Spring Break!

This week is spring break. There is no subbing for me (almost glad for a break, but thankful to be getting work!) and a needed break for Tom. Though we have a list 10 miles long of things we'd like to accomplish during break- mostly outdoor and garage projects- summer prep-related.

This week is also Holy Week, which means I'll be at church nearly every day, with either and actual service or a rehearsal or meeting of some type. and I actually really enjoy Holy Week- likely in the neurotic way that most Lutherans actually enjoy Lent. (Really, with Holy Week being the culmination of Lent, isn't that appropriate? I'm almost ready to say "H---------!" again- if you don't know what that is, wait until Easter Day and go ask a Lutheran.)

This year we have the luxury of having Passover (Pesach) happen during Holy Week. While at church, we will be observed a shortened seder=like dinner on Thursday, my family is going to "real" family seder on Monday night. I look forward to this all year, as it is fun, meaningful, good food and company, but really enlightens my understanding of why we, as Christians, celebrate Easter. In part, I am confused on why Christians no longer celebrate some of the Jewish holidays- it is the foundation of our faith and many of the traditions make so much sense. In my mind, they give more meaning to the faith I believe- and the traditions which the church sometimes seems to really lack. That and I've never really gotten a straight answer to why we DON'T observe some of these holidays/festivals in the same way, when some of them (like Passover) I really think we should.

The Wall Street Journal had a great article last week on Passover and the modernizing of the holiday- the tagline was "Passover Meets Twitter"- but I do encourage a reading. The seder we attend is a family seder and it does include "acting out" the plagues- and part of the levity of the celebration, and its participatory nature, helps me understand it even more.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703909804575123562145336920.html?KEYWORDS=New+Seder


As we move into spring break and holy week, we also enter the last 3 months of wedding planning. And I must again revisit some of the prescribed lists to figure out what I have to do next. I feel this is partially a time of "hurry up and wait," which is a little unnerving. Mostly because I am not sure what I need to be doing, if anything yet. It is too early for many things and other things, I think, are either done or in a holding pattern until after Easter (like some service prep and pre-marriage counseling, though the inventories start this week for us).

In other news, I finally posted the Hawaii pictures to Facebook. Next will be a brief section of shower photos- I don't really feel the need to post pictures of Tom and I with almost every gift- though some of the shots are kind of fun and funny, and therefore those will get posted later in the week.

Lent

I'm a Lutheran, and you may know that we all have some crazy fascination with Lent, whether or not we admit it. Unlike other religions, there isn't really a "requirement" to give up something for Lent, though some do. (It's more of a challenge/test of fortitude. I usually try to do something better- like eat better or exercise- it's more of a time to reinstate New Year's resolutions that have fallen by the wayside.)
Anyway- here were are at the very beginning of Lent.
I spent the week before Lent in 80+ degree Maui, enjoying salt water, whales, relaxing time with Tom, and the amazing island itself.
I came back remembering I had agreed to write a Lenten devotion- I finally finished it, and I share it with you.

The suggestion was to reflect on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness- the passage specifically from Luke 4:1-2. The prompt suggests that Lent is thought of as a wilderness experience, and we could reflect on that idea- our own experience, or the scripture passage, or wherever the Spirit leads. A combination of thoughts and some inspiration from the trip lead to the following:

I spent the week preceding Lent this year in Maui. The trip was incredible and we saw some really powerful aspects of God’s creation throughout the week. With the help of a guidebook, we took a “scenic drive” around the north-western part of the island. One of the highlights was a spot called the Nakalele Blowhole. (The name doesn’t even begin to describe it.) We were so awestruck by the power of nature here that we actually went back a second time to take more pictures and just see what some simple salt water can do.
The majesty has its limitations, though. The guidebook reminds you that “this is wilderness. There is no guard-rail to stop you from shrinking the gene pool should you use bad judgment and fall into the hole.” It goes on to suggest using common sense as you approach and specifies what times the blowhole might be at its “best” in terms of water spray. It was, both time, amazing and awesome.
What does this have to do with Lent? Wilderness is present in both Jesus experience and in ours. Even though Jesus suffered temptations and hunger, there is nothing in scripture that says the experience was negative. A test, a trial, a temptation- could these not also be what our parents used to call “character building experiences?” Can’t wilderness be awe-inspiring and amazing?

During Lent, I encourage you to find the amazing in the wilderness before you.



Even if you are not a faith-filled person, I encourage you to find the positive in wilderness.

VBC, etc

this week is VBC (vacation bible CAMP) at church. Due to working downtown and the current ineffectivity of my shoulder, i am "acting" in the nightly dramas. Tonight is the last night (and therefore the potluck). I will reprise my role as Felicity Snootlithe, Foreign Correspondent for the "Heavenly Times." (we're doing St. Paul and the Early Church as the theme this year.)
Anyway... i'm kind of a snobby foreign correspondent with a sloppy British accent (though the sloppy is my own and not written into the script. effect of not having done dialogue in quite some time as well as effects of vicodin for shoulder pain- NO, i didn't drive myself!!)

Otherwise: day off tomorrow for appointment with rheumatologist which happens to fall SMACK in the middle of the day (moderately annoying!) and is the only appointment available this week. Unsure why the ER docs decided rheumatologist, but there it is. My hunch is there will a CT scan or MRI in my future- hopefully near rather than far so we can decrease drugs and ice-pack-frequency!!

Tomorrow, however, is also T-minus one year to wedding day. Sometimes, that's not a big deal. Other times, I can't believe it's only a year away and I start to worry about budget, looking for a dress, little details, and the fact that student teaching makes up my life from mid/late August until mid December, and that moderately freaks me out. Especially because I'm sure there's stuff I have to DO in preparation for wedding things somewhere in there, while i know that student teaching consumes your life and them some in process.
This *is* all going to be fine.

I just need to remind myself of that sometimes. This may require some therapy this weekend.
(therapy of this type typically means cooking in quantity. i think i need to get the refill propane tank, soak some mesquite or hickory chips, and make sure I have enough vinegar to make pickles while making everything else on the grill.)

now, if i can just get off the drugs I can enjoy all of this with a nice sangria.....