Follow-Up Article

Hey all!! It's absolutely beautiful outside! I actually need a sweater! (Fall is my favorite season so cold, sweater weather on a late summer morning is absolutely a gift!)

If you couldn't attend Maddiepalooza, grab a cup of tea and check out this article on Patch.

Bailey prefers lattes in the summer, but tea is good too. Photo: Shelbie Downer

My Last Week!

It's my last week in Connecticut! I'm so excited - in just a few days I'll be up in Massachusetts and getting settled in (and searching for a job) before school starts up.

The hurricane actually forced me to stay inside so I ended up getting a lot of work done. I've pretty much just got clothes left to pack and a bookshelf to paint and cleaning/packing what is not coming with me.

Oh, and because the sun is out today:

Saying Goodbye, Part I

All changes are more or less tinged with melancholy, 

for what we are leaving behind is a part of ourselves.

Amelia Barr

This quote is really resonating with me today as I had to say goodbye to my friends at work. 

They are the people that I've spent most of my time with for the last three years. We say, "I hope to see you soon," and "We'll get together," and I know that they mean it and I hope to God that it does happen, but it's still sad. My friends from work have been some of my closet friends these past few years. They've listened to me complain about the horrible boys I've dated, they've given me hugs when I didn't want to go to school anymore because 5 classes and working 25 hours a week and volunteering at church and was just a lot of work, they supported me and in turn they leaned on me, their problems were my problems, their joys my joys. They watched me graduate - twice! They were the first people (outside of my family) I told when I got into grad school. 

I made a lot of great friends at work... I'm grateful for this part of my life, that I worked at a place with such great people, who let me be (cheerful, sunshiney, sometimes so-optimistic-it's-annoying) self. I'm also grateful for the opportunities that lie ahead of me, but I know a part of me will always be with the friends I've made there.

My Cup Overflows!

It sure does! 

Photo: WeHeartIt

Reflections on Maddiepalooza

I've had a few days to reflect on Maddiepalooza and I am still in awe of everyone who worked so hard to pull it together and everyone who came out to support me as I prepare for this next part of my journey.

This fundraiser was pulled together in just three short weeks. With the persistence of my mother, two local newspapers got involved to do stories on it. My friend, Lisa, recruited bands to play. They both found people to donate food, drinks, decorations, and to help set up and clean up.

People donated items for a raffle and for an auction - and they weren't small prizes either. My friend and mentor, Vance, donated a week at his time share. The auction raised $600 - amazing, I think, because no one knew beforehand that this auction was taking place. I think that's amazing, that people were willing to put forth that much money on the spot... because they wanted to support me! :)

And the people who were there - there were so many surprises! My very first pastor, Michael, and his wife came up from New Jersey. It was so good seeing him after ten years! My mentor and former interim pastor, Matt, came by with his wife, Allison. Matt joined Trees of the Field to sing a few songs. And of course, Vance and my current pastor, Deborah, were there. It was so great to have so many people I admire there to support me.

My family, friends, and church family were all represented too! Most of the girls from my youth choir came with their families, the members of youth group who hadn't already left for school were there as well. Many other church families, family friends, and some of my friends from work came as well.

I am just blown away by how much love and support everyone has shown me. I talked a little bit about how everyone giving just a little bit ends up being a whole lot, and that with that, I can go on to show that same kind of overflowing love to others. I just can't get over it, this overflowing love of God that I get to experience all the time.

Thank you to everyone who came out, who supports/prays/thinks of me as I continue on this path that God has called me to. I love you all!

A Quick Thank You!

Tomorrow, when I've had more time to reflect on the evening, I'll write a more in-depth post...

I am amazed by the amount of love and support that was present in my church's fellowship hall this evening.

Four of my greatest pastoral mentors, past and present, were there!! It was amazing and surprising!!

There were many people there showing me support, many people playing music, some amazing prizes donated, and... so much was going on.

I am so touched and thankful for everyone!! I'll write some more on it tomorrow. :)

Thanks!!

Taste and See!

