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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.

domesticated

Posted on December 20, 2007Leave a comment

Brandon headed into Cedar Rapids to drop off his car at the shop (stupid check engine light) and bring a bunch of stuff from his dad’s house down. We are now closer to furnishing our big house! (if only we could sort through the boxes of memorabilia and clothes and books he had in storage in his Dad’s basement)

Meanwhile, I unpacked the kitchen and did a ton of laundry! The house is closer to being unpacked – if only we could figure out what to do with all of the empty boxes and packing supplies! I am a little ashamed at how quickly Brandon and I slipped into gender roles, with me ironing our sheets and Brandon shoveling the sidewalk – eek! Now that we have an outside – Brandon definitely knows more about cars and raking and snowblowers than I do – it has made it easier to have more definate roles.

move-in day

Posted on December 18, 2007Leave a comment

Today was move in day. We actually spent the night on an air mattress last night, all alone in our big huge empty house. While the movers came about noon, we had church members at the house about 8am – shoveling the sidewalk from the recent ice storm and bringing over tons of food. We’ll have sloppy joes for a week (err…make that two!)
My dad came over also and helped unload the truck when it arrived – he just can’t sit still while people work! Everything arrived safe and sound, with the exception of Brandon’s desk which broke – for the third time in as many moves. He managed to glue it back together with epoxy however.
Another fantastic gift the church left us was a collection of gift certificates to local businesses. We headed over to the Pamida (which we learned, unfortunately, is owned by Wal-Mart… the evil empire strikes again!) and the Big “G” food store… as well as the local farm and home store. Most important purchase of the day: a snow shovel.
Also – note the deer dumpster! eek… yes, we are back in Iowa.

*edit* While we were informed about the Pamida/Wal-Mart connection, I can find no corroborating evidence… except that in 2006, Pamida hired a former Wal-Mart exec to be their CEO

Untitled

Posted on October 6, 20071 Comment

wow, I haven’t blogged on here for a while. I guess that’s what happens when life gets busy and different priorities are set. I really want to get back into this, however, as I prepare for heading back to Iowa… yeah, I’m doing that in a few months, and I have been appointed to a church there. Nothing is “official” yet… so I’ll tell you for sure in a few weeks. It is a small town congregation in Iowa, though.

I’ve been attending emergingumc: a gathering for the past few days… and i think i have a billion notes and insights. ideas about how to move forward in my faith. and feelings that i am NOT alone in this whole process. practical suggestions about how to begin changing the ethos of congregations and respond to the people around me.

i’m also currently working on my senior thesis… maybe i’ll post a few insights here when i have time. its about how to take postmodern wesleyan theology and “emerging” practices and contextually bring them to the “farmlands of iowa.” someone suggested I should try to publish it… and while that would be nice, it will be at least a year of loving on this congregation before I can earn enough trust and have enough conversations that in actuality i might be able to do it. so maybe my writing will be how i did the prep work, and the rest of the publication will be my own reflections on being a minister in that context and then how it starts to be fleshed out in the life of that particular church. and i think that WOULD be helpful to others.