random ramblings, vol. 12

it's been a month and a half (or more)?  how did that happen (again)?

so, quickly!  without further ado:  random ramblings, vol. 12:

1) on the gift of this rainy Sabbath Saturday, i've spent a lovely afternoon catching up on my blog crawl.  as ever, there was so much wisdom and encouragement to be found!  here are just a few of the posts i'd recommend:

- for those going through a tough season in ministry and feeling the weight of their calling: Carrying My Cross, by Kathryn over at Good in Parts  (i also loved her post on Mothering Sunday)

- wondering if that simple act of kindness you felt compelled toward will really matter?  it will.  check out this awesome video in Robb's post about Kindness

- on prayer and authenticity: hey, i'll pray for you by T at exfake.com

- on pretty-ing up the clutter (can't wait to borrow this idea for my desk!): Simple Clutter Buster: A Kids' Art Center from Wendy at The Shabby Nest

- on the creative process: 5 Brainstorming Techniques I Stole For You by Carlos Whittaker at Ragamuffin Soul

- for your theological entertainment: John vs. John: Stop the Presses: John Piper Thinks Christianity Is Masculine - John Stackhouse responds to yet another poorly argued point by John Piper (who does, by the way, love Jesus and means well, even when he (somewhat frequently) misses it, like the rest of us often do)

- for further theological entertainment: Moses Was A Wuss & Potential Viral Sensation by Aaron Earls, guest-posted on Jon Acuff's Stuff Christians Like

2) this year has been ...  well, insane.  as usual.  in somewhat unusual ways.  but its chief blessing thus far has been an absolutely unexpected and amazing friendship with an incredible man who speaks life, truth, encouragement and freedom into me on pretty much a daily basis.  #blessedbeyondmeasure
in truth: i'm not entirely sure i believe him when he says he gets a great friendship out of this, too - he's sure as heck seen a lot more of my dark side than i have of his! - but i am truly grateful for the gift that his friendship has become - and it's been a gift straight from heaven, no mistake

3) for the first time in years, i am taking a road trip with Jesus AND people.  lol.  a few of us are heading south for the first two days of spring break to the Catalyst conference in Alpharetta, GA.  can't wait - both for the fun that 28+ hours in a van with 5 soon-to-be-dearer friends will be, and for the breath of life and inspiration that the conference itself will be to our leadership team!

4) book reviews pending - i'm reading (or have read and not yet blogged about) a ton of inspirational stuff right now, and am looking forward to reviewing these books for you shortly:

Close Enough To Hear God Breathe - by Greg Paul
How I Changed My Mind About Women In Leadership - by a collection of prominent evangelicals
Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions: Exploring The Mystery of Friendship Between Men and Women - by Dan Brennan

5) Sabbath - can i just tell you how grateful i am for this day?!  because i am.

6) introvert meets pastoral ministry: ugh.  and ... oh, wow.  at the same time.  and not necessarily always in that order.  had an absolutely wonderful time last night, hanging out with two of my closest friends and a new friend: a woman from my church i'd only ever talked to once, but have found in such a short span of time to be such a kindred spirit.  can't wait to spend more time with her and her amazing family.  (after i recover from that many hours in the presence of actual people...)  ;-)

7) food. is. awesome.

there's nothing like fasting for an extended period of time to make you appreciate the nutritional gift and visible beauty that food does actually hold.  i am more grateful (halfway thru this current fast) for protein, color, and taste than i have been in a very long time.  looking forward to the wonderment that comes every summer during weekly trips to Stade's Farm, and to celebrating on every Sabbath Saturday the beauty of creation reflected in anything as simple and complex as the amazing meal we call "dinner"...

and there you have it.  random ramblings - (almost) concluded.

except i do have one final thing to say:

8) my friend-whom-i-have-never-met, Barry, paid me the highest compliment a few weeks ago (see the comments section of his post).  when i first "met" Barry, he was blogging at Honest Faith.  now he blogs at Atheos (Godless).  both blogs are well worth your time, regardless of what you believe.