Game Day Saturday!

1. Game day with friends. We got to play Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, and Funny Friends. Good food and good times!

2. A lazy morning with the husband.

3. Reading "Tales of Beedle the Bard."

4. Decorating cupcakes. I didn't get to finish because I got tired and ran out of frosting, but it was an adventure nonetheless!

5. An abundance of fresh fruit. The husband bought navel oranges from the farmer's market this morning. Ben brought over two huge bags of clementines (there's about 20 in each bag!) and Nathan brought over a pineapple. Yum, yum, yum!

Friday's Grace

1. Meeting Aretha for breakfast without our textbooks and class notes. It was nice to just talk about the impact seminary has had on our lives...

2. Baking. Cupcakes are cooling, just waiting to be decorated! The apartment smells like cake, which is heavenly.

3. Nap time.

4. Leisure reading later tonight. I'm still trying to decide between "Tales of Beedle the Bard" and "How to Train Your Dragon."

5. The husband and I are going to make homemade chocolate ice cream tonight!

Laughing with God.

"The best way to make God laugh is to make plans."

My friend told me this years ago at Clemson. It's now one of my favorite quotes, because it's incredibly true. It plays into the small parts of grace for today.

1. I received my interview date from the Synod for March 26th. This process is becoming increasingly real, and not the abstract idea it once was. I will walk into a room filled with people I don't know, and these people I don't know will tell me 'yea' or 'nea.' It's pretty daunting... One hiccup, though, is that the husband and I bought tickets to visit family. Alas, our departure date was for March 25th, but it works out because I was...

2. able to change the departure date for the tickets. Departure is scheduled for 11PM on the 26th.

3. Handing in my paper this morning. It's now completely out of my hands. Henry told me, "Writing a paper is like landing an airplane; you know you're okay when you live through it."

4. Date night with the husband. No homework, no work discussions, no moving discussions. Just a night where we get to have fun and enjoy being together.

5. Driving to campus this morning. There's something amazing about being able to see rays of sunshine breaking out from clouds.

Ash Wedensday.

1. Calling the paper done. There's only so many rewrites and revisions a girl can do without entirely changing the paper each time.

2. Getting to have a long conversation with Leigh, one of my closest friends. I miss her so much!!!

3. Anticipating Ash Wednesday service at Salem tonight. I love the readings for tonight, beautiful and contemplative.

4. Warm oatmeal for breakfast on a chilly morning.

5. Cleaning books off the dining table. It needs to be a dining table again, especially for Lenten meals.

Laissez les bon temps roulez...

1. Getting my midterm back. Whew.

2. Stopping at church to pick up the lector reading for Ash Wednesday service. There's always an adventure and someone to stop and chat with you at church. Today was no exception. I thought I was just going to sneak in, grab my readings, and head home. I stopped to talk to Cheryl, who was wondering how classes were going. Then I ran into Pastor Kurt, which was really interesting. He wanted to look up dates when I would be available to give a sermon... A SERMON!?!?!?! Which is awesome, but also super scary at the same time! And running into Matt, who was wondering if I could serve as a chaperon for the National Youth Gathering this year... never a dull moment in the life of Salem!

3. I'm married to a wonderfully patient man. This man is so wonderful and so patient, he will even read my discombobulated term papers and help me see the forest through the trees.

4. Gummy Tummies Penguins from Trader Joe's. Cute and tasty!

5. A couple of quiet hours to myself this afternoon to do nothing in particular. Just time to be, which is nice.

It's Just Another Manic Monday

1. Getting a phone call from Pastor Marcus. Pastor Marcus has been such an integral part of my faith journey. Through our long discussions, the meals we've shared together, and watching him lead Salem's congregation out of a dark period, I greatly admire and respect him. Getting a chance to talk to him is such a joy!

2. A wonderfully long conversation with my mom. I talked to her four times when she and my dad were in India for a month, with each conversation lasting about 7 to 10 minutes. When my mom is stateside, I talk to her everyday... which resumed today! (I also talked to my dad, but he was really sleepy and still jet-lagged).

3. Making it to six pages for my Gospels paper. I've been wrestling with the paper topic because there's either too much to write or nothing at all to say. I'm fascinated that I was able to write anything at all!

