tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97439752024-03-07T21:18:29.631-05:00Margaret's Thought SpotMy own little spot for my thoughts...margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-48314652498756347182011-02-01T21:08:00.003-05:002011-02-01T21:18:19.326-05:00The Word Re-WrittenOur assignment was to re-write the parable of the ten virgins in "modern" (post-modern?) language. So fun!<br /><br />Matthew 25:1-13<br /><br />The Kingdom of Heaven will be like the launch of an amazing new app for IPhone. Ten friends brought their IPhones and met at a coffee house, waiting for the app to launch. As they waited, they played Angry Birds.<br /><br />They played late into the night, draining batteries left and right. When the announcement was finally made--the app launch is here!--5 friends pulled out their chargers to plug in their IPhones. <br /><br />"Let us borrow your cords!" the other 5 said. <br /><br />"We can't share, we don't want to miss the download!"<br /><br />The friends went home to get their chargers, but when they went to get the app, the window to get it for free was over. They called tech support, but were told, "Sorry, you missed the opportunity."<br /><br />Therefore, keep charged, for you don't know when a free app opportunity might come along.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-73667079532160545082011-01-04T11:33:00.002-05:002011-01-04T11:37:17.472-05:00Writing Groups?Thinking about writing groups. Anyone have any experience with one?<br /><br />I am starting a closed group this week, something I'm calling "therapeutic writing group" or "healing writing group." Still working it out. There will just be three of us (at the mo). I am interested to see how the process works.<br /><br />I have also purchased three books about writing groups. I am intrigued, and may start another one, along the lines of a creative writing group. <br /><br />Something may be brewing...I'll try to keep you posted.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-24365808583704544612010-09-17T14:05:00.002-05:002010-09-17T14:11:31.818-05:00Church Buildings...I'm thinking that church buildings should probably be sold and all the money given to feed and care for those in other countries who are in need. So many church buildings are only used once or twice a week, and often for very small groups. If these groups would just meet in homes, or find a community space like a library or community center (which often aren't in use on Sunday mornings or evenings), they wouldn't even need their building.<br /><br />And that would put the salt back out in the world where it belongs. Instead of stuck in the shaker where it's not doing anyone any good.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-61983023293803812142010-08-02T13:47:00.002-05:002010-08-02T13:51:06.815-05:00Aldersgate Camp. Wow.Just back from a week in Fitchburg. Wow.<br /><br />Words can't describe the extreme highs and lows of the week. Well, highs were extreme. Lows were...just low.<br /><br />For those of you unable to attend, sorry you missed my performance of Irene Cara's "Flashdance: What a Feeling." DANCE performance. That was a once in a lifetime thing...sorry you have missed out. There might be a random video out there, hoping no one will think to post it...<br /><br />Pray for my campers...new commitments to their spiritual journey for almost all of them. Firsts, seconds, all important.<br /><br />What a feeling.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-82968990325942334402010-06-12T10:53:00.002-05:002010-06-12T10:58:48.937-05:002 years and counting...Still trying to find healing, closure, whatever you want to call it. It's been 2 years now, and I'm still reeling from the pain. Sometimes my heart hurts so bad I can't think straight. <br /><br />I've tried everything I can think of to work through this loss. I can't even think of what else I could possibly pray to find healing. Waiting, moving, forgiving (or trying to forgive?), working through my hurt and anger...I can't believe how long this has held on. I have not a clue what to do about it.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-80315680839942711822010-06-09T14:16:00.000-05:002010-06-09T14:17:46.672-05:00I love the rain.It means I can skip watering my plants.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-12666041635302328592010-03-01T12:58:00.001-05:002010-03-01T12:58:45.483-05:00You know it's Monday when...Your hot water heater goes out. Before your shower.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-68625403498260644582010-02-21T19:43:00.003-05:002010-02-21T19:50:09.014-05:00Confession...about Frozen BurritosI admit it. I have some weird attraction to frozen burritos. I can go for months without having one, but then the craving hits and I just can't stop thinking about them. Even though they are terrible in so many ways: terrible for your health, terrible tasting...just terrible. Obviously it is some kind of addiction.