Uphill idealist

Image found at Wild Life Command Center It was a warm and dark Wednesday night. A friend from home stopped into town to visit me and to see the churches that I'm serving in the Ken-Ton neighborhood. She was excited to see my name on the sign and take in the worship space. So we stopped in to one of the buildings for a tour. As I showed her around the altar area I told her about how amazing it is to be able to serve communion now. In my excitement I laid my flash-light app engaged cell phone down, held my hands in the air to represent my imaginary "bread" and started to say the words on institution. "On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread broke it and said, "This is my body broken for you..." In my friend's delight she shouted, "Oh do that again I want to take a photo!" I obliged and as I held my hands up I felt a "WOOSH!" of air by my arms and head. Was it a gust of wind? Was it a moth? Um. NO. It was ...

Carpooling, chaos and hard-headed spark. Friends that are family, is us from the start. Meals and museums and pages from old books, these are just a few steps that we already took.    Goliaths we've wrestled and they've made their mark, but this way that we walk-wobble-walk encompasses our whole human heart.  Many cups of dark coffee and sharing a tune have been our mantra, our method our rune. The melody that greets us is one I can't hear too soon. Gospel and grace give us hope for the days set before us. Laughter and space call us to stay close. For this piece in the road  and the life that you've given - what a treasure, my friend, you are and always have been. For Jenn Swift Copyright 2015 T.L.Eastman

Image from thehotzoneonline.com Salsa, guacamole, Mexican pizza and three good friends make for a great night! Last night I had the great opportunity to have dinner with my friend Sue and Sally. It's been over a year since we had all gotten together. Sue and I live in the same community, but Sally spends majority of her year with her family serving in mission in Ethiopia. If you want to check out the work she and her family are doing there, go to Baer Essentials. While I love a accessibility and ease of communication that comes from the internet and facebook, there is something totally lovely about sitting down to dinner with dear friends: the kind of friends that you're amazed to be sitting with over nachos and celebratory margaritas, because they are such wonderful people. I've been thinking a great deal about friendship lately, especially those friendships between women. Having gone to school in Pennsylvania and having most of my extended family from the Pittsburgh area...

Renee and I became friends this last summer as we painted an outdoor mural together. As we climbed up on that scaffold each time, we would talk about our families and lives as we worked. We shared the work. We shared time. We came from a place of being acquaintances (and my how many acquaintances there are in the world), to becoming real and genuine friends (How few true friends do we really have in life?) We look out for each other and push each other to take the next step into the yet unseen future. Thank you Renee for being my new - and real- friend. (The image above is a section of a new mural we worked on together in February. This section is our self-portraits. :))

Image found at Colorpictures.net I received this as an email from a friend of mine the other day. Isn't it wonderful when your receive the 'word' you needed to hear, just when you needed to hear it the most. :) Thanks friend. "The person who follows the crowd will usually gets no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to discover places no one has ever been before. Creativity in living is not without its attendant difficulties. For peculiarity breeds contempt. And the unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is that when people finally realize you were right, they’ll say it was obvious all along. You have two choices in life. You can dissolve into the mainstream, or you can be distinct. To be distinct, you must be different. To be different, you must be what no one else can be…. – Anonymous"

Let's all walk together so we can talk to one another. We walked together for a while. I went on a walk today and happened to meet up with a neighbor friend of mine. There is space in the time that we walk together with our dogs in the early morning that allows for the best conversations. Today he told me that he's read that while walking is obviously good for your health, that recent studies have shown that when you walk with a partner (canine or human - or both) there is a part of the brain that is activated and stimulated that isn't when we walk alone. When I was thinking about our bread baking today, I was reminded of how important it is for me that WE walk together in our highs and lows, our joys and sorrows. I'm incredibly thankful to you who walk with me in this journey - and now I know the scientific reason why. It's is better to walk/bake life bread together than alone. It actually creates something new when we share it together. As we share the bread of le...

Image from Gilroy Dispatch.com The sun is shining. The coffee is hot. The offerings on the menu are sweet and savory. The conversation is bubbling with life - our lives re-told over a meal prepared for us, instead of by us. We share laughter, sorrow, frustrations and stories from our hectic days. We lift each other up with the help of piping hot coffee, mushroom and cheese omelets, and love. The bill is small, but the outcome is great. It's amazing what a simple ladies breakfast can do for a weary soul.

so my friend Dave from old Long Point Camp days is a rock star... well at least I think so. Dave and Brian is a comedic music project he's a part of and I think they are great. Their website is www.daveandbrian.com Hope this song cheers up all the dorks out there - I know it made this dungeons and dragons dork smile today!

Today I went to look to see the host post at Sleeping with bread and found my blogging friend Mary Lue had posted some of my favorite scriptures as part of the focus for the week. Looking back, there were many times in the last week that fear was an issue for me. Either I was thinking about it, working my way around it and sometimes facing it and looking it straight in the eye. Thank you Mary Lue for reminding me that I'm not left alone to deal with the things that are fear for me. Thank you God for staying with me - always. Isaiah 41:10 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 43:1-5 1 But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, ...

It's been an event filled week for me both personally and professionally, as I mentioned in the previous post. I've been attempting to balance on a tightrope that seems to keep bouncing and shifting with the winds of life. Staying on top of things in this constant state of movement can be tough at times, but I'm ever grateful to the people around me that help keep me upright and balanced. My blogging friend Lucy , must have known I needed a little boost of encouragement and has awarded me the "Honest Scrap" award. It's lovely when the thoughts, words and images that I post here really connect with people. Thanks to Lucy for letting me know she like what she sees here! Please say hello by visiting and commenting at her blog: "Looking for something deeper." Other things that have kept me going this week were: Finally seeing progress and things coming together on the large mural project I'm a part of creating. As you look at the following images, i...

