Rainey Days

In all the hustle-bustle of the Christmas season, perhaps nowhere is as crowded and crazy as the local shopping mall. Parking spaces are at a premium, and the lines are long at cash registers as everyone tries to get their last few gifts bought. Severn River Church participated in an outreach/fundraiser for the last two nights at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie, in which we wrapped gifts for harried shoppers--mostly men--for a small fee. It gave us a chance to raise some funds for some local missions projects that are coming up this year, as well as gave us some exposure to holiday shoppers who might just be searching for a church as well as the perfect gift! We raised a little over $300 dollars in two nights, and certainly got exposure to dozens of shoppers who used our services. I was pleased with the results, mainly because of the support of the people who made it happen. I want to thank Lori Mullins, a friend who works at the mall and offered us this opportunity; I'm tre...

I remarked to a friend this week that I find children singing to be the most beautiful sound in the world. I love how pure and innocent they sound; it's just delightful to see a child sing--especially one who is serious and passionate about his song. It makes me think . . . if I were God summoning the angels to sing out the good news of Christ's birth, I'd make their voices sound like children. I'd fill the heavens with that sound so clear and uncontaminated. I wonder what it actually sounded like.

I have been offered a new job, starting in 2010, as the director of the Towson Y preschool. I appreciate those of you who were job references for me during my job hunt, and those of you specifically who have stood with me in prayer for a permanent career job. I've been blessed for the past few months to work 20+ hours a week for a wonderful boss and crew of staff members at Therapy Solutions in Severna Park. It's been so great working there, that I am recommending the job to any of you who are looking or know someone looking. The job here is 2-8 pm Mon.-Thurs, and 12-6 pm on Fridays. It's a fairly easy receptionist job, with the rewards of seeing children all day as they come in for therapy. I've enjoyed the conversations with my fellow colleagues and the parents in the waiting room; this job has seemed more like a group of friends. If you (or someone you know) is interested, please give me a call or email me. However, I'm excited to move on to a job that is ...

On many television shows, a relationship or belief in God is a common theme. I've noticed it on medical shows as well as forensic dramas, as if a belief in God has to be in conflict with an understanding of science. Tonight at 8 pm on Fox, the show Bones is airing a Christmas episode. I've seen a clip from the latter half (as the plot wraps up) that has a wonderful Christian message. I was very impressed to see such a clear presentation of the meaning of Christmas--Christ our Redeemer--being presented on a secular show. If you get a chance to watch, you can support a rare Hollywood admission of the Gospel.

If practice makes perfect, then I should have an ideal résumé by now. In the past year, I have rewritten my resume hundreds of times. I have been bright and charming; I have been dull and boring; I have been, shall we say, creative with the truth, emphasizing some aspects of my previous jobs more than others. I have skipped some employment all together, and on other versions, I've listed any lemonade stand I ever manned. I suppose to some extent I've been successful--I've had several interviews. But the whole process has got me thinking about the way that we describe ourselves and our accomplishments. Clearly, the job market puts value on certain skills and ability. There is significance to education and training, but the biggest thing that makes a job candidate stand out from the others is results! When we worship the Lord, we recognize the skills and abilities of God. We appreciate his accomplishments, and we document his results. The Psalms are full of God's "ex...

Last night when I got home from work, tired and hungry, I noticed right away that someone had been inside my home. A lamp was lit, like a beacon welcoming me into the house, and I knew I hadn't left the lamp on. I looked around to see what else had been disturbed, and saw my kitchen floor was covered in grocery bags. A quick look inside the fridge revealed that that it was full, too. The grocery fairy had visited and left me all kinds of staples to start off my kitchen pantry! I got sugar and flour, salt and pepper, canned goods, and paper products. There was even a little potpie waiting for me to heat up for a late after-work dinner. There were breakfast items and meat packages, pasta, rice, and pudding snacks. I grasped a carrot and held it high, like Scarlet O'Hara, and shouted, "As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again!" No, not really, but it was a great feeling to know that my cupboards were full. Plus, someday it will be a good sermon illustration! ...

When my niece Sydney started playing soccer at age three, my family got involved in a variety of ways. We were spectators, trainers, and my brother even started coaching. For the past few weeks, he's made the rounds of the growth groups of Severn River Church, sharing a devotional thought based on his soccer coaching experiences. One of his points was that having the right players really makes a difference. You can have a deep bench of players, but if none of them are any good, it doesn't help you win. The right players are worth pursuing because they will help you accomplish the great things you envision. We've been applying that value to our church growth plan, but this weekend I saw it in action in my own personal life. I moved yesterday, making a few runs with a small trailer full of boxes and "small stuff." Today, the men in my family moved the "big stuff"--furniture for the living room, dining area, and bedroom. We were aided by Michael Mart...

