Happy 3 day weekend everyone! I think I've decided every weekend should be a 3 day weekend...but they didn't ask me, so I seriously doubt that will happen. But it would be nice...Here's what's been going on around here lately...
**1**
It was my first full week of work in a long time...and I gotta be honest, I'm a little tired! It just felt full! I worked each morning this week for 4 hours in my new office, led two preaching groups, graded and gave written feedback on 7 sermons (I might have been a little behind...), and started working a few hours for the other new job I was hired for this week, which is working part time for a preaching institute that is being created here. It is definitely going to take me a few weeks to get the hang of this whole working thing! But I enjoyed getting up each day, going into the office, having tasks to do and recording my hours on a time card, so I am thankful for being employed!
**2**
I finally finished reading Pride and Prejudice about a week and a 1/2 ago. Finally! I have very mixed feelings about it, on one hand I was slightly entertained by the story line. On the other hand I was bored by the verbosity with which the characters felt the need to speak. It went on and on and on. So I think it may be awhile before I pick up another book by Jane Austen!
**3**
Last Saturday I went to our church's half day "Almost Silent Women's Retreat." This is a brilliant idea for anyone who has to plan a woman's event! We gathered at 8:30 for breakfast and chatting at someone's beautiful home. At 9 they did a brief introduction to silence, solitude, and how to approach a time alone. From 9:30 to 11:45 the 14 of us were turned loose to go spend time in silence however we wanted. Some went on a silent hike in the nearby hills of the neighborhood, but most of us found sunny patches in the beautiful backyard, spread out a blanket and enjoyed time reading, resting, journaling, praying, and observing nature around us. At 11:45 we were called back together for a 15 minute debriefing time--what did people learn, how was that for you to spend time in silence etc. From 12-1 they served a delicious lunch while we fellowshiped around the tables and then headed home. It was a fabulous idea for an event--a great balance between time connecting and time alone. Definitely will be copying this some day when I'm planning events!
**4**
I am reading a fantastic book right now as part of my quiet time, one I would highly recommend to anyone who struggles in their relationship with God. The basic premise is that as Christians we have been taught things in the church that are actually not true about God, yet they have become SO ingrained in us that they have created an untrue narrative about the God of the scriptures. I know this is true in my own walk. For instance, how many of us believe that God is angry at us? Or how many of us believe that God blesses us when we are good and punishes us when we are bad? According to studies of Christians done by Baylor University in Texas, a majority of evangelical Christians have these ideas about God somewhere in their narratives they tell about God. James Bryan Smith writes a book reminding us that in order to understand God, we have to look at Jesus, at what Jesus tells us about God, and that needs to reshape the narrative in our minds about God. It's delightful, I just wish I was going through it with someone. There are great discussion questions and spiritual discipline exercises recommended for each chapter that would be fun to go through with another person.
**5**
On Sunday afternoon we are driving up to the Fresno area to spend a night at my sister's inlaws house because Megan, Nathan and the baby girl are going to be there! So excited to play with Lily-girl and see my sister! Cuz really, who wouldn't want to hang out with this one:
**6**
Charles preached his last sermon of seminary last night and did a great job. He has learned so much and really done a lot of work to try and figure out his style of communication over the last three years! Good work baby, I'm proud of you!
**7**
My new favorite website these days is called kirtsy.com and is a great collection of articles and things found around the internet that would be of interest to women. You can go here and find links to all kinds of things other women have found and wanted to share, some of these finds are so fun! Feel free to check it out for yourself, or if not, here are my favorite links from the past week:
A couple did their engagement photos based on the movie Up--these are incredible!
**1**
It was my first full week of work in a long time...and I gotta be honest, I'm a little tired! It just felt full! I worked each morning this week for 4 hours in my new office, led two preaching groups, graded and gave written feedback on 7 sermons (I might have been a little behind...), and started working a few hours for the other new job I was hired for this week, which is working part time for a preaching institute that is being created here. It is definitely going to take me a few weeks to get the hang of this whole working thing! But I enjoyed getting up each day, going into the office, having tasks to do and recording my hours on a time card, so I am thankful for being employed!
**2**
I finally finished reading Pride and Prejudice about a week and a 1/2 ago. Finally! I have very mixed feelings about it, on one hand I was slightly entertained by the story line. On the other hand I was bored by the verbosity with which the characters felt the need to speak. It went on and on and on. So I think it may be awhile before I pick up another book by Jane Austen!
**3**
Last Saturday I went to our church's half day "Almost Silent Women's Retreat." This is a brilliant idea for anyone who has to plan a woman's event! We gathered at 8:30 for breakfast and chatting at someone's beautiful home. At 9 they did a brief introduction to silence, solitude, and how to approach a time alone. From 9:30 to 11:45 the 14 of us were turned loose to go spend time in silence however we wanted. Some went on a silent hike in the nearby hills of the neighborhood, but most of us found sunny patches in the beautiful backyard, spread out a blanket and enjoyed time reading, resting, journaling, praying, and observing nature around us. At 11:45 we were called back together for a 15 minute debriefing time--what did people learn, how was that for you to spend time in silence etc. From 12-1 they served a delicious lunch while we fellowshiped around the tables and then headed home. It was a fabulous idea for an event--a great balance between time connecting and time alone. Definitely will be copying this some day when I'm planning events!
**4**I am reading a fantastic book right now as part of my quiet time, one I would highly recommend to anyone who struggles in their relationship with God. The basic premise is that as Christians we have been taught things in the church that are actually not true about God, yet they have become SO ingrained in us that they have created an untrue narrative about the God of the scriptures. I know this is true in my own walk. For instance, how many of us believe that God is angry at us? Or how many of us believe that God blesses us when we are good and punishes us when we are bad? According to studies of Christians done by Baylor University in Texas, a majority of evangelical Christians have these ideas about God somewhere in their narratives they tell about God. James Bryan Smith writes a book reminding us that in order to understand God, we have to look at Jesus, at what Jesus tells us about God, and that needs to reshape the narrative in our minds about God. It's delightful, I just wish I was going through it with someone. There are great discussion questions and spiritual discipline exercises recommended for each chapter that would be fun to go through with another person.
**5**
On Sunday afternoon we are driving up to the Fresno area to spend a night at my sister's inlaws house because Megan, Nathan and the baby girl are going to be there! So excited to play with Lily-girl and see my sister! Cuz really, who wouldn't want to hang out with this one:
**6**
Charles preached his last sermon of seminary last night and did a great job. He has learned so much and really done a lot of work to try and figure out his style of communication over the last three years! Good work baby, I'm proud of you!
**7**
My new favorite website these days is called kirtsy.com and is a great collection of articles and things found around the internet that would be of interest to women. You can go here and find links to all kinds of things other women have found and wanted to share, some of these finds are so fun! Feel free to check it out for yourself, or if not, here are my favorite links from the past week:
A couple did their engagement photos based on the movie Up--these are incredible!
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