Million Dollar Friday Five

What are five things you would want to do with a million dollar deposit in your bank account?

1. Pay off my student loans, car and credit card
2. Buy a house
3. Start college funds for my nieces
4. Give a sizable chunk to charity (tithe to the church, then some more to other causes to be determined)
5. Invest (after buying some shoes and books...)

And now it's back to reality, and maybe some coffee.

The Difference of a Couple of Months

Remember in January when I was in Essex, and I was so excited about all of the snow we got while we were there? Well, this week I'm at Chico Hot Springs for the post-Easter pastor's retreat, and it has snowed both nights we've been here. I am WAY less enamored of the white stuff now that it's March than I was back in January. Now it's just annoying and I would like it to go away, please. More on the retreat later, maybe some pictures. For now I'm off to get some coffee and wonder why I didn't pack warmer clothes and bigger boots.

Holy Saturday

So, here I sit, waiting for Jesus to come out of the tomb. OK, that sounds really irreverent, but I've felt like Holy Saturday is a really weird sort of limbo. I KNOW that we will be proclaiming the promises of the resurrection tomorrow. I know how the story ends. And yet last night we read the Passion and left Jesus in the tomb. Today is always a strange mix of joy and sorrow, of looking forward and looking back. I'm not explaining it very well, but there you have it. In good news, my sermon for tomorrow is almost done, and my worship prep is done. I have prayers and a children's sermon, and I actually got organized this week and did things ahead of time so today wouldn't be quite so crazy. Now, if I can just make it through tomorrow without hearing that oh-so-Lutheran phrase of "we've NEVER done it that way before!," I'll count myself lucky.

Jane Austen

I love Jane Austen. I'm not obsessed with her like I am with some other things (the Beatles and Buffy come to mind), but I do really enjoy Ms. Austen. So, naturally I found myself taking the "Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You?" quiz on facebook yesterday. The results are that I am Fanny Price:

You are smart and shy, a quiet beauty with brains that intimidate everyone around you. You often feel out of place, homeless and alone. As an intellectual idealist, you long to be heard and understood, but rarely waste your time trying to defend yourself to those who could not possibly understand. Time and experience is making you bolder. Despite your clever genius, you long for simplicity, and the love of your soul mate, who is a socially surprising and unlikely match.

Two of my very dear friends got the same result, so I'm not sure what to make of it. Does this mean I'm the somewhat whiny Fanny Price of the book? Or, does it mean I'm the combination Fanny/Jane Austen from the movie? These are the things I think about when I should be writing sermons...

Holy Week

It's Holy Week, and everyone I know is crazy busy. I'm not quite as crazy (at least in terms of Holy Week stuff), but I still find myself in procrastination mode over what I need to get done. I have a Maundy Thursday service, a Good Friday service and sermon, and of course, Easter morning service and sermon. See? It's not that bad. So why don't I want to do any of it? I'm not even ordained yet and I already feel like I'm repeating myself from the pulpit, and that I have nothing interesting or helpful to say. Blah. But, I'm supposed to be looking for the grace in this chaos, right? So, here are 5 things that I am grateful for at this moment in time:

1. Resurrection promises
2. Niece snuggles
3. Getting to eat chocolate soon
4. Ever more spring-like weather
5. Friends who let me vent

There. I feel better. Maybe not quite inspired to write those sermons, but definitely better.

Friday 5: Time and Transitions

1. If you could travel to any historical time period, which would it be, and why?
There are so many times I would love to visit, just to see what they were actually like, rather than interpretations I read or see in movies. Here's the problem, though: I don't want to wear corsets or 10 pounds of undergarments, and I'm a big fan of indoor plumbing (especially the showering part). So while I think it would be fascinating to visit Colonial America or go hang out with Katy Luther or see what Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs was like, I think I'd end up being kind of whiny about the conditions. That and just my luck I'd end up being burned as a witch somewhere...
2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?
Beam me up, Scotty! Think how fun it would be to have your molecules disassembled in MT and reassembled somewhere else without having to fly or drive there. Would this be better or worse for the environment, I wonder?
3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?
Depends on what I'm doing and who I'm with. I think both can be enjoyable, and both can be incredibly hard.
4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?
Reading the "Lent Book" with my nieces. I had a Lenten devotional for kids that I thought we'd try this year. Most of it is pretty much over their heads, but they like the routine of reading each night before bed, and we've been working on learning some of the books of the bible as we read the verses.
5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?
I don't have as many services as many people, but I'll be working on sermons and services, etc. I'm looking forward to Lent coming to a close and declaring the promises of Easter and the resurrection with the congregation I supply at. I'm ready for spring, and Easter always represents that for me, even if it was snowing this morning.

Cautiously Optomistic

My 4th interview went well yesterday, despite my being nervous to the point to nauseousness. I brought up the concerns that I had and I felt that they were heard and addressed appropriately. They are recommending me to the council, who meets tonight, and then there will probably be a congregational meeting the first week in April to vote. So things are finally moving! I think I'm excited. It's kind of weird to have things move after so long in limbo, though. The other good news is that this church wants to do some kind of joint ministry with the church I have been supplying for; hopefully that will work out and I'll be able to continue working with that congregation. So things are looking up and I could actually have a call soon! Shocking, I know. :-)

Kitchen Paint

I'm hanging out with a friend of mine (also a pastor, lives about 80 miles away). Her birthday is tomorrow, so I came to visit. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said she wanted to paint her kitchen, and would I help? So here I am. Maybe I'm crazy, but I actually like to paint. This morning after I drove up we went to the paint store and picked out a fabulous blue called Florentine Lapis. It's kind of a dark/bright blue. We painted one wall of her kitchen/dining room, and it looks fabulous if I do say so myself. It needs at least 1, if not 2 more coats, but the first part looks good. And not to be selfish, but it was a nice change of pace for me to get out and do something a little different. Later we're going to eat the cheesecake I baked for her birthday, so really, what else could I ask for?

In other news, my 4th interview is set for this Sunday at 12:30. Lots of crazy thoughts going through my head on this one. Part of me is just so over this whole process, especially since they want to ask me the same questions they already asked me at the 2nd and 3rd interview. We'll see how it goes. Prayers and good thoughts are always appreciated during this wacky process!