Life lately

Hello friends.
What a very full season of life it has been!
Some highlights since 2019 began....

• participated in the Border Immersion Experience in El Paso and Las Cruces with Border Servant Corps
• Visited Napa and Sonoma with Justin
• Started a new treatment program for my ITP (That has led me to a current Nplate dose that is just 5% of what I use to get every week! So close to an injection-free life and remission!)
• Led a women's retreat at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hopkins
• Pulpit supplied for a few months at Homestead Methodist Church
• Was nominated as a candidate for bishop in January
• Attended a Lilly School of Fundraising course in Indianapolis
• Annual Lenten column series for the Post-Bulletin (this year with a special twist!)
• Celebrated my sister-in-law by attending her defense for her PhD in Ames at Iowa State! Way to go, Sister!
• Led a couple Boundaries workshops for the synod
• Began a one-year leadership training program called SHAPE
• Served as a confirmation mentor during the season of Lent at Zumbro
• Presented for the April Rochester Chamber Women's Roundtable on "Incorporating Spiritual Practices into Daily Life"
• Iowa Easter weekend
• Preached at St. Olaf College
• Celebrated Megan and Jeremy's Wedding in Dubuque 
• Planned the 2019 Spring Communications Workshop
• Celebrated Mother's Day with our moms in Forrestville
• Participated in 3 Discernment Events with the other 6 nominees for bishop at different locations around the synod
• Attended niece Sophia's dance recital in Iowa
• Ran a half-marathon in mid-May
• Technical production manager for 2019 Synod Assembly with an outstanding tech crew
• Participated as a nominee for bishop during the 2019 Synod Assembly
• Final staff retreat
• Began the #summeroffun on June 2 (goal: time in the garden, time with friends, new deck furniture)
• Celebrated my 36th birthday in Clear Lake, Iowa with Josh, Sweta, Justin, Mom and Bob

What a very full and glorious season it has been. 

Also...tiring. 

This has been the most spiritually formative and exhausting season of my life. We're now a few weeks into what Justin and I are calling the "Summer of Fun," and I'm grateful! It's taking me a bit to really "relax" and trust that it's okay to live in a time of unknowns. I'm learning that actually the unknowns are a kind of gift. 

I'm hoping to get back into regular writing and photography (with my real camera). And maybe some typewriter time (and a return to last year's "Summer of Stillness"). 

Thank you for your friendship!