I've been baking pretty much non-stop. I want to make at least 100 cupcakes, some brownies, and other desserts for my palooza tomorrow. I'm not normally a baker, or a cook, in any capacity... but I can find my way around a kitchen when I need to.

I decided that I wanted to dye the cupcakes to match my school's colors - navy blue and purple. So I dyed the yellow cake batter blue and purple and mixed them together in the cupcake tins like a marble cake. And... ta da?

Spot on if you're colorblind.

Okay, well, that didn't work. What happened? How did the blue and purple cupcakes turn into toxic pond green and earthworm brown?

I don't have any scientific-sounding reasons, but the best I can guess is that - like paint or nail polish - the batter looks darker than it will when it "dries" (in this case, bakes).

And this got me thinking... Things look different after they've had a chance to dry; after we've had a chance to work through our problems, taken some time to step back and look at the whole wall instead of inside a paint can - or, perhaps, a tray of cupcakes instead of a thick bowl of batter. It's almost like Seurat's paintings... If you look up close at A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte, all you see is flecks of color... You have to step back and take it in. When it's concentrated, like when cake batter or paint is concentrated, it's not the same.

Life is the same way. When we're dealing with something, whether it's money problems, bumps in a relationship, health scares, or just general stress, we have to step back, give it a little bit of time, and see it more clearly. Maybe it looks a little murky now, but if we give it time to process, we'll see a clearer picture, a lighter shade of paint, a green and brown cupcake. We'll be able to see things more clearly, for what they are. We know that God will help us through anything, but sometimes what we need most is to get out of that close up view and let God handle it.

Maybe after that, we'll be able to see that, yes, things will all work out:

Blue and purple cupcakes!

Taste and see that the Lord is good!

from Psalm 34:8

"Keep On... Keepin' On"

Today's UCC Stillspeaking Daily Devtional was called "Keep On... Keepin' On" and it was written by Ron Buford.

The third point Buford gives really struck a chord with me:

Third, show that you believe by moving forward 

before there is tangible or visible reason to do so—

even while weeping, sow seeds for the future you envision, 

though the path may be uncertain 

and you may just not feel like it . . .  yet.

Why? Because I've done this so many times. I've felt that sort of Why is this happening? feeling... and I just keep moving forward, keep hoping... I could recognize myself in this devotional... And that fact that this devotional was written and put out there says, 'Hey, guess what - when you feel like you're not sure what's going to happen, or you're overwhelmed, or you're just hoping for a light, something, anything... You're not alone in that. There's nothing wrong with it. Just keep moving forward, keep hoping; don't get stuck.'

Have you felt like this? What ways has God brought you through it in the past?

I feel a tinge of this now, what with relocating and worrying about how I'm going to get around (without getting lost) and finding a job near school and making new friends (and trying to stay in touch with the old)... But I've got hope. And I know that God has brought me through harder, scarier times than this. So I know it's going to be all right.

Morning Inspiration: Some Love to Start the Day Off Right

And wouldn't you know...

Photos: WeHeartIt

There is a place for you, here.

I've been asked, a lot, 'what would you say to a young person who maybe isn't sure about coming to church?' And I've thought about it, and what I'd say, really to anyone wondering about whether they could be part of a church, is this:

"There is a place for you, here."

There is a place for you, here, in the church. Whether you've been a part of a church your entire life, whether you went to church when you were little and now feel a calling back after a long time away, or if you've never been to church at all. There is is a place for you in the church. 

There is a place for you, here, in the life of the church. You're never too young to become part of the missions committee and help those who are on the fringes of our society. It doesn't matter if you haven't been to church that much, you can learn to minister to those in your congregation through being a deacon and helping make decisions about the spiritual life and worship in the church. You can organize fundraisers, you can start small groups, you can do big things - or small. You can join small groups, you can attend church dinners, or you can simply be a presence in the church at worship service.

