tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34038161991629060222012-02-06T23:04:39.804-05:00...to MontanaAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.comBlogger3251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-19102007199189038762012-02-06T23:04:00.002-05:002012-02-06T23:04:39.814-05:00

My favorite poet, Wistawa Symborska died last week. This was the day before my god daughter/niece and nephew's babysitter died. This was a week after my grandmother died. And that was the same week a colleague in ministry died. I've had a bit too much death on my plate for the time. Symborska's poem (translated into English from Polish by Stanislav Baranczak and Clare Cavanaugh) about death says

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-57549809004519297502011-12-24T12:35:00.002-05:002011-12-24T12:39:03.853-05:00

"Christmas Eve will find me where the love light gleams." Most years I grow weary of close minded people griping about X-Mas, Happy Holidays, and so on. This year, however, there's been a strong response about Christ being in the midst of these. My favorite, has been about Christmas trees. My atheist or agnostic friends are quick to point out to me that Christmas trees are not Christian. I

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-49756577714595877902011-12-11T22:34:00.001-05:002011-12-11T22:40:37.780-05:00

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-8397246744017015812011-12-06T22:40:00.001-05:002011-12-06T22:58:49.819-05:00

I would love to tell you that being in ministry means that no one is jerk, no one takes advantage of others, and everything is hymn singing and harmonies. But I'd be lying. It's the end of the semester. A long but fast semester as it turns out. I'm still two papers away from the end of this semester (graduation in May...) and I've got little energy to put towards those papers, much less anything

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-51172104855158840332011-10-25T23:55:00.001-04:002011-10-25T23:55:05.336-04:00

Funny how when you change the outside, you sometimes feel better on the inside. Chopped off my hair this weekend, got a new pair of glasses with an update prescript, and got a new winter coat (mega on sale which makes it better). I feel good. And yet... As All Saints Day is coming up, I remember those who have died. I remember those who are dying. I've been grieving for the upcoming death of

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-27028716640608559292011-10-09T23:50:00.003-04:002011-10-09T23:50:54.874-04:00

  http://tasteandseelstc.blogspot.com/2011/10/cherch.html

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-77734867354518028222011-10-05T22:59:00.000-04:002011-10-05T22:59:04.969-04:00

I'm pissed off. I really, truly am. You see, two years ago, my church body made a decision. And now no one seems to be standing behind that decision. I'm not trying to be vague. The ELCA voted to ordain gay and lesbian clergy who were in committed relationships. In the in between time, many individual churches have left the ELCA. I get that some people believe homosexuality is a sin. Scripture

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-68665169412061633532011-09-22T21:23:00.000-04:002011-09-22T21:23:26.831-04:00

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.  Douglas Adams 1. Last Thursday, my Approval Essay was due. I turned it in Friday at 4. Only the recipient's mail box was full. So I tried to e-mail it to a second person via my cell phone. On Monday, I get a tap on the shoulder after chapel. Wanna turn that in? Oh, I sent it already. Nope, you didn't. Okay, sorry, I'll

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-66350167328840840942011-09-08T16:16:00.001-04:002011-09-08T16:17:14.670-04:00

The world looks so different now. As if internship were a dream I had that I am now waking from, a big sleepy, a big groggy. And yet, I am changed. Not in the sense that you had a dream where something bad happened and awoke and couldn't shake it for the day... but a knowledge that I have changed. Things deep within me have been rewired. I see the world differently from when I was last here. And

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-13027400601294531022011-07-29T00:44:00.002-04:002011-07-29T00:44:39.971-04:00

As I am taking in so many "last times" on internship, I am reflecting on this wonderful quote by Marianne Williamson: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-77455314001244583912011-07-10T02:39:00.000-04:002011-07-10T02:39:43.284-04:00

Greetings! I'm trying to get back into blogging mode. I apologize for leaving you alone for so long. Here's the basis for tomorrow morning's sermon on Matthew 13 (Read ye' first this week's texts!). I hope you enjoy it! ~A I believe most of you are familiar with the parable of the sower. These different kinds of soil that the seed falls on. Then Jesus' interpretation of this parable that

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-53365862612562486842011-07-08T19:12:00.000-04:002011-07-08T19:12:02.255-04:00

I'm a little shocked it is July. Okay, not a little shocked. A lot shocked. These last few months have flown by. Lots of changes in my world, and most of them wonderful. 1st up: I'm no longer doubting my call to ordained ministry. This is what I need and want to do with my life. Now, I can still get grumpy from time to time that I will not be some famous author or play writer or director... but

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-14408078292971343582011-05-27T19:03:00.000-04:002011-05-27T19:03:53.638-04:00

