Now for something completly different...

This just made me smile. Hope it did the same for you.

What pattern is my life?

Last night at youth group we tie dyed some t-shirts to wind down to the end of summer vacation and to start off the new school year right. Tie dyes are always fun to make, but it's always good to know what kind of design you'd like to create before you start pouring the dye willy nilly. Depending on your choice of pattern( the spiral, the bulls-eye, the crinkle and many more) you need to rubber band the shirt in a particular way and apply the dye carefully so that you saturate the t-shirt enough to create a distinctive pattern.



Last evening as we began tie dyeing, Heather decided to go for the spiral pattern (which you can see here) while I made a bulls-eye pattern. All in all I think we both got the balance of pattern and dye saturation down rater well. There have been many times that I've made tie dyes that I either don't think about the pattern or over-saturate the shirt in dye and end up with a muddy brown ugly blend of a mess.



Our discussion at youth was about Jesus ministry of "proclaiming good news to the poor", " giving sight to the blind", "setting the oppressed free", "proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor." We talked about the disciples being and trying to live in a way that followed Jesus' example. The disciples are sometimes referred to as, "little Christs". I asked the students how we were doing as a church and a youth group as living like little Christs. I asked them if we were really telling the community about God's love, caring for the communities needs and living as beacons of hope to our small city.

For the most part, the students thought we were doing ok in these areas, from their perspective youth group provides them a safe place to spend time with their friends and have some cookies every now and then. One young man read the phrase about caring for the poor and said " When I come here and I'm hungry you always feed me. On a scale of 1-10 - you get a 10!" I still smile as I think of his funny yet sincere and thought provoking statement.

I looked at my tie dye shirt drying outdoors this morning, I began to wonder - "Am I really living a life that follows your pattern, Jesus?" On a scale of 1-10 am I seeing and responding in a little Christ way to those around me? Am I giving more than cookies and kool-aid to my students each week at youth group? When I look at my life, what pattern have I chosen to create, my own design or one that looks to G-d for direction and pacing.

Who would have thought that my student's lesson would speak back to me this morning in the form of a newly tie dyed shirt that just so happened to be a "life" brand inside the collar. What is my life's pattern? I pray it is one of light, hope, love and of course cookies every now and then.

On Friday, we all promised to wear our tie dyes together to keep us united as a group, even as we are in different places. Its my prayer that we are united as "little Christs" as well.
:)

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

For more on the concept of "little Christs" go to the blog yearns&groans by Will.

School days

Here are my cuties on their first foggy morning back to school...

Up in the mornin and out to school
The teacher is teachin the golden rule
American history and practical math
You studyin hard and hopin to pass
Workin your fingers right down to the bone
And the guy behind you wont leave you alone

Ring, ring goes the bell
The cook in the lunch rooms ready to sell
Youre lucky if you can find a seat
Youre fortunate if you have time to eat
Back in the classroom, open your books
Keep up the teacher dont know how mean she looks

Soon as three oclock rolls around
You finally lay your burden down
Close up your books, get out of your seat
Down the halls and into the street
Up to the corner and round the bend
Right to the juke joint, you go in

Drop the coin right into the slot
Youre gotta hear somethin thats really hot
With the one you love, youre makin romance
All day long you been wantin to dance,
Feeling the music from head to toe
Round and round and round we go

Hail, hail rock and roll
Deliver me from the days of old
Long live rock and roll
The beat of the drums, loud and bold
Rock, rock, rock and roll
The feelin is there, body and soul.
By: Chuch Berry

Yup they love rock in roll too!

Embrace the journey

“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” Don Williams Jr.

Mixed media painting by T.L. Eastman - "Embrace the journey" August 09'

Phyllis Tickle on the next 18 months of Emergence

Image of Phyllis Tickle from Commercial Appeal.com.


It will be interesting to see how this turns out. I'll be staying tuned. Phyllis Tickle is one of the most highly respected authorities and popular speakers on religion in America today.

Donald Miller is coming to town!

Donald Miller will be speaking at First Lutheran Church on Saturday October 24th while on his northeast book tour. Ticket details to come very soon!

BTW - Here's the link to Donald's new book "A Million Miles in a thousand years."

15 books that made a difference

A Facebook friend tagged me in this meme and I couldn't resist. Here goes my effort to recall the first 15 books that have stuck with me.

1. Circle of Quiet by Madeline L'Engle. This book made me what to go to back to college.

2. Sacred Space - this devotional book is published every year and has been my most consistent companion in my prayer life.

