Love

Happy 30th, David!

Yesterday was David's birthday and we celebrated big! We went to breakfast at "Snooze" and sampled a pineapple upside-down pancake. Yum!

David thought our weekend in Keystone was his BIG birthday celebration but, little did he know, I had another trick up my sleeve. I took him to Wynkoop Brewery for dinner and our friends in Denver were there to surprise him. It was very cool. =)

He was flooded with cards and phone calls yesterday wishing him "Happy Birthday." It's easy to understand why this guy is so loved!

Is that you, Bambeano?

For the past couple of days, there has been some weird movement that *may* be the baby?! I thought for sure I would be able to distinguish baby movement from gas but maybe it's true that I really don't know what I'm doing...

There have been some weird, teeny, tiny little "bloop bloops" in the area where the baby is. Is that you, Bambeano???

(By the way, we've started calling the baby "Bambeano" because of all the Taco Bell bean burritos I've been eating...)

Birthday Weekend in Keystone

Since David is turning 30 next week, we decided this birthday celebration should be special. We headed to the mountains on Friday and spent two nights at the Inn at Keystone. Our friends drove up on Saturday so the boys could ski with David and the girls could keep this big-bellied gal company at the outlets.

Keystone is only an hour away but it felt like a real retreat from our hectic lives in Denver. We had a great time celebrating a REALLY awesome man! =)

I'm certified!

Well, it only took 26 months (!) but I am finally a certified candidate for ordination in the United Methodist Church! It's taken me so long (too long!) to get to this point so I'm taking a few days to revel in it before I begin investigating what comes next BUT I *think* that next year I can apply for provisional status, be commissioned and receive an appointment. Depending on whether I go part-time or full-time, it will be 3-6 years before I am ordained but this was an important beginning step! I really appreciated all the thoughts and prayers. =)

Soapmaking

I'm so lucky to have so many friends who are moving toward sustainable, organic, and mindful ways of living. My friend, Lorissa, has a compost bin and a vegetable garden. Greta has worms that do her composting for her and has recently become an expert in macrobiotic cooking. My friend, Lauren, has inspired me to try baking my own bread and to eat less meat. (Read an awesome post of hers here.)

Last Friday I was invited to go to a soap making party at my friends' house. Glenn is a friend from Iliff and his wife, Bridget, makes her own bar soap that is organic and has no harmful chemicals in it. It was so fun! Bridget was a very patient teacher and made me feel like, with the right supplies, I could make my own soap too. =)

Here are a few pictures from our soap making extravaganza:

A Glimpse of the "Beloved Community"

Last Sunday my church celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King and on Monday I went to City Park to participate in the city-wide Marade (March/Parade).

However, the real celebration came a few days later when I went to chapel at Iliff. Chapel was being led by the National Association of Pan-African Seminarians (NAPAS) and they invited me and a few other white students to lead worship with them.

I was deeply, deeply honored to be invited. I only read two short verses from 1 Kings, but I felt so lucky to participate in the service in some way.

The music was unbelievable. It was loud. And powerful. And soul-stirring. The music carried the pain in our community as we felt, from a distance, the suffering of our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Rev. Benjamin Reynolds, an Iliff alum, gave the sermon. It was honest. It was truthful. It revealed the ways that racism holds us all in its power. And yet it was also hopeful. It pointed toward a different way of living and being together, what Dr. King called the Beloved Community.

Iliff is far from perfect. Like any other institution, it has a lot of work to do around racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism and a slew of other 'isms.' However, from 11-12 on Wednesday morning, Iliff seemed to get some things right. It was a really phenomenal morning and a reminder of why I am so grateful to be there!