Friday Five -- Books

From RevGalBlogPals, let's talk about the books in your life...

1. STUDYING: What is your favorite book or series for sermon prep or study? Or have you moved from books to on-line tools for your personal study? Years ago, when I took my first class on sermon prep, the teacher recommended a couple of commentary series.  One of them was the Daily Bible Study series by William Barclay.  I started collecting those, and now, years later, have the series in my office.  At my latest sermon prep class, the teacher recommended the Feasting on the Word commentaries, which I've started using.  I also really like my New Interpreter's Study Bible for the notes.
2. IN THE QUEUE: Do you have a queue of books you are longing to read or do you read in bits and pieces over several books at a time? What's in the queue? I do usually have more than one book going at a time, and keep a list in a queue.  In my head.  I don't get to read nearly as much as I used to, though.
3. FAVORITE OF ALL TIME: What's one book that you have to have in your study? Is it professional, personal, fun or artistic? (For instance, I have a copy of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It just helps sometimes.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon remains one of my favorites.  Recently, I read Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.  It is now my favorite photography book.   
4. KINDLE OR PRINT? or both? Is there a trend in your recent purchases?  My answer is a little complicated.  For books I read for pleasure, I buy Kindle books and read them mainly on my Kindle Touch.  For books I want to annotate, I used to always buy the print version.  Lately, I've been buying the Kindle version, and reading them on my iPad, which has some great highlighting capabilities.  For books that have images, I buy Kindle and read on my iPad.  I still buy a few print books, but not many.  I just have too much trouble finding a place to store them.  I also have a membership at Audible -- I like to listen to books as well. 
5. DISCARDS: I regularly cruise the "FREE BOOKS" rack at our local library. (I know, I know. It's a bad habit!) When's the last time you went through your books and gave some away (or threw some away?) Do you remember what made the discard pile?  The last time I did this, I got rid of lots of college textbooks.  I need to do it again.

BONUS: Post a picture of the present state of your study!  One of my joys is that I now (with the job I currently have) have a real live office.  I'll try to remember to post a picture of it later this week.  I will not be posting a picture of our bookshelves at home.  :-O

Blogging

From RevGalBlogPals Friday Five:

1. When did you start blogging? What/who prompted you?  I started out as a blogger who wrote about knitting (at my other blog).  I still maintain that blog, but I started this one to write about things other than knitting.  Pretty soon, I was writing poetry and posting it on my Thoughts blog. 
2. How often do you post? How often do you visit blogging friends and/or other blogs?  I blog several times a week.  I visit other blogs pretty often.
3. Why do you keep on blogging?  I keep blogging because it promts me to think.  I opens my eyes to God. 
4. What do you like to write about?  I like blogging the most when I have had an "ah ha" moment, and I can express it in words.  It most often happens when I have been reading something that sparks my thoughts.  It's harder to blog when I haven't been reading.
5. Have your blogging habits changed--or are they changing?  I used to blog every day.  Every single day.  I don't do that anymore.

Simpler

The question from RevGalBlogPals this past Friday was, "What are 5 things you do or things you have bought that have made your life simpler/easier to manage?"

1. When we bought our new TV, we ended up with three remote controls, and no real way to reduce that number to just one, until I found a Logitech universal remote control. I downloaded a program to my laptop, plugged in the remote, and programmed it to work our devices. Genius.
2. I'm not sure if this makes my life easier or simpler, but maybe it does. At the beginning of the year, we bought a new fridge. I love it. I love the water and ice in the door, the extra space -- I love everything about it.
3. My iPad has been a great purchase. It felt like a luxury when I bought it -- and it probably is -- but it has been great to be able to take it to church meetings and have all of my paperwork for meetings with me. Whenever I go to a meeting, I scan the agenda, minutes, etc, so that for the next meetings, all of my information is with me. And then, I throw away the paper copies (recycle them). Great -- no messes.
4. I get hot during the day, and I was always turning my air conditioning in my office down and then up and then down and then up. I found a little fan, the size of a small melon or large tomato. It sets on my desk, and I turn it on when I get hot and then off. So great. So easy.
5. The Kuerig coffeemaker. I don't make coffee, but I use it for tea and even hot cereal (using it for hot water). Steve uses it faithfully every day -- great for coffee

Summer

What are five things you love about summer (question from RevGalBlogPals):

1. Vacation. 
2. No worry about snow
3. Sandles
4. No arguments about homework
5. The relaxed feel of summertime.

Dreams

The Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals (once again, amazingly taken up by me actually on Friday):

I (writes Jan) have just started studying Jung and dreams with a group of friends. I am hearing about lucid dreaming and imagining, which have opened me up to wondering about dreams in general. So how about wondering with me?

