Being for others

OK, here's a good game. These paragraphs were written recently- just released today in fact. By whom?

How could the idea have developed that Jesus' message is narrowly individualistic and aimed only at each person singly? How did we arrive at this interpretation of the “salvation of the soul” as a flight from responsibility for the whole, and how did we come to conceive the Christian project as a selfish search for salvation which rejects the idea of serving others? ...

In this sense it is true that anyone who does not know God, even though he may entertain all kinds of hopes, is ultimately without hope, without the great hope that sustains the whole of life (cf. Eph 2:12). Man's great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God—God who has loved us and who continues to love us “to the end,” until all “is accomplished” (cf. Jn 13:1 and 19:30). Whoever is moved by love begins to perceive what “life” really is. ... Life in its true sense is not something we have exclusively in or from ourselves: it is a relationship. And life in its totality is a relationship with him who is the source of life. If we are in relation with him who does not die, who is Life itself and Love itself, then we are in life. Then we “live”. ...

Yet now the question arises: are we not in this way falling back once again into an individualistic understanding of salvation, into hope for myself alone, which is not true hope since it forgets and overlooks others? Indeed we are not! Our relationship with God is established through communion with Jesus—we cannot achieve it alone or from our own resources alone. The relationship with Jesus, however, is a relationship with the one who gave himself as a ransom for all (cf. 1 Tim 2:6). ...

While attending the Sunday liturgy at the port city of Hippo, [Augustine] was called out from the assembly by the Bishop and constrained to receive ordination for the exercise of the priestly ministry in that city. Looking back on that moment, he writes in his Confessions: “Terrified by my sins and the weight of my misery, I had resolved in my heart, and meditated flight into the wilderness; but you forbade me and gave me strength, by saying: ‘Christ died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died' (cf. 2 Cor 5:15)”.21 Christ died for all. To live for him means allowing oneself to be drawn into his being for others.

For Augustine this meant a totally new life. He once described his daily life in the following terms: “The turbulent have to be corrected, the faint-hearted cheered up, the weak supported; the Gospel's opponents need to be refuted, its insidious enemies guarded against; the unlearned need to be taught, the indolent stirred up, the argumentative checked; the proud must be put in their place, the desperate set on their feet, those engaged in quarrels reconciled; the needy have to be helped, the oppressed to be liberated, the good to be encouraged, the bad to be tolerated; all must be loved.” “The Gospel terrifies me”

Wow. "The Gospel terrifies me." When I reflect on the whole of what God is done, I agree with that statement- but does my life reflect that high view of salvation and Gospel calling? And Augustine's description of his 'totally new life'- are these the things I'm pursuing?

I haven't read the whole of the writings these paragraphs came from, this is just what I found at first glance. When the answer is guessed (or Googled, more probably), I'll put a link to the whole piece.

Random thoughts

I'm pretty uninspired today. I'm tired. I don't feel like I've gotten into a good routine in my new home- probably because one or the other of us has been sick since we moved in, and being sick inevitable throws off routines. There have been a lot of 9PM bedtimes.

BUT- it's the second-to-last day of NaBloPoMo, so I must think of something!

Here are the random thoughts I had:

• Josh is taking me on a date tonight. That makes me happy.
• Firefox's popup blocker doesn't catch some pop-ups, including ones at the Indy Star. That's annoying.
• I love dogs. I want to get a dog sometime in the next 6 months, and we're wondering if we should wait till we have a fence built for the dog.
• Our neighbors have a few outdoor cats, and I've decided I like them- as long as they're outdoors. One was resting on our porch yesterday, and it was nice. They're mostly very friendly.
• We're getting rid of our moving boxes thanks to Freecycle. Hooray! they will no longer be piled in the laundry room.

That's all I've got. Better luck tomorrow. Maybe even a picture of the cat.

Serving the world

Here's an interesting email exchange that happened earlier this week. Ashley gave me permission to publish her responses too, so there's more interesting conversation. Join in! (in the comments. No need to email me. :) )

ASHLEY:
this post made me think:
i was curious your reactions towards what she said

ME:
That was a really interesting post. I read it & all the comments.

I think it's a hard Biblical case to make, to say that a woman cannot have a ministry outside of the home, or be passionate about a cause outside of caring for her house, husband, and children. I think it would be hard to even make the argument that all the women in the Bible did not have outside ministries. In Acts, there are examples of women serving in the church, and Paul thanks women in his letters. These ladies were obviously doing more than just raising good children- and it'd be a hard argument to say that they were all childless & unmarried, considering the culture.

That aside, I'm confused by the disdain for leaving children for a few hours a week. Many of the examples given were for evening ministry meetings. There is not one mention of fathers in the article or comments. The fathers are capable, loving people, and the mothers (theoretically) are in love with them and trust them completely- why can't they keep the children while the mother goes to minister, using her gifts and passions for the kingdom of God while the father gets really good bonding time with the kids? And, if it is parents' job to be home for children at every available minute, can any parent (mother or father) have an outside ministry? Or does God not give gifts and passions to aid in his wider kingdom work to people with children?

