we're after the same rainbow's end...

-I had the youth at Bible study go outsied and think of places they saw nature praising God (like in the Psalms). They saw this in birds singing, in sunlight through trees, in a pile of rocks in a ditch and in sunlight reflected off of the surface of a lake. Some of them took pictures of these things (see above).

-Katy calling me to let me know that there was a beautiful ranbow outside. I rushed outside, and we both stared at the bright colors that danced with the sunset-brightened clouds.

-Pat giving me a quick back massage at church, not because I asked, but just because I said I was tired.

a penny for your thoughts

-Finding a lucky penny that was oxidized and colored in an intersting pattern.

-The student in the computer room who was listening to music with headphones and singing rather loudly. He was not exactly on key, but he made up for that with the joy in his voice.

-Having a friend explain to me that her day had a common thread throughout it, where she kept thinking about what she wants ministry to be. She told me that she doesn't want to "do" ministry. She wants to "be in" ministry, holding people's hands in their sorrow, joy and everyday lives. I can see the Spirit working in her.

I Y NY!

How do I begin?? New York was amazing.

-Performing in the middle of Times Square (down the narrow street pictured above). Our first piece was the opening act of Project Dance--what an honor. We later discussed that we've never felt more freedom in our dancing than performing in the middle of the City, looking passers-by in the eye as we danced. It was so powerful.

-Walking across many, many crosswalks and noticing the quick pace of everyone's feet.

-The cultural experiences of Little Italy and Chinatown.

-Hailing a taxi in the middle of New York, and feeling like I blended right in (which I'm sure I didn't).

-Breakfast with Robin near Central Park at a quaint and brusque little place, where we enjoyed authentic, fabulous New York bagels and coffee and great conversation. I was thrilled that they put my coffee in the same bag as my bagel (just like Audrey Hepburn's in Breakfast at Tiffany's).

-Getting $20 tickets for RENT the musical!! We walked up to the theatre and asked for tickets for that night, which were $100 each, and then the man at the window said someone just returned 4 tickets for the 2:00 matinee, and that if we could make it, we could have them for $20 each. We ended up being on the second row in the middle. Rent is one of my favorite musicals, and was better on stage than I could've ever imagined. It was so surreal to be sitting in New York and hearing Seasons of Love sang so close to me that I literally got spit on. Honestly, I didn't mind.

-Watching the cars and people whiz by below us as we looked out from the balcony of the Novotel Hotel.

dancing and yum.

-Diane surprising me with a CTS-"Called to Serve" monogrammed sweatshirt that she had made for us for Project Dance New York. It was such a thoughtful thing to do. We will be attending Project Dsnce over the weekend, part of which includes dancing in Times Square! I will not have internet access while in New York, so I will post new glimpses from New York when I return.

-The sun shining through the blinds to cause beams of light to dance all over my computer as I typed my theology paper.

-An impromptu dinner with Sandra at the delicious Watershed. It was so relaxing to eat the best pork chop I've ever had, have a nice glass of wine and enjoy edifying conversation.

i heard it through the grapevine...

-Noticing that Catherine's raisin box had writing on the top. It said, "Stay curious and you will travel to the ends of the earth." I really hope that's true.

-Being offered (and accepting) the Youth Director position at my church for next year. I love working with these kids, and can't believe I'm going to get paid to do it.

-Pink clouds against a dark sky as we drove home. A single bright star also added some drama to the sky.

winks and wisdom

-While I was checking out a woman at the bookstore, I told her the total price and she winked at me to affirm that she had heard me. I can honestly say I've never had that happen before. It added a little joy and silliness to my afternoon.

-The smoky smell of a candle lit for the first time.

-The Virginia Tech grad student who had also been a freshman at Columbine High School. She was interviewed by Meredith Viera, and spoke with such wisdom and courage. Her wisdom was expressed in her explanation of the grieving process. She said that, when thinking about the future after such a tragedy, you first think in minutes, then hours, then weeks. Her courage was expressed in her assertion that she had hesitated to participate in the interview because she feels the media does not help the healing process in such places. She said that anytime students gather to come together as a community after such violence, the media is always there. She told Meredith that the community sometimes needs space to grieve and heal.

music & dancing

Please be in prayer for the victims of the Virginia school shooting and their families.

-A random and nostalgic kazoo box outside the choir room at church.

-Seeing two women dance to the music playing at the gas station as they pumped their gas.

-While driving home after an intense 2 1/2 hours of practice for Project Dance NY, Robin and I heard a song on the radio that had the exact same intro as one of the songs we're dancing to. We screamed and laughed, and then realized that it was just John Mayer.

remembering kindness

-The texture and color of a wicker plant box that has blue paint peeling to reveal bright orange.