Well friends. If you've been following for a while, you know my writing comes in waves. And that I'm not one to apologize for absences from my blog. It happens. We move on. My lack of writing things out simply means that I've had more of creation to engage in my process of processing this whole internship thing. Quite honestly, I've grown so much in this last month that I'm a little shocked. But

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-7639736361482108012011-05-02T21:18:00.000-04:002011-05-02T21:18:13.666-04:00

I will rejoice in breaths of spring on my face and in the flower beds... I will rejoice at the resurrection of Jesus Christ.... I will rejoice at the new life that is promised through him.... I will rejoice as my medication begins to make me a healthier person... I will rejoice in the comfort and love of friends and family... But I cannot rejoice at the death of Osama Bin Laden. I

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-74688856913884678062011-05-01T13:20:00.001-04:002011-05-01T13:20:52.702-04:00

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Happy Easter to you all. I had a lovey retreat up at Chico this last week. I got to visit Yellowstone National Park again despite the heavy snow that still made most of the roads impassable. How many of you have been to Yellowstone National Park? How many of you have been more than once? Twice? Three, four, five!? When I think about the Easter

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-39699922051341344852011-04-21T15:29:00.001-04:002011-04-21T15:29:19.106-04:00

A local church's FAQ section. Very well written: Q: Do Lutherans really believe the Bible? A: Lutherans aren't fundamentalists, and we don't use words like "literal," "inerrant," etc.  We see the Bible as the sole source of our faith, and it's where the conversation begins.  We believe what the Bible says about Jesus, that he really is the son of God, and that his life, death

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-57305216343907329062011-04-19T20:46:00.002-04:002011-04-19T22:24:33.271-04:00

There's something debilitating happening in our culture today: shame. There's the idea that if we don't live a certain way, look a certain way, believe a certain way, that we are somehow letting someone down. It's all that keeping up with Joneses stuff. We want to give off the impression that we have it all together. We want people to believe that we're stable, healthy, and happy. And when we

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-81976988012848456512011-04-16T21:09:00.001-04:002011-04-16T21:10:18.658-04:00

When I left Tennessee to begin seminary, I made a Goodbye mix for friends and family. I popped my copy of this mix into my cd player this week and was struck by track one, a rather unique folk sound coming from Panic at the Disco!, cleverly named "Folkin' Around." "If I've forgotten how to sing Before I sung this song I'll write it all across this wall Before my job is done And I'll even have

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-13491137913224462812011-04-13T13:52:00.000-04:002011-04-13T13:52:47.371-04:00

Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me." And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-50554704571277715142011-04-05T18:32:00.002-04:002011-04-05T18:32:37.288-04:00

And speaking of black and white thinking... I bring you Ecclesiastes 7. It Is Impossible to Be Truly Good 15 In my useless life I have seen both of these:     I have seen good people die in spite of their goodness        and evil people live a long time in spite of their evil.  16 Don't be too right,        and don't be too wise.        Why destroy yourself?  17 Don't be too wicked,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-2631858378474492442011-04-05T18:07:00.001-04:002011-04-05T18:14:09.064-04:00

I gave up drinking massive amounts of soda (soda pop, pop, coke, sodee) a long time ago. Too much sugar. Bad for the body. Do we know how terrible high fructose corn syrup is? The worst. Addictive, too. And don't tell me to drink that diet crap, either. Fake sugar tastes like hell and is made of chemicals that could very well be just as terrible on our bodies as the other kind of sugar. I vote

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-66789308001718272732011-04-05T17:52:00.000-04:002011-04-05T17:52:22.738-04:00

Can I tell you how much I love USAA? Banking is a breeze. Being constantly on the go and moving every year makes other kinds of banking nearly impossible. I can deposit my checks by mail or I can SCAN THEM AT HOME... which, let me tell you is amazingly easy. The site is super easy to get around. The customer service rocks 100% of the time (which means a lot coming from me, a customer service snob

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-3397136401042764212011-04-03T18:50:00.000-04:002011-04-03T18:50:58.971-04:00

"65 years... don't they go by in a blink." -Bill Parish, Meet Joe Black Last year Easter was the day after my birthday and my heart was a little broken. But I had a little party @ Free B's and got my xbox and got to see some family members, namely my mom who was in town for Easter and my birthday. The year before that I was thrown a surprise party in TN in which I got to see many friends and

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-247858239326730492011-04-02T03:01:00.000-04:002011-04-02T03:01:31.144-04:00

Okay, I've been processing and attempting to step out of the spiral. My other supervisor's question about it is around that whole "DO vs. BE" thing I've been struggling with (on internship and throughout my entire life). His phrasing: "Performance vs. Service." For more explanation: if my motivation is service, I can fail at performance and think, "Oh well. I tried." Whereas, if performing well

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-34833664999346303762011-04-01T13:38:00.002-04:002011-04-01T13:41:26.149-04:00