These are just my observations. Like I said, I don't totally understand the validity of the argument. I'm also coming at this from a different angle because I see the biblical imperative to care about social justice and to care for the poor and marginalized around the world, inside or outside the church, alongside the imperative to care for home & family. These women see the biblical imperative for them to care for their home and children alone, without the larger "go into all the world" commission. I guess I don't see why it has to be an either-or stance. But that's true of a lot of things :)

As for me, I hope to involve my (future, theoretical) children in ministry outside the home. I see a few wonderful families do it every month at the Sunday Suppers we help out with, and it's awesome- the kids are learning hands-on, rather than just reading about, what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus- and seeing it modeled as a regular part of life, not just for special "mission trips". If I want to help out with a ministry at church that the whole family can't help with (like Josh, with choir or me, with the church library), is it such a big deal for one parent to be gone a couple hours every week? It will show our children God gave all of us different gifts, and we should use them to his glory, wherever we fit in the body of Christ.

I could go on, about the idea of 'calling' as talked about over the last few weeks at church, but I'll stop. What did you think about it?

ASHLEY:
I completely agree with you. I think it's really important for kids to grow up seeing their mothers (and fathers) serve others. And, consequently, I think it's also okay (and maybe even important) for mothers to have an outlet that doesn't involve their children. Of course, I'm not a mother yet so I'm sure my opinions will change when I am one. As you said - where are the fathers? However, one thing that I think is sad is that I've seen Christians who don't feel that it's important to be involved in ministry - especially outreaches. My mom and I once had a discussion about a family friend who believed the Bible commands us to only love other Christians, and so they were "liberated" from the need to reach out to nonChristians. I feel like for a lot of people, "ministry" only implies "helping out fellow Christians". While that's important, I think it's also important to help those in need, no matter what their beliefs are. Otherwise, we're the world's biggest clique. :-)

One of the comments I just read mentioned - "How can you say no to being a nursery worker when your kids are some of the main ones in the nursery? How can you not teach Sunday School/Children's Church when they are desperate for help and you have many kids in their classes? Is it fair to desire that your church run a Children's choir or Christmas program but then you refuse to help at all with it?" I think that was a really good point (of course, she was talking about how to get over feeling guilty for not volunteering, but I do think those words backed up my point of view). Why should you refuse to help out at all? Especially when you use those services yourself? Surely some sort of balance can be reached? Again, I'm not a mom, so I know my perspective will change, but that's what I'm thinking right now. I don't want my kids to grow up around only Christians - and what better way to expose them to other peoples' ideologies than when we are serving them through ministry, and I am standing right there?

Now, your turn.

Garden ideas

Twice now on Prairie Home Companion, I've heard a song called Talkin' Harvest Time Blues by Stephanie Davis that has made me laugh- and wonder what I'm getting myself into, thinking I can start a vegetable garden. Here it is:

Well, it starts with a catalogue that comes in the mail
In the middle of the winter, when you’ve had it with those pale
Thick-skinned, store-bought, sorry, hard-as-rock
Excuses for tomatoes with the flavor of a sock

And there on the cover sits THE juicy, red, ripe
Homegrown tomato you’ve had dancing in your head
Never mind you said last August that you’d had it up to here
With the hoeing and the weeding—that’s what you say every year!

So, you fix a cup of cocoa, sink into your favorite chair
Put your feet up and you thumb through the pictures and compare
Big Boys, Better Boys, Early Girls, Romas
The new disease and drought-resistant hybrid from Sonoma!

Then it’s on to peas and carrots, lima beans and beets and kale
And you’ve never tried kohlrabi—say, the lettuce is on sale!
What’s a garden without sweet corn—better plant some marigolds
And you just read in “Prevention” ‘bout how garlic’s good for colds!

So, you phone an order in that nearly melts your Visa card
Then stare out at the foot of snow that blankets your backyard
And visualize your garden, oh, so peaceful and serene
Until at last you close your eyes and slip into a dream about:

CHORUS
Harvest time (bushels of red, ripe tomatoes!)
Harvest time (sweet corn that melts in your mouth!)

Well, the days turn to weeks and the next thing you know
There’s a robin at the feeder and the last patch of snow
Disappears ‘bout the time that a UPS truck
Backs up to your house and you stand there, awestruck

As 47 “Perishable—Plant Right Away”-
Marked boxes are unloaded on your porch as you say,
“Are you sure?” “Yes, ma’am, need your signature here—
Looks like someone’s gonna have ‘em quite a garden this year!”

Well, you watch him drive away, then you sink to your knees
‘Cause you feel a little woozy: Forty-seven boxes—Please!
God, I know I’ve got a problem and we’ve had this talk before
But help me this one last time—I won’t order anymore!