It doesn't matter if you sit in the front or the back of the sanctuary, if you come in wearing your best suit or jeans and a t-shirt (God isn't calling your clothing to worship, God is calling you!), it doesn't matter if you are tattooed and pierced or if there's not a drop of ink in your skin, if you are single or married, an accountant or an artist, it doesn't matter if you've got money or if you're just barely squeaking by each week, or if you haven't paid your credit card in three months (you are not just another check in the offering plate, you are part of a loving and caring church community). What you look like, what you do, your past... it doesn't matter; what matters is that you are a beloved child of God, that you feel the Spirit working in amazing and miraculous ways... or maybe that you think you may have felt the Spirit, but you're not quite sure how this all works out for you, yes, Thomas, there is a place for you, too! There is room for everyone in the house of the Lord.

I would say: If you feel in your heart that God and Jesus are a part of your life, if you feel called to love others as a testament to the love that has been poured out on us, then there is a place for you, here, in the church - no matter what.

Yup, we've got room for you! (Photo: WeHeartIt)

I am blessed because, after I had walked away from the church after confirmation in ninth grade, when I later felt that God was calling me back to faith (after my first year at college), my church family said, 

We don't care where you've wandered, 

what matters is, you're here now, 

and you are ready to serve God,

to love like Jesus, 

and to revel in the Spirit of the Lord. 

They showed me, through their endless love and support, the unconditional and unrelenting love of God.

When I was a nineteen year old girl wanting to get back into church and feeling called to serve through youth ministry, they entrusted me with their freshman class of confirmands and let me start a high school youth ministry. They let me take the kids up to Boston for a weekend retreat in the city, they let me build a makeshift house out of boxes and spend the night with the kids outside (in October, in the rain). I was given the opportunity to organize worship services and small groups and to co-chair the biggest fundraiser in my church. I'm only 24, but in the past 5 years, my church has made a place for me, I've done things I never thought I'd actually be able to pull off - like organizing a music festival with seven bands from around the country, and joining with another area church to take kids on a mission trip to New Orleans to work on houses that had been damaged by Katrina. 

There was a place for me; there is a place for you.

MADDIEPALOOZA!!

Maddiepalooza is just 5 days away! It’s very exciting. It’s going to be a great evening filled with music, food, and tons and tons of fun.

Many people are working hard to pull this together, especially my friend, Lisa, and my mom. My brother and our friend, Raph, will be playing (their band is Madelyne Acoustics… check them out on MySpace), as well as The Last Hayride (a North Branford folk band) and Trees of the Field, the NBCC worship band, which will revive itself for the first time in years for this. I’ll also be playing a small set.

We’re going to have a ton of homemade treats - cupcakes, 7 layer bars, brownies, and more! And lemonade, soda, coffee, etc. There’ll be plenty for all!!

So if you can make it, drop by the North Branford Congregational Church on Sunday, August 21st, between 6 and 8 pm.

5 Simple Rules

I've posted this photo before, but I love it so much... I'm trying to cultivate each of these attitudes in myself...

Balance is Important in Yoga (and in Life)

Well, today I officially gave my two week resignation saying 'Thanks but now I'm going to school so I can work for Jesus,' or, well, that's a paraphase, I guess. Though I've seen it coming for a long time, it was still a little nerve-wracking. Now I really don't have a job after these next two weeks, now I really am moving in only 21 days, I'm going to need to find a job and make new friends (and leave the old), and get back into the school work mindset (after a nice, long summer off...), oh, and perhaps the hardest part of it all, I'm going to have to wake up at the crack of dawn for my 8 AM classes.

We've all been anxious about things before, and we've all made it through just fine... And yet, these things keep weighing on me. I have faith that once I get up there and get settled (and find a job), this will all quiet down... But today it was such a racket inside my head that I couldn't even focus at yoga class.

I was the wobbliest and most tense person in that room... I think my yoga teacher could tell. I did, after all, have to modify every single pose. And it took me a long time to get into meditation...

I usually leave yoga feeling awesome, balanced, grounded... kind of like I've just been praying with my entire body... Today I felt... kind of let down...

This was me today. From WeHeartIt

Well, it's the truth - every day is not going to be absolutely on-top-of-the-world amazing, and we're not going to leave every yoga class (or whatever activity we may do to relax) completely centered, but the one thing I know about bad days is that God wants us even then... Even when we mess everything up and spill milk on ourselves walking into work and swear at the woman who pulled out in front of us even though she had plenty of time and we were just being a teensy bit touchy...

