Five "Forks" In the Road

I guess I was supposed to do this on Friday, but I didn't have time then, so here goes. This is something I got from RevGalBlogPals:

For today's Friday Five, share with us five "fork-in-the-road" events, or persons, or choices. And how did life change after these forks in the road?

#1 My decision to attend my undergraduate alma mater. It was during my college years, under the mentoring and influence of several friends and professors, that I sensed and answered the call to ordained ministry. It was

Welcome to Lent!

Today is Ash Wednesday, which traditionally marks the beginning of the Christian season of Lent (the 40-day period before Easter). If you are so inclined, I encourage you to read Chris Howlett's excellent blog posting on the true meaning of Lent.

Also, Joel 2:12-13 is a great passage that goes along with this day. Be sure and attend an Ash Wednesday service sometime today! Most liturgical (Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, etc) churches will have one this evening. I'm on call tonight, but hoping that the pager will "behave" so I can go to a nearby service.

In non-sacred news, we got new blinds yesterday. They're wood and match our window sills perfectly. We only bought five (5) this time, and have 11 more to purchase. We currently have blinds in the living room, dining room, and master bedroom. We still need blinds for the kitchen, family room, Susanna's room, office, and guest room. My mom lent/gave us a few honeycomb blinds when we moved in, so our windows haven't been completely bare for the past nine months...but we've have no window coverings at all downstairs.

I think I want to decorate the master bedroom and bath with our tax refund money. We're still looking for a dining set (table that seats at least six and maybe even a china hutch) on craigslist, but will only buy one if it's fairly cheap (under $700) and in good condition.

Now I just need to find an interior decorator. Anyone know of a good one?*

*That's a joke. In case you don't know, my mom was a decorator for years. She may be retired (and therefore not have her samples and suppliers) but she still have a great sense of style, which is what I need the most. I did not inherit her gifts in that area.

Thought-Provoking Reading

I was doing some "blog surfing" yesterday and came across a blog (and a post from that blog) that very much intrigued me. I've included the link below so you can read it if you so desire.

http://locustsandhoney.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-abnormality-of-church.html

I found the post very thought-provoking. It also had a lot of truth in it. Sure, it's a little one-sided and I disagreed with parts of it (or saw it from another perspective), but I found myself agreeing with a lot of it.

I am currently committed to remaining in the United Methodist Church and in the ordination process. The denomination would have to do something really major for me to leave. The UMC is my theological home; where I feel most comfortable. I am also very committed to remaining in the local church in some sort of role. However, I am fully aware of the many major flaws in both my denomination and in the local church (regardless of denomination). There are many times when I get so frustrated and angry with either or both of the above institutions and the people in them. That's why I found myself agreeing with some of what John said. I've been hurt by the church, also. However, I still stick with the UMC/local church because I believe in God's redeeming power working through individuals and groups. No one and nothing is beyond God's redemption, but it takes faithful and receptive individuals for that redemption to occur. Simply put, I feel called to be one of those agents of God's redemption, even if I have to wait until heaven to see the fruits of my labor. Is it painful? Yes. May I change my mind later (and leave the denomination and local church altogether? Possibly, although I hope not. Is it worth the pain and frustration? Yes, and that's why I'll keep working for and praying for redemption and transformation. The day when I say, "it's not worth it" is the day that I'll turn in my credentials and start a house church. However, I sincerely hope that day never arrives.

Clinging to the Rock in the Midst of a Storm

Above is a picture (that I now know is by an artist named Jean Guichard) that my husband and I have been drooling over for some eight years now. We keep seeing it at Christian bookstores, framed very nicely and fairly expensive (which is why we haven't bought it yet) At the bottom of the picture is a verse from Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" Of course, the next verse in that Psalm is, "the Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"

I give God all the credit for getting me through my parish experience, and for bringing me to this place of healing. In the darkest times, when I felt so very alone and couldn't reach any of my clergy friends (for I had several who really encouraged and strengthened me), I imagined God holding me and keeping me safe in the midst of the storm. The thought of God being the Light who would show me the way, and the Rock on whom I could cling when all else failed, kept me going.

I'm very blessed in that I haven't experienced a crisis of faith as a result of my parish experience. I supposed I should clarify and say that my faith in God has not suffered. My faith in God's children certainly has...and I'm sure I'll talk about that at some point. However, I seem to have been gifted with a strong faith that is not easily tested. I am supremely grateful for that gift, because it has gotten me through many a tough time. Since I am only 32, I imagine that I will experience more difficulties in life, and my faith may be tested in new and different ways. I hope that the images I've mentioned here will continue to sustain me in my faith journey.

Heading for the B.O.M.? Check this out...

If you're a UM Elder or Deacon (or aspiring to be one), then check out this link and tell me what you think about it:

http://adventures-in-revland.blogspot.com/2009/02/unofficial-guide-to-candidates.html

See Our New Poll!

James and I are expecting to receive a nice chunk of change from Uncle Sam via our tax refund. Of course, a good part of it will go into savings, since that's the smart thing to do (esp. given the economy). However, we want to use some of it towards home improvements. James suggested buying a new appliance (such as a refrigerator or oven) but I'm leaning more towards decorating a room. I'm torn between the master bedroom/bath (an oasis for us) or the dining room (so we don't have to be embarassed when friends come over and we break out the folding chairs).

So, I've added a poll on the sidebar, and I ask you to vote for your choice. I'll take that into account when deciding. For James' sake, I've also included the kitchen (although we can only afford to replace an appliance and maybe get some decorations; we can't afford a total redo). If you want to explain your vote, then you're welcome to use the "comments" section of this post.

You have two weeks to vote!

Moving on UP!

Susanna has been promoted to the toddler class at daycare! She's still not walking, but the program director agreed with us that the transition would benefit her. So, she's now in a room with kids her own age (about 14-24 months) and almost all of them are walking. She gets to do lots of fun things now, like coloring, fingerpainting, and playing outside. So far, she's adjusted pretty well. The only wrinkle has been that she's not taking long enough naps (they have a two-hour naptime, but she's only been sleeping for an hour or so). Hopefully that will change in the next week or so.

You know what we like about the promotion? Her tuition has gone down $14/week. Yay!!!