Just then, as if in answer to your prayer, your sister’s van
Pulls up into the driveway with Aunt Martha, Uncle Stan,
Two nephews and a cousin, who just stopped to say hello
But soon are sporting calluses as up and down each row

You, their warden, push ‘em; it’s a scene from “Cool Hand Luke”:
“Over there—those clods need breaking! Leave more space around that cuke!
See those bags of steer manure? Bring a dozen over—fast!
Yes, I know you have lumbago, but you’ll thank me when at last (it’s)

CHORUS
Harvest time (show you what a real strawberry tastes like!)
Harvest time (might even let you help me dig potatoes!)

Well, that night it starts to sprinkle and you can’t help feeling smug
‘Cause your garden’s in the ground and getting watered while you’re snug
Underneath the covers, or at least until midnight
When the temperature starts dropping and in no time you’re smack right

In the middle of your garden, in your jammies, on your knees
With a headlamp and a hammer and some tarps and jeez Louise
It’s cold but you keep working ‘till the last plant’s safe from harm
And there’s holes in your new jammies and bursitis in your arm

“Cause by gosh, you’re a gardener right down to your muddy clogs
And even when the rabbits take your lettuce and stray dogs
Pee on your zucchini and a fungus coats your kale
“Cause it’s rained for two weeks’ solid—do you falter? Do you fail?

Yep. You throw your hoe down, stamp your feet and call it quits—
Declare to all the neighborhood that gardening is the pits
And you’ll never plant another and this one can bloody rot
Then suddenly the sun breaks through the clouds and, like as not

You see a couple weeds you must have missed the last go-round
And shake your head and meekly pick your hoe up off the ground
And hoe and keep on hoeing ‘till your romas dangle red,
Ripe and juicy on the vine, sweet corn towers overhead,

Beans hang from their trellis, big orange pumpkins sprawl about
And you get that satisfying feeling once more when you shout:

CHORUS
Harvest time (Break out the canning jars!)
Harvest time (Man the pressure cooker!)
Harvest time (You have to take zucchini—we're related!)
Harvest time (Now THIS is a tomato!)

So, my question... what should I grow? I know the fresh veggies and outdoor exercise that a garden provides will beat a diet patch any day, so the garden will be good for us. The catch: I need to be sure to grow only the kinds food we'll eat, or the work will be a waste-- unless I have family, friends, and co-workers that promise to take the bounty ;-)

Some ideas I've had: I know I at least want to plant peas, green beans, and tomatoes, for sure. Beyond those, do I try corn? Strawberries? Pumpkins? Potatoes? Carrots? Broccoli? Cauliflower? Spinach or lettuce? Do I start asparagus or rhubarb this year so I can have it in the future? I don't know. I just want to brainstorm a list to research.

I need to go out and measure the space I have, and construct a plan on what will go where. Once I have a plan, I'll need to figure out what variety of seeds I'll be getting, when, and when everything needs to be started indoors or out. I'm starting to think about this as early as I can this year because I don't know what I'm doing.

For those of you who have done this before, what's your experience? What're some things I could grow that won't be TOO ambitious for this newbie?

Corners of my home

I'm inspired by the pretty pictures at Homespun Living- specifically her "corners of my home" collection. I'm still working on setting up the corners (and, well, entire rooms) of my home, but hope to keep Beauty in mind as I place things.

Toy corner:

We got these children's books and the box at Goodwill this weekend for our frequent child visitors. I was super-excited about the box.

Shelf for tins:

I have not done any decorating for Christmas- these were more Goodwill finds, and are destined to be containers for gifts- I just can't help but display them in the meantime. So pretty!

End table:

Have I mentioned I love Willow Tree figurines?

Wall decor:

Sunflowers! and a Goodwill painting we got a while back. I was pleased how well it fit.

Family photos:

Old photos & old cameras. And, I promise- everything's hung straight- it's the photo that's crooked!

Sunday Ponderings: A Sustainable Life

We just finished a 3-month sermon series on "Rhythm: Riffs on sustainable living". Each week, the topic of the sermon was about a practice in our life that makes Life unsustainable, and a spiritual practice to adopt to make life sustainable. Here's a list of the topics covered:

