Friday Five: What To Take Edition

RevGal Sally writes this for today's Friday Five:  "We are packing to move, boxes are everywhere, stuff has been taken to charity shops, more needs to go to the tip. Once again I am asking myself where all this stuff has come from, once again I'm thinking that I should really reduce and simplify.

So bearing in mind you are allowed the Bible, a bed + linen, a functioning kitchen, and a comfy chair, clothes within reason ( no dragging last centuries wardrobe in case), and probably essential today a lap-top OR computer  choose one from each of the following as your luxuries:

1. A book
2. A piece of music (albums/ sets allowed)
3. Piece of electronic/ tech equipment
4. luxury item of clothing
5. One item of your choice- it can be as normal or as weird as you like"


* * * * * * * * 
Well, guess what?!  I, too, am donating and selling things in anticipation of a possible (probable?) move, and I am also asking myself where this stuff came from, and -- yes -- attempting to simplify.  You'd think simplifying would be simple, but no.  


So, from Sally's list, here's are the luxuries I would choose:


1. BOOK:  The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron


2. PIECE OF MUSIC:  Loreena McKennitt Book of Secrets


3. PIECE OF ELECTRONIC/TECH EQUIPMENT:  My Kindle Touch (which would open up #1 & #2)


4. LUXURY ITEM OF CLOTHING: Plaid Flannel Robe (hey, that, plus the rest it implies is luxury to me!)


5.  ITEM OF CHOICE:  Absolutely, it would be CANDLES!

Friday Five: Dream, Girls!

Jan at Yearning for God has been studying Carl Jung and dreams with a group of friends. She invites us to play today's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five by asking some dreamy questions:


Everyone dreams: Do you remember your dreams? How often?
Yes, I almost always remember my dreams. I dream in color and sound and am aware of feelings in the dreams.

Did you or do you have a recurring dream? Share it, if you'd like.
Over my lifetime, I've had four memorable recurring dreams, sequentially through my life, it seems.  My earliest dream memory was a vivid abandonment recurring dream. The second was an ominous prophetic recurring dream. The third was a FairyTale-esque recurring dream. This one pretty much stopped at the time of the end of a 23 year marriage, 15 years ago.  However, I did have one of these fairly recently.

Have you ever had recurring themes or images in dreams? Examples?
This involves my most recent of the four recurring dreams.  I have been having these since the time that there was not to be another actual pregnancy or baby in real life, and I have it even now.  One variation involves discovering I am pregnant -- in my dream I can feel the baby movement in me -- and being totally amazed and delighted by this.  Another variation involves a baby -- always an infant girl.  She is mine -- biologically, or at least to take care of  -- and sometimes, in the dream, that is challenging, but most often it is peaceful and happy. 

Do you day dream? About what?
Yes. Most often I daydream about what miracles might be possible.

What are your dreams/hopes/goals for the future?
More pleasure, more play, more health and energy, more creativity and enjoying the gifts in each day.  I hear that sounding pretty vague with a tinge of Pollyanna.  But, at the end (I hope and pray it's the end) of a way-too-long period of drama and angst and trying too hard at things that bore little or no fruit  -- and blaming myself far too much -- I'm ready for more JOY!  

Friday Five: Rambling Randomness

Today's RevGalBlogPal Friday Five is from revkjarla who offers us this Friday Five in honor of spontaneous thinking!
So...


1.  What religion/faith besides yours captures your curiousity and why? 
Neo-paganism, I think, because it's earthy, celebrative, and diverse. 

2.  What is the first or most memorable pop song you ever learned as a kid? 
Oh gee, I grew up in the early 60's so my life played out to all the Beatles songs. But the first one I remember was a real oldie from the 50's:  "Que Sera, Sera" by Doris Day.


