Archive | sabbath. RSS feed for this section

hammock love.

9 Sep
I bought a new hammock.
My Mexico Mission hammock has gotten me far – five years or so – and it is a lovely hammock.  It made me fall in love with swinging and napping and reading without touching the ground.  But it’s hard to take places.  And difficult to hang properly.  And sometimes you get all stuck in the wovenness of it all. 
When a deal for a Green Armadillo hammock came up on LivingSocial, I sprung for it.  It’s actually marketed as a hammock for backpackers; pack this hammock instead of a tent.  I’m not sure I’ll go that far but it is perfect for an afternoon in the backyard, taking on vacation, or anywhere else.  It weighs less than two pounds, folds up into itself, and comes with all the rope needed to hang it.  Pretty swift.

I hung it up for the first time tonight.  At first, I was quite skeptical.  I didn’t think it was quite as comfortable as my other one but then I discovered one can comfortably lay in the hammock on one’s side the short way [in addition to the standard long way].  Super wonderful!  No longer skeptical.  I’m sold.
And it’s huge.  It’s a double.  A hammock for two.  Come on over!

Friday night.

27 Jul
A high school classmate of mine posted a photo on facebook earlier today.  It was a photo of a beer next to cleaning supplies.  The caption?  An ice cold Corona with lime + cleaning supplies = single girl Friday night.

Here’s my version:
Red wine + new fabric + cakepops = single girl Friday night.

What’s your Friday night equation?


sabbath thoughts.

28 Jun
I can’t say it any better than Wayne Muller himself so let’s have ourselves a quote party.  But shhh.  It’s a quiet party.  [Comic Sans is not invited.  He’s mean and swears a lot.  But this link is pretty darn funny if you like typography humor and don’t mind cursing.  Thanks to jD for making me aware of the awesome it is.] 

All Jesus’ teaching seems to hinge on this singular truth concerning the nature of life: It is all right.  Do not worry about tomorrow.  I have come that you might have life abundantly.  Be not afraid.  Over and over, in parable, story, and example, he insists that regardless how it goes for us, we are cared for, we are safe, we are all right.  There is a light of the world, a kingdom of heaven inside us that will bear us up, regardless of our sorrow, fear, or loss.  Do not wait to enjoy the harvest of your life; you are already blessed.  The kingdom of God is already here.  It is within you and among you.  [p. 43]

Sabbath implies a willingness to be surprised by unexpected grace, to partake of those potent moments when creation renews itself, when what is finished inevitably recedes, and the sacred forces of healing astonish us with the unending promise of love and life.  [p. 37]

Sabbath challenges the theology of progress by reminding us that we are already and always on sacred ground.  The gifts of grace and delight are present and abundant; the time to live and love and give thanks and rest and delight is now, this moment, this day.  Feel what heaven is life; have a taste of eternity.  Rest in the arms of the divine.  We do not have miles to go before we sleep.  The time to sleep, to rest, is now.  We are already home.  [p. 78] 

[summer list.]

23 Jun
I know this summer will speed on by; it always does.

Heck, June is almost over as it is! In the hustle and bustle, I’m attempting to make the most of it.

That means it’s list time, people.  And it’s all about rest, rediscovery, and joy.

. I have a state park pass in my window.  I shall use it.  Mabel and I can go hiking.  [We were going to explore Myre Big Island State Park this morning but then it was overcast with rain.  Another time soon.]
. Screw makeup.  I’m hiding away all my eyeshadows and eyeliners and bronzers and everything else.  Why do I spend time doing all that?  [I will still put on a protective layer of foundation.  It has sunscreen in it, people.  And maybe a little mascara.]  On a similar note, find the easiest, low maintenance hair style ever.  I think my haircut on Friday may have helped in this department.  [Short in the back!]
. Perfect the overnight refrigerator oatmeal breakfast.  Six individual servings in canning jars in the fridge now.  With strawberries!  [Old fashioned oats.  Almond milk.  Strawberries.  That’s it.]
. Drink water, drink water, drink water.  And iced coffee.
. Always be crafty and re-inventive.  Some things need new life.  [I spray painted a file cabinet today – avocado green with hopeful gray chevron drawers to be yet achieved and fabric yet to be found.]
. Sermons written by Thursday.  [I know.  I say that all the time but this time, there is motivation.  Paige made a bet with the devil and I hope to help her lose.  Two week success so far and it’s such a joy to not be writing on Saturday night.]

. Find and embrace Sabbath time.  We all need that.  Often more than we even know until we take it.

. Get out of town!  Opportunities for this and places tbd.  [With the exception of Stillwater next weekend already on the calendar.  Gieseke B&B bound!]

. Find myself in a canoe or kayak on the water as often as time will allow.  [Finding a man with a Subaru Outback and two kayaks strapped to the top would be a great alternative to this, but I’m not holding my breath.]

. Learn to let things be.  I’m pulling back on pushing certain church work things through … maybe they just need to be instead of pushed.  There are other things on which I can spend my time.

. Read.  I already feel this being a huge stress relief at work, as I made time each day this past week.

There’s more.  There’s always more.  But this is a good place to begin.

I’ll keep you posted [as always].

sabbath.

5 Jun
Pastor Siri, a former coworker of mine at Trinity in Stillwater, is leading a group of people in reading the book Sabbath by Wayne Muller.  It’s a book that has been on my shelf since it was recommended to me during CPE and a book that I still haven’t read all the way through in those last three years.  I’m thankful for Siri’s structure and accountability in finally reading it as I join in the virtual reading group.  
today’s ponder text.
There is a schedule; a couple chapters a week for the summer.  Throughout it all, Siri will text us questions to ponder and thoughts, along with blogging about it on her blog.  Chances are I’ll be blogging about it too.
Hello.
She sent the first group text today and it encouraged me to start my reading of the book this evening.  

To be unavailable to our friends and family, to be unable to find time for a sunset … to whiz through our obligations without time for a single mindful breath, this has become the model for a successful life.  [Sabbath, p. 2-3]

Muller’s theory is further proved by a commercial on the television just a moment ago.  I don’t even recall what company it was for but this company prided itself in being “unwilling to rest.”  That’s exactly what Muller talks about – we don’t rest and … that’s become a positive thing?  

While many of us are terribly weary, we have come to associate tremendous guilt and shame with taking time to rest. [p.8]  

I can relate to everything he writes and thus, I’m declaring my summer one of sabbath.  That doesn’t mean a summer of vacations or simply making sure I get one full day off a week.  It’s more than that.  It’s a restored rhythm to living.  It’s a way of effortless, nourishing rest. It’s said best by Muller –

Sabbath is a way of being in time where we remember who we are, remember what we know, and taste the gifts of the Spirit and eternity. [p. 6]

Yeah.  That.  That’s what I’m aiming for this summer.  Hold me to it, will you? 
Newer Entries →