30 May 2008

It's Friday

OK. I'm a sad fringe player/lurker, and nobody tagged me. But I didn't like todays RGBP Friday five so I chose a meme instead.

Ten years ago:
1998. I was working as a Software Engineer at my worst. ever. job. I stayed at the job because we had a house being built, the mortgage was approved, and they don't like it if you move jobs in the middle of that. I was working for a big name "firm" that was ALL SHARK. I am not. I hated going to work everyday. As soon as the house closed, I changed jobs to a place I stayed for 6 years.

Five things on today's "to do" list:
1. Pre-reading for CPE
2. Pay Bills
3. Go explore local park with walking trails
4. Work on sermon for next week (not preaching this week, and I'm still pretty slow)
5. Laundry

Three bad habits:
1. Stress eating
2. Procrastination
3. Piles. On my desk, on the floor. But they are organized piles (until the cat gets to them!)

Five places I've lived:
1. Alexandria, VA
2. Tampa, FL
3. Belleville, IL
4. York County, VA
5. Gaithersburg, MD

Things I'd do if I were a billionaire:
Pay to have my house cleaned.
I'd start a foundation to protect the money and make it last longer and work harder. I'd love to be the Klingenshoen foundation* to an area left behind by progress.

Five jobs I've had:
1. Busch Gardens games hostess
2. Bank front area (new accounts, switchboard, etc)
3. Framing shop
4. Programmer
5. Software consultant


*fictional foundation in Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat who ..." novels

23 May 2008

Holiday Friday Five

Sally challenges us: It is a holiday weekend here in the UK, and the weather forecast for much of the country is not good!!! But we can still dream and so with that in mind I bring you this Friday Five.
Well, it's a holiday weekend here too, except that final papers are due Tuesday. So, as beautiful as it is, I took an exam this morning and afternoon and will spend the gorgeous weekend writing about my theology of preaching!

1. Getting ready for summer, do you use the gradual tanning moisturisers ( yes gentlemen you too can answer this!!!), or are you happy to show your winter skin to the world?
I am ghastly white and, well, there just anything much to do about it. I'm at an age when I don't show that much skin anyway.

2.Beach, mountains or chilling by the pool, what/ where is your favourite getaway?
Mountains or river. See my blog picture! and this one my husband took of a visiting friend.

3.Are you a summer lover or does the long break become wearing?
What break? I got my ID badge for the CPE hospital this afternoon.

4.Active holidays; hiking swimming sailing, or lazy days?
what I can fit of both, but leaning toward reading on the back porch.

5.Now to the important subject of food, if you are abroad do you try the local cuisine, or do you prefer to play it safe?
Ahhh, this is where the spoiled middle class child comes out. Local cuisine only if I recognize it! nothing really funky. And with celiac, it's even more fun. Either Wheat, rye or barley is common in almost any diet that meets the first criteria.

No bonus this week unless you can think one up!!!

17 May 2008

I am alive....

I'm in the midst of end of term fun, so there' s even less blogging than normal.

However, I did find a lovely reason to say that I blog anonymously:



HowManyOfMe.com
LogoThere are
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?



Now this was with my real name, not Althea N Agape which the more astute of you have figured out is "truth n love". (Hey, I was taking summer intensive Greek when I had to name the blog)

I just want to know if that 0 is supposed to include me?!?!

well, almost 1300 exist with my maiden name, so I guess it's my husband's fault that I don't exist in the US.

02 May 2008

Wait and Pray -- Friday Five

Sally writes: Part of the Ascension Day Scripture from Acts 11 contains this promise from Jesus;

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Then he was taken from their sight into the clouds, two angels appeared and instructed the probably bewildered disciples to go back to Jerusalem, where they began to wait and to pray for the gift Jesus had promised.

Prayer is a joy to some of us, and a chore to others, waiting likewise can be filled with anticipation or anxiety....

So how do you wait and pray?

1. How do you pray best, alone or with others?
Alone. Although I participate in a weekly prayer group, alone is better for this introvert.

2. Do you enjoy the discipline of waiting, is it a time of anticipation or anxiety?
I can deal with waiting. I wouldn't say it was a joy, but it isn't anxiety. "I have learned to be content..."

3. Is there a time when you have waited upon God for a specific promise?
yes. And sometimes He says "no". Sometimes He just says "later".

4. Do you prefer stillness or action?
Stillness, I may be lazy.

5. If ( and this is slightly tongue in cheek) you were promised one gift spiritual or otherwise what would you choose to receive?
Discernment so when someone does something stupid, or mean, or out of the blue, I could know what the daylights they were thinking when they did it and how to most appropriately deal with this oddity. Rebuke, ignore, hug? sometimes it just really isn't clear.

and, to Answer GannetGirl's additional question: My favorite book on prayer would have to be Brother Lawrence, Practicing the Presence of God.