3.  If God were a color.....(finish this sentence creatively) ... there would have been an "only begotten" gay child!  

4.  If you were going to make a sandwich right now for lunch, and you magically had all the items you need for it, what would that sandwich be?  
A gluten free wrap with Chipotle-esque ingredients: grilled meat, black beans, seasoned rice, multiple salsas, avocado, cheese and sour cream. I'll have some Sangria with that!


5.  How are you doing?  Really, how are you? 
Considering everything -- and by "everything" I mean multitudes of unbloggable church-related stuff -- I'm doing very well, thank you very much.  In the midst of feeling confused and sad and impotent, I also am very excited about a future that has not been revealed.  And I have a massage appointment today!


Bonus:  What are you enjoying/loving right now? 

I'm going with a "general" right now instead of a "right this very minute" right now:
Sunny days, pictures and videos of my grandson, good food and a little wine with good friends on a regular basis, and getting back to sewing some stuff.

Friday Five: The Ups, The Downs, and The Cutely

For todays' RevGalBlogPal Friday Five, Sally prompts us to quickly answer these five questions:

What has encouraged you?
Relating to congregational life: A group of people are now having honest and open and reasonably respectful conversations about difficult things.

What has challenged you?
Relating to that same congregational life: The conversations, while honest and open and respectful, are steeped in "logical" misinformation and inability to see around the next corner. Helping to facilitate these conversations and feed them digestible information is challenging. Perhaps most challenging is that it feels important (even essential) to celebrate progress, but that is not in the local culture DNA, where they seem to be stuck in lament and criticism mode.

What has inspired you?
The people who "GET" me!  And they let me know that they get me. And they play along.  That literally has breathed life into me this week.

What has made you smile?
The above video from Amy's blog:  I have smiled every time I watch Daniel, the wonderful grandchild, saying "Happy Birthday, Papa" for his dad's birthday this week.  He also said "Bye Bye YaYa" to me on the phone the other day just as cutely.  Yes, "cutely" is a word, and he's the poster kid!  My own (now grown) kids still show up with the "cutely" on a regular basis.  They are each good for a smile!

What has brought a lump to your throat or a tear to your eye in a good way?
Last week's Confirmation Sunday, definitely.  God's still speaking voice and still-calling Spirit blesses and surprises our best, and worst, attempts at being the church.

Sunday Sermon: See the Light

See the Light of God Revealed
John 20:19-31; 1 John 1:1-2:2
April 15, 2012

Our gospel today gives us a picture of a church.
It’s a church which had no fancy organ, or even an old upright piano.
No choir. No pastor, even.
In fact, it’s a picture of a most miserable little gathering – how could they even take upon itself the name, “church.” We see the disciples of Jesus, gathered after his resurrection. Here, is the church at its worst — “scarred, disheartened, and defensive.”[Tom Long]
How can these fearful followers even be expected to keep on FOLLOWING a Jesus who had disappeared – not just dead but dead and gone – gone from their sight.

If only they could see him . . .

Seeing is believing -- right?

We just celebrated “He is risen!” last Sunday.  Just like those disciples -- we have been told that Jesus is alive!  Mary Magdalene went and told us, just as she “went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord.  She also told them what he had said to her.”  The disciples that Upper Room mourned that Jesus was dead and gone; we celebrate that he is risen indeed!

How can they believe in a risen Christ they haven’t seen?  
How can we?

And then there’s Thomas -- we know him as “Doubting Thomas” – we might more accurately call him “Honest Thomas” – he told the truth about his desire to see Jesus – and he told the truth about what it would take for him to believe – nothing less than seeing the nail scars in Jesus’ hands and touching them himself.  

If only Thomas could see Jesus for himself . . .

Thomas wasn’t the only disciple who needed proof – ALL of the disciples were stuck in disbelief until they could see Jesus for themselves.   Thomas was the only one who admitted his need for proof – Thomas was the only one saying what is obvious to us – seeing is believing.

