The Spughness

A List Returns...

2010-12-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

Really folks. Really. I have been completing elements of my 30 before 30 list. However, one of my parts - blogging about each of my events - has...well...fallen to the wayside. So I'm pledging to catch up on my adventures. They have been great!

I have a video but can't figure out how to put it onto the internet. But if I can figure out a way to scan the picture, then I'll start with my "Superman Bungee" flight!

Advent is a time of waiting - you should be experts.

The List

2010-08-14T18:17:00.000-04:00

Grad school is done.
Commissioning is done.
Buying a home is done.
Yet there are so many other experiences in life out there to enjoy. Inspired from a friend, I decided to compile a 30 before 30 list. The rules of the said list are: either complete activity by 30th birthday or have plans to complete activity by 30th birthday and make sure to chronicle the events.

Therefore, here are the 30 things that I plan to do before I turn 30:

1. Run a 10K
2. Go on a zip-line
3. Do the Superman Bungee flying thing (aka Superflyer Extreme)
4. Fly a plane
5. Eat a meal from vegetables from my yard
6. Take a cooking class
7. Take dance lessons
8. Publish an article (not online)
9. Go on a silent retreat
10. White-water raft the Gauley River
11. Blog my experiences
12. Read the Lord of the Rings series
13. Do a voice and violin recital
14. Build a piece of furniture
15. Hang glide or parasail or skydive
16. Go on a hot air balloon ride
17. Buy (and wear) a pair of brightly colored shoes
18. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail
19. Work on learning Spanish
20. Visit a new state
21. Donate my hair
22. Get a dog
23. Plan and do a family mission trip
24. Visit a new country
25. Host a dinner party
26. Eat for one whole week from farmers' market food
27. Tutor one afternoon a week
28. Find a Spiritual Director
29. Crash a wedding
30. Plan a vacation with friends

So there it is! 30 things to do before June 9th. Guess I better get to planning.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

2007-05-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a while...I know, I know. Plus, lots of things happened in the past four months. Now that exams are done and the papers are written, I finally have some time to show yall some pictures from the past big events.

My mom sent me a shirt recently with the words "Not All Who Wander Are Lost." I decided to adopt the slogan as my new motto, trekking across the world and attending fun events in my new town - along with my school load and internship at the church. In four days, I leave for the Middle East, spending three weeks traveling around Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, and Greece. I'm very excited about all of the places I'm gonna see, the camels I'm gonna get to ride on to the top of Mt. Siani, the hikes I'm gonna take, and the sacred places I'm gonna visit. Once I get back, I will start my Clinical Pastoral Education unit at Grady Hospital. So, the pictures from that trip might take a while to get on the blog...but hey - yall wouldn't expect anything different huh?

In order to update my life, here are two more blogs below from my two big things this semester. Enjoy the pictures!

March Madness

2007-05-10T21:46:00.000-04:00

In March, my dad and I went to the Final Four. Unfortunately, the Tarheels didn't make it as they choked in New Jersey (a game that Jean and Brooks went to). The games were fantastic though! It was so much fun to be in the same place as many other basketball fans. The first day of the Final Four people wore all of their shirts from their schools. Each time we passed by Carolina fans, we would start chanting TAR...HEELS! Georgetown fans came up to us shaking our hands and saying how much they thought we would have been there instead of Georgetown. My favorite comment was when a group of folks passed by us and said, "Oh no...you must have bought your tickets with 10 minutes left in the game."

Here are some more pictures from the Final Four weekend...Dad and I did witness history though as we watched the Florida Gators win another National Championship - the third in a year (2 basketball and 1 football).

Dad and I went to Hoop Town and held up the National Championship Trophy, proclaiming our supremacy...especially with our Carolina shirts.

Spring Break to Paris

2007-05-10T21:14:00.000-04:00

Over Spring Break, Matt, Candace and I traveled to Paris. The trip was fantastic - filled with lots of laughter, beautiful cathedrals (Chartes and St. Sulpice were my favorite), phenomenal art, lots of walking, and of course, lots of great food! Crepes and chocolate filled croissants really should be found all over the place!

The Seine River...I realized how much I love water in cities. I knew this before from when I lived in Philadelphia but I'd forgotten about how much it is calming to have water run through the city.

The Eiffel Tower during sunset.

During the trip we each had a task. Candace was the translator because she was the one who took French in High School. Our photographer was Matt...he was fantastic and took all of these great pictures. I became our tour guide and navigator - moving so often and living in a bunch of cities apparently worked out well for me!

Pollen...

2007-03-28T20:01:00.000-04:00

....is the southern version of snow. God decided that Southerns should not enjoy the white goodness that comes in the winter time - the snow that gets us out of school, closing down all of the businesses and gives us a great opportunity to find our inner child. Nope. Instead, God gave Southerns pollen, the yellow snow that covers everything in site, gets in your bodies, causes people allergies, and remains around until it rains. I'd rather have snow.

In other news...Paris was fantastic (pictures soon). Dad and I are going to the Final Four this weekend (without my beloved Heels). School is almost over this semester (thank goodness). My brain is done with writing papers...too bad my brain doesn't correlate with the syllabus. I'll be traveling to the Middle East this summer for three weeks, going to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Greece, Egypt and Turkey. After I return from that trip, I'm working as a hospital chaplain at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta.

Usually I would be a bit more creative in dispersing all of this information...but right now, my creativity is flowing towards my latest paper - 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. It's on.

Pretty soon, it might be time for the Wonder Woman shirt.