4. Being able to do two loads of laundry at once! All of the machines on our floor were open today, which was an awesome way to start the morning. Since it wasn't raining and pouring, though, I did not sit in the laundry basket today.

5. Watching a hummingbird clean its beak on the tomato cage on the deck. It was ridiculously cute!

Slumdog Sunday

1. Getting to talk to my mom and dad, who safely returned from India this morning.

2. MY BROTHER IS COMING TO VISIT IN A WEEK AND A HALF! He just purchased his tickets today. Can you tell I'm excited?

3. Matt and Jen are engaged! That's such wonderful news!

4. Getting to usher with Elaine at church this morning. I haven't seen Elaine (and her husband Diego) in such a long time, and it was wonderful to worship with her this morning (Diego was on communion assistant duty; the husband was on counting duty).

5. The husband and I tied on our Oscar ballots. It was a fun and laid back evening.

Santa Monica Saturday

1. Getting to see Matt and Jen, even if it was for only a few hours. We went on a couple of adventures early this morning, which will follow in the list. But just getting to spend some time with them was great.

Matt stretching his arm waaaay out to get a picture of the four of us.

2. Finally getting to visit Randy's Donuts! And their donuts are actually pretty good! Donuts were followed up with a real breakfast in Santa Monica, a walk to the pier, and then to the airport.

Karl and me in front of Randy's Donuts with edible merchandise in hand. Yum!


Matt looking at me giving Karl the funky camera eye.

Autotimers are fun and awfully handy.

3. Getting to take a little nap after such an early morning adventure.

4. Recipes for raspberry chiffon pie and chicken piccata... I can't wait to try them out.

5. Reading through "Walking San Francisco." I'm excited to try out some of the walks... hopefully soon!

Vendredi. I should be working...

1. Meeting with Dr. Symington to discuss my paper-craziness. Therapy is awesome; people shouldn't knock it till they've tried it!

2. Oranges! Yummy!

3. A great conversation with my brother. I miss him so much!

4. A cup of coffee and a Bible reading with the husband first thing this morning.

5. Sleeping in, even if it was just for a little bit! I'll take what I can get right now!

Tequila Thursday. Well, not really.

1. Getting my research paper topic okay-ed by my professor when I thought it was out in left field.

2. A design bonus, not what I actually thought to be a flaw, in my fleece jacket. It's too obscure to explain online. I can tell you it involves snaps on the wrists of my jacket, and what I thought to be a hole in the jacket lining... If you see me in person, I will explain it to you.

3. Mike singing part of his "Old Testament: The Musical" in Bible Study this morning. The song involved God, Satan/ The Accuser, Job, and tequila.

4. Rachel listening to me and talking me through my "I have to write a paper on what!??!!? I don't get it!!" episode.

5. Henry suggesting a book to read for my research paper, and having that same book in my backpack. Weird, but cool! Maybe I'm not as far off as I thought concerning my topic!

Mistaken Identity

I was leaving the grocery store today when I was approached by someone seeking donations for their organization. The solicitor greeted me and asked how I was doing, but it came in very rapid Spanish. This isn't the first time this has happened to me in Glendale, though. One of my favorite places to visit is a Cuban bakery on Brand Boulevard. On a couple of occasions, I was greeted with conversational Spanish. I at least know enough Spanish to have a very basic conversation, but it's a very limited vocabulary. I've laughed with the people behind the counter concerning my mistaken identity, but sometimes, mistaken identity has really hurt my feelings.

In my candidacy essay, I shared a negative churchgoing experiences as a practicing Hindu. I was curious about Christianity and thought visiting a church for a Sunday service would help satiate some of that curiosity. I stated in my essay,"I attended local churches out of curiosity. The comical experience (which was actually NOT comical at the time), was being mistaken as a foreign exchange student."

I attended this church with one of my high school friends. I was not regarded as her friend, but as "the other," the foreign person that lived with her family. I was filled with hurt when I explained, in my non-existent accent which revealed my Midwestern American childhood, that I was in fact born in the United States, a resident of the state of South Carolina with my biological parents, and had a pretty decent grasp of the English language.

