Day 179: 6/29/11- Extemporaneous Preaching for the Feast of St. Peter & St. Paul

Day 179: 6/29/11
New Thing: Extemporaneous Preaching for the Feast of St. Peter & St. Paul
Inspiration: The Feast of St. Peter & St. Paul
Cost: $0
Time: About 15 minuets                 
Bottom Line: Can I get a witness?!

Preach It!

Reflection: Today is the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. On this day we celebrate the deaths of these two Apostles. Here is a description of this Holy Day from James Kiefer:

The Confession of Peter ("Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God") is commemorated on 18 January, and the Conversion of Paul (on the approach to Damascus) a week later on 25 January. On 29 June we commemorate the martyrdoms of both apostles. The Scriptures do not record the deaths of Peter or Paul, or indeed any of the Apostles except for James the son of Zebedee (Acts 12:2), but they are clearly anticipated, and from an early date it has been said that they were martyred at Rome at the command of the Emperor Nero, and buried there. As a Roman citizen, Paul would probably have been beheaded with a sword. It is said of Peter that he was crucified head downward. The present Church of St Peter in Rome replaces earlier churches built on the same site going back to the time of the Emperor Constantine, in whose reign a church was built there on what was believed to be the burial site of Peter. Excavations under the church suggest that the belief is older than Constantine.

 One of the things that these men had in common was the ability to preach amazing sermons under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In fact we just heard about Peter's most famous sermon on Pentecost when he was moved by the Spirit to preach in such a way that caused the conversion of thousands of people. There is even a line from the famous spiritual "There Is a Balm in Gilead" which goes: "If you cannot preach like Peter/if you cannot preach like Paul/Just tell the love of Jesus/and say He died for all"

Their gift of preaching the Gospel relying on the Spirit is very inspirational. So, today I decided to honor them both in the Eucharist that we celebrated by trying a style of preaching that I have rarely experimented with--extemporaneous preaching. Here is a nice description of the style from Wikipedia:

Extemporaneous preaching is a style of preaching that was popular in the late 19th century among Baptist, Methodist, Unitarian, and some Presbyterians preachers. The style is not to be confused with impromptu preaching; it involves much preparation. One prepares by dwelling on the subject continually and thus has something to say when the time comes. On the other hand, it is distinct from memorized preaching. Proponents claim that the importance of preaching demands it be extemporaneous. Extemporaneous preaching includes both preaching with no written preparation as well as brief notes for the purpose of ordering points. The disadvantages of such a style is the trade-off of precision for emotional emphasis.

As I mentioned, this is not a style that I employ often. I feel much more at home writing my sermons out and having a prepared text in from of me. I find it helpful for delivery and for adding detail that I might otherwise forget to add while preaching "on my feet." However, there is something to be said about letting the Holy Spirit move through you in a trusting way, and I think that all preachers need to at least try this style out from time-to-time. 

Peter giving the Good Word.

I began the preparation for this sermon by doing all the research that I would normally do. After all, extemporaneous preaching is not an excuse for not doing your homework. In fact, I probably did a little more then I normally would to make sure I had things in my mind for referral. Then I prayed over it and made a few bullet points to help form a frame work to hang the sermon on in my head. During the service leading up to the sermon, I found myself paying attention to the readings very carefully to make sure that there was nothing that I had missed and prayed for guidance in the words God would have me use. The experience was interesting, and I would say that what came out of my mouth was certainly serviceable. I know I was able to make more eye contact then normal. However, I also felt like my pacing was off a little since I didn't have the pages to see how far along I was. All-in-all, I was thankful for the opportunity and will be trying alto more of this style during the Wednesday service in weeks to come.

Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 178: 6/28/11- Start a Mix-Tape Chain

Day 178: 6/28/11
New Thing: Start a Mix-Tape Chain
Inspiration: This Blog
Cost: $?
Time: About an hour                 
Bottom Line: Get ready to rock- sliver style!

Reflection: Remember mix-tapes? I used to LOVE them! In high school, I didn't have a cd player in my car so friends used to take pity on me and make me mixed tapes to play on my tape deck. Seriously, these tapes were some of my favorite gifts ever and I kept them for years. Now, in the age of MP3 players, we don't take the time to compile lists of songs to gift people in the same way we used to. So, have taken the suggestion of the website listed above and am starting a mix-tape chain letter...only I am using cd's since no one has tape players anymore. The sentiment remains the same.

