Personality Test

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Summer Camp Friday Five

Mother Laura wrote, over at RevGals...

We're settling into our new new apartment, and after a lifetime at Montessori Katie is having a fantastic summer at YMCA day camp. Meanwhile, Nicholas is packing up for a week at Camp Julian, shared by the Episcopal dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego. His lists of supplies and rules--except for the ropes course available to the teenagers and the ban on IPODs and cell phones--bring back memories of my own happy times weeks at Y camp Ta Ta Pochon, funded by selling countless cases of butter toffee peanuts. So, in celebration of summer, please share your own memories and preferences about camp.

1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?

Went to camp for a week for one or two summers. I remember the first time I was supposed to and I got the chicken pox and could not. But I remember winning the skit competition and getting a trip "off-campus," and winning an archery award. But I don't remember loving it all, and didn't make a habit of going.

2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?

Not a dream, not a nightmare. But my idea of roughing it is going to a hotel where they don't leave a mint on the pillow...

3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor, or been to a camp for your denomination for either work or pleasure?

Nope.

4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?

On one of those fateful trips to camp, I lost the top part of my bathing suit at swim time. That was a bummer.

5. What is your favorite camp song or songs? Bonus points if you link to a recording or video.

Green Grow the Rushes Ho, and the camp's theme song. But I not longer remember all the words to either one.

Belated Friday Five

Fourth of July, and I missed the Friday Five. So, here I am, late.

1. Barbeque's or picnics ( or are they essentially the same thing?)

Barbecues conjure images of tables and chairs, rather than eating on the ground on a blanket. I'll take a table - not much of a ground sitter.

2. The park/ the lake/ the beach or staying at home simply being?

The lake - simply being.

3. Fireworks- love 'em or hate 'em?

Love 'em. Unless it's just noise in my neighborhood. That's really not much fun.

4. Parades- have you ever taken part- share a memory...

Oy, have I done parades. But on Memorial Day, not the Fourth. School's out, so my band isn't in season. Best parade memory? Marching with my high school kids down Main Street USA in Disney.

5. Time for a musical interlude- if you could sum up holidays in a piece of music what would it be?

Well, the 1812 Overture, of course! Right now...

Keepers

Sometimes you find a true friend. Somebody who takes all your good and bad, and lets you be yourself even when you aren't perfect. Who realizes that your faults just mean you're human. And real.

And when you talk, they hear what you say. And what you don't say. And know the difference, and know how to draw out what needs to be drawn and leave alone what needs leaving alone.

And they know and respect your boundaries. So for them, the boundaries start to move closer and closer to the heart of the fortress, as it were. And when you realize that you have allowed them to breach the wall, you find yourself grateful, because you know what they see inside the wall won't make them run away. It'll make them love you - and you them - more.

I have a few of those. A very few. And I plan to keep them.

Friday Five Word Association

It's been a while, but let's give it a shot...

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Think summer......are you there? Below you will find five words or phrases. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem, a memory, a recipe, or a story. You get the idea:

1. rooftop

Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke.

2. gritty

John Wayne

3. hot town (yeah, I know, it's two words)

New York in July

4. night

Night and Day...you are the one...

5. dance

A Chorus Line

Summit 2008

We took a journey on this year's summit that culminated in my asking myself - and God - when I had decided to become half a Christian. I stopped calling on, leaning on, the power of the Holy Spirit, and as a result was going through the motions of living, but with no real power.

Thank God that He freely gives us the Spirit when we ask. Not that anyone who is a Chritian doesn't have the Spirit dwelling in them once they choose to follow the path of Christ. That's mysterious, but theologically true.

But there is something cool about awakening our awareness of the work of the Spirit to counsel, comfort, strenghthen, and guide, and to call on His power to help us in every circumstance. That is where deep joy and peace come from, as well as the ability to respond with grace and let mercy lead.

Which reminds me of a Rich Mullins tune off of his Brother's Keeper album.

Let mercy lead, let love be the strength in your legs,
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace;
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save those who believe,
In that foolish grace of God they will find peace
And He'll meet them
In that place where mercy leads.

I always loved that tune - particularly the idea of leaving footprints filled with drops of grace.