The Cycle Continues

2007-02-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

"Holy God, we offer you praise for the rigors of your love. As harsh winters enforce silence and rest, your harder demands summon us to that portion of faith usually ignored. Like the disciples with Jesus upon the holy mountain, we realize again the discipline required for prayer, the necessity for guidance from the past to direct the future, the urgency of listening to your voice. All praise be to you, O God, for austere mercies recalling us to the essentials of our faith. Amen."
- Diane Karay

Lent is my favorite time of the liturgical calendar. With my optimistic attitude and spunky nature, it's a tad ironic. However, I think that I love Lent because it's a time that allows me to be still and sit in silence. My friends Matt and Dana told me today that if they ever lived by my schedule they would go crazy...and I thought this year was a slower one for me! Driving home tonight, I got caught in traffic and became frustrated with the time being sucked away from me. Then I remembered - this is Lent. I need to relax, rest and use the time that is given as a gift. Instead of fuming in anger, I listened to music and sang loudly, lifting my spirits from the exhaustion of paper writing. Lent beckons me to sit and reflect on the way I use time.

Lent also invites me into moments of silence. Throughout the year, I attend the Friday Eucharist service at school, a service centered around the reading of scripture, the sharing of communion, and the partaking of silence. Each Friday, I walk into the service craving the short 10 minutes I might receive of a time with others, but without conversation - a time to steady my soul and synchronize the rhythm of my breathing as prayer. Silence is a practice not often used in worship as it makes the congregation feel more vulnerable and worried, nervous as the moments pass without anything to fill the void. However, without silence in my life, there is a void.

So I welcome Lent - I welcome the call to sit, reflect, meditate, and leave the words behind. In my life which is often structured around deadlines, expectations and requirements, Lent is a welcomed breathe of fresh air that centers my soul and rejuvenates my spirit. Reflection is good. Silence is good. Remembering is good.

A Dream Fulfilled

2007-01-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

Since I was a wee little girl, I have loved college basketball. During the 1982 National Championship game, when Carolina beat Georgetown, I took my first steps towards the TV. My parents were overjoyed in my love for the game, although they were a tad fearful that I walked because of the loud noise in the house with the victory.
March has always been a special month in my heart, as the madness begins and the ability to watch college basketball from noon until 1am enters into your plans for four days. In middle and high school, teachers gave up teaching during the first weekend of the tournament, turning on the TV for the school to watch the games. This may be part of the reason why North Carolina is ranked in the lower 40s in terms of public education. However, we know our priorities.
I remember when Dook won two in a row, when Gonzaga was a Cinderella team for the first time, when Roy Williams said "Right now, I don't give a F*** about North Carolina" and when two years later he lead North Carolina to another National Championship. I remember Dean Smith's two championships in the Superdome (the other Dean Dome) and the Chris Weber time out. During Carolina's first National Championship, I took my first steps. In 1993 for the Second Championship under Dean Smith, I stayed up late, on a school night, laying on a quilt "acting" like I was resting. For 2005, I sat in a bar with other Carolina alumni in Philadelphia and then screamed during the final moments.
The "One Shining Moment" Montage brings tears to my eyes, as it relieves the wonderful moments of the Road to the Final Four while also proclaiming that it is the end of the season.
This year, the Road to the Final Four leads to Atlanta. I live in Atlanta right now going to graduate school. Therefore, all deductions must lead to the fact that.....
I'M GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR!!!!
My tickets have been purchased, my dad is traveling down for the weekend, and my Carolina gear will be polished. This is a milestone for my 25th year on this earth, fulfilling one of my dreams in life. Now...Roy, Tyler, Terry, Brandon, Ty...work your magic.

Adulthood

2007-01-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

The other day I was organizing my laundry and realized that half of my clothes in the basket had special instructions. This is the first time that I had enough nice clothes to make a full load. I guess that adulthood is here now.
Gentle cycle here I come.

My Ode to Finals

2006-12-13T23:58:00.000-05:00

The Homework Machine, oh the Homework Machine
Most perfect contraption that's ever been seen.
Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,
Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds time,
Your homework comes out, quick and clean as can be.
Here it is - "nine plus four?" and the answer is "three."
Three?
Oh me...
I guess it's not as perfect
As I thought it would be.

- Shel Silverstein

I gave a speech on this when I was in fourth grade in front of our whole school. Now, 16 years later, I still want a homework machine.
Any takers?
New Testament final on Friday, Ecclesiastes paper due on Monday, Pastoral Care final on Monday and then Systematics Oral Exam on Tuesday
Oh where is my homework machine?

My Muse

2006-12-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful, cold Saturday morning and I'm staring at my computer trying to finish up my systematics paper. Systematic theology is trying to place an order to theology, recognizing that one way of thinking draws upon your view of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God, the church, sin/grace, etc in a circular motion. Your theology should connect in a manner that does not contradict itself at one point...if it does, it's time to think some more.
So for my systematics paper I'm writing a paper on the Amish community in Pennsylvania that forgave the killer of the little girls in the schoolhouse. In my research, I've learned a lot about the Amish community and found a greater admiration of their lifestyle and commitment to a belief system that is not just words but a shaping of an ethical life. For the Amish, belief is not separate from actions...rather one's actions inform the community about your beliefs.
I think that my problem with finishing up this paper right now is because I've become very committed to the process and this paper. I don't want it to be bad because it is very important and full of implications to how the church should change and become transformed.
In hopes that I would do better with some inspiration, I've been listening to the Indigo Girls this morning. My professor, Dr. Don Saliers, is the father of Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls...so my hope is that his parenting of her, which undoubtedly influenced her songwriting, is going to be my muse for this paper. Perhaps by listening to Emily I'll figure out what Dr. Saliers would say on this situation and think of critiques and arguments from the other position.
I really do enjoy paper writing - I just wish that I had more time to do it sometimes.
Next week, I'll be doing research for a paper about the presence and function of "toil" in the book of Ecclesiastes. What will be my muse for that paper?