• Pray through the "low grade fever of sadness": From personal tragedies or hardships or just watching the evening news & seeing all that is wrong with the world, it is easy to get overwhelmed with sadness and hopelessness. Learning to pray God-focused prayers of lament, thanksgiving, and resolve during the good times will make it a natural outpouring during the sad times, leaving us better to prepared to turn to God when things get hard. Scriptures we looked at included some Psalms and Jonah.
• Seek out community: This was one of the most talked-about services of the series. Being estranged from relationships, or surrounded by just shallow relationships is not a sustainable way to live. We need "macro, micro, and nano communities"- a church body, a "community group"- a close group of spiritual friends who are invested in your life, and mentors- people ahead of you or alongside you in life who will be very invested and not afraid to speak into your life. I talked a little about the importance of community earlier.
• Engage in spiritual disciplines: I covered this last week.
• Live with humility: I think we missed this week. I didn't remember this topic. It makes sense, though. A prideful life is probably full of lies, and not one that can be kept up for very long. It is more exhausting to be prideful than to be humble.
• Discover your calling: This was the other most-talked-about topic of the series. It really re-framed "calling" for me, and I appreciated it. A calling is not an occupation. That was the surprising part for me. First, we're called to follow Jesus. Where our passions, gifts, and talents alig, we'll find our calling. Our pastor believes that a person's calling will always result in one of three ends: the care and love of people, the praise and glory of God, or the pursuit of justice.
• Live virtuously: This one is pretty self-explanatory. A life of sin is a hard one to keep up, always having to run from the consequences. Pursuing righteousness makes or a more sustainable life.
• Create family hedges: Protecting your family by being committed to Security, Fidelity, Forgiveness & Time (both quality AND quantity) will make your family sustainable and secure. These aren't things that Josh & I struggle with right now, but I know from experience that life will only get busier and more complex, and we will have to fight to keep family time sacred.
• Nourish & protect your body: This was the topic the weekend we moved, so we missed this one. The gist seemed to be, pursuing eating, exercising, and resting as a spiritual discipline- taking care of our health as we would any God-given resource to care for. The point was made- we should pursue "health" not a "look"- the point isn't vanity. I think this is a hard one to mention in church (or, I don't hear it mentioned very often) but makes sense.

And why pursue a sustainable life? Sure, there's your own sense of well being, and there's the impact on those around you (a well-rested, un-stressed me is much nicer to be around, and probably reflects the love of God better) but there's a bigger, moral responsibility, too. When we fritter our lives away, the rest of the world suffers to some degree. I'm in a very rich country, blessed like crazy- and if I live a shallow, stressed, me-focused life, I am not "living to the full" and using the resources entrusted to me for God's kingdom most effectively. I'm ignoring, or at least not best-serving, the poor and marginalized, and I'm failing God, who is entrusting the care of his world and the spreading of his message to his people. I can do better.

What are my take-aways? I discussed most of them last week. I need to have Sabbath and Simplicity in my life. I need to continue to prioritize Community. I need to learn to see where God is working and get in line with it. I'm looking forward to Sojourn's Christmas series starting next week, "A Christmas Sabbath". I really appreciated the worship experience last year, and all the talk about a "sustainable life" right before the busiest season of the year was very necessary. I look forward to the worship space provided in Sojourn during the next month or so.

What do you need to do to obtain a "sustainable life" or pace in your life? What's the biggest hurdle to sustainability in your life?

Little joys today

This morning, outside our living room windows, I saw blue jays and a cardinal, among other birds. They made me smile.

While unpacking (we worked hard today and are practically done!), Josh put my dog figurine collection on its shelf. I looked at the shelf and realized that the smallest of the figurines were missing, and searched high and low for the small box that held the last 10 or so figures. I found them and placed them just so, then took one more look at the shelf. There was still one figurine missing. I could spot this, even though the other 47 figurines were on the shelf. Josh had no way of knowing, since it wasn't his collection. The experience reminded me of John 10, which we discussed in bible study a few weeks back, and the parable of the lost sheep. I searched for the one small ceramic figurine very carefully through the crumbled newspaper that had come out of the boxes, so I'd be sure not to break it when I found it. When I did find it, I was delighted and placed it in its exact place. I stepped back and scanned the shelves- my "flock" was complete.

We went to church tonight. Today was a Sabbath, really. We rested. We played a game together. We worshiped. We shared meals. It was a good day. Look for a summary of the service tomorrow as part of Sunday Ponderings.

Speaking of the game we played... I won Trivial Pursuit against Josh for possibly the first time ever. Hooray.

My sister & her fiance have both accepted excellent jobs in Chicago for after they graduate and get married. Things are falling into place for them much sooner than they did for us, and I'm excited for the adventure they will share. Perhaps we will be able to go up and visit them? It has been suggested we see a show- specifically, Wicked tickets were recommended.

People I forgot to thank.

I talked yesterday about my family and my faith community, but I neglected to mention this online community that I'm a part of. I'm so thankful for all those who read here, participate here, and link here! I'm also thankful for all the talented, high-quality blogs out there that I'm continually learning from. I've updated my LINKS page to contain an up-to-the-minute blogroll from Google Reader.

I'm thankful for the blogging world because it allows me to keep in touch with friends who are far away- Ashley, Beth, Matt, Melissa, and a host of others.

I'm thankful for the blogging world because it allows discussion between real-life friends and family that I might not have otherwise, in our normal setting. Matt, Brett, James, Mr. & Mrs. B, Matt & Heather, Anne, Caroline, mom & dad- thanks for participating here and being open to discussion, with all those crazy ideas I have. I really appreciate your input. You all make me think.

