Resource Review: Emergent Task Planner

Today, I would like to tell you about a fantastic tool I've been using for the last couple weeks. The Emergent Task Planner. It is definitely helping to keep me sane in the midst of a very full season at work in preparation for Synod Assembly 2015.

It was created by David Seah.

Here is a PDF of the instructions for use. 

Here is a printable PDF of the tool so you can use it for free!

I ended up buying a whole pad of them from Amazon.

I'm a huge fan!

Music Monday on a Tuesday

Current job projects...

This 

and

This

So....job life is all going well. But it's nearly 100% computer time all day, every day until Synod Assembly has passed. So I'm not as apt to spend much time on the computer when I'm not at work. Therefore...spotty bloggy posting. Regular schedule will return in May. 

Music Monday on a Tuesday morning. 

The Finish Line by Charlotte Lawrence

Oblivion by M83

White Foxes by Susanne Sundfor

Milagres by Here To Stay

Milagres Live on KEXP

This is My Song

Apologies for bloggy absence as of late. I'm at max capacity.

But, I miss blogging. And recommit to finding daily time starting Sunday. I MISS YOU. And I miss sharing more of myself.

Yesterday I had the joy of participating in a community Earth Week service at Assisi Heights in Rochester. Religious leaders from a variety of faiths shared readings on care of creation and eco-justice.

At the end, we sang the hymn This Is My Song. I love the words.

This Is My Song

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are ev'rywhere as blue as mine.
So hear my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my prayer, O God of all earth's kingdoms,
your kingdom come; on earth your will be done.
O God, be lifted up till all shall serve you,
and hearts united learn to live as one.
So hear my prayer, O God of all the nations;
myself I give you; let your will be done.

Text: Lloyd Stone, 1912-1993, sts. 1-2; Georgia Harkness, 1891-1974, st. 3
Text sts. 1-2 © 1934, 1962 Lorenz Publishing Company. Text st. 3 © 1964 Lorenz Publishing Company. 

Life Updates

Life is moving at such a fast pace. The weekend ZOOMED right by. It was a wonderful Saturday in Byron for the wellness fair. And Sunday was great, too - with time at Greenfield Lutheran, lunch with the Melines, and an evening premarital visit. This week is shaping up similar to last week. So I'm surviving on massive amounts of coffee. I'm looking forward to rebalancing my body when I get through Synod Assembly. June 2015 - here I come!

My pal, Kaitlin, wrote a great column on the joys of frozen herbs. 

Some friends and I had a fun time at Canvas and Chardonnay on Monday night.

I've started using the Emergent Task Planner model during the day at work. It's good!

Weekend Ahead

Happy Friday! I hope your week has been swell. What kind of weekend adventures await you?

I'll be in Byron all day tomorrow at this event. Discover the Heart of Wellness. I'll be speaking on Care of Spirit. It will be fun to speak! I'm also excited to enjoy the rest of the day as a participant.

And then Sunday will be a big day, too - I'm preaching and officiating an installation of a new interim pastor in a congregation - then lunch with dear friends - then quality mom time - then a premarital visit (3 weddings coming up this summer!).

Prayers appreciated - for energy, direction, inspiration, and a peaceful heart.

Thursday

Good morning!

The Damien Rice concert was a BLAST up in MSP last night.  But he didn't take the stage until 9:30pm and I didn't get to bed until about 1:15am. YIKES. It was a long drive back. But I stopped at a gas station and got a birthday cake flavored cappuccino.

Early morning today. But totally worth it. He's a captivating story-teller with a powerful voice. And it was such a delight to catch-up with my friend, Laura. It made me very nostalgic for our library shifts together all those years ago.

Here's a link to the Damien's song "Trusty and True." 

And here's a link to yesterday's Post-Bulletin column. Kudos to you, organizational secretaries!

Music Monday on a Tuesday night

I'm heading to a concert tomorrow night with my pal, Laura! We used to work nights together at the LSTC library in Chicago. I am really looking forward to seeing her and catching up. 

The concert we're going to is Damien Rice. Here are 5 Damien Rice songs: 

The Blower's Daughter

I Don't Want to Change You

Colour Me In

Trusty and True

The Box

Quote

"For every minute you remain angry,
you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Laura Story & HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHUA

Today is my amazing little brother's BIRTHDAY! Happy birthday, Bro-Bro!
I am so thankful we could celebrate with tons of fun over the weekend. You're awesome and you inspire me very, very much. 

A few years ago my mom and I went to a women's event at Autumn Ridge in Rochester. While there, we heard Laura Story perform. She was so wonderful with the audience. Extremely humble and gracious. She has a newer song that's been on the radio a lot lately, "I Can Just Be Me." I really like it. And her song "Blessings" is really powerful, too.

I have been listening to Christian radio more lately in the mornings. I like news and talk radio, too. But sometimes a little encouragement in the musical variety is nice. There's a 5-minute commentary that comes on at 8:30am which is right as I get to work - it's called Guidelines. Sometimes it's excellent; sometimes not...like anything. I liked today's reflection a lot. Here's a link. 

I was hesitant to listen to any Christian radio for a long time. Maybe that sounds weird since I love Jesus and am a pastor. But I get really irked by the commentaries on Christian radio sometimes because of they way some hosts and guests interpret God, grace, and the Bible. Sometimes I felt like it was a really narrow, even judgmental approach to faith. 

But then I realized recently that my pendulum had swung too far the other way. I was somehow comfortable listening to totally offensive pop/hip hop music that degraded women and family and stable, trusting relationships - but I was not comfortable listening to a station that occasionally propagated conservative Christianity. And that's when I realized I need to rebalance...and maybe be a little less hypocritical.  If I am frustrated with unhealthy ideas being shared on one, I should probably be just as frustrated by unhealthy ideas on the other. 

So now I listen to a little of this and a little of that - and that feels good! Middle ground!

Here are the Laura Story songs...

Poem

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Robert Frost, 1874 - 1963

Nature’s first green is gold, 

Her hardest hue to hold. 

Her early leaf’s a flower; 

But only so an hour. 

Then leaf subsides to leaf. 

So Eden sank to grief, 

So dawn goes down to day. 

Nothing gold can stay. 

And here's a super interesting article about meetings! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it!

Encouragement Verses

Music Monday (on an early Tuesday)

Good morning. I hope your week is off to a pleasant start. 

They are empowering songs. Because YOU ROCK! :) 

Here are some tunes: 

Roar by Katy Perry

Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

Brave by Sara Bareilles

Wide Open Spaces by The Dixie Chicks

Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine

Easter Weekend

I pray your Easter weekend has been so full of joyful laughter and fun and peace! I rejoiced in wonderful family time and impactful worship services. My cup overfloweth.

A verse for Good Friday

The Four Agreements

Have you read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz? 

It is EXCELLENT!

I read it twice in the past week!

Have you read it? 

I didn't agree with it 100%...but I did agree with it 94%!

The whole book is only about 140 pages and it's a very quick read. 

Here's a summary of the four agreements explored in the book....

I am REALLY working on #2 and #3. 

I've realized that I DO often take things personally and I also make a lot of assumptions. 

If you've read the book, let me know! I'd love to discuss here on the blog!