Yesterday was my thirty-mmphmpm birthday. To celebrate, I had a wonderful dinner with my family on Sunday night, where I ate my favorite steak and opened presents. I took the day off of work, and oh, yeah, I bought my first home. Two months ago, a friend mentioned an open condo unit in her building; was I interested? I looked through it one night, and thought it wouldn't hurt to check on financing. As it turned out, I reconnected with an old family friend who sells real estate, and she helped me find financing. She also helped me find a great condo in Sun Valley, right between my parents and sister's homes in Millersville and my brother's home in Glen Burnie. At first I couldn't believe that I would actually get a loan; then I was amazed that I found a place I actually liked in my price range. Quite often I felt that God was really blessing me throughout the process, and yesterday at settlement, I was sure that He had given me more than I've ever deserved....

While I was having some writer's block issues, friends and family started telling me that my blog had disappeared. After some research, I discovered that my domain name (www.arielrainey.com) had come up for renewal, but my credit card expired, and my email address was an old one that I no longer use, so I wasn't getting my notices from the company for renewal. I finally got it hashed out and updated over the last few days, and finally I'm back online. Now, if only I was over the writer's block . . .

Guess what I got today at work? A special delivery! This lovely snickers bouquet, created by Sarah Gilt at A Blooming Basket, was a real treat today when it arrived at my office. In the card was written: Roses are red, but snickers taste better, If you work really hard, you can pay off your debtors! I thought that was as cute as the bouquet. Thanks for the surprise, Sarah!

I'm really excited about my new job--working as a medical receptionist in a physical therapy office. Already, I've been blessed: my boss hired me at one rate and promised it would increase in three weeks, once I'd learned the responsibilities. Instead, when I got my check today, she wrote in, "I'm so happy with your work ethic, I went ahead and bumped you up immediately." Great news! Plus, I'm working full-time this week as a sub for another employee, which is really helping me catch up with my bills. Normally, I'll work 3:30- 8:00 pm and then on Fridays during the day. Also, I'm available to sub in for other workers as needed (until I get something else full-time). So, I'm a busy little bee, but it's really encouraging to have my schedule filled after weeks of sending out resumes!

Today I am happy to announce that I have a new part-time job. I'm working as a front desk receptionist at a physical therapy practice in Severna Park. I will do training all day today, and may be on my own as early as this afternoon, if I catch on quick. I really like the owner of the practice, having interviewed with her yesterday. The place is small and all the employees seem very friendly and connected. I'm really looking forward to learning some new skills and making some new friends. I'm already thinking about the day when I can invite them to special events at SRC!

"You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything." (Colossians 2:9-10) What imagery! I love the visual images and the rhyme scheme on this verse from The Message. A telescope views galaxies and stars light years away, and a microscope observes even the tiniest details of microorganisms; a horoscope claims to predict knowledge beyond the scope of human control--but the fullness of Christ reaches beyond them all! Compared to his fullness, every other fascination is empty. It's an amazing verse.

My family has a new hobby--cleaning up/out my grandmother's home and property. We are selling it, and in a few months, everything must be gone. We've had a few all-family work days so far, and there are plenty more to come. It's a huge job. My grandparents built their home fifty years ago, at least, and with their depression-era mindsets, they didn't throw anything away. My grandfather in particular, just built more sheds to hold all his old rusty mailboxes and broken electronics. Since his death in 2001, the property has fallen into increasing disrepair; none of us could make it a full-time job, as it was for him. Last week, we did a lot of the outside work, clearing out things that were covered in vines. The harder we yanked, attempting to free stuff, the harder those vines held on! We hauled a few truckloads to the dump last weekend, and this weekend, we got a dumpster delivered. Today we all split into different areas, some outside, some working in storage...

The era of the small business is not yet over. Today I spent most of the morning with a small dilemma--I bought a gift that wasn't as personal as I wished to make it. I decided to add an engraved plate, and called Things Remembered to ask about their rates. No one answered, so I called King James Galleries, a stone's throw from home but I'd never been inside the framing store. The owner was so genial on the phone, supplying information above and beyond my questions, that I decided to pop in just to say thanks. When I went in, I told him about my gift and my desire to personalize it, and he made a great suggestion. In fact, he recommended another local business that could aid me in the changes as well. I left him, and spent an hour at the UPS store, who graciously printed some oversize materials for me, things I could never do at home on my printer. After an hour and many resizing changes, the new manager at the Pasadena UPS charged me a grand total of $1.12! His ge...