1.  Everyone dreams: Do you remember your dreams? How often?  I often remember my dreams when I wake up in the middle of the night -- I don't as often remember them in the light of day, but sometimes.
2. Did you or do you have a recurring dream? Share it, if you'd like.  I don't have one recurring dream -- as the next question asks, I have recurring images.
3. Have you ever had recurring themes or images in dreams? Examples?  Walking around in my dreams wearing whatever I'm sleeping in, such as going to work in my pajamas.  Airplanes crashing while I watch them from the ground. 
4. Do you day dream? About what?  I used to more often than I do now.  I would make up stories in my head -- mental writing, I supposed I would call it.  I don't do it as much any more because my mind feels to busy.  I start the story and I'm off worrying about something else.
5. What are your dreams/hopes/goals for the future?  Oh, I'm not sure.  Get my kinds through college.

Five Summer Things

This from the Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals.  And it's even Friday:

In my neck of the woods folks who have children of a certain age are doing a dead sprint through end of school year activities: piano recitals, baseball tournaments, travel soccer games, gymnastics meets, dance recitals, graduations, band concerts, field trips and end-of-the year fill in the blank.

I'm ready for Summer. True, I still have to work, but I'm ready for a different rhythm, some more free space to do stuff and the trips we have planned.

Please tell us five things you are doing this Summer.

Bonus? One thing you're not doing, but WANT to be doing.
Here where we live, school is already out for both our college student and our high school student, but the question hits the nail on the head -- we have been rushing in a dead sprint through all of the end of year activities, especially musical ones.  In fact, I just got home from a piano recital. 
Five things I'll be doing this summer:

1. Spending much of the beginning of summer with our youngest or my hubby away from home.  June into July is a travel month.  We'll start with Annual Conference, then J goes to an Arts Academy and then he goes to SYC.  After that, Steve is going on his bike ride (second one for June), and soon after he gets back, we're going on vacation.
2. When we get back from vacation, I'll be co-coordinating the volunteers for the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in Charleston.  And up until that time, I'll be working to get ready for it.  I'll be glad when that is done.
3. I hope I can find the time to learn to how to use Photoshop Expressions.  I just keep learning bits and pieces of it, but I want to learn it intentionally.
4. Read more.  I'm not sure that related to it being summer, though.  I used to read without any effort, but now I have to intentionally find the time for it.
5. Did I say go to the beach?  Go to the beach.  We didn't go last year; we cruised instead.  That was great, but I'm looking forward to beach.

One thing I won't be doing that I would like to do?  Hmmm.  Going to Scotland/Ireland/Britain.  Cruising the coast of New England and Canada.  Parking in our garage (although by the end of summer, maybe). 

Vital connections

A Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals:

1. How do you intentionally make a vital daily connection with God? What roots you and gives you life?  I wish I could say that I am good at this, but I do feel most connected when I do daily devotional time, read/study with regularity, attend my reunion group meetings, attend Bible study ... it's nothing extraordinary, but it requires discipline.  It's kind of like sensible eating and exercise.  It's not a glamorous answer, but truth.
2. Do you have a favourite space/ place that you go to?  I have a chair in my office near a window where I will read devotional -- it's like stepping away from my desk and from my regular routine.  I like to go to the chapel in the church where I work for times of prayer. 
3. Is there a particular passage, phrase or prayer that brings you immediately into God's presence?"Be still and know...."
4. Music- essential ingredient or distraction- discuss  Yes.  Both.  Sometimes silence for prayer, sometimes musics brings me into God's presence.
5. Silence and solitude or engagement with like minded others? Yes.  Both.

Essentials

Last week's Friday Five:

Every area is different. What are the 5 key essentials needed for where you live?