But this is our human nature. As humans, we're faulted. We make mistakes. We make judgments, even when we declare our open mindedness. Even the people we admire, the ones we look up to and hold dear to our hearts can make these same mistakes.

One of my favorite pastors made prejudiced judgment. Someone of eastern Indian origin attended service at the church he was serving. After the service, he asked this person if they liked the church service, and if it was the first time they attended church. Much to the pastor's surprise, the eastern Indian said they loved church services, especially in their native India, where their uncle served as a bishop in the church. The pastor was horribly embarrassed assuming that appearance can reveal faith.

When I was baptized, someone gave me "The Lutheran Handbook" as a gift. One of the entries that still resonates with me is "How to Tell a Sinner from a Saint." The entry has a picture of a saint and a picture of a sinner. Funny, the pictures are of the same person! Saint and sinner both? Or that their external appearance does not reveal that they are a saint, or a sinner? Yes. Sinner and saint, but that they way a person looks, their clothing, their hair, the color of their skin, their handbag, their shoes, their odor... they are your brother, my brother, your sister, and my sister in Christ.

Mercredi. As I'm loaning out my French dictionary.

1. Not having to drive my car today. I love days where I don't have to drive my car, which are few and far between.

2. Having a great discussion with the husband's best friend. He was kind of scared to ask me why I'm attending seminary. It was a very enlightening discussion, which opened the door to a continued conversation.

3. Sunshine!

4. Getting to talk to Jill! Yay! I don't get to talk to her very often, but when I do, it's wonderful. She's been one of my biggest cheerleaders in this seminary adventure. It was also nice to hear her Abby chatting it up in the background. Weird, to think the husband and I met Abby the day she was born; now she's keeping Jill and Eric on their toes!

5. Post-Its, which contribute to organizational awesomeness.

Conversations

When I was in high school, student council members participated in an activity called, "Coffee Cake and Conversation." Student council members would partner up with three teachers for the school year, and once a month, we would try to get together to talk to one another. I miss CCC from high school, getting to know teachers out of the context of the high school classroom. I miss the act of detailed conversation with many of my friends. Being able to converse with close friends is what made today extremely special.

1. Running into Rowena on campus. I last saw Rowena during one of BJ's curry lunches on campus; after that, life got in the way. I had my nose in a book trying to synthesize all of the information from my Gospels class. Rowena was trying to synthesize information for God's call on her life. After running into each other on campus, we sat in the library lobby for a good long while, reminiscing on our first quarter at Fuller, talking about this amazing journey, and being open with each other about our fear of God's call. Sometimes the awesomeness (both positive and negative) of God's impact on my life leaves me speechless. When I am able to form words, I'm sometimes scared of sharing them. I'm so thankful for Rowena, since we've had similar situations in our seminary journey, and that she's my safe space where I can be bluntly open and honest. I'm also honored to be her safe space. I'm so blessed to have her as a friend.

2. Randomly catching up with the youth minister at church. I was at church to borrow some of the Pastor's books concerning a paper I'm working on. I saw that the youth minister was in, so I dropped by to say hi. We had an interesting conversation, spanning the mortality of our parents, life abroad, how to properly bow in Japan, building a "green" house, and how spouses keep their partners sane.

3. Dry socks. Especially when the ground is wet. I've learned to carry an extra pair of socks in my backpack.

4. Accidentally bribing the TA with a cookie. Really, I was just trying to get rid of the cookies in my backpack, not bribe the TA for a good grade on my yet-to-be-written paper. It's nice to know the TA is a funny person.

5. Pastor's willingness to share the books from his library, especially when Fuller's library is in chaos and I'm trying to whittle down my paper topic.

