Outside my window… dark but still warm. They claim it was 82F earlier but I don’t believe them — it felt like closer to 90F and it’s still hot in my parents’ house.
I am thinking… about the heat. It’s supposed to be 95F tomorrow and my parents don’t have A/C.
I am thankful… for a good visit thus far with my parents. I’m here until Friday.
In the kitchen… steak tonight. Leftovers tomorrow.
I am praying for… a call for Jon, for my father-in-law’s cancer, for a friend who is having marriage issues, and for a few special intentions.
I am going… to Costco and Target with Mom and Daniel tomorrow.
I am wondering… if Mom and Dad will finish the planting in the front yard tomorrow. They got rid of the front lawn, covered the area with bark, and are planting ground cover.
I am reading…Vanishing Grace by Phillip Yancey and The Cat Who Robbed a Bank by Lilian Jackson Braun.
I thought I’d do something different this time and do an audio recording of my Quick Takes. (The last time I did this was here.) The actual text with links is under the cut.
Jenna. For those who don’t know Mary Lenaburg, she lost her 22 year old daughter Courtney at the end of December after 22 years of taking care of her through daily seizures and other medical issues. Jenna sent this to her.
Two
Trader Joe’s Greek Yogurt Spinach-Kale Dip. This stuff is freaking awesome! I love it for dinner with carrot sticks on hot days. It also works well on a baked potato when someone in your house has consumed all the regular Greek yogurt you bought. (Not that this happened this past week or anything…)
Three
This graduation video. My class was so bad during graduation that subsequent classes were required to come in their pretty clothes and only allowed to put robes on AFTER they were searched! I wish we had done something like this instead.
Four
My priest. At Bible studies with new people, she introduces me as follows: “This is Jen. She’s a Lutheran pastor’s wife but we claim her.” Adding onto that, Jon was supplying at the Lutheran church across the street from my Episcopal church and I went over after my worship ended to catch part of his. I stayed for about 3 minutes at coffee hour (known as the third sacrament for Lutherans) which led my priest to tease the pastor of the Lutheran church about her indignation that “[HER] Lutheran went to [HIS] coffee hour.” I love her.
Five
Jessica Beck’s writing. I fell hard for her Donut Shop mysteries… and enjoyed a donut for the first time in years while finishing the last one. I was less than enthused about the donut (too sweet) but her books are fabulous. I’m starting her Diner series next.
Outside my window… dark. It’s been quite warm here lately with temperatures around 80F but humidity that makes it feel hotter.
I am thinking… about my week and if I should ask my physical therapist to work on my leg tomorrow as I’ve got a muscle that is severely tensed in it and not relaxing.
I am thankful… for the concert celebrating Dr. Wilbur Held’s memory that I was blessed to attend yesterday. It was mostly organ with a little bit of choral music and a BIG piece at the end which involved, choirs, organ, and hand bells.
In the kitchen… I had some trail mix as my pre-bedtime snack.
I am praying for… my father-in-law, a call for Jon, relief from the muscle pain I’ve been having, and for a bunch of special intentions.
I am going… to take my car in to figure out what is up with the A/C on Tuesday morning. I’m hoping I’m not car-less for too long or that I can borrow Jon’s car if I need anything on Tuesday.
I am wondering… what I did that is stressing out my back and my calf muscles.
I am reading…Powdered Peril by Jessica Beck and I finished Killer Crullers a few days ago. I’m taking a break from Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey to keep up with Beck’s Donut Shop Mysteries.
I am hoping… the issue with my leg isn’t something nasty like a blood clot.
I am looking forward to… seeing my family on Friday. We’re spending a week with them while Daniel is off school before Extended School Year (summer school) starts.
Crocheting… nothing new — still the big boy blankie and the amigurumi stuffed animal.
Around the house… I managed to push this until a late hour yet again so I’m the only one awake.
A favorite quote for today… “The main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, nor to gain magical powers, but to know God.” — Philip Yancey
One of my favorite things… the smell of anointing oil.
A few plans for the rest of the week: PT and errands tomorrow, taking my car to the mechanic on Tuesday, VBS music meeting on Wednesday, Daniel’s last day of school on Thursday, and heading up to San Jose on Friday.
A peek into my day… I love how Twila Paris does this particular old gospel song.
Clinical study for preeclampsia underway at Yale. Yale School of Medicine and 29 other sites around the country are in trials for the FDA-approved drug ATryn. If it works, it would be amazing for moms like me for whom pregnancy is a deadly proposition. Details here. (Props to my friend Jen for bringing it to my attention.)
On the #CharlieCharlieCharlie phenomenon.Simcha Fisher has a fabulous piece over at the National Catholic Register on the dangers of the #CharlieCharlieCharlie game. This is one of those times when it is absolutely a pain to have to explain why I as a science-minded person am opposed to what seems like a silly game for superstitious reasons. Thing is, we as Christians believe in powers and principalities which are not visible to humans and this falls into that category. While it is likely a very silly little game, it opens one up to the possibility of demonic forces; and as most clergy will tell you, that door is incredibly hard to close once it has been opened. Satan is not picky and will wait patiently until we are far enough in before making his move.
If you love someone with autism, read this. Here are 10 myths everyone with autism is tired of hearing. I know that it makes me want to run far in the other direction when someone mentions any of these.
Some possible books to read this summer. Here is a list of 25 of the hottest new releases coming this summer. I’m personally looking forward to The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows as I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society six years ago.