1. From where I live, you just can't walk there from here.  An essential for living where I live is a car.
2. I live on a hill, and there are ties when it is best to park at the bottom of the hill and walk between the car and the house (because the car won't make it up or down the hill).  So, a couple of essentials for where we live is a warm winter coat, a scarf, gloves, and a hood or hat.
3. Along the same line are shoes that will keep you from falling down.  I call mine my "ugly shoes."  Boots would work as well -- tread is the key ingredient.
4. The key to the weather in WV is to be prepared for anything.  So add umbrella to the list, because it is going to rain.
5. And in the summer, it is hot, so be prepared, if you live where I live, with cool clothes in the summer.

Valentines

From RevGalBlogPals:

It's Valentine's Day on Tuesday.... So, share 5 Valentines you would like to give this year, and why-- but here is the hitch, you can't give them G-d, Jesus, Holy Spirit...or your mom, your beloved, your sweet child(ren)...tell us about the other amazing beings in your life.

That's difficult.  What if I listed 5 valentines I would send to people -- just today?  Who would they be if I had to not include family or God?

1. A women called me this morning.  Her mother died last night.  Today she is working her way through funeral plans.  Our Foundation is to the "in lieu of flowers" recipient for donations.  She said, "my mother lived an incredible life."  She was obviously amazed by her mother and her mother's generosity, and she is trying to honor her through these gifts. 
2. Since I can't, by definition of the game, list my Mom, who is ALWAYS helping, I'll list my brother-in-law, who today provided Plan B.
3. S, who is new in the very complicated job she has, but is still moving forward, trying to do all she can to do it all right.
4. D, who is trying to help someone.
5. M, whose birthday we are celebrating.
6. B, who is living life, no matter what, and J, who is listening to him.

Amazing people. They are in my days, every day, different each day.

Recommendations

Last week's Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals:

1. Recommend a favorite worship resource or devotional book. I consistently (if by consistently you understand that I mean "mostly, when I remember to...") use the Upper Room's Disciplines as a devotional resource.  I like it better than the Upper Room because each week is written by one author and has a lectionary theme. 
2. Recommend a blog that you like to read that you think others might find enjoyable.  My favorite blog is a knitter's blog -- The Yarn Harlot (www.yarnharlot.com).  I know, if you don't read knitting blogs that you might think I'm exaggerating, but she's hilarious.  
3. Recommend a fiction book that you think people might like.  I'm currently re-reading (for the umptheeth time) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  It's one of my very favorites.
4. Recommend a favorite recipe website. O.k., if you aren't into cooking or food, then just recommend a random website that you find useful, hilarious, mind numbing or thought provoking.   I'm not sure I have a favorite recipe website, but I have started using the Paprika app on my iPhone and iPad. Great recipe tool!
5. And for the last recommendation--it's bloggers' choice! Make a recommendation for anything!  I'm also reading Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of Their Stories by Tikva Frymer-Kensky.  I would highly recommend it.  I'm working my way through it slowly, a chapter at a time, and savoring it. 

Free Gifts

This, from today's Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals:

So take a bit of time to think back over the last year and ponder the gifts it has offered to you, then list five of those gifts, in no particular order- there is only one rule- all of these gifts must have been free, neither you nor anyone else should have spent money on them!
Thinking back over this past year, here are five free gifts I have received, in no particular order:

1. Watching my sons grow a year older....  I have noticed that they are changing, growing up, in many different ways.  It is a gift to watch that happen.
2. The opportunity to lead a Walk to Emmaus
3. The gift of time from friends.... In this busy world, it is a gift when others choose to spend time with us
4. Gifts of encouragement and affirmation from family and friends.
5. My husband's love.

There are many others.... I am truly blessed.  I'm not sure this was the purpose of this question, but this is what came to mind.

Scattered

Today's Friday Five:
(From RevGalBlogPals): So, I don't know about you, but I have had quite the scattered week. Sometimes, life is that way, right?  In the spirit of Scattered-ness, I offer you a scattery kind of Friday Five:

