Peace in the Middle of Panic

My heart is beating rapidly as I look at my calendar for the next week. The all-church musical “Annie” is beginning dress rehearsals as we lead up to the performances on March 2-4. Different thoughts course through my mind…dance steps and lines, how to play all these songs written in six flats on the violin, with some semblance of proper intonation…SIX FLATS. Lord, give me strength.

Adultitis

Ever had the urge to resign from adulthood and return to the carefree days of childhood? Perhaps you’re like many people and your budget is stretched, busy is the new normal, and stress is a constant companion. It’s like you’re on a merry-go-round, spinning at warp speed, and you just want to yell, “Stop!”

God’s Box of Chocolates

Everywhere you look at the beginning of February you see love-themed treats and presents for Valentine’s Day. A staff favorite (and mine) is a box of chocolates – each candy promising to be the best choice and the only one I will ever love. However, one thing that’s always on my mind when I choose a piece of candy is that I don’t know for sure what flavor it will be. I find this to be a simile for the way we might look at life.

Keeping Sabbath

As we enter the season of Lent, the staff at FoC has been asked to read the book Sabbath by Wayne Muller. At first I was hesitant, because I thought, “Who in the world has time to read a book?” Now that I am halfway through the book, I realize how badly I need to absorb the words coming off the pages.

Peak To Peek

Did you know that the word mountain appears 178 times in the King James version of the Bible? I find it no small coincidence when you look over our pastoral staff, past and present, that they have a love for hiking. Not just the ‘plain Jane’ type either. No, they love hiking ‘the road less traveled’ that leads up to the top of a hill or mountain. I’m sure it’s in their DNA. They are by nature leaders and explorers.

Called to Love & Serve

I start my days with strong coffee (with plenty of half-and-half) and the Star Tribune, print format. I scan the front page, study the celebrity gossip on page 2, read much of the metro section including the obits, and check in with the delightful family of the comic strip Stone Soup.

I’m fascinated by Evie, the grandma, who, after years of faithfully (and hilariously) tending her children and grandchildren, is now stepping out on her own to do the things she’s always dreamed of doing — like going on safari in Africa and joining in rebuilding Haiti after the devastating earthquake of 2010. She meets an attractive older gentleman there, so presumably there is more to the story than is revealed in a family newspaper (!). But I think Edie’s adventure is an experience of call.

Don’t Burst My Bubble

I’m a “glass half full” kind of girl or, as my husband says, I tend to “live in my bubble of warmth and goodness.” He’s right. I do tend to see the world in a more positive light, not really choosing to “see” or dwell on the ugly or bad. I do have the advantage of a fantastic work environment and a very blessed home and family life, though. But I think that, in general, that’s just how I’m made. There are many negative things in the world and change is always all around us, but “we know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves God” (Romans 8:28).

Just Try to Re-Gift These

This weekend, Pr Josh is preaching on the Magi and on gifts we might have to offer to Jesus. I’d love to have profound thoughts on the subject…but, then again, if I did I’d be a pastor. So I’ll leave profoundness to Pr Josh. Instead, here’s a list I found of the “Top Ten Gifts Given the First Christmas that aren’t Mentioned in the Bible:”

Happy New Year…Every Day!

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.

Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to. ~ Bill Vaughan

The New Year is here! It’s time to reflect on the past year and dream dreams for 2012. I don’t know about you, but I am not one to make New Year’s resolutions. Sure, they’re a nice thought, but does anyone actually go through with them? Regardless of whether or not you are a resolution-maker, the New Year always feels like a fresh clean slate. Sadly, that feeling typically doesn’t last for more than a few weeks. We find ourselves slipping back into old habits and before long we find ourselves saying, “maybe next year…”

Glorious

“Mom, did you happen to watch the sun rise this morning? It was gorgeous!” exclaimed my twenty-something daughter as she came home one afternoon for a visit. I hadn’t watched that particular daily show, but have watched quite a few. A glance out the window in the morning, while reading the paper and having that first steaming cup of coffee, can take your breath away. How casual and effortless is the glory of creation.