The Week of 1/22-1/28 - Conversion, Yoga & Strokes

The Week of 1/22-1/28
New Things:  Conversion, Yoga & Strokes
Inspiration: St. Paul, Book Club 

"MY EYES!!!!"

Reflection: This week marked the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle on 1-25. Here is the Wikipieda description: 

Within the New Testament, Paul's conversion experience is discussed in both Paul's own letters and in the Acts of the Apostles. In both instances, the conversion experience is described to be miraculous or revelatory in nature. According to both sources, Paul was never a follower of Jesus nor knew him before Jesus' crucifixion; instead he persecuted the early Christians. Although Paul refers to himself as an "Apostle" of Jesus, it is clear that Paul was not one of "The Twelve" apostles. Paul's conversion occurred after Jesus' crucifixion, and the accounts of Paul's conversion experience describe it as miraculous, supernatural, or otherwise revelatory in nature.

According to the accounts in Acts, around the year 36, Paul was on his way from Jerusalem for Syrian Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus, with the intention of returning them as prisoners for questioning and possible execution. The journey is interrupted when Paul sees a blinding light, and communicates directly with a divine voice:

"And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven: and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but beholding no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink."

— Acts 9:3–9

The account continues with a description of Ananias of Damascus receiving a divine revelation instructing him to visit Saul at the house of Judas on the Street Called Straight and there lay hands on him to restore his sight  Ananias is initially reluctant, having heard about Saul's persecution, but obeys the divine command.

In short, Paul, who had been persecuting Christians, was on his way to Damascus to do more of the same. On his way, he was temporarily blinded by a vision of Jesus. This event leads Paul to have a change of heart. He becomes a devoted believer in Jesus and he is one of the most influential and important Christians of all time. 

So, to celebrate this great moment in Christendom, I decided to do yoga blindfolded to experience a deep moment of faith without the use of my sight. This was a really moving experience--both in difficulty and in grace. It was hard to move through the poses with any kind of easy since part of holding a yoga posture is keeping the gazed fixed on certain points. It not only helps to move deeper into a pose, but also works to tune into the moment. My balance was a real challenge, for example, because I couldn't fix my eyes on something and so kept falling over. However, I was constantly reminded on how much I actually rely on God and how everything--right down to the senses we take for granted--are a gift.  

I also finished reading a really great book for my club called My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. Here is the description: 

On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven- year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life-all within four hours-Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. It would take her eight years to fully recover.

This book was a fascinating blend of science, story, and inner peace. Dr. Jill does a great job of relating what it was like to have a stoke and how she came back a changed yet healthy person. It has already helped me professionally as well since I often visit stoke victims on pastoral calls. I have actually started singing to one of my parishioners after talking with her speech therapist who told me it would help her right brain hemisphere re-teach her left hemisphere (where language capabilities dwell) how to talk again. She seems to enjoy it. 

Here is the prayer for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul: 

O God, who by the preaching of your apostle Paul have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

The Week of 1/13-1/21- Prayers, Wedding & Ordination

The Week of 1/13-1/21
New Things:  Prayers, Wedding & Ordination
Inspiration: St. Hilary—Bishop of Poitiers, Teacher of the Faith, and Doctor of the Church, Andy & Kim, Matt, St. David's 

Flower Girl

Reflection: Hello again! So, this marks the new weekly format for 365. I have to say that not having the daily responsibility of updating the blog has been really nice, but I have lost some of the drive without the accountability.  I am thinking that I will have to return to the daily format at some point during the year (like Lent and other major days and seasons) when I really need the added help with the discipline. We will see. Anyway, here are some of the highlights from this week:

St. Hilary and Crew

On 1-13, I celebrated the Feast of St. Hilary of Poitiers—Bishop of Poitiers, Teacher of the Faith, and Doctor of the Church. You may remember my celebration from last year (found here) when I honored the life of "The Hammer of the Arians"by learning a new hymn since he was not only a scholar but a musician and hymn writer. Before I hit the road to make my way to Reading, I ducked into the Drew Seminary Chapel to learn some Psalm settings that are in the Methodist Hymnal which I had never heard before. I was in there singing for a good 45 minuets and felt really grateful for the whole week and that moment. Hilary was one of my inspirations for beginning this Doctoral program in the first place, so it seemed fitting to cap off this week of learning this way.  I am still trying to figure out my nick-name: "Hammer of the Pot-Roasts" never seemed to catch on. Any suggestion? 

