Friday Five-Inspiration and Catching Up

Taking a little credit for my daughter's cap and honors stole

The RevGalBlogPals are talking about Inspiration.  Well it's been a very inspiring weekend for me but I'm just going to go off script and not really answer the questions other than to say that first of all the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five have encouraged and inspired me to get back on my blog.  I have things I've wanted to write about but you know, serving three churches for a year and a half is starting to wear on me and I've had a lot of things going on.

I finished my training for Intentional Interim.  The final week was at Mount Olivet Retreat Center in Farmington Minnesota.  Talk about inspiration.  It's beautiful facility on beautiful grounds and the food is wonderful.  Their dining room is surrounded with big windows with bird feeders that are miked so you can hear the birds inside.  

The intentional interim training was really really intense but excellent, good learnings even if you aren't going into interim.  I really think I'm suited for that ministry but I do have worries of how the bills get paid if there is ever a time when there is nothing available.  OTOH I am reminded of how difficult it seems to be to find ANY kind of a call and how tenuous a so called "permanent" call is.

This weekend was very inspiring.  My daughter graduated from Augustana in Sioux Falls.   My sister flew out from California to come see it.  They really make a weekend out of it.  There was a reception for the Civitas Honours Program she was part of. 

 And then a fancy Senior dinner Friday night.  I bought these extremely cool five inch platform heel animal print shoes just to wear that night.  Because where else am I going to wear five inch heels?  Oh I wore them to the church Mother's Day brunch, but I digress.  Well believe it or not I actually have another pair of animal print shoes, but they have a lower heel and are old.  So I get to the hotel and realize I must have packed in the dark because I packed ONE OF EACH SHOE!  Oh I was so annoyed.  Bad words were uttered.  Fortunately I did pack another pair of decent shoes.  But see, I still looked good. 


 My sister never dresses up so we got her a new outfit.  We were just going out the glass revolving door, and BAM she walks into the glass door.  Bloodies her nose.  She had blood all over her shirt and we were not even sure it was not broken.  I had to leave her behind with my son (who does not have the patience for "Senior Nights").  The good news is that not only did she not break her nose, but there was no feared black eye either and she was able to attend the festivities the next day.

Altar at baccalaureate

Then there was the Baccalaureate, which honestly I think was more moving than the Commencement.   Beautiful Orchestra and Choir music.  Very inspiring.  Very cute when my daughter and her friends (who could choose who to process and sit together with for this) all decided to rhinestone their caps.  This is what comes from being a figure skating and learning to stone everything

Isn't she beautiful?

What has brought a lump to your throat or a tear to you eye in a good way?  Oh and did I mention the graduation was actually on her late father's BIRTHDAY?  I'd say there was more than *a* tear.  But all of it was in a good way.