I feel that I caught a glimpse of it in the first few days following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. What was common for all of us was concern. The almost overwhelming sorrow as we helplessly watched the suffering of people we’d never met. Many gave what we had in terms of money or volunteer time. And I think everyone I know would have gone in person if the logistics could be worked out. Everyone cared.

It occurs to me that maybe THAT is what it means to reflect the image of God. The common element of humanity, the link that connects us, the spark of the divine in each of us mortals could be the automatic response of compassion. When we see suffering, our hands extend automatically. We don’t even have to think about it. OF COURSE we will help. We’ll go, in person, to meet the need. It doesn’t matter what the person looks like, or sounds like. When confronted with obvious suffering, we seek to relieve it.

I think these are the moments when we are reflecting the image of God. Whether we are Christian, atheist, agnostic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or any of the other hundred expressions of faith in the world. When we reach out in compassion, we demonstrate a common bond and reflect the essential nature of the divine force from which we all draw life. Whatever name you call It, it’s there in each of us.

So, on to the point: Funny Kid Stuff. As I choose to see the good things, and the things that bring me joy, I realize that the kids at school are a big part of that. So a few stories …

Several weeks ago, I was trying very hard to keep the kids focused on eating at lunch time. And if you’ve ever tried to keep 120 kindergarten, first and second graders munching on school ravioli instead of talking to each other, you know what I’m up against. On this particular day, I decided that whichever table could stay quiet the best would get a prize. Amazingly, it was a kindergarten class that won. When I walked over to the table, Little Miss M says to me, “Miss Beth, what is the prize?!”

“Well,” I said, “it’s a maze. You trace through it with a pencil and try to find your way out.”

“Oh,” she replied, in a slightly puzzled and disappointed tone, “I thought it would be a My Little Pony with shiny long hair and when you open the head, there’s lip gloss inside!”

Before I can even begin to come up with a response, Little Mr. E across the table says to me, “Hey Miss Beth, guess what?”

Grateful for a distraction, I immediately ask, “What?”

“My dad has toe fungus.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the last month, I have taken on yet another job at the school. In addition to finance work in the office, herding cherubs in the cafeteria, and selling them snacks, I am now also providing the before-school care on Thursday and Friday mornings from 6:30 to 8:30. This would probably be my favorite job, except for the whole arriving at 6:30 a.m. bit. I get to give the kids some individual attention, play games with them, and don’t really have to tell them what to do, because they are just there to play.

For the last couple weeks, jumping rope has been the bee’s knees. Especially for the kindergarteners. They are just learning, and I’ve decided there’s not many things I enjoy more than watching and helping a kid learn to do something new. Along the way, I try to sprinkle in important truths like “Everyone gets a second chance” when they all get two turns in a row jumping rope.

However, on this particular day, they had tired of jumping rope and were moving on to a different game, in which I wasn’t involved. From my observation, it consisted of Little Misses A, J, S, H, and K (all kindergarten) crawling around on the stage making noises I couldn’t quite identify. Finally, I asked Little Mr. B in first grade, “What do you think they’re playing?”

“Dogs,” he replied without hesitation. Then he cocked his head to the side and watched for a minute. “Actually,” he amended, “it’s Star Wars Dogs.”

YES! Yes, it was. Star Wars Dogs. Naturally.

2009 is a year I will be happy to let go of. As with all of life, there were some good things that happened, but I think for me the overwhelming feeling was “hard.” It was a hard year. Changes were hard, schedules were hard, being disappointed is hard. But at 11:59 p.m. I’m going to put that behind me and move forward.

So here’s what I’m hoping for 2010:

1. Blog more often. Funny things happen with the kids at school. I get insights that help me become more human. People do nice things for me. I think this is what my blog should be about: not to deny the realities that life is often hard, but a place to record the times when it’s good and use it to remind myself and others that things aren’t always bleak.

2. Health. Yep, it’s on the list EVERY YEAR This year I will take more of a “one day at a time, one cookie at a time” approach, but it is something that I plan to keep in mind. Hopefully I’ll at least walk a few times a week.