A Tailgating Thanksgiving

2006-12-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

This is a tale of a family. A family that grew a little larger after a wedding and another wedding and then a baby.

This tale does not occur on any given day though - that might be a bit too normal for this family. No this tale happens on Thanksgiving Day. Most families have some sort of tradition on Thanksgiving Day, whether it be breaking the wishbone at a certain time, playing cards in the family room, watching or playing football, or watching hours of TV as the pumpkin pie continues to bake to perfection. My family's only Thanksgiving tradition was to be flexible. I haven't been to Fayetteville for Thanksgiving in 6 years...but the last two have been spent in Atlanta, GA. Last year, Kayleigh came in utero. This year, our baby was alive and well for her first Thanksgiving. It was a Thanksgiving like none other, only to be matched if Chevy Chase and his crew ever did a National Lampoons Does Thanksgiving. Just like any good story...it must be told and become a legend. The legend of the Tailgating Thanksgiving.

(As a brief side note and distraction: Doesn't Kayleigh just look adorable right now?! She has four teeth and I fed her table food during our Thanksgiving dinner. She's crawling and pretty soon is going to be talking and walking. Plus when she wakes up from sleeping she doesn't really cry but just stands in her play pen, looks around and smiles with a look that says, "Okay I'm up! It's playtime!" Absolutely adorable!)

Thanksgiving Day, Atlanta, GA

The morning began with the lovely chirp of my niece in her playpen as she awoke, ready to play, drink a bottle, and have her diaper changed. After some quality time playing with the stacking cups, ripping some magazines and watching a little bit of her first Thanksgiving Day parade, Allen and Hannah arrived to take her back to her hotel and then head on out to get ready for our feast.

Mom and Dad call around 2pm saying that they are finally in Atlanta. I go to their hotel, pick them up and then travel on over to our Thanksgiving destination: The Embassy Suites in Shady (Sandy) Springs, GA. My sister's father-in-law and his new wife were staying at the hotel for some business travel and hearing that we would all be in Atlanta decided to host us at the hotel for Thanksgiving. While we drove down the Indy 500 (a.k.a I-285 in Atlanta), Allen (my brother-in-law) called us from the roof of the hotel. What?! They got on the roof of the hotel to cook the Thanksgiving Day turkey?! This was going to be crazier than expected. Arriving at the hotel, we learn that Allen really meant the roof of the hotel parking deck, where we spent the afternoon watching Rob (my sister's father-in-law) finish up grilling the turkey.

Here is a picture of us with our set-up on top of the hotel parking deck. Rob brought the huge grill in his pickup truck, let down the bed of the truck, and grilled his heart out. Allen had his SUV up there so that in between the two cars Kayleigh could get away from the sun. I had a running bet with friends from school on what kind of beer would be located in the inevitably full coolers. Unfortunately we all shot a little low as the first thing in my hand as we rolled up to the parking deck was a Budweiser Select: The King of Beers and the King of the Tailgating Thanksgiving.

Rob did a fine job finishing the grilling of the turkey as everyone else hung out. Diane (Rob's wife) made some mashed potatoes and because she didn't have a strainer, she and Hannah strained the mashed potatoes over the side of the parking deck. I hope that no one was looking up at that moment! Look out below! There's a waterfall of potatoe water! Coincidence that they cleaned the windows the next day...hmmm...

Next on the list of hilarious moments of the day was when Diane wanted to have some wine to drink. However, we were in a hotel parking deck and therefore without any glasses to consume alcoholic beverages from...unless they came pre-canned (beer is so smart). So what do you do in a situation like this? Rob takes out his pocket-knife, picks up his Dasani water bottle, cuts it in half and voi-la! Automoatic wine glass! Diane drinks happily from her new wine holder.

Rob finishes up with the turkey and petitions Allen to help him remove it from the grill. Upon removal, the turkey is placed on the bed of the pick up truck before we carry it inside for our meal. Kayleigh's stroller is loaded up with lots of food, plates, tupperware and other necessary items for a Thanksgiving Tailgate!

Finally it's time to eat our turkey. We go inside to the hotel lobby and set up our Thanksgiving spread over a couple of tables and push some more tables together for our meal. Some of the food has cooled off so we cart certain food items up 9 flights of stairs in the elevator to heat it in the hotel microwave. I brought out the fine Chinet platter plates for the occassion and Mom contributed some essentials from Cracker Barrell. Rob carves the turkey, Kayleigh gets a high-chair and we start to eat in the hotel lobby. Unfortunately, no one joined us even though plenty of people walked by, including hotel staff. We had plenty of wine, beer, and food to go around...it could have been a Thanksgiving for all!

About 45 minutes later, folks start finishing up their Thanksgiving Dinner and Mom packs things up in her tupperware containers for leftovers. Rob shakes his head saying, "Katherine, we're not going to graze on the food all afternoon. I'm not used to a Thanksgiving where we eat and then pack it all up." In my head I think, "I'm not used to a Thanksgiving where we cook a turkey on the top of a hotel parking deck."

However, the fortunate part about having Thanskgiving in a hotel is cocktail hour - free drinks from 5:30 - 7:30.