<br /><br />Then yesterday I had an epiphany. I had tried making my own burritos before, but they just didn't satisfy the craving for the frozen burrito. Something clicked yesterday, though. <br /><br />I took a can of pinto beans, drained them, and threw them in the food processor with half of can of tomatoes (the kind with some green chiles added). I'm just going to keep this mixture in the fridge, and when the craving hits, I'll throw a couple of spoonfuls on a tortilla, add a little cheese, and microwave. <br /><br />I tried one yesterday, and they are GOOD. Surprisingly good. They satisfied my craving, and are probably a new addiction of their own. Thankfully I found some amazing tortillas with 12 (yes I said 12) grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein and only 70 calories each. <br /><br />Nothing better than a healthy bean burrito. Including a frozen burrito. <br /><br />I have really turned a corner here.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-24610864167693846292010-02-15T12:01:00.002-05:002010-02-15T12:01:35.351-05:00So 2008...Blogs are so 2008. At least that was the last time I posted anything on mine...margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-46833099073267087232010-01-17T18:15:00.001-05:002010-01-17T18:16:35.610-05:00Remember Haiti...Money. Stuff. Prayers. Thoughts. <br /><br />Mindfulness.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-28330429362496089772009-04-01T22:09:00.001-05:002009-04-01T22:11:28.059-05:00Best of the Worst?While I was running today (pant, pant, when will this get any easier?!?), I thought, "I've got to be the worst runner ever."<br /><br />Then I thought about all the people who don't run. And I cut myself some slack. Perhaps, I thought, I might be a better runner than people who don't normally run. <br /><br />That made me feel a little better about it. Pant, pant.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-62997375735018732112009-03-14T07:55:00.002-05:002009-03-14T07:57:24.126-05:00Praying the HoursI just ordered the whole set of Phyllis Tickle's <span style="font-style:italic;">The Divine Hours</span> books. Not sure how I feel about 'praying the hours' yet, but I'm open to giving it a try.<br /><br />Do you participate in praying the hours, or some similar practice?margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-84555614557015372722009-03-04T12:46:00.000-05:002009-03-04T12:47:04.335-05:00Hypertension...Donuts don't have a lot of salt, do they?margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-63189392029221111712009-02-28T13:15:00.002-05:002009-02-28T13:19:09.729-05:00James Dobson Steps DownJulie Bogart: <a href="http://julieunplugged.blogspot.com/2009/02/dobson-steps-down-how-i-will-remember.html">How I remember James Dobson</a><br /><br />(A link to a great post by Julie Bogart)margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-52915805010979777002009-02-25T13:53:00.003-05:002009-02-25T14:11:34.384-05:00Why I run...(the strenuous exercise, not the coping mechanism)Or perhaps the better title might be "Why <span style="font-style:italic;">do</span> I run?" <br /><br />I just returned from a short run, just 2 or so miles. It's the first one I've done in a while (except for the "runs" on my Wii Fit). I found myself asking the question "Why am I doing this?!?" several times during my brief flirt with exercise today.<br /><br />Do I want to be physically fit? Sure.<br /><br />Do I want to live longer? Yes.<br /><br />Do I want to be able to eat a box of macaroni and cheese every once in a while? Probably closer to the truth.<br /><br />But knowing that I am, ahem, "complicated," I figured that there were layers of reasons for the running.<br /><br />Yes, I have experienced that sense of euphoria that kicks in on a longer run. "Runner's high" is a powerful drug. (Though I've wondered if that sense of euphoria is actually your common sense giving up and saying, "Fine, if you want to keep doing this to your body, go right ahead, but your good judgment and I are going out for a drink. We'll catch up to you when you're done with this business.")<br /><br />Sometimes I even enjoy the occasional sore muscle that reminds me I did something active a day or two ago.<br /><br />But when it comes right down to it, I think I must enjoy doing something that a lot of other people just won't do. I punish my body by running because I think that other people would look at me and say, "Whatever. Better you than me." It's a pretty healthy choice for this type of behavior. At least I'm not trying to act out in some unhealthy way (though perhaps that might be more fun). Even though I don't broadcast that I run, the knowledge that I do gives me some weird sense of otherness that I crave. Standing in a crowd of people somewhere, I'll think "Yeah, I ran today. Without anyone chasing me. How many of you can say that?" And in the crowds I stand in, odds are good: not many of them.<br /><br />Oh, I know there are a lot of serious runners out there. I admire them. I just don't know many of them, or hang out with people who do. I'd like to think I'll get there one day. But I'll probably just keep it under 10 miles and go make some mac and cheese. The blue box, please.<br /><br />Yes, I probably need (more) therapy.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-84152716772058010942009-02-15T18:39:00.002-05:002009-02-15T18:39:59.510-05:00Saturday HaikuSee that little boy?<br /><br />Children are just adults who<br /><br />don't have brakes installed.