3. Put down roots. The housemates and I hope to move in the next month. After looking at eight or so bad to mediocre houses and duplexes (or “doubles” as the locals call them), in the same night we found two that we love. In fact, we love them both so much that we can’t decide which to choose. And as part of my new mindset, I’m trying to focus on the joy of having between two good things, instead of the difficulty of making the decision. I think I have my mind made up, but we’ll see what J and L think about it. Either way, we want to stay in this new house for a while. And I’m ready for that. I think I have “hostess” carved on my bones, and although we’ve still done plenty of entertaining this year, I’m ready to do it in a space that feels like mine. With our stuff on the wall, and all my dishes in the kitchen. I can’t wait.

I believe it’s going to be a good year. And even if it’s not, “I’m full of hope, but in no way optimistic.” (Cornel West)

Today is one of those days, and I think I want to share it, even though I don’t share a lot of personal stuff on here. *Point of clarification: I like it a lot when other people publish their personal business on their blogs, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it myself.

Anyway … today is a hard day. There’s a lot of upheaval in my life right now. My mom is getting married. I’m trying to sell my house in Springfield. I’m worrying about money and needing another job for the summer. And I’m trying to navigate the important relationships in my life in the midst of feeling very anxious. Today, for whatever reason, it has crashed in on me, and I’m not handling it very well. But life goes on. And so I have to go to school and deal with little children.

I’d already decided that I didn’t care what they did today and that I wasn’t going to let it bother me. But I have a little guy named Joshua who makes my life hard almost every day. The other day he had a giant tack, and Josh with a sharp object is my worst lunchroom nightmare. He’s always talking and making messes and making trouble. And today was no different. A few minutes after he arrived he tried to change seats, and I didn’t let him. He got really mad about it and slammed his stuff down and put his little head down on his arms. And all of a sudden I had a moment of clarity.

I went over and put my hand on his head, bent down to his level and softly said, “Are you having a hard day?” (No response.) “Because I’m having a hard day. Are you having a hard day too?” (Tiny nod.) And suddenly we had a connection. We understood each other, and could maybe help each other, even from a place of weakness. So I stood there and rubbed his back and spoke quietly to him for a few minutes until he was ready to sit up and eat. At the end of lunch, Josh had finished almost all his food, kept his place clean, and hadn’t bothered the other kids at his table.

All this seemed to go right along with an entry on Greg Boyd’s blog. It’s been the reminder I needed that everyone else is at times just as fragile as I sometimes am. I will get so much further in life by extending grace and compassion, even when I feel like I need it myself. Maybe especially when I feel like I need it myself.

Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

Chuck Norris CAN divide by zero.

In Pamplona, Spain, the people may be running from the bulls, but the bulls are running from Chuck Norris.

If you spell Chuck Norris in Scrabble, you win. Forever.

Lightning never strikes twice in one place because Chuck Norris is looking for it.

Chuck Norris sleeps with a pillow under his gun.

There is no theory of evolution, just a list of creatures Chuck Norris allows to live.

Chuck Norris CAN eat just one Lay’s chip.

Chuck Norris CAN touch MC Hammer.

Chuck Norris counted to infinity… twice.

Before the boogeyman goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas.

Chuck Norris is so strong that when he does a push up he actually pushes the world down.

Chuck Norris can strangle you with a cordless phone.

Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because Chuck Norris only recognizes the element of surprise.

If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can’t see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

When Chuck Norris plays Oregon Trail his family does not die from cholera or dysentery, but rather roundhouse kicks to the face. He also requires no wagon, since he carries the oxen, axels, and buffalo meat on his back. He always makes it to Oregon before you.

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

The quickest way to a man’s heart is with Chuck Norris’ fist.

Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

When Chuck Norris falls in water, Chuck Norris doesn’t get wet. Water gets Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

Chuck Norris CAN believe it’s not butter.

Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.

Chuck Norris can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

If at first you don’t succeed, you’re not Chuck Norris.

When Chuck Norris says, “More cowbell,” he gets it.

And my favorite one: Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.

Continuum Church had another outreach event this morning, oh so cleverly named “Pickup Sticks.” A month ago, our outreach team member Kelly said that she had an idea for an event. One of her friends in the Weinland Park neighborhood had just moved into a house that had a vacant lot next door. With permission from the landlord, he wanted to start using the lot to benefit the neighborhood: events or a community garden or something. But before any of that was even a possibility, he needed to get it cleaned out. He knew Kelly was a member of Continuum, and would her church be interested in helping his family clean out that lot? Ummm … YEAH. We would.