Friday Five: Odds & Ends

RevGal Sally invites us to play this week's Friday Five:

I have had a ridiculously busy week so apologies for the fact that this is rushed and even a bit late, but here goes, even in the busyness of the week what has

1. Inspired you
2. Challenged you
3. Made you smile
4. Made you cross/ made you want to weep
5.Kept you going?


Sally, thanks! I've been busy, too, but not too busy today to play along.

1. What has inspired me:  I was inspired by the Confirmation classes on Monday night. The younger class is not into it, even yet, but they keep coming and trying to figure it out. The second year class has formed a group, is interested in church life and is responsive to their pastors. They are so full of potential and energy and they, at least at the moment, want to spend some of that on/at church.

2. What has challenged me:  A conversation with a beloved young relative who is choosing a non-traditional path and part of that is being unashamedly "not Christian" although exceedingly Christ-like.  I am challenged to be a whole lot more clear on the desired outcome of my own life and ministry. I'm also challenged about my role in "church as usual" even though that's not what I want either.

3.  What has made me smile:  One goofy thing: This cat thing in the picture above. It sits on the middle of my mom's dining room table. During the day, its hand waves up and down because of that solar cell.  Waving hello . . . or good-bye . . . ? ? ?

4:  What made me want to weep:  The struggles of another beloved young relative.

5:  What kept me going:  VACATION!  I arrived in Baton Rouge Tuesday about noon and have been hanging out with that branch of my family until I go to New Orleans tomorrow to get on the big boat for BE 5!  The anticipation of ten days of vacation & continuing ed, a little Cajun Country time, sun, laughter . . . that's what's been keeping me going for awhile now.

A-HA!

Welcome 2012!  A New Year brings a new resolve to write the blog more regularly.  After spending the last few days trying to decide when and how to jump back into the blog pond, here comes inspiration from this brand new Friday Five, thanks to kathrynzj at RevGalBlogPals.

The question:  What are five (more or less) of your "A-ha" moments.  Where have you had a moment of clarity?

Some of the many "A-HA!" moments that have brought light and hope to my world:

• Don't take anything personally.  Receiving someone seriously (respectfully, attentively) is more helpful.  Whether it's a cut-to-the-heart criticism or a glowing compliment, it says much more about the one who delivers it than the one to whom it is delivered.  This "a-ha" was courtesy of Don Miguel Ruiz' book The Four Agreements.  Each is simple (not necessarily easy) and "a-ha"-inducing: 

Be Impeccable With Your Words

Don't Take Anything Personally

Don't Make Assumptions

Always Do Your Best

• I am still standing.  The title of one of my favorite Elton John songs, "I'm Still Standing" could be the title of the "a-ha" moment I had during one particularly dark moment as I was living through the aftermath of the end of my 23-year marriage. I couldn't see even as far as the next moment. No way could I figure out what I would do or how I could make it financially, emotionally, physically, professionally -- you name it. It all seemed hopeless and empty.  And then I took an honest, more objective, inventory of what was really there.  I had food in the house; I had a house to live in; I had children who loved me and who hadn't rejected me; I could count on some friends to be friends; I had a job (two jobs actually!) and income capability . . . the list probably went on, but it didn't need to.  It wasn't even about "counting your blessings" but rather seeing all that is there rather than what isn't there.

•  I'm just not that into . . . Christianity.  The "a-ha" was finding out that neither was Jesus.  Jesus was a Jewish rabbi and carpenter who predated Christianity.  Jesus showed us what God is like, not what religion should be about.  Jesus embodied life and love, not law and rules.  Jesus welcomed and included and invited and turned things upside-down, all the while pissing off the powers-that-be and the religious apologists and traditionalists.  A-ha!  Maybe it's OK to be a Jesus-called, Christ-devoted pastor serving the institutional church and appreciating church history, and still not be (too much) into the religion of Christianity. 

