March 20

The last few several days got away from me!  And they have been chock full of wonderful moments with friends and many, many "God moments."

Friday, spring was in the air as I volunteered.  The flowers were blooming and I heard many stories of springs gone by, gardening, and hope.  The robins are definitely back, and we're starting to see a little color on the finches.  Daffodils are in bloom and crocuses, and the trees even have a little color on them.  One gentleman, a biologist by training, worried about the early green and what might happen if we still get a frost--very plausible since it's only the middle of March.  The conversations I share keep me fresh and on my toes.  The stories I hear inspire me.  I treasure this time.

Early, early on Saturday, I picked M. up from the train station for a day in Oberlin.  We went for a long walk/run (read: J and I walked T while M ran), showed her around town, and ate a delicious dinner with some of our Oberlin friends.  It was a delight to introduce her to the wonderful friends we have made here and to see the different parts of our lives come together in a exuberant dinner party, with good wine and delicious grilled pizza.

We drove to Chicago on Sunday afternoon and met L & T for dinner in Uptown.  We walked along the Lakeshore path from M's apartment.  I love being in that city.  And so many people were out enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful pre-spring day.  Tennis players, golfers, bikes, runners, and rollerbladers.  I even managed to get a tiny bit of sun.  We had an awesome sushi dinner and drinks at one of our favorite Chicago bars.  Lots of catching up, laughter, and generally enjoying one another's company.

The main reason, however, for my quick trip to the city was for a conference at LSTC yesterday.  Dr. Linda Thomas and Nadia Bolz-Weber spoke about how our identities matter in ministry.  It's also an added bonus to be able to sit in the LSTC chapel, one of the places that grounds me most.  I dipped my hand in the baptismal font and caught up with many colleagues and classmates.  Several of my classmates went out for lunch at one of our favorite Hyde Park restaurants.  We laughed and shared stories of joy and frustration and the ups and downs of this life of ministry.  We shared stories of our families and just generally caught up with one another.

As I listened to stories from House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, I was moved by the stories of the Eucharist making a difference in every day life--of people making connections to that meal and the meals of every day, of a new found family coming together to eat where all are truly welcome.  Both lectures challenged me to think deeply about the contexts in which I live and serve, as well as the importance of story telling.  Our stories matter and they need to be told.  How is God at work in life?  Why does our faith matter?  Who taught us and how do we carry it out?

On this first day of spring, I changed the trainer tire on my bike to the outside tire and J and I went for a 26 mile ride.  It felt great.  The countryside around Oberlin is beautiful--the flowers and trees and little farms.  There's even a little vineyard.  Our halfway point was the Lorain County line.  It was a great way to spend the morning--feeling the breeze on my back, and then, coming back, on my face.  It's good time to think and reflect and even do a little bit of praying.

So to sum it up, in the past few days, I've seen God at work in flowers and blooming trees, through stories, and in people I have loved for a long time and people I just met.  Incarnational.  Gritty.  Real.  Wonderful.

March 14

Toni Morrison was in town last night. Finney Chapel was packed to hear her read from her new novel, which is due out in May. I loved what she had to say about writing, about loving an living with characters and letting them go. I also loved watching students watch her with wide-eyed wonder. And seeing her 101 year old 1st grade teacher in the front row. She said lovely things about her mother and made us laugh a lot. It was definitely an "I love Oberlin" kind of evening.

March 13

Jazz improv absolutely blows my mind. Tonight was the last concert of the artist recital series at Oberlin. Herbie Hancock and his crew were amazing. I love listening to really good jazz groups and the way they play with rhythms and themes and pass them back and forth. It is not a gift I possess, but I am so grateful for folks like Mr. Hancock who share their incredible gifts with the rest of us. The show was unique and entertaining and a totally different kind of concert that any of the others in the series. He played one piece solo on piano and his guitar player played a solo piece that if I listened to on a recording I wouldn't have believed it was guitar. Amazing. Great concert. Great fun. Great music.