A chain letter works just like your basic pyramid scheme. I will send this CD to 5 people. Each one of these 5 people will send me a CD of their own making as well as to 5 other people. Those 5 people will do the same and so on. In the end, I should have like a million mix cd's.

For my list, I have chosen a list of songs that got me through my recent 10k race (some of which were suggestions form loved ones, friends, and Kara)--which I finished with silver metal results. It is called "Second to One" and will come complete with cover art for the 5 lucky enough to receive this delighted for the ears. It is "scientifically" designed to help get you over the finish line. The hardest part will be deciding who will receive these! 

Day 177: 6/27/11- Make A Custom Minimate

Day 177: 6/27/11
New Thing: Make A Custom Minimate
Inspiration: Ken and Harry Potter
Cost: $2-5
Time: About a half hour                
Bottom Line: A magical, geeky, fun time.

Magic!

Reflection: My darling husband Ken treated me to one of his hobbies today: Minimate customizing. Here is his description of this geeky pursuit from his blog:

One of the little subsets of my [action figure] collection are Minimates. These are little block figures, not unlike Legos, that stand about 2" tall, but have multiple POAs (that's points of articulation, or moving joints). Minimates are way cool, in that they pack an exceptional amount of detail into a small body. Minimates are also one of the few toys that have characters from multiple comic book companies, movies, and tv properties in a uniform style. The flagship property for Minimates is Marvel Comics (and the movies based on those comics), but Minimates have been made for DC Comics, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, and Battlestar Galactica, to name a few. 

But what really puts Minimates over the top, for me, is the ease of customization. For the uninitiated, customizing is the creation of a brand-new figure from the scraps of others, using paint, modelling clay, whatever. It's not very easy, and good customizers can produce figures indistinguishable from commercial releases. I've always wished I could customize, but it's always proved to be beyond my skill set. But not with Minimates. Because their parts are all interchangeable, it's extremely easy to pull a few apart and create something new.

 Now, you might say, "Man, that sounds geeky." And you would be right. However, you would also be ignoring just how cool these little things really are. I have to say, having watching Ken get really, really good at this (he was the winner of a few "Best 2010 Custom Awards") has been alot of fun and I was exited to have him share this passion with me.

As with all things, Ken was an excellent teacher (it's one of the things that I love about him), taking the time to help me with the decals (which were designed by Luke Porter and available here) and finding all the right parts for one of my favorite characters, Harry Potter. I am very pleased with the results and had a lot of fun with this. Thanks, Honey!

Day 176: 6/26/11 New Thing: Hosting "The Hunger Games" Book-Club Meeting

Day 176: 6/26/11
New Thing: Hosting The Hunger Games Book-Club Meeting
Inspiration: Book-club
Cost: $0
Time: A few hours                
Bottom Line: A pleasant evening spent hunting each other for sport and fighting to the death.

 
Reflection: Today was the first time I had the pleasure of hosting a book-club meeting. Our book this month was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Here is the Wikipedia description of the plot:

"The Hunger Games" introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where North America once stood. This is where a powerful government working in a central city called the Capitol holds power. In the book, the Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl from each district to fight to the death. The Hunger Games exist to demonstrate not even children are beyond the reach of the Capitol's power.

Collins says that the idea for The Hunger Games came from channel surfing on television. On one channel she observed people competing on a reality show and on another she saw footage of the Iraq War. The two blended together and the idea for the book was formed. The Greek myth of Theseus also served as inspiration for the book, with Collins describing Katniss as a futuristic Theseus. Her father's service in the Vietnam War helped her understand how it feels to fear the loss of a loved one.

I have to say that this book was a lot better than I expected. Teen-fiction has kind of a bad rap in my mind as playing to the worst stereotypes of what young teens are interested in: violence, love triangles, shopping, vampires, etc. While this book had some of those things, it also had dealt with some very serious overtones and the description would suggest. It reminded me of The Giver which was an favorite of mine when I was growing up.

We had a great time in the our backyard having fun over dinner. Delia danced for us which was the best.

Day 175: 6/25/11- Facials, Valley Forge, Peanut Pretzel Pie & More!

Day 175: 6/25/11
New Thing: Facials, Valley Forge, Peanut Pretzel Pie & More! 
Inspiration: Sarah Tax, Connie
Cost: $40 + tip
Time: All Day               
Bottom Line: An Awesome Day with Friends and Family!
 

Having a blast!