Chilly Monday

1. The husband had today off. An entire day! Which means we had a three-day weekend together!
2. Fleece blankets, especially the "fleece blanket for two" the husband and I received as a wedding present, and our "Boo" blanket (a black fleece blanket covered with little ghosts and the word "Boo").
3. Rain. Even though the temperature has been on the cold side (you'd never know that I grew up in Colorado with how cold I've been), the rain has been so needed. My favorite part of the rain is driving by Griffith Park on the 5; the hills are lush, green, and ALIVE!
4. Looking up recipes for homemade ice cream for a friend's birthday.
5. Getting a good laugh at the grocery store. The husband and I purchased cappuccino chips on a whim. On the back of the bag was a recipe for cappuccino chip kisses, which seemed to be a fun baking project for a cold, rainy day. The one ingredient we didn't have was sweetened condensed milk. I haven't had sweetened condensed milk since I was a little kid, when my mom would use it to make Indian sweets. Since we were by the grocery store, we stopped in, picked up a can, and went to the check-out line. We placed our lone can on the conveyor belt and heard someone laugh behind us. We turned to see that the man behind us in line was laughing, as he was making the same exact purchase. It's funny and cute in my head; I guess you just had to be there.

Sunday

1. Getting to talk to my parents. My mom mentioned how she and my dad washed in the Ganges River seven times to wash away their sins. It reminded me of this morning's OT lesson at church from 2 Kings about Naaman's healing from bathing in the Jordan River seven times.

2. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. My favorite meal.

3. Watching documentaries about Abraham Lincoln on PBS.

4. Getting some leisure reading in for the weekend.

5. Snuggling.

Sweet Saturday

1. Spending the entire day with the husband. We went to the farmer's market in Santa Monica, had brunch at a crêpe restaurant, and walked around the Santa Monica staircases.
2. A rain-free Saturday to wander around Santa Monica.
3. Keeping up our Valentine's Day tradition of renting movies and getting Chinese take-out for dinner. Going seven years strong on that one.
4. Cooking shows on PBS. Today's fare was Ming Tsai, Rick Bayless, and Lidia's Italy!
5. Hershey's Hug and Kisses. And real hugs and kisses.

Freaky wet Friday

1. The Glendale Beeline. My car was in the shop today, and I was able to use the bus to get from point A to point B for the whopping cost of a quarter!
2. The Glendale Public Library. The husband and I have culled our book collection; the library prevents me from destroying our cull attempts.
3. Henry. He found some notes on Luke and the kingdom of God I might find useful for my research!
4. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Southwest California Synod. They've been so helpful in starting the candidacy process.
5. A particular panda and a menagerie of zoo animals.

You may think that I'm out of hand, that I'm naive, I'll understand

Unfortunately, I did something not so intelligent yesterday... If I drink too much caffeine too quickly, I tend to become violently ill. I unfortunately forgot this in the midst of studying for my midterm. My study group met at IHOP yesterday morning, where I ordered a pot of coffee. Our waiter constantly refilled my cup, thereby providing me an endless stream of coffee. By the afternoon, I was really, really sick. I'll spare you the gory details, but let's just say it wasn't pretty. This not-so-pretty picture now leads into my five grace items for the day.

1. I did not barf all over my blue book for the midterm. I also did not barf all over the test paper. This is not good only for me, but the TA who will grade my test, and the professor who will record my grade.

2. I had ice cream for lunch. It was yummy.

3. I was able to attend Bible study at church since I finished with my midterm at a decent time. I was only five minutes late! We finished up Ecclesiastes, which was definitely interesting. We especially got a good laugh out of 12:12b, "Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh." Especially since I took my midterm right before Bible study. Lee and Carol just laughed and patted my arm. After Bible study, I was able to talk to Henry about my paper that's due in two weeks. Henry's been such a great support system in this seminary journey. I'm so blessed to know him (and of course, my fellow students and wonderful Bible study leader!!!).

4. The husband selected my music for the drive to campus. It was nice to listen to New Order again. Especially the first verse of "Regret."
      "Maybe I've forgotten the name and the address
      Of everyone I've ever known
      It's nothing I regret
      Save it for another day
      It's the school exam and the kids have run away"

5. The husband and I are going to see a play tonight for our date night. It's called "Ixnay," performed by the East West Players. Included in the cast is Matt Braaten, the husband's doppelgänger and the youth minister at Salem!

I'm so tired, but I'm sticking with this...

