TreasuresInTerraCotta

What's your plan for the new year? Do you have a plan for spiritual growth? Will you intentionally be learning about and loving Jesus more? Would you consider joining me in a study of Ruth? My regular Thursday Bible study group will be working through Ruth: Loss, Love and Legacy by Kelly Mintner. Our in-person group will begin meeting January 6. Several of our regular attenders can't make it in person but will be studying along with us. I am going to take a leap of faith and open up an on-line discussion to anyone who might want to join us here in blog world. The workbook will take us through the four chapters of Ruth over the course of six weeks by providing five days of homework each week. There are no videos or specific group sessions. In person we will probably highlight a few questions from the workbook for discussion or share something that impacted us during the week. I plan to do the same here either posting questions or opening up the floor for personal obser...

If you know the good that you should do and do not do it, you sin . (my paraphrase of James 4:17) I read very few blogs and books these days. I go to church once a week. I do not listen to sermons by pod cast or on TV or on the radio. But I seem to keep hearing the message to sell all that you have and give to the poor, to give every day, to be radical, to live communally like Acts 2, to live each day as if it is your last, to repent from living at ease in Zion and on and on. Honestly, my heart rebels at many of these notions. Perhaps it is because I just can't wrap my mind around the idea or expectation presented. Perhaps I don't want to. Perhaps it is because I naturally rebel against any church movement of the day...before this it was the men's-movement, preceded by the small group movement, which was preceded by the seeker-friendly mega-church, which was preceded by the introduction of "worship" music which, I am sure, was preceded by some other popular ...

Tyler and I see our marriage counselor every 6-12 months "whether we need it or not!" We've been seeing the same guy since our pre-marital counseling sessions almost 10 years ago. When we finished up the number of sessions required by our pastor Tyler said, "We'll see you in 6 months." And that was that. It's been a good thing to have a routine check-up that doesn't require a blow-up, a catastrophe or a melt-down as the initiating factor. Fortunately, we have managed to avoid many grave situations that can occur in marriage, but I never cease to be amazed that I leave most meetings having learned something new about my husband, having learned something new about the psychology of relationships and having expressed something that would have been otherwise unspoken. I tell you all of that as an encouragement, just like I would tell you if we were face-to-face talking about marriage. I hope that in some small way I can normalize "marriage co...

Tell me I am not alone in the struggle to find a well-fitted bra. I had an afternoon without kids so I stopped at Kohl's knowing I could be in a dressing room without the door being flung open at an inopportune time. I probably tried on 15 different bras in four different sizes. (Maybe I don't know my size...or maybe the size is a mere suggestion??) I could not find any correlation between sizes and common bra problems such as puckering, pooching or cutting off the blood circulation to half my body. Finally after finding one that fit well I thought it might be nice to have two different colors. I tried them both on because I'm on-to these bra manufacturers. Sure enough, they fit differently. Anyway, I ended up bringing two new bras home...two different brands...two different sizes. And then I went to the men's section to pick up a couple things for my husband. I got a pair of slacks (34 x 30) and a button down shirt (16 neck; L). I didn't unfold them. I d...

Boy! Due April 25, 2011. Everything looks healthy and good so far.