Reflection: Today was another great day filled with friends, family and fun. Sarah Tax and I started out by having full facials at a fantastic all natural spa called "True Skin." I have never had a facial before since I have always thought that it was out of my price range. But Sarah found an amazing deal online and I am so glad that she did. It was truly great and I felt so relaxed afterward and the staff was wonderful. I fully recommend them. Here is the description of the service from their web-site:

We use an organic line that is hypo-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, safe and effective.  We are able to customize all of our facials to give you outstanding results. This is an extensive, 60-minute facial, custom-made with your skin in mind.  Cleansing, toning, exfoliating, anaylsis of skin, massage, mask, steaming and extraction are all included.  Guaranteed to leave your skin refreshed and rejuvenated. This service also included a Bio-roller treatment. FDA-approved skin care device allows products to penetrate deeper and improves skin elasticity and texture by promoting collagen formation.  Visible results after one treatment.  Excellent for all skin types.

  

After the facials, we headed out for ice cream. I tried another new thing with limeade water-ice and gelato. Deliciousness!  Delia had fun on the little marry-go-round that was toddler size there. 

After that we headed over to Sarah's sweet house (also a first) for a delicious meal prepared by Ms. Tax herself (thanks again, Sarah!). From there, we all headed over to Valley Forge National Historical Park to have a little fun with history. 

Delia was really into this spring-house.

From there we parted ways with Sarah and headed over to the Peanut Bar in Reading to celebrate Connie's birthday. Not only was this my first time at the Reading institution (known for serving peanuts and encouraging you to throw the shells on the ground) but it was also the first time I have ever had peanut butter chocolate pretzel pie. Their version is award winning, and I can absolutely see why. We were exhausted by the time we got home, but we had a great day. 

Day 174: 6/24/11- Picture Frames and Columbo

Day 174: 6/24/11
New Thing: Picture Frames and Columbo 
Inspiration: Delia and Peter Falk
Cost: $1
Time: About 2 Hours               
Bottom Line: R.I.P. Peter Falk

"Just one more thing..."

Reflection: Today's new activity was going to be painting a picture frame with Delia (which we did with very nice results). However, I added a second thing when I heard that Peter Falk had passed away. I am a huge Columbo fan and used to watch it with my Dad. It remains one of the few shows that I actually introduced Ken to and not vice-versa. He also stars in two of my favorite movies: The Princess Bride and Wings of Desire (which if you have never seen, I insist that you must!). So, to honor him, Ken and I watched an episode of Columbo that I had never seen before about a magician who is also a Nazi. Guess what? Columbo got him!

Day 173: 6/23/11 Eat Peanuts and Cracker-Jack At a Ballgame

Day 173: 6/23/11
New Thing: Eat Peanuts and Cracker-Jack At a Ballgame
Inspiration: Baseball, Trinity
Cost: $9 a ticket a a little extra for the snacks
Time: Several Hours               
Bottom Line: I don't care if I never get back.

Reflection: Tonight is "Faith Night" at the Lehigh Valley Iron Pig's (a Philly's Team) baseball game. Trinity will be there in full force with about 40+ people including our family. So, I decided to take advantage of the moment and try out a grand tradition that I have actually never had before--peanuts and Cracker Jack while I root, root, root for the home team. I am thinking that I will have to sneak this in (shhhhhh!) since they don't sell it. But I am ready to be covert and to enjoy my Cracker Jack prize. Go Pigs!!

Day 172: 6/22/11 Make Indian Food in a Crock-Pot

Day 172: 6/22/11
New Thing: Make Indian Food in a Crock-Pot  
Inspiration: Sarah Tax, The Indian Slow Cooker
Cost: $0 (Thank you, Sarah!)
Time: About 15 mins. of prep time and 7 hours to cook                  
Bottom Line: Slow Cooked to Perfection!

Reflection:  A few months ago, the charming Ms. Sarah Tax introduced me to the concept of making Indian food in a crock-pot. First, I was intrigued. Then, I was delighted when she gifted me a copy of the book The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes by Anupy Singla for me to experiment on my own. Finally, I was happily full with a delicious meal crafted from one of these recipes. I am already a devote of the crock-pot and Indian food separately, so this was a perfect fit for me to try out. I made Butter Chicken which I had never had before. It was delicious, nutritious (minus the butter) and very filling. However, it may have been even better if I had used a whole stick of butter (instead of the 1/2 I used) and the cream that the recipe called for, but that's just to fatty for me. It was still really really good! Thanks, Sarah!