1. Study group at IHOP. We ordered a chicken fajita omelet and a breakfast sampler. We then split all the food into thirds and had a filling brunch while studying for our midterm.
2. Cascadian Farms Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. I cannot eat many granola products since it's usually processed on the same equipment with nuts, but the Cascadian Farms bars are nut-free and good studying fuel.
3. Today was much warmer than the past few days. I was able to leave my coat in the trunk of my car.
4. Naps. Today's power nap was much needed.
5. A caring husband who is my best friend, even when I'm half-crazed and sleep-deprived.

Tuesday Musings

Please grant me a few moments of procrastination!

1. Blue sky. Not just blue sky with a tinge of brown, but a bright, vibrant, and beautiful blue sky. The rain washed away the brown cloud that hangs over the LA area.I took this picture with my cell phone while wandering around campus. Such a beautiful day! And a camera that takes pictures, which can them email the pictures to my Gmail account! (I remember back in the day when phones just made phone calls...)

2. Going out for a walk. I was in the library studying for my midterm and was feeling sort of restless. Since the sun was shining this morning, I thought to myself, "What a great time for a walk." I dropped my backpack off in my car and wandered around Colorado Boulevard for a bit. While wandering around, I looked up and saw #1 on today's list.

3. Getting my book review back. And I far exceeded my own expectations concerning my grade. Whew! And this led to further book recommendations from the class TA, which I'm pretty excited about...

4. An onion bagel with neufchatel cheese, a slice of turkey meat, and a tomato slice. I like bringing my lunch from home!

5. Receiving an email this morning notifying me that Christopher Moore is coming out with a new book. Awesome!

Monday, Monday. Again.

1. Morning coffee with the husband. The best way to start any day!
2. Fuzzy tiger slippers that keep my feet toasty warm.
3. Sitting in a laundry basket filled with clothes just out of the dryer. This is a wonderful thing to do on a cold, rainy day. Just be careful of trying to keep your balance while sitting in the basket.
4. Trying to figure out what to do for the next girl's day out.
5. My old professor sent my recommendation to PLTS. She forwarded her recommendation my way so I could read it. I was incredibly touched.

Sunday adventures

1. Driving to church. The husband and I usually walk to church, which is about four blocks away from our apartment. I was invited to a different church because one of my fellow ELCA Fuller friends was scheduled to preach today. I drove up the 2 Freeway, which was breathtaking. Clouds heavy with rain hung at the tips of the mountain peaks.

2. Sitting with a friend at a new church. I mentioned Barbara on my February 5th entry (she made the awesome oatmeal cookies for bible study). Barbara attends bible study at Salem, but is actually a member at a different church. It just happened to be the same church I attended this morning! It was wonderful to worship with Barbara, and also to meet many nice people that also have ties to Salem!

3. A random purchase of concert tickets. Tenacious D at Club Nokia!

4. A new umbrella! I've had the same umbrella since my undergraduate days at Clemson. It was a big ol' honkin' golf umbrella. Alas, the supports for the umbrella are popping out, and it hurt to be poked in the head while trying to stay dry. The husband and I went out to run errands, and we found a rather obnoxious baby pink and white golf umbrella with an impressive diameter. I shoud apologize now if I take someone out on campus with it this week.

5. Getting to sing two of my favorite hymns/ songs in church this morning. And a new church at that!
The first was "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee."
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.


The second is a song is super-contemporary for what I've experienced as a Lutheran. In my very limited experience, "contemporary" songs are about 20-30 years old. One of my favorite songs to sing is Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God." What was interesting was that only three people knew the song at this morning's service; the choir director, a member of the choir, and myself.

VERSE(1):
The splendor of a King,
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at his voice,
And trembles at his voice

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God

VERSE(2):
Age to age he stands
And time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End
The Godhead, Three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb,
The Lion and the Lamb

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God

CHORUS(2)
Name above all names
You are Worthy of all praise
and My heart will sing how great
Is our God
(x2)

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God

Saturday

1. The husband and I decided not to set our alarms this morning and wake up whenever our bodies told us it was time to be awake. We don't get to do this very often, so a lazy Saturday morning was wonderful. I woke up first and looked out the window to see if it was raining. I was greeted with a beautiful sight outside my window. A rainbow! I was so excited, I had to tell the husband. And of course, we had to take pictures.