After a couple weeks of conversations, we finally decided that May 9 was the day. But we decided that right before I left town for Washington DC. Thankfully, I now have a fantastic team of people from Continuum who are passionate about making the Kingdom of God visible to our community, and so the event planning moved forward without me. Wendell took the lead: scoping out the lot, figuring out what needed to be done, finding the right people with the right tools … making sure everything was ready when we all arrived this morning. Working with this talented team is one thing that brings me great joy and fulfillment.

So off we went this morning to knee high grass, a lot of dead tree limbs, broken bottles, and some platic toy heads. (Early in the day, Alisha says “Oh look! I found a Batman toy!” But her sister and I both heard, “Oh look! I found a FAT man toy!” Which raises many questions …)

Wendell had figured that with around 10 people, we could get the lot done in a couple hours, thinking that 10 a.m. to noon was reasonable. We had 14 from Continuum, as well as Mom and Three Kids from the family that came up with the idea. Everyone jumped right in and got to work, and we had the place totally cleaned out by 11:30! Around 11:15, the next door neighbor Brian comes to the fence line, using the biggest machete I’ve seen outside of the Crocodile Dundee movies to hack down every mulberry tree in his path, and offering everyone Mountain Dew.

Now there are several things that really get me jazzed about what we did today:

1. We were sought out. This family had an idea for something good that they wanted to do, and they thought to ask Continuum Church to help them. Not only am I thrilled that they know who we are in the first place (!) but I’m even happier that they know that we’ll be interested. That’s the reputation I know that Jesus wants us to have.
2. Other people get excited. I believe that when we’re doing the kind of good in the world that God wants each of us to do, we’re in our sweet spot. We had a lady slow down as she drove by, just to give us the thumbs up and a huge smile, thanking us for what we were doing on her street. And Brian the next door neighbor was inspired to finish the work he’d already started in his own yard. Good stuff, true stuff, resonates with each one of us, and we want to be part of it.
3. This was about more than clean-up. With our actions, we said that we will NOT give up on the abandoned places in our communities. We believe that there is nothing beyond the reach of redemption. It doesn’t matter what it’s been used for in the past, or how long it’s been ignored, we can still find the good that God wants to do there. We’ll pick up the trash, dig out the weeds, mow down the tall grass, and get ready to nurture some new life.
4. It’s symbolic of what we believe. Re-read #2 above and know that we don’t just believe that about places, we believe it about people. We believe that God has deep, unconditional, never-ending love for each person on the planet. And we will live and die to make sure that is abundantly clear. No one is beyond the reach of grace. We believe that following Jesus offers us a way out of the systems we’ve created that ultimately bind us and others. We believe in reconciliation, wholeness, peace – a whole new way of doing life. Already given to us, just waiting to be recognized and accepted.

And THAT’S why I love being the outreach director at Continuum Church.

Half an hour and $38 later, my car and I were on our way to the Convention Center. I had several more good conversations with other attendees while I was at the Convoy of Hope table, and then went in for the first session: a talk from Dr. Vincent Harding. This unassumingly powerful speaker has been witness to many changes in American history, most notably the Civil Rights movement. His address to us that morning was on the question of how we can really advocate for the poor without both knowing poor people personally and having them present in our discussions. He then opened up the floor for us to respond and talk to each other. As much as I enjoy hearing from experts, I am always grateful for the chance to hear from the many other passionate folk who have turned out for this event too. As expected, we didn’t come up with an answer to this question, but we were able to hear how our friends across the country are beginning to address the issue.

We then had a church leader roundtable, moderated by Brian McLaren. He didn’t speak much himself, and I would have liked to hear more from him. But the diversity of voices on the panel lead to a very rich discussion of how we can continue to see the whole of Gospel lived out in our home congregations. We heard much about the need to work together, and I loved hearing the language from the different Christian traditions. One phrase stuck out to me specifically. We talk a lot about how Jesus said the Kingdom of God is at hand, and we pray that God’s will is done on earth as it is in Heaven. I’ve heard a lot of different opinions on what we are actually doing then. We aren’t really bringing the kingdom about because it’s already here. And we’re not helping God, because he doesn’t really need our help. The phrase that one panelist used is that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and we are working to make that visible. Have I mentioned that one of my favorite parts of this whole experience was hearing from so many different Christian perspectives? It seemed very much like exactly what we should be doing.