Day 171: 6/21/11 Celebrate the Summer Solstice by Setting Fire to Disappointments

Day 171: 6/21/11
New Thing: Celebrate the Summer Solstice by Setting Fire to Disappointments  
Inspiration: The Summer Solstice, 365 Things You Can Do Blog 
Cost: $0
Time: About an Hour                  
Bottom Line: A Midsummer's Dream

Reflection: Today marks the summer solstice--the longest day of the year. The celebration of Midsummer's Eve was from ancient times linked to the summer solstice. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. So, to make the occasion tonight, I decided to set fire to my own "little demons"--disappointments. We all have these little drains on our psyche that seem to keep us from truly letting go of somethings. Well, today I resolved to stop letting disappointments from the past bring me down and hand them over to God once and for all. I started by making a list of these things on separate pieces of paper. Next, I would light them on fire. As they burned I did a yoga sun salutation as a way of physical prayer by letting go of the past and welcoming the Holy Spirit into the now. It was a very refreshing experience and I was left with a spirit of gratitude towards God's work in my life that I did not start the exercise with.

Sun Salutations on the Day of the Longest Sun

Day 170: 6/20/11 Watch Swiss Family Robinson with Delia

Day 170: 6/20/11
New Thing: Watch Swiss Family Robinson with Delia 
Inspiration: The World's Greatest Tree House
Cost: $0
Time: Over an hour                  
Bottom Line: I have always wanted a tree house just like that one.

Reflection: Today, Delia and I watched another childhood favorite of mine--Swiss Family Robinson. Sure it might be slightly sexiest, but it still has the best tree house known to man. I remember being enchanted by this set and always wished to live in one just like it some day--still do. When I found out that you could walk around in this tree house at Disney, I was trilled! Today I think they redesigned it to match Tarzan but it will always belong to that loveable Swiss family to me. 

Day 169: 6/19/11 The Dedication of St. Peter's New Church

Day 169: 6/19/11
New Thing: The Dedication of St. Peter's New Church 
Inspiration: St. Peter's Episcopal Church
Cost: $0
Time: An Afternoon                 
Bottom Line: Really exciting new start for this great congregation!

Reflection: Today was an great ending to a really memorable weekend back to the homelands. I was blessed to serve as one of the Diocesan MC's for the dedication of St. Peter's new building.  St. Peter's was the congregation that raised me in my young spiritual life. However they suffered a major flood several years ago in 2004 that destroyed the church building. Since then they have faithfully been worshiping in a strip mall until the time they could rebuild. While there they truly did some unique things to keep the Spirit moving and I have been so impressed with their creativity and ingenuity. Here is a video about the construction. I remember crying bitterly over the pictures of the old church completely submerged and felt as though a piece of my childhood was gone.

Now that the new building is up, it was time to dedicate it to the service of God. It was a beautiful service which included a baptism and I was truly moved by it all. I will never forget how wonderful it was to be with this congregation and my family again as we celebrated this new life. Many prayers were answered today.

Day 168: 6/18/11 Run a 10K Race--and Take the Sliver!

Day 168: 6/18/11
New Thing: Run a 10K Race--and Take the Sliver!  
Inspiration: Damon S. Young
Cost: $15 (All Funds Went to the DSY Memorial Scholarship)
Time: Under An Hour                
Bottom Line: Still in a state of surprise

Reflection: Today was a day that I have been preparing for for months--my first ever 10K. It was very meaningful to me because it celebrates the memory of Damon S. Young. Here is the race information:
 

The Damon Steele Young Memorial Race is comprised of a 5K Walk/Run & 10K Run. It is an annual event that was established in 2007 to fund the Damon Steele Young Memorial Scholarship at Tunkhannock Area High School. This scholarship was created to honor the life of our son, brother, uncle, and friend, Damon. At the age of 24, he tragically passed away from kidney cancer. When he was very sick, he expressed a desire that a scholarship be established in his memory to help future TA grads further their educations. As a means to fund this scholarship, Damon's coach Randy White and others (like my brother-in-law, Doug) created this race. 

Damon was in my class ever since 5th grade and he was actually the first boy I ever kissed. He was a wonderful person and he is still greatly missed. 

Damon was also a tremendous athlete (he was voted "most athletic" in our Senior year) and so this course was designed to match his athleticism. It was the hardest run I have ever attempted and I had to walk up some of the hills. But the end was really exciting and I even had some really important people to me there to cheer me on (Kelly, Cassie, Ali, Doug, Mom and Delia!). The most surprising part was that I won the silver medal in my age group (women age 20-29)! What??!! Granted, I think there may have only been like 5 people in that group--but I like to believe it was because it was such a hard course that others were to intimidated. That's what I would like to believe with all my heart.

