I had a terrible day today, so I decided that I really needed to look for & count my blessings. In the scheme of things, it sure could have been worse, but I called it my "no good, terrible, very bad day." So, to remind myself that it wasn't a total loss and that there were good things that happened, I am looking for my blessings...
1.) Great breakfast with Karli
2.) A great haircut
3.) Sweet mechanics
4.) Mechanics who looked for every sale & rebate they could find for me
5.) Not getting into an accident
6.) Baccalaureate
7.) Listening to the rain fall
8.) Having a house to come home to
9.) Having someone able to do alterations for me
10.) Mac and cheese
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Bigger and Better
One of the things that I have heard over and over from people as they've talked about my move is that I'm going on to "bigger and better things." I want to be very clear that I am very excited about my move and about the possibilities that are coming.
However...I am not comfortable with calling this "bigger & better." I'm comfortable with calling it something different. I know that most people mean it as a congratulations and that they are excited for me as well, but I hope that they also don't mean it to undercut themselves.
Bigger does not always mean better...And better does not always mean bigger.
I have learned so much being in a smaller community. While I have discovered things about myself that I am not meant to live in a small community forever, I have appreciated my time here.
I don't want use the term "real America" because urban areas contain just as many "real Americans" as rural areas...and because I really don't know what that term means...But I have been priveleged to see how another part of America lives and to understand "the other" side of things. It has been such a learning experience and one that I think that all people should take a part in.
So, I am excited to be moving to a different location, but I have a hard time calling it "bigger and better" because the big-ness of this small community is just as "better".
However...I am not comfortable with calling this "bigger & better." I'm comfortable with calling it something different. I know that most people mean it as a congratulations and that they are excited for me as well, but I hope that they also don't mean it to undercut themselves.
Bigger does not always mean better...And better does not always mean bigger.
I have learned so much being in a smaller community. While I have discovered things about myself that I am not meant to live in a small community forever, I have appreciated my time here.
I don't want use the term "real America" because urban areas contain just as many "real Americans" as rural areas...and because I really don't know what that term means...But I have been priveleged to see how another part of America lives and to understand "the other" side of things. It has been such a learning experience and one that I think that all people should take a part in.
So, I am excited to be moving to a different location, but I have a hard time calling it "bigger and better" because the big-ness of this small community is just as "better".
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
This is the last time...
Tonight is the last Bible study that I'll be leading at Sheridan UMC...It feels really weird to say that. I know it's not the last Bible study that I'll ever lead, so it's not final in many ways. But it is one of the first "lasts" that I've really paid attention to.
Sure, I had the last Easter at Sheridan & Norway UMC...And probably the last Norway church council meeting...And there have probably been last conversations or last times we'll sing that hymn kinds of things...But I don't think I've noticed them quite as much as tonight.
This is the last time I will meet with this group and lead Bible study...I don't feel emotional about it yet...A little sad, but not teary...It's kind of an odd feeling.
I know that there will be many more "lasts"...especially as I prepare for the last sermon and the last things that I want to say & do. I've known for awhile to think of things as "lasts"...Will this be the last Christmas Eve? Will this be the last Thanksgiving? Will this be the last blessing of the Farmers...But nothing has struck me quite yet...But there are lasts that are coming that will be difficult to get through.
I never thought that leaving here would be easy, but I didn't anticipate being as difficult as it has been. I have to admit that I am very, very excited about my new appointment and I cannot wait to be there, but I'm not there yet and there are still things to finalize here.
Most loose ends have been tied up, although there are a few that are still there and new ones that have popped up...But this is almost the last month that I'll be here.
Of course lasts always lead to firsts...Like my first sermon or my first time officiating a wedding at the new church...Or the first time that I cry over a funeral...The first time my heart breaks over another's pain...And there will be firsts for Sheridan-Norway too that I won't experience...Like the new pastor's first sermon...and her first heartbreak over another's pain...
And there are lasts and firsts that I'd rather not experience again either too, but I'm sure there will be some of those too.
It's all very strange...I know that it became real for me when I was leaving Dayton as I drove underneath the Ohio arch...I don't know when it will hit here, but I'm sure that it will...and I'm sure when it does, I won't be prepared...But I will find the support I need, that I am sure of.
Sure, I had the last Easter at Sheridan & Norway UMC...And probably the last Norway church council meeting...And there have probably been last conversations or last times we'll sing that hymn kinds of things...But I don't think I've noticed them quite as much as tonight.
This is the last time I will meet with this group and lead Bible study...I don't feel emotional about it yet...A little sad, but not teary...It's kind of an odd feeling.