My new e-reader and its name. My in-laws upgraded my e-reader to a NOOK GlowLight for my birthday and I’m loving it though still getting the hang of it. I have a tradition of naming all my electronics after the titles for an Orthodox priest’s wife so this e-reader has been christened “Tasoni” after my favorite Coptic priest’s wife who blogs.
Schadenfreude is a wench. A man in South Carolina made disparaging remarks about Obamacare and how he pays his own bills and would never sign up for it. Well… he had a bunch of mini-strokes and can no longer work because of his eyesight. If he was in a state with Medicaid expansion, he would qualify and his medical care would be covered… except that he lives in South Carolina which hasn’t passed Medicaid expansion. His change in employment means that he could have signed up for a plan under the Affordable Care Act… except he refused to and lost that option when he missed the deadline. He blames Obama. Here’s the Daily Kos article on it.
His answer: a GoFundMe site to raise the necessary funds. As I’m writing this, he needs a bit over $3300 to be fully funded. Guess who most of the donors have been? If you guessed liberal Democrats, you’d be right. Said donations do come with some snark (which, given the nature of the situation, is to be expected) but I think it was probably eye-opening for this man. (And yes, I made a donation as well. It’s what Jesus would want me to do.)
Responding to Kathleen My friend Kathleen wrote an excellent post on how sex always has consequences. I fully agree with her that there is no such thing as sex without consequences. The consequences can be good (conceiving a child, intimacy with your partner, etc.) or bad (an unplanned pregnancy, side effects from birth control, phase 2 falling during Valentine’s Day/couple’s weekend, etc.) but they are always present. I really recommend going and reading and seeing what she has to say.
Vacation Bible School. I get to help lead the music for VBS at my church at the end of June and I’m seriously excited. I’m going through all of Wee Sing Bible stuff on iTunes and my CD’s of church camp music for songs to sing.
Two
Mission Bible Class songs. I’ve been using the following playlist from Mission Bible Class to learn some hand motions and new songs for VBS because we’re creating our own VBS curriculum this year.
Three
All my former Fundamentalist friends. Some of my ex-Fundie friends like Elizabeth Esther and Melissa are being quoted on the Josh Duggar issue. Eschet chayil!
Four
Phillip Yancey. I’m reading his book Vanishing Grace and it’s an interesting answer to his 20+ year old book What’s So Amazing About Grace?. One of the major premises is that it helps to think of the “lost” as the “thirsty”. As with What’s So Amazing About Grace?, he is unfortunately not having to struggle to come up with examples of Christians failing to treat others with grace.
Five
The “Arky Arky” Song. My church choir director hates it (or loves to claim that he hates it) and I’m sorely tempted to add it my list of VBS songs because he’s helping with music.
Outside my window… dark. I was planning to get this done early but ended up having to spend 5 hours in the dark fighting a migraine. It was cold this morning but it seemed to get nicer later.
I am thinking… about VBS and what songs to teach because I’m co-leading the music and trying to come up with appropriate songs for the day, especially on the days that I’m leading it all. (We’re coming up with our own VBS curriculum this year which involves Legos and creativity.)
I am thankful… for Wycliffe, Lutheran Bible Translators, and all those who work with similar organizations that translate God’s Word into languages that others do not speak.
In the kitchen… I made myself some leftover pulled pork and baked beans for dinner.
I am wearing… grey v-neck shirt and navy/white-striped pj bottoms.
I am praying for… a call for Jon, the water sitch here in California, my father-in-law who is fighting cancer, and a few special intentions.
I am going… to physical therapy tomorrow. I’m seriously looking forward to it.
I am wondering… about so many things at this late hour. This must be why I’m still up! 🙂
I am reading… I finished Tragic Toppings, Drop Dead Chocolate, and Illegally Iced this week and am taking a break from murder mysteries (I had some Livia J. Washburn ones that I just couldn’t get into) to read Vanishing Grace by Phillip Yancey.
I am hoping… to get all the Jessica Beck books I’m missing through the library.
I am looking forward to… seeing my parents on the 5th for a week and getting to spend some time with Rebecca.
Crocheting… blankets and amigurumi stuff from the last few months.
Around the house… quiet as I’m the only one up.
One of my favorite things… silence.
A few plans for the rest of the week: PT tomorrow, Bible study/errands/choir on Wednesday, and a concert on Saturday in addition to whatever else comes up.
A peek into my day… One of my favorite Bach pieces (the “Fugue” movement from the Concerto for Two Pianos BWV 1061). I wish I could make this my ring tone for my cell phone.
Post Script… At Bible study last Wednesday, my priest was talking about how she doesn’t like to do Pentecost readings in multiple languages at once because the point was that everyone understood despite the myriad of languages present. She then said that she’d love to post different languages up on the walls of the sanctuary and I offered to help because languages/linguistics is one of my geeky pleasures. While putting Daniel to bed on Thursday night, I compiled a bunch of interesting languages and sent them to her, thinking that she’d pick 4-5 of them.
I walked in on Sunday morning and found all of them — 35 in all — posted on the walls. I was seriously jazzed and also kind of wishing that I’d gotten them in every language off of Bible Gateway and Unbound Bible. People were impressed and it was honestly a really fun way to serve my church in helping to put it together.
I think my next task is going to be going in there and getting every language possible to post.