May it be so, not by might, not by strength, but by the power of the Spirit of God.

Welcoming the New Year

Like we have a choice, right?

For some people this really is a welcome. For whatever reason, 2007 wasn't so great, and they are excited about the prospect of the fresh start a new year can bring.

For some people, maybe it's the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" inevitability of the passing of time and the turn of the calendar page. Not like you can stop the thing from happening, so you jump on board and ring it in.

And for some people, I imagine it's like dragging them kicking and screaming past midnight. Either 2007 was SO good they don't want to leave, or they are so afraid of what 2008 will bring because they are used to being beat up all the time.

Either way, I am thinking about something Brian McLaren wrote in one of the books in the New Kind of Christian series. He said that God was in the past, pushing us forward, and He is in the future pulling us toward Home, and he is with us right now, walking through whatever comes our way in this life.

I take comfort in the fact that no matter where I am, God is with me, and wherever I will be, God already was. He is the God who delivered me from bondage and slavery and set me free, and He is the God who makes all living worthwhile.

And even though I will never be able to keep every resolution, nor will I ever be able to stop letting Him down in some way, and even though I will never be perfect, His love is still boundless, His forgiveness is endless, His grace is still amazing, and His mercy endures forever, new every morning.

Bring it on, 2008. I've got all the help I need.

2007

Let's see. The most recent Friday Five asked us to list five memorable moments from 2007. I am not sure I can remember 5 but I'll give it my best shot.

1) The gall bladder attack that put me in the hospital overnight last January. It was at a rural hospital, and I swear the surgeon wanted to cut me open then and there. But I made them wait.

2) The ensuing April surgery to remove the offending organ. I went back to work too early and slowed the healing process, but some changes I had been making throughout the year helped it all go smoothly.

3) Saying goodbye to yet another senior class.

4) Taking up golf again, and remembering what a great game it is and how I love it, and why I stopped in the first place.

5) As a result of the golf, renewing my friendships with some of the finest people in the world over at The Valley.

I did better than I thought.

I wonder what 2008 will bring.

Free Rice

So I was emailed a link to a really fun site - for those of us who like words. Check out Free Rice to play and donate food to the hungry.

And Just Like That...

...it's almost two weeks gone by. What is it about this season that gets people so busy? Good intentions, I think, with the shopping and the parties and the special events. And, to some extent, a "job hazard" for any kind of musician, music teacher, or clergy member.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Had any? I have. In spite of not having time to blog, and spending much time running, my inner peace is intact. Because busy doesn't have to mean not peaceful. There is a such thing as "good busy," in my opinion. I enjoy shopping for gifts for friends - so long as I have some idea about what I am looking for. And I like parties. Small ones, where I can talk to a few people at a time for something more than small talk. And special events are fun, even if I seem to be in charge of them a lot.

But it sure does make the time go by fast. As they say, time flies when you're having fun.

Wishing peace to all of my friends, from the Prince of Peace Himself.

Friday Five - Rejoice!

This week's Friday Five is about the third week in advent.

Can you believe that in two days we'll be halfway through Advent? Gaudete Sunday: pink candle on the advent wreath, rose vestments for those who have them, concerts and pageants in many congregations. Time to rejoice!

Rejoice in the nearness of Christ's coming, yes, but also in the many gifts of the pregnant waiting time when the world (in the northern hemisphere, at least) spins ever deeper into sweet, fertile darkness.

What makes you rejoice about:

1. Waiting?

Realizing that there is something worth waiting for.

2. Darkness?

That it isn't actually a thing - just the absence of light - and at some point, dawn breaks through.

3. Winter?

The reminder when it snows that my sins have been washed whiter than snow.

4. Advent?

That we are celebrating and preparing for Christ's coming.

5. Jesus' coming?

That He is coming back.

Swapping

The Yankee Swap. I think in the midwest it is called the White Elephant trade or swap or something.

By some people it is basically seen an excuse to regift unwanted items. Why anyone wants to hang onto unwanted items jsut to inflict them on others is beyond me.

I really don't like the Yankee Swap. In fact, I have seriously considered revising my answer on one of the Friday Five - Grumpy Edition questions from a couple of weeks back. Question: "Tradition you hate." Answer: "The Yankee Swap."