I'm listening to a new album that I bought on Itunes (available also at Christian bookstores) called A Deeper Level , by Israel Houghton. Great music, even greater worship. I just got a device to plug my ipod into my car, and I love being able to listen to all this praise and worship music as I drive my delivery routes. If you have never heard Israel (often listed as Israel and New Breed), check out "Let it Rain" and "Say So" on YouTube. Amazing!

I believe in Divine Healing, and I’m thankful for the supernatural touch of God that cures our diseases and restores our physical bodies. I’m grateful for the shed blood of Christ that provided that healing to us. I have prayed for healing, proclaimed healing, and had the proof of God’s healing in my life. Friends and family members have also experienced this miraculous healing, and love to testify about it. But . . . what about when God doesn’t heal? I have other friends and family members who long for the healing touch of God, but for reasons only He knows, God doesn’t heal them. These are people of faith and faithfulness to the Lord. They have obeyed the scripture in their pursuit of healing, but the healing they desire hasn’t happened. This past week we sang a new worship song at church (new to me, at least), and I found myself contemplating the words of the song: “ God in my hurting, God in my healing .” Given the choice, I’d much rather have the healing, tha...

Since I've been searching for full-time employment, I've been taking the opportunity to educate myself at the local library. I've checked out books on promoting yourself in interviews, networking your contacts, and negotiating your salary. All of these books have been interesting and informative, but I came across something in the salary negotiation book that has really stayed with me. Jack Chapman ( Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1,000 a Minute ) says that when it comes to money, particularly the amount the boss has already decided to pay a certain position, there are three governing rules: budget, fudgeit, and judgeit . Budget is the actual amount that approved or set aside in the finances of the company. It is pre-determined and fixed. Fudgeit is a cute term for the plans we make when we go over our budget but determine to fix it somehow elsewhere in the budget. "I can afford this new dress if I eat mac 'n cheese for the next two weeks" or ...

We had a great outreach day at the Severna Park Festival and Parade, thanks in a large part to our Outreach team volunteers (Rob and Alma pictured). We had perfect weather--maybe the best July 4th weather I've ever seen. This year, in addition to getting our contact surveys we also used our booth to promote our God in the Great Outdoors event and our Screen on the Green outreach, both upcoming in July. In order to draw people to our booth, we had a balloon artist, which was a pretty good draw to families with young children (photo below). We participated last year for the first time, so this year's event was our sophomore attempt, and with each event, we gain experience and wisdom. I was pretty happy with our day!

Many years ago, I saw Phantom of the Opera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The show was memorable—falling chandeliers and soaring vocals. But there were lots of other little things I remember about that night, which had nothing to do with the show. The ladies room was way too small, maybe only four stalls, poorly built. My now sister-in-law was with us that night; then, she was just a girl my brother was dating, so I barely knew her and felt awkward making small talk. I also remember that in the program that night, there was a list of donors to the Kennedy Center, with fancy sounding names, like “Golden Circle” and “Maestro’s Circle” suppporters. In fact, there was an entire tiered program of donors with higher and more expensive appellations. No one wants to be “basic.” No one wants to be average. I read in a book recently that no one wants to be “medium” so companies like Starbucks don’t use terms like small, medium, and large as a specific marketing choice. ...

Recently I was at a baby shower where the guest of honor was preparing to open gifts. Someone called for a photographer, and I volunteered to take the pictures. I had a pretty decent seat, so I figured I could take some good snaps. Unfortunately, I didn't have my own camera; I had a friend's camera. The first thing I noticed was that there was no zoom feature on her "point-and-shoot" camera. I realized I've become pretty accustomed to using my zoom lens to isolate just the image I want. I can eliminate distracting stuff in the foreground or be a little more creative with the focus. Then, just the other day, I was on the community college campus, taking some reconnaissance pictures for our "God in the Great Outdoors" service. I wanted to get some basic shots of the amphitheater area, so that we could analyze the sunlight and shadows. I stood up at the top of the amphitheater, and used my zoom lens to focus on certain areas. It took me about three...

