....an excellent procrastinator.
But eventually....
...I do finish things. :D
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
I think I had forgotten....
...for awhile, how to be still. It took a whole weekend to remind me. Starting with Friday, we had a really neat home school day (one of our school year time ministries) in which a group of civil war era reenactors came and set up shop on the ballfield. There were several different stations the home school families went around to, learning about candle making, cooking in that period, laundry then, artillery, and lots of other cool stuff. The day was low key - as in that time period. Life was hard work but that work took time, like all day to churn butter. And it was a collective effort. Conversations were had, relationships cultivated.
Then Saturday was just wonderful, see previous post.
And today even though it was full with church and watching kids afterwards for a few hours, it was still a change from the everyday "busy"ness of life....and now that it's dark at 5:20 pm I've got some coffee (with dark chocolate cocoa mixed in) and a good book to snuggle up with along with my itunes.....
....good stuff.
Tomorrow we host a community wide free pancake supper. About 200 or more people will come through our dining hall to catch up on camp news and eat yummy pancakes. Yay for outreach to people who keep us going.
I really like porch sittin'...
Then Saturday was just wonderful, see previous post.
And today even though it was full with church and watching kids afterwards for a few hours, it was still a change from the everyday "busy"ness of life....and now that it's dark at 5:20 pm I've got some coffee (with dark chocolate cocoa mixed in) and a good book to snuggle up with along with my itunes.....
....good stuff.
Tomorrow we host a community wide free pancake supper. About 200 or more people will come through our dining hall to catch up on camp news and eat yummy pancakes. Yay for outreach to people who keep us going.
I really like porch sittin'...
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Things that made today a really good day...
1. i didn't have to set an alarm clock
2. I still woke up earlier than I planned on - on my own - because I'd had enough sleep
3. Had coffee to drink and time to sip on it
4. had a front porch and rocking chair on which to do so, with my 6 month old puppy to hang out with
5. my young neighbor ethan came to visit and we had a nice conversation. he likes to play with my puppy
6. I got some of my house cleaned and laundry done
7. I cooked lasagna (and it's really good)
8. Friends came over to eat and visit
9. All of the above was stress free (or good stress)
10. Ending the day with Jesus and studying for teaching a sunday school lesson
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know..."
2. I still woke up earlier than I planned on - on my own - because I'd had enough sleep
3. Had coffee to drink and time to sip on it
4. had a front porch and rocking chair on which to do so, with my 6 month old puppy to hang out with
5. my young neighbor ethan came to visit and we had a nice conversation. he likes to play with my puppy
6. I got some of my house cleaned and laundry done
7. I cooked lasagna (and it's really good)
8. Friends came over to eat and visit
9. All of the above was stress free (or good stress)
10. Ending the day with Jesus and studying for teaching a sunday school lesson
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know..."
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
today's quote from Oswald Chambers
"It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes."
Exceptional in the ordinary. That is not easy.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
water
Water
It comes from the sink in the kitchen. Or the bathroom. Or the guest bathroom. Or the refrigerator. That's even cold water. Or the filtered pitcher in the fridge. Or even from the hose in the backyard.
It's available in bottles at the store. Or gallons. Plain. Flavored. With vitamins. FDA approved.
Cool.
Clear.
Good for you.
water.
In my house, which is small by American standards, there are three sinks, all with hot and cold water, two toilets, two showers with tubs, water going to my washing machine (also hot and cold), and a couple of spigots outside. And my water is well water. Mmmm. Good stuff.
So if I want some water I just turn on a faucet. And if I want it really cold I put it in a pitcher in the fridge.
The water in Kenya was way different. Mostly what we drank was bottled. At Pastor Joshua's, where we stayed, the water comes from the lake. He has a pump that runs on a generator. He's the only one.
Then it was treated.
Then boiled.
Then put through a filter.
[I think I got all that right].
Taste like well water? No. But safe(r).
Not many people do all of that. They just use what they can get. And when there's no rain, it's hard to find. We can't solve their water problems. But we can pray for rain. And we can introduce them to another kind of water. The kind of water found in John chapter 4. Living water.
Put yourself in a desert town. The only water to be found is at the well. A mile or two or three from home. You take your waterpot and secure it on your head, gather your rope and pull bucket, making your daily trip to the well. An outcast in the town, you go late in the day so you don't have to speak to anyone. Ugh. You arrive. There's some strange Jewish (that's important b/c you are Samaritan, they don't mix) man sitting there, leaning up against the well. You take out your rope and bucket and begin to lower it in the well to get water. The man speaks. There's no one else around. He asks for a drink. He's obviously tired. Why is He speaking to you, a woman, a Samaritan? That's what you ask Him. He says crazy stuff. Like you should be asking Him for water.