We moved straight into a workshop session and I attended the one on health care and poverty. Now, there are many different opinions on how health care should be fixed. But I would hope that most people assume that something must be done. There are too many families who do not have access to health care. Many diseases can be directly traced to the neighborhood in which you live. And many people wind up with very serious conditions that could have been prevented if they could afford to see a primary care doctor before the situation got out of hand. My new friend Jonathan works as a patient adovcate in an emergency room in west Baltimore, and he taught me a lot about this issue. I guess you can’t look people in the eye day after day, see their suffering, deal with the complications of the insurance system, and feel like they should still just be able to figure it all out on their own. Maybe the rest of us need to shadow Jonathan for a while.

One think I appreciated about this session is that they did not advance any specific policy initiatives. There are still many decisions to be made. But the point is, we cannot overlook those who are vulnerable. As people of faith, Jesus calls us to identify with them, care for them, and when necessary, take up their cause if those in power aren’t listening.

I’d have to say that my favorite part of the whole conference was the Post-Mobilization Training I attended. I guess this means it was after the official stuff was over, but I thought it was so good that it should have been front and center. It was a discussion titled “Theology, Scripture and Social Justice,” hosted by Dr. Chuck Gutenson and Dr. Shaun Casey (who perfectly fits the picture in my head of a Founding Father … without the breeches). They each gave a brief overview of what they believe, and then opened up the floor for questions. They each have a wide path of experience, and were able to speak to the experience that many of us share, moving from a a traditional conservative evangelical view to one that embraces a wider scope of issues. I especially enjoyed their treatment of the question “What is the Biblical role of government?” They believe that a better question to ask is, “What does the Bible show us about how God intends us to live together? THEN, what kinds of public policies empower that way of living?” Neither of them would say that there are easy answers to our questions, and they encouraged us to live in the tension. It was a fantastic way to cap off the Mobilization to End Poverty.

I got back to my car at 6 p.m., and had planned to drive straight back. I had to take Taylor to school the next morning at 8:15, and it’s only a seven hour drive, so I should be home by 1 a.m., and that didn’t seem like too much of a problem. However, I had NO idea what D.C. traffic can be like at the end of the day. It took me an hour and half to go the first six miles, during which Tom changed his mind about the route about 18 times. And then, he took me on a maddening scenic tour of some expensive Maryland suburb, totally bypassing the obvious entrance to the highway. I think Jill has finally recovered her hearing after I called her screaming in frustration.

Once I got outside the city, things picked up. I knew I needed to stop for dinner, and was hoping for Chick-fil-A. No luck. So I finally stopped for fuel at a station that had a Blimpie inside it, figuring this would be a better nutritional option than fried chicken anyway, although not nearly as satisfying. They were out of roast beef, so I went for ham. However I neglected to think about the fact that I’d been crunching my way through a bag of salty Gardetto’s snack mix, and the ham proved to be just too much for me. As I’m trying to pull it out of my sandwich and drive at the same time, I glance up in time to see that I’m passing the next exit … with a sign for Chick-fil-A.

By the time I climbed into the mountains in Maryland, it was quite late. And quite colder than it had been the last couple days. Which means it was quite foggy. And by “quite” I mean zero visibility. Really. Zero. But, there is always grace. The semis I had been so afraid of proved to be exactly what I needed. I got behind one of them who was going much slower than usual because of the fog, and stayed right with him until it cleared. I could see his lights and knew I was on the right track.

I have discovered that the secret to staying awake when you can’t listen to your iPod because Tom‘s battery needs to be charged and you’re driving through Pennsylvania at 1 a.m. is country music. Normally, I don’t care for it at all. But I guess they play all the fast songs for me and the truckers who are driving all night, and the tempo, excellent fiddling, and really ridiculous lyrics kept me going. That, and a best friend who stayed up talking to me as long as I wanted.

I finally made it home at 3 a.m.

Anyway, tonight I’m posting a real Blue Plate recipe. This is definitely the fastest one yet, which I think was supposed to be part of the point of the Blue Plate exercise. So far, mine haven’t been all that speedy, but this one is.