Recently I have been able to spend time with my brother and sister in a different way than I have previously. I have shared bedrooms, meals, and more of my CDs than I ever wished to with my siblings. Now I’m sharing a new responsibility of service planning for Severn River Church. We meet weekly for a serious and productive discussion of the previous week’s worship service, before turning our attention to the upcoming services and events. The meeting works well, because obviously, we know each other extremely well. There is no subtext to our discussions, no personal agendas. The best part for me is that this meeting allows each of us to focus on what our individual gifts are; for three people raised in the same home by the same parents, we each have unique personalities, and Severn River Church gets the benefit. My sister is very relational. She loves to greet and serve people. She has a natural gift of making strangers feel like instant friends. She also loves children, deco...

This novel is the first of seven novels which I devoured over the last couple of weeks. All of the books can be found in the Anne Arundel Library system, which is where I discovered the first book and became subsequently addicted. I have read all types of Christian fiction—the good, the bad, and the really cheesy. These novels are light-hearted and fun, due to the author’s descriptions of each very unique character. The best feature of the novels, though, is the emphasis on prayer and worship that is the core of every book. The plot begins with Jodi Baxter, a self proclaimed “good girl” who has been a Christian all her life. She agrees to attend a women’s prayer conference one weekend with a colleague that she barely knows. During the conference, she is paired up with eleven other women in a prayer group for the few days of their conference. However, the women bond more than they expect to through some difficult circumstances happening in one lady’s family that weekend; they form...

There is an old Saturday Night Live skit where Chevy Chase dresses in a big shark costume and rings the doorbells of unsuspecting women. Once they answer, he attacks them as a "landshark." Naturally, some people are more savvy and don't answer, so he is forced to claim he is a delivery person or a girl scout selling cookies, until they answer. [Scene: A New York apartment. Someone knocks on the door.] Woman: [not opening the door] Yes? Voice: (mumbling) Mrs. Arlsburgerhhh? Woman: What? Voice: (mumbling) Mrs. Johannesburrrr? Woman: Who is it? Voice: [pause] Flowers. Woman: Flowers for whom? Voice: [long pause] Plumber, ma'am. Woman: I don't need a plumber. You're that clever shark, aren't you? Voice: [pause] Candygram . Woman: Candygram, my foot. You get out of here before I call the police. You're the shark, and you know it. Voice: Wait. I-I'm only a dolphin , ma'am. Woman: A dolphin? Well...okay. [opens door] [Huge...

Can you imagine what the Bible would be like without the Psalms? I've been reading The Message lately, and I particularly enjoy the unique take on the Psalms. I was thinking recently that the Psalms have probably become my favorite book of the Bible over the last few years. I used to prefer the poetic imagery of Isaiah; then, I found the straightforward exhortation of James to be practical. I typically read Acts at least once a year, the Gospels frequently, and Leviticus--well, only if I have to. But no other book is like the Psalms. Whole portions of the Bible are narrative, dogmatic, or prophetic, but very little of the Bible is man's own response to God. David and the other psalmists expressed every human emotion openly and authentically to God in music. Anger, bitterness, fear, frustration, desperation, and disappointment--these line up right along with joy, gratitude, forgiveness, comfort, confidence, peace, and praise. If all the rest of the Bible describes God...

Lately, I've been amazed by the ways that God blesses me. I try to be obedient to the Lord, and then stay out of His way, because He often does things that I would never anticipate. This week I've been pretty busy, because I'm currently working two jobs! Severn River Church has hired me to work part time for them this summer, working on outreach and evangelism. So far, that has kept me busy on the internet. As I keep getting into it, it presents more decisions and questions, so it's definitely interesting. I'm very excited about it. My second job is delivering flowers for A Blooming Basket (located on Veteran's Highway). My sister works there already, and through a friendship with the owners, they've offered me temp work - first, working at the mall kiosk selling flowers, and then as a delivery person when the regular delivery man has some medical leave. So, I'm one of the "pink people" driving around town in a pink delivery van in my pi...

Sorry that I've been incommunicado lately. Last Sunday - I preached for a minister friend on vacation. I drove to Winchester afterward for District Council Monday - I was at District Council, where Larry Hickey reminded us that we ministers need to quit whining. Tuesday - District Council presents me more food for thought: being "cool" is the new idol of the Church Wednesday - Driving home from Winchester put me into the local area just in time to go to my favorite temp job--working at the mall at a kiosk. Thursday - People watching at the mall always gives me something that amuses me, something that shocks me, and lots of friends to visit with. Friday - I had a job interview in Clinton, MD which isn't over yet. I still have to pass the "practical" French test on a conference call with a native French speaker (I hope he'll call this weekend). My week has been pretty busy, and it's not over yet. I'll be back at the computer posting regularly t...

