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FF: Fork in the Road

Posted on February 27, 20095 Comments

For today’s Friday Five, share with us five “fork-in-the-road” events, or persons, or choices. And how did life change after these forks in the road?

1. the first that comes to mind is a choice in high school. I agreed with the decision of a teacher instead of sticking up for one of my best friends in the whole wide world. It was a choice that caused lots of heartache and distance for a while, but I’m thankful that God and our other friends kept us together so that we came through on the other end.

2. The second is where I chose to go to college. I had a lot of places I could have gone – lots of places where I was accepted and who were offering scholarships. I didn’t feel called to go to the small liberal arts college only an hour away (where communication would have been my focus). I really wanted to go to the large private university four hours away (where science would have been my focus). I ended up applying after graduation to a small Methodist college where a bunch of youth ministry friends were headed, got in, and God told me that’s where I was supposed to be…. which led me through science to religion as a major and the rest is history.

3. The beginning of the war in Iraq. This was a major fork in the road for me, because I had strong feelings about it, both personally and spiritually. And I knew there were lots and lots of people who disagreed with me. I was in college at the time and in community with a group of people however who helped me to use my voice and my hands and my feet to make a statement about the war publicly. We created a memorial of crosses on the lawn in front of the chapel – in honor of those who had died, both soldiers and civilians since the conflict had begun in the week before. Overnight, the crosses were torn down and the broken pieces used to spell “God Bless the USA.” As a Christian, I was heartbroken and ashamed of my neighbors. As someone who always though that there was a way to find agreement, I lost a piece of that in myself.

4. Exploration in 200something – The speaker for the day was Hispanic and she recounted the story of Samuel’s calling in the temple. For the first time, I felt called into ministry and it was because Samuel kept thinking the voice of God was just his master. I thought before that time that the voice of God speaking to me was just the voice of my youth pastor, or pastor, or a friend, never did I think it was actually GOD speaking to me. Until she spoke those words, “Samuel, Samuel” with the hispanic pronunciation. It stays with me until this day.

5. My friend Nicole – in the airport in Nashville – convincing me to go to Vanderbilt. I was kind of torn at that point and I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do until I sat down in the airport at that silly little food stand with Nicole. By the time I got on the plane (and I was almost late!) I was convinced that I needed to go to seminary there. And I haven’t regretted it for a millisecond. It was where I needed to be to grow and thrive and find my place. It brought me into contact with tons of amazing people at my church there… I am so grateful for that conversation in the airport!

FF: My Favorite Things

Posted on February 6, 20094 Comments

From Rev Gals:

In a week of wondering how various things in our family life will unfold, I found myself thinking of the way Maria comforted the Von Trapp children in one of my favorite movies. Frightened by a thunder storm, the children descend upon her, and she sings to them about her favorite things, taking their minds off the storm.

So, let’s encourage ourselves. Share with us five of your favorite things. Use words or pictures, whatever expresses it best.

1. A cat curled up in the crook of my knee. There is nothing better in the world than Tiki or Turbo curled up next to me. The warmth of their bodies, the love and affection, that sense that they just want to be close to you – even though there are countless other places to rest. It is amazing.

2. Fire. Doesn’t matter if its a campfire in the summer or a blazing fireplace in the winter or the flicker of a candle in a dark room. Fire is so alive and powerful and passionate and it dances and warms you to the core.

3. Girl’s Night. In Nashville, Girl’s Night was every Tuesday evening. Drinks, dinner, bitching, joys, loves lost, school stresses, family troubles, new opportunities – there is nothing better than sharing that with people who you feel completely safe with over really really good food and drinks. I especially miss the lemon martinis at cabana and their sweet potato sliders.

4. Wi-Fi. It lets you carry the world with you. Free from wires, you can sit with a hazelnut latte at a coffee shop (or McDonald’s these days) and talk with friends around the world, read some of the greatest thoughts of our generation, know what’s going on in our political and economic landscape, and watch the funniest crap in the world on youtube.

5. Sit-Down Meals. We don’t eat this way very often in my house, but I want to do it more. With no distractions, sit down meals are about family and people and relationships and about the food. They are where we talk about our days and catch up and reflect upon it all. When I have kids, it will be where they have a voice, they have the floor and where we all pay attention and listen to one another.

Fit.

Posted on January 11, 2009Leave a comment

Today the hubby and I got up and headed over to my parents’ house for lunch and to see the rest of the fam. But not before we shoveled the driveway. There were six inches of beautiful white fluffy stuff on the drive. And it made the drive quite long.

We had a good day. I hadn’t seen my brother and sister-in-law since Thanksgiving and it was nice to just hang out. We exchanged our Christmas presents late, and Brandon and I were pretty excited to get Wii Fit! But I was not nearly so excited when I had to do my body test and had the scale pop up and my mii plumped out to match my current weight. Bleh.

We headed out with some friends and saw Valkyrie and then off to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. All and all, it was the sort of day where i just felt like normal person, instead of a pastor. And I like those sorts of days.

Last-Minute

Posted on January 4, 20092 Comments

Tiki is sitting at the base of my chair, mewing for me to pay attention to him. I reach out and scratch his head and before I know it, he’s up on my desk, watching the candles flicker.