• I'm more suited for interim ministry than settled pastorates.  It turns out that it is possible to be successful by certain standards, and still be unfaithful to the real me.  So, now I am through measuring "ministry success" by particular accomplishments or by how well-received I am in congregations I serve. I have been very blessed in each setting in different ways.  But in interim ministry, I am more ME, more authentic and free, and I have more fun and get to play games.  A-ha!  Maybe those I serve will be more free, too!

• I'm older than I thought I was!  I know very well that I'm 58 years old, but when I got an invitation to the denomination's retirement planning seminar -- two years ago! -- and realized that invitation wasn't extended at all prematurely, it was a real, and not-altogether-unpleasant, "a-ha" moment. You mean I get to be this age and still feel this good and enjoy life this much?!  WOW!

Living Messages

Sermon for Oct. 16, 2011
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Exodus 33:12-23
Matthew 22:15-22

On one end of our story today, we see Moses – begging for a glimpse of God.  And on the other end of the story we have the early church in Thessalonica – waiting – expectantly – for Jesus to return as promised.

Just a glimpse – pleaded Moses.

Soon and very soon – we are going to see Jesus – have said GENERATIONS of Jesus followers.

Like Moses, if we are going to step out in faith, if we are going to take this trip with God, we want to KNOW that God goes with us.  Moses even says, “Hey God, if you aren’t really going to go with us, just let us stay here.”  And EVEN WITH God’s reassurance that God will go with us, and give us peace – Moses wants more – something more concrete.  Moses wants to see God in all of God’s glory.

Now, we know the rest of the story – what God will and will not do to reveal God’s Self to Moses.  God will let Moses get a glimpse of God’s backside, but that’s all.  That’s hardly God’s glory revealed completely.

And we also know that – as of October 16, 2011 at (whatever time) – what the Thessalonians expected in the return of Jesus – and what we have expected in the second coming of Jesus has not happened – at least as far as we know.  Yet, the desire to SEE JESUS – that longing that preoccupied the Thessalonians and others in the early church – that longing continues to this day – some TWO THOUSAND YEARS later.

Because – as Moses well knew – the journey with God is a long journey for us instant-gratification humans.  And – as the Thessalonians well knew – the way of Jesus is not always easy or smooth.

You probably know more about the story of Moses than you might about the Thessalonians and Paul – so let me give you the background.  One Bible trivia fact about the Bible book of 1 Thessalonians is that it was likely written before any other book of the New Testament.  Thessalonica was the largest city and capital of the province of Macedonia.  Paul visited there on his second missionary journey.  Paul went to the Jewish synagogue and preached there for three Sabbaths.  By that time, many had come to believe the gospel – including Jews, pagans, and some leading women of the city.

That sounds great, but it’s also a problem for the powers that be.  For you see, it wasn’t long before that, that a certain Jewish rabbi named Jesus had done something very similar.  Jesus had captivated the attention of many people of HIS day.  Jesus painted a picture of what the Kingdom of God is like – and Jesus himself was a picture of what God’s will on earth looks like when a human being lives as God intended.  People who are attracted to God’s realm are the strangers who are welcomed, the hungry who are fed, the naked who are clothed, the women who immediately gain full personhood, the outcast who is invited into the core group, the children who are embraced and looked up to.  The good news of God’s realm IS good news for the least, the lost, the lonely and the love-starved.  And so Jesus is handed a coin – and confronted by the political leaders AND the religious leaders. To answer the question, "Should we pay taxes or not," Jesus spoke in the language that is very well understood by citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven – “Give to Caesar what it Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”

The powers that be in Thessalonica saw people beginning to look at life differently – getting fired up over a new way – coming together to make a difference in the world that was the opposite of government ways of doing.  Love instead of demands.  Caring for the least instead of lining the pockets of the influential.  An economy that begins with the poor instead of the rich.  And the sure and certain knowledge that, while it is true that the image stamped on the government-minted coin is that of Caesar – the image indelibly stamped on human beings from the beginning of time is the image of God. 