The Wedding Party

The next day, 1-14, was crazy! I did the very new thing of attending an ordination and a wedding on the same day. I made my way to Philly in the early morning light to be a part of my colleague and friend Matt's ordination to the priesthood. It was a really beautiful service filled with many blessings. The music was gorgeous and I was so touched to see a huge crowd from St. David's in attendance. Also, I got to see my friend Dave from NYC. You may remember him from Vocare last year. Yeah, Matt!

Matt, Me, and Dave

After that, I raced back to Reading for Andy and Kim's wedding! They had a lovely ceremony which included the handsome Ken as a groomsman and the beautiful Delia as a flower girl.  After the service we headed to the nuptial feast at the historic Lincoln Hotel where we danced the night away with some Moravian friends that I had not seen for years. A lovely night for a lovely couple. Congratulations!

Go Greyhounds!

However, the best story from this weekend was probably when I got back home. I was on the road well before dawn on Sunday morning to make it back in time to shower and change before services leaving Delia and Ken asleep in the hotel. Unfortunately, it wasn't until I got home that I realized that I did not have my house keys. So, I headed up to the church to see if they had a spare. They didn't. Frank (the Rector) came down to the house with me to see if we could break in and helped me literally climbed up the rain spout of our second story pouch believing that the back door might be unlocked. It wasn't. I used Frank's knife to cut open a screen on a window that appeared unlocked from the outside. It wasn't.  In fact, it was actually painted shut--something I did not realize until I had already ruined the screen. After I had climbed back down (almost falling on Frank in the process), Tom (one of the other Associates) tried to get one of the storm widows off and open an unlocked window. He couldn't. At least not with out a third trip to the church to get a drill which he used to get enough of the storm window frame off for us to get out fingers underneath and slide it open. Then I had to crawl in through the window. All the while, parishioners are starting to show up and I'm still in my jeans and boots and obviously locked out in the cold. Super Professional.

Perhaps, "Hammer of the House Keys?" "Hammer of the Graceful First Impressions?"

Update

Hi All!!

I just wanted to let you know that I have decided to keep doing new things everyday for this new year. However, I am planning on updated the blog more like once a week since updates take the most time every day. Thanks all!

Peace,
H

Day 377: 1/12/12 - Drew Day Four- Hotel Spa Night

Day 377: 1/12/12
New Thing: Drew Day Four- Hotel Spa Night
Inspiration: Doctoral Program at Drew               
Cost: Tuition
Time: A few hours                    
Bottom Line: Taking a little break

Organic Lavender Locally Grown Bath Salts

Reflection: I am just really digging this course. Our teacher, Sr. Kathleen, is a truly wise woman and she is really gracing us with her exemplary life and contemplative practices, and, just as the last time, my fellow students are broadening my mind with their many and varied faith traditions. As my mother in law, Connie, put it last night in my conversation with her, it is a moment to "savor."  So, I decided that tonight will be a night to just soak in and savor this moment with an in hotel room spa night. I headed out to the local Whole Foods and pick up some organic, lavender, locally grown bath salts (a new product for me), an exfoliation sponge (also new) and some facial wax strips (ouch--also new). I am going to have a bath tonight and just savor the moment and have a mini-retreat.

Day 376: 1/11/12- Drew Day Three- Write a Sermon as a Group

Day 376: 1/11/12
New Thing: Drew Day Three- Write a Sermon as a Group
Inspiration: Doctoral Program at Drew               
Cost: A lot  
Time: Only 45 minuets!!                   
Bottom Line: "They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ " -John 1:35-42

Reflection: We had an amazing group exercise today--we were given the assignment to write a sermon as a group. That's right--one sermon from six preachers. It was actually a very smooth and graced filled process. We started with a singing prayer and then did a group Lectio on the above quote. Finally, we narrowed in on a topic and built a sermon around that. It was actually very beautiful to see one word come from the same Spirit.