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-33865822824793751332009-02-11T08:18:00.002-05:002009-02-11T08:21:24.167-05:00Wednesday HaikuUnder the covers<br /><br />I still cannot escape from<br /><br />the world in my head.margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-38667232299985296752009-01-27T18:05:00.003-05:002009-01-27T21:23:50.056-05:00Loitering with IntentIt's been a while. A lot of changes since my last blog...<br /><br />I'm between careers. I'm between churches. I have aged into another decade bracket.<br /><br />Although I manage to keep busy every day, my answer to the oft-asked questions "What do you do?" or "What are you doing these days?" is both complicated and simple: Nothing. And lots of stuff. <br /><br />My spiritual director suggested that I tell people I am "loitering with intent." Intending to do what, I'm not sure. But I am trying to be vigilant about listening for direction. In the middle of doing nothing. And lots of stuff.<br /><br />Some days I think I'll learn to draw. Or finish writing the book on my computer. Some days I just work on my kirigami calendar and finish a NY Times crossword. Sometimes I do a lot of laundry and cook. Sometimes I read. Some times I just watch reruns of Desperate Housewives...<br /><br />I have spent some time looking for employment. But (thankfully with the blessing of my somewhat-gainfully employed spouse) I've decided that I'm going to wait until I'm not stressed about the money before I started earning it again. We'll see if I can manage to get there.<br /><br />In any case, here I am...attempting to "loiter with intent." I have found that, amidst the laundry and the cooking, the kirigami and the puzzles, my mind seems to have a lot more space. And my heart seems to have a lot more peace. Not sure if this is the result of losing my job (or my church)...but it is interesting.<br /><br />If you have any thoughts, feel free to share. You never know where the next direction is going to come from...margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-55420725407232112012007-08-22T21:06:00.000-05:002007-08-22T21:22:16.230-05:00Unable to write more than once a month...I don't know if I just don't think that much, or don't value what I do think enough to put it in print.<br /><br />Or maybe I'm afraid of what people will read in, or read into, my words. <br /><br />Things have been busy, despite the fact that I signed on a couple months ago for a "normal" desk job (9 to 5ish, M-F) and am no longer in grad school ('cause I FINISHED, yeah!). <br /><br />I drove over to a place in Cinci today that I found online. It was a boxing studio. I was really interested in seeing it, thinking I might take up boxing for fun and amusement. The place looked a little sketchy (and I'm not usually one who cares, I kind of like sketchy) and there was a "Closed" sign on the door. So no boxing for me today.<br /><br />I've got to find something to do to get in shape before the big 4-0. I just don't want to ooze into the next decade; I'd like to run into it with no jiggling, at least no arm or thigh jiggling. I can't find my "thing" and I've looked in several various and interesting places. Suggestions are welcome, especially from locals who have a really good thought...<br /><br />And while I'm on the subject of jiggling, I'm totally letting my mind go to waste. I mean, how many gossip blogs can you read before you turn into mush? What up? They are ALL THE SAME. And yet I can't look away. Help me! Anything with more substance just doesn't entertain me...<br /><br />SO, I'll try to be back before September hits. If I can just convince myself to log off <a href="http://www.snarkygossip.com" target="_blank">Snarky Gossip</a>...<br /><br />Later!margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-34382435937709178442007-07-20T21:43:00.000-05:002007-07-20T21:46:42.567-05:00Not satisfied...I have recently realized (again) that I am just not satisfied with myself--with anything about myself. It may be a phase (I've certainly been through this before) or it may just be who I am. Which will be a very disappointing life unless I can figure out what to do about it.<br /><br />When I was younger, not being satisfied meant that I could push myself harder and get great results. But I still don't feel like I've achieved anything worthwhile with my life, and time, as they say, is of the essence.<br /><br />So sometimes I wonder: What is it going to take to actually be satisfied with myself?margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-27661804152350486212007-06-30T19:29:00.000-05:002007-06-30T19:36:52.097-05:00On being nice...What does it mean to be nice? I mean, really? <br /><br />I used to think I was a nice person. Actually, I used to think that others thought I was a nice person. Deep down, I knew that I wasn't as nice as I appeared to be. And it was a lot of work trying to be nice all of the time. But for some reason I felt compelled to be considered a nice person. I really wanted, no <i>needed</i> people to think that I was really nice.<br /><br />Not to say that I didn't have moments of genuinely being nice. I still do. But for some reason, niceness just isn't my goal anymore.<br /><br />When I left my job as a children's pastor, I was really angry at the church. I was fed up with so much, some of which I still can't even name. I think I decided that being nice was for the birds. I wanted to be <b>real</B> instead. And for me, being "real" meant not being nice all of the time. <br /><br />But now I'm coming back around. I've been out of the church business (as a full time participant) for almost two years. And I want to learn how to be real and be nice at the same time.