Don't throw it out yet

Thursday, August 8, 2024

W's not yet up to a hike, sorry doggies. We stay home, they stay home. But we have a project budget meeting. We haul along a tape measure and notebook. Besides the cost, is this a worthwhile endeavor? We continue to pray for guidance.

We get home in time to drive out for lunch at Roadrunner cafe.

Their upscaled play on a Big Mac is huge and tasty. (It's actually like the menu picture, not like a McD flatpack.) We try it and the chipotle burger. Amazing food. 

We eat half and tuck the rest away for supper. The Country Western LPs (record albums) framed on the wall make us smile. This food is indeed among the country' best.

I catch my breath enough to write Sunday's talk - we think about these in advance, but when the week "gets away" from us, we come late to writing and working on them together.

W goes to a men's coffee meeting and enjoys the time of reflection, prayer, and sharing life. Thanks, Agung, for leading it.

Friday

First is a 5:00 a.m. meeting about my book proposal. I'm asking permission to survey a large group. The department head offers his team insights and says they'll make the finished book available to their constituents. What a boost, early in the morning. Now to get to work on the survey.

Writing is the easy part. I'm hoping that interaction with several teams will shape the initial outline into something useful. My writing isn't "precious" or off limits. My approach is curiosity rather than protection of an idea.

W and I have a catch-up date breakfast at #NaraPark. Oh those noodles! Mie rica is hot, spicy, and soothing. It's my go-to each week, though I experiment with menu choices elsewhere.

I pop into a final meeting with doctoral students, who are sharing resources with their cohort. What a great group - they've made good progress this week.

And don't toss that Sunday or special occasion bouquet yet! Titik's beautiful creation is fading; the hydrangeas have given up, the gladiolas are dropping lower blooms, and some of the greens are dry.

However, all is not lost. Many flowers are hanging in there. A trim, a smaller vase, and it shines again.

Saturday

A nightclub recently opened on our hill. They're doing better at sweeping up their litter than in the first weeks.

But like so much new construction, this one is spilling water (smells like sewage) into the street gutter. Hopefully someone fixes it soon. In a city of millions, city water is limited.

This little orchid is blooming along our driveway. Pretty! I stoop to smell it but there's no fragrance today.

I'm thinking of wiring wild bean pods into a floral arrangement. The pods follow delicate purple flowers blooms on tall trees. When the pods split open, the beans fall out and these twisty half-pods are left behind. I find 3 today but need 8 or 10 to make an impact. Maybe we'll find more on the Monday walk?

Della and Kirsten come over to rehearse worship music for tomorrow's Gathering. And I get a chance to catch up with my niece in Germany. A good day!

Sunday

The musicians rehearse before the Gathering. There's a good group in the prayer room, too. 

Titik brings in "garden flowers" that are a step up from most garden collections. Beautiful! We bring them home afterward.

There's a good group for Hangout on The Porch. They eat, play games, and chat together. We get to meet Feibe, this year's intern.

Read more:

*I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing. Isaiah 61:8

*[If you're tempted to seek revenge, remember this one.] The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. ... The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1:4-7

*Let no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things. 1 Thessalonians 4:6

Prayer: God, we crave justice. We ask you to act on behalf of those who are oppressed or unjustly punished. Sometimes you know that we want mercy for ourselves but harsh consequences for others. So we pray: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Yet we ask for your gift of mercy toward those who hurt us. Help us to let go of offenses and to forget when we are overlooked. For this and more, we need your power, your patience, and your righteousness - for ourselves as well as for others. Thank you that you answer our prayers. Amen.