2. I drove to Northridge this afternoon to meet my lovely friends for afternoon tea. The tea house was interesting and rather... feminine. It was so much fun to catch up without our respective men. We had wonderful tea, yummy tea sandwiches, and lovely sweets. Most importantly, we just got to be. It was fun to laugh, but also have some serious discussions. We've agreed to meet as a "girl's only" group more often! I can't wait!




3. I love going through the LA Times Weekend Edition. It's the only time during the week that the husband and I read a physical newspaper.

4. The husband was wonderful in baking three cakes for New Member Sunday at church for tomorrow. We delivered the cakes to our pastor's house. It was wonderful to catch up with Pastor, his wife, and their daughter. I realized I hadn't talked to Pastor in ages, so it was great to catch up.

5. Talking with the husband's parents and my brother. Now if we could just catch up with the husband's sister...

Freaky Friday

1. Carpooling!
2. Lunch with friends.
3. Eating cake batter.
4. Sharing stories and learning about people in my study group.
5. Fuzzy blue socks.

Thundery Thursday

1. Laughing out loud in Gospels when Drew offered to cut out Acts from his Bible so he could paste it in next to the Gospel of Luke during our discussion of Luke-Acts.
2. Ben offered me a graham cracker in class. He said it was stale, but I thought it was good.
3. Getting to attend church Bible study after a long absence. Many of the people are like parents/ grandparents to me, and I've missed studying with them. And Barbara made oatmeal cookies for class!
4. The smell rain and wet concrete. Heavenly.

5. This one is set apart from the rest. I sent my application to PLTS earlier this week. I've been nervous but extremely excited about this entire process. After getting out of Gospels, I noticed I had a voicemail on my phone from the director of admissions from PLTS. He and some of his administrators are going to be in southern California at the beginning of March, and they wanted to meet with the ELCA Fuller students. This is super exciting for me, because I thought I was one of just a handful of Lutherans wandering Fuller's campus. He also wanted to let me know that most of my application forms have been submitted, which is a relief.

After that phone call, I went to Bible study at Salem, then went home. I checked my email, and was moved by the message I received.

"Hello again, Tuhina. It was a pleasure to speak with you earlier this morning.

Well, what a deep and moving "Brief Autobiography" you sent in. Thanks so much for sharing.

I personally resonate, though in different ways, with much of what you say. I also was not raised as a Christian; in fact, I was raised without religion at all. I ended up in academic philosophy, going all the way to a PhD in that discipline. I specialized in ethics--which was sort of my own religion, my own spirituality--and took that very seriously. Around the time your Lutheran journey started, 1979, mine started too--though I was in my mid-twenties by then. And my journey toward Lutheran Christian faith involved my spouse in key ways as well, my wife having been raised in the Catholic church in Cuba but wanting at the time to both return to the church and seek another denomination. I also was baptized as an adult, in 1982, at age 25. And as is the case for you, my incredible journey continues . . .

So, from your deep questionings, continuing vocational journey, serious theological engagement with the Lutheran Church and Christian faith, personal background and interfaith experiences, and so much more that shows through in your writing, it's utterly clear that you will make a splendid addition to PLTS and the Graduate Theological Union academic and faith community. I'm delighted at your application."

Wow. Just... wow. I'm still floored.

Singing with the Lutherans

I received an email from one of my dear friends. This dear friend had an active hand in changing the course of my career, and essentially, my life. I bet the two of you who are reading this are wondering, "Gosh, what did she do to Tuhina to alter the course of her life?"

Simple.

She invited me to a meal. And my life changed forever.

This dear friend forwarded me an email I would like to share with the two of you. It's odd. I can relate to part of this, but I understand most of it... and will live all of it, it seems!

SINGING WITH THE LUTHERANS
by Garrison Keillor
I have made fun of Lutherans for years - who wouldn't, if you lived in Minnesota? But I have also sung with Lutherans and that is one of the main joys of life, along with hot baths and fresh sweet corn.

We make fun of Lutherans for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese. But nobody sings like them. If you ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Lutheranless place, to sing along on the chorus of Michael Row the Boat Ashore, they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Lutherans they'll smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach! And down the road!

