Category Archives: Faith

7 Quick Takes: Fundraising for Eastern European Ventures, Lincecum’s No Hitter, and Other Things From This Week

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Supporting a Missionary. My husband’s cousin Kelsey is going to be living in Lithuania for a year as the Resident Director at LCC International University. She needs to raise the $14000 for her living expenses, travel to Lithuania, etc. If you’d like to help, click here.

— 2 —

Adoption fundraiser. My friends Jake and Dalas and their two biological kids are in Eastern Europe adopting a little boy and a little girl. They have only a small amount (under $500) to go until their adoption is fully funded. Given that things could start getting more expensive if their daughter Janna doesn’t get a court date on Tuesday, they are seriously going to need the money. The plan was to be home by July 19th when their bio son turns 2 (and stops flying free) but things are getting fouled up. If you can kick a few bucks their way to get them fully funded, click here. In any case, keep them in prayer.

— 3 —

Speaking of orphans… Do you see this precious sweetling on my sidebar? Brett (the little boy on my sidebar) needs a mama. If you think you might be his mama, click on his picture with all possible speed. Currently, I’m crocheting a baby blanket to raffle off to raise money for his grant.

— 4 —

Timmy’s No-No. Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum pitched a no-hitter against the Padres last night. (Yes, I’m aware the Padres beat them the previous two nights. Hush!) I’m not surprised given that these are the Padres and he pitched one almost a year ago against them just before the All-Star Break. I’m conveniently ignoring the fact that the Giants fell to the Reds tonight and that they’re only 2.5 games ahead of the Dodgers. (Please, O Lord, let them not fall behind the Dodgers. Jon would not let me live it down! #mixedmarriage)

— 5 —

A funny. Someone posted the story of Shane, the Walmart deli guy on my wall and I just about died laughing this morning. Strangely, I could see my evil twin doing all these things.

— 6 —

Bedtime routine for Daniel. We’re trying to get a bedroom routine down for Daniel who is adjusting to life now that we’re living with our in-laws temporarily. Jon has been out of town all week so this is falling to me. I instituted the “at-8:00-we-start-winding-down” rule… which almost never works and we’ll lie on one of the beds in his room and go through flashcards as a way to (theoretically) calm down and then look at books. This almost worked tonight until he heard the front door open. At that point, he snapped awake and I had to restrain him and get him resettled while reciting hymn lyrics in a soothing voice. (It’s also at these times that I can’t *remember* large amounts of hymn lyrics when they take over my head at other times.) Repeating the Jesus Prayer ended up working. Currently, the little monster is asleep on the end of my bed with his feet hanging down. I will have to move him, lest he wake up in the middle of the night from all the blood pooling in his feet.

— 7 —

Cat wars. Up until now, I was under the impression that my black cat Edda was the mellowest little girl in the world. Not so much. She has been hissing and growling at my in-laws’ cats. Freya (my corpulent tabby patch cat) has also been attempting to supplant my father-in-law’s corpulent tabby patch as the queen of the master bedroom. Let’s just say the fur has been flying here.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: June 24, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY June 24, 2014

Outside my window… sunflowers. It’s nice right now but should get to 88F today.

I am thinking… about the errands my mother-in-law and I will be doing with Daniel this afternoon.

I am thankful… that the move is over and we’re settling into things here.

In the kitchen… my mother-in-law is making salmon packets for my father-in-law.

I am wearing… black polo shirt, jeans, and flip-flops from Old Navy.

I am praying for… Daniel’s school situation to resolve, for some special intentions, for grace and guidance as I process the last month or so.

I am going… to drop off my little black dress to be mended on my way to pick Daniel up from summer school.

I am wondering… what our status will be at the end of the summer.

I am reading… These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon. I also read A Common Life last week.

I am hoping… Daniel goes down peacefully tonight and that we can get a new routine in place here for bedtime.

I am hearing my mother-in-law’s Roombas.

Around the house… Roombas are running, laundry is cycling, and I’m sitting in my room with my needy black cat.

I am pondering… too much mentally. Will have to journal some things out tonight.

A favorite quote for today… “What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… a place and time where my mind can be quiet.

A few plans for the rest of the week: errands on various days, sorting through boxes, shredding old papers and bills, and living where my feet are at the moment.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

What I Wore on Sunday: June 22, 2014

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What I Wore on Sunday

I felt the need for the BCP this morning so I headed to St. John’s, one of the local Episcopal churches. I think it’s the first time I’ve heard Sanctus bells in an Episcopal church and I was amused. Worship was lovely (no inclusive language in liturgy — boo yah!) and it was nice to be relatively anonymous for a Sunday — I’ll definitely return if I find myself needing somewhere to worship on a Sunday.

Me in the sunflowers.

I was running late this morning so I grabbed an old standby out of the closet. In hindsight, I wish I had asked my mother-in-law to look me over before I left because my top shirt was inside out. Oops! I discovered this after church while driving to Trader Joe’s to get milk and quickly fixed it at a stoplight.

My selfie.

Brown flowered shirt w/tank top: Kohl’s
Khaki pants: Kohl’s
Sandals: Naturalizer

Go see Emily and Kendra and the other pretties at Fine Linen and Purple.

7 Quick Takes: What Has Happened Here

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7 Quick Takes

So I’ve been hard to find for about a week or so. Here’s what is up:

— 1 —

We packed up our parsonage. I am eternally grateful that my mommy is a project manager. It meant that my living room bookshelves, Daniel’s cave, and Jon’s mancave were packed a week ago Monday and my kitchen was packed last Friday.