Today I spent about an hour and half on www.monster.com , building a resume and a profile that potential employers could access. At the end of that long process, I came to a page that had six recommended jobs for me. At the head of the list: Cheesecake Factory Waitress or Line Cook. For this I learned a second language and got a Master's Degree?

For several months now, I've been leading a small group. I don't call it a small group; it's advertised as a weight-loss support group, but my motives were to reach people through a means other than church. Someone who has never been to church (or worse--has been burned in their church experience) usually stereotypes Christians to be weird or too narrow-minded or worse. They are often already prejudiced in their thinking, and they shy away from religious things. I think personal evangelism works best when they discover that a trusted and respected friend is a committed Christian. Then they have a face to put with the "Christian" definition, and they broaden their thoughts about church, Christ, and Christianity. The strongest evangelism methods have always been personal--from the day that Christ called his first disciple, face-to-face, and it remains the most effective way to reproduce faith in others. That's why I advertised my weight-loss group on a so...

For those of who that might be interested, I heartily recommend the Healthy Choice Chicken Fettcini Alfredo dinner. The alfredo sauce is very rich and creamy. It tasted great at lunch today, and I have to admit, I was surprised by how much I liked it (for a "diet" meal).

We live in a society that values knowledge. In fact, this is called the “Information Age,” where the internet provides wiki answers to any question you pose. With our 3G cell phones, we can access the internet and find information in seconds, while we’re mobile and unable to sit at a computer. More employees have higher degrees at this time than at any other in our nation’s history. “Knowledge is power!” Once uttered by Sir Francis Bacon, this sentence has become the mantra of children’s educational programming and public education initiatives. Dr. Joyce Meyer states, “ Give yourself permission not to know and be satisfied with knowing the One who does, ” in her book, I Dare You . For all the value we place on knowledge, we are still finite. We are limited in our understanding of the world around us, despite our quests to conquer that ignorance. And, if we can’t discover answers through science or research, we turn to psychics and horoscopes for knowledge that is beyond our ...

The Harundale Youth Sports parade on Saturday morning--gorgeous weather for it! Congrats to Corie, who designed and created the winning banner for Sydney's Blue Sharks team. Sydney plays in her first soccer game of 2009. The cold, windy weather didn't stop the kids from having a great time. On Sunday night, after an active weekend, we celebrated Sarah's 27th and Eric's 31st birthdays. Those candles didn't stand a chance with all the kids to blow out the candles.

My day started with a genuine New York City bagel, and I can still smell the savory "everything" bagels I'm bringing home to my family. I ran some errands with Cindy, here in sun-dappled Queens, where birds are singing in the warm weather. I did some shopping and we've spent a lot of time hanging out today, which has also been fun. I get to meet my friend's boyfriend in a little while; I've been waiting this whole trip for that! I get to grill him on his intentions, hint at future offspring, and ask pointed questions about the date of the wedding. Well, Cindy says I can't do any of that, but we'll see . . .

West Side Story is amazing. I spent the day downtown in New York, seeing one of my favorite musicals on Broadway as a matinee. The dancing is amazing, and the "revival" of the musical has some interesting changes that I enjoyed. Afterward we ate an early dinner at Helen's Stardust Diner, on 51st, in which Broadway hopefuls wait tables and sing show tunes in live performances. They dance on tables and crack jokes during musical interludes. The Old Fashioned Malted Milkshake I drank was wonderful, and we enjoyed the live performance of the young, talented wait staff. Walking along Broadway gave us a lot to laugh at, as usual. I can't even mention on this blog, in the name of good taste, half of the stuff we saw. We're sitting back in Queens now watching the sun set on a great day, and it was the best (late) birthday present I got this past year.

In a few minutes, I will be headed out to New York for a few days. I'm going to visit my good friend Cindy, who lives in Queens. We've got a big day planned tomorrow: seeing West Side Story on Broadway, followed by lunch and sightseeing in the City. I'm looking forward to my visit, since I will meet Cindy's serious boyfriend for the first time, as well as many other friends that I've heard her talk about over the years. I'll try to update the blog as I have time, but if I don't get to the computer for a couple of days, I'm sure you'll understand!