I know that there will be many more "lasts"...especially as I prepare for the last sermon and the last things that I want to say & do. I've known for awhile to think of things as "lasts"...Will this be the last Christmas Eve? Will this be the last Thanksgiving? Will this be the last blessing of the Farmers...But nothing has struck me quite yet...But there are lasts that are coming that will be difficult to get through.
I never thought that leaving here would be easy, but I didn't anticipate being as difficult as it has been. I have to admit that I am very, very excited about my new appointment and I cannot wait to be there, but I'm not there yet and there are still things to finalize here.
Most loose ends have been tied up, although there are a few that are still there and new ones that have popped up...But this is almost the last month that I'll be here.
Of course lasts always lead to firsts...Like my first sermon or my first time officiating a wedding at the new church...Or the first time that I cry over a funeral...The first time my heart breaks over another's pain...And there will be firsts for Sheridan-Norway too that I won't experience...Like the new pastor's first sermon...and her first heartbreak over another's pain...
And there are lasts and firsts that I'd rather not experience again either too, but I'm sure there will be some of those too.
It's all very strange...I know that it became real for me when I was leaving Dayton as I drove underneath the Ohio arch...I don't know when it will hit here, but I'm sure that it will...and I'm sure when it does, I won't be prepared...But I will find the support I need, that I am sure of.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
You are what you eat...
I just finished watching the documentary Food Inc. I've heard about it for awhile now, but I haven't gotten around to watching it until it was on PBS a few weeks ago...And although I recorded it, I didn't get around to watching it until today.
Lots of really good (pardon the pun) food for thought. It was fascinating to follow the money trail in certain places and to see who is funding particular areas in the food industry. It was also shocking to see how much of the food industry is controlled by fast food.
I also watched with great interest Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. It was fascinating and apalling to see what is served in school lunches both by the cafeterias and by parents. I was shocked to learn that flavored milks have more sugar that pop....It makes sense, but somehow I would just think that it should be healthier being milk. Now, when I think back to myself in elementary school, I think some of the same kinds of meals were served...And honestly, I drank chocolate milk. I drank white milk at home, but at school I couldn't seem to stand it!
Both of these pieces of informational media have been eye opening...Not that I haven't heard much of this before. I understand the concept behind eating healthier and eating more organic food and not as much processed food. I don't argue with the health benefits at all either! One of the things raised by Food Inc. was the cost of eating this way and it being prohibitive. I think that's very true...In some ways eating organic food has become what "the rich people do." I can't afford to shop at Whole Foods all the time and while Trader Joes is cheaper, it doesn't beat Aldi's. And while I prefer to do much of my grocery shopping at Woodman's, that's almost an hour and a half from my house. So, where can I afford to shop?
And the other prohibitive piece for me is the cooking. I don't have time all the time to cook a meal, so while it's not as healthy for me, I can cook mac and cheese and have a couple meals instead of cutting up vegetables and baking them. I don't always have the time to cook healthy. And even as I say that, I know that is not a good enough excuse.
It is also just as wasteful for me to buy a bag of vegetables that won't last long enough for one person to eat...
And both documentaries are right. In order to anything to change-- we, the people need to do it. In order to change corporations it takes people who are willing and able to make the decision to do it.
So, what am I going to do? I'm not completely sure yet. I do want to eat differently and I do want to eat healthier and not rely on processed foods. With that, it means some significant lifestyle changes. They are absolutely worth it in the long run...
So my plan for now--Operation eat only what I have in my house right now. It's helpful for moving too-- I don't want to move any food with me! After that, we'll see what's available to me in Orland Park as well as how I can adjust my schedule in order to eat and be healthier.
Lots of really good (pardon the pun) food for thought. It was fascinating to follow the money trail in certain places and to see who is funding particular areas in the food industry. It was also shocking to see how much of the food industry is controlled by fast food.
I also watched with great interest Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. It was fascinating and apalling to see what is served in school lunches both by the cafeterias and by parents. I was shocked to learn that flavored milks have more sugar that pop....It makes sense, but somehow I would just think that it should be healthier being milk. Now, when I think back to myself in elementary school, I think some of the same kinds of meals were served...And honestly, I drank chocolate milk. I drank white milk at home, but at school I couldn't seem to stand it!
Both of these pieces of informational media have been eye opening...Not that I haven't heard much of this before. I understand the concept behind eating healthier and eating more organic food and not as much processed food. I don't argue with the health benefits at all either! One of the things raised by Food Inc. was the cost of eating this way and it being prohibitive. I think that's very true...In some ways eating organic food has become what "the rich people do." I can't afford to shop at Whole Foods all the time and while Trader Joes is cheaper, it doesn't beat Aldi's. And while I prefer to do much of my grocery shopping at Woodman's, that's almost an hour and a half from my house. So, where can I afford to shop?