[Some of the above paragraph from Nora Tubbs Tisdale, "What Makes a True Patriot" Day One, Oct. 9, 2008, quoting Dr. Albert Curry Winn]

The rest of the story is that the good news of Jesus Christ had been so powerfully preached and so openly received that the people had become – as the Bible says – “living messages” – the gospel no longer confined to a place or to words preached, but now proclaimed in the very lives of these new converts.  Paul was asked to leave – threatened really – and in order to preserve the good work that had begun in the community of believers, Paul left by night.

So their first pastor Paul – now gone – writes to them of his joy that they accepted his message.  Paul knows of their suffering. You can imagine the persecution they must have suffered when they began to live boldly as God’s agents of transformation and reconciliation – the trouble they must have faced as they were labeled as living messages of good news to women, to the poor, to the outcast.

You can just feel the peer pressure when they dared to oppose the Caesars of war and torture.

You can relate to what they endured when they confronted sexism and racism and homophobia and divisions of every kind.

You can just about feel how hard it was for them to leave behind making enemies and to stop being intolerant and to stop practicing economics that leave so many behind.

They were new creations.

The eyes of their hearts had been opened.

They now KNEW that they were stamped with the image of God – and they COULDN’T HELP being living, breathing messages of God’s liberation – convincing communicators of God’s love for ALL humankind (no exceptions).

They had soaked up their TRUE identities in Christ – and Paul thanks God – and thanks them – for their faith in God and their loving work – AND – for their firm hope in Jesus Christ.

Thessalonica might seem to have very little in common with [name our specific area] – our corner of the world – except for this:

There are still people – all kinds of people – who really do want to know if God is real. They would love to get a glimpse.  Some of these are religious people looking for a second coming of Jesus.  Some of these are people who look for spiritual ecstasy in drugs or sex or shopping or hoarding things &/or money.  Some of these are young people who long ago gave up looking to church to be a place for THEM to encounter God who speaks their language.  Some who want to know God are people who think they don’t have a place in church because of their gender, age, race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation or because they were born in New Jersey or Texas or some other flat land place.  And SOME people who have given up on the living God are people who still come to church – hoping, and praying, that God will appear – for real – in all of God’s glory.

This was as true in Thessalonica as it is today around here.

It is still as true now as it was then that the good news is good news for those who are perishing and foolishness for those who think they already have found a better way – which is often Caesar’s way or the way of another idol.  So, it will happen that the good news of Jesus Christ announcing the arrival of God’s realm will be met with everything from disbelief to outright anger and opposition.

It is also true – as true now as it was then – that a pastor – whether his name is Paul or her name is Sharon [or other pastor] – is only the pastor – only (on a good day) a messenger – ONE messenger of God’s claim on our lives, ONE messenger of the good news of the grace and forgiveness and call to discipleship that can be found by following Jesus Christ. A pastor is ONE messenger of God’s eternal desire for all people to live as one with justice and peace and freedom for all. A pastor is ONE messenger of the power that the Holy Spirit pours out upon a community FAITHFUL to gather – WILLING to be changed – the power there is where two or more are gathered with God’s agenda and priorities uppermost.

I understand the gratitude of Pastor Paul of Thessalonica because Pastor Sharon of the [X] United Church of Christ is ONLY the pastor – not the church – WE are the church.  When the pastor leaves the building – the church does not cease – the good news does not stop being told – and when a pastor enters the building – that lets no one off the hook – FOR YOU, my friends – YOU – every day and in every way – YOU are the witness to what God is doing here at this church – what God is doing in the world – the love that God pours out on ALL the PEOPLE.  I hope you know that the faithful witness of good news is YOURS to share.  The gospel is a treasure that YOU bear to the world.  Not just me [and Pastor X] – but YOU – are called to be convincing communicators – living messages – of God’s permanent-ink image imprinted on each person from the beginning.

Preach the good news always – if necessary – use words. 

[quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, its origin is unknown]

Amen.

Friday Five: The Things We Do For Love

Songbird's invitation to today's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five:


I have a friend who, when she has to be away from her child, goes to the trouble of planning a present for each of the days they will be apart. (This is not one of those stories where "a friend" means the person who is telling the story.) I'm impressed by her organizational skills and her creativity and her thoughtfulness.

She does these things for love.

And although love looks different depending on how we best express it, there are definitely things we do for love. So for today's Friday Five, please share the following five things:

1) Something you did for love that was a hit
Probably because of the story above, the first thing that came to mind is ancient history now:  When they were little, I used to make faces out of the finger food on the kids' plates.


2) Something you did for love that was more of a miss
In ways big and small, I have been trying to show love and support and respect to some beloved loved ones at a special and critical time and it's made things worse it seems.


3) Something someone did for love of you
A biggie:  For my 50th birthday, my daughter helped the congregation arrange a really wonderful surprise party and gift me with a liturgical robe that I had been wanting.  Her unexpected presence there was a big part of the delightful surprise!
A nice thing:  I have gotten some very sweet emails lately, unexpected ones, thanking me for what we've shared &/or for being in each other's lives.


4) Something you *wish* someone would do for love of you
Someone recently planned a fun and relaxed, bordering on zany, time of just goofing off together. I love when that happens. I feel loved and understood when that happens. I *wish* it happened more often.


5) Something you've done for love of God
The United Church of Christ has embraced a thing that Gracie Allen said to George Burns way back: "Never place a period where God has placed a comma."  Very often, I'm tempted to place a period and orchestrate completion and resolution.  Sometimes I can't do it for myself, or even for someone else, but loving God, I let there be a comma and stay open and ready.

Friday Five: Home Sweet Home

Bird bath at my Mom's house

Songbird is thinking of home today and offers this RevGalBlogPals Friday Five:

1)  Where was your first home?
I was brought home from the hospital to a little ranch house on Corozal Road in El Paso, Texas.

2) Do you ever dream about places you used to live?
Yes.

3) If you could bring back one person from your past to sit at your dinner table, who would you choose?
My maternal grandmother.  Many a good time was spent around many tables with her.

4) What's your favorite room in your current living space?
That's a tough one.  Right now, it would probably be the kitchen. It's where the coffee is!

5) Is there an object or item in your home that represents home to you?
Anything flannel. The robe, the sheets, the back of a cozy throw -- these represent comfort and, for me, home is all about comfort and rest.

Friday Five: Endings and Beginnings

Sally at RevGalBlogPals is finishing up her Master's thesis for a programme that began in 2006.  Her Friday Five for us:

How about you as you look back over the last few years:

1.  Have you completed something? What was it, and how did you celebrate?
This is very timely as I just completed a 3 year pastorate.  It was a mismatch from the get-go, but we all attempted to make the best of it and there was palpable relief for all that it was coming to an end. The celebration at the church was a very nice reception with a gift after the final worship service last weekend.  My own celebration is happening now as I spend a week of vacation in Baton Rouge with family and enjoy the things around my niece's wedding tomorrow.

2. Is there something that you are waiting to begin?
I get to begin a new ministry at a church next week.

3. Is there a project you keep putting off and why?
I want to get rid of almost all of my books. I am putting it off because I would love it if those books could be of use to someone else, especially the ones related to ministry and faith.  I am thinking of having a party and inviting my pastor friends to come over and just take what they want.

4.  What would be your dream project/job?
I am doing my dream job, but more and more I wonder if part of the dream might be a different location. I am getting tired of trying to hide my southern roots and trying to fit in to a culturally strange part of the country that might not fit me anymore.

5.  Be creative, you are going to publish a book/song/poem, what is the title?
Lately, the book I'd like to write, dedicated to parishioners and colleagues that just don't get it:
I'm Not Your Friend.

