2020

Yesterday I started the day by cleaning the bathroom. Then I washed bedding and, once the sheets were dry, made the bed. I walked my dog a couple times and had a salad for lunch. My neighbor and I had a friendly chat, and my dad and I talked about the weather. I did a little research and made some notes to prepare for a call with one of my work supervisors. I read a few chapters in Ezekiel and paid some bills. For an afternoon snack I had a piece of peach pie and a cup of Hazelnut coffee. I watched an episode of Life Today and looked at airline tickets to Corpus Christi. I got the mail and filled the car up with gas. Because it was Monday I went to my brother's house for dinner, time with the kids, and Dancing with the Stars with my sister-in-law. It was an ordinary day. But here's the extraordinary part: I enjoyed every minute of it. I didn't grumble about having to clean the bathroom. I didn't leave the sheets in a pile all day because I dreaded the chore of ...

Tessa, age 4 going on 40, February 2013. My niece Tessa and I were spending a few minutes together after her sisters went to bed on Friday night (she was supposed to be in bed too) when I noticed a glimpse of something shiny in her hand. "What is that in your hand?" I asked. She immediately unclenched her tiny fist and revealed a quarter. She held her hand flat out to me with the quarter perfectly centered on her palm. "Where'd you get that quarter?" "Under my pillow." "Did you lose a tooth?" I asked. (Later I realized this was a ridiculous question since the tooth fairy gives dollars these days.) "No." "Then where did the quarter come from?" "Daddy gave it to me." "Were you supposed to put it somewhere?" I asked, thinking maybe she had a piggy bank or some other treasure box where this bit of wealth was supposed to be housed. I couldn't imagine that Daddy had told her to put...

I love a good steak. But I also love tofu. Seriously. It is so delicious! My favorite way to eat tofu is simply to sauté it in olive oil until it turns a golden brown. I like to use extra firm tofu. A little sea salt and fresh ground pepper is all you need for seasoning, but I also like to throw in some cherry tomatoes until they pop. The juices all mix together and give the tofu a little more flavor. Served over lettuce, rice, quinoa, or all three and voilà! Dinner. Another way I like it is diced up and stirred into my favorite box of Pasta Roni. Angel hair pasta and herbs is my personal favorite. I just throw the tofu in while the water is coming to a boil and then make the pasta according to the box directions. And now you have a protein packed pasta dish! Of course you can't go wrong ordering tofu at a Thai restaurant. You can order tofu dishes from the vegetarian menu. Or you can substitute tofu for whatever meat normally comes with the dish you want. I'm especial...

In my previous life (ie. 2007-2012) I was an editor. It was my job to perfect other people's words. To critique, question, delete, rewrite, and attempt to be encouraging when I told writers they weren't getting their point across or they weren't doing it well. But now I'm a writer. Now my words are the ones being stricken, questioned, rewritten, and critiqued. This week I was confronted head on with "being edited." A book I stewarded (I shaped someone else's words and ideas onto the pages) is approaching layout, so all the nitty gritty commas, consistencies, and repetitions need smoothed out.  The editor sent me the book electronically, and I'm still trying to decide if a red mark really does look worse on the computer screen than it does on notebook paper or if it's just been too long since I used paper. Deep into the work I began to resent the comment field, the blue and red strikes and underlines, even the punctuation changes and...

I've never been one to use an umbrella. Occasionally over the years my parents--like good parents do--have tossed one in my car as I've pulled away on my next adventure. But I've always responded by tossing it into someone else's car or passing it on to someone who doesn't enjoy getting wet. Yesterday, however, I noticed an umbrella hanging on the wall with a collection of my grandfather's hats. I decided to take it with me on my lunchtime walk, not expecting for a moment that a blog would come of it. No sooner had I set foot on the gravel path when I declared, "Umbrellas are an understated accessory!" I had always seen umbrellas as a functional device, but all of a sudden I was Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain , twirling my umbrella with complete disregard for whether or not I was getting wet. I was "hap-py!" Like the perfect hat, scarf, earrings, or man on your arm, the right umbrella can be just the thing to complete an ...

"My computer won't stay on," I told the gentleman on the phone. "What is your name?" "Katie." "K as in kilo?" He asked. We definitely weren't on the same continent. After explaining to me the diagnostic tests he was going to run remotely on my computer he said, "This is going to take approximately eight minutes. What do you want to talk about?" I love it! We established that I was in Ohio where it was 44 degrees Fahrenheit and he was in India where it was 44 degrees Celsius. His brother is getting married this summer and Suresh (my tech guy) is looking forward to becoming an uncle in the next year or two. "I apologize," he interrupted our conversation. "It is taking more than eight minutes." No worries! Soon enough I will call Kaylee for tech support instead of India. After discovering I was a writer of religious material he exclaimed, "You must come to India! All the religions in ...