Well, I return to the blog after a few days of being so busy, I didn’t even check my email. I’m still busy, but I’ll give you an update. Yesterday I started a temp job for some family friends; I’ll be helping them operate a kiosk at the Marley Mall until Saturday night. (I’m the one with the flower stand by the food court.) It’s already been pretty interesting. Here’s what happened last night: 6:00 pm – I show up and get a quick lesson on the basics from my sister who’s been there all day. It’s going to be pretty easy, actually. 6:10 pm – I see some friends from church mall-walking so I chat with them for a few minutes. 6:30 pm – As I chat with the lady at the kiosk next to mine, she asks me if I recently graduated from college. Whoa! That makes my day and I almost break my jaw I’m grinning so much. 6:47 pm – Some guys from Hakky (the shoe repair place) walk by and say, “You’re new. We’ll come back and get to know you after work.” Ha! I bet these guys have a girl at every...

I would appreciate your prayers for me tonight as I travel to Pennsylvania and tomorrow as I interview for a position. I know that you have already been praying for me, and that makes such a huge difference! I had good friends pray with me today right in their living room that God would open the right doors for me. Today has been a busy day of preparation for this interview, but God has already provided well above what I could have ever imagined. I give Him all the credit for the blessings I've had today!

The Gospel doesn't change, but our methods do. Christianity has to be relevant to real life.

Saturday night I spent with the Severn River Church crowd having a fun night of bowling. My nieces were very excited; they had a blast, as you can see: Ellie couldn't really bowl, but she enjoyed the eats at the bowling alley. Roll the ball, Sydney! Roll! Wow! Look how many pins I knocked down! (Click on any picture to view larger)

Jan (Ignacy) Paderewski (1860-1941) a Polish pianist, composer, and eventual Prime Minister of Poland, once said of his musical skills: "If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it." I think the same could be said of our prayer life.

Have you ever thought about the fact that 90% of Jesus’ life was spent in utter obscurity? The gospels record the details of only a few precious years of His life, but there were approximately 30 years that unobserved, unnoted, and certainly unsung. In her book, Anonymous , Alicia Britt Chole uses the anonymity of Jesus’ experience in the desert to illustrate the difficult process of growth in a barren place. “People generally do not stand in line for a tour of our hidden years, which can be rather disheartening if we are in the habit of determining the value of our life’s seasons by ticket sales. Though unpopular, these hidden places are not unproductive; within them God houses the unglamorous guts of a truly fruitful existence. There in the poorly lit crawl spaces of life (transitions, prolonged waiting, new additions to the family, preparatory education, relocation, retirement, unexplainable loss, extended illness, irresolvable conflict, and all else that tends to hide us) God buil...

I had a conversation with my brother recently, while moving furniture, that Ethan Allen furniture is really great stuff. It's built to last forever, and it's worth the high price. Unfortunately, most people can't afford to decorate their entire home in one fell swoop from expensive furniture stores, so half of their furniture is hand-me-downs, a few pieces are high quality, and a few pieces are from places like Ikea. You can only afford to do so much at one time, and when you first move into a new home, you need things immediately--beds to sleep in, tables to eat on. You get what you need at the moment. The problem is that you get what you pay for; buying furniture from Ikea means you'll have to replace it in about three years. In the past few months, I've dealt with a few things spiritually that have been difficult for me. I was praying this weekend about it, and I questioned God about these particular trials. I was reminded of my furniture conversation. My faith ...

This weekend I took a break from the Internet by going to our district campground for a retreat for women in ministry. Typically, there aren't many women who attend--around 30 or 40--so we are able to enjoy a more intimate retreat, with a lot of time for fellowship and connection with other women. I came home with good ideas from other churches, and some unique ideas of my own. You can count on reading more about that throughout this week. I'm about to head out to run some errands, including returning a library book that I thought would be worth a mention. What Have You Changed Your Mind About? is a compilation of essays written by some of the nation's most high-powered thinkers. The essays were in response to the title question, posed on Edge.org, a website dedicated to "intellectuals in action." I picked up the book, thinking that it would be a thought-provoking read. Just the title alone grabbed my attention, causing me to question what I had changed my ...