Thanks for all the support, everyone. We miss you, Damon.

Putting on Lucky #7

Team K-A

Sliver, Baby!

Post-Race Water Break

Day 167: 6/17/11 Stay in a Hotel's Opening Night

Day 167: 6/17/11
New Thing: Stay in a Hotel's Opening Night 
Inspiration: Mom
Cost: $0 (Thank Mom!!)
Time: All Night                
Bottom Line: So much fun!

She was so happy in her own bed!

Reflection: Today, Delia and I headed up to Tunkhannock (my native land) for a fun-filled weekend! We started out the trip with an awesome invitation from Mom to stay in Tiger-Town's (that's right, you heard me--Tiger Town) newest hotel built by former congressman Don Sherwood (Tunk. resident). This was the hotel's opening night which meant that we were the first people to ever say in our room. The three of us had such a good time laughing and Delia even had her own little bed which she was delighted with. We had such a good time that we stayed another day. Thank for everything, Mom!!

Day 166: 6/16/11 Celebrate Bloomsday!

Day 166: 6/16/11
New Thing: Celebrate Bloomsday!  
Inspiration: James Joyce's Ulysses
Cost: $0
Time: About 60 minuets                 
Bottom Line: I wanted to write something in a stream of consciousness here but I find that style to be as hard to write as it is to read, and yet maybe there is something to the whole Ulysses/Bloomsday thing any way since greater minds then mine have commended it through the years--indeed  it's name even graces the largest boat that I have ever been on in my voyage from Ireland to Wales when I was but a young lass, hair in braids, wind in my face, loving the sea air but not the sea sickness that was inexpiable yet driving much like the novel Ulysses itself.

The Tome Itself

Reflection: Happy Bloomsday! According to Wikipedia, "Bloomsday is a commemoration observed annually on June 16th in Dublin and elsewhere to celebrate the life of Irish writer James Joyce and relive the events in his novel Ulysses, all of which took place on the same day in Dublin in 1904. Joyce chose the date because his first outing with his wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle happened on that day, when they walked to the Dublin urban village of Ringsend. The name derives from Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of Ulysses."

Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to Dublin today. However, I found tons of stuff to do online to celebrate the day without ever leaving my desk. 

The first is a re-telling of the whole novel in 5 minuets. This guy is pretty amazing and I bet he does this as a parlor trick all the time. You can find the video here. 

Next we have a rap about Joyce. Although it is really more like spoken word art. 

My second favorite was listening to Molly's Soliloquy as read by Marcella Riordan's who does a lovely job making sense of the stream of counsienceness that is Joyce's hallmark. 

Finally, and my personal favorite, is to read it online in a form that is drawn by my good friend Robert Berry found here. Ken and Rob have been friends for years and think that his work is wonderful. He decided to turn the whole book of Ulysses into comic-book form and has made is available for free online with a wonderful reader's guide. I think that this will take him the rest of his life!

Rob's Work!

Here is a fun interview with Rob. 

Happy Bloomsday!

Day 165: 6/15/11 Play UNO with Delia and Ken

Day 165: 6/15/11
New Thing: Play UNO with Delia and Ken 
Inspiration: The Fam'
Cost: $2
Time: About 5 minuets                 
Bottom Line: I totally lost.

Reflection: U-Know I love UNO. (That delicious pun brought to you by the Tax family--UNO why.) Today the family had some fun playing a Toy Story 3 version of this classic card game. We had a blast! Ken won and Delia refused to give up the cards that had pictures of Barbie on them even if it meant taking on more cards. I lost spectacularly with 14 cards left at the end. Just call me "Wild Card!"

Day 164: 6/14/11 Read Action Comics #1

Day 164: 6/14/11
New Thing: Read Action Comics #1 
Inspiration: Ken
Cost: $0 (No surprise, Ken had a re-print of this already)
Time: About 5 minuets                 
Bottom Line: He can't fly or impress Lois, but he sure can jump!

Just park it anywhere.

Reflection: Today I read the iconic Action Comic #1 which has the first ever appearance of Superman! This was Ken's idea and I thought it was a great one since Superman is my favorite super hero. It was first published in 1938. Here is a good little video about this comic:

As it mentions, this older version of the classic hero is a little different.  I find that in most comics from this era, there are normally things that are funny that are not intentionally that meant to be that way. For example, in one panel, Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter, is making his way through the offices of the Daily Planet. Suddenly, a fellow reporter (who for some unexplained reason looks EXACTLY like Clark) yells to him, "Hurry Kent--a phoned tip....wife-beating at 211 Court Ave!" To which Clark replies, "I'm on my way!" Now, why the person supplying this tip didn't, say, call the police instead of the press is never explored, but rest assured, Superman knew how to handle the guy.  Pow! Right in the kisser! My hero!