1. I lose my keys all of the time. Even if they are in my hand, I still am looking for them. Sigh!  What is something you chronically looking for, if anything?  It used to be shoes -- I would just drop them anywhere in the house.  I try to make sure I put them in the closet now, so that's not as much of a problem.  I'm always looking for my sunglasses.  I often misplace whatever it is that I have in my hand -- "I just had that!  Where is it?"  I always lose the scissors and tape when I am wrapping gifts.  I've even tied them together, but then I just lose them both!
2. What movie are you looking forward to watching sometime in the future? (me, the new Footloose!)I love movies, but I can't think of one that is coming out that is on my list of "I must go see it as soon as it comes out."  I am looking forward to the premier of Bones on TV, but that's not a movie.
3. What is one of your favorite comfort foods? (me, pizza. hands down).  Chocolate!
4. Story time. Tell us a story of one your favorite people that has touched, blessed your life.  I'm blessed that many favorite people touch my life.  A story from today -- Steve went to a funeral today of a man who died unexpectedly at 54 years old.  He left behind at least a couple of children -- two adults, one of them 18.  The 18 year old spoke at his father's funeral.  Steve was texting Grant, who told him what a terrific father he is.  I know that he is, and I know Grant thinks so, too, but I'm glad he articulated that to his father.
5. What do you do to focus or calm or center yourself? (please, I need ideas!!!)  Knit.  Read.  Photograph.  Watch television (is that considered a centering activity?).  Use prayer beads in prayer.  Write.  Talk.

What are you seeking?

From the Friday Five:

. . . let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.

Seeking is rejoicing. Rejoicing comes from the seeking, NOT the end of glory, heaven, enlightenment, or whatever. Seeking is the journey--RIGHT NOW!

So for this Friday Five, list what you are seeking, whether it is trivial, profound, or ordinary--whatever you would like to share! 

1. Certification as a Certified Lay Minister -- I'm working on my last two modules.
2. Enough writers from my church to compile an Advent Devotional booklet
3. A day I can sleep late.  Saturdays are filling up through the end of October.
4. Time to catch up with what I am doing at work.  I seem to have lots of piles on my desk.  Maybe I am seeking a neat desk.
5. Something to eat for breakfast.  We need to go to the store.

Crosses

This week's Friday Five is all about the tschotske in your workplace. Describe five things in/on your workspace:

How about some crosses?

• There is a metal cross in my office composed of butterflies.  It was hanging on the wall above my desk, but I bumped it, and now it is behind my desk. My immovable desk.  Someday, I'll figure out how to get it back.
• There is another cross on my desk, crocheted out of blue and white cotton floss.  My first Annual Conference as Associate Director, a retired minister handed it to me.  I have since gotten to know him better, and I cherish his thoughtful cross.
• There is another cross in my office, made out of pottery, and given to me by the chairperson of our Board a couple of years ago at Christmas.  It was handmade in West Virginia.  It is in two pieces, breaking when it fell over.  I keep meaning to glue it back together, but keep forgetting to bring the glue to work.
• I have a green Celtic-style cross hanging in my window. It's made out of metal and glass, and the light passes beautifully through it.
• On my bookshelf is a set of prayer beads -- blue, with another butterfly cross as the centerpiece.  It matches the larger, lost behind the desk one.

September already

On Thursday morning, the first thing I said to Steve was, "It's September."  It seems like summer has flown by.  I won't be sorry to see the heat end -- it was 99F this weekend, but I can't believe it is September already.

The FridayFive this week asked readers to name five things that the beginning of September means to you:

1. Back to school.
2. End of the chance for vacations.
3. Looking forward to the cooling of the air
4. Starting to think about planning the Advent devotional.
5. Beginning to realize I should have started planning the Advent devotional in August.
6. Premier of new seasons of television shows.
7. Crayons.
8. Programming season starting at church.
9. End of the summer schedule at work.
10. Socks
11. Apples
12. Days getting shorter, which means the sun will probably be in my eyes going and coming from work.
13. Band practice, piano practice, trumpet ensemble practice, band competitions, football games, sectional practice, band emails, high school open house.
14. Preparation for a fall Emmaus walk, especially this year.
15. NAUMF

That's more than 5, but September is a month of transition for us.