It’s another Saturday night spent working on the sermon for Sunday. I could use New Year’s as an excuse, or the fact that we did the newsletter this week, or even my trip to Des Moines today to hang out with friends from college, but no, Saturday sermons are pretty typical for me.

I’ve always been a procrastinator. The ideas and words seem to flow better when there is a sense of urgency. Yeah, yeah, I know that last minute work often has less proof-reading and editing… but I can’t seem to get myself to focus until I’m down to the wire. It’s my modus operandi. We’ll see if that changes any in this next year.

At least I’m writing at my desk. Normally it’s on the couch in the living room, but I’m trying to use my personal space better this year. So far today, I’ve used my office to work out, practice guitar, blog, and now procrastinate on the sermon writing. Probably more use than it has had in a month. That’s a pretty good start to ’09.

Here is a question for all of you pastors out there. What is the difference between preaching and sermon writing? Are the two ever mutually exclusive for you? And how do you preach a sermon that someone else has written?

I ask mostly because I’m feeling beyond inadequate in my writing tonight. Everything that gets typed gets deleted. I know what I want to say, but I also know of people out there who have put it into much better words than I have at my disposal right now. So maybe this is a question of calling. I feel called to preach, not because I have anything particularly interesting to say, but because I have come to see that I’m a good communicator of God’s Word. Is that because I know how to put the gospel into a form that others can empathize with and understand? Or is it because of years of drama and speech experience? Or am I just procrastinating even more?

FF: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Posted on January 2, 2009Leave a comment

As we look back we may come to understand how God has worked in and through us in joy and saddness. how we have grown against what may seem impossible odds. As we look forward we may do so with expectation, and we may do so with fear and trembling. As we look back and forward in New Years liminality I offer you this simple yet I hope profound Friday Fivein two parts:

First list five things that you remember/treasure from 2008

My very first church
Adding Turbo and Tiki to our family
Worshipping with my new congregation – especially Maundy Thursday and Christmas Eve
Wednesday Night dinners with the family
Learning how to disc golf with some great friends

Then list five things that you are looking forward to in 2009

Becoming healthier (exercising in particular)
Learning to play the guitar
More time spent with my immediate family
Finding my rhythm as a pastor… less trial and error, more consistency
Building stronger ties with other young adult pastors.

Breakfast.

Posted on January 1, 2009Leave a comment

This morning, we got up and made pancakes and shipwreck (eggs, bacon, diced potatoes and cheese) and used the leftover champagne to make mimosas.

And then we got to watch the Hawkeyes kick butt in the Outback Bowl. It’s been a good morning!

Yesterday, because of the various errands that I had to run (like dropping off recommendation forms for my candidacy review) I didn’t get the church newsletter copied, or the bulletins printed. Even though it’s a holiday, I’ll be heading in to the church later this afternoon to get all of those little tasks done.

Happy New Year!!!

Posted on January 1, 2009Leave a comment

It’s a new year and I have a new focus for my blog this year. After watching a friend post pictures every day for one year, I got inspired to do “one year in the life of a pastor.”

So check in here every day for a picture and a short story from my life as a pastor in a small town church. You will see glimpses into my family, my home, my church, and my work in ministry.

To start off with… a bit of fun.

We are hosting some friends and family over for a New Year’s party that will carry over into a brunch/bowl game watching party in the morning.

On our menu for the evening were homemade egg rolls, hanky panks (meat and cheese toasted on a piece of cocktail rye bread) and these bacon-wrapped little smokies.

The recipe is simple: 1 package little smokies, each wrapped in 1/3 of a strip of bacon (1 package should do), and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Put all in a dish in the oven at 325 for 40 minutes. We pan cooked them at the end to brown them up a little bit more.

And finally, here are my boys ringing in the New Year:

our first iowa snow and our first houseguests

Posted on December 23, 2007Leave a comment

Yesterday we spent quite a lot of time picking up around the house and sorting things out. We sort of have our furniture in the living room set up – but definitely need some more pieces to fill out the space.

Our friends Cara and Paul came over last night too. We played a new board game Carcassone (thanks Joe, Mary, Kayla and Ben!) and Phase Ten, and then played some wii! Whee! As they were driving over the rain turned to ice which turned to snow and they had a hard time making it into town, so we had our first overnight guests in the guest room. Yay!

It snowed most of the night, but also blew a lot, so we don’t quite know how much we got for our first Iowa snowfall. Brandon is out shoveling the sidewalk and driveway right now with Cara’s help. Paul and I headed out shortly after and we switched on and off. Then, we headed to the Amana’s for brunch. YUM!

Later, my little bro came over to help us make a Christmas present for my brother and sister-in-law. it was a ton of fun!

I wrote my first column for the church newsletter yesterday and I’m supposed to send it in, but unfortunately, without internet, it’s still stuck on my computer. It’s so weird to begin writing for all of these people, when I still don’t know them very well yet. I don’t know what they want to hear. But I guess that’s the point. I need to write from my heart and hope that with God’s help it will reach them.