It was a Thanksgiving to remember.

(In this last picture, the only reason that I'm as tall as everyone is because I stood on a ledge...so sneaky!)

Adventures in Babysitting

2006-11-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

I like children a lot. Therefore, this semester I have been babysitting a lot. It's fun to hang out with the kids, play with Play Do, sing silly songs, and have funny conversations.
Well last week, I was watching James and Charlotte, two kids that I see probably once a week. We were at the dinner table and James and I had one of the most interesting conversastions. Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Sara: James, please eat your green beans.

James: But they're making my tummy scratchy.

Sara: Well why don't you just eat four or five more of them. Once you eat them you get to have some macaroni and cheese.

James: But my tummy is scratchy. Maybe I need to go to the hospital and get a tube put in me.

Sara: What will they do with the tube?

James: They will take out my poop.

Sara: Oh really?

James: Yeah. And at the hospital, that's where they have the babies that you get to pick out.

Sara: What do you mean?

James: Little babies are at the hospital and big people come by to pick out which baby they want.

Sara: So people don't just keep their own babies?

James: No. Babies are adopted.

Sara: Oh yes this is very true. Some babies are adopted. Some mommies and daddies though have the babies and then want to keep their own, like you and Charlotte.

James: (Pause to think about this for a moment to check my accuracy) Yes this makes sense. So then why are there other babies?

Sara: Well sometimes a big person has a baby and they decide that they aren't going to be able to be the best mommy or daddy for that baby. So they put it up for adoption for another big person to take care of the baby.

James: Okay. That makes sense. So the big person didn't like the baby?

Sara: No. The big person actually loved the baby so much that they realized that they needed to let someone else take care of the baby.

James: Oh. So what happens when two big people don't like each other?

Sara: (a little laugh) Well it is different for different situations. But most of the time big people are old enough to be able to take care of themselves so they can go and live somewhere else if they don't like the other big person.

James: Oh.

Sara: Okay, please eat your green beans now.

Throughout the conversation I was horrified that James was going to ask me where the babies come from...I had NO CLUE how I was going to respond to that! His mom was in the other room and she said that she had a great time listening to the flow of the conversation. Apparently Sesame Street that morning was about adoption.
This just goes to show that apparently children do listen a lot and take in everything around them. Good lesson to learn for all of us!
The next day, I taught James about football.

Travel Time

2006-10-30T22:23:00.000-05:00

I just received an email from USAirways that my account has been inactive for too long and in order to not lose my miles I need to take a trip.
I LOVE it when someone tells me that I need to take a trip!
So here's the hard part: where do I go? It's a trip that will be paid for free as long as it is in the continental United States.
Here are my initial thoughts:
- go somewhere where it would be really expensive to buy the plane ticket otherwise
- go somewhere where I won't have to rent a car
- go to a state that I haven't visited yet so that I can mark it off my list - these states include:
Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregan, Nevada
Although honestly, I'd be willing to go against any of these rules if anyone has a great idea!
So let me hear em...let's plan my next adventure!

The back up is that I use this flight to fly out to Arizona to white water raft the Colorado River...anybody ready to go with me on this?!

....

2006-08-25T09:17:00.000-04:00

"For it is only framed in space that beauty blooms. Only in space are events and objects and people unique and significant - and therefore beautiful. A tree has significance if one sees it against the empty face of sky. A note in music gains significance from the silences on either side. A candle flowers in the space of night. Even small and casual things take on significance if they are washed in space, like a few autumn grasses in one corner of an Oriental painting, the rest of the page bare."
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh Gift from the Sea

As Candace and I drove last week from Chicago to Atlanta, space engulfed us at points. Space is the norm in the huge farms of the midwest, where a neighbor is a mile away and the nearest grocery store is a 30 minute drive. Along I-77 at night, the space and silence of the mountains provided us with a beautiful vision of the sky, lite with stars and inviting to questions of what's beyond.

Space holds two tensions in the literal and theoretical meaning, providing plenty of room while fearing loneliness. Anne Morrow Lindbergh creates an image of space where the freedom and vastness provide release instead of constriction, grace instead of rejection, and room to grow into your own being.

We all need our space...sometimes it's just hard to get there and even harder to live in it.

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...No, it's...

2006-06-30T12:26:00.000-04:00

I dig Superheroes.

Throughout this past year, Superheroes have crept into my life a lot more than usual. Perhaps it's happening all over the United States since films are re-appearing featuring our favorite comic book characters. Two Spiderman movies introduced me to the world of web making. Batman Begins chronicled the foundation of Batman, showing that money also posseses super powers. The new Superman movie, just released on Wednesday, revealed what happens after Superman left Lois Lane to try and find his home. Returning to my apartment after the Superman movie, I discovered in the mail a Wonder Woman shirt my mom bought me.

The Superheroes fascinate me on many levels. You have amazing story lines as characters struggle with being normal in a world while also possessing powers. A friend of mine explained to me that often their alter egos are truly the characters that they want to be. Superheroes cannot rest, very rarely not wanting to resist a call of help. In the new movie, Superman traveled to many continents all in one night rescuing people and providing hope for the communities. Not only are Superheroes amazing for their committment to restore justice and equality, but they also have the ability to fly, jump from building to building, hear everything, and hold large items. However, there is the drawback that "With great power comes great responsibility." The weight of the world is on their shoulders, both figuratively and literaly. Where was I for the last quarter of a century of my life to not be influenced by Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, or Batman?