Day 375: 1/10/12 - Drew Day Two- Lectio Divina for the Church

Day 375: 1/10/12
New Thing: Drew Day Two- Lectio Divina for the Church.
Inspiration: Doctoral Program at Drew, Lectio Divina               
Cost: A lot  
Time: About 45 minuets                   
Bottom Line: "...and they will come in and go out and find pasture." -John 10:9

Reflection:  As I mentioned yesterday, I am back for my second semester here at Drew and I am taking a class centered on "The Contemplative Tradition & Contemporary Preaching." So far it has been a really energizing look at the history of contemplation almost as its own school of thought. Some of our "homework" (along with papers) has been to take these traditions and and put them into practice as a way to enrich our sermons and make us better pastors. If that wasn't awesome enough, our teacher is a Dominican Nun who has the gift of turning her life into a sermon (which would be very typical for Dominicans who carry the title of "O.P." after their names for "Order of Preachers").

One of our assignments today was to practice Lectio Divina (which I have written about before on this blog) holding both ourselves and our congregations up to God during our meditation and prayers. As you may remember, (and if not, Wikipedia is here to help us):

In Christianity, Lectio Divina (Latin for divine reading) is a traditional practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's Word. It does not treat Scripture as texts to be studied, but as the Living Word. Traditionally Lectio Divina has 4 separate steps: read, meditate, pray and contemplate. First a passage of Scripture is read, then its meaning is reflected upon. This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God.

My piece of scripture came from John 10:7-18 Jesus the Good Shepherd: 

So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’ 

As I read that over a few times, the phrase that stood out to me was the later half of John 10:9: "...and they will come in and go out and find pasture." For me personally, this was a real answer to a tangible prayer. As you know, I practice a style of yoga which has a deep emphasis on the breath. When you hold each pose, you are supposed to take 5 FULL breaths and that includes both the intake and the release of the breath. However, I have found that at times my breath can be very shallow or even rushed. That means that I do not always dwell in the place of learning through the posture that I am engaged in as long as I could it is as though I rush in and out of the pasture that God has lead me to. Yet, this line felt like the cadences of a breath to me and as I sat and meditated upon it, I found my breath slowing down and creating a space for the Holy Spirit within my soul. Simply by breathing in "they will come in" holding it a beat and then blowing out " and go out" and pausing over "and find pasture." I can already tell that this will help my go further in all postures of learning (both in yoga and in life) as a mantra that reminds me that where every I am, if I go there in Christ, I will be in pasture of peace and growth.

The second part of the reflection was for the church that we are caring for. I was struck by the idea that the same idea of dwelling where Jesus leads us goes for the Church as well as my yoga practice--that we are invited into a sacred place at St. David's (a pasture of rest) and then we go out into the word to help create places of pasture for others. In particular I started to think about the people who I know in St.David's and the broader church who need healing, and those who are about to move in and out of  new spiritual places in their lives (especially my friend and co-worker, Matt, who will be ordained a priest as well as Andy and Kim who will be married this week.). It became my prayer as I breathed this mantra that they would be ushered into a pasture of peace and then go into a place of growth for themselves and for the whole world.

Day 374: 1/9/12 - Begin a new semester at Drew

Day 374: 1/9/12
New Thing: Begin a new semester at Drew
Inspiration: Doctoral Program at Drew              
Cost: A lot  
Time: All week                  
Bottom Line: Back to School

Reflection: Today, I am back on campus for the second semester at Drew! I am very excited to dive into this week long intensive semester since the last one was so great. This time around, we are studying "The Contemplative Tradition and Contemporary Preaching." We have had a wonderful first day, but I am pretty worn out, so I'll be more in depth tomorrow..

Day 373: 1/8/12 - Blessing of Our House and Chalking the Door for Epiphany

Day 373: 1/8/12
New Thing: Blessing of Our House and Chalking the Door for Epiphany
Inspiration: The Feast of the Epiphany             
Cost: $0    
Time: About a half hour                  
Bottom Line: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” -Joshua 24:15 

Reflection: As I have written about in the last few days, Epiphany one of the Holy Seasons of the year. It is also a traditional time for house blessings. Normally, it is a blessing that is done as an annual renewal for dwellings or places of worship and an inscription is written in chalk over the door in chalk. (for example we did it at St. David's this morning with a whole procession of wise men and all). However, since we had yet to bless our house at all, we did a full room-to-room blessing complete with incense (in the form of an Native American Smudge Stick) and the water from the morning's Baptism at church to sprinkle. Actually, D. was a champion at that part (which you will see in a later update). We had a lovely little service to welcome God's blessing into every part of our dwelling.