And, since blogging, I've made online friends too! Here's a list of people who've linked to me in the last little while, who I'm, grateful for:
Becca
Jes
Amy
Stephanie
Steve
Tamara
Tiffany
paidtwice
Ariah
And I'm sure I've missed some. I'm just trusting Technorati...

Thankful

As I sit her finishing my warm mug of green tea, I have a lot to be thankful for. Over the last year, God has been showing me beauty in his world, in corners I might not have thought to look before. I am thankful beyond measure for what he has been teaching me.

I have a beautiful home, warm and comfortable.
Setting up and unpacking are finally coming together. After we moved in, we got the rooms we live in unpacked- the kitchen, living room, and bedroom- and then the motivation to clean, organize, and put things away stalled. Finally, this week and today, the final rooms (the TV/game room & the office) are looking livable, and I'm excited. There are few boxes left to open. Now, we just have a whole bunch of cardboard boxes to get rid of. Any takers before I Freecycle them?

House tour to come. Pictures of a few rooms are finally uploaded.

I an surrounded by beautiful people- a loving family, wonderful friends.
We spent the day with my parents and sister, and had a delightful time visiting with them. I contributed to the meal with green bean casserole, my apple-pear pie, and the remnants of the pumpkin pie made last weekend. My mom fixed everything else, and all was delicious. We watched part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, then (on my insistence!) the annual dog show highlights. I was so excited when the Australian shepherd, the current breed at the top of my list for our eventual puppy addition to our family, won Best in Show. It was gorgeous and bright-eyed, and made me want one even more. But more on that later.

But, more on my family. Everyone is so wonderful and supportive. Even relatives from afar have sent gifts to help us get started at our new home! (Can anyone who I haven't told directly guess what this contraption is? It's from my aunt.) Family who are closer have been so helpful in getting things set up and looking "homey".

The friends we've made over the last year have been such a blessing. A couple from our former apartment complex, who were also friends of mine from high school, have been so eager to spend time with us and good about keeping in touch and getting us out of the house to be social. Friends from work I've enjoyed both having over to my home and visiting in theirs. I enjoyed getting to know Josh's friends from high school last weekend even more. They had such interesting stories and views- and were so much fun! (By the way, pictures from the rehearsal & rehearsal dinner they were involved in are finally posted. I'm learning that uploading pictures on dial-up is not a quick process. Right Beth?)

I am part of a beautiful faith community
When people ask what's the best thing about being married (which is a pretty common question for newlyweds), I say that it's getting to "do life" and spend lots of time with my best friend, who I'm madly in love with. But if they ask what the best thing we've done since getting married is, I don't hesitate, and say it has been getting involved in our small group bible study. This "community group" has really taught me what "community" is and means. I am so blessed to be a part of a group of 4 other families who genuinely care for each other- whether it means providing meals for weeks after a new baby arrives or taking care of a pet during a crisis or helping with moves between houses or praying for each other and knowing what's going on in each other's lives- I've witnessed and been a part of all of this, and am so thankful I've gotten the opportunity to be. Now that our house is set up and child-proofed (for the most part...), we'll get to have this group over on Monday! Hooray!

I have a beautiful marriage.
God has blessed me like crazy with Josh. I fall more in love with him every day. In the course of this move, I haven't been feeling that well, and he's cared for me and done so much work to get the house set up, all so joyfully and with a servant's heart. I am continually astounded and humbled.

Most of all, I am thankful for God's work in around, and through me, and, as I said before, all he's been teaching me. My heart almost bursts.

When I was young, I found this short psalm, and it has always been my simple Thanksgiving prayer. This is the complete chapter.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Don't forget our neighbors

From an Indy Star editorial today:

"Bounty" is a word we use a lot in November when we tell why we're thankful. As residents of a county that ranks high on lists of per capita income and quality of life, it's hard to believe -- and easy to look past -- the fact that 16,972 Hamilton County residents are thankful this year for having the "bare bones."

That number is how many people had signed up for assistance through the Good Samaritan program before the group's food giveaway started Saturday . . . and the number was growing as more people signed up at the door.
These aren't strangers, they're neighbors -- people we meet on the street, talk to in our neighborhoods and work next to every day. Many of the people who get Good Samaritan's help are the working poor, just getting by living on minimum wage.

I live in Hamilton County- a very-well-off county by Indiana or even national standards. Betwixt the mansions, it is very, very easy to forget that there are needy here, too. Whether my neighbors need drug rehabilitation or just a hot meal, I cannot forget them. God's heart is for marginalized people.

Speaking of marginalized people & God, anyone pick up this story? I haven't bought any crucifixes lately (and neither have most evangelicals or protestants), but do you know where your Veggie Tales toys come from? Yeah, me neither- and it may be a silly example- but it's always a good question to ask.

The Pie Dilemma

I am supposed to bring a pie to Thanksgiving.
I LOVE making pies. If I had more pie plates, I would bring all sorts of pies to our dinner. As it is, I have two, and one is currently holding the remnants of a pumpkin pie I made over the weekend- so I only have one available. The choices, from my ideas & requests from family members are: pumpkin, strawberry, cherry, apple, pear, peach, chocolate pudding.

