Happy Thanksgiving

I'm very thankful to be spending the holiday with my family! We went to Walter and Misaki's house for dinner. It was a Very Vongher Thanksgiving. <3

Shelbie is currently working overnight for Black Friday, so if you're out and about tonight, go visit her at Wal-Mart! Jeremy, Raph and a couple of their friends are braving the crowd to go shopping.

And me? I am relaxing at home, hanging out with my favorite little furball, and working on my church history paper.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Meetinghouse Sunday

It's Meetinghouse Sunday at Old South!!

I get to go see Quinn (or Nancy, I'm not sure yet) in action.

For those of you who can't make it to Downtown Crossing, you can read his daily devotional, here:

http://act.ucc.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=38562.0&dlv_id=48321

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

The darkness cannot overcome it.
john 1.5

Cover of "Love You Till The End" by The Pogues

A few weeks ago, ANTS had a coffeehouse night. I played this song and finally got around to making a video for everyone back home... It's a great song, and you'll probably know it because it was featured in the movie P.S. I Love You. I love it... Oh, and I know the quality is not amazing but... I don't have a mac, so... Enjoy:

Colby Chapel

Today I went with my friend Caitlin (who is part architect, part student, all awesome) to see Colby Chapel. Colby Chapel is a chapel on the ANTS campus that isn't used anymore because the school leases out the building to an architecture firm and, while they don't use the chapel, fire code rules say there aren't enough exits to accommodate both (or something like that).

Anyway, it's a beautiful little space... Here are some pictures I took:

Stained glass window, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

 Inscription on Pulpit, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

 Gabled roof, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

 Song of Songs, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

 Bible, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

 Altar, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

 Quiet, Please, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

Communion, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

Cross, Colby Chapel.

M Downer, 2011

Lamentations

In my spiritual practices class, we've recently been doing a lot of work with lamentations... It strikes the very core of my being. If we can't be honest with each other and our feelings and up front with the fact that our lives are not always sunshine and rainbows, what kind of family are we?

Lamenting is part of being human. God didn't create humans to be angels - God created angels to be angels - we're not supposed to be perfect. We have ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and honoring our wounds and scars is part of being whole and holy.

This is the first thing from the class that's really struck me in such a way... I know I am supposed to do more with this, but I don't know exactly what that means.

Theology On Tap

I'm really blessed to have a great friend here at school. Okay, so I have more than one, but this particular friend is a beacon of light for me. He is very supportive and affirming. We work together and have class together and organize the UCC fellowship together, so it's a good thing we get along so well.

Tonight, after I got off of work, we went to Union Street for drinks and dinner and we talked a lot about theology, plans for our future congregations, what we think church will look like, what we think it needs to look like, he lent a kind and nonjudgmental ear to the things that I am having trouble with.

I am very grateful for his presence and I hope I can be the same kind of person for him.

Ouch!

I sprained my ankle:

See all that puffiness below my tattoo? that's usually not there... I tripped walking to work yesterday morning, heard a poppy-snapping sound and felt the really sharp pain...

Today: RICE. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

Oh, and Jerbear is coming to visit, so that will make me feel better, too!