I got this idea from Michelle M. She generously offered me a place to live when I was in Columbus on my own last year. She’s a compassionate advocate, a fun mom, and a great cook … and a lawyer! What kind of a fantastic combination is that?! As you can imagine, she’s quite busy, and had lots of great ideas for quick, good, balanced meals. So without further ado, I give you …

Tortellini Soup

This soup is also good cold, and can be made in whatever size batch you need. This is a five-person sized batch … I think. Again, I’ll post it the way I made it, but I’m sure there are lots of good variations.

Slice 5 cloves of garlic and sautee in a little olive oil.

Add 8 c. water and 8 tsp. chicken bouillon.

Add Italian seasonings to taste. I rarely measure seasonings, so I can’t help you here. I used lots of oregano, some basil, a little marjoram, cilantro, and rosemary. The rosemary may have been a mistake because it never cooks down well and you always get it stuck in your mouth. We’ll see. I also added a generous helping of onion powder. I’ve made this before by starting with a base of caramelized onions (yum!) but not everyone in my house likes to know there are onions in food. I can use the powder and thus approximate the flavor, but that’s it.

Add 1 each regular sized can of petite diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Add some water to the crushed tomato can to get all the good stuff out. Add one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, and rinse it well too. This should add about another 2 c. water total.

Bring to a boil and add one 20 oz. package of tortellini and one bag of fresh spinach. We like the Buitoni mixed cheese tortellini, available in the refrigerated deli section. This soup base can simmer for quite a while, but I don’t recommend adding the pasta and spinach until you are ready to eat. The tortellinis will start to fall apart if they are boiled for too long.

Serve with garlic bread, salad, or strawberries if they were on sale yesterday!

Friday is my very favorite Blue Plate day. It seems like all the other days of the week can be so busy. But even if Friday has the same amount of busy-ness during the day, I’m somehow always more relaxed when it’s over. On Friday nights you can most likely find my family settled on couches, watching all the episodes of Bones and NCIS that we’ve taped during the week. (No of course, we’re not actually using VHS. Our TV magically records things, and I don’t really know how it works or what it’s called, so for me, it’s still “taping.”) And while we’re watching our taped shows, the food of choice on our not-usually-blue plates is homemade pizza.

As a sidenote, I am optimistic that nice weather will bring a change to our Friday night activities. It’s been years since I’ve watched this much TV. But it’s been cold and icky and forensic crime shows have been a welcome escape from the stress of unemployment and uncertainty.

But, back to the pizza … My mom used to make homemade pizza when I was a kid, and it was always one of our favorites. She usually made two rectangular pizzas and we would create many different personalized sections with various toppings. Mom even liked sauerkraut pizza, but that never really appealed to anyone else. At our house now we have such a wide range of tastes that it’s easiest, and least expensive, to just make cheese pizza. And the crust is so good that there are no complaints. Mom always made the crust with regular flour, vegetable oil, and sugar, but I’ve played with it a little and enjoy the following variation as well … (Prepare yourself for yet another of my rambling recipes. I really don’t know how to be succinct when explaining cooking.)

Honey-Wheat Crust Cheese Pizza

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Dissolve 1 pkg (2 1/4 t.) yeast in 1 c. warm water. Water should only be about 100 degrees or you’ll kill the yeast. When making dough of any kind, it’s apparently important for all the ingredients to be at least room temp. I have a real problem with this in the winter, so I’ve started putting the water in the large glass bowl I plan to use for mixing and putting the whole thing in the microwave for about 30 seconds. This helps to warm up the bowl, and it doesn’t take too long for the water to cool down again.

Once the yeast has dissolved, add 1/2 t. salt, 2 T. olive oil, and 1 generous T. of honey. I always do the oil first and then use the same measuring spoon for the honey because it slips right out instead of making a sticky mess. Stir until dissolved.

Slowly add 2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour, and 1 c. wheat flour. I prefer to mix the flours in another bowl first so that I’m always adding a consistent combination. Add about 1/4 c. at a time, and mix well. Sometimes it seems to take a little more flour and sometimes less. Today I wound up adding probably another 1/3 c., but it’s very humid today so maybe that has something to do with it? By the time you’re at the end, you’ll probably have to mix it in by hand, so give it a few good kneads in the bowl and then turn it out onto the counter.