Just For Fun: Fairy Name Generator

It's a great day for some fantasy escape!

My fairy name is Feather Hailglitter

She protects and comforts the lonely.
She lives in high places where the clouds meet the earth.
She can only be seen in the light of a shooting star.
She wears pale blue like the sky and has cheery turquoise wings like a butterfly.

Get your own fairy names from The Fairy Name Generator!

Friday Five: Workspaces

Today's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five is about workspaces and what's in them.  Today, revkjarla invites us to name five things in our workspaces that are special. Some of mine are:

A Jack Sparrow puzzle -- pictured here, it was a gift from a friend and lives on my home desk.

A crystal jar -- a gift from the first church I served, it was given -- and has remained -- full of M&Ms and usually resides on the desk of my pastor's study. I'm moving out in the next two weeks so the pastor study stuff is in transition, too.

A magnetic puzzle -- the kind with little men (or women?) you can stick together.  Turns out those pocket crosses are magnetic, too, as are paper clips. It's also usually on my pastor study desk. Kids play around with it when they come in to eat M&Ms.

An "EASY" button -- as in "That Was Easy" -- pushed mostly in irony lately, or would that be sarcasm?

A "To Do list" -- I make them because I should; I ignore them because I can.

Friday Five: September Blessings

I had a Flintstones lunch box a lot like this one

Today's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five as posted by kathrynzj:

Headquarters for me is the northeast of the United States. Here school is getting back in session, the tease of autumn is in the air (or the hope for the tease of autumn is in the air) and church life is gearing up to full throttle.

One thing I've learned with blogging and social media is that the where I live is not necessarily where you live. And so I want to know what September means to you, in your place of the world and time in your life.

This week's Friday Five is:

What are 5 things that the beginning of September mean to you?

Bonus: What's one thing you could do without?

Thanks, Kathryn, for posting this one!  

September is my favorite month and here are a few reasons why:

• September starts with a holiday weekend.  Yea, Labor Day!
• September is my birthday month.  My birthday sometimes falls on a national holiday, as it does this year.  Sweet!
• Back to school clothes and school supplies.  Still love 'em.
• The color red.  Tinged leaves, school house icons, apples -- all in my signature color.
• A mini-New Year-type season of new beginning.  A good time to reassess and regroup and start anew.

Bonus: I could most definitely do without the October, November, and/or December holiday "buy me" displays and ads making their initial appearance in my favorite month.

Friday Five: Road Trip!

We found star fish in a place like this in Big Sur

RevGal Jan has just returned from a great road trip! She invites us to share five road trips of our own, including best and worst. Here goes:

EARLIEST: Fairly regular road trips from El Paso, TX to Cloudcroft, NM. Some of my earliest memories of vacations are of this trek from the desert to the mountains, from hot to cool, from dry sand dunes to lakes and streams and fragrant trees. We stayed in a little motel court, fished in a nearby lake, and learned my dad's rule of fishing: "You catch 'em, you clean 'em, you cook 'em, you eat 'em!"

LONGEST: My family of origin took several summer trips from El Paso to California. The longest of these lasted two weeks and we went to San Clemente, Pismo Beach, and Big Sur. Miscellaneous highlights: the first time I saw blue jays and redwinged blackbirds, eating a halibut my mom caught, the redwood trees, day trip to Monterey and eating shrimp, camping in the pop-up camper, my sister finding a $5 bill (in the early 60's!) in the parking lot of a fancy restaurant where we ate dressed in very casual vacation clothes because my dad said that it didn't matter if you could pay!

WORST: (Let's hide this one in the middle of the pack.)  A summer road trip from Dayton to Maine. I had always wanted to go to Maine, and it is still one of the favorite places I've ever been. The trip itself, a year before the marriage ended, was awful. Words have not yet been invented to describe the pain of that trip.