In my new search, I took a poll to figure out which superhero I am. Here are my results:
Your results:
You are Iron Man

Iron Man		100%
Superman		95%
The Flash		80%
Wonder Woman		75%
Spider-Man		70%
Robin		65%
Green Lantern		65%
Supergirl		60%
Catwoman		45%
Batman		40%
Hulk		40%

Inventor. Businessman. Genius.

I am resisting this Superhero, wanting to have a more well known figure to connect with. Beth says that this is my first step of being a Superhero, to resist who I am and not be willing to face it. I will continue with this struggle. Until then I am Super Sara...aunt, seminarian, volunteer, nerd, daughter, and friend.

A Quarter of a Century

2006-06-14T14:09:00.000-04:00

My life is now worth 25 cents if your years equalled one penny. On Friday, June 9th, I turned 25 years old, completing my quarter of a cenutry turn with ease and great fun. My birthday has never really been that big of a deal for me, probably because I was always at ASP or all of my friends were gone on vacation. However, this year, my friends took on the challenge of giving me the best birthday experiences (yes plural) ever! Not only were these days of fun and excitement, but it also showed me how much my friends really knew who I was. Let's review the weekend...

Saturday June 3rd
Ladies' Weekend in Charlotte, NC with my college ladies Emma, Jean, Brittney, and Melissa. Much to my surprise that evening we have a birthday party - better known as a surprise birthday party. To plan for the event, my friends had to bank on the fact that I would be willing to volunteer to walk the dog and go to the grocery store...all things that I volunteered to do with much excitement. I'm so predictable! The party involved chocolate cake (a must for me), girly drinks, laughter, and Sex in the City. It was a lovely night and a great kick off to my week of birth!

Friday June 9th
At the request of my Atlanta group of ladies (Candace, Dana and Beth), I return to the apartment around noon and we set off for our adventures. To add to the element of surprise, I am blindfolded between each of our stops and asked a series of birthday questions so that I won't figure out where we are going next. The questions were wonderful (see Dana's blog for more details www.well-yah.blogspot.com) and made me really reflect upon the year in funny and serious ways. Our first stop was Dairy Queen where I ate a foot long chili, cheese and mustard hot dog and had a hot fudge sundae. A tiara was placed on my head as we traveled to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History for the Chocolate exhibit (my personal heaven) and to play with the huge baths of bubbles. Our next stop took us downunder to an Austrailian Bakery in East Atlanta. We ate our snacks as we sat in front of a picture of Sydney...the place that I most wanted to visit this year for my birthday. Finally, we ended up at Agnes and Muriel's for a lovely dinner and great laughter and conversation. The day was adventorous, fun, childlike, adult-y, creative, and fun!

Sunday, June 11th
All birthdays must come to an end and mine finally did a week and a half after first starting the celebration. My Atlanta friends gathered together at Candace's house to enjoy chocolate cake and lasagna (do we notice a theme here yet?). One of my favorite birthday presents was revealed as Jay played a song that he and Dana had written for me. One day when I figure out how to post songs, I will put it on here. Or maybe I'll just post the lyrics. It was hilarious and made me cry because I was laughing so hard!

My birthday this year was wonderful as friends, both old and new, gathered around to show me how much they loved me. I'm not so sure that I could have thought of a better way to celebrate my quarter of a century of life. It's amazing to have the kinds of friends who know you so well that conversations and laughter flow regardless of the time spent apart or the other parts of life that consistently tug at your heart and call for your attention. I love them all and am constantly grateful that they are around in my life.

My Inward Turn

2006-05-08T19:28:00.000-04:00

Today we had our final exam in our Christian Thought class. It spanned about 500 years of history - from the Reformation to now. Our professor, Dr. Pacini, used art to explain many of the movements and different theologies. One of the main themes of this art was looking at what people saw when they turned inward or looked into a mirror. Initially, they saw the light of Christ and reflected on God. I liked to call this portion of class "It's not about you...it's about God." Next, theologians became influenced by society and the inward turn reflected our images of our self rather than God. This portion is affectionately known in my notes as "You're so vain...you probably think theology's about you." Finally, we look into the mirror and see a distorted image of ourself and therefore look again towards God...what I call "Back to life...back to reality."

In honor of my test and my inward turn, I decided to wear a Superman t-shirt today. Hopefully the power of Superman infected my pen and helped me pass my test. My professor thought it was funny that my inward turn reflected Superman - what would YOU call it?

Joy to the World

2006-05-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

These last couple of weeks have been very hectic and crazy. However, here are some moments of joy and peace that I wanted to share with you all:

- Becoming comfortable with just sitting with a person and not needing to talk - it truly is a discipline for me but one that I have grown to love and appreciate and actually need
- There is just something about watching couples walk together in the summertime that makes me love LOVE. I don't know what it is, but in that moment of being out in the open and just enjoying each other's company, sharing conversation, talking about nature, and walking hand in hand or step in step I feel like two people become more open. So I love driving down the road or walking down the street by myself and seeing others in companionship. It makes me happy for them.
- Another thing that I love is the smell of rain in the springtime. It smells so fresh yet so damp - rejuvenating and restoring - renewing and refreshing. Better than just the smell of rain is sitting outside under a tin roof, drinking coffee with friends, and listening to the rain fall around us.
- Writing a paper that is more of a process for myself rather than for an academic grade.
- Being with friends in laughter, dancing, storytelling, card playing, coffee drinking, paper writing, moving, studying and silence.

I do love the southland in the springtime!

My New Addiction...

2006-04-18T23:00:00.000-04:00

Hi. My name is Sara. I'm addicted to silence.