I asked one of my supervisors about a question on my mid-year evaluation. About ministering in the wilderness. On the evaluation, they both asked me to explore my call and the question of whether or not I was called into the wilderness. From what I gather from his answer, I've been dwelling too much on missing people and it seems to be a looming (or present) pitfall to my ministry. So of course

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-81539648177572231462011-03-30T12:18:00.000-04:002011-03-30T12:18:42.269-04:00

1 Samuel 16:1-13 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-32113913106133917292011-03-30T00:51:00.002-04:002011-03-30T00:56:17.721-04:00

Did you ever wonder why I got a crow tattoo? It was instigated by State Radio and their call to action being symbolized with a crow. It was through them that I first heard the Native American legend about the crow rescuing the whole world and being turned black in the process. The crow is my constant reminder to get out of the pulpit and into the world. This is one version of that story. Rainbow

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-18557147707598573042011-03-29T18:10:00.000-04:002011-03-29T18:10:20.551-04:00

There's something lovely and amazing about music. And I delight in discovering new artists to love on. I've been allowing myself a trip to Best Buy for music every other week or so. It turns out that CD's are pretty darn cheap! I've gotten so used to buying songs on iTunes that I forget. And the truth - I've missed those little plastic cases and the quirky way an artist presents each new album.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-60738336543725012902011-03-23T13:29:00.000-04:002011-03-23T13:29:01.149-04:00

Exodus 17:1-7 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-78883473162026663412011-03-23T00:36:00.000-04:002011-03-23T00:36:23.876-04:00

I just read a highly conservative online Christian publication insulting one of my role models, Nadia Bolz-Weber, by calling her a "pastor" (yes, with quotes as if she is not a real pastor) and then calling her a pastrix. I want to weep. But when that article began insulting Outlaw Preachers, I knew they'd be right up my alley. Outlaw Preachers (http://www.outlawpreachers.com/) give me hope.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-53306691236218683342011-03-22T22:57:00.000-04:002011-03-22T22:57:33.119-04:00

Ever done an enneagram inventory? Take the test: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/dis_sample_36.asp Well I'm a 2. A helper. Though the downside to this is (they say) I project my helping attitude onto others when in turn it is what I am seeking for myself. So a lot of the helpful tidbits I get sent via the EnneaThought for the Day are about taking care of myself and not using others. All that

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-35734830335891873552011-03-22T00:04:00.000-04:002011-03-22T00:07:24.137-04:00

Please describe your best gifts and passions for ministry. I have been reflecting most on the gift on sunshine. A while ago my mother called me her Susie Sunshine but then during CPE I experienced my desire to cheer people up in a new way - it was not always welcome, desired, or the right pastoral care move. People experienced me as overly cheerful and thus off putting. I realized part of this

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-22978333682607371662011-03-21T21:05:00.001-04:002011-03-22T00:08:08.789-04:00

It hasn't always been consistent. It has sometimes fallen by the wayside. But it's official - I've had this blog for three years as of Friday!!! First post: http://tntochicago.blogspot.com/2008/03/beginning-of-back-story.html Which also means I am three years into the seminary process. What an adventure it has been. A few weeks back my spiritual director suggested I tell the faith story of my

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-24732655757643447852011-03-21T17:05:00.000-04:002011-03-21T17:05:25.557-04:00

In all this Lenten discussion of ashes, my brain has finally made the connection that the Church is going through a phoenixing. What I mean is that the church seems to be dying... and a new birth is on the horizon. It is dying to its old ways - moralistic preaching and moral absolutes. I see the new church preaching the story of Jesus Christ and letting the people decide for themselves what to

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-11894496430010670812011-03-09T23:00:00.000-05:002011-03-10T00:03:42.989-05:00

What does one do when one plans a (Shrove Tuesday pancake) party to which no one shows? Take it as a personal insult? Chock it up to busy lives where people forget or get busy? More specifically, how does one not take it is a personal insult and instead accept that lives get crazy and people forget? No, seriously. How? I'm trying to think of how I could have invited people differently, made

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-59004986558332739562011-03-09T19:05:00.000-05:002011-03-09T19:05:01.157-05:00

Ash Wednesday - For months, our stories have surrounded us in light. Not only the bright star announcing the birth of Christ but the brilliance of Christ himself, transfigured on a high mountain. So when we turn to focus on our inner being, on the work of our hands, we seem to step away from the brilliance of the holy and into the shadow of our selves. To be sure, we are coming down that

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-20838788124815814412011-03-09T15:32:00.000-05:002011-03-09T15:32:13.405-05:00

Distributing ashes to seniors with severe dementia has given me a whole new perspective on Ash Wednesday. When I asked if they'd like ashes for Ash Wednesday, several of the elders looked at me like I was asking them to eat cardboard. From the woman and her daughter patiently waiting with grateful hearts for me to come to her room and read Psalm 51 and do the imposition of ashes to another