Staycation

This week's Friday Five:

1. Have you ever 'staycationed' in order to work on a project? If no, would you?  No, I haven't done that before.  I always say that I might, but I have never fallen through with it.  Although, now that I think about it, I used to take off the week between Christmas and New Year's, and I would stay home.  I mainly did it to have a time of relaxation after the hectic holiday. 
2. What project did you or would you tackle first? I would love to get rid of some things in our house. Clean out.  Straighten up.  Declutter.  Simplify.
3. Any other projects?  Paint the house? 
4. What are the pitfalls of a staycation for you?   While I say that I would clean, what I would really want to do is go see a movie, take a day trip, knit, watch TV or movies -- just relax.
5. Never mind this staying at home business, where do you want to go and what do you want to do there?  While we were on vacation this year -- a cruise -- my two favorite things were relaxing in the morning in a deck chair and spending dinner with my guys.  That sounds good to me. 

Decisions

Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals -- which of the pair appeals to you? 

1. Sunrise or Sunset -- I don't think there is a way I could choose.  Both can be equally beautiful.  I suppose sunrise requires rising myself, early, so maybe that's the tipping point to help me choose sunset.  BUT, I've seen some beautiful sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean....
2. To the Mountains or to the Beach -- To the beach.  I live in the mountains, and while they are beautiful, take me to the beach.
3. Coffee or Tea -- Tea, definately.
4. Advent or Lent -- Advent would be my favorite if it weren't the four weeks leading to Christmas.  Too stressful.  So, I guess I choose Pentecost.  What a way to avoid a decision.
5. "Raindrops on Roses" or "Whiskers on Kittens" -- Hmmm.  Neither.  I choose the look on a puppy's face when she's happy.

Alphabetical Thanksgiving

On Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals, there was a suggestion to use the first letters of your name to list what you are thankful for.  Surely, I can think of more than three things, and it kind of seems like a harder challenge to use the entire alphabet:

A -- air conditioning
B -- beagle (our dog)
C -- chocolate
D -- dishwasher
E -- electricity
F -- friends
G -- Grant
H -- home
I -- iProducts (yes, I am thankful for them)
J -- Josh
K -- knitting
L -- love
M -- Mom
N -- non-smoking restaurants
O -- office (my office in particular)
P -- paper, printers, pens
Q -- Quick Oats for breakfast
R -- reading material (books, electronic books, blogs)
S -- Steve
T -- Trinity -- God, Jesus, Spirit
U -- United Methodist Church
V -- Victory in Christ
W -- work
X -- XOXOXOXO
Y -- yarn
Z -- zippers

Blogging

Friday Five from last week -- questions about Blogging:

1. Have your blogging (writing/reading) habits shifted since the days of yore?  I used to write longer posts, and sometimes more than once a day.  I also used to "see" posts more readily in what is around me.  I definitely took and posted more pictures in the past.  I don't read as much as I used to -- what I read has always been "post starts" for me.
2. Do you have some favorites that you miss?  I miss Cheesehead.
3. Are there some blogs you still put in the 'must read' category?  One of my favorite blogs is actually a knitting blog -- Yarn Harlot.  I always look for new posts from Stephanie.
4. If we gathered at your knee, what would you tell us about those early days of blogging?  I don't really have any stories from the early days of blogging.  I miss those who used to read the blog who I think no longer do. 
5. Do you have a clip or a remembrance of a previous post of yours or someone else's that you remember, you know an oldie but goodie?  Oh, no, not really.  The first set of poems I wrote still stick in my mind.  There was one I wrote early that was printed on the cover of a bulletin at Annual Conference, which was very cool for me.   And one was printed in the Annual Conference newspaper. 

New Experiences

The Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals last week asked us to share five new experiences we have had -- moments of insight, wonder or discovery -- or moments we have shared with other people.

1. I remember the first time we took our older son to the beach. He was barely one year old. He loved it, but he was a little nervous. His nerves were evident because he carried a purple and green sand shovel around with him everywhere he went on the beach.
2. I remember the first time I saw the Pacific Ocean up close and personal. Steve and I were in San Francisco, and we drove up the coast. After visiting Point Reyes Lighthouse, we drove down to the beach. It was so different from Atlantic Ocean beaches - smaller and rockier. Just different.
3. I remember the first time I held our older son. It was quiet an experience, and yet, while it was the first time I held him, I felt like I knew him already.
4. Why do I remember more "firsts" with our older son than with our younger one? I remember the first time the older one used a straw to take a drink from a cup. Amazing!
5. I remember the first time our younger son shrugged his shoulder. He was 7 weeks old and a brith injury had meant that he couldn't move his right arm. At his first occupational therapy session, he shrugged, and we were all very happy.