Image from Heartfish . 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. A few days ago, a friend reminded me of a bumper sticker that was somehow connected to Rob Bell's ministry a few years ago. The sticker reads, "Love wins." For the past month, there seems to have been several points of conflict that I'd wished and hoped away. I tried to fix them, fret over them, and eventually I remembered to pray over them. Some situations require that I take a few steps back, stop rehashing them and simply pray over them when they come to mind - instead of worrying over them. After the book tour came together so well and with a decent attendance for our small city (about 200 people), after I was given an apology that lifted a burden I'd been carrying and attempting to fix from my end, after a sunny fall day and walking in the crunchy leaves, and after a hand written card from my dear friend Sue, I'm reminded that...

Image found at Gaiafield Project. When I was in grade school I remember getting a consistent mark on my report card throughout my primary years. One particular teacher comment usually had something to do with my penmanship. I remember trying so hard to achieve the perfect slat to my cursive letters, but due to the fact that I was left-handed and my letters were to tall and straight - I would end up with an A- or a B+ in penmanship. The other, actually more common comment went something like this... " Tara is a bright student, but is distracted easily by continually talking with her neighbors." From day one, talking is something I was good at. My mom used to tell me before and after social and extended family gatherings... " Tara, you don't have to tell everyone your whole life story!" By the status of my childhood report cards as well as my tendency to chat to strangers in line at the grocery store... I'm a talker. Always have been and probably will always b...

Meet my new friend Shannon is an encaustic artist. That means she paints with bees wax and many other multi-media objects. I'd have to say that Shannon is a real-life art hero, as she continues to grow in her own skills and foster creative growth in others. Here is my favorite new piece from her series..."For all it's worth". This series expressed her desire to really understand truth, love, grace and beauty. Enjoy "Truth". For more looks at Shannon's art that is available for purchase, visit her Esty shop: http://www.etsy.com /shop.php?user_id=5250232 or check out her blog at: www.newbymedia.com/newbyartwordpress/

The tail gate party was a go even in the misty rain and we had a great time hanging out with the students and neighbors that pass our Church building every day. Here are some photos from the day... Chris Bell singing and performing. Senior High students taking in the music. Sno-cones were slurped. Brain freeze afflicted many. The hot dogs were happily eaten. Favor cups were given to over 100 students. We had a chance to talk with everyone... and I think we made some new friends too! Thank you to all the volunteers who set up, served food and tore down. Thanks to Cable 8 News for coming and doing a story on the event. Most of all, thanks to G-d for help in bringing all the details together! Take a minute and stop by First Lutheran Church of Jamestown's website to learn what else we have to offer!

Just a quick personal note here. Please keep my sister-in-law Darcey C. in your prayers as she is having serious eye complications after two eye surgeries in the past few weeks. She is having eye problems related to diabetes, and things are not shaping up to very positive at the moment. Pray for healing, pray for her to get in contact with the right Doctors, pray for her spirits as she deals with the possibly of loosing more vision in what was her good eye. Peace

Image from A Mother's Love As I think to sit and write this thank you post to all the Mom's in my life, I feel awash with an ocean full of memories of nurturing people. Here goes the great splash of thanks... To my Mom: Thank you for giving me life, loving me, baking cookies with me, for encouraging me to be myself even when that was hard, and for understanding my need to express myself in what I said, drew and even wore - even down to the bell bottoms, butterfly shirt, and pixie hair cut on my first day to kindergarten. For all the PTA meetings, summer camps, choir concerts and rides home after track and volleyball - thank you for giving of your time and energy. To my Mother in law - Janet: for welcoming me into your family, teaching how to be a better grown up, for encouraging me to go to college even when raising my kids, for helping to care for the kids when juggling work, school and ministry commitments, and for loving me as I am. You make a mean cup of tea too! To Jacki...

Last evening at youth group we talked about the obstacles and benefits of friendship. We looked at the text from John 15 to our springboard for discussion because of its emphasis on love and Jesus expression of choosing us to be his friend. Image from Blog Hendersonville John 15: 1-17" 1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. 4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. 5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from...

Image from FreeWebs In am ongoing discussion group that I am a part of on Facebook, Adrin said this in response to the command to: "Love your neighbor as yourself..." "...I've got some things to work on in this neighbor-love department." Don't we all Adrin, don't we all. Last fall my friend and hairdresser suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack. I'd only seen him two or three days before when I got the call that he had passed away. I barely spoke the word, "No." as it felt there was no air in my lungs to push the words out. It was shocking, sad, and made me wonder if we talked about all important things at our last visit. I still wonder that months later. I was shell-shocked with grief. How could the passing of someone who was not a part of my daily life be such a massive loss? I'm not sure how, but he had quickly become my neighbor even though he lived across town. Anyhow - his passing has made me more aware of the uncertai...

I went Christmas shopping today. I traveled to Erie, PA in hopes of wrapping up my holiday wish lists and for the most part I think I've covered it. Most of the day was spent with my daughter Heather, her friend Kassie and our buddy Liz - she even offered to drive since she had the only car with four wheel drive. So I had the opportunity to sit back and be the passenger. How nice. Lattes, Americano's and coffee freezers kept us fueled through our three-hour marathon shopping leg at Target, then linner at Panera's, Wegman's and then the mall. Our last stop of the day was the mall pet store where Liz fell in love with an English bulldog. I learned that they have financing for the pet store. Financing is necessary when you find out the pup your holding is more expensive than what I paid for my first car! The store was asking $3900.00 for the caramel ball of puppy fun. Liz wanted to take "Olive" home ... but we left her at the store for the next millionaire to buy...