I found this great introduction and copy of the Epiphany blessing at this blog if you are interested:

The Chalking of the Door is typically done on January 6^th on the Feast of the Epiphany which celebrates the revealing of Christ to the world in three events: in the visit of the Magi when He is revealed to the Gentiles, the baptism of Christ by John, and the changing of water to wine at the Cana wedding in Galilee. Immanuel (meaning 'with us, God' or more easily, 'God with us') reveals Himself to us and dwells with us, and we deeply desire that life in our homes will reveal Christ to others. 

This short liturgy is a way of yearly marking our homes, usually at the front or main entrance, with sacred signs and symbols to intentionally set our homes apart as places of Christian hospitality, as safe and peaceful outposts of the Kingdom of God in the world, as habitations of healing and rest. We invite God’s presence into our homes and ask His blessing upon all those who live, work, or visit throughout the coming year.

Chalk is used in this service as an ordinary substance of the earth, dust put to holy use. It reminds us that we are of the dust of the ground, the most ordinary of substances, and yet are fashioned as holy beings for most holy purposes. Chalk will not permanently mark the dwelling. Weather will likely cause the marking to fade over time, but each time we view it upon entering our homes we will remember the reason for it and rededicate ourselves to that purpose. Typically the markings are intended to remain at least until the Feast of Pentecost but need not be removed at all. Another year passes and a new Epiphany arrives, and we will again dedicate ourselves to be Lights of the World.

The Inscription

The inscription this year is: 

20 + C + M + B + 11.

Church tradition names three of the Magi, Caspar, Melchior (mel-kee-or) and Balthasar.  The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the world and especially the Gentiles, these Magi who worship Him by bowing and gift-bringing. The numbers of the year (this year 2011) are the bookends of the inscription.

C M B above the door, also stands for Christus Mansionem Benedicat, Latin for “Christ, this house, Bless.” Or, perhaps more easily, "May Christ bless this house."

Blessing of Chalk (by the priest)

V. Our help is the name of the Lord.
R. Who hath made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Priest: Let us pray.
May God, who provided a safe dwelling place for the eternal Word, bless this chalk, the homes of the faithful, and the people who live there, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

And the chalk may be sprinkled with Holy Water.

The Chalking of the Door
Leadership may be shared with a change of voice at each Leader’s part.

Leader: At the end of these days of Christmastide, we keep this Feast of Epiphany. We celebrate Christ made known to the Magi, to John in the River Jordan, and to the disciples at the wedding in Cana. Today Christ is made known to us! Today this home is a holy place!

Leader: Peace be to this house and to all who enter here.

Leader: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee—Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.

All: And the Gentiles shall walk in Thy light and kings in the splendor of Thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.

Take (blessed) chalk (of any color) and mark on the lintel of your front door 20 + C + M + B + 11 saying:

Leader: The Magi, C Caspar, M Melchior, B and Balthasar …came from the east to Bethlehem to adore the Lord. “They went into the house, and when they saw the child with His mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to Him.” [Matthew 2:11]

20 two thousand 11 and eleven years ago.

May + Christ (Christus), + our Home (Mansionem), + Bless (Benedicat), + and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

Leader: A reading from Proverbs 24:3-4:”Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.”

Leader: A reading from Isaiah 32:16-18 : “Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,”

Leader: Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, and thanksgiving to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. May this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. May we never forget Christ is present in the love and care we manifest to each other daily. May all who come rejoice to find Christ living among us as we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is Thine incarnate Word. Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Lord, remember your children and teach us to pray:

All: Our Father…
People may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of their baptism.
 
Leader: May the Lord watch + over our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and forevermore.

All: Amen.

Other prayers:
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Christ, God’s incarnation, is present in the love and care we manifest to each other in our ordinary daily lives together.

May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is thine incarnate Word, now and forever. Amen.