Yes, even when we're down, God wants us. God wants to hold us close and help us back up, help us dust the dirt off our knees so we can greet another day...

And you know what, after talking it out and reminding myself of this, I'm honestly feeling a lot better about this all. How great is our God? :)

Tag Sale Miracles

From the World English Dictionary,

Miracle (n.):
 1. an event that is contrary to the established laws of nature and attributed to a supernatural cause
 2. any amazing or wonderful event
 3. a person or thing that is a marvelous example of something
 4. short for miracle play
 5. (modifier) being or seeming a miracle

Today, my family and I held a tag sale. As I said before, it was very much last minute. On Thursday, we decided it was going to happen and began picking things out around the house and pricing items. On Friday, we hung signs and priced items (though most of the day was spent working) and then packed up the car in the middle of the night. This morning, at 8 AM, we drove our goods over to our aunt's house and unloaded everything in her driveway. We had our first customers shortly after the tag sale opened for business.

I started this blog by defining miracles because what I saw from strangers today was just that. I made up signs telling people that the money from this tag sale would help pay for books  for my first semester at seminary. And people were interested. People traded their quarters for my knick knacks, and before they departed they'd leave me with their blessings - "Good luck!" was a favorite, "It is a wonderful thing you're doing," or something similar was another; one woman told me, "It'll be hard work, what you're doing, but it's the best work you can do."  I really mean it when I say that support in spirit, even a quick blessing, is one of the most amazing things you can give to someone. And while each of these interactions was an amazing or wonderful event, there were a few instances today where I met people who really were marvelous examples of God's love between strangers others, this is one that especially touched my heart:

These two girls, who must have been about ten years old, came during a lull in the tag sale. Right away, they came to the table where I was and looked at the miniature figurines I had pulled out of a box in the basement and bought all of them at 25 cents a pop. They noticed my signs and the article from the paper on the table and asked me about school. I told them, "I want to be a pastor. I'm trying to raise money to help with supplies for the fall semester." They gave me big smiles and went off to deliberate over the other items that we'd managed to dig up out of the dark recesses of cellar. These girls had brought about $20 to the tag sale, and they picked up some keychains and chotchkes that caught their eye, and some craft supplies for their mom. They came over and made a second purchase, then went off and mulled over the tables and blankets full of items some more. They picked up a charcoal drawing I had done of a ballerina, priced at one dollar. They came over to the table and said,

 "We'd like to pay $5.50 for this. To help you with school." 

Well, when you're ten years old, it takes a long time to earn twenty dollars - that's a lot of washed dishes, walked dogs, and room cleaning. And I know they could have bought at least two ice creams each off the ice cream truck. Instead, they gave everything they had, and they didn't expect anything in return.

I offer a word of thanks for these two amazing girls, whose love is overflowing; their goodwill and kindness - what they may have thought was just a small, nice thing to do - means so much. Thank you!

Until next time, peace & blessings!

-Maddie-

Tag Sales and Tea

Hi all,

Just a reminder for the Last Minute Tag Sale!!

I've been pricing all day since I got out of work... I just stopped at about midnight and am loading up the car to bring it all to my aunt's driveway in the morning...

Remember

Last Minute Tag Sale

9 AM - 2 PM  (Saturday, August 13)

48 Harrison Road in North Branford

There's tons of crafts stuff, fabric, video games, movies, books, accessories, misc. household items, and more! There's also going to be some handmade items.

All the money we raise tomorrow will go into my graduate school fund.

But now I'm going to have a cup of tea and go to bed...

Photo: We Heart It

Peace,

Maddie

Updated Layout!

Hey all!

You may notice the format of my blog is a little different - I switched from tumblr to blogspot. I wanted to be able to keep an easily accessible list of links, let my followers be able to interact with me more (you can comment on my posts, and, I think you don't need to be a blogspot/gmail member), and to organize my posts. You can still visit my original posts on tumblr by clicking on the "Old TBT Entries" on the right side of the screen.

Thanks for your patience as I switch platforms!