The Swandive

We are NOT in Kansas anymore

Nothing profound to add. These are just some of the fun messages I found here. I am headed over to Trinity today, to see a friend and hear about some ministry stuff. Today - another day another blessing, indeed.

NYC

Traveling in NYC. Got here Saturday - will leave on Wednesday. Short fun trip. So far, we were welcomed to the best borough (place) in the world -  Brooklyn. Park Slope to be exact. We ate here, went to church here and bought some cool ass threads here.

Yep - I love brooklyn. Or as they say it here...

I am trying

I really am - but today - I just can't focus. Looky what I found!

My Fortune Cookie told me: Do not take a corkscrew inside a bouncy castle. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

friday *stretch - yawn* five

I am a little late on the post today - long story - but saw the topic and could not wait to dig right in. Very timely topic. I hope that if you don't "do" the five - that you might think about this one and try it. Leave me notes in the comments if you do it. This one is good for your soul.

Friday Five: Renewal

In my office the other day, two church members asked about the boat on my table. I told them it was a gift from a seminary classmate, a reminder of the work and teaching of our professor, Kirk Jones, author of Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and other Caregivers. He always reminded us that Jesus went to the back of the boat and took a nap.

Not surprisingly, I could not find an image of Jesus resting. Preaching from the boat, yes. Calming the storm, yes. Walking on water? Oh, my, yes! But no one seems to want to picture Jesus taking his rest.

In this week that looks unlikely to hold a complete day off, I am pondering renewal. List four ways you like to relax or give yourself a break. Then name a fifth, something you've never been able to do, a self-care dream.

1. Saturday mornings, in bed, with book, sweet milky tea (http://www.teeandtoast.com/), and big squooshy covers pulled up snug, with my kitten mitten on my feet and my sweetie on my side. Do this for at least one no more than two hours.
2. Two words - hot tub. (came with the new house - dreamy)
3. In town / outta town. Tell your friends and loved ones you are "out of town" - can't be reached - can't make plans. Then book yourself into some random hotel in Minneapolis (or somewhere close) and pretend like you are visitors. The main key is - you don't do laundry on vacation, or dishes, or vacuum, or dust, or run errands. You can't - cause you are outta town! Sleep in, watch movies, visit a museum - whatever.
4. Retail therapy. Sort of. I like to shop all of the thrift stores in the cities - find new ones. I like to shop in the quiet, find a really great shirt for like 3 bucks. I like to recycle my clothes, and get "new" ones. Its my form of retail therapy. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Good for the soul.
5. Go on retreat. Not just any retreat - but a whole body reset, teach me how to live a new way retreat. This is my super dream. I want to go away and detox my body (chinese medicine,  colonics, whatever), realign my chi, wake up my taste buds, learn how to stretch and reach and do the sun salutation. I want to go and be someones guinea pig for holistic retraining. I would make an excellent student. Throw in some spiritual direction - and whiz bang - I'd be a whole new gal. Anyone know of a place?

In my office the other day, two church members asked about the boat on my table. I told them it was a gift from a seminary classmate, a reminder of the work and teaching of our professor, Kirk Jones, author of Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and other Caregivers. He always reminded us that Jesus went to the back of the boat and took a nap.

Not surprisingly, I could not find an image of Jesus resting. Preaching from the boat, yes. Calming the storm, yes. Walking on water? Oh, my, yes! But no one seems to want to picture Jesus taking his rest.

In this week that looks unlikely to hold a complete day off, I am pondering renewal. List four ways you like to relax or give yourself a break. Then name a fifth, something you've never been able to do, a self-care dream.

Saturday mornings, in bed, with book, sweet milky tea (http://www.teeandtoast.com/), and big squooshy covers pulled up snug, with my kitten mitten on my feet and my sweetie on my side. Do this for at least one no more than two hours.

Two words - hot tub. (came with the new house - dreamy)

In town / outta town. Tell your friends and loved ones you are "out of town" - can't be reached - can't make plans. Then book yourself into some random hotel in Minneapolis (or somewhere close) and pretend like you are visitors. The main key is - you don't do laundry on vacation, or dishes, or vacuum, or dust, or run errands. You can't - cause you are outta town! Sleep in, watch movies, visit a museum - whatever.

Retail therapy. Sort of. I like to shop all of the thrift stores in the cities - find new ones. I like to shop in the quiet, find a really great shirt for like 3 bucks. I like to recycle my clothes, and get "new" ones. Its my form of retail therapy. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Good for the soul.

Go on retreat. Not just any retreat - but a whole body reset, teach me how to live a new way retreat. This is my super dream. I want to go away and detox my body (chinese medicine,  colonics, whatever), realign my chi, wake up my taste buds, learn how to stretch and reach and do the sun salutation. I want to go and be someones guinea pig for holistic retraining. I would make an excellent student. Throw in some spiritual direction - and whiz bang - I'd be a whole new gal. Anyone know of a place?

fuh-uh-uh-nee.