I like that Severn River Church has little business cards made up with the church information on them. They contain the meeting time and location, complete with a little map. On the front they have a picture of a welcome mat; others have toast with the caption, “Burned out?” I carry the welcome ones in my wallet, because on occasion a conversation with someone will introduce the idea of church or religion or something I can use to mention the church. A card like that is a powerful visual aid and serves as a personal invitation. In recent weeks—exactly one month, really—I have had two such conversations. One was during Valentines week, when I helped out as day labor at my sister’s employer, A Blooming Basket. They had several thousand roses in stock for Valentine’s Day and needed day help cleaning the roses. I scraped thorns off and put little green plastic sleeves on the necks of the roses to keep them firm. It was monotonous and hard on the hands, but everyone kept cheerful c...

On Saturday, my brother was worried about getting sick and asked me to be prepared to preach for him on Sunday morning. The Lord was with him, though, and he was able to do the service himself, while I attended a special service at my home church. I did prepare, however, what I would have shared. My brother has been doing a series on The Family of God, which I find interesting because the majority of my family attends Severn River Church. Both of my siblings, their spouses, and all of my nieces go to SRC, and since I’ve begun attending there, the “family” sense of the church has taken on a whole new meaning to me. In my family, we make a lot of jokes about birth order. I have long maintained that some of my irritating traits (i.e. being bossy) are mostly a result of being the oldest and learning to take charge at a young age. We all watch my oldest niece do the exact same thing—bossing Livvy and Ellie around, directing them into playing games her way. My brother and sister have certain...

I'm intrigued by the social website www.meetup.com . I first read about sites like that one in France, where I was a solitary person trying to find a social group where I could find friends who shared common interests. Since I've moved back to Maryland, I've used this site often to search for (and find) others in my area who want to connect for scrapbooking, or speaking French, et cetera. When I started "The Right Fit" group on Monday nights at my church, I listed in on the website as a weight-loss support group, for those in the area that might want to join. I'd like to see more people from the community--not just church folks. In the past several weeks, there have been a handful of people who have indicated that they would like to join. Eagerly, I look for them each week, but none of them showed up until last night. A lady named Joy came, and while we were all welcoming her, I thought she looked really familiar. "Do we know each other?" I a...

I have a good friend who lost her job just after I resigned mine. We've spoken on the phone recently, since in many ways, we are going through the same process of beginning a new season in our lives. Her situation is different, though, in that she didn't choose to change jobs--it was forced on her, and in a very public way. She still has to see all of her former clients all the time, with all them knowing what happened to her. It would be very easy for her to give up in humiliation, slink off to some other town or state, and settle for less than God's destiny for her life. But she has chosen to get back up again, after being knocked flat, to continue on in God's promise for her life and ministry. I'm proud of her! Courage is hard thing to wish for. Like patience, courage only comes from difficult circumstances that force you to act, even when your heart may be quaking and crying inside. Like the cowardly lion of The Wizard of Oz, wishing for courage doesn...

It is a standing joke that some members of my family are procrastinators. For Christmas I found a joke gift for my brother, a "To Don't" list, complete with categories like "to pass off," "to ignore," and my favorite, "to sabotage." While we all had a good laugh (at the gift and the fact that my brother modeled his gift's red bow), the fact is that my brother is very organized. He is a visionary with very specific goals for the future. I am goal-setter, too, always have been. I like the clarity of sitting down with a fresh list of things to do, how to accomplish a specific task, or maybe even all the things that need to change in order for me to facilitate my goals. Those lists and charts (I love Microsoft Excel!) help me feel more motivated to achieve my objectives. I need all the motivation I can get some days.

This week has been a busy one. I spent all day Monday on the phone dealing with my health insurance, and yesterday I spent filling out paperwork for a job application that was very intensive. I was trying to fax it today, but it wouldn't go through correctly, and I finally had to go to the church to fax it from there. I arrived a little while after the mail had come, and our church secretary Debra had sorted it on a side table. I figured I would leaf through one of the magazines, The Potomac Connection, while my fax was going through. I was surprised to see a testimony printed in the back by my friend Michelle Keller, about the blessing of her son Joshua. She praised God for His answer to prayer for another child--11 years after her son Jacob. I have heard Mark and Michelle testify many times, and their thanksgiving to the Lord is neverending. I'm very proud of Michelle for writing this testimony in to the magazine, which serves as a communication for ministers and ch...

We got coupons for Friendly's in the mail last week, and they were such a good bargain that we ended up taking my grandmother there two weeks in a row. Everyone's happy--from the youngest kid to the great-grandmother at the same table. At Friendly's many dinners come with a free sundae: two scoops and one topping, plus the whipped cream and cherry. Very tempting! The waitress brings out the sundaes with special long spoons, designed to fit all the way to the bottom of the narrow glass, so you can get every last drop of that ice cream. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal is attributed with the concept of a "God-shaped hole" in the soul of every person-- it other words, a profound need for God that is so deeply wired within us that nothing else will satisfy it. "What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain t...

