(no subject)
I enjoyed my three-day weekend. On Sunday night B's mom came over, and the next day we went on the SE Portland Art Walk. Then the weather turned icky so we went home. But once again, I'm so happy with the neighborhood I live in. There's always more to explore.
I had an amazing phone conversation with Lasa on Sunday night. She is such a blessing to me... she always helps me feel heard and inspired, even if she doesn't offer a specific solution to my problems. It's great to have a Christian role model in my life. I definitely had some major revelations in that conversation, probably the most important of which being that I am afraid of losing touch with God through becoming complacent. "Don't you think God loves you so much he'll never let you go?" she asked, and I realized that I hadn't thought of it that way, that once again I had felt it was all up to me. I may never be rid of my fears that I will stray from God and forget his goodness, but now I can see that those fears themselves can be seen as prayers, and perhaps that's a big part of why I haven't ever let go yet.
Yesterday we went on outings to the graveyard and the library. On the way home I found some fabulous clothes on an outdoor clearance rack, including Pants That Fit for $2 and a green wool tailored jacket that I haggled down to $6. I made Mock Chicken Tofu for dinner, mmm mmm.
I heard back about that totally sweet job I just applied for, but unfortunately, the news was that their call volume is down and they're not hiring anyone right now. I'm still on the list should they decide they need help again. On the one hand, blah, what bad luck. On the other, at least it's not me, and I'll have a chance to shine for at least a month more in my current job, more if the contract is extended or if I get hired for something else. Here's hoping.
This morning we made yeasted waffles, since B's mom gave us her family's old waffle iron that they never use anymore. Then I went to Mass at St. Francis.
The mass on Tuesdays is really small; they have it in a meeting room with a circle of chairs. We fed each other communion, and in that way it reminded me a lot of the Taize vespers services back at Carleton. It felt strange in a way saying Mass with only three other people counting the priest, but in a way that made it all the more intense. Plus, I think I may be able to develop a friendship/mentorship with Fr. Bob this way. He was talking to me after the service and I asked him to recommend some books, and he invited me over to his house to take a look at his library.
I had never been inside a priest's house before. It looks a lot like my grandparents' former house, except that there are books all over every available surface and only one room is heated (to heat the rest would be "too much," he told me). He lent me one general spirituality book and one book on the Eucharist; hopefully I can finish them and bring them back to him on one of the next Tuesday masses. I can tell from the things he writes in the church bulletin that he's a very learned man and concerned about social justice, and from speaking to him I can see that he's very gentle and kind, so I am excited about getting to know him further.
Fr. Bob also guided me toward Voz, a ministry partially run through St. Francis that focuses on workers' rights for immigrants, especially Spanish speakers. They need someone to help teach a basic computer class in Spanish, so that seems like something I could do and would enjoy, and it works with my schedule at the moment. I am going to do my orientation on Friday before work. I am really trying to get back on track with regular service because it makes me feel so much more fulfilled and like a working part of God's creation.
Rounded out the day with a pizza date at Hot Lips. Hachachacha!
I had an amazing phone conversation with Lasa on Sunday night. She is such a blessing to me... she always helps me feel heard and inspired, even if she doesn't offer a specific solution to my problems. It's great to have a Christian role model in my life. I definitely had some major revelations in that conversation, probably the most important of which being that I am afraid of losing touch with God through becoming complacent. "Don't you think God loves you so much he'll never let you go?" she asked, and I realized that I hadn't thought of it that way, that once again I had felt it was all up to me. I may never be rid of my fears that I will stray from God and forget his goodness, but now I can see that those fears themselves can be seen as prayers, and perhaps that's a big part of why I haven't ever let go yet.
Yesterday we went on outings to the graveyard and the library. On the way home I found some fabulous clothes on an outdoor clearance rack, including Pants That Fit for $2 and a green wool tailored jacket that I haggled down to $6. I made Mock Chicken Tofu for dinner, mmm mmm.
I heard back about that totally sweet job I just applied for, but unfortunately, the news was that their call volume is down and they're not hiring anyone right now. I'm still on the list should they decide they need help again. On the one hand, blah, what bad luck. On the other, at least it's not me, and I'll have a chance to shine for at least a month more in my current job, more if the contract is extended or if I get hired for something else. Here's hoping.
This morning we made yeasted waffles, since B's mom gave us her family's old waffle iron that they never use anymore. Then I went to Mass at St. Francis.
The mass on Tuesdays is really small; they have it in a meeting room with a circle of chairs. We fed each other communion, and in that way it reminded me a lot of the Taize vespers services back at Carleton. It felt strange in a way saying Mass with only three other people counting the priest, but in a way that made it all the more intense. Plus, I think I may be able to develop a friendship/mentorship with Fr. Bob this way. He was talking to me after the service and I asked him to recommend some books, and he invited me over to his house to take a look at his library.
I had never been inside a priest's house before. It looks a lot like my grandparents' former house, except that there are books all over every available surface and only one room is heated (to heat the rest would be "too much," he told me). He lent me one general spirituality book and one book on the Eucharist; hopefully I can finish them and bring them back to him on one of the next Tuesday masses. I can tell from the things he writes in the church bulletin that he's a very learned man and concerned about social justice, and from speaking to him I can see that he's very gentle and kind, so I am excited about getting to know him further.
Fr. Bob also guided me toward Voz, a ministry partially run through St. Francis that focuses on workers' rights for immigrants, especially Spanish speakers. They need someone to help teach a basic computer class in Spanish, so that seems like something I could do and would enjoy, and it works with my schedule at the moment. I am going to do my orientation on Friday before work. I am really trying to get back on track with regular service because it makes me feel so much more fulfilled and like a working part of God's creation.
Rounded out the day with a pizza date at Hot Lips. Hachachacha!