will just get rumpled tonight!
why bother?" and
sloppiness seemed to work.
Kinda.
sorta.
maybe?

And now?
The rumpled parts of me and
those which sometimes straighten up
and fly right
are more comfortable and
less neat around the edges.
Unless, of course,
guests come.
And then the hospital corners come back.

What I have learned along the way
is that REAL friends
come and bounce on the bed
and rumple up the sheets
once more.

Deb
Rumpled
But extended grace
and Grateful.

Deflated

The last week has been very VERY emo for me. I admit it.

Coming out of this pothole in the journey has left me drained, and curiously, grateful that I don't live here any more. At least, not on a regular basis.

A sign, perhaps, of how I am changing or have changed. And a reminder that I have learned enough to choose to live my life with a little more balance!!!

Is everything in my life resolved the way I personally would like it? And have I figured out where the "triggers" are that sent me into this? No and no...

However... I am learning a little in the process...

• I understand more of the "exhaustion factor" when I am living in a highly emotional, anxious state. Geesh. Takes a whole lot of energy. More than I have to spare. (Or maybe I am getting old??)
• Who I chose to listen to affects my perception and understanding of the conflict I am in. There are people in my life who are not good for me to hang with and get their viewpoint. Theirs is so messed up that I don't perceive it. I supposed that should be a big DUH moment. But when I am that moment, I don't get it. At least not right away. I must -- MUST -- listen to "The Voice of Truth."
  

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

"But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story,
The Voice of Truth says 'do not be afraid'!
The Voice of Truth says 'this is for my glory.'
Out of all the voices calling out to me...
I will choose to listen and believe
the Voice of Truth..."
[Casting Crowns]

I have turned my head in a new direction. It is not easy. But it is essential. The kind of negative, anxiety-producing, self-critical mindset I was in was just NOT from God. And it had me in a tailspin!

Yeah. I am in "Remedial Emotional Processing" this week. It's not all bad. In fact, realizing I need it has been very good for me.

Now the other stuff? The pea-heads who have been throwing rocks at my armor and dissing my Call? I just handed them over to God. I can not worry about them now. There's too much to do for God's Sake!

Just mumbling on the journey...
Deb
=====

Edited to add the rest of the words from the chorus of "Voice of Truth" because it seemed important...

done my heart good

Posted at RevGals yesterday and it done my heart good this morning...

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Deb