revgalblogs Friday Five

Taking a Break Friday Five. Tell us how you would spend:

1. a 15 minute break
usually a short walk to the convenience store close by for a soda or a snack of some kind.

2. an afternoon off
hmm...sometimes - me, a book, the couch, a blanket; other times - a movie or a walk

3. an unexpected free day
sleeping in, running errands, cleaning, reading

4. a week's vacation
aha!...this one I do have coming up - and I'm going to O'ahu to visit friends and sit on the beach

5. a sabbatical

I'm not far enough into my call to consider this for real, but I think a sailing class for personal development, maybe something with writing and for the education part -  leadership...mine, developing it in others.

pass!

yesterday I "defended" my thesis...which sounds so combative and this wasn't. It was a good conversation with three scholars that I admire and like, so it was a good time, actually. I now have some editing to do, but it shouldn't take too long, I hope. I'm giving myself today away and tomorrow afternoon I'm going to hit the edits.

Last night two friends took me out for a surprise trip to a local show and I had a great time. I spent the night at their place, and got to play with the baby and was treated to a breakfast of waffles and fake mimosas before hitting the road to return home. I should be writing a sermon or planning Sunday School, but just can't get motivated. I'm very, very, very tired.

But, I'm done. Yay, me.

Revgalblogs Friday Five

A Friday Five from Songbird: In a week of wondering how various things in our family life will unfold, I found myself thinking of the way Maria comforted the Von Trapp children in one of my favorite movies. Frightened by a thunder storm, the children descend upon her, and she sings to them about her favorite things, taking their minds off the storm.

So, let's encourage ourselves. Share with us five of your favorite things...

Going with theme in the song, I've chosen five things that bring me comfort. Happy Friday.

hibernating

I've been seriously hibernating the last few weeks. I've been marginally in contact with some people, but I haven't talked on the phone much at all and my email inbox is full of emails awaiting response. I just haven't wanted deal with others outside of those I have to already in my daily life. I think it is in large part a response to getting my thesis to my committee (now that is done and I can take time off). But my apartment has piles on the piles and I blithely step over and around the ones on the floor to get to the kitchen, the couch and the bed. But, this morning, I woke up, decided I was tired of it and wanted to deal with it all...so I got a start on it this morning and am looking forward to when I can get home again to complete the job. 

I'm prone to slothfulness...Kathleen Norris' book on acedia speaks to this. In fact I identified strongly enough that I stopped reading a short way into the book when I started it a few months ago. Since then it has been in the pile of books by my bed, and perhaps there will be a time when I pick it up again. What I do remember reading, though, is that the monks' way to combat acedia is action, movement, simply doing something can help combat the strong desire to do nothing. So I hope that my renewed energy around picking up and communicating with people again means that I am coming "out" of it - at least for now. 

I go out of town next week for a few days (for "Baby Pastor Camp" aka First Call Theological Education) and then on Friday the 13th I meet with my committee for my thesis defense (which my adviser keeps referring to as an exam which feels less combative) so hopefully I'm in the mood for people again or I'll be pretty miserable!