Here's the facts of the matter:

• I have apples available to me for free.
• If I make something with the apples, I have to bring it in to work as well.
  
• I may do this anyway, but it would potentially take my only remaining pie pan, unless I make a cobbler or some sort of apple muffins or bread, which would potentially not be as popular.
  
• I have pears available to me for free.
  
• I already have these and they are already ripe, so if I don't make something with them for Thanksgiving, I will have to shortly thereafter.
• Cherries for a pie would come from a can. I would need to buy these soon.
  
• Strawberries are not in season and would be frozen. I would need to buy these soon.
• I'm not sure if peaches are in season, so I may need to buy them in a preserved form.
  
• Sweet potato souffle is already on the menu, which is very similar to pumpkin pie. Also, I already used my one can of pumpkin, so need to go out & get another.
  
• Chocolate pudding pie seems like a cop-out.
• My last idea: making cupcake-sized "tarts" using many, any, or all of the above ideas, with mini-pie-crusts & filling
  
• I've never done this & don't know how it would work, but it sounds like fun.

OK. Vote in the comments. I need ya'll's input. Soon.

Unfinished

These are the thoughts I had while raking leaves yesterday...

I like raking leaves. It is a repetitive, physical task. It is productive. It gets my body moving, yet gives me time to think. I really should exercise more.

Look at these huge piles of leaves I have! I've made so much progress! I can't believe these were scattered all over just an hour ago! [I survey the rest of the front yard] But have I made any progress? Broken leaves are still spread all over the yard. Yes, I see my large pile, and, yes, I see the areas I have yet to rake- how blanketed the grass is under the tree, compared to the areas I have raked- but the areas I have spent the last hour and a half raking don't look pristine. Is my effort for naught?

[I began to relate this to the message I had heard earlier in the day, on disciplines.] Our work never is done, though, is it? When I continue to look out in the yard, and see even more leaves to rake, even in areas I've already worked on, I am discouraged. Really discouraged. Like, I don't see the point in finishing. When I read the Bible or pray or work on whatever spiritual discipline it is, I see how far I still have to go- I see my failings and sinfulness and wrong motives, even in areas I've already worked on, and I wonder if it is worth it, with no end in sight.

I'll never be perfect. And neither will the lawn be completely free of leaves. Rather than looking out at the leaves left to go, while raking I would look back at the pi;e periodically. Look how far I've come! That six-foot-diameter pile was just moments ago strewn throughout the yard. I'm making progress! I don't have every little bit cleaned up, but I'm moving in the right direction. In the same way, when I look, rather at all my failings, but at the distance God has brought me and others in my life, I can be encouraged. There may still be dark places in my heart, but there is certainly a LOT more light. I won't obtain perfection- in my yard or my heart- but continuing to press on is the goal. I am, and always will be, unfinished, until heaven. And my yard? It will be unfinished, too.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 3:12-14

Now, anyone have any idea what to do with the piles of leaves?

Sunday Ponderings: On Spiritual Disciplines

Ashley has started a carnival of sorts to make us think about our Sunday sermons a little more- and hear what others are learning called Sunday Ponderings. I was busy with new-house things and missed church last week, so was delighted to get back this week. This week's service was the last in a series titled Rhythm: Riffs on Sustainable Living. The suburban culture around here (maybe everywhere? I don't know.) encourages habits, practices and attitudes that result in an unsustainable life- rushed, stressed, and separated from God and others.

The topic this week was the second part of a series on spiritual disciplines. The disciplines were broken into 4 categories:

• The Disciplines of Space - Solitude, Silence, Sabbath
• The Disciplines of Engagement: Prayer, Bible Reading, Worship, Communion
• The Disciplines of Limitation: Fasting, Abstinence, Simplicity
• The Disciplines of Awareness: Journaling, Examen, Confession

The disciplines of space and engagement, we discussed previously when Lauren Winner, author of Mudhouse Sabbath, was speaking at the church. Today, we discussed disciplines of limitation and awareness.

There isn't much talk about fasting these days. I participated in a fast- the 30-Hour Famine- sometime in early high school, but haven't given the practice very much thought since then. I do remember, however, that the experience was meaningful- the practice of depriving myself of one thing, food, in that case, for a time, for a purpose, and diverting my energy instead to prayer- did make me more focused, and I was able, in my broken state, to be more sensitive to God's will. When looking at examples of those who fasted in the scripture, a couple things were clear. First, fasting was always for a clear purpose- whether it was seeking God's direction, imploring Him for supplication, or mourning a loss- there was always a reason for the fasting, it wasn't something done on a regular basis Also, fasting was always coupled with prayer. Fasting is limitation for a specific purpose, Abstinence is limitation for a season (like Lent, for example), and Simplicity is limitation as a lifestyle. We didn't talk much about simplicity in the service, but it's something I'm very interested in, and want to pursue more.