During this lenten season as part of our discipline, some friends and I sat together in silence every Monday, meditating, reading, drawing, writing, watching a candle. We sat in a room, blocking out all of the noises of life, all of the distractions, and all of the voices calling us in different directions. Each time we left, I felt bombarded by the constant clatter of life - the traffic, conversations, horn honking. Silence left me renewed and the instant noise stripped that away from me.

It's amazing how much more aware you are of the world around you when you are in silence. Last year when I was taking sign language classes, I learned about how a person who is deaf has stronger senses than we do because they have to rely upon them more fully. I believe it now. Maundy Thursday I watched in silence as the sanctuary was stripped of all that represented the life of Jesus. Silence heightened the activity as every member scurried about to prepare the sanctuary and their souls for what was about to happen. We had washed each other's feet, taken communion and now it was time for us to sit in silence and hold the tension within our hearts, hold the pain and suffering, and the sadness that comes with Maundy Thursday.

Yesterday, Dana and I went to hear Bishop Peter Storey preach at a church in Decatur. Throughout his sermon, Bishop Storey reflected upon suffering and peace - how to live with both within your life. At one point he said, "Maybe we make loud noises to block out the fear." Words of wisdom from a wise man. Silence makes us listen to that still, small voice and find what is at the root of our sadness, pain, fear, joy, excitement, and hope. Within silence it is hard to cover anything up, because no distractions keep us from listening. While we can still reject listening to the voice, it is within the silence that we listen best.

What are my fears? What are ways that I can respond to those? What am I doing to block those out of my life? Once I recognize them, what can I do about them?

My silent search continues.

Aunt Sara

2006-03-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

Qualifications to being a cool aunt include the following:
- funny
- able to teach you about basketball
- read books and sing songs to you
- dance funny dances
- love you and hug you and hold you and rock you

February 18, 2006 - I decided it was time to become a cool aunt. Well I guess it really had nothing to do with me and more to do with my sister and her husband. But hey, I have to think that in their qualifications of wanting to have children they considered the coolness of my aunthood.
Kayleigh Elizabeth Collect is absolutely beautiful and one of the most precious babies I have met! Here are some things that I learned, or at least remembered about babies...
- As Toby in the West Wing so intuitively points out, babies come with hats. Kayleigh has lots of them and she looks cute in all of them.
- When a baby smiles at you, the world around you melts.
- James Taylor songs and hymns are really good to soothe a baby to sleep.

Everyone is doing a fantastic job with their new roles. Mom is taking lots of pictures and creating many Creative Memories books for her granddaughter to remember everything about her first couple of months. Dad is enjoying having a new baby to hold and he loves rocking her to sleep. Hannah is waking up at all times of the night to soothe her daughter while always maintaining love for her new family member. It is just lovely all around!

Here are some really cute pictures so that everyone can enjoy the beautiful baby...
Kayleigh with me and Dad. Kayleigh is all smiles!

Funny Stuff

2006-02-04T17:49:00.000-05:00

While watching the Carolina/Clemson game on Saturday, there was a moment when the ball was being knocked around like a hot potatoe game. The announcer then made a reference to how it looked like a Quidditch match and the ball had a mind of it's own. Did someone really just put together Harry Potter with Carolina basketball?! That was awesome!

Kezia, a 6 year old that I babysit, told me a great joke on Thursday:
Kezia: Sara, can I tell you a joke?
me: Sure thing.
Kezia: Why did the caterpillar dance with the boy at the party?
me: I don't know why?
Kezia: (after a very long pause where she was trying to figure out what the punch line should be) Because it was a boys' party!

Kezia also told me on Thursday when I took her to choir practice at church, "Sara, you can come inside sit in the rows and I don't know, read the Bible or something." I giggled a lot!

A Tale of Two Cities - New Orleans Style

2006-01-23T15:40:00.000-05:00

During the break for MLK weekend, I travelled with a group from a local church in Atlanta to New Orleans. If any of you have the opportunity to go down to New Orleans, please do. It's a trip that is well worth the experience and will make a deep impact on your heart. Here is a journal of my reflections upon the Sunday that we spent looking around the city and attending church:

I know that Charles Dickens coined the phrase “A Tale of Two Cities”; but today that is the best description one can give to New Orleans.

The day began with two church services with one unifying feeling of hope. We worshipped with Rayne Memorial at 8:30am, joining them on their 130th Anniversary. Many important members of the Louisiana Conference were there – including the Bishop, the District Superintendent and two former pastors of Rayne Memorial. Callie’s words during the service were thoughtful and profound – every phrase gracefully selected. Callie introduced our group to the congregation, thanking us for all of our work and the immense amount of hope that we bring to the community. During the passing of the peace, one church member echoed these words to me, as she gently stroked my hand and looked in my eyes and thanked me. It was as if she wanted to make sure that I was real – to feel the hope not only in her heart but also in a concrete way.

Bishop Hutchinson’s sermon touched my heart as he brought words from various sources dealing with pain, suffering and the faith that constantly remains in that. He recalled a banner in Baton Rouge that said, “We can’t replace the hopes and dreams of people; but we can build new ones.” A poem by Etta Oldman, “Just Blue,” brought tears to my eyes as the ending read: “I may not have hope but I won’t lose faith.”