-After getting a haircut (which I like but is considerably shorter than I requested), having friends tell me that they love it and couldn't imagine a better suited cut for me.

-Forgetting to remind a friend that I needed to borrow a dvd for confirmation class and then, just as I was texting her in desperate hopes she was still awake, I heard her bring it to my door.

stirring Spirit

-The liberating feeling of leading worship through dance. We enacted Ezekiel 37, the Valley of Dry Bones. I felt the power of that text in a way I never have before.

-Singing the words, "Spirit, Spirit of restlessness, stir me from placidness, Wind, Wind on the sea" and realizing that perhaps my restlessness of late is a gift from the Spirit. I've been looking at my restlessness as a burden, not a gift. To see it as a gift from God changes everything.

-The sound of leaves being blown by the wind while the sun shone through them.

picking up where we left off

-A tiny drop of water captured within a petal on my windshield.

-Talking to my good friend Pierce after way to long, and thoroughly enjoying the conversation. We didn't waste much time talking about why we hadn't called. We just picked up where we had left off.

-Wearing old, comfy shorts that I think were my Dad's at some point. They're from Mazatlan, although they are so well-loved you can barely read the lettering on them.

inconceivable scents

-The phantom smell of freshly baked cookies in the air.

-Fred's hilarious impression of the little man from The Princess Bride. It was amazing.

-Seeing the tree that always marks me getting close to being home after babysitting. I had never noticed it before, but when my sister came to visit, she saw it, and I've been noticing it ever since. In the last week, it has turned from golden brown to bright green.

Easter rising

Sorry about erratic posting--my computer is sick, so internet access this week is minimal.

-Bright flowers that sparkle with fresh water drops on their petals.

-My sister waking me up on Easter morning and saying, "I had a dream that you preached really well!" It was the perfect encouragement.

-Feeling at home in my own shoes as I preached, helped lead communion and gave the charge and blessing at the Easter contemporary service at my home church. Seeing my old youth group kids (in college now!) again was also a plus.

reading, peeling and whirring

-My Mom reading from her Irish book to us in the car. Why don't people read to each other any more?

-The colorful peeling paint and rust on old Texas grain silos.

-Hearing the faint whir of the coffee grinder and knowing that coffee was sure to follow.

light and flavorful

-Preparing a delicious dinner with my parents: grilled asparagus, shrimp on rosemary skewers and rice. Everything tasted smokey and flavorful.

-A relaxing night spent watching movies.

-The bright morning sun streaming through the french doors and reflecting off of the wooden floors.

fascinating dreams

(Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been traveling and getting over a bad cold. I've included some extras to make up for it.)

-The little girl on the plane who kept playing with her overhead light. She was so fascinated.

-Green grass and wildflowers as far as the eye can see that can only mean Texas.

-The Holy Spirit working despite my cold to help me get my sermon done for Easter. Whew!

-Telling corny knock, knock jokes with my family and laughing way too hard.

-The way large, graceful oak tree branches always end parallel to the ground a few feet from it. They're shaped like big mushroom caps. I wonder how they know when it's time to stop reaching down to the ground.

-Hearing a train whistle as I fall asleep and again as I wake up in the morning.

-Dreaming of finding sand dollars on African shores.

breakfast and elevenses

-As we left my car and walked to the diner, our usual server was in the parking lot saying hi to some people. She said, "Hi, ladies, I'll be right in to serve you" and smiled at us. When she came in, she came right over and said to me "coffee and water, right?" and knew we would all be ordering egg biscuit sandwiches.

-Finding a great spring coat at Finder's Keepers, a resale shop I love. It's a perfect fit (sleeves and all), and has a great pattern of blue-green circles. The brand is even great: "elevenses," a Lord of the Rings reference. While I thought we never have much spring here, just winter and summer, we had a cold front last night and I got to wear it.

-Catherine giving me a huge wave as she walked past my window and then, on her way back, calling. In a modern tapping on my window, she called my cell phone so I wouldn't be startled by someone at my window. I opened it, and enjoyed catching up for a few minutes with her.

willing hands and happy feet

-At youth Bible study, I asked for a volunteer to close us in prayer. Michael's hand shot up, and with a big grin, he said, "I will!"

-Kicking off my shoes at the end of the day.

-The sigh that comes with reading the last line of a good book and closing it.

earthy epiphanies

-Hearing children talk and laugh outside my window.

-Getting asked to preach at my home church in Texas at the contemporary service on Easter Sunday. I'm really excited about John's version of the resurrection, and had the greatest epiphanies about it on the drive home yesterday. At every light, I would read it again, and jot down ideas quickly before they left my head (and before the light changed.)