BEST: Always, kids in the car on trips near and far!  When the kids were 2, 8, and 9 we moved from Dallas to Philadelphia.  One leg of that move involved me driving with just the kids from Richmond VA to Philadelphia in our family van. One of the older kids was "riding shotgun" and trying to read a map while we all sang along to a cassette tape of "Camp Song Sing-A-Long" the songs they had learned at camp or VBS.  At one point, I needed to have a look at the map, so we exited the highway somewhere near Washington DC.  Immediately we found ourselves at a security gate outside of some kind of unmarked compound with armed guards coming out to ask us what we were doing there and making it very clear that we needed to be gone sooner rather than later.  These are the kinds of things that happened before GPS and cellphone support for road trips!  It was not as stressful as it was funny!  And it was typical of the fun I remember having with the kids in the car.

FANTASY: The stereotypical RV fantasy: take the house on the road!  There might be some fun people along (or not). There might be an agenda -- visit all the minor league ball parks or state parks or all the relatives or all 49 land states -- or not. It would be fun to just go and see and be out there, exploring.

Friday Five: Counting Blessings

Newest family member: Daniel

Terri gives us a short and sweet Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals:

Offer five gratitudes you recognize in your life.

OK, then, in no particular order:

• Very good health.  I was blessed with great genetics and have continued to be blessed by health care that's been accessible enough and affordable enough. I'm approaching another birthday and I am grateful for how it's going.
• Meaningful work. At this moment, I am grateful that my work life is alive and well and going in some good new directions. Recently, when I thought it might very well be over with, I was called yet again. 
• Gluten Free Pizza.  I made this recipe for GF pizza crust today for a pizza lunch that I've been wanting. It was easy and it's really really good!  Toppings:  fresh basil, home grown tomatoes, onion and red pepper.
• Cooler weather.  I can feel autumn in the air. And it feels really really good.
• Family, family everywhere.  I am really grateful for a scattered family. It's the fact, so let's celebrate the joys of it! They are scattered all the way from Portland, OR to the deep South to NYC and Vermont.  I'm grateful for the experience of anticipating trips to visit them and looking forward to their visits with me.  In the next six weeks, I get to go to Portland, OR and Baton Rouge, LA.  So grateful!  

BONUS: An unexpected blessing today was being touched by  "The Place I Want to Get Back To," the Mary Oliver poem posted by Terri.  Thank you, Terri, for the many ways you speak to our spirits.

I'm Still Game (Part 3)

This is Part Three of a game that began with Robin's invitation to play.  Here are my Part One and Part Two.  It took me a day or so to respond to Part Three, which got a lot more contemplative:

Third Question:  What do you consider to be the big question or conundrum of your life?

My answer:  "Am I doing the right thing?"  

Which brought up even more questions:

How do you know "when to hold 'em" and "when to fold 'em"?
Is there even a "right thing" anyway?

Is the right thing always the loving thing, and vice versa?

Why do some decisions seem so easy for me and not for others? (and vice versa)

Why can't people get along?

Is choosing love the same thing as choosing God?

Just because it's easy for me, does that mean it's good/right?

Just because it's painful/difficult for me, does that mean it's time to stop?

And wandering off to other things:

Why am I so blessed?

What is my responsibility to the world?

Why does God's way seem to lose to other ways?

Am I on God's way or in God's way?

Is "introspective" the same thing as "contemplative"?

Will I ever find and make a recipe for really good gluten-free bread?

And it goes on . . . and on . . .

Robin's disclaimer:  I should probably warn you at this point that there is absolutely nothing behind these questions other than my own imagination.  I dreamed them up a couple of days ago when I was trying to work something out for myself, and they produced what seemed to me an intriguing insight.

It's OK, Robin.  I'm hooked!  I'm still having fun with it.  You've made me think.  And even more, you've reminded me to celebrate some things I had forgotten were even hanging around.

I look forward to the final part that -- my guess and my hope -- will produce my own intriguing insight. Or something else entirely!