God of heaven and earth, thou hast revealed thine only-begotten One to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our concern for others may reflect thy love. We ask this through Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Loving God, bless this household. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness, and abiding in thy will. We ask this through Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Day 372: 1/7/12- Burning the Christmas Greens- Epiphany Burn!

Day 372: 1/7/12
New Thing: Burning the Christmas Greens- Epiphany Burn!
Inspiration: The Feast of the Epiphany, St. David's 20's & 30's Group              
Cost: $0    
Time: Three Hours                 
Bottom Line: Burn, baby, burn!

Hillary by firelight

Reflection: Hi all! I will get back to the 2011 year in review tomorrow after I write about this fun night we had at church. One of the oldest Epiphany traditions is to burn all of the Christmas greenery in a large bonfire on what is known as twelfth night. It symbolizes the coming of the light of Christ into the world and being manifest in our lives and the star that led the three wise men to Jesus. So, for our first ever 20's & 30's kick off event, we had a huge Christmas tree burn on the church grounds. It was the safest version of this that I had ever attended since I am use to a high pile of trees in some one's cornfield. But we had both permit in hand and the local fire department present to make sure we didn't burn down the almost 300 year old church. The weather was absolutely perfect (it was 65 degrees today!) and the moon was almost full. We also had 30 trees, some of which were huge! It was truly awesome and mesmerizing to watch since the dried out trees would burn in a matter of minuets in a ball of fiery glory. We even had cars honking at us from the far away road. Here are some shots (with thanks to my co-leader, Matt):

Trees in waiting

Matt taking one to the pyre

My turn

love it!

Day 371: 1/6/12- Celebrate The Feast of the Epiphany/ Top High Holy Day Related Posts from 2011

Day 371: 1/6/12
New Thing: Celebrate The Feast of the Epiphany/ Top High Holy Day Related Posts from 2011
Inspiration: 365 Alive, The Feast of the Epiphany             
Cost: $0    
Time: About an hour                
Bottom Line: "We three kings of Orient are..."

Reflection: Today is The Feast of the Epiphany. Here is James Kiefer's description:

"Epiphany" is a word of Greek origin, related to such English words as "theophany," "phenotype," and "phenomenon." It means an appearance, a displaying, a showing forth, a making clear or public or obvious. On this day, Christians have traditionally celebrated the making known of Jesus Christ to the world.Several events have been thought of as special instances of the making known of Our Lord, such as: His birth; the coming of the Magi; His Baptism; His first miracle at Cana. Current majority usage, at least in the West, celebrates His birth on 25 December, the coming of the Magi on 6 January, and His Baptism on the next Sunday. On the following Sundays up to the beginning of Lent, we remember Our Lord's public preaching of the kingdom, particularly the earlier stages of that preaching when opposition had not yet crystallized. On the Last Sunday after Epiphany (the Sunday before Lent), we commemorate the Transfiguration, the climax of this first phase of our Lord's public ministry. Today, then, we commemorate the visit of the Magi, a token of the day when all the peoples of the earth will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, God, and Savior. The visit of the Magi is recorded in the second chapter of Matthew.

A few years ago, we had the pleasure of joining Anne Kitch and her family as they celebrated "Three Kings Day" in their home. All of the kids dressed up as the wise men and went in search of the Christ Child by following a set of clues that Anne had made. Well, we have stolen that tradition this year and had our own Jesus hunt. 

I hid all of the pieces of D.'s plush Nativity in different places of the house and then the three of us got dressed up to go on the hunt after I read the story. Now, I had envisioned that we would dress in more traditional Kings clothes--but D. opted to go as a fairy and Ken chose a bathrobe, tie, news-boy hat, and cape. So, I let them dress me and they came up with quiet the costume as you will see. We even had a lantern with stars cut into it to lead us by starlight. Jesus was found in a chalice in our upstairs candle lit chapel to remind us that Christ comes to us in many ways including the Holy Eucharist. We all said prayers together to thank God for coming into our midst--even in the form of a young child found in a manger or a crazy little family. Here are some pics:

Reading the story.

Getting ready for the hunt.

Mimi at the manger.

We found him!