Lutherans are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony. It's a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person's rib cage. It's natural for Lutherans to sing in harmony.

We're too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment.

I once sang the bass line of Children of the Heavenly Father in a room with about three thousand Lutherans in it; and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other. I do believe this: People, these Lutherans, who love to sing in four-part harmony are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you tuna salad!

The following list was compiled by a 20th century Lutheran who, observing other Lutherans, wrote down exactly what he saw or heard:
1. Lutherans believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked to pray out loud.
2. Lutherans like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas.
3. Lutherans believe their pastors will visit them in the hospital, even if they don't notify them that they are there.
4. Lutherans usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering for their sins.
5. Lutherans believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate.
6. Lutherans feel that applauding for their children's choirs would make the kids too proud and conceited.
7. Lutherans think that the Bible forbids them from crossing the aisle while passing the peace.
8. Lutherans drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament.
9. Some Lutherans still believe that an ELCA bride and an LCMS groom make for a mixed marriage.
10. Lutherans feel guilty for not staying to clean up after their own wedding reception in the Fellowship Hall.
11. Lutherans are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at church.
12. Lutherans think that Garrison Keillor stories are totally factual.
13. Lutherans still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season and think that peas in a tuna noodle casserole adds too much color.
14. Lutherans believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never take themselves too seriously.
15. You hear something really funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as you can!
16. Donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee.
17. The communion cabinet is open to all, but the coffee cabinet is locked up tight.
18. All your relatives graduated from a school named Concordia.
19. When you watch a "Star Wars" movie and they say, May the Force be with you, you respond, "and also with you".
20. You actually understand those folks from Lake Wobegon , MN .
And finally !! you know you're a Lutheran when: It's 100 degrees, with 90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service. And last, it takes ten minutes to say good-bye.

Wednesday

1. Mixed tapes from high school and college.
2. A tape deck in my car to listen to said mixed tapes.
3. Lunch with a wonderful friend.
4. Salmon pasta and minestrone soup. Yum!
5. Getting organized for next week's midterm. I usually put the pro in crastination.

Tuesday Grace

1. Getting two loads of laundry done at once.
2. Watching old episodes of "King of the Hill."
3. Potential funding for a website I'm working on. And more funding may be in the works.
4. Watching the opening scene of "Life of Brian" in class.
5. Tap class!

Monday, Monday

Grace in the small things for this Monday...
1. Walking almost seven miles today, giving me the opportunity to be alone with my thoughts.
2. Sending my application to Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.
3. Having one of my recommendations already sent to PLTS.
4. Frozen yogurt with strawberries.
5. The husband and I meeting with a financial counselor.

"You hate people, yet you love gatherings"

In my small grace items, I mentioned that God finds a way to converse with me when I really need guidance. Especially when I am a theological dumb butt. And when I think my heart has been hardened and I can't sense what I'm supposed to do with my life. I may sound "Joan of Arc crazy," but I promise, I haven't heard voices in my head. Yet. And I really do love Jeanne d'Arc.

I've been having a rough time in seminary for a few reasons. I cannot gloss it over as a perfect, wonderful, amazing, blissful experience. I find myself in weird stages of doubt. Am I a devout doubter? I've found myself stressed and frustrated, wondering if I'm nuts for being a seminary student. I've been especially lonely, as my mentors are scattered across the country. My doubt clouded my judgment this morning as I was struggling with the idea of going to church. I went through the motions. Confession. Forgiveness of sins. Sharing of the peace. But it was the hymn of the day that could only be equated to God conversing with me:

"Sometimes I feel discouraged and think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again.
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.

If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus and say, "He died for all."
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.

Don’t ever feel discouraged, for Jesus is your friend;
And if you lack for knowledge, He’ll never refuse to lend.
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul."

Sometimes I can hear a big, fat "I told you so." But that's my voice, not His.

Superbowl Sunday

My five for today.
1. God finds a way to talk to me, even when I am a theological dumb butt.
2. Finishing my application essay for Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.
3. A funny Superbowl commercial with John Elway.
4. The husband's guacamole from scratch and homemade flour tortilla chips.
5. Yet another gorgeous LA day; perfect for a walk to church and the grocery store.