The Awareness disciplines ask the question, What's truly going on in me, and what is God doing around me? Slowing down to see myself as I really am being- not how I am trying to be, or how I am supposed to be, or how I want others to think I am- is the purpose of Awareness. Journaling and the discipline of examen force me to sit and think about what happened in the day past and examine my intentions for the future. Am I who I want to be? Have I sinned against God or my neighbor? These disciplines ultimately lead to the discipline of Confession.

Am I good at keeping up these disciplines? Do I have it all together? Not at all. I need this structure in my life. I am glad God can meet us in the midst of all of these practices. I am glad they are so varied, so at different seasons in my life, I can express myself to God and meet Him in different ways. In high school & junior high, I journaled every day in a diary of sorts. Now, I journal here, in a different way, and am pursuing the discipline of simplicity. I've always met God through bible reading and prayer, but over the years, the discipline in my life changes what it looks like, depending on my season. I've talked about community as a discipline. I hope to try the other disciplines someday as well.

I am glad God is a creative God, able to communicate and meet His children in a variety of ways- because we are all so different!

Celebatory weekend!

Unpacking continues.

It is very unfortunate, however, that I have not found my camera-battery charger yet. I'm certain it's in a box of wires or office stuff, but we've just not gotten to the box yet to unpack it. This means that all the pictures I wanted to take today didn't happen, and the pictures I have taken are trapped on my camera, until I can get the camera batteries charged.

This is all very disappointing, because we were part of a wedding rehearsal yesterday, and a wedding today, and I wold LOVE to share the experience with the world (or , at the very least, the new happy couple.) I suppose this is motivation to continue putting away the stuff in boxes.

Highlights:

• A very personable, almost comical pastor. He reminded me very much of a college professor I had.
• Eating too much at Buca di Beppo for the rehearsal dinner.
• Meeting and re-connecting with friends from Josh's high-school years. Delightful people.
• Having the best man from our wedding over to our new house, with his girlfriend.
• Having Kristen over to our new house.
• Mike and Kim getting married! Hooray! So happy!
• Dancing and celebrating with a fun group.
• Kids running ellipticals around the dance floor- during the couple's first dance.
  
• A friend's 3-year-old falling asleep in my lap during the reception.

Tomorrow's goals include unpacking, baking a pumpkin pie, and raking leaves- good traditional Thanksgiving-week activities.

** UPDATE ** Not my pictures, these are from the photographer...


Again, YAY for Mike & Kim!

Beware: Big Words Ahead

I guess it's the big words and complex sentences that make my blog harder to read. Hope this isn't hindering anyone- but I'm sticking with my complex grammar.

Go to the analyzer and try some of your favorite sites!

- NPR has a College(Undergrad) ranking. ESPN: Junior High.
- Google is Genius.
- TIME Magazine has a High School reading level. People Magazine: Elementary School.

Any other interesting finds?

More on Walmart

I started to respond to the comments on the previous post- lots of good thoughts- and my response got long, so (because I'm the blog author!) I can pull it out here. Hooray!

Matt M said:

... Walmart definitely does more damage than good to an easily tempted frugal person, in offering the convenience of everything in the world you could want, in addition to the one or two things you actually need. I've had to train myself to not "shop" while I'm there. I tell myself to just buy things on the list and leave. And to be kind to the elderly greeter on the way in & out.

The "StuffMart" aspect of Walmart reminds me of this. This was one of the primary observations I had on my visit earlier this week. STUFF. Everywhere.

Heather said:

Politics aside, it's hard not to shop there when they have a monopoly on small town America. They no they have no competition and that over half their clientele can't afford to leave town to search out other options (due to gas prices, etc.). I would love to see a Target, but Matt says they will never come because we are not the market they are looking for.

I know, Heather, that in smaller towns, there isn't another option to get certain things- Walmart, with their low wages and low-cost supply chain, can undercut local businesses and run other stores out of town. This is one of the issues people have with the company. What blows me away is that, Walmart is such a huge employer, and their own employees probably can barely afford to shop there. I'm all for a living wage. But that's for another post.

Ashley said:

I've found that I tend to buy more at Walmart BECAUSE it is cheap. "Oh look it's only $3!" ...

Brett said:

... Anyway, I'm torn on Walmart and the other big-box stores. I'd love to frequent smaller, local shops but it's hard to justify paying the higher prices (and we have comparison shopped). A few years ago the local-ish Marsh grocery stores were hurting financially and were looking for someone to purchase the chain. I remember one of the Marsh higher-ups saying something like "If people want Marsh to stay in town, people need to start shopping here." That's all well and good and I appreciate that Marsh is part of the community but if they want me to shop there, they need to lower their prices. We've actually researched it and, if we regularly shop at Marsh, our grocery bill will jump $20 a week...easily. And I can't justify that. I can find a lot of other things to do with $20 a week.