This whole thing has me thinking about the different traditions that we have established as a family this year surrounding the High Holy Days. As a Christian patent, it is important to me to bring God into our everyday lives and not just leave the rituals to Sunday mornings.  It feel as though we have gotten away from the "home religion" and was amazed to find some many ways people have marked Holy Days through the years and all over the world. With that in mind, I knew I wanted to make the Church Calendar a priority in our own family calendar. Here are a few of my favorites that will become staples for us. 

EDIT: So, after going through all of these celebrations and not even hitting all of them (not to mention some of the other non-feast-day ways we celebrate God in our family this year like Moses bath time)I have to say that I am truly humbled and so grateful to see this hand print of God on our household. It has been such a blessing to celebrate God and his saints and to see how that has carried us and united us as a family. My heart is warmed by this reflection.

• Day 339: 12/6/11New Thing: Celebrate St. Nicholas Day
• Day 314: 11/11/11New Thing: Martinmas Lantern Walk
• Day 271: 9/29/11New Thing: Celebrate Michaelmas 
• Day 226: 8/15/11New Thing: Make a Marian Lady Chapel with Delia
• Day 218: 8/7/11New Thing: Transfiguration for the Transfiguration 
• Day 113: 4/24/11New Thing: Easter Egg Cook-Out
• Day 111: 4/22/11New Thing: Build a Tomb out of Dough for Good Friday
• Day 106: 4/17/11New Thing: Palm Sunday Easter Baking & Paschal Butter Lamb
• Day Eighty-Four: 3/25/11New Thing: Prayer Day- Sowing Seeds in Celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation 
• Day Thirty Two: 2/1/11 New Thing: Celebrating The Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas)

Day 370: 1/5/12- Natural Organics Tinted Moisturizer/ Top Exercise Related Posts from 2011

Day 370: 1/5/12
New Thing: Natural Organics Tinted Moisturizer/ Top Exercise Related Posts from 2011
Inspiration: 365 Alive, New Product             
Cost: $5 (on sale)    
Time: About two seconds                
Bottom Line: Nice!

Reflection: I tried a new moisturizer today that is organic has a ton of other good stuff. It also has SPF15 and is slightly tinted so I do not even have to wear make-up. I really liked the way if covered and felt very light. A perfect way to blend beauty and Eco-stweardship.

I tried to keep things interesting in my exercising routines this year. Since exercise is one of the ways I stay sane, it was great to try new stretch both my body and mind. Here were some of my favorites:

• Day 283: 10/11/11New Thing: Bike Buggy-This was a day for adventure. D. and I took the the streets and peddled our way around the town.
• Day 290: 10/18/11New Thing: Second Day of Fall Hike-Halfway AT Mark   -Dad and I love to hike and this was one of our best. On this day we made it to the half-way marker of the Appalachian Trail.
• Day 255: 9/13/11New Thing: NYC Kayaking Adventure!  -Even though this day involved Kara, it was truly amazing to see the NYC skyline from a small kayak. The rest of the day was full of new things as well.
• Day 219: 8/8/11New Thing: Kayaking on the Susquehanna with Ali!-Spending the day with one of my favorite people in one of my favorite places. What could be sweeter?

These were all great, but yoga and running really stood out for me as adding new dimensions to my spiritual life as well so they get their own special mention: 

• Day 355: 12/22/11New Thing: Winter Solstices Yoga Advent Spiral  -Most amazing yoga of the year on the longest night of the year. 
• Day 230: 8/19/11New Thing: Try Mysore Ashtanga Yoga-This new practice will stay with me for a life time. It has helped me with my meditation and I can actually touch my toes for the first time ever! 
• Day 168: 6/18/11New Thing: Run a 10K Race--and Take the Sliver!-Sliver, Baby!!!
• Day 171: 6/21/11New Thing: Celebrate the Summer Solstice by Setting Fire to Disappointments -This was a great way to start anew in body and soul. 

Day 369: 1/4/12- "Source Code"/ Top Movie Related Posts from 2011

Day 369: 1/4/12
New Thing: Source Code/ Top Movie Related Posts from 2011
Inspiration: 365 Alive, Ken            
Cost: $0   
Time: About two hours                
Bottom Line: Viewing pleasure 

Reflection: Today, Ken and I watched the movie Source Code. The premise was about a wounded solider who was being sent back in time (sort-of) to try and stop a bomber from blowing up Chicago. It was just o.k. Better idea than execution.