At the 11:00 hour, our group worshipped with First Street UMC, a historical African American Congregation that is also the host site for UMCOR. The differences yet similarities between the services were striking. First Street also dealt with the pain of the hurricane but in a way that spoke of determination and hope. Words from Martin Luther King were remembered as the congregation took those passages and applied them to their current situation in New Orleans. Rev. Lance Eden, a recent graduate of ITC Seminary in Atlanta, spoke about keeping watch, about communities taking care of one another, and about rebuilding. Phrases struck me as they were sung with fervor and compassion:
- When things are going bad can you say, “Jesus not my will but your will.”
- Oh Freedom, Freedom, Freedom come and set me free. And before I’ll be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave. Oh Freedom come and set me free.
- We are all part of God’s body.
- God can do impossible things with ordinary people.
- What are you gonna do with your watch?
The Church service was a lot shorter than usual since the congregation was going to go and see Last Holiday, a movie that was filmed in their church in May.

Before going on our tour of New Orleans, the group ate a delicious meal in the French Quarter, right off of St. Charles plaza. This was my first time in the historic part of New Orleans and it was beautiful! Flowers decorated balconies. Street vendors lined up with their vibrant paintings. People milled about, going in and out of shops and sipping on afternoon drinks. This was definitely a part of New Orleans that was coming back, ready to serve tourists and show the country that they did survive.

However, the rest of the day told a different story. Mark, our group leader from Rayne Memorial, took us to the different areas of New Orleans that were devastated by the levee breaches, including Lakeview, East New Orleans, and the Lower Ninth Ward. As we drove around I wondered how this city would have fared had it only been a hurricane and not the devastation of flooding: Would the Superdome had been such a hellish place to be still? Would month 6 after the hurricane been pretty close to complete recovery? At this point, it is hard to determine exactly what was damage was caused by the hurricane and what was part of the breaches. During our tour, we were also faced with the drastic realities of social and economic inequalities, amidst the non-discriminatory flood. Lakeview is a middle to upper class working neighborhood that was on the broken side of the 17th Street Canal levee breach. Compare that to the East New Orleans area and the Lower Ninth Ward and you receive two different portrayals of areas devastated by flooding. In general (obviously there will be many personal cases that will differ), the Lakeview neighborhood’s homes were very well built and able to stand up to the flood waters. Mark told us that people in this neighborhood were already starting to rebuild.

Drive twenty more minutes and you will find yourself in the Lower Ninth Ward, where tsunami-ish effects have destroyed the neighborhood. We stopped at a house that was moved onto a neighbor’s front yard, leaving the foundation and the back steps as a reminder of where it used to be. Homes were ripped open, moved many yards, squished to a pile of rubble. Trees hold doormats, small trinkets, mailboxes, water coolers. Cars pile on top of one another.

I have seen many areas before that were in need of major repair, but nothing like this. I thought back to the sermons from that morning, trying to find the hope within the scene that I saw before my eyes: where was God within this? Then Malinda noticed how she could hear bird’s chirping. Life…life still decided to remain here even in the great turmoil and piles of debris. It is very similar to the verses in Ecclesiastes 3:1-13:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance… Even in the destruction, the turmoil, and the grief, God resides to restore peace and hope. It’s just like in the sunbeams that came into the house that I like to call God beams – God’s always there, somewhere, someplace, somehow.

Babies and Puppies

2006-01-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

Over break, I realized that two of the most wonderful creatures on earth are babies and puppies. Let me explain...

First there is Carly (Brittney and Johnathan's puppy). He is ADORABLE and is so much fun to watch. Puppies are inquisitive and always wondering what is going on with all parts of the world, much like a baby. Plus, I just love it when Carly cuddles up in my lap, even though she takes over my whole lap and my whole body. The beauty of dogs is that they constantly love you - they want to be with you and they are always so excited to see you. My sister's dog, Scout, is the same way. He and I bonded a lot while I was in Fort Campbell, KY as I took him for walks, played with his toys, and rubbed his back. Eventually he started to whimper as I left the room and follow me around the house. Constant love - so easy! Plus, the way that he pounces on his toys and always brings the toys whenever I get out of bed is precious.

Babies always provide peace and comfort to me and my Christmas break continued to show me that. My baby cousin (1 1/2 years old) came to our house over break with my uncle and aunt and boy was he adorable! The most beautiful sound that rung through the house was his baby giggle...I always loved that word and I believe it is because the giggle is the purest form of joy - nothing is bothering you, you are just at the ultimate form of happiness, love, and joy. The second baby I fell in love with is the one still in my sister's tummy. Her name (as long as the ultrasound is correct) is Kayleigh Elizabeth and I got to hear her heartbeat on Tuesday night. Birth is such a miracle and it is amazing for me to think that there is a little person inside of my sister, who will soon join the world and our family.

Babies and puppies - two beautiful creatures of God that bring such joy to my heart. Wonderful blessings do come in small packages!

Christmas Eve Services

2005-12-25T13:31:00.000-05:00

It was the day before Christmas Eve when I received a phone call asking me to assist my ministers in communion at the Christmas Eve services. I have served communion many times before at the Wesley Foundation and Candler School of Theology. But looking back on it, I had never served communion to my local church. It had been years since I had done anything official at Haymount UMC in Fayetteville, NC - probably dating all the way back to my first semester of college. With a tinge of anticipation mixed with excitement I accepted the inviation and prepared myself for the Christmas Eve services.

Now, I must tell you that ministers who have been doing this for many years must have dozens of communion stories! It was so humbling and also funny at times serving communion. Funny and touching moments include:
- Some families and other adults forgot about dipping their bread in the grape juice so I just stood in front of them and said the words as they giggled to themselves.
- One little girl took her whole hand and dipped it into the juice, leaving her dry piece of bread in her other hand. Her mother was horrified but I thought that it was touching and very precious!
- A little boy was too short to kneel at the altar with his hands folded at the top so instead he just bent all the way down on the floor, much like a yoga position. I was in awe of his reverence and desire to want communion.
- Another little girl dipped her bread in the juice but instead of eating it herself, she served it to her mother.