I rarely ask others to pray for me. But on Sunday morning I sent a text to a friend letting him know I wouldn't be opposed if he wanted to pray over the sermon I was about to deliver. Also on Sunday, a friend who normally doesn't ask me to pray for her asked for prayer, saying "you know I hate to ask for help." She nailed it for me. The reason I don't ask others to pray for me more often isn't because I don't believe in the power of prayer. And it isn't because I think God and I have all my problems covered. It's because inviting others into my struggles, my fears, my I-don't-know-how-this-is-going-to-pan-outs is to show that I'm not as perfect, strong, confident, and impenetrable as I like you to think I am. And that opens the door for you to judge me. But  love always believes the best ... so I can believe that you'll do your best to pray for me judgment-free and I will do my best to do the same for you. EMBRACE ASKING FOR P...

This is how people feel when you compliment them! Riley Claire, 11 months, Corpus Christi, TX. "I like your nails," I told the lady who rang up my groceries. "Thank you," she said. As I was leaving the store I looked over my shoulder. She was staring at her rainbow colored nails, smiling. "I like it when you sing," Mr. K told me after church on Sunday. He is typically very quiet around me. Rarely more than "hello". I'm still smiling. How often do we have these thoughts-- Cool shirt; She's really good at her job; I wonder where she got those shoes; He's great with kids; I love being your mom/dad/aunt/sister; I'm impressed --but we don't give verbal expression to them. They remain our thoughts, rather than a blessing to another person. EMBRACE COMPLIMENTS . You could be the reason why someone is still smiling. Listening to Merry Happy by Kate Nash because it makes me smile. :)

Why Quakers love baseball Simplicity - Ball, bat, glove. Throw, hit, run, catch. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Peace - Like an umpire who decides if a pitch is in the strike zone or not, we are to let the sense of peace in our hearts (or lack of peace) tell us whether or not we are on track: "Let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule ( act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]." Colossians 3:15 AMP   Integrity - Safe or out? Strike or ball? Baseball may be the only sport that still trusts the umpires to make rulings on each play without further review and instant video replays. That could change next year, but for now we trust the integrity of a handful of men and their eye witness. Community - The...

One of the things I love about short deadlines is that there is no time to be a perfectionist. No time to fear mistakes. No time to censor my crazy ideas. Only enough time to get it done. EMBRACE WORK . What a gift from God to be able to do what you love and love what you do! Now get back to it! Reading Revelation !!!

Yesterday was one of those perfect days where every moment felt blessed. My heart was open to experiencing God's grace and He did not disappoint. From a joyful morning work call to an afternoon of music to an evening of watching my nieces try to teach my dog how to sit, I was content in all circumstances . I didn't even freak out when I pulled yet another tick off my leg (the third this week). I haven't known this kind of peace lately, so I was especially grateful. So grateful in fact, that I didn't bother thinking about what I was going to write about embracing today. I was too busy in the moment, simply being. What a great place to be. EMBRACE BEING . Watching The Bible miniseries . 

Yesterday my dog and I decided to take a walk at 5 p.m. It had been less than two hours since our last walk, so it wasn't out of necessity but simply for enjoyment. As we returned 20 minutes later I felt the first rain drop on my nose. We were inside less than 5 minutes before the skies opened up and a true spring thunderstorm unleashed itself. The storm raged for two full hours, so had we not walked when we did Jovi would have had to go the bathroom in the midst of it (a function she thankfully only does outdoors). The timing of our walk was perfect. A little piece of God's favor. I frequently share these "bits of grace" with my friend Brent who jokingly responds, "God loves everyone, but He loves you the most." I frequently ask for God's favor upon my nieces and nephew, that they would forever see dandelions as beautiful flowers. Tessa, age 4, April 2013. We both know that God doesn't love me any more than He loves anyone else, but we als...

I woke up bored yesterday. I thought maybe Jovi and I should go to Yellow Springs for a hike. But I had lots of reading to get done, daily tasks to do. I opened my email to my monthly newsletter from Mary DeMuth , with the subject line: "Crabby? Here are three ways to find your happy." One of the three ways was to go outside. That settled it. No daily tasks for me! Jovi and I were happy as soon as we parked the car at the Glen Helen Nature Preserve . Made even more happy by the dog-friendly town that allows Jovi to go inside establishments with me. (She enjoyed her first art museum, though found the bathrooms a little confining.) I let Jovi take the lead once we were on the trails and before long we were crossing bridges, wading through the river, and pausing to smell every tree. I laughed when she came upon some graffiti reading "I lost", and helped her find the trail again. Shortly thereafter we met a woman, about my age, who really was lost. We had j...

Lately nothing has amazed me. Pastor Dan talked yesterday about similar times in his life when he hasn't immediately felt the presence of God. For him, he said it is usually when he is too busy, caught up in the dailiness of life and his to-do list. That hit home for me. I'm definitely caught up in how ordinary my life feels here. Routine, mundane tasks; shallow conversations or ones full of talk and no action; feeling misunderstood. I'm all about embracing every moment, even the ordinary ones, but not to the detriment of wanting more. And yet I'm so easily influenced that it is easy to fall in to this trap of dailiness, and lack of amazement. Pastor Dan's solution was to look for mystery. Look for God all around, recognize it all as part of His mystery. Discover yourself as part of that mystery--all that you are, all that you do. Psalm 19 was the chosen text for yesterday's sermon: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of ...