I am posting here what Sarcastic Lutheran posted the other day. Cause it "cracks" me up. Sheesh - if you don't read her - do. Ugh - she is funny.

This is a quote from George Carlin's list of "new rules"....I understand this lacks generosity and is unkind, but funny is funny.

"New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to "Beef with Broccoli". The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high".

Reason # 128 why my sweetie won't get a tattoo where she can't see it. Me - I got Jesus on the back of my neck. It was a going away present from my former co-workers at the Bryant Lake Bowl. I as leaving that job to go into ministry full time. Yeah - for about 6 years up until this past June it said "Je" - the first part of Jesus. Then a friend who I worked with on design team for the Young Adult Festival at GC06 told me that is all it said. Not Jesus. Just Je. Definitely not as cool as "just jack" either. I got it fixed. Oh beware spiritual inkers. Beware.

Thanks N. You rock.

"New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to "Beef with Broccoli". The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high".

Prayers - an update

So, for those of you who really pray for those who I have asked for prayers for - I am so sorry for not being very good at reporting what has happened.

First, Radar, my sisters doggie, had to be put down. His health faded very very quickly, and you can imagine, this was a very sad time for my sister. And for all who love and who had tried to get help for Radar in his last days.

Second - go read this from Sara about Eliot. Whoo hooo! Rock on - happy happy dance. Arm pump - shake shake shake your super healthy bootie.

Third - Amy is a friend of mine, through my sweetie. She is awesome. She is a beautiful mom of 2, who has a brain tumor thing in her head that is cancerous. I thought I had mentioned it before, but in looking for my prayers about it - they have been in my brain and on my heart - and not here. So - will you add her to your prayer list please? She started radiation/chemo on Jan 16th. The road ahead is tough - so any and all good thoughts her way would be awesome.

And the update on sweeties knee/leg. The diagnosis came in. It is not a super common thing - but at least we know what it is. Its a form of arthritis. And she carries the gene that predisposes someone to get this wierd thing. But - drug regiment has begun, and hopefully soon enough - it will all be a distant memory. Until then - prayers for healing are still totally encouraged.

Thanks prayer warriors. Oh and thank you everyone for the love and prayers and support for me and my bout with depression. My therapist finally called yesterday - wow - and things are starting to move back into middle land - neither up up up or down down down. Amen amen amen.

a new practice

A few days ago, in my quest to make my work more bearable, I found an old boombox stuffed away in the depths of my office junk room. So I dragged it out, plugged it in, and set it right behind me. Wow - this new addition to my work-space is like... made such a huge difference. I have the dial set to 99.5 - KSJN - the MPR classical station.

Right now they are playing Peter Tchaikovsky : Swan Lake: Highlights, Charles Mackerras, conductor Royal Philharmonic. I know - I am so pop culture if I say this, but it reminds me of that final scene of Billy Elliot, every time I hear it.

It reminds me, I am blessed to have this name, Swan. So far my life has been like that of the swan   in the childrens fable the ugly duckling. Ugly, duck-ish, outcast in my youth. But time moves on, and God has blessed me so. All of the scars of the past, the pain and aloneness that being different can bring, are working themselves out. Who but God knows what lies ahead.

Look who's talking

"I think it breaks God's heart that we would be focusing on such an internal issue, instead of focusing upon the world which, as I understand it, Jesus called us to," +Gene

Not the best journalism I have read, but a good quote from +Gene. Right on bishop. Can we stop talking about all this gay crap already, and just get on with spreading the Gospel? All of the family feuding is really, a huge turn off to those who can't even say the word Episcopalian. Come on. Its about Jesus people.

friends

Mindy had a really great post the other day, about the kindness of strangers. She said something that has been running around in my brain for a few days.

I am not Mindy. All of the kindnesses extended by people in my life, whether they were strangers or people known to me, make me who I am today. That is who Mindy is. I am a million pieces. I am each and every one of you.

What a wonderful image.

Speaking of images and friends, my sweetie and I had dinner (and some awesome birthday cake) with friends last night (happy birthday M!)- who have given us an amazing wedding gift, a photo album, from mypublisher.com. This is the second to the last batch of wedding photos we knew we would get. OK - seriously. So amazing. M was the one at every single event we had, snapping pics and asking people to smile. The pictures are amazing. Look at them here.

During the past week, when I have been really down, super in the low, depression swirling above, what has helped me has been remembering my friends. Remembering how blessed I am, and being around some of these people. So thanks, my blogging community, to T and W, the Kim's, M and J, M and C, and D and M for reminding me how good I got it.

God, help me to remember. Help me to be as fantastic to my friends, as they are to me. God, help me to forgive, when friends hurt me, forget about me, or generally don't treat me as I would like to be treated. Give me the heart and strength to forgive as I have been forgiven. In Jesus name. Amen.

I won!

*blush*

It's so exciting! I've never won anything. I am so thrilled! What's next - the PowerBall?