Day 163: 6/13/11 Hairdo and Headbands

Day 163: 6/13/11
New Thing: Hairdo and Headbands 
Inspiration: Connie, Delia
Cost: $0
Time: About 45 minuets                 
Bottom Line: She sure does love her fashion.

"I love this!

Reflection: You may remember when I made Delia an Easter Bonnet Headband earlier in the year as a homage to my mother. Today we took that experiment to another level thanks to a headband making kit that Nana Connie brought Delia last night. Delia was delighted when she reviewed this package which comes with many ribbons, sequence, and headband choices to create your very own as well as a "styling guide" for the perfect hairdo to accompany your newly created accessory. Since Delia is every bit the girly-girl that I was not growing up, she could not have been happier. You can see the final product above, but here were the steps we took to get there:

1. We chose all the different supplies that she wanted to use.

2. Artfully glued it all on together.

3. Created the hairdo of her choosing: the classic "side ponytail"

Ta-da!

Day 162: 6/12/11 Pentecostal Power Yoga Poses

Day 162: 6/12/11
New Thing: Pentecostal Power Yoga Poses
Inspiration: Pentecost
Cost: $0
Time: About 15 minuets                  
Bottom Line: These really were a kenosis aide.

The Fire of Pentecost!

Reflection: Today is the great Day of Pentecost! On this day, we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in Acts 2:1-31. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the "Birthday of the Church". We had a great celebration today at church which truly was an expression of the Spirit!

Typically, I schedule the "new things" that I am planning on trying out a month in advance so that I have some ideas at the beginning of the day.  However, in keeping with the theme of Pentecost, I decided to leave this day open and trust that the Holy Spirit would place something in my path. Well, as expected, the Spirit came through and while I was surfing online, I came across this link to some transformitive yoga poses that I have never tried. (you can find them here.) You may remember that I love yoga and consider it a way to meditate as well as exercise. So, I was particularly excited to see these six poses which were designed by yogi Mandy Ingber, as she describes it, to

...push the envelope a little. [We were encourage to] try to allow our bodies to go a little farther than you thought possible, and notice what happens to your mind, as you metamorphosis and literally transform. 

[I particularly liked her explanation of the need to push ourselves at times as she wrote:] I, like most people, am a feel-good junkie. Why else would I be attracted to a job where I am paid to wear comfortable clothes, wear no make up and lead people who are taking a time out to care for themselves...This is the "yoga" that we all imagine, right? Hugs and sitting peacefully in a cross-legged position with no earthly desires. But make no mistake, in order to truly transcend, the very darkness we resist, must be embraced. The part of ourselves that wants to be comfortable must die and be replaced with the part of ourselves that demands growth. There is no growth without change and there is no change without discomfort.

Mandy's thoughts here are very in keeping with the Christian theological view of "Kenosis"This is a Greek word meaning "emptiness. " We see Paul using this word in Philippians 2:7 when he writes that, "Jesus made himself nothing ...". Paul is describing kenosis as a concept of the 'self-emptying' of one's own will and becoming entirely receptive to God and His perfect will. It is used both as an explanation of the Incarnation, and an indication of the nature of God's activity and will. I find that yoga and exercise helps me to empty myself of the stress and thoughts that separate me from true prayer-fullness. And when I take the time to push myself a little bit, I am able to get to that state a little easier. in this way, I am able to let go of my own ego and let Christ increase by making a space for the Holy Spirit to fill my soul (again to paraphrase Paul). Theses moves were challenging and I certainly did not achieve all of them. But they did quiet my mind and I felt calmer at for having pushed mind, body and soul a little further.

Day 161: 6/11/11 New Online Meditation

Day 161: 6/11/11
New Thing: New Online Meditation
Inspiration: Ellyn
Cost: $0
Time: About 5 minuets                  
Bottom Line: A refreshing website

Reflection: A few months ago, my friend Ellyn sent me a link to this great website called The d365 found here. This site features a daily devotional series which were "written especially for students and seek to provide reflections on themes that impact our faith journey. [It is the] hope that in the midst of busy or boring days, this site will create a quiet space in your life for contemplation and prayer."