Jovi showing off her new look. Jovi spent Friday morning getting pampered. "You should put in a spa for people next door," I suggested to her groomers. "I wouldn't mind spending the next two hours getting my hair and nails done." "You aren't the first to suggest it," Jennifer said. "We're talking to local salons. They won't relocate, but maybe we could get you a discount if you buy a groom for Jovi and one for yourself!" As I thought about it, I decided I'd like them to put in a whole strip mall, because combining the practical and the pampering is really where it's at. While Jovi and I got facials and pedicures and haircuts, we could also be getting the oil changed in the car, hitting the ATM if we were short on cash, ordering Chinese takeout that would be ready precisely when our hair was done, and buying Karen Kingsbury's latest novel (because getting pampered wears you out, so you know we aren't goin...

I can remember when Girls Night Out was as easy as walking down the hall and asking my dorm mates if they had plans later, taking a break from studying in order to roller blade around town at midnight, or simply showing up on Ladies Night. It was as easy as an old friend randomly passing through town and a bunch of us jumping in a hot tub to celebrate and catch up. At most we needed a week to plan a hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up; five minutes if we wanted an impromptu trip to Shoshone Point for sunrise. The best part of Girls Night Out was always how tired you were the next day when you woke up at noon. Now Girls Night Out requires at least three months notice in order to organize the spouses, parents, grandparents, kids, coworkers, babysitters, pets, and bosses it takes to pull off four hours of fun. And still kids get sick, you get sick, babysitters get sick, even the dog gets sick. Josh Hamilton ends up playing right field when you've specifically purchase...

The season of long afternoon naps, heated seats, and snow angels has passed. Now is the time for sand boxes, dunking your hat in your drink to keep your head cold, and putting the top down. It's time for dandelions and allergies and grass stains. Time to put all that energy we have stored up to good use. EMBRACE SPRING . It's finally here! Listening to Lightning by Eric Church . 

A parable Based on Luke 10:25-37 A religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?” Jesus answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?” The scholar said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.” “Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.” Looking for a loophole, the scholar asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?” Jesus answered by telling a story: There was once a woman traveling from New Vienna to The Great American Ballpark . On the way she was attacked by the flu, but not so badly that she couldn't go on. An hour later she was attacked again, this time more viciously. In the middle of the second inning, the flu became relentless, beating her up for many innings to follow, and left her half-dead. Luckily, many women with fresh pedicures were at the same ...

My last post was about embracing seasons and wondering what is next. I didn't expect to embrace flu season later that day, but that is the way life goes sometimes.  Since then, I've tried to EMBRACE HIATUS , using this break as a time of rest and recovery and reflection. Because sometimes we need an interruption to stop us in our tracks, to listen, to help us make big decisions, to remember what is important, to know what is next.  The song that has gotten me through this week: The Hurt & The Healer, by MercyMe .  

Lately I've been asking myself "what's next?" What comes after Easter Sunday? What comes after I've finished reading the Bible (I still have a week or so to go)? What is God preparing me for? Because it certainly feels like a season of preparation. And not just for me. Several of my friends have also been posting on Facebook that they feel like something is coming, that they are being prepared for it. They call their seasons a fallow period, or a transition period, searching, grieving, or rebelling period. A state of "in between." Perhaps we are simply moving into spring, a season of new birth. In the first verses of the book of Acts , it says Jesus, after being raised from the dead, presented himself to the apostles for 40 days before ascending into heaven. Perhaps sitting at the feet of Jesus, preparing and building up our spiritual muscles as we learn from Him, is exactly where we should be... not just for the 40 days of lent that lead up to ...

In preparation for my Easter Sunday sermon I re-read my blog entries for the year. I didn't know what I would find, but I knew God had a message for me here. As I reflected on January, I noticed that the blogs, while shorter and seemingly less personal, were primarily focused on my fears. By embracing imperfection, change, endings, boundaries, and self, I was actually naming what separates me from embracing life, wholeness, and God. January was, in essence, my Good Friday. The day that I lay at the foot of the cross everything I needed to crucify. February was a bit harder for me to grasp. I seemed to be all over the place. Family life became much more important, but so did work. Halfway through the month I embraced lent and began my journey of reading the Bible. There were sermons and fortune cookies, a driver's test and other afflictions. Miracles and deadlines, togetherness and inevitability. It was, perhaps, similar to the day between Good Friday and the Resurrection in...

I admittedly don't think there is anything funny about April Fools Day, or any other day that we intentionally try to make people look foolish. I also don't think most people are as funny as they think they are. I think humor is more often used to deflect, afflict, offend, and separate than it is to build community or bring joy into our lives. But that doesn't mean I don't think we should laugh. Or use humor appropriately. After all, a cheerful heart is good medicine. EMBRACE HUMOR . May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing, uplifting, comforting, and nurturing. May they build community and add joy to all around me. Watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist because, even though they don't laugh at each others' jokes, they still end up together in the end.