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-14393111401055563772011-03-08T21:05:00.000-05:002011-03-08T21:05:57.213-05:00

Within the sorrow there is grace. When we come close to the things which break us down, we also touch the things which break us open and in that breaking open, we uncover our true nature. ~ Wayne Muller

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-64419110523332522782011-03-07T22:53:00.001-05:002011-03-07T22:58:08.172-05:00

I think it has to be one of my gifts that people will just open up to me and pour their story into the space between us. An hour later they say, "Wow, I guess I needed to say that." Or, "I didn't mean to talk your ear off!!" Or "Thanks for listening." I nod, usually grateful that they trusted me enough to share their story in the first place. Grateful that I could be the person to hold their

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-58538945186591693362011-03-07T22:35:00.000-05:002011-03-07T22:35:40.410-05:00

Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness. How you ride and ride thinking the bus will never stop, the passengers eating maize and chicken will stare

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-2841178491093457492011-03-05T14:46:00.002-05:002011-03-05T16:37:06.121-05:00

Last Saturday, I spent much of the day sobbing, pouring out my sorrows to my counselor and my mother and lamenting the depression that was sitting on my shoulders like an unshakable heavy blanket. This Saturday, I feel like I'm in a whole different world. While on one level this makes me feel a tad bi-polar or manic, I also recognize that in some of those dark days, I faced some realities. And

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-73676366112802873402011-03-02T15:45:00.000-05:002011-03-02T15:45:04.822-05:00

http://www.despair.com/challenges.html

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-45912822650866274982011-03-02T14:02:00.000-05:002011-03-02T14:02:27.777-05:00

I wrote this for the other blog I contribute to, Taste and See. This is a sneak peak on my Saturday post.... As I send out prayers for the Middlers awaiting internship assignment and the Seniors awaiting synodical assignments, I am noting the flux in my own community here in Montana and the transient nature of internship. There are interim pastors coming and going from four ELCA churches and

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-79315122407491045362011-02-26T13:32:00.000-05:002011-02-26T13:32:09.309-05:00

Since I started it, I'll keep going. ;) Another thing I love is the Yes to line of skin and hair products based in San Fran, CA. There's Carrots, Cucumber and Tomatoes, all conveniently (and awesomely) carried at Target. Their all natural goodness without the chemicals found in most other products. Their website describes the difference this way: Yes To Carrots products are formulated for

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-64659064477141009432011-02-25T21:02:00.001-05:002011-02-25T21:02:32.937-05:00

My life has lots of junk and stuff and things. But there are some things I LOVE. Thought I'd share one of my recent favorites: CD/DVD File Box from The Container Store!! I have LOTS of discs in my life. Homemade mixes of music. Lots of music. Over 200 DVD's. And when I move once a year, I cannot take stacks and stacks of cases with me each time (but I want my music and movies)! These hold 100

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-53875867362490321032011-02-24T12:12:00.001-05:002011-02-24T12:31:55.790-05:00

"Darkness is a harsh term don't you think? And yet it dominates the things I see." -Mumford and Sons I was talking about the place I feel most called to yesterday with two groups of people - a CNA class that I taught a pastoral care portion of and my mother. And though I'm not feeling particularly pulled or called to minister to the elderly, I do love them. I love their wisdom, their stories,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-32868200393702550042011-02-23T19:47:00.002-05:002011-02-23T19:47:19.644-05:00

Matthew 6:24-34 We spend a lot of time worrying. We spend a lot of time being anxious. Thinking over the past and wondering how it could have gone better. Thinking about the future and wondering how we can make it better. Worrying about WHEN spring will show up, if not whether it will or not. We worry about our bodies as they age. We worry about our family and their well being. We worry. We

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-11252837091516550422011-02-23T00:39:00.000-05:002011-02-23T00:39:33.567-05:00

My mother linked me to this article about the nature of endings from Psychology Today. Let's just say that I have a difficult time with endings. From that list in the middle of the article about WHY we have difficult with endings, I mentally checked: *You can't tell if an ending is actually necessary, or if "it" or "he" is fixable *Being afraid of the loss and the sadness *Fearing the unknown *

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-31702491694643918322011-02-23T00:17:00.000-05:002011-02-23T00:17:27.599-05:00

In CPE last summer, our supervisor told us not to rush to answer our pages. This wasn't meant to imply laziness. This was so that would not RUN all the way to the ER and say, out of breath and anxious, "I'm the chaplain" with any kind of calming presence. By the end of our unit, we referred to ourselves as "less anxious presences" but you get the point. There's something about crisis that makes

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-69697718776191909622011-02-22T00:34:00.002-05:002011-02-22T00:34:19.951-05:00

