Skip to main content

Sleeping with bread: reaching for crumbs



It's a picture perfect day outside. The birds are singing, the sky is totally blue and the sun is more August like than it is April like.

The quiet of my Monday should make me feel at rest - this is my day off, but I find myself feeling totally overwhelmed in the area of "Things to do". I was even tempted to head into the office to get a head start on things in the coming week, but to be honest - I know I need the day away. Really I do.

So for the sake of sorting out the last week I'm choosing a specific, Sleeping with Bread question/statement today. Often, I just need pointed in the direction of a start then I'm good to go. So here goes.

For what am I least grateful? Most grateful?

Challenge:
I'm the kind of person who would prefer to have things given to me straight, even if the message is tough to hear. This week I experienced some misaligned info and attitude that I had to spend too much time re-orienting and repairing. I really hate to waste time on such matters, plus the emotional side of such drama wears me out!



Honestly, straight shooting is the only way to go. This would be the biggie this last week in the "least grateful" category.

Juggling:
My little guy and girl were home sick last week for a few days with a stomach bug. Not so sick that they could not care for each other while I was working (after the first day), but sick enough to cause me some hectic rescheduling of work plans. So working I worked from home on day one, and was able to have them to look after each other on the other day. My not so little ones are growing up fast!

Creative Play:
A big mural art project came together fairly well last week - except for my misjudgment on how much "wonder under" I needed to complete it. So two trips to the fabric department, many hours of ironing, and one more week of applying fabric paint with the kids who are working on the project and we will be home free! I promise, pictures are coming soon of the finished project.



For those of you who are not familiar with "Wonder under" for art/craft projects here is an explanation:
Wonder Under - Regular weight paper-backed fusible web for use on medium to lightweight fabrics. Wonder Under is a fusible adhesive which is applied to a release paper. Wonder Under bonds fabric to fabric, or any porous surface, including wood and cardboard. It is faster and easier to use than glue.


I am very grateful for Wonder under, when it works. :)


Awards:
I had the great honor of honoring a lovely 30-year veteran Sunday School teacher from my church on Friday evening. Another local church, Blackwell Chapel, organized an awards banquet for Christian Educators. I have to admit, I was not totally honest with Judy when I invited her to the banquet. I simply told her it was a dinner for Christian Educators and I thought she might like to attend. I failed to tell her that she was one of the several people being honored at this event. I figured I'd just let that part be a surprise. And it was!


I'm so grateful to Judy, and the Sunday School teachers like her who faithfully give their time and heart to their students each week. Without the Judys of the world, Sunday School would never even get started. Thanks for all you do, Judy!

Sharing:
This Sunday I had the opportunity to share at the contemporary service about some of the ideas in my Grape Jelly Jars post. It was my first official "sermon" with a group of adults and kids at my church. I hope it was applicable to all who listened.

Memories:
With all the thoughts about Sunday School teachers this last week, I remembered one of my favorites when I was about five years old. Her name was Winnie Cartwright. My memories of her revolve around her name, as a child I thought she was somehow related to winnie the pooh with a name like that. I also recall a picture she had in her classroom. It was the image many church classrooms had I'm sure. It was the painting of Jesus sitting outdoors with children represented from all over the world.



One Sunday, I went straight up to Winnie and said, "Winnie, I had a dream about the Jesus picture this week." She smiled and asked me, "That is interesting, what was the dream about?" "I dreamed that I was outside with Jesus and all the kids were there too, but I was the one that got to sit on his lap!"

Winnie did not scold me for being the center of attention in my dream, I was only 5 after all. She simply replied, " That is a great dream. And you know what? Jesus wants all of us to be as close to him as possible. I want to be that child too!"

I'm grateful for Winnie and her gentle way of sharing Jesus with me. I'm thankful that she encouraged me to dream my dreams. I'm thankful that all the crumbs of this week are more than enough to keep me going, living, growing and dreaming.

So for now, even in my long list of 'to dos', I can expectantly dreams and think of the bread for the week to come.

Comments

shannon newby said…
Hi tara!

Sorry I didn't respond to your early post - but thanks for the shout outs!!

You continue to amaze me with your ideas of intersecting creativity within your church.

Keep it up - it's refreshing to read and see! :)
Shannon
Tara Lamont said…
Thanks Shannon -
Will do!
Mel said…
Ohhhhh....good job getting that surprise pulled over on Judy! And fun things happen with Wonder Under....I'll wait to see the finished product.

I do know the 'lengthy to-do list' syndrome. WPIML tells me to make 'nothing' time, anyway.

<-- blows bubbles! Works!!

:-)
Tara Lamont said…
I managed 1/4 day of nothing yesterday...and was lured by my worry to the office for a while... as least the time gives me some breathing room today. Well needed breathing room at that.
Unknown said…
This was a great post, Tara. It felt like a visit with you.

Be careful about that time off. You need the rest and renewing! (Coming from one who knows!)
Tara Lamont said…
Mel -
I think I need to invest in some bubbles.

Mary -
Time off is coming after Sunday - two days in a ROW!

For now - lots of rigatoni to cook.
XXOO

Popular posts from this blog

SWB: Claustrophobia and clearings

Mary Lue shared her host post on business and rest for this weeks Sleeping with Bread Examen. Her words resonated with me in the fact that due to a significant staff change at my office, there is more work to be done and my plate is feeling fuller lately. There have been more meetings, and lots of talking and planning. For the most part, I've felt much more connected to people since I've become more involved in this way, but oddly when I'm done for the day or night - I find myself in need of some quiet. Maybe I'm still sorting and planning in the back of my mind, but silence (even my own) is something I find myself being more and more drawn too. It's like the extra noise, both internal and external, makes me feel claustrophobic . A few days after Christmas, I went into a game store with my son and was overwhelmed by all the noise and activity there. The store was tiny but filled with kids and their parents vying for their video game of choice. My head felt hot, my

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

What Summer Camp Means to Me...

  I was around six-years-old when I first went to sleep-away summer camp.  At the time I lived in PA and the camp (through my church) was in Ohio. All school year, I attended Sunday School faithfully partially because regular attendance allowed my family scholarships to help with the cost of Summer Camp. Over the school year, I attended most Sunday's and by the end of the year, my little coupon book was full of stamps - providing me with a scholarship to attend a camp session. I provide this background on how I first got to go to camp, because it is an essential part of explaining what Summer Camp meant (and means) to me.   Going away to Summer Camp gave me a whole new experience of community. The whole process of going to and attending was the first times I experienced, "it takes a village", personally. From the Sunday School Teachers who drove a sedan full of kids to Ohio, to the counselors and staff who supported new campers: through the first 48 hours of homesickness