While the funny moments kept a smile on my face it was the humbling experience of it all that reminded me that this is why I'm called to the ministry. Since I was serving communion in a town that I had lived in since 4th grade, many of my former teachers, principals and youth leaders came to the altar in front of me. My grandfather and dad received communion from my hands. Roles were reversed as the people in my life that had always served me whether academically, spiritually, or emotionally became those that I was able to serve and offer them the cup of salvation. Another family that I was close to in high school came to the altar and kneeled, but without their mom, who had passed away two years ago. I almost cried as I thought about how much I wanted to see her face.

Everyone that came to the altar received the same words, no matter the differences between them, the distance that they might have placed between themselves and others, or their relationship with God. This is the beauty of the Eucharist - it is open to one and all because it is not about us as people, but rather about God's love and grace. It is also where I am reminded that as a minister I get to do what I love the most, serve others. Perhaps this is why I am called into the ministry.

Merry Christmas everyone and God's love to all of you!

Happy Birthday and Anniversary!!

2005-12-15T13:23:00.000-05:00

P.S. Happy Birthday to my mom and Happy Anniversary to my parents today! Yall are the best!!

Finals need to be Final

2005-12-15T13:18:00.000-05:00

So in order to complete my last final of this first semester of seminary here is what I am doing today:

- wearing a Superman shirt in hopes to gain some of the powers and write my paper
- keeping a chocolate goodie in my kitchen as my reward for when I am done
- going to the public library where there will be no way to hook up to the internet
- a Sesame Street bandaid - takes me back to the younger days and reminds me that I can do it
- the mantra: "Just keep swimming" sung just like Ellen did when she was Doria on Finding Nemo
- wearing my Penn State sweatpants that Melinda gave me - the Nittany Lions had a comeback year this year so maybe their sweatness will rub off onto my paper
- wearing my City Year Young Heroes fleece - motivate me oh middle school students

Okay, now back to reading and writing - almost done!!!

Butter(ball and nativity!)

2005-12-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

Tis the season to be jolly and apparently have very high cholesterol!
So I was preparing Thanksgiving dinner for my family and was in charge of making the turkey. Turkey choices are a lot more difficult then one would first think...almost as hard as when CJ had to decide which turkey the President was going to pardon on the West Wing. So I'm standing over the open freezer full of turkeys in the grocery store and I make my first decision: get a turkey breast. Thanksgiving was only going to be four of us (me, mom, dad, and Hannah) so there was no need for a HUGE Thanksgiving turkey. Second decision - how many pounds? So I go with 5 and 1/2. It seemed like a pretty good number for people that can pack away some food (especially since my sister is eating for two right now!). And finally, was I going to go with the Butterball or the Publix brand? I had no clue! Was there a big difference in the Butterball turkey? Did one cook better than the other? How about leftovers - did one survive longer? My mind was spinning and I had no idea which decision to make! The women around me also didn't really help out too much - it was another woman's first year making a turkey and the other woman was looking for a free range. So I went with my West Wing instincts again, remembering that there was a Butterball hotline on Thanksgiving day. I grabbed my Butterball turkey breasts with all hopes that the Butterball hotline could help me with any potential problem that I had.
Thanksgiving day comes and my mom made me so nervous about making the turkey that I get up at 9am to put it in the oven. It was nice and juicy when I took it out of the container and fortunately my friends (Beth and Dana from downstairs) had warned me to remove it from the wrapper over the sink. Otherwise all of the nastiness could have gotten on me. Lo and behold - the turkey is done and it looks beautiful! Although - GASP! - it is four hours ahead of time. My mom calls to ask how everything is going and I tell her of the quandry and she tells me to call the Butterball hotline that I had so hoped to call in order to receive some information. Here is the recording of my conversation with the Butterball hotline...
Lots of numbers to press to get to the right operator...
Butterball: All of our representatives are busy right now helping other callers. Your turkey domestic helper will be with you in 5 minutes.
(Elevator music)
Butterball: This is the Butterball hotline. How may I help you?
me: Hi! My name is Sara Pugh and I am making my first turkey today. It is done now but my parents won't be here for about 4 more hours.
Butterball: Well Sara, we usually suggest that all of our clients finish the turkey no earlier than an hour prior to eating it.
me: Well yes that would have been nice but it is done now and I just want to make sure that it doesn't get dry.
Butterball: We suggest that you wrap up your turkey in aluminum foil, place towels around it, and place it into a cooler without any ice to lock in the heat. It can stay like that for 3-4 hours without losing any of the juicy flavor.
me: Thank you very much and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Butterball saved my turkey and it saved my Thanksgiving! According to my family (I don't really like to eat turkey), the turkey was still nice and juicy with plenty of heat left in it (although some of this can be attributed to the microwave). So whenever you have a turkey problem, don't hesisitate and call the Butterball hotline and they'll help you in a jiff!

In other news - when I went out to dinner on Friday night, there was a butter nativity scene at the front of the resturant. All of us seminary students got a big kick out of that one! Tis the season and enjoy yourself!

Hello Friends!

2005-12-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

Dear friends of mine - I have entered the world of seminary and therefore definitely entered the world of blogging cause we all know that ministers have lots to say! So come and visit this website to see the fun stuff that is going on in life and hear great stories...
Enjoy your days!