For the past few days, I have enjoyed the warm breezes that indicate spring is just around the corner. Everyone digs out their short-sleeved shirts and sandals as if they are headed for vacation; the same sense of excitement and anticipation is in the air. Spring is certainly worthy of the attention we give it: a feeling of freshness, new beginnings, and life itself is defined in every bud on the trees and in every crocus pushing its way up through the earth. I appreciate the look of flowers and manicured landscapes, but I have never been any kind of gardener. I like to see the daffodils come back each year in my mother's yard. We used to have tiger lilies, too, that you could depend on each summer, all along the steps to the driveway. It's a miracle to me that a root can lie dormant for months (even years!) and then suddenly burst forth into a new bloom. I was thinking this morning about bitterness. I haven't been much of a grudge-holder in my life. Close friends and famil...

Ahh! The perfect amount of snow for sledding and fun!

Most people hate Mondays. It's hard to get up early and get back to the work week grind, after a weekend that was probably busy and fun-filled. I can sympathize with those Monday yawns and mumbles, but I actually enjoy my Mondays these days. On Monday nights, I lead a group called The Right Fit at Pasadena AG church, and it's one of the fastest growing programs at the church. Just about every week we see new growth, either showing up at our doors or finding us on the website we're using to spread the word locally. The Right Fit is a weight-loss support group, dedicated to providing accountability and encouragement to those who need help to get healthy. We've become a pretty tight group over the past six weeks, and I'm constantly encouraged by the participation of the group as a whole. Every week someone has something to share, from the cheapest place to buy granola bars to the great-tasting snacks they've brought to pass around. I'm very happy to be ...

I live about half a mile off Ritchie Highway, one of the busiest thoroughfares in Anne Arundel County. Anytime I run errands, I inevitably find myself stopped at the intersection of Jumpers Hole Road and Ritchie Highway. That light, no matter which direction I'm going, is a long one. To sit there waiting for all the east-west traffic, all the left turns, and all the north-south traffic takes forever. Since I'm not known for my patience, I've killed a lot of time at that light. I've changed CDs in the player, opened and sorted mail, flipped through magazines. I've watched other drivers, laughed at their nose-picking, sang loudly to 80's love songs on the radio. I've fought with my sister, talked on the phone, reached for things that fell in the backseat just out of my grasp. I've put on makeup, opened the sunroof, searched my purse for my bank card or receipts for stuff I'm returning to the store. I've danced to catchy pop tunes, given m...

Since I'm unemployed, I have a lot more time on my hands. My mother babysits several children regularly, and I enjoy spending time with the kids. I take them outside in the snow; I eat lunch with them; I serve as mediator, entertainer, substitute, computer fixer, and more in a given day. Sometimes they drive me crazy, and I'm glad that I can come back up to my attic and escape the madness. Mostly, though, they give me a lot to appreciate. Here's a picture of just one of the joys of an average day.

With all this cold, I've found myself adapting a habit I had in Israel long ago--wearing layers. Long johns and sweatshirts, tights, jeans, and double socks. It gets chilly during the day in the room where I'm working, so I layer up to avoid the chill. Going outside requires layers to combat the extreme cold we've had lately, and playing in the snow on Tuesday really made me layer my clothes. I'm reminded of the days when I could see my breath in my own bedroom in Jerusalem, and I'm thankful for the heat I've got here, even if I still have to overdress.

Only an inch or so, but it's the first legitimate snow we've seen this year! Livvy is in the yard making snow angels (first she tried it face down, but that didn't work too well!)

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting on this blog like I should. Some days I have nothing going on, and I feel like I have nothing to say. Then other days, I'm really busy and I just don't get to it. Either way, I'm sorry that I'm disappointing my faithful readers! Last week I spent three days doing contact with my other church, Severn River Church, pastored by the greatest pastor in the world--my brother Ben. He asked me to help him collect surveys about the needs of our local community, and we set up our table at the community college in the Student Union. Wednesday was the first day of classes so it seemed like half of Anne Arundel county was on the campus, walking through the Student Union on the way to the bookstore and financial office. It was a prime spot for our table, but we didn't seem to catch anyone's attention. We only got 12 responses on Wednesday. We were giving away a $50 gas card in a drawing each day, but we discovered that m...