I have to admit that the first time she sent me the link, I gave it a look over and thought, "this looks very good, I'll make sure to actually do the meditation another time." I promptly forgot until the other day when she resent me the link in the midst of a busy time. So, I saved it for today's prayer moment and am now very glad she resent it because I found it refreshing and brief enough to do even in the busiest of days. Thanks, Ellyn! 

Day 160: 6/10/11 Make Ken Breakfast In Bed

Day 160: 6/10/11
New Thing: Make Ken Breakfast In Bed
Inspiration: Ken
Cost: $5
Time: About 15 minuets                  
Bottom Line: A little way to say, "I love you."

Reflection: Lat night, Ken went to bed with a bit of a cold. Luckily, Delia has the day off from school today, so she and I went down stairs this morning to make Ken breakfast in bed.But before we made it there, Delia could not stop herself from running into our bedroom and telling Ken the plans we had in store for him. (She really is a mini-version of my sister). He is not really much of a breakfast eater, so the prep for this meal was minimal. However, the presentation more than made up for it, I feel. Here is the menu:

• His favorite bagel buttered all the way to the edges just like he likes them. (It is one of the few things that he really insists upon with his food--even and total butter coverage.)
• Coffee with a side of cream (I am not a coffee drinker, so I messed this up a bit. Let's just say it was a little strong.)
• A cloth napkin with a mini-rose from our bush and a supper hero action figure picked out by Delia for good measure.

Day 159: 6/9/11 Learn How to Tie a Kicky Scarf

Day 159: 6/9/11
New Thing: Learn How to Tie a Kicky Scarf 
Inspiration:  Fashion
Cost: $0 
Time: About a minuet                 
Bottom Line: Just call me a fashion plate!

Reflection: Today I tried out a cute scarf style! I used this tutorial video from Real Simple and was very pleased with the result. However, today was a "must-wear-my-collar" to work so I couldn't wear it to the office, but I will in the not-to-distant future.

Day 158: 6/8/11 Listen to an Akdamut for Shavuot

Day 158: 6/8/11
New Thing: Listen to an Akdamut for Shavuot
Inspiration: Shavuot
Cost: $0 
Time: A little over 10 minuets                
Bottom Line: Beautiful.

Reflection: Today is the Jewish holiday of Shavout. According to Wikipedia:

Shavout is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai. The date of Shavuot is directly linked to that of Passover. The Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover and immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the Giving of the Torah. On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.

Besides its significance as the day on which the Torah was revealed by God to the Jewish nation at Mount Sinai (which includes the Ten Commandments), Shavuot is also connected to the season of the grain harvest in Israel. It began with the harvesting of the barley during Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Shavuot. Shavuot was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest, just as the eighth day of Sukkot (Tabernacles) was the concluding festival of the fruit harvest.

So today to honor the festival, I listened to a Akdamut for the first time. Again, Wikipedia's description as follows:

A Akdamut (Aramaic: אקדמות) is a liturgical poem extolling the greatness of God, the Torah and Israel that is read publicly in the synagogue right before the morning reading of the Torah on the first day of Shavuot. It was composed by Rabbi Meir of Worms, whose son was murdered during the Crusade of 1096. Rabbi Meir was forced to defend the Torah and his Jewish faith in a debate with local priests, and successfully conveyed his certainty of God's power, His love for the Jewish people, and the excellence of Torah. Afterwards he wrote Akdamut, a 90-line poem in Aramaic which stresses these themes. The poem is written in a double acrostic pattern according to the order of the Hebrew alphabet. In addition, each line ends with the syllable "ta" (תא), the last and first letters of the Hebrew alphabet, alluding to the endlessness of Torah. The traditional melody which accompanies this poem also conveys a sense of grandeur and triumph.

The version I listened to can be found here and I highly recommend taking ten minuets to let this meditation wash over you. I found it to be very beautiful and rich and even more so given the religious and historical significance. I am hoping to learn much more about my Jewish brothers and sister this year, so you can expect more to come!

Day 157: 6/7/11 Create A 10K Worthy Playlist

Day 157: 6/7/11
New Thing: Create A 10K Worthy Playlist
Inspiration: DSY 10K Memorial Race, Facebook friends  
Cost: $0 
Time: Over an hour and not done yet               
Bottom Line: Can't wait to test drive this baby!