3. The New Moosewood Cookbook - This cookbook offers incredibly tasty vegetarian dishes. Its always fun to cook out of.

4. The Message - Whenever I'm looking for a fresh way of looking at scripture I look in Eugene Peterson's paraphrase version of the Bible.

5. Bird by bird by Anne Lamott. I don't think this book is one a writer is ever "done" with. Just when you think there is no more to write about, Anne pushes you to dig deeper.

6. The Shack by William P. Young - I read this last summer when I had been laid off and was dealing with so many emotions. It helped me make my way through to the other side.

7. The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams - so funny, so strange. It makes me laugh our loud!

8. Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli. I knew I was a mess, but this book helped me know I'm not alone in feeling this way.

9. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. The little book is somewhat sad, but I love its picture of unconditional and selfless love.

10. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. Time/space travel is groovy.

11. Letters to a young poet by Rilke. A beautiful, beautiful book.

12. Soul Graffiti by Mark Scandrette. My copy of this book is tattered by the times I've read and re-read it. It really connected with me.

13. 40 days and the Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight. I read this book with an online book group and had the opportunity to rehash and really think through it. After all this, I know I still have a long way to go to truly understand and apply how to love God with all of me and love others as I love myself. It's good to know 40 days aren't enough to learn this.

14. Are you there God, it's me Margaret by Judy Blume. I think I read this book 20 times when I was 13. It helped me know that God wasn't afraid of any of my questions.

15. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Again this book is wacky and weird but that unconditional love theme will get me every time.

What are your 15?


Here are the rules if you'd like to join in:
Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books (plays, essays, et al.) you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends value. (Anyone may join in!)

Swb: Comfort

"Gray" from Don Perovich's log.

In a world where discomfort and pain seem to get the greatest amount of attention, my friend Mary Lue leads the way on her Sleeping with bread host post with words of comfort that rush over me like a warm tide.

"You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin" (Job 14:15-16)

All week long it seems a series of discomforts were in the works of life. My son's broken wrist, some challenges with allergy asthma and exercise, rain that never seemed it would stop, and a meeting that was so negative that it effected my mood for way too many days of the week. In many ways it was a gray week.


Image from China Daily.

But then there were many, many comforts that were like beams of sunlight breaking the grayness away. Like having a Greek lunch with my son and having both of us laugh at the challenge of eating soup with his left hand due to his new cast on his right. Going to the movies and having the entire theater to ourselves to enjoy the new 3-d movie, "X Games", driving out of town not once - but twice to take the kiddos school shopping, having a quick lunch with a good friend, meeting someone new and having them pray for both my friend and I in a restaurant - sounds weird but somehow it wasn't, going for a few runs later in the week and finally being able to breathe fully, spending some fun time with my kids, singing with my whole heart boldly in worship on Sunday, sitting down to a crock pot lunch with my family (including my mother in law who rarely get a break) for a relaxing meal and conversation, and a lovely Sunday afternoon nap.

Did I mention a nap?

Upon waking from my nap, I picked up the book, 'Eat, pray, love' by Elizabeth Gilbert that I've been meandering through for the past week or so. In the page I opened to I found her talking about the joy of rest and comfort. In her childhood, although happy - it was very simplistic and puritan. Seeking comfort and rest were not a part of her everyday life. At this point in her story, she is in Italy and surrounded by beauty and comfort. Instead of denying herself the delicacies of Italy, she embraces them fully taking note of the colors, textures and flavors.



She soaked in all the comforts in order to have strength to face the challenges before her. Good thinking Elizabeth!

I got up from my nap, put on my new fuzzy sweater that I'd planned on saving for fall, headed to the store and bought the fixings for bruschetta and a lovely green salad. I also got ice cream for the family. (My daughter just sat down behind me with a bowl of ice cream and said, "Yeah, Ice cream is good!")

As I cooked my zucchini and tomatoes with pesto to place on top of my salad greens and avocado slices, I felt the grayness of last week finally melt away. I drizzled olive oil over the colorful plate and placed some bruschetta on the side and felt happy. I poured a glass of red wine and savored every sip. Rest is good.


Image from Foodie rant.

We played scrabble and laughed so hard our faces hurt.

It is amazing to me that even on gray weeks, that when Monday's sleeping with bread meme time comes, the comfort always outweigh the discomfort. As I head into a new week with come challenges to face and a new school year to help my children adjust to I've already been pursued by these words of comfort on Sunday morning and I will carry them with me all this week. In grayness and sunlight, these words have already caught my attention.

2 Timothy 1:7 The Message
"God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible."

Be bold - use your gifts - and don't forget what good a nap, a good book and little bruschetta can do. (Lol - bruschetta is my bread!)