— 2 —

We loaded up a 20-foot U-Haul truck. Can I just say that last Saturday morning was a bit tense for me and leave it at that? I wasn’t totally ready when the moving crew showed up and I’m grateful to the council president at Metanoia and at the other church helping us who were calming me down and telling me to stop apologizing.

— 3 —

We deep-cleaned our parsonage. By “we”, I mean Jon. Serious deep-cleaning to remove any trace of us there. A parishioner also came to us on Sunday, handed us a $100 bill, and told us to hire someone to come in and do the rest.

— 4 —

We had our last Sunday at Metanoia. It went well and they had a catered farewell luncheon for us after worship. We left with lots of hugs, a good way to go. One of Jon’s colleagues also came when he was done with his worship duties for the morning and that was really wonderful.

— 5 —

We headed south to LA. After discovering that our motel in Tulare didn’t accept cats, we had to do some searching before we landed at the Motel 6 in town which was more than happy to host our kitties. It was not the best evening but such was life. We had an easy time driving the rest of the way on Monday.

— 6 —

We moved in with my in-laws. We’ve taken over two of their bedrooms with our essential stuff and put the rest in storage. We’ve been unpacking and purging extraneous stuff for the last few days.

And before anyone asks, I get along well enough with my in-laws that people are shocked that my mother-in-law isn’t actually my mother.

— 7 —

We found a really good home for my boys. Integrating 4 cats into the clowder at my in-laws’ house was going to be dicey so we had been trying to find homes for the boys and Freya. Last Saturday, my mother-in-law got a call from someone who had heard about this and who wanted to adopt my boys. My mother-in-law talked to her and liked her immediately and called me to let me know. We had just started loading the truck so the timing of the phone call wasn’t great but I did have a talk with the woman and liked her. On Tuesday, I crated my boys and took them over. She was so perfect that I honestly feel no guilt in leaving them with her. She wanted older cats and she wanted brothers so they wouldn’t be split and she fell in love with my babies upon seeing them. It’s a win-win for them because they get a quieter house with no screaming 5 year olds.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kathryn (our host this week) at Team Whitaker.

This Past Weekend

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We’re in the process of packing to move right now so I’m going to be relatively scarce this week as I’ve been the past few weeks. I did, however, want to talk about my weekend.

Last week, I received the news from Margaret (my former church choir director in San Jose) that one of the choir members had passed away. Winnie stood next to me in choir for a year and a half until I left for college and then on any Sunday I happened to be home. She and her husband Jack adopted me as their surrogate daughter when I was 17 and they were at my wedding 12 years ago, the last time I had been in the sanctuary at ECA. The funeral was on Saturday and my parents were delighted to watch Daniel so I could go.

It was sad to be back at ECA for the first time in 11 years and to know that Winnie wouldn’t be there. I got big hugs from her husband Jack and I got to see people again that I hadn’t seen for years. One of them was Andy the folk choir director (the folk choir provided the music for the liturgy) and he invited me to come and sing with them on Sunday. I didn’t have any amazing plans for Pentecost so I decided to take him up on the offer. It was the first time I had been in the choir loft in years and I was also pretty amazed (as I had been the day before) that Andy’s musical setting for the liturgy was still present in the recesses of my brain and that I could recall it.

As I was standing in the choir loft on Sunday morning, I realized that the reason I know Rite II of the BCP so well is that I had Winnie praying it in my ear for so long. While I’ve been gone from the Episcopal Church for a long time now, the Book of Common Prayer still remains one of the sources for the words I use to express myself spiritually (the other being the Lutheran Book of Worship) and it all started in that tiny second floor sanctuary in San Jose.

I offer all this to demonstrate that you don’t have to say brilliant things, offer advice at every turn (in fact, don’t — I mean it), or be the perfect Proverbs 31/Titus 2 woman to bring someone to Christ. In fact, all you really have to do is love them and show them the faith that sustains you daily. I’m grateful that Jack and Winnie and really the entire choir at ECA adopted me back then — they are a large part of why I am a Christian today.

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Winnie. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

Five Favorites: How I Pray

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Five Favorites

It’s Tuesday morning at 2:45 a.m. and my brain is refusing to shut off so I’m going to do my Five Favorites now and see if I can purge some of what is on my mind.

One

Compline. Compline is referred to as “Night Prayer” by some of my Catholic friends. I use the version in the Book of Common Prayer. The liturgy and readings center me and the prayers give me words when I am severely lacking them at the end of the day.

Two

Devotional reading. I’ve been using Our Daily Bread on and off for about 20 years. The boy sitting next to me in my sociology class during my first semester of high school was reading it and I told him it looked interesting. He told me to keep it and thus started my relationship with RBC Ministries. While it existed, I also read Campus Journal (which is now defunct) which was a devotional geared toward students. It gives me a passage of Scripture to read, a meditation on it, and a short prayer. I find that even if I don’t really get to pray when I’m reading it (usually because I have a loud 5 year old), things from it pop into my mind during the day and I pray extemporaneously about those things.

Three

Music. A large way God speaks to me is through music. I have Air 1 and KLOVE on in the car frequently and sometimes something in a song will hook me and give me something to think about/pray about. I also love to sing and choral music is great for this, especially early, Renaissance, and Baroque sacred music which can move me to tears.

Four

Quiet church. During Lent, Beth Anne assigned me the Lenten penance of finding a church to pray in once or twice a week. Being able to sit in quiet and focus on the Cross is incredibly helpful to me, especially when my brain is spinning and I need it to silence itself.

Five

Scripture. God’s Word speaks to me in interesting ways and it’s where I look when I don’t have the words to pray. The Gospels remind me of who Jesus is and the Psalms remind me that God is chill with me having emotions.

Go love up Hallie and the others.