“Firsts” Friday Five

  1. Your first “place” – whether it was an apartment, dorm room, or home with a new spouse, the first place where you really felt like a grown-up: My first place away from home was my dorm room. The summer before I worked at Bible camp but was moving from one cabin to the next so I never really felt like I had a place of my own. 🙂 When I got to college, my roommate never came so I spent the first few weeks by myself. Then a transfer student transferred in and we became roommates. After my first two years of having a roommate, I decided to stay in the dorms. Because I was an older student I had my own room and shared a bathroom with the RA next to me!
  2. Your first time away from home. Construe this any way you want. College? Girl Scout Camp? Study Abroad? I dont really remember my first time away from home. I suppose it was a Girl Scout camp. I do remember the first time I went to Bible camp. I had the most awesome counselor and I truly wanted to be like her some day. I remember having a great week at camp. I also remember it was canoe camp and I was paired with the male counselor. We stopped at one of our spots and he got out to the pull the canoe in or something and I remember tipping and getting soaked! 😛 My parents were a little late picking me up (they called to let us know they were going to be late!) so I got to hang out with the super cool counselor I wanted to be like until my parents arrived.
  3. Your first job in your field of endeavor (so, not babysitting, unless you are A Professional Babysitter today):
    This one is easy for me! I had many jobs growing up; driving tractor, working at the local theatre taking tickets and selling concessions, babysitting etc. But the first job I had closest to my field of endeavor would be CAMP COUNSELOR! Camp is the first place I heard God calling me into ministry. And after camp, I found myself at seminary! 🙂
  4. Your first time hosting. Again, construed broadly, this could be a dinner for the in-laws, your first time to have guests for a holiday meal, etc.
    I dont remember the first time I hosted. I do remember when I first started at my current job my friend B and I decided to host a monthly dinner for our camp friends who were in college. We had a blast! Planning out the meal, buying the groceries, making goody bags to send home with them. I truly miss those gatherings!
  5. Your first love.That can be a person or something else!! I truly don’t remember my first love! Probably writing… I love to write! As for first love in a person I can’t name anyone in particular. I have had plenty of crushes on boys. At seminary, I had the HUGEST crush on one of my good friends. I even had the guts to tell him which probably wasn’t the smartest move. We are still friends but I don’t think in the same way as before I told him. I have a friend right now who I am blessed to have in my life. But I am just trying to be a good friend as this individual is grieving the loss of his marriage.

Guilty as Charged

Miley Cyrus…..at the VMAs. I didn’t see it but I’ve heard enough about it. I’ve heard about it on late night tv. I heard about it at Zumba at Curves tonight. She was practically unclothed; twerking with a gentleman unstage.

Yes Miley is guilty but what about the others who were on stage with her. Robin Thicke is just as guilty. From what I understand, he let her twerk him. Then it would seem to me that he is just as guilty as her!

And what about the music producers and others who let it happen? Wasn’t there a rehearsal? They couldn’t have been completely in the dark could they have. They all are “guilty as charged!”

Neither Robin Thicke or Miley Cyrus’s examples are what I want the youth in my life to watch. Too much of our world especially the celebrity world are all about sexuality. Aren’t there better examples for our youth? Yes absolutely there are!

Who are “good”celebrity examples for the youth in our lives? Can you think of any? Why are they good examples?!

Sunday Blessings; 7th Edition

(1) Tomatoes fresh from the garden shared with me by a neighbor

(2) Safe travels to the Cities

(3) My sis having a good first day of school this year teaching

(4) A fun day at the MN State Fair with great WTS friends–good fun, lots of laughter, pure joy!

(5) Stopping at a friends on my way home from the cities, going our for lunch and catching up on life.

(6) Finding a friend’s honey entry at the fair, taking pictures of their honey entry and texting the pics to my friend.

(7) Another great “Labor of Love” Sunday

(8) A member leaving fresh garden produce at church to share with us. I got a few cucumbers and tomatoes.

(9) Air conditioning on this very HOT day!!!

(10) Watching a toddler get soooo excited to ride the carousel at the fair….absolute pure joy!!!

(11) Shutterfly photo books. I love making them and sharing them with friends and family. I need to get caught up though.

(12) A good book on my Kindle. The book I’m currently reading is called “The Promise of Stardust”

(13) A Baptism during Worship

I’ve been loving writing down my blessings but this week in particular I can’t help but think of a dear friend and her husband who lost their baby girl. Sometimes it’s just so hard to understand! Please say a prayer for their family. It would be greatly appreciated!

Sunday Blessings; Edition Six

(1) A dear friend inviting me to room with her and go to the Youth Extravaganza!