A gorgeous spring day without any immediately pressing work for either of us called for a long walk in the Rocky River Reservation, about a 35 minute drive from us. It was busy--lots of bikers and runners. The forest floor was covered in the beginning cover of spring and the river rushed along the trail. A nice change of scenery and, as always, nice to walk and talk with my husband.

March 12

It was a nervous energy kind of day as J went for his job interview. I biked and walked the dog and cleaned and did laundry and did lots of praying. Hopefully, our long season of Advent will be over soon...

As we walked this evening--starting after 6 and still completely light-- I noticed more animal noises. All of the sudden there are birds and bugs and life. The woods have the early spring water color look--just a hint of green on the forest floor. It's a season of hope, even after one of the most mild winters I have ever experienced.

March 11

I visited Faith Lutheran in Lakewood this morning.  What a delightful little congregation.  Their sanctuary is beautiful and they sing very well, especially considering there weren't very many people there.  They're doing amazing things--a community meal, clothing "store" and all kinds of outreach to the neighborhood. In the sermon, Pastor R. talked about how God calls us to see church differently sometimes.  It was a challenge, and yet a comfort that, even in the change, God is with us.

This afternoon, I took T for a long walk in Wellington.  The reservoir we walked around sparked in the sunshine and everyone was happy to be alive on the first real spring day.  At one point, an old fashioned horse and buggy team was practicing on the county fair track near the trail.  Fisherman were out and lots of people out walking their dogs.  We also went for an evening walk with some friends here in town.  We noticed leaves starting to poke out on a bush near the trail.

I finished reading Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril today.  The essays are written by a diverse group of ethicists, scientists, religious representatives, and writers.  And though they took many different paths, the message was clear: we do have a moral responsibility to care for this beautiful and fragile planet.  On a beautiful spring day, it's easy to see God at work, but how do we live in such a way that honors that everyday, not just in our localities, but for the entire planet and all of its human and non-human creatures.  It's definitely food for thought...

March 10

It was a quiet day today.  Tenney and I went for a long walk while J worked.  Spring is definitely in the air, though.  The crocuses and snow drops are blooming like crazy and I've noticed that there is more bird song.

My sister registered for college yesterday.  And, I have to admit, I'm having kind of a hard time with it.  It's hard for me to believe that she's almost ready to graduate from high school and start college.  I'm excited for her and know she will do fantastically well, but, in my mind, I guess I still have the image of that cute little girl.  Her passion and energy and excitement are incredible and I know that she is going to do wonderful things.  So she'll have to forgive me for getting a little misty eyed when I think of her as a college freshman.

March 9

My volunteer time is nothing short of amazing. I love hearing the stories of the people I visit--their experiences, travels, joys. Today, the conversation kept creeping toward change. How much the world changes in 80+ years. How much they've seen. How getting old brings unwelcome changes. But we also laugh and smile and look for signs of spring and hope. They inspire and amaze me.

As I walked home today, I had to stop and take this photo of a yard covered in snow drops. It is a beautiful sign of hope, resurrection, and spring. Even with a mild winter these signs are much appreciated and welcome.

March 8

It was a gray, dreary day. But I got a lot of work done and made delicious homemade soft pretzels for dinner. I laughed with my husband as we watched our favorite shows. Nothing extraordinary, but sometimes God even shows up in the ordinary.

March 7

On Wednesdays during Lent, there is a mid-day Lenten service.  Different churches are taking turns hosting and different clergy/leaders preaching.  It's a simple service--some music, a reflection, and prayers.  But it's a nice break in the middle of the day and a fun way to see lots of spaces and hear different preachers.  Today, the new pastor at one of the UMC churches in town preached.  I was thrilled to see another young woman...and her sermon was very good.  After the service, people were going through the line and I didn't feel like I needed to introduce myself right then.  As J and I were walking downtown to get some lunch, she was right in front of us.  So I called her name and introduced myself.  She, too, was thrilled to meet another young clergy woman in town.  "You get it!" she exclaimed, hugging me just a few moments after meeting me.  I look forward to conversations with her and the opportunities to share the ups and downs of ministry with someone else who "gets it."  A huge moment of grace for me!

