Going west side

Despite getting caught in major accident traffic on I-96 W (causing me to turn around and purposely drive the wrong way on a highway just to escape the deadlock!) my little day trip out to Grand Rapids yesterday resulted in some girly fun that included (not) being quiet at the beautiful library, sweating outside within seconds, uncontrollable [me] laughter at the art museum, delicious eats and cute accessory finds at some resale shops - thanks ladies for such a delightful day in your company! 

Sphere of influence

This morning in church I was listening to Drew in his message remark about how much one's community can affect the things we believe, the activities we do, the places we frequent; and really shape the person we are - for better or for worse, if you think about it.

This reminded me of last week when I was driving in the car and caught a 20-minute segment of the local NPR station airing a Shane Claiborne interview as part of their "Speaking of Faith" program. For those of you who are familiar with him and his way of thinking/living as a self-professed "ordinary radical" Christian, I don't think you have to agree with everything he says or does to find some of his fundamental ideas compelling. He talked about living in community, a popular concept among Christians, but with a perspective twist that challenged me. He was talking about how for him living in community meant surrounding himself with the kind of people he wished he could be like (well it was something generally like that, for what he actually said, go and listen to the interview or excerpts yourself :). And this perspective resonated with me, because in my life there are SO many people who do things or have personal characteristics that I admire - because they are so smart & learned, they are compassionate, they are prayer warriors, they are witty, they are organized, they are great parents/spouses/siblings/friends etc. I was carrying on to a friend recently about some friend's deeds that I greatly admired, and the friend interrupted me and said "and YOU are that person for me", and while I was simultaneously humbled and embarrassed, when I reflected on it later I realized that she was just trying to pay me a compliment, and I'm sure that there is someone in her life who would say the same thing to her, and on and on. The reality is that all our words and actions have the potential of affecting the lives around us, whether it is our family, children, peers, colleagues, friends or enemies. This might be a heady notion to think about our power as individuals, yet it is actually a power that we all possess - so hopefully you are striving to be a better person and as a result we will all benefit!

Lunch and learn

You know the "ladies that lunch" type, rich ladies with plenty of time for yoga classes, shopping and long lunches. My friends and I would make fun of them, except that now I am one these days - clearly minus the rich part! But I can honestly say that I have cherished the many leisurely lunch dates I've had over the past couple of months; taking the time to visit with former colleagues that I'm friends with, building and maintaining some networking contacts, catching up with friends and hearing their stories, and now, the intimacy of inviting people to our new home. The easy salad in the picture was recently served up to some ladies who are moving only a couple of hours away but are taking on a new chapter in their lives, and I wish them luck on their journey, as happiness is always close at hand when you can be content with your current lot in life. So, thanks friends, for your time, and for those of you who I haven't had the pleasure of lunching with yet - let's get something on the calendar! :)