Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Happy Halloween


The terrifying walking picnic table, last seen almost 15 years ago, once again comes to life!

Trick or Treat!

Fall Run



Another fall evening run with geese flying in into the pond for the night, preparing for the trip south. My runs around the pond and through a stretch of woods has become my new wooded wonder for thoughts to flow. But, the real woods will always that place of my childhood.

It is in the woods, just a block from my house that I grew up. It is in the woods, I took many walks with my mom, where we hid behind trees playing hide and go seek with my dog Poppy, where I found my arrowhead, where friends and I explored, played, sledded, and pretended many adventures. It maybe shouldn’t be a surprise that when asked to imagine being in a favorite place from childhood that I would find myself standing silently in the midst of a visual wind in my woods.

This was a wind that I could see. It moved slowly almost like the ripples of water moving between rocks in a gentle moving stream. This spirit wind was a warm, messaging, comforting wind. I recognized this wind as sweet spirit breath, living, giving life, proclaiming presence, inviting the imagination to be free.

It was in this wooded spirit blown place that I was asked to visualize the meeting of Jesus. It was here I was asked to visualize the receiving of a gift. What came to mind was a large, maybe two feet long, paint brush. I understood right away, that this brush is designed to help me paint, not on canvas, as Randi did so often, but in the hearts and lives of people. My life, my vocation, my ministry may best be described as an art. I have been given the opportunity to paint, coloring lives, inviting people to see and recognize God in the midst of the everyday. Maybe as an artist my job is that is helping people to step out of the traffic, to see God, even in the midst of all the busy stuff at work, in relationships, in the world, in the church, all the stuff that does become political, manipulative and way to noisy. Again this verse, Psalm 46 vs. 10 out of "The Message,” pulls and tugs at my imagination. These words are becoming one of my best understanding of Spiritual Direction.

"Step out of the traffic!
Take a long, loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything."

The Great Pumpkin Patch



The great pumpkin patch with Andrea, Renee, Aaron, Jamie and Sam.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Hunter Moon



Full moon setting Friday morning after a beautiful night on the deck.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

ND Capital Run




ND morning run, back to the capital grounds passing buffalo, a horse and a 57million year old tree.

Friday, October 19, 2007

LCMS Bismarck


There are those groups that simply surprise me... The group seemed to large with very few times to really connect. Then something happens that surprises me, and suddenly we go deep and I discovery the mystery of God once again.

Blessings to the High School youth gathered in Bismarck to help with the Jr. High gathering.

Bismarck



My airport pickup turned into my tour guides since the hotel room wasn't ready.

Thus... we visited the State Capital and the Historical Center...

After ND traditional Dome capital burned down they raised the only skyscraper. Since there is no bedrock in the area this was very unique undertaking.

The 3rd floor has a room decorated with Monkey wood, a rare wood from CA that represents a third of the wood that was ever used, shipped here by mistake, but to expensive to move back.

If N.D. ever succeeded the US would be in trouble because of the huge energy supplies, the amount of crops that could feed the whole US, and the military strength that includes many nuclear warheads.

The state has two guns per every person.

It is illegal to collect leaves from the capital grounds, which has a collection of every tree in the state.

It is also illegal to collect arrowheads, “But my uncle has a lot of them but you will never figure out which one because I have 32 uncles in the area.” Says the boy.

Almost everyone is either a Norwegian or a German in ND. (Wonder about the Native Americans?)

There is a huge snow angle making contest, competeing for the world’s most record going on between ND and MI. (I had to confirm this one. --- 8,900 reclaimed Guniss Book of World records. Associated Press Article and pic!)

And I really don’t know if any of the is true but it

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Step Out of the Traffic

"Step Out of the Traffic,
take a long loving look at me,
your High God."
-Ps 46:10 The Message

Traffic... I drive in it most everyday. It does fill ones mind with impatience, with judgment of other drivers, of thoughts for all the reasons I could already be doing the plethora of tasks that await me.

“Step out of the traffic.” --- As I set off on my Spiritual Director studies with the Christos Center, this seems to be words that keep coming back to my mind as an invitation, maybe a mantra, theme, or just plain common sense. We shall see. I cannot see much of anything with substance when impatient, judging, and full of imperative tasks. How can I see God without stepping out of the traffic?

  • What is the traffic for today?
  • How will I step out of it?
  • What do I fear if I do step out?
  • What will I find if I look towards God?

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Thousand Oaks



A retreat in Mountains of Malibu with CA kids...

This was the last of 12 groups since AUG. Several were just for a day, but others lasted three or four days. All wonderful, all worth doing, but a bit of a blur at this point. Top that all off with a bout a month long sneezy cold. --- and the last two weeks, of itchy poison ivy, and the blur gets even worse. I am finally starting to feel back to some kind of norm

Other updates... Started school at the Christos Center, put the house up for sale, thus all spare time going into sorting, cleaning, selling, and not much blogging... or much running. Time to get back to both.