Quickly rinse the bowl you just used for mixing and put a little oil in the bottom. Turn the smooth ball of dough in the oil a couple of times to gently coat it. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the oven. Turn the oven off. This keeps your dough in a warm, draft free place, which is also very important in the winter. This is a little trick I learned from America’s Test Kitchen. Allow dough to rise for at least 2 hours, which is the other reason it’s good to do this on Friday nights. I think Mom got hers to rise in 1 hour and I have to admit mine’s looking good after 40 minutes today, but it usually takes longer for me. Probably because it’s been so cold.

When risen, remove dough from oven and preheat oven to 450.

Divide dough in half and spread each half onto your baking materials of choice. Mom used to use shallow cookie sheets lined with oiled foil. I have used parchment paper and then transfered it to preheated baking stones. For the last several weeks I’ve been out of parchment paper and it’s very hard to transfer a floppy pizza anyway, so I’ve just been spreading the dough right on the stone (one rectangle, one round) and then switching the placement of stones in the oven every 5 minutes while cooking to ensure that both bottom crusts get crispy enough. The baking stones heat so evenly you can cook both pizzas at the same time, which is a great time saver.

Mix one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce with a little water. Mix in plenty of garlic and onion powders, oregano and basil. I don’t use any specific measurements here; just do it to taste for your family. Spread evenly across both doughs, leaving a little bare dough around the edge.

Sprinkle, generously at our house, with shredded cheese. We’ve decided we prefer the Italian cheese mix pre-shredded in the bag. There’s usually a pizza cheese option, but the Italian cheese has more variety and usually yeilds a better flavor.

Bake pizzas at 450 for 20 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

We often have a simple green salad alongside this.

Anyway, there were about 40 of us from Ohio, and we visited the offices of both Senators Voinovich (R) and Brown (D). And then we split up to visit the Representatives from our individual districts. I have never visited a member of Congress before. In fact, I’ve never written a letter until last month, so I feel like I’ve made huge strides in a very short amount of time.

Obviously, these are very busy folks, and so we didn’t meet personally with either Senator or with my Representative, Mary Jo Kilroy. At each office we met with legislative aides. I admit that I was a little disappointed by that, but from what I understand it would have been much more unusual to have actually met with our elected official in person. The House was actually taking a vote when we went to Congresswoman Kilroy’s office, so she had the best excuse, I think

(By the way, did you know that there are underground tunnels that run from all the Congressional office buildings to the Capitol? I didn’t. How National Treasure is that?! Actually, it’s just quite practical, but I know that if I were a member of Congress I would pretend to be James Bond every time I went down there. I have to admit, I didn’t actually know that not all members of Congress have offices in the Capitol. Some have space there in addition to their main office, but everyone’s main space is in another building. So now I’ve been to D.C. three times and still have never been inside the Capitol.)

Overall, the 1100 attendees of the Mobilization to End Poverty met with 83 Senators and 200 Representatives that day. I feel good about that. It was a good lesson for me because during the Presidential election I was very frustrated because I kept feeling like I couldn’t get close enough to either candidate to know if he was trustworthy. There’s just really no way to know for myself what kind of person someone is when all I get is highly filtered messages. So I’ve long since decided to just put my main focus on local politics. But suddenly there I was on Tuesday standing in my nation’s capitol, meeting with staff from the offices of my Senators and Representatives. I know – it’s not like I met with President Obama. But it did suddenly make national politics seem much more accessible than it ever had before. It was empowering. I think I’ll be making some visits to their district offices too. So Continuum Church folk, I will be asking some of you to come along!

TuesDay2 also included picnic lunching in the park with new friends, a little frisbee throwing in which I injured my thumb because I am not coordinated at all, iced chai at Ebenezer’s, a wander through the Smithsonian American History Museum, some dim sum (ha!), worship lead by Vicky Beeching, and a commute home on the Metro by myself.

I think I could have as easily chronicled this trip by person, not just by day. Maybe I’ll work on that next …

For now, I leave you with verse from Wonderful Cross that I have never heard before. Vicky led this song with a melody unfamiliar to me, and included a verse that everyone else seemed to know, but was powerfully fresh for me:

“Forbid it Lord that I should boast
save in the death of Christ, my God.
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.”