  
Reflection: In the not to distant future, I will be running my first ever 10k. I am sure that I will have lots more to say on that subject as the date draws closer. However, before I get to the race, I have to create an awesome playlist to help motivate me. I recently solicited suggestions on Facebook for perfect running songs, and you all did not disappoint! I have a ton of songs to add now, and I will be posting the "best of" tracks in a later post. When I listen to a really great song suggested by an equally great person (or Kara) I get doubly pumped and I am hoping that will help carry me to the finish line.  I started tackling this project tonight, but it is clear that this will take a few days. Can't wait to test this out. Thanks everyone!

Day 156: 6/6/11 Try Outdoor Fitness

Day 156: 6/6/11
New Thing: Try Outdoor Fitness   
Inspiration: Book: Tina Vindum's Outdoor Fitness    
Cost: $6 (used)
Time: About an hour               
Bottom Line: I really did find this refreshing and am looking forward to seeing how the plan progresses.

Reflection: As many of you know, I have been an avid gym user for several years now (actually, since high school) and enjoy having a place to go and exercise--especially the classes that are offered. However, it is not really friendly on the wallet or on the environment (treadmills, for example, use a ton of energy). So, in support of my new CREDO rule of life (in which I have pledged to save money to be a better steward of my families future and to live more sustainably), I have decided to suspend my gym membership for the summer.

One of the things that I am trying out in it's place is a new workout routine and philosophy developed by Tina Vindum in her book Outdoor Fitness. She has alot of great exercises and ideas for doing a gym like workout in your environment as well as honoring nature and the spirit within each of us. She has very good scientific data to support her claims that working outdoor will lead to improved fitness levels and a more peaceful state of mind. I enjoyed my first workout which I did running around the town and in a local playground and think that it really will be enjoyable and challenging as it progresses. At the very least, it will get me outdoors even more which is one of the places which I experience God all around me.

Day 155: 6/5/11 Celebrate World Environment Day

Day 155: 6/5/11
New Thing: Celebrate World Environment Day   
Inspiration: The UN's World Environment Day   
Cost: $0
Time: Several Hours               
Bottom Line: Thanks, World!

Reflection: Today is the UN International World Environment Day! You can find this description and their website here:

World Environment Day (WED) is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. WED activities take place all year round but climax on 5 June every year, involving everyone from everywhere. WED celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become the one of the main vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action. Through WED, the UN Environment Programme is able to personalize environmental issues and enable everyone to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development. WED is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.

In the Raining household, we marked the day in the afternoon (after church) with several different activities. We hung out an outdoor clothesline to mirror the one which we hung in the basement this winter, we had dinner outside, went without energy for a few hours, and I took Delia for a ride on her tricycle to look at trees.

Day 154: 6/4/11 Tour Eagles Mere and Attend a Self-Uniting Wedding

Day 154: 6/4/11
New Thing: Tour Eagles Mere and Attend a Self-Uniting Wedding    
Inspiration: Morgan and Brook   
Cost: $40ish
Time: A day and a half               
Bottom Line: Congratulations, Morgan and Brook!

The bride wore a beautiful purple dress.

Reflection: What a lovely day we had! Last night (Friday), we headed up to Eagles Mere, PA in the Poconos to start celebrating the wedding of Morgan and Brook taking place the next day. The next morning, our little family headed into the town to visit the cute shops, have a bite to eat, explore a little bit, and visit the playground near the lake. It was awesome and we are definitely going to head back. There is also Episcopal Church in town with all stained glass in several different styles as well as beautiful stone work.  

Middle of Town

In the Lake

The wedding itself was held at very cool lodge overlooking a beautiful mountain-scape. Since Morgan and Brook do not subscribe to faith system, they chose to have a "self-uniting" marriage with is legal in Pennsylvania thanks to our Quaker Friends. Here is wikipedia's description of such a wedding:

A self-uniting marriage is one in which the bride and groom are married without the presence of a third-party officiant. Although non-denominational, this method of getting married is sometimes referred to as a "Quaker Marriage". Although most states do not offer self-uniting marriage as an official option, Pennsylvania has recognized such marriages for centuries (due to its Quaker origins and history of religious tolerance) and has offered licenses for these marriages for decades. These marriages only require the signatures of two witnesses in place of an officiant.

Although it did not have some of the markers of a sacramental weddings that are important to my tradition and view of the theology of marriage (such as vows), it was still beautiful in its reflection of who Brook and Morgan are as a couple. It was very touching, for example, to hear the words of love that family and friends offered to the couple. I was honored to witness such a great couple come together as one. Also, the food was great! Congratulations, guys!! We wish you all the best and happiness in the world!

This dog and I share a beautiful name and an unmistakable fashion sense.