already so late this morning for the first gig...

...since I didn't get home last night until after 9:30, and my congregation is on the other side of BeanTown (west) from where I live (north) but I gotta say this--

I JUST LOVE ME THE REVGALBLOGPALS!!!
Even though mostly I surf through posts when I can't take time to write comments all the time..so I am mostly on the periphery....but I gotta say it.
ALL OF YOU ROCK.

The depth of this blog community, the humour, the support, the articulate theology and thoughtful reflections and oceans of juicy diversity...
ahh.
love it.

What a taste of heaven on earth all of you are.

Looking forward to BE2...and...for someday, my first RevGal meetup!

really gotta run now, so I am not too late for meeting far across beantown. (can I shower, make lunch, walk dogs, exercise, eat breakfast in 20 minutes??? uhhhhh)

holy spirit sighting

today I was jogging in the park along the river. (jogging slowly)
I came upon the stone pillar in the middle of the lawn that marks the name of the park, and a huge redtail hawk was perched on it....we were eye to eye, about five feet apart. The hawk calmly watched me as I ran by...and then I stopped and turned around to gaze at its wild beauty until it flew off in majestic glory, soaring over the river, circling back, and landing in a tree, with another gorgeous redtail.

Hawks are fierce, strong, a little scary sometimes, but for me, a symbol of the Holy Spirit...I need that wild fierce presence of God filling me and with me for the living of these days.
Amen.

Prayer

I am in a cohort of people being trained to be a church coach for evangelism and vitality in our Conference. One of our projects together is reading the book, "Unbinding Your Heart" by Martha Grace Reese which is a forty day commitment to daily prayer, and weekly meetings to pray for one another, and talk about how our prayer lives are moving (or not) as well as talk about some of the ideas in the book. The "unbinding" series is part of a larger "real-evangelism series" written for mainline denominations that are wanting to embrace growth as a mission, and learning the practice of invitation rather than relying on the attraction approach of growth. (If we are doing what we do, people will be attracted to us and come). Outreach is a whole other topic, and I digress.

The book is intended for congregations--for forty days, a congregation cancels all meetings, and instead, they work through this book--personally and corporately in small groups that meet weekly. I understand that congregations that have gone through this process are markedly transformed. Understandable. They are praying for one another and the world in a focused, regular way.

Gay Reese's reflections are really wonderful, I have to say. They are accessible for anyone, and yet deep. They remind the reader/prayer of mindfulness in everyday life, and she provides an array of scripture to read and reflect upon. My prayer life has become incredibly consistent by using this tool, and I have to say I am beginning to be much more "all of me here in the moment" than I ever have.

It's a little scary, too. I am learning that I am the kind of person that doesn't easily give up control--she makes the remark that some people are the kind that say "oh, thanks God, for the tip! It all makes sense. So give me back my life now, I can take it from here". OOOhh. I get that. I pray, I receive, and then go on my independent way.

I pray for a heart and life steeped in prayer. But, if this sort of things happen, I better, as Annie Dillard says, get a crash helmet--it is the Creator of the Universe I am being vulnerable to, you know? This is pretty risky.

Can I live this way? I pray I can.
Amen.

Springy Saturday

Ahh. It has been a very busy week. Four nights in a row at work, with multiple meetings/potlucks/visits. In spite of being busy, it all was great. I just LOVE what I get to do.

This morning, though I felt like a brick wall had crashed over me. We got up to go to a WW meeting at 8:00. When I got home around 9:00, I crawled back into bed for just a few more minutes. I literally didn't wake up until 2:00 pm, and then I had to make myself get up. I have been really tired lately--it is true fatigue--and I suppose I need to go and get some bloodwork done. I have had episodes of chronic mono in the past, and although I don't think that this is it, I do think getting it checked would be good. Besides being fatigued, I feel good--my heart is light, I am satisfied and grounded emotionally and spiritually, I am exercising regularly, and I even have lost a little weight. I have energy--in spite of the physical fatigue.

The day today is gorgeous. I am waiting for a delivery, and after that happens, I am going to take Fenway for a walk/run through the greenway. She will like it, and I will love the sunshine on my face and body. It is still a tiny bit cool, but the sun makes all the difference. Last night I was talking to one of our 7th graders, and he commented how daylight savings time makes a world of difference. I have to agree. I LOVE these kids in our confirmation group. Again, who else gets to do work like this for a living? I know that some pastors/congregations have touch times, conflict, personalities, difference of opinions, and that is probably true in pockets where I get to serve...
but that has been true anywhere I have served.
In spite of the level of conflict or difference of opinion or vision,
ministry, being with people, loving people, being on a journey with Christ together, ahh...well, it rocks. I love it.

Today, when we were coming back from WW, we (Beloved and me) made a bet about when Target opens. Don't ever question me about Target--I know my Target, trust me. We bet a pair of shoes, if I win, a new running outfit if Beloved won.

Guess who won (and I didn't initiate the bet, Beloved did. So. Sure. of. Rightness.)
HAH! I won. Then Beloved mentioned that of course because there is an economic crisis, I would of course, being thoughtful and frugal, forgo my booty.
Huh. hmmm. Well, maybe for now. But spring is coming, and sandals must be had. Don't you think? ;-)

Again, another random post. But, well, maybe it is spring fever.

Thank you for the Joy in my heart, oh Joyful Holy One.
Amen.

scattered thoughts today...

randomly,
I am thinking about these things.
I am at the age now, where it is not uncommon for my peers to be dealing with a terminally ill parent--or a sudden death of one.
It's huge.

I now know personally two people in very good professional jobs who have been laid off. One was done with grace. The other sounds like a complete knock-out out of nowhere. I also have a colleague whose two sisters have been laid off in the past few months. It can happen to any of us, and to any one we know.

My neighbor has a new puppy, baby Bella, the Bernese Mountain Dog. She is hilarious.

This is a good moment, this pause as I feel the keys under my tapping fingers, listening to the drone of the vacuum cleaner that someone is running across the hall in the pre-school room, while a very loud mommy picks up her child and puts her in the bathroom and tells her not to lock it. That would my cue to lock it to see what would happen. Am surprised the child did not take advantage. The mom is really loud, though. Now she is explaining about Girl Scout cookies.

My heart aches, especially for the one friend who was laid off yesterday.

I wonder when the snow will melt after the dump of 12 inches yesterday.

There is a little boy in the preschool who gets in trouble EVERY day. He is having a hard time. I suspect he might have some special needs. Prayers for him...and his parents....

The sun is absolutely brilliant this afternoon. Wonderful.

I need to clean my office. Someone just came by and asked me if I was moving. (four giant boxes arrived today, full of specially imprinted church mugs--plus a box of curriculum, and another box of old pictures somebody dumped in my office. Plus two Trader Joe bags full of stuff, and an overflow of papers on the floor to be filed. Sigh.) I am not moving.

I can't get the Beyonce song, Put a Ring On it, out of my head. uh, uh, oh..uh, uh oh.....

I wish I could dance like Beyonce

Time for me to stop writing. My stream of thought is deteriorating.

Peace to you~~