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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Sometimes I get angry

Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.


Sometimes I get angry with my husband.
Sometimes I get angry with co-workers.
Sometimes I get angry with people who don't know how to drive.
Lots of times I get angry with inanimate objects.
Mostly I get angry with myself, but sometimes I do get angry with God.

I have always believed that God is big enough and can take it. I still believe that.
Last week I was talking with my daughter about an after school activity and what she was going to do. I used sarcasm. Maybe a little too much sarcasm. She turned away and pretended to read her book when really she was sobbing. 
I felt horrible. It wasn't anything that important. It wasn't worth crying over. She had every right to be mad at me. We then had a thirty minute conversation and it was wonderful, plus we figured out what she was going to do with the after school activity.

As the parent I could take her anger and shape it into something good even though I caused the pain.
I don't think God intends to cause us pain and make us angry, I think that is our human nature. I do think God uses those times in our lives to have a conversation with us and figure out what we are going to do.

God is having conversations with me right now. I am listening. I don't always like what I hear. Sometimes I don't know if I can do what He is asking of me, but I am almost at a place where I am willing to try.

Is God looking to have a conversation with you? Are you ready and willing to listen? Are you ready and willing to take action?

“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” ~ Thomas A’ Kempis


Sunday, February 10, 2013

Ash Wednesday

Genesis 2:7 - And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Psalm 103:14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Ecclesiastes 3:20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return

This whole celebrating Ash Wednesday is still fairly new to me. In the tradition I grew up in we didn't have Lenten services. Easter started with Good Friday and sometimes maybe Maunday Thursday. I remember a pretty cool Last Supper re-enactment at the Congregational Church in Rio.

The first time I truly tried to give something up was after I was married and my husband and I gave up desserts. Well, that just led to many discussions about what constitutes a dessert. Is tapioca pudding a dessert? 

The three Bible verses I listed at the beginning of this blog speak to me. We were formed from the ground and will return to the ground. I performed two funerals in 2012 and that concept of returning to dust has a whole new dimension for me.

If we are from the ground, shouldn't we take care of the ground? The Earth? I think that is the direction I am taking my Lenten journey this year. What can I give up or take up doing that will help the Earth?

This picture is from my trip to Israel and is the site of Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. I couldn't help but wonder when I was here if Jesus would have walked near here as he fasted in the desert for 40 days?



I am very curious as to what you do during these 40 days in preparation for Easter? 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Winter Youth Retreat

Woo hoo - we survived Winter Youth Retreat!

A record number of youth registered which meant I had to find a place for everyone to sleep - what a great problem :-) 

The Crossing at UW Madison led our sessions with the overall theme of Love God, Love Neighbor. There was a session where we remembered our baptism as water was gathered from different areas and in different forms around the camp grounds. Another session showed us how we are all connected and why we should love the environment. As we prepared for a campfire down by the lake there was time to pray together and pull all of the ideas of the weekend together. We had hot chocolate, s'mores and fellowship. 

Thank you to all the leaders and to the youth that helped to make this a great weekend. 

There was a lot of prep and build up time for the WYR and now that it is over it is time to start looking towards the summer. The dates are already set and listed on the website so now we are working on the theme, registration costs, supplies, staff and so on. 

I know this post isn't extremely inspiring. I have to admit that the weather, lack of sun and busyness of the "to do list" have me down. Usually I just stay disciplined and plow through. I am looking forward to Lent and a retreat I want to register for in March. How do you stay inspired when there are roadblocks and challenges?

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe this winter. Shalom~

For those of you that may be attending UW Madison in your future, here is a link to The Crossing website so you can see what they are about: http://www.crossingministries.org/