-The earthy, rustic smell of potatoes as I slice them.

peace in the making

(A picture I took from Cavehill above beautiful Belfast city.)
-Hearing the news that, after the first-time-ever meeting of Gerry Rice and Ian Paisley, Sinn Fein and the DUP have agreed to share power in Northern Ireland's government. After 30 years of violence inflicted by each community on the other, these politicians who often called for and heightened such violence, are finally calling for peaceful political progress. This means that Northern Ireland will no longer be direct ruled by Parlaiment in England, but will finally have its own functional Parlaiment.

-A very warm wave from the man in the car next to me at a light. He was so friendly it seemed like we were long lost friends.

-A great hair day. (C'mon ladies, you know what a glimpse that can be! Although, I want to be clear that the grace experienced in a good hair day in no way compares to the grace of reconciliation in Northern Ireland.)

the waiting game

Our internet is down, so sorry for missing some posts. :)
-Noticing that my African violet has bloomed again.

-Making the most of an hour-long wait to eat with friends at our favorite restaurant. We tailgated in the parking lot by getting some chips and salsa, turning up the radio and hanging out on a blanket.

-A fascinating conversation on God and politics with strangers in the coffee shop.

the once and future sing

-Receiving kind and helpful affirmation from professors and friends in my Mid-Course Assessment. The MCA is an evaluation that second-year seminary students go through to determine if they can be a candidate for graduation in the degree program. In all the busyness and demands of middler year, it's really nice to receive some feedback from the community about your work so far, your call and your gifts.

-A father lifting his daughter up into the air to avoid a puddle.

-The energy and depth of the Everbodyfields and the Avett Brothers at Variety Playhouse last night. The Variety is a great old art deco style theater, and combined with three-piece suit-wearing performers playing a fusion of old bluegrass and new rock, it felt like the past and the future simultaneously.

refreshing and polite

-A tiny, periwinkle blue butterfly that fluttered in front of me as I walked outside.

-The lemony coolness of water at our theology-midterm's-over-celebratory lunch outside with friends.

-Being called "ma'am" by a six-year-old at church. She was wearing a tinsel halo, and I said, "Are you an angel?" Her reply was, "Yes ma'am." I then told her she looked very pretty and she said, "Thank you, ma'am."

outside and out of

-Spending my ten minutes between working in the bookstore and babysitting Logan by lying on a blanket outside with Margaret, Claire and Claudia. The warm sun hitting my face as Margaret read me some poetry was a blissful, relaxing moment.

-The bright purple flowering trees all around Atlanta that scream "Spring" at me as I pass them.

-The opening bars of my Out of Africa record. The first song makes me nostalgic for South Africa and my home in Texas simultaneously. I think Out of Africa is the most beautiful record I own.

open doors and pockets

-Seeing a beautiful orange sunset through the window while we studyied theology. It was especially pretty because it shone from behind a tree with white blossoms.

-The little pockets in my comfortable, retro-print shirt that are the perfect size for my chapstick.

-A funny and inspirational email from my Grandmother. My favorite line was, "Happiness comes through doors we didn't even realize we left open."

cruisin' and readin'

-Listening to our bus driver Eddie sing along to the radio. He was singing along to "Cruisin," and even hitting most of the high notes.

-As a school bus pulled up next to a car, the two vehicles began waving and honking at each other. This lasted until the car had to turn left. As she drove by me, I saw that she was smiling to herself.

-Finding some interesting, old books at a resale shop: one on biology, one on the history of jazz and a novel.

this little light of mine...

-Attending the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq in Washington, D.C. yesterday. The ecumenical worship service at Washington National Cathedral was amazing, with bold and prophetic words spoken by many diverse people with diverse stories. Especially moving were the words of a woman who lost her son in Iraq, Rev. Raphael Warnock (the minister at MLK's home church, Ebenezer Baptist) and Rev. Jim Wallis (author of God's Politics).

-Walking to the church for worship, we walked through literally freezing rain and sleet, preparing ourselves for a long and very cold night. As 3,000+ of us stepped out of the church to begin the 3 1/2 mile walk to the White House, it began to snow instead of rain. It was beautiful.

-The tiny light of my little candle among so many others, and the realization that, yes, this one candle makes a difference. It was such a witness to the reconciling love of Jesus Christ to walk past many foreign embassys and wave our candles at people peering out of their windows. They waved back, smiling.

a change in scenery

-The trees all around Decatur that have suddenly burst into white blossoms.

-The fresh smell of a lime as I cut it into wedges.

-Driving a different way to work just to break up the monotony, and seeing different scenery.