<br /><br />I have a ways to go. Just ask the people around me that I haven't been nice to...<br /><br />(Yes, I am aware of the dangling preposition. It just seemed to flow better with it!)margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-61182666756833727922007-06-22T16:20:00.000-05:002007-06-22T16:31:34.493-05:00Self-realization...I love being alone. On the Myers-Briggs scale, I am an "I" all the way. "Introverted" in the sense that I get energized by being alone.<br /><br />That's why my new job is such a cherry. I get to sit in a very large office space. All alone. All day. Every day. Well, almost every day.<br /><br />So that's why it was such a shock today to realize that maybe, just maybe, I needed a little human contact to stay, well...sane.<br /><br />It's not that I'm talking to myself (I am) or singing to myself (I am) or calling myself names (I'm doing that, too). I realized today that void of human contact, I am starting to be concerned, I would say overly concerned, that others don't like me. HA! No one even knows me! I talk to people via email for all of two or three lines at a time, and I'm concerned that they don't like me? I've even started adding smiley faces to my emails to make sure my tone sounds cheery. <br /><br />Seriously, I had no idea this would happen. <br /><br />So I tried to snap myself out of it today with a few "get over its" and "get a lifes." Hopefully acknowledging that I have a "problem" is half the battle.<br /><br />And here I though being alone would be good for me! :)margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-17264792947050434482007-06-22T16:18:00.000-05:002007-06-22T16:19:35.157-05:00How odd...The month headings on my archived posts are in Spanish...<br /><br />What could it mean?margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-3046464496555605692007-06-16T22:44:00.001-05:002007-06-16T22:58:03.930-05:00Trying to Jumpstart the blog...It's trying to start the habit of semi-daily blogging again! Just when I got over the pressure to have something meaningful to say every time I logged on, I got all busy with finishing grad school. Thankfully, if I've learned anything from my exploration of theology, it's that I feel comfortable letting go of the need for meaning. Ha ha.<br /><br />Well, I finally got the diploma in the mail yesterday (hallelujah!) and I'm ready to get on with my life. So I'm trying to get back on the blog circuit, writing and reading, participating in e-life. <br /><br />It's just I can't think of much to say right now. So I'll just share a little slice of my life today...entitled "What I Brought Home from my Parents' House."<br /><br />Unlike many others, I did not take much out of my bedroom when I left my parents' house. But I have slowly seen my mom's clothes take over my old closets, so I'm getting the hint. "It's been twenty years, get your junk out of my house." :)<br /><br />So this is what I brought home today:<br /><br />1. My Yearbooks - one from grade school, two from middle school, four from high school and one from college. (I stopped purchasing the ones from UK--too many people I didn't know!)<br /><br />2. Twenty-two Trixie Belden books--my whole collection. I'm not sure if any more were published. I really loved these as a kid, much much more than Nancy Drew.<br /><br />3. Some old pictures - sorority, Chrysalis, Emmaus, Lake Junaluska...all pictures of an "old" life.<br /><br />4. Three really cool coloring books that are practically unused. I didn't want to "ruin" them so I never started them. I'm buying some cool markers tomorrow.<br /><br />5. My microscope and collection of 48 prepared slides. This will give my husband something to do this summer while he's off work.<br /><br />6. Last but not least, my copy of <u>How to Eat Fried Worms</u>. I think I saw a preview for a movie of this book, and I wanted to read it again (and have Robbie read it) before we see it. A kid's book, but I really loved reading as a child and it brings back such good memories. I actually spent most of my allowance on books at the "Little Professor" book store.<br /><br />AND...my brand new set of Harry Potter books should be arriving from Borders any day now! I haven't read ANY of them. Now that I'm done with school, I'm going to enjoy them! I hope to read them before the last book comes out.<br /><br />Did I mention I love to read?margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9743975.post-87622244808372802062007-06-15T22:14:00.001-05:002007-06-15T22:14:53.714-05:00All Hail Obi Wan Kenobi...<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/margaret365/554591272/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1424/554591272_c0aaa2b726_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/margaret365/554591272/">All Hail Obi Wan Kenobi...</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/margaret365/">megnet77</a> </span></div>My nephew arranged all of the Star Wars action figures around Obi Wan and had them chanting "All hail Obi Wan Kenobi" until his dad said, "If you say that ONE more time..."<br clear="all" />margaretmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06341124658258819638noreply@blogger.com0