Speaking of movies, here are my five top ones from this year (I only chose movies that were released this year on the big screen even though I loved showing D. some of my favorite movies from my childhood for the first time.):

• Day 204: 7/24/11New Thing: The New Winnie the Pooh Movie & Nerds Ice cream- Since Winnie is one of my favorite childhood characters, I was very excited to take D. and her friends to this movie while on our summer vacation to the shore.   
• Day 328: 11/25/11New Thing: The Muppets- I think this was my favorite movie of the year. If you haven't seen it, you really must. 
• Day 197: 7/17/11New Thing: The Last Ever Harry Potter Movie -This was the end of an era and the best HP movie of them all. 
• Day Twenty Three: 1/23/11 New Thing: True Grit/First Western on the Big Screen- This was my second favorite movie of the year. It was beautifully told and left Ken and I talking for days latter.

Day 368: 1/3/12- Make Gingerbread House/ Top 3 Weird Holiday Related Posts from 2011

Day 368: 1/3/12
New Thing: Make Gingerbread House/ Top 3 Weird Holiday Related Posts from 2011           Inspiration: 365 Alive, Christmas            
Cost: $10ish    
Time: About an hour               
Bottom Line: On the 10th day of Christmas...we made a gingerbread house.

Reflection: One of the things about Christmas that I think can be lost in the secular realm is that Christmas is indeed a 12 day season. So, in our house we try to do Christmas stuff for as long as it lasts. Today, we continued our celebration by making a gingerbread house from a Trader Joe kit. We made the icing, stuck the pieces together, and had a ton of fun putting the candy decoration on. It turned out really nicely, but the next day I caught D. eating all of the candy off the house. She was WIRED for the rest of the night. No sugar for her again until she is 21 years old.

Now, back to the reflection of the year. One of the fun things about this year was discovering how many strange holidays there are in every month. Who knew that there was a whole month dedicated to pomegranates? Here were some of the most fun ones:

1. Day 237: 8/26/11-New Thing: Celebrate American Artiest Appreciation Month by Making an Artist Trading Card   - There was never a doubt for me who was my favorite American artiest--Ali W. Wilson my little sister. I love her vision, style and use of color. Her subject matter is always very spiritual and touching. I celebrated her talent by making an artist trading card in her honor. Thanks for making the world a little more beautiful, Ali!
2. Day 210: 7/30/11-New Thing: Celebrate National Share a Sunset with Your Lover Month-On this holiday, Ken and I climbed up on our roof and shared the sunset together. Super romantic.
3. Day 208: 7/28/11-New Thing: Voices from the Past and New Ice Cream- July was National Ice cream Month and I took it very seriously trying tons of new flavors including this day's new one: chocolate banana. This post also had a story about finding a tape that my sister and childhood best friends had made together many years ago. More important than those childhood memories, however, was the song "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys which was featured prominently on the tape.

Day 367: 1/2/12- Start "Fit Book"/ Top 3 Food Posts from 2011

Day 367: 1/2/12
New Thing: Start "Fit Book"/ Top 3 Food Posts from 2011                      
Inspiration: 365 Alive, New Year's Resolution           
Cost: $0 (Christmas Gift)   
Time: A few minuets              
Bottom Line: Time to get fit!

Cute little fitness tool.

Reflection: So, I figured that if I decide to go ahead with this project for another year, I had better get started on those new things now. Have to be legitimate after all. Today, I started using a new fitness aid called "fit book" which is a cute little workout log. I normally use an online tool for this kind of thing, but this one has all that you could want in one handy little book. Since I am one of those people who always has exercise and fitness new year's resolutions, this will come in handy during the following weeks.