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-46268752791672426392011-02-22T00:21:00.000-05:002011-02-22T00:21:43.329-05:00

There was a devotion last Friday about a kid saying he was bored two weeks into summer vacation. I was talking with the elders this morning about their childhoods and what memories they had from growing up. And it turned into a commentary about this generation of kids. About their toys. And their toys. And their other toys. And how they're still bored. "When I was young, we didn't have all those

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-46868041732148518702011-02-20T01:26:00.000-05:002011-02-20T01:26:04.264-05:00

There's lots of discussion this week about perfection because Sunday's gospel ends with "Be perfect." The truth, upon closer inspection, is that Jesus is promising to make us complete, not commanding us to be flawless. (What a relief!) Whatever the case, it's led me to think about our expectations of ourselves and of one another. Why do we expect one another to be flawless when we know how

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-56638563601312409572011-02-19T21:18:00.000-05:002011-02-19T21:18:29.469-05:00

"I took a faithful leap and packed up all my things and all my love." -Ingrid Michaelson I'm half way through internship. Half way!!! Incredible to constantly remind myself that I am in Montana right now. And I'm very sure this is exactly where I needed to spend my internship year. This is where I had to come. I have already grown and stretched so much since my arrival in August. I have learned

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-11485380792594798002011-02-16T19:42:00.000-05:002011-02-16T19:42:24.239-05:00

Matthew 5:38-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-50875565515649653652011-02-15T17:44:00.002-05:002011-02-15T17:44:32.644-05:00

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-71037964523895486592011-02-15T17:23:00.000-05:002011-02-15T17:23:34.621-05:00

I take it as beautiful irony that I preached about the blessing of community on Sunday and am annoyed with everyone in my community today. Okay, not everyone. I just had a lovely lunch with a friend and this morning, the two elders I sat down with to read the funnies were lovely. Everyone else = annoying. I've been contemplating the great divide between being a solo pastor or part of a team.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-17490062842709464512011-02-09T19:59:00.000-05:002011-02-09T19:59:14.884-05:00

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-69829519286054964192011-01-31T00:15:00.002-05:002011-01-31T00:48:04.987-05:00

There's a part of Sara Bareilles' King of Anything song that goes like this, "All my life to make everyone happy, while I just hurt and hide, waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn to decide." Not that I haven't had my share of decisions but I spend a considerable amount of energy doing things I think I SHOULD be doing. And if you know me, you know I hate that little S word. Should is so...

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-77950821843927826812011-01-25T00:15:00.000-05:002011-01-25T00:15:08.539-05:00

They say that the thing you hate most in someone else, you usually hate most about yourself. I hate excuses. Crappy reasons to justify doing or not doing something. A rationalization or justification to do something. For instance, while I fully believe that women should be able to do what they want with their bodies, I hate when women get an abortion and say, "Well, I didn't mean to get

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-73456310898370194902011-01-21T13:27:00.001-05:002011-01-21T13:28:53.060-05:00

Discipleship is one of those big churchy words that doesn't have much anchor in today's world. For me, it means following Christ. It means the disciples that left their fishing boats and fathers behind to follow Christ. No belongings. No internship. No contract with benefits. Today, I am about 2,000 miles from the birth of a friend's second baby. I was there for the first. Today, I am

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-37197578553793434492011-01-07T16:56:00.000-05:002011-01-07T16:56:55.246-05:00

As I weigh and wear the responsibility of a pastor on my shoulders, I am struck with the task of comforting and challenging those that I minister to. Not only of figuring out when some need to be comforted and some need to be challenged, but of presenting the gospel in a way that allows for both - AT THE SAME TIME. For me, the gospel has always been about both. There are times when I am down in

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-81224038023105444762011-01-04T00:04:00.003-05:002011-01-04T00:10:47.740-05:00

Jonah: I still have the dream sometimes. I do. I come home from the store and find you on my doorstep with a suitcase. And that's your entire wardrobe. Just a carry-on, a duffel bag. We don't say anything, but you have this look in your eye that kills me. It just... And I unlock the door and let you in. And that's it. That's the dream. When I wake up, I wake up

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-6132777236521420022010-12-30T14:25:00.002-05:002010-12-30T14:25:48.022-05:00

To Know The Dark by Wendell Berry To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-16361765441460170082010-12-29T19:15:00.000-05:002010-12-29T19:15:36.658-05:00

SUCCESS! This is a great "kitchen sink" recipe. Go crazy with yogurt, jellies, fresh fruits, nuts, etc. My friend Kjersten originally introduced me to these delectable breakfast bars. She found the recipe in a hiking magazine I do believe. Regardless, everyone who has ever tasted them has demanded the recipe. Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cranberry Go Bars 1 cup oats (found .05% gluten content

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-81458077032939410832010-12-29T16:58:00.000-05:002010-12-29T16:58:04.524-05:00