And the other prohibitive piece for me is the cooking. I don't have time all the time to cook a meal, so while it's not as healthy for me, I can cook mac and cheese and have a couple meals instead of cutting up vegetables and baking them. I don't always have the time to cook healthy. And even as I say that, I know that is not a good enough excuse.
It is also just as wasteful for me to buy a bag of vegetables that won't last long enough for one person to eat...
And both documentaries are right. In order to anything to change-- we, the people need to do it. In order to change corporations it takes people who are willing and able to make the decision to do it.
So, what am I going to do? I'm not completely sure yet. I do want to eat differently and I do want to eat healthier and not rely on processed foods. With that, it means some significant lifestyle changes. They are absolutely worth it in the long run...
So my plan for now--Operation eat only what I have in my house right now. It's helpful for moving too-- I don't want to move any food with me! After that, we'll see what's available to me in Orland Park as well as how I can adjust my schedule in order to eat and be healthier.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
We're not friends anymore...
I've been thinking a lot about un-friending/de-friending in the facebook realm of things. A majority of the friends I have on facebook are people that I actually know or that I want to network with and have either met or heard significantly about. That being said, I also use my facebook page both personally & professionally.
There have been quite a few times when one of my friends posts something that I find either inappropriate, inexcusable, or hateful. In that moment, I consider un-friending because I don't want that garbage...However, I also want to listen to others opinions and while I may find them disgusting and wrong, I want to be able to have a dialogue if the other person is willing as well. Plus, it reminds me not to live in a particular bubble and truly listen to what others think/believe/feel. But I do wonder...what would it be that someone would post that I would finally say, "No, I've had enough" and un-friend them? Does personal relationship count? As in, someone that I have history with and can talk easily face to face mean that I give them more chances?
I've also been thinking about facebook as it relates to pastoral changes. I am very clear that when I leave the congregations I leave, I am not coming back. Our relationship ends when I leave. While there are parts of that that are painful, I understand and have known all along that's what will happen. But, facebook throws an interesting wrench in all of this...Do I now un-friend all of the members of the congregations from my facebook page. I have a personal understanding and belief that any member who requests "friendship", I accept. I have already accepted requests from the new congregation and will hold the same practice when I am fully there. How much does facebook change the nature of the relationship? If I remain facebook friends, is that the same as if I worshipped there while the new pastor is there? I do fully understand and respect that even if the facebook connection remains, that I will not be discussing church issues. That part of our relationship is over and it is inappropriate for me to comment on those issues. But if facebook is about networking...who are we networking with and why?
There have been quite a few times when one of my friends posts something that I find either inappropriate, inexcusable, or hateful. In that moment, I consider un-friending because I don't want that garbage...However, I also want to listen to others opinions and while I may find them disgusting and wrong, I want to be able to have a dialogue if the other person is willing as well. Plus, it reminds me not to live in a particular bubble and truly listen to what others think/believe/feel. But I do wonder...what would it be that someone would post that I would finally say, "No, I've had enough" and un-friend them? Does personal relationship count? As in, someone that I have history with and can talk easily face to face mean that I give them more chances?
I've also been thinking about facebook as it relates to pastoral changes. I am very clear that when I leave the congregations I leave, I am not coming back. Our relationship ends when I leave. While there are parts of that that are painful, I understand and have known all along that's what will happen. But, facebook throws an interesting wrench in all of this...Do I now un-friend all of the members of the congregations from my facebook page. I have a personal understanding and belief that any member who requests "friendship", I accept. I have already accepted requests from the new congregation and will hold the same practice when I am fully there. How much does facebook change the nature of the relationship? If I remain facebook friends, is that the same as if I worshipped there while the new pastor is there? I do fully understand and respect that even if the facebook connection remains, that I will not be discussing church issues. That part of our relationship is over and it is inappropriate for me to comment on those issues. But if facebook is about networking...who are we networking with and why?
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Blessings 4/30/10
1.) Having dinner with a friend!
2.) Finding a frozen yogurt place in IL
3.) Good conversations
4.) Being able to sleep in
5.) Being invited into people's stories
6.) Having food in the fridge
7.) Hot water
8.) Sabbath
9.) Dreaming
10.) Making future plans
2.) Finding a frozen yogurt place in IL
3.) Good conversations
4.) Being able to sleep in
5.) Being invited into people's stories
6.) Having food in the fridge
7.) Hot water
8.) Sabbath
9.) Dreaming
10.) Making future plans
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