Sewing with Heather...

I received a sewing machine for Christmas. With the aspiration of counter-acting the crap produced by Americans...I am seeking ways to use the old to create new...except for the following (of which I bought all new fabric).

It's a lap top bag! Yay for Tiffy! (clap hands)




Another idea though is to create re-usable grocery bags (I did kind of save the world with this project) using old t-shirts...

It's simple:
1. Turn an old t-shirt inside out.
2. Sew along the bottom hem line. Turn right side out.
3. Cut off arms.
4. Trace half-circle around neck line and cut.
5. Rejoice at the diminishing pile of old plastic bags under your sink. Viola!

Meanness...

Confession: I am a mean person.

I'm not looking to be reassured or argued with in this point. Because I, not you, hear my thoughts and feel my heart on a daily basis.

I'm not talking about blunt honesty, I'm talking about--in the core of my being--believing the worst about those who have offended me or those I care for.

I'm ashamed that, more often than not, I do not wish the best for those I do not agree with, but the opposite.

I'm grieved that I do not recognize pain and brokenness as universal... I'm grieved that I often overlook the fact that I too am a member of this broken universe.

saturated...

Notes from Thursday (I'm in class from 8am-10:15pm)

Old Testament Class-
"It's interesting how ageism has infiltrated even the church. See Genesis 12:4. Abraham was 75 when he received the call from God. Can you imagine if our lives only began at the age of 75? An additional benefit would be the wisdom gained through experience. Dear Baby Boomers, Your time of impact can still be before you.

Genesis 22 refers to Jehovah Jirah as Abraham's provider for the symbolic seed. However this name "Provider" carries so much meaning for me (as a farmer's daughter) in reference to actual seed as well. Rain. God's provision. Makes a seed into a plant that produces fruit and multiplies. How beautiful is that?

When I stand and "praise" God but my mind is elsewhere--maybe the act of communal worship is what carries me into the presence of the holy...despite my human depravity, through the divinity of the body."

New Testament Class-
"Who knew that the letters of Paul were placed in the Bible according to length, longest to shortest. In fact, 1 and 2 Thessalonians were the first books chronologically. Seriously?!"

Church History-
"Thomas More (author of Utopia) was more significantly a counter-reformationist who felt extremely passionate about the church and respect for traditional structures. (Ensuing conversation about whether tradition is good or not). This is what I wonder, if tradition more closely paralleled the heart of God to see community in respectful relationship rather than oppression, would current movements against tradition exist?"

*It has snowed three times since the beginning of April. No joke.

a call to repentance

Our sermon on Sunday was on repentance with the thesis that mankind's chief folly is the rejection of reality because it does not fit with their ideal for life. We ended the sermon with a powerful community prayer of repentance and I wanted to share portions of it.

Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
empower us to wake up to God’s truth
and turn from our falsehood.

Heavenly Father…
For the many ways we’ve conformed to the
pattern of this world instead of to the image
of Jesus Christ;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For living like we were on vacation rather than
as soldiers in a battle;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For seeking first the “American Dream”rather
than the Kingdom of God;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For consuming more than we need when
brothers and sisters around the world go
without;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For the ways we have reduced you to a tribal
God who is on “our side” instead of on the side
of all humans;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
empower us to wake up to God’s truth
and turn from our falsehood.

Heavenly Father…
For having more confidence in the ways of
Caesar than the ways of the Cross;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For hating our enemies rather than loving
and serving them;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For failing to submit every aspect of our daily
lives to you;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For being too busy to notice the hurting,
lonely and lost in our midst;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For our unwillingness to pursue relationships
with people whose appearance and culture is
different than our own;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For esteeming some people as more important
than others;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For not being outraged by the violence and
injustice in the world;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world,
empower us to wake up to God’s truth
and turn from our falsehood.

Heavenly Father…
For believing the lies people have told us about
ourselves rather than trusting your word about
us, spoken on Calvary;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For allowing the promiscuity of our culture to
influence our sexual attitudes and behavior;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For judging others as worse sinners than
ourselves;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For allowing ourselves to fall into the bondage
of strongholds and addictions;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For gossiping and slandering people rather
than blessing them;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For praying too little and watching television
too much;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For all the lies we’ve told and all the things
we’ve stolen;
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

For failing to live out the radical call of the
Jesus-looking Kingdom
We repent and ask for your forgiveness

Today, I'm muddling my way through Acts and learning, loving, and hating it. One paradox of seminary is that I am continually learning about the sweetness of Jesus, but you are continually feeling like I don't spend time with him.

The weather lately has been lovely (save the 8 inches of snowfall on Tuesday) and it's good to get out for walks with friends or by myself.

It's becoming more and more apparent that I'm leaving the cities in 2 months. My sister, Amanda is painting my room in her new basement. Friends here are planning final getaways. I just submitted my last schedule request. I don't know how I feel about ending things...but I feel like I've been doing it a lot the last few years.