In my ever expanding social circle, I keep encountering more and more people are gluten intolerant or have celiac's disease. For those of you who haven't been out of the house for a while, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. So all those typically wheaty things are off limits: cake, bread, (lefsa!), pizza, beer and so on. There's also a list of other non-typical things that may

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-60398469792474952332010-12-27T16:50:00.000-05:002010-12-27T16:50:10.645-05:00

From Bad Vestments blog (badvestments.blogspot.com): VESTMENT OR STAR TREK COSTUME? MORE GIANT PAPIER-MÂCHÉ CALVINIST PUPPETS OF DOOM

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-33851897793550403122010-12-27T15:39:00.000-05:002010-12-27T15:39:56.348-05:00

I survived Christmas. The strangest part was in my struggle to see God in the day. I was praying for something extraordinary. I don't know what exactly that would have entailed though. A surprise visit from someone? An unshakeable feeling that God was with me? Something unexpected. Instead, the day was quiet on the God front. There were little things that caught my attention - a bloom on the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-89222423923594131242010-12-25T05:00:00.000-05:002010-12-23T12:33:05.847-05:00

Annoying Christmas songs about snowmen who can come to life and marry people when WE have to put in 4 years at seminary?! Unfair.Getting the plastic napkin holder with jingle bells on it at the Dirty Santa gift exchanged when you wanted the snuggie? Unfair.Being far away from family and friends and all the traditions that you grew up with because you now work every Christmas (and are on

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-31046495657336957992010-12-23T12:06:00.002-05:002010-12-23T12:14:10.023-05:00

There are a lot of Christmas songs I find annoying. Frosty the Snowman tops the list. Perhaps I'm offended that a snowman can come to life and marry people when I have to go through four years of seminary to marry people? I'm not sure. And then there are the songs that heap on the guilt like: "So this is Christmas, and what have we done? Another year over, a new one just begun." WOW! That's not

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-19984006496346068082010-12-18T23:30:00.001-05:002010-12-18T23:34:52.711-05:00

"I'm on my way to the future, she said & I said, But you're just sitting there listening & she smiled & said, It's harder than you'd think with all the noise everyone else is making."-StoryPeople

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-53794766055328824932010-12-15T15:27:00.003-05:002010-12-15T16:07:16.162-05:00

So you know how Matthew starts up the entire New Testament with a list of Jesus' genealogy? Well this week's text is right after that. Joseph and Mary. Naming Jesus. Then citing the Old Testament and saying he is Emmanuel, God with us. This beautiful list of genealogy with a smart dismissal of it due to the fact that it is Joseph's ancestry and his sperm plays no part in Jesus' makeup. So who

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-61810446091524047402010-12-13T23:33:00.003-05:002010-12-15T12:32:56.563-05:00

The battle rages on between living simply and convenience. What stuff is essential and what is a perk? What things truly make our lives simpler and/or easier and what things do more to clutter our lives than help them out?The best example of this is the kitchen. I promise you there is a gadget or gizmo for absolutely any function or task in the kitchen. Bread slicers, juicers, grapefruit spoons,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-37083119325515291152010-12-09T13:04:00.002-05:002010-12-09T13:05:20.694-05:00

Just in case you all want to keep up on the sermons I am preaching...http://messiahlutheranbillings.org/The manuscripts will all be on the church website shortly after I preach 'em!

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-2544239378143003362010-12-08T22:48:00.002-05:002010-12-08T23:06:25.636-05:00

In my book about authenticity, my bookmark is a picture of my god baby screaming at the top of her lungs. There is something entirely refreshing about this photo (aside from my desire to pluck her up and hug on her that is).With a baby, you will always know when they are upset. They'll be screaming. Crying. Making a fuss until their need is met.You'll know when they are excited, happy, or passing

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-73845777769705812922010-12-08T13:11:00.002-05:002010-12-08T13:21:24.212-05:00

Every year, around this New Year time (it is the new year according to the church calendar, btw), I give myself the gift of unsubscribing. What's this, you ask? It is part of decluttering my life!How many e-mails do you get in a day that you immediately delete? From the airlines advertising a cheap flight, from Ticketmaster, from some inspirational quote/scripture/blurb of the day, from iTunes

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-11840060243447973962010-12-01T12:30:00.002-05:002010-12-01T12:35:22.673-05:00

"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." "Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow love,Where there is injury, pardon;Where there is doubt, faith;Where there is despair, hope;Where there is darkness, light;And where there is sadness,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-41461775319327022432010-11-28T13:43:00.004-05:002010-11-28T14:01:28.551-05:00

