Art interpretation

Carnival cruises are absolutely lovely. There are many things artistic things all around the ship that delight the eye, such as this...

and this...

and there are things that paint to canvas cannot capture such as this...

However, we get into our rooms and in the corner is an odd little night light kitchy thing that illuminates a rather odd scene. So through my time at the BE I added a spiritual practice of meditating upon and then interpreting the meanings of these pictures.

This was in my room, I call this one "Weird Picasso Chicks on the Beach with a Lizard." I wonder what the woman on the far right is drinking? Can I have some?













Dogblogger and Midlife Rookie had this in their room. I call it marriage counsling by the sea. I think I will wear snorkel equipment and an innertube next time I do a couples counsling session.

and this last one I call what happens when I get off my medication. Description self explanatory.

I hope you enjoyed my meditations. Now onto the sermon illustrations.....

More thoughts about the BE

A view from the aft deck. A place of rest and re-creation for the RevGalBlogPals

This passage started as a comment on RevDrKate's blog but I decided it needed to be shared with everyone. The big event was so transformative to me. Since I got back I have felt more free, more authentic and less fearful. Things at work are as stressful as ever but I've found that I can still feel joy in the midst of all that trouble. My change in attitude has been noticed by my congregation, more than one person has said I look wonderful since I got back from my retreat.

Since I got off the boat the song that has been running through my mind is "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)." by Chris Tomlin. These words especially touch me. I have changed a few words in the lyrics to make it more inclusive.



My chains are gone, I've been set free

My God, my Savior has rescued me

And like a flood God's mercy reigns

unending love, amazing grace



My God has promised good to me

God's word my hope secures

God will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures.



Because I have felt the love of God through you all on this retreat, I have been set free.
Thank you.

Ahoy maties

I am back from the RevGalBlogPal big event. Grace was abound throughout the trip and I basked in the glory of God's love throughout the trip.

I am blogging on the fly but I will write more later. The one thing that this trip has given me was God's love through the care and love of these beautiful women that I met on this cruise. The care and hospitality and genuine unconditional love has transformed me.

I was nervous going to this event because I was going on a cruise ship with people that I only met online. Group events scare the bejesus out of me because I've always felt like the odd person out, on the edge of the group hungering to be in the inner circle. When I get anxious about belonging, I become obnoxiousness, trying to do what I can to steal the center of attention because it is where I feel safe. With this group of women I didn't feel a need to do that. I knew in my heart that I was acceptable just for being me. I didn't need to be "on" or to perform for them to get them to like me. What a blessing!

Thank you wonderful women for showing me your grace and your love. You are all in my heart.

CABIN FEVER!

Ho hum, it's my day off but I feel like I have nothing to do. Where I live it is cold and the snow is literally up to my eyeballs. Partner and I have been struggling with boredom for the past few weeks but we didn't know why. We are good at keeping ourselves busy, me working 60 + hours a week and her with her community activities. However when we do get the occasional evening off, or day off we stare at each other and twiddle our thumbs saying what shall we do today?

This Lent has been a season of isolation rather than solitude for me. I am sure that God is trying to tell me something through this time of cabin fever and restlessness. However, all I can feel is an overwhelming yearning for the spring to come so that I can enjoy the outdoors again. I can't wait to get out into my garden, get on my bike, get out on the hiking paths and enjoy God's creation in a more temperate climate.

Friday Five

It's Leap Day!! I wonder what it would be like to have a birthday on Leap day. When does one celebrate their birthday on non-leap years. Just one of those things to keep me up at night while my mind wanders before sleep.

I am playing the RevGalBlogPal Friday five in honor of Leap day.

Tell us about a time you:

1. Leapt before looked.

That would have been my first marriage. For some reason I thought that if I married a man that my lesbian leanings would go away. Boy was I wrong. However because I was young, inexperienced and found a guy who was desperate enough to marry me I succumbed to societal pressure and got married to appear socially acceptable. I have since divorced him and several years later married my partner and she and I are wildly happy together.

2. Leapt to a conclusion
Before I went into the ministry I had thought that if a person had Reverend in front of their name, that they were nice, trustworthy and only have good intentions. Then I had a pastor who was troubled in her ministry and did not convey the above mentioned qualities. Our relationship was quite strained and I eventually left that church because she wouldn't support my call to ministry. I had thought the the issues were all my fault and that I must be a terrible person because a minister was not nice, broke my trust and had ill intent for me. Years after I left I heard that she ended her pastorate at said church because of clergy sexual misconduct. It was then that I finally realized that pastors were human too and not perfect.

3. Took a Leap of Faith
At the risk of sounding hokey, it was when I finally said yes to my call to the ministry. I knew since I was a child that I wanted to be minister but didn't think it was possible because at the time I was a Catholic. I spent years doing other things but found that the church was what really got my engines running. It was while watching the Oprah Show (now admit it...we've all had Epiphanies while watching Oprah) that I finally said, "oh darn, I guess I am going to have go to seminary." I am so glad that I took the leap.

4. Took a literal Leap.
Never never never. I am too chicken to leap off of anything higher than a step.

5. And finally, what might you be faced with leaping in the coming year?
Having a blog is a big leap for me. I am not one to advertise my innermost thoughts to anyone accept my partner. However I really like the blogs I am reading on the RevGalBlogPal webring and want to be a part of this extraordinary community.

What to blog...what to blog?

This is quite a conundrum. I don't want to expose to much of myself out here yet I also want to be in community out here in the web. I have a unique ministry and if I talk too much about it my secret identity will be revealed. My counselor thinks that it is a bad idea to blog, that somehow I'll get in trouble with something I might say on this blog, however I long for a community of like minded women. So if anyone reading this is a fellow blogger, how do you deal with the "what to blog?" dilema.

I'm a RevGalBlogPal!!!

I am so excited and honored that I have been accepted into the webring. I am a frequent surfer of http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/ especially when I am writing a sermon or just needing to connect with other women who are involved in ministry. Through this website I've met some wonderful women from all over the United States. I've also found other websites such as https://www.ravelry.com/account/login (which I call yarn porn, check it out) through the women who are a part of this webring.

I am grateful for this webring and for the Revgalblogpals because at times being a minister can be a very lonely profession. Knowing that there are others available on the internet can take the edge off the isolation.