But I am a good sport so I will participate for the social aspect of it, and laugh at the stupid things people open, and play the game.

Even if I do end up with a Bugs Bunny Chia pet.

Sometimes I can't resist.

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. You prefer things the way you've always known them. You'll admit that you're old fashioned, and you don't see anything wrong with that. Your tastes and preferences are classic. And classic never goes out of style. Those who like you crave security. People can rely on you to be true to yourself - and true to them. You're loyal, trustworthy, and comfortable in your own skin. And because of these qualities, you've definitely earned a lot of respect.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Friday Five - Preparation, Preparation

For this week's Friday Five, Sally wrote:

This has been a difficult week for me, the death of a little six year old has overshadowed our advent preparations, and made many of us here in Downham Market look differently at Christmas. With that in mind I ask whether you are the kind of person that likes everything prepared well in advance, are you a last minute crammer, or a bit of a mixture.....

Here then is this weeks Friday 5:

1. You have a busy week, pushing out all time for preparing worship/ Sunday School lessons/ being ready for an important meeting ( or whatever equivalent your profession demands)- how do you cope?

I am great at avoidance, and my house tends to be less cluttered and my blog more up to date when there's lots to do.

But seriously, I will do whatever is next, and leave the rest until that is done. Or, whatever is going to have me in front of people will come first.

2. You have unexpected visitors, and need to provide them with a meal- what do you do?

I do not have unexpected visitors. My friends know never to come to my house unannounced. It has become a running joke. I am a ball of stress when anyone is in my house, because my perfectionism makes me worry about every detail - is it too hot, too cold; do they need something else to drink, is what I have in the house adequate to offer; yada, yada. It just is not fun.

Because my job as a music teacher requires me to be in charge and entertaining all the time, my friends are very graciously sensitive to my need for my house to be my shelter and hiding place.

Three discussion topics:

3. Thinking along the lines of this weeks advent theme; repentance is an important but often neglected aspect of advent preparations.....

And it's something we should be practicing all the time. I don't know about the rest of you, but I keep doing things I have to repent of. Pesky sin nature. The cool thing is, God's forgiveness has no limit.

4. Some of the best experiences in life occur when you simply go with the flow.....

I went with the flow with a vendor the other day and ended up getting about $800-$1000 of free equipment. Sometimes keeping your cool and going with the flow pays off in unexpected ways.

5. Details are everything, attention to the small things enables a plan to roll forward smoothly...

I try to be vigilant about details, and my department generally functions at high efficiency in this area. But it is easier to catch all the details when you are working with a good team.

Bonus if you dare- how well prepared are you for Christmas this year?

Not. 'Nuff said.

You Tube - Potential Object Lesson?

There is such ease nowadays with filming things and sharing them. Everywhere we go, we should start making the assumption that someone with a cell phone could capture us doing whatever we are doing, and post it to You Tube, and, voila, everybody sees what we did.

Makes me want to make it good, just in case.

Rebuilding Eden

In all my contemplation of needs and wants and choosing to be content, it dawned on me. Ever since we got kicked out, we have been trying to find ways of rebuilding Eden in our image. We've got all kinds of things to make our lives easier and more fulfilling. Most of it just makes us more isolated and annoyed, and doesn't bring the contentment we were meant to have.

Contentment is, at least to some extent, a choice. Hebrews 13 says, "Be content with what you have, because God has promised, 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'"

The best part of Eden - intimate communion with God - is still at hand, through the greatest gift of this season. Maybe I will choose to be content with that part of Eden and wait for God to rebuild the rest of it when He's ready.

Friday Five - Grumpy Edition

Will Smama returned to the RevGals for the Friday Five, and put out a whopper of a good time. She wrote:

Parishioners pushing for carols before you digested your turkey?


Organist refusing to play Advent hymns because he/she already has them planned for Lessons & Carols?


Find yourself reading Luke and thinking of a variety of ways to tell Linus where to stick it? (Lights please.)


Then this quick and easy Friday Five is for you! And for those of you with a more positive attitude, have no fear. I am sure more sacred and reverent Friday Fives will follow.


Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal....