"To be human is to ask unanswerable questions, but to persist in asking them, to be broken and ache for wholeness, to hurt and to try to find a way to healing through the hurt." -The Spirituality of Imperfection by Kurtz and KetchamI'll be honest and let you know I spent much of the past two days deep in hurt... Reexamining old wounds and marveling at how they are apparent today. I give thanks

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-57874358959106226942010-11-24T14:16:00.003-05:002010-11-24T14:39:02.713-05:00

Internship will be an uncomfortable year. Neither good nor bad but uncomfortable.I'm wondering if this is really our call as Christians, especially as pastors and ministers. Ministry is quite frankly, the most uncomfortable thing I've ever done. It pushes me to deal with everything that blocks me from living the gospel and loving people.I am hesitant to admit those issues seem numerous. I don't

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-85262926085732851892010-11-23T00:56:00.002-05:002010-11-23T00:58:10.069-05:00

GLINDA(spoken) Elphie, listen to me. Just say you're sorry.(sung) You can still be with the WizardWhat you've worked and waited forYou can have all you ever wanted.ELPHABA(spoken) I know...(sung) But I don't want it -No - I can't want it anymoreSomething has changed within meSomething is not the sameI'm through with playing by the rulesOf someone else's gameToo late for second-guessingToo late to

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-76151792091544761242010-11-22T21:10:00.003-05:002010-11-22T22:57:36.516-05:00

In the spirit of giving Thanks, I wanted to share my most recent and reoccurring thanksgiving.My body.Seriously, now. I work with a lot of elderly people who struggle to walk, talk, see, hear, respond quickly, and think clearly. I am so blessed with able legs that can walk up and down stairs (as well as run, skip, jump, and climb them). I am so blessed with eyes that see well (even if I begrudge

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-41864032009112321832010-11-19T11:27:00.004-05:002010-11-20T13:01:28.306-05:00

You cannot know for certain the greatness of the future for which you are being prepared: the depths of compassion and understanding that are being carved by your sorrow; the vitality that gathers in secret pools behind the dam of old hopes and memories; the adventures that await you. Your inner spirit builds upon itself in anticipation of that final drop that will pour over the side and into

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-72671524383706135502010-11-18T11:36:00.004-05:002010-11-18T11:51:33.317-05:00

Our lives are over scheduled. Too busy. Too much going on. Our to-do lists are never ending.To compensate, we rush. We hurry. We dart from one activity to the next and the next. If you are anything like me, you then CRASH. This happens in various ways. You either give 24/7 and then get ridiculously ill for a week... or you give and give at work and then come home and have no energy to do anything

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-61803112125445245212010-11-16T01:24:00.003-05:002010-11-16T01:33:34.751-05:00

I grew up loving the sound of my father singing and playing his guitar. As I grew older this sound became less frequent as our lives got busier and new hobbies were born. Occasionally, though, he would pull out his beautiful Martin and play a few John Denver goodies. I think this also explains my deep love of folk music. Give me a simple melody on a guitar and some rich vocals and I'm good to

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-32203241589083508872010-11-13T15:11:00.002-05:002010-11-13T15:19:29.378-05:00

http://tasteandseelstc.blogspot.com/2010/11/coffee-sacrament.htmlJust in case you aren't checking over there on Saturdays which is when I post. ;)In other news, the weeks are raging on. I'm shocked to discover I've been here over two months. Doesn't seem possible. And yet, I know the road names that I'm traveling on. I have some sense of comfort in the various places I lead worship or devotions

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-57831181167162463862010-11-11T13:43:00.003-05:002010-11-11T13:44:43.482-05:00

A great blog post: My Son is Gay

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-29981587352993452352010-11-07T21:26:00.002-05:002010-11-07T21:37:17.315-05:00

I spent the week wondering and sorting through my feelings on this spiritual realm issue. Though odd things kept happening through at least Thursday afternoon, I had a series of very helpful discussions and revelations.To begin with, I have heard people talk about the devil attacking more the closer a person gets to God. And though I can see some biblical basis for that if we twist the story of

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-40955388885894480742010-11-01T19:44:00.002-04:002010-11-01T19:57:36.951-04:00

And then... well, and then comes the Son. Comes to me in the form of words of love and encouragement and affirmation from my brothers and sisters in Christ.From my friend David:*traces sign of the Cross on forehead*"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-78884330484313940182010-11-01T17:58:00.002-04:002010-11-01T18:18:36.014-04:00

Do you believe in spirits? Spiritual forces at work in the world? Spiritual warfare? The Holy Spirit? The devil?I've been having one of those eerie occurances where something keeps popping back up into conversation. Like you've never heard of etoufee in your life but then you see it on a menu, read about it in a book, and a friend tells you she just had delicious crab etoufee. On of THOSE kinds

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-25355849871727197452010-10-31T19:55:00.002-04:002010-10-31T20:23:30.871-04:00