Wait a minute, water that will make you not be thirsty again?? By all means give me some of that, you say. Not have to come back to this well ever again? Please. But then He tells you all about yourself. Things you really don't want to talk about. But that's actually making a little more sense. Ok. So He's a prophet. Well there's a question you've been wondering about so why not ask Him. But His answer is confusing. So still hoping for that water, you say well I know Messiah is coming and He'll explain everything.
At this point He is no longer tired and leaning against the well. He makes eye contact with you. Making sure you are listening, full undivided attention. The waterpot is all but forgotten. And He says, I am He.
You get it. The Living Water. Springing up creating life. And you drop your waterpot, by this time full of the precious water you've been working to get. And without a second thought, run back to town. To the people who ridicule you, and tell them of the man at the well who knows all about you. Tell them of His water.
My favorite account ever.
So the next time you drink a glass of cool, clear water - pray for the people who don't have any. Pray that they will have living water.
It comes from the sink in the kitchen. Or the bathroom. Or the guest bathroom. Or the refrigerator. That's even cold water. Or the filtered pitcher in the fridge. Or even from the hose in the backyard.
It's available in bottles at the store. Or gallons. Plain. Flavored. With vitamins. FDA approved.
Cool.
Clear.
Good for you.
water.
In my house, which is small by American standards, there are three sinks, all with hot and cold water, two toilets, two showers with tubs, water going to my washing machine (also hot and cold), and a couple of spigots outside. And my water is well water. Mmmm. Good stuff.
So if I want some water I just turn on a faucet. And if I want it really cold I put it in a pitcher in the fridge.
The water in Kenya was way different. Mostly what we drank was bottled. At Pastor Joshua's, where we stayed, the water comes from the lake. He has a pump that runs on a generator. He's the only one.
Then it was treated.
Then boiled.
Then put through a filter.
[I think I got all that right].
Taste like well water? No. But safe(r).
Not many people do all of that. They just use what they can get. And when there's no rain, it's hard to find. We can't solve their water problems. But we can pray for rain. And we can introduce them to another kind of water. The kind of water found in John chapter 4. Living water.
Put yourself in a desert town. The only water to be found is at the well. A mile or two or three from home. You take your waterpot and secure it on your head, gather your rope and pull bucket, making your daily trip to the well. An outcast in the town, you go late in the day so you don't have to speak to anyone. Ugh. You arrive. There's some strange Jewish (that's important b/c you are Samaritan, they don't mix) man sitting there, leaning up against the well. You take out your rope and bucket and begin to lower it in the well to get water. The man speaks. There's no one else around. He asks for a drink. He's obviously tired. Why is He speaking to you, a woman, a Samaritan? That's what you ask Him. He says crazy stuff. Like you should be asking Him for water.
Wait a minute, water that will make you not be thirsty again?? By all means give me some of that, you say. Not have to come back to this well ever again? Please. But then He tells you all about yourself. Things you really don't want to talk about. But that's actually making a little more sense. Ok. So He's a prophet. Well there's a question you've been wondering about so why not ask Him. But His answer is confusing. So still hoping for that water, you say well I know Messiah is coming and He'll explain everything.
At this point He is no longer tired and leaning against the well. He makes eye contact with you. Making sure you are listening, full undivided attention. The waterpot is all but forgotten. And He says, I am He.
You get it. The Living Water. Springing up creating life. And you drop your waterpot, by this time full of the precious water you've been working to get. And without a second thought, run back to town. To the people who ridicule you, and tell them of the man at the well who knows all about you. Tell them of His water.
My favorite account ever.
So the next time you drink a glass of cool, clear water - pray for the people who don't have any. Pray that they will have living water.
80s
So I have this ongoing project at camp - transferring all of the old photograph slide pictures to digital by scanning them. We have a gazillion so I'm doing a little here, a little there. But more these days because the 50th anniversary is coming up and we want to be able to make some slideshows.
Anyway. I've been doing a lot this week, made it to 1985,6,7 and we got the internet set up in here so as I'm looking at all these pictures from the 80s I put on pandora and am listening to the likes of chicago, boston, and journey! Life is good.
And I'm thinking that some of the patterns of the 80s clothes we wore looks a lot like some of the kenya cloths :P
I love it. Here's a couple for you to see. The lake looks very much the same.
Anyway. I've been doing a lot this week, made it to 1985,6,7 and we got the internet set up in here so as I'm looking at all these pictures from the 80s I put on pandora and am listening to the likes of chicago, boston, and journey! Life is good.
And I'm thinking that some of the patterns of the 80s clothes we wore looks a lot like some of the kenya cloths :PI love it. Here's a couple for you to see. The lake looks very much the same.
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