1) dessert/cookie/family food

Fruit Cake. Anything that has to be soaked in bourbon to be edible isn't actually edible. Besides, I prefer to do my soaking in Sapphire.

2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc...)

The punch that is served at the extended family holiday party. It has pulp. There is something wrong with punch that has pulp.

3) tradition (church, family, other)

I can't think of anything. Which is kind of amazing.

4) decoration

I agree that those huge blow-up things are...uh...unfortunate.

5) gift (received or given)

A gift certificate for half a theater ticket. Nope. Not kidding.

BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it.

Do You Hear What I Hear. Oy. No, I don't.

And the MercyMe Christmas CD. It is musically disappointing.

On a more positive note, I can recommend the Point of Grace Christmas CD, as well as Diana Krall, Avalon, and Harry Connick Jr.'s "When My Heart Finds Christmas." All have some great arrangements.

Needs, Wants, and Contentment

I am speaking this week at a Saturday morning tea, and have been thinking about this topic for a while now.

I find myself saying things like, "I need a new set of golf clubs."

Now, if I am going to play golf and make any progress in my game, updating my clubs would be a good idea.

But I don't actually need a whole new set of golf clubs. I just think I do.

Much like I think I need anything else in this advertising-saturated society. I need a Rolex. I need a Mercedes.

I need another guitar.

Why? I can only play one at a time.

And when you play golf, and if you read golf magazines, or watch golf tournaments on TV, you find out you need all of the more expensive things. Because those are the advertisers for golf, because that's who they think plays golf. People that need a Rolex. Or a Buick Lucerne like Tiger's.

No wonder golf is so expensive. You need all this stuff to go with it.

Not.

See, I think we were created for relationship and community. With God first, but also with others. And not with stuff. But we were also created with the freedom of choice. So we get to choose the way in which we fulfill this need, and we often choose things rather than God.

As I enter the craziest season, I want to make sure I don't confuse my needs with my wants. Because I know I will only be truly contented when I find my rest in God.

Post Thanksgiving Friday Five

Singing Owl wrote:

Ah, the day after Thanksgiving--groan! Fortunately, I love Thanksgiving leftovers.

Thanksgiving is the American holiday when the greatest number of people travel somewhere else to celebrate. I am posting this from my son’s home in Minnesota where we are recovering from the food shopping and the preparations and the meal and the clean up. It is difficult to think of anything requiring much energy today, and I am enjoying my sweet baby granddaughter, so I will keep it simple. For those of you not in the USA, I apologize for the nationalistic tone of this Friday Five!

1. Did you go elsewhere for the day, or did you have visitors at your place instead? How was it?

I went to Mom's after the annual football game. (I'm the band director.) The brother (and family) who just moved back from overseas was there, and it was great!!

2. Main course: If it was the turkey, the whole turkey, and nothing but the turkey, was it prepared in an unusual way? Or did you throw tradition to the winds and do something different?

Traditional all the way. My mom's stuffing is my favorite, and she always does "homemade" whipped cream to go with the pies. Mmm Mmm good.

3. Other than the meal, do you have any Thanksgiving customs that you observe every year?

Can you call it a custom that I work the game every year with the band? I haven't had Thanksgiving off in 20 years...

Actually, we go out to dinner the Saturday after to celebrate the beginning of the shopping season.

4. The day after Thanksgiving is considered a major Christmas shopping day by most US retailers. Do you go out bargain hunting and shop ‘till you drop, or do you stay indoors with the blinds closed? Or something in between?

I am home with the coffee and the blogs, and, yes, the blinds are down. Love it.

5. Let the HOLIDAY SEASON commence! When will your Christmas decorations go up?

If I get to them, they will go up sometime. It's different every year, because it isn't a big priority.

Inheritance

We are in 1 Peter in our current sermon series, and today we talked about the inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade.

When we think of an inheritance, we often think in terms of things - and appropriately so, when we are talking about earthly inheritances from human relatives, I guess.

I was thinking today, though, that maybe God wants me to inherit from Him a few items that are not "things." His compassion for the suffering, His care for the widow and the orphan, His provision for the needy - His character and nature.

If I am His family, should I not inherit that? If my identity is in Christ, then his character is my inheritance.

May I show it to be so.