Vampires fascinate me. I don't remember a time when I was fascinated by vampires. Werewolves, zombies, and other fantastical creatures are cool, too.... but they never had the allure that the undead did.There have been as many interpretations and "rules" about vampires as denominations of Christianity. For instance, they come out in the sun and sparkle or they burn instantly into a pile of ashes

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-71994093743312022092010-10-31T18:46:00.002-04:002010-10-31T19:00:12.921-04:00

Depression is a funny little beast. I struggle with it. Issues of self worth or loneliness or inactivity creep up and strike me. Sometimes it is situational - my difficult candidacy process, a conversation with someone, the ups and downs of being in relationship with others, CPE last summer, illness...There is a quote in the foreword of "The Shack" that I reference often: "I suppose that since

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-78411808228504669552010-10-17T23:39:00.003-04:002010-10-17T23:41:22.534-04:00

I follow several blogs. I then have to unfollow blogs when writers stop posting. But then I revisit old posts. I find new blogs. The cycle continues. It is a lovely way to connect to the world.One of the ones I keep returning to: http://oyeperegrina.blogspot.com/A quote she posted that I love:"i write because it is dangerous, a bloody risk, like love, to form the words, to say the words, to

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-71341657452641537132010-10-17T23:00:00.003-04:002010-10-17T23:01:44.381-04:00

Well, mostly all by myself. My supervisor preached. But I did everything else. It was terrifying! I survived. The spirit showed up. I was washed in grace. I survived! Did I mention I survived? *big sigh*

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-82764942883189554872010-10-13T19:29:00.002-04:002010-10-13T19:33:42.667-04:00

Noting all our fears, our broken hips, our battles with God and angels, and our blessings.... I am exceptionally comforted by this passage. It is one of the most beautiful reunions in the entire human story. Jacob is limping to meet his brother who he fears will destroy all he is and has or at the very least turn his face away and reject him."But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-42500838695420186202010-10-12T20:52:00.003-04:002010-10-13T19:13:21.269-04:00

There isn't a person I know that doesn't miss someone who is far away. And though most of us miss someone who has died and is no longer on the planet, I'm talking about the missing that could be fixed by a walk or a ride in a car or on a boat or plane.I have "people homes" scattered around the world. Most are in Tennessee. More are in Chicago, on internship around the US, or in a foreign country.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-24780065079555746082010-10-06T19:44:00.003-04:002010-10-06T19:46:06.585-04:00

----> http://tasteandseelstc.blogspot.com/This is LSTC's blog - stories from seven different students across campus (and the country) post once a week. I'm Saturdays if you want to check mine out!

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-21563835848005324172010-10-05T16:39:00.002-04:002010-10-05T16:49:28.466-04:00

I caught the Norwalk virus Friday. Well, I'm not sure when I caught it, but my stomach started getting REALLY cranky Friday. Thankfully, it is a 24 hour virus so I was starting to feel better on Saturday. I don't think I could have taken any more gut wrenching than I did. I'm still trying to be gentle to my body and eat smaller meals of easily digestible food.What I've discovered? This is a

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-84620020028933668142010-10-04T18:33:00.005-04:002010-10-04T18:52:32.030-04:00

I was discussing self fulfilling prophecies earlier today and my brain is still crunching away on them. How much does a defeatist attitude lead to the failure of the task before us? If someone began a project to build a tree house by saying, "Well this is never going to work. It's going to be ugly and no one will want to play in it," to what extent will this promise an atrocious piece of crap in

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-8887854499594532202010-10-03T22:34:00.002-04:002010-10-03T22:37:40.603-04:00

I don't know much about magic but I am figuring out about the spirit and it has a lot of magic to it. Elements I don't understand. Something magical? My mother. The way she can come into a house and turn it into a home. The way she has the ability to smile at me and I feel at peace. Her insight. Her thoughtful observations of the world. Her energy. I love my mother. I am so blessed to be her

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-6877118552320626892010-09-27T23:39:00.002-04:002010-09-27T23:44:24.117-04:00

Last Monday: hell.This Monday: heaven.Is this ministry? Is this working with elderly? Is this being 25 in the middle of Montana on internship to become a pastor?... all of the above?Last Monday that wonderful woman who shared her life story with me didn't remember me at all. Not even my face. She had no idea who I was, what I was doing there, or that she had shown me her apartment and talked with

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403816199162906022.post-54623289981973917612010-09-22T15:02:00.002-04:002010-09-22T15:17:08.871-04:00

A resident was talking yesterday about the beauty of Christmas hymns in German. He said they are just more beautiful. And then I told him how I absolutely loved Psalm 150... in Hebrew. Not only because I was forced to sing it in Hebrew class last year but because there is something lovely and beautiful about the language and the way it describes sound in that chapter. Even the word for spirit or

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849638014011790749noreply@blogger.com0