It was another gorgeous day.  The students were out around campus, many in shorts, dresses, and bare feet.  The spring flowers are really starting to bloom.  The neighbor girls were outside last night, jumping rope and playing with a huge pink ball.  The birds were chirping.  The sun was shining.  All signs of God at work in the world.  All signs of grace and love and action in the world.

March 6

We celebrated a friend's birthday tonight.  He's kind of a night owl and teaches late so we didn't meet him until almost 10:00.  Which is really late.  Especially on a Tuesday.  But good conversation, laughter, and birthday joy woke us right up.  It's good to celebrate sometimes and do silly things like go to the bar at 9:45 on a Tuesday.  It was good to catch up with a few people we haven't seen for awhile and toast the birthday boy as he entered the second half of his thirties.  

March 5

Ah, air travel.  It doesn't exactly bring out the best in us, does it?  I try to be polite and patient and say things like "please" and "thank you" and try not to think snarky thoughts.  But when you get hit in the head by someone else's carry-on and have to listen to every word of very loud conversations, it's hard to stay positive.  An exercise in patience, flying is.  And, considering that I woke up in New York, helped move in New York, and went to bed in my bed in Ohio, there are some perks.  The cool part about flying, I think, is looking down and seeing the expanse that is this earth.  The flight from La Guardia to Philadelphia was like one big city--ie New Jersey--lights upon lights upon lights.  City blocks upon city blocks.  Cars buzzing along highways.  And it's hard not to think about all of the people.  It really is kind of incredible.

As much as I really don't like to fly, it is nice to have the luxury and time to be able to spend with my family.  I really enjoyed this trip to the city--it's much different that going with the intention of being a tourist.  I wasn't nearly as exhausted as I was the first time I visited.  I still don't want to live there, but I wasn't quite as anxious to leave this time either.  And considering that niece/nephew will be coming soon, I think we'll be back before too long.  To people watch and hold that beautiful baby.  To laugh and rejoice with our family.  And to simply enjoy being together.

March 4

I think laughter is one of God's greatest gifts. And we did lots of it today as we prepared, painted, and packed, helping Jo and JP get ready for Baby R. The new apartment looks great and the old one is looking like movers are coming in the morning.

When I talked to J tonight, he got
very excited when I told him about seeing niece/nephew doing flip turns tonight. "It's starting to feel real!". He's going to be an awesome uncle to Baby R and an awesome dad, someday!

March 3

My s-i-l might disagree, but feeling my little niece or nephew do somersaults was pretty darn amazing. It's getting to the painful and uncomfortable part of the pregnancy for her, but I could literally see him moving across her belly tonight. I can't believe how much I love this little guy and can't wait to meet him/her in a few weeks! We celebrated mama and baby today at a shower hosted by JP's nieces. Lots and lots of love in the room.

I am continually amazed by this city. Still not convinced I'd want to live here, but it sure is eye-opening to see so many neighborhoods and changes and distinct features.

Lots of laughs and a few tears coming from so much love and joy today.

March 2

A wonderful lunch. The Met. Happy hour with friends. Skyping with my husband. A New York City day.

I love the Met. The art is incredible. The talent and genius. The diversity of art and evolution. Amazing.

And then to walk through the park. So much green in the middle of the hustle of the city. The people and public art and architecture and beautiful trees. Te skyline with its huge buildings. The number of people. Reflections of God.

March 1

Seeing the world from the air is kind of amazing. I love seeing the patterns of fields and city blocks. Watching the streams flow into rivers. It is a reminder of just how big this amazing world is. And even though I had a crazy day of travel--a vehicle that broke onto the runway in Philadelphia--really?!--I am amazed at this city. The people, the parks, the dogs, the hustle. Finding Deb at the airport was a God moment in itself.

It is good for us to be here--in this city that does not sleep--as we look forward to the arrival of baby niece/nephew. As we celebrate what is coming and what has been. Perhaps my assignment over the next few days is watching for the images of God--diverse and beautiful and unique as they are. And in the midst of that, I will laugh with this family that has taken me in and made me one of their own, I'll share stories with the family that is mine by blood, and, for all of them, be incredibly grateful.