As for shopping there just because they're less expensive, this is something Josh and I have consciously decided against. For groceries, we can go to other places that can have low prices for other reasons than unfair labor practices here & abroad- we try to stick to Costco (which has lower prices because of economies of scale & bulk buying, and is widely known to treat & pay their employees very well) or Aldi (which has low price because of small stores, no-frills service or displays, and no name brands). If there are groceries we need beyond those places, we watch sales & coupons and usually end up at Kroger or Marsh.

For things other than groceries, we shop around. Between Target & Lowes & Big Lots, we can typically find what we're looking for. This does mean we're going out of our way to avoid Walmart, but I'm OK with that. I've heard it said we vote with our pocketbooks. I don't want to vote for the Waltons.

An eye-opening book about not only Walmart, but other low-wage employers, that brings up issues of minimum wage, living wage, and the day-to-day life of trying to make it for a person working at one of these jobs, is Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America. Similarly, a show that also opened my eyes to practical struggles of the "working poor" is the first episode of "30 Days", where Morgan Spurlock, the creator of SuperSize Me & his girlfriend worked minimum-wage jobs for a month & saw the difficulty of "getting by".

I don't want to become blind to a whole segment of society, one that God says over and over again that he cares about in a special way. I don't want to support outlets that are exploiting this group. I can't always know what companies do, but I can act on what I know.

On Walmart

I don't shop at Walmart, if I can help it. On principle. But, I found myself there last night. We were looking for yard tools, which have apparently been replaced in the nursery section by Christmas stuff. You'd think you'd be able to find a rake in the middle of leaf-raking season, but, no. Alas.

I hadn't been in the store for so long, that the blatant commercialism and marketing hit me like a brick wall. On top of that, this time I realized WHY everything in the store could be priced so low- because of the unfair labor practices both in stores in this country and in factories elsewhere. Even with all this in mind, having not been in a Walmart in so many months, I forgot how much stuff was out there. How many useful gadgets! How many pretty decor items! How many TOYS! From house paint to osteoarthritis relief drugs to crock pots to remote-controlled General Lees. Stuff. Everywhere. And I found myself wanting it! Thinking of how useful it would be! And for only $2.88!

Sigh. I was ashamed, when I caught myself. And, I'm even more ashamed... I have these nice flower pots hanging on my wall, and I wanted some flowers to put in them, and a sign caught my eye- fifteen cents for a bunch of silk fall flowers... I caved. I spent $1.05 on silk flowers on sale at Walmart. And I like the way they look. Pictures to come.

And, I now resume my Walmart boycott. This experience will keep me out of there for a while.

Long weekend.

You know I'm tired when my grammar starts slipping.

me: you're back.
has the repair guy showed up yet?
Sent at 11:52 AM on Tuesday
me: I can't believe I said 'showed'.
I am really sleepy. It's been a long few days. Wow.
Sent at 12:00 PM on Tuesday

At least I used the right version of 'your'. It took me a whole 8 minutes to see the mistake. My spelling ability may be next to go. Stay tuned.

It's been a long few days.

Neighbor-love in action

Moving into a house with no close neighbors, I didn't really expect to meet anyone for a while. Because we don't have kids, I wasn't so concerned with seeking out "neighbor kids" as playmates or friends at school, so the other houses on the street, all a good distance away, weren't of a primary concern. We were told by the former owners of the house the neighbors behind us were friendly, and I was sure I'd meet them by Spring, when I'd start getting outdoors more.

Saturday, after everything was moved in the house, one of Josh's brothers showed up with two of his sons. As we were showing them around the yard and standing outside talking, our neighbor walked up with her 9-year-old son. She greeted us, and stood and talked for a long while, and her son invited our oldest nephew to play in his tree house. I was so thankful for loving neighbors that made a point to come by and make not only us, but our extended family, feel welcome.

Sunday, while I was in the house with my mom & mother-in-law organizing & Josh & his dad were out at Lowes, the doorbell rang. A family of five stood on my doorstep, from three houses away- they were also here to welcome us to the street. They brought us a casserole, even, to make dinner that night a breeze, in the midst of a busy,hectic time. Coincidentally, they brought a recipe that I recognized- a pizza casserole I blogged about not-so-long-ago.

Even though we're not in a proper subdivision, the neighbors love each other well here, or so it seems. They have all offered help in getting settled, and seem to genuinely care. I'm excited to get to know them more, and glad they had the courage to come knock on our door!

Still posting...

It's NaBloPoMo. I'm keeping up (Sort of. We'll pretend. For now.) I don't have internet at the house, and may not till the end of the week. What should all my faithful readers do in the meantime? Look forward to the profound posts surely to come when Joanna can sit down and write them, when she has an internet connection. In the meantime, you can find fascinating things on the internet about
Raleigh accident lawyers. Yeah, I know. Shameless link.

Another house photo, to appease the masses (Ha! Masses!):

This is a detail shot of the back door curtains. Can't get any cuter. They're staying, for sure.