I am leaving tonight to go to Washington D.C. for the Christian Peace Witness. At least 30 of us are driving up on a bus, and will be back on Saturday. I won't be able to post for a couple of days, but I'm certain there will be many "glimpses" there to share when I return.

portraits and prayers

-A woman in the bookstore who bought a book of prayers and said, "Sometimes you just don't feel like praying, and so you pray someone else's prayers." She then explained that she lost her husband of 50+ years recently. She showed us a picture of him, and talked about who he was. The amount of affection in her voice was amazing.

-A professor providing some much-needed affirmation.

-Logan's portrait of me she drew while I was babysitting her yesterday.

name that tune

-The orange glow of the setting sun painting my wall (and one of my paintings) as it shined through my window.

-Coming up with such creative team names at trivia last night that the announcer laughed as he tried to say them, and other teams clapped for us. We're far more concerned with the right name than with the right answer.

-Waking up still feeling that it's an hour earlier, and then hearing birds joyously chirping outside my window. Daylight savings time doesn't phase them.

shooting stars and sunflowers

-At youth group "game night," I glanced over to see Katherine wearing the parachute we had been playing with. She had poked her head through the hole in the middle and was smiling proudly, engulfed in rainbow colors.

-Experiencing the joy of paint on canvas myself, and finishing a painting I've been working on. Normally when I paint, it's all very predictable and I just paint what I see in my head, but last night I just played. It turned out more wild, layered and interesting.

-Dreaming of shooting stars.

artful joy

-At Fred's art show last night, he spoke of joy: the joy of Mary anointing Jesus with her bottled-up joy, the joy of faith and the joy of paint on canvas. Through his words and beautiful paintings, Fred imparted some of his joy to me.

-A woman in church today, having read my blog, asked why I had a "difficult week." It was so nice of her to notice and ask, and then share with me very encouraging words and some of her own story.

-The luxury of relaxing with a Coke and reading a magazine after washing dishes, potting plants and cleaning up.

feeling the love

-Playing the piano while babysitting Logan. It was incredibly therapeutic, and I loved the look of my wine-colored nails on the white and black keys.

-It's been a challenging week, so coming home to find a pot of bright red tulips outside my door with a note, saying: "Whit, We love you!" from my friends Rob and Karen was just what I needed. I felt so loved.

-Karen cooked Sarah and me (Kate, we missed you) dinner, and it was delicious eggplant rollitinis. Sarah also brought us flowers (pink tulips--my second for the night!), and we laughed and talked and ate for hours. When I came home, there was a little bag of Girl Scout cookies hanging on my door from Erin to brighten my day. What great friends I have.

kind guestures

-As Katherine put her arm around Caitlin in chapel, Caitlin turned and smiled at her.

-While babysitting Logan, she wanted to make "food" out of mud. It was so fun to get our hands dirty and play imaginatively. I love that, even with all sorts of technological toys these days, a kid can still be entertained by making mud pies.

-Claire bringing me a vintage-looking, sassy bag from the Clothes Closet. It has such personality. I think I'll make it my new bookbag for school.

home is where the (ritual, train, history) is

-At Trivia last night at Twain's, more and more of our group kept arriving at different times, with happy greetings each time. This Monday night ritual is one of those centering times, where laughter, jokes and good friends are always there (we even win occasionally).

-Falling asleep to the sound of a train echoing through my window. Everywhere I've lived--Texas, Northern Ireland, Atlanta--I can hear a train from my room. Their long-lost whistles always make me feel at home.

-Sleeping in my Aunt Karen's old tennis shirt from high school. It's the closest I'll get to being a tennis star.

probing questions and reflections

-The way my lantern glowed fun sunflower-like patterns onto the table.

-Watching Why We Fight with friends last night. It's a provocative and eye opening look at the military industrial complex in America, especially post-World War II. It was also a winner at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The words of Eisenhower's farewell speech at the end of his term were especially prophetic.

-A leisurely lunch with Leslie.

100!

This is my 100th post! Thanks for reading, everyone.

-Singing songs and playing guitar with friends last night to celebrate Margaret's birthday.

-Sleeping in for the first time in ages.

-The swirly clouds tonight, dramatized by the beginning of a sunset.

flourishing

-Drawing pictures to demonstrate different Presbyterian polity themes in class today. We definitely made the Book of Order as interesting as possible.

-Amazing generosity.

-Jae showing me what my name would be in Korean. It means "dense, flourishing Earth." I love that.

Impressions

-Coming out of the cold into the cozy diner for breakfast with Sarah and Karen. That first cup of coffee warmed me right up (as did the eggs, sausage and homemade biscuits).

-A friend taking the time to help me fix a computer problem.

-The way the rain on my window smeared the colored doors of homes as I drove by. I think Monet must have been inspired by staring out a rain-streaked window.