Now, back to the countdown. I have had some amazing meals this year. Honestly, I don't think I have ever eaten so well. Part of that was being willing to try new items that would not normally be on my plate, which is a good metaphor for life.  So, here are my top 3 food moments of this year:

1. Day 365 12/31/11 A Sweet End to a Sweet Year- On the last day of 2011, the three of us stopped off at Hershey, PA and had our picture put on a chocolate bar. This sweet memento was a perfect way to commemorate a year dedicated to love and heartiness in all forms. 
2. Day 327 11/24/11 Organic Thanksgiving at New House- As always, Thanksgiving was a wonderful celebration this year with Doug and Ali. But we had even more to be thankful for this year since it was the first holiday celebrated in our new house in Wayne, PA. To top it all off, almost the whole feast was organic which blended in deliciousness with the commitment made to Eco-stewardship for this endeavor.  I can still taste that turkey. 
3. Day 251: 9/9/11 New Thing: Make Ice-cream, Re-Learn How to Knit, and Split an Apple with my Bare Hands!  - Not only did I feel like a superhero by being able to split an apple with my bare hands (thanks to Ellyn), and not only was the ice cream (made with extract from organic mint from my garden) supper tasty (thanks to Andrew), I remember this day as being one of the most pleasant afternoons spent over at my friend's house all summer. I really miss you guys, and this kind of home-spun fun shows why. 
4. Day Forty Nine: 2/18/11- Watch My Father Prepare Dinner - ok- I had to add this one for the sheer magnitude of it. It still blows my mind.   

Special Sub Category: Food and Spirtultiy
As I was looking over all the "food" post from the last year, I really felt like I had to add this sub-category since I was very suprised by the many ways food entered into my prayer life this year. Yet, since my theology is so centered around the incarnation (God dwelling with us), this may not be that surprising at all. After all, many of Jesus' ministerial moments are centered around food and the impact that our bodies have on our lives. Anyway, there were so many of these kinds of entries that it definitely garnered it's own mention:

• (#3) Day 127: 5/8/11- CREDO Day 7: Early Morning Lake Logan Canoe Ride, Massage & Finale CREDO Plan- This was the celebration meal from the most important day of my Clergy CREDO Retreat Conference. The whole day was filled with reflection and sabbath rest. Since we were in North Carolina, we were treated to true Southern BBQ. I am pretty sure that this was the best meal I have ever had in my whole life. 
• (#2) Day Ninety-Six: 4/7/11- Mindful Eating Meditation - When I started this meditation, I thought I knew what to expect--but actually wound up in tears instead. 
• (#1) Day Sixty: 3/1/11- Celebrate The Feast of St. David of Wales with Soup, Song, and Going Sans-Meat- Fasting was a very big part of my year in 2011 which is a definitely change for me. I will have more to say about that in a later post about Spirituality. However, I felt the need to highlight this post as it is a true Holy Spirit moment. I have never spent any time at all thinking about St. David of Wales until I decided to go on a meat and sugar fast to commemorate his dedication to ascetic living. Since it was a clergy day, I also had the opportunity to celebrate his feast with Eucharistic and Welsh hymns. Flash forward five months when I hear, out of the blue, about a church in Wayne that is quietly look for a new priest and that said church just happens to have St. David of Wales as it's patron saint. How's that for an awesome food moment?!
  

Day 366: 1/1/12- Try Nothing New/ Top 3 Funniest Posts from 2011

Day 366: 1/1/12
New Thing: Try Nothing New/ Top 3 Funniest Posts from 2011                      
Inspiration: 365 Alive          
Cost: $0   
Time: All day             
Bottom Line: Relaxin'

"Balloon-Head" liked this post as well.

Reflection: This year has taught me that the gift of laughter is one of the things I love most about my family. These three post really show that and, for me, they were the most fun posts to write all year. My family is so consistently funny that it was hard to pick just three but here are what I felt were the top funniest post of 2011:

• (#3) Day 48- 2/17/11 Skiing with New (to me) Skis!- On this day Dad, Ali, Doug and I headed to Elk Mountain to try out the new (to me) skis that Ali gave me. Hilarity (and a ski crash) ensued. 
• (#2) Day 15- Finish Delia's Baby's Scrapbook-  As inspiration to finish Delia's baby book, I looked to my own collection of happenings and history gathered by my mother. I have to admit, I was pretty surprised at what was considered "noteworthy" that first year of my young life.
• (#1) Day 108- 4/19/11 Make Easter Bonnet Headband for Delia- This post blended one of my favorite craft projects from the year with one of my funniest memories of all time. As I put together an Easter headband for Delia, I was reminded of the time that my Mom "made" me a "bonnet" of my own for my nursery school's Easter Parade. As you can see from the picture above, this did not end well.