click here and listen.

I’ve been reading old entries on my blog. Yes, my own blog. I know that’s cheesy – right up there with googling your own name. (Which I’ve also been known to do.) But I’ve been confused lately. I told Neil T. yesterday that I was in metaphysical flux brought on by my birthday, leaving Seattle Vineyard, and an over-booked calendar. I have all these “I wonder” thoughts regarding my future and what I should be throwing my energy into. At the same time I feel bombarded by “you should” thoughts: You should call this person or that. You should start this random project. You should write on this topic.

This bombardment is not usually good news. It means things have … {read more…}

We’re getting ready to go to what the kids call “big church.” (as opposed to “home church.) It’s our last official Sunday at the Seattle Vineyard and Pastor Ed wants to “pray us out.”

We’ve been there for 15 years. This is my “Papa Ed.” We were married here, young and foolish, but blessed. The girls were dedicated here. People gathered around them and anointed them with oil. I was called out here, given authority and permission and power to lead and minister and find my own soul.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Ed recently said that two things he appreciated about Paul and I were that 1)we said we’d come back and do ministry here after … {read more…}

1) Wash the outside windows with the bottle of Windex Outdoor that is staring at me from the front porch.

2) Enter all my address and phone numbers into my contacts files.

3) Put everyone’s birthdays (from my family and my tribes at ThPM and MissCoop) on my calendars.

4) Paint the patch spots in my bedroom and the “newly hung” french doors. (Hung a year ago August!)

5) Pain Sharon’s closet doors (our housemate.)

6) Rip up the dying seasonal plants in my front yard garden.

Where are those shoemaker elves when you need them (and can they be cross-trained?)

As I sweep and vacuum and put away the clutter of the week in order to adorn our worship/breathing/living space for tonight, I remembered that I’ve never posted Rebecca’s meditation on Is 58 from the week prior. So here it is, still beautiful, hopeful, and true.

The words above say: “Justice Comes” The quote below says: “your lives will begin to glow n the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight…”

I’m going to light candles now, before I vacuum the living room rug. I break bread, read scriptures, and try to light the way — and when I do so I wear blue jeans and faded long sleeve tees, and tonight, a second-hand … {read more…}

My friends Pat and Shannon lost the babies today. Twins. Barbara Walter’s was once asked what was the most sorrowful thing in life and she replied “the loss of a child.” It marks you like little else. It would be good to send up your prayers.

On Monday, Rebecca sent me this article about Sudan. The government of Sudan has surrounded the refuge camps. They are refusing to let in humanitarian aid workers. No medical, food, or water supplies can come into the camps either. The African Sudanese in the camps are afraid that the soldiers will force them back to the villages, all sites of earlier massacres. This will make them sitting ducks for more raids by the government-sponsored Janjaweed – Arab Sudanese “rebels” who sweep through the country raping women and girls and killing the men and boys. Janjaweed means “devils on horseback.” A chilling image.

The conflicts, like those in the Middle East, are very complicated and very old. I heard a reporter … {read more…}

He will come. He will come.
He will comfort all that’s hardened
Make the deserts into gardens
And we all will see his face.
He will come. He will come.
He will soften all the starkness
Break the chambers of our darkness
And we’ll all be overwhelmed

He will come. He will come
He’ll remove His flaming garment
Place it on the lowest harlot
All my scars will turn to fountains
And the valleys into mountains
And we all will see his face

These are the lyrics from the first track off Waterdeep’s ’98 release Everybody’s Beautiful. The CD’s also got a sweet cover of Van Morrison’s Whenever God Shines His Light and a blusie Sweet River Roll. But it’s the first track that really gets me.

I cry.

Every. Time.

I really needed … {read more…}

Okay, for some reason the fonts look like crap on this. Here’s what it says:

Vodka for Votes!
A get-out-the-vote cocktail party. Go to the polls, then belly up to the bar.
7pm, Nov 2nd
Paul and Rachelle’s Place

Bring a snack and stay to watch the returns.
Be a red-blooded American….drink!