(2) Being a part of a church that elected its first female Presiding Bishop

(3) Spending time with a good friend

(4) Finally receiving some mail that I have been waiting for for a while now

(5) Unexpected mail

(6) A fun day with my best friend—shopping, eating, catching up etc!

(7) Not being outside when my flip-flop broke and being close to a shoe store.

(8) Gifting/giving some of my clothes to local Goodwill so someone else can benefit from them

(9) An early Birthday gift from a friend

(10) A great week of vacation

Always Being Made New

It is a big day in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA elected the first female Presiding Bishop this afternoon. I am on vacation this week and have been trying to stay away from the live feed but as I read my Twitter and FB feeds, I found myself logging in to watch as I truly felt the Holy Spirit at work. I believe Rev. Elizabeth Eaton truly has been called and will lead the ELCA into the future.

But I cannot post without telling you how much I respect current Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson. Bishop Mark Hanson has been a tremendous leader especially over these last tumultous years of the ELCA. He is a gracious man and has led with such grace and humility. As I look at my life in the ELCA, Bishop Hanson has been the only Bishop I have truly known as I was 23 when he became Bishop. Bishop Hanson’s words have and will always hold a special place in my head and my heart. I must say that I truly will miss him but I will truly support Bishop Eaton as she has heard this new call.

Thank you Holy Spirit for raising up a new leader. Pray for Bishop Hanson and his staff as they transition. Pray for Bishop Eaton as she too transitions to this new call. And for her synod as they have just given up their Bishop. Prayers for all of us as we are led to a new and certain hope.

“Always Being Made New”

Sunday Blessings; 5th Edition

Here is this week’s list:

(1) The Gift of the Holy Spirit

(2) Spending almost two hours talking with a colleague about family ministry

(3) Our 1st Sunday School Registration forms filled out and returned for the new SS year

(4) A much needed rain shower

(5) Spending time with family

(6) Randomly running into a long lost friend in Target in Bismarck

(7) Good health

(8) Beautiful weather for a dear family friend’s daughter’s wedding

(9) Being loved by so many dear family and friends!

(10) A breakfast prepared by Grandma and enjoying that breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa

(11) An Air compressor and a Good Samaritan

(12) A beautiful Thank You note

(13) Safe travels

(14) Joy….pure joy!!

And so much more!!

Sunday Blessings; Edition Four

I love that I’ve gotten into this routine of posting a list of some of my blessings on Sundays. It really has helped me focus on the positive rather than the negative!

(1) Lemon Fiber One 90 Calorie Bars (They are awesome and so refreshing. I almost hate to admit it but I ate three bars within two hours of bringing them home from the store!)

(2) Rain and the smell of rain

(3) Getting to spend time with a friend and her girls who I haven’t seen in quite awhile.

(4) A text message that totally made my day

(5) A parent from a neighboring church who is able to go on the Houseboat trip as an adult leader since we couldn’t find one from our church.

(6) Talking to a friend I haven’t talked to in ages.

(7) Celebrating my 6th Anniversary working at the church I work at

(8) Fresh Garden cucumbers shared by a colleague at work from her garden.

(9) My Kindle and new books!

(10) A Day Off

(11) Staying under my calorie goal for the day

(12) Successful try at a new Pinterest recipe—fajitas!

(13) Clean laundry

(14) A fantastic community of faith that has blessed me in more ways than I could have imagined.

(15) Post Liturgical naps

Self-Care Friday Five

Our Friday Five is very simple today. Share five ways you’ve learned to care for
yourself when life becomes overwhelming. What does the pastor do after a rough
day in the office, or at meetings, or at a bedside, or even, in the pulpit?
Share your best five self-care strategies, and, with any luck, we all will learn
at least one or two new ones.

(1) Zumba. I try to do Zumba at least two times a week. I started doing Zumba about a year or more ago. I didn’t think I would like it because I am not coordinated. But there is something about how I feel afterwards and it doesn’t hurt that in 45 minutes I can burn 350 calories. It makes me feel good about myself! 🙂

(2) Reading. I love to read. Just about anything and everything! Books that make me laugh (Check out Alison Arngrim’s Book “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch.” Alison played Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. I was literally rolling on the floor laughing at points). Books that make me cry. Books that make me think. Books used to make movies (My latest: Silver Linings Playbook).

(3) Spending time with friends and family. Going to a movie, shopping, etc.

(4) Watching mindless TV–such as reality shows. Right now it’s Big Brother, America’s Got Talent, and Project Runway. I don’t know what it is about these shows but there is just something about realizing my life is no where near the DRAMA found in these shows.

(5) Writing. I’m a writer so when I can sit down and blog…or write a poem or a story…it is so healing for me.