Tagged for Presbymeme II

Wendy tagged me for the Presbymeme II. Thanks, Wendy--here you go.

The Rules of Presbymeme II

•In about 25 words each, answer the five questions below.
•Tag five Presbyterian bloggers and send them a note to let them know they were tagged.
•Be sure to link to this original post.

(1) What is your favorite faith-based hymn, song or chorus?

Onward Christian Soldiers. Now banished from the hymnal for being politically incorrect. It was my father's favorite hymn and I remember marching around the living room as a child, singing the song while he played it on his organ for me. Favorite lines: "Gates of hell will never 'gainst that church prevail. We have Christ's own promise and it cannot fail!" It reminds me of my beloved father and his own strong faith and commitment to the church.

2) What was the context, content and/or topic of the last sermon that truly touched, convicted, inspired, challenged, comforted and/or otherwise moved you?

Sunday's sermon by Dr. Dave Peterson at my church, Memorial Drive PC., Houston. He put together two unlikely scriptures (the story of Martha and Mary and the man who wanted to follow Jesus after he buried his father) and used them to discuss hearing God's call in the midst of the busy-ness of life.

3) If you could have all Presbyterians read just one of your previous posts, what would it be and why?

I would like everyone to read this post about the chartering of Tien An Presbyterian Church because we spend too much time focusing on our problems as a denomination instead of carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ into our communities and making disciples. This post celebrates one successful story from my presbytery.

4) What are three PC(USA) flavored blogs you read on a regular basis?

A Classical Presbyterian (Toby Brown), Presbyterian Gal and Cheesehead in Paradise. A diverse group! It's hard to just choose three, though.

5) If the PC(USA) were a movie, what would it be and why?

The Return of the King (as in, we're waiting for it.)

I'm supposed to tag three more bloggers. So...tag Presbyterian Gal, Toby Brown and Cheesehead. You're it!

I'd Like to Thank Presbyterian Gal....

Presbyterian Gal gave me this lovely "She's So Artistic Award" along with kind compliments that left me blushing and truly grateful for her friendship.

This is one of those awards that come with the responsibility to pass it around. Here are the rules:

1) Pick five blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte Y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award -- which is here: Arte Y Pico.

I'm all in favor of mutual encouragement, so here are my 5 nominees:

1. Presbyterian Gal her own self. Although she has already had this award from one blogger, she gets it from me as well for her lively and creative writing, her unique voice, her fascinating life and her strong Christian and Presbyterian witness. Really, who else writes such wonderful stories on her blog? I hate it when she is on vacation!

2. Gannet Girl of Search The Sea. One of my early PresbyBlogPals, GG regularly posts wonderful photos of nature that she takes. As a former attorney, teacher in a Jewish school, and now as a progressive seminarian at a conservative Presbyterian seminary, her blog is full of interesting anecdotes and reflections.

3. Stushie of Heaven's Highway and Presbyterian Bloggers. Stushie regularly posts beautiful glass art projects of his own design and sometimes cartoons! He is a Presbyterian pastor in Tennessee and I also enjoy his posts on all things Presby.

4. Rachel of Skewed View. Presbyterian Gal already nominated her, but I have to second the motion. She has a killer wit and her regular Friday Cemetery Photo feature is something I always look forward to.

5. Jan Edmiston of A Church For Starving Artists. Jan writes thought-provoking posts about the emerging church in the PCUSA and always illustrates them with beautiful and appropriate graphics.

So those are my nominees: Four Presbies and a Baptist! Don't say I'm not diverse...

Start of Summer Meme

Toby Brown at Classical Presbyterian created a Start of Summer meme and tagged me. Looks like fun, so here goes:

1.) What first tells you that Summer is here?
Heat and humidity.

2.) Name your five of your favorite distinctively Summer habits or customs.
~ grilling outside
~ having parties around our pool
~ sitting outside on the porch in the evening with the ceiling fans going full blast
~ swimming
~ going to the coast

3.) What is your favorite smell of Summer?
The Gulf breeze.

4.) What is your favorite taste of Summer?
Icy cold watermelon and Texas Chocolate Sheetcake

5.) Favorite Summer memory?
Family time on the beach or at the swimming pool.

6.) Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why?
Heat. I'm used to heat--I grew up in San Antonio and have lived most of my adult life in muggy Houston. I spent 4 years in college in upstate New York and found extreme cold almost paralyzing.

7.) What books do you plan to read for the season?

Knowing God by J. I. Packer (reading it to prepare to lead my BSD group next fall)
Under The Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer (recommended by my brother)
How Africa Shaped The Christian Mind by Thomas Oden (just started it and not sure I'll finish it because the author seems to belabor the obvious)
Lamentations of the Father by Ian Frazier (I just began this collection of humorous essays--the title essay was so funny tears were running down my face)
Still working on Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy. It's hard to read on your own.
Whatever else strikes my fancy along the way....

8.) How does the Summer affect your faith? Is it a hindrance or an ally?
It is definitely an ally. It's so important to take a break from the busy-ness of being involved in the church. The slower pace encourages more prayer and devotional time, too.

And what use is a meme if it isn't passed around? Let's see...

Presbyterian Gal, Mary Beth, zorra, Ruby and St. Casserole.

TAG! You're it!

The Presby-Meme

Shawn has tagged me for the Presbyterian Meme going around the PresbyBlogosphere. Thanks, Shawn!

Here goes....

* in about 25 words each, answer the following five questions;
* tag five presbyterian bloggers and send them a note to let them know they were tagged;
* be sure to link or send a trackback to this post;

1. What is your earliest memory of being distinctly Presbyterian?

Hearing my father expound on the virtues of the Presbyterian tenet of the equality of the laity and the clergy. This was probably in the context my asking about the Catholic nuns (pre-Vatican II in the old style habits) that we used to see regularly in the grocery store because their convent was nearby. I was probably about 5 or 6 at the time.

2. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend LESS energy and time?

Internal denominational disputes.

3. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend MORE energy and time?

Evangelism and Outreach.

4. If you could have the PC(USA) focus on one passage of scripture for an entire year, what would it be?

Great question! I would really like to have the PCUSA read the entire Bible in a year (or 90 days) because of our tendency to focus on brief passages, thereby sometimes losing the context.

In the spirit of the meme, however, I'll choose Romans 8:28-39 because it is a wonderfully concise statement of reform theology.

5. If the PC(USA) were an animal what would it be and why?

A cat. Just try to herd it!

UPDATE: I overlooked the extra credit question, and y'all know what an overachiever I am, so....

Extra Credit: Jesus shows up at General Assembly this year, what does he say to the Presbyterian Church (USA)?

"Truly, truly I say to you that God so loved the world that he did NOT send a committee."

TAG TIME! Gannet Girl, Classical Presbyterian, Presbyterian Gal, Revs. Kim and Dave, and Viola

A-Nother Book Meme

How many book memes are going around the 'net right now? Presbyterian Gal tagged me for this one.

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)
I am in the kitchen. The nearest book is the Bible I use for my Bible in 90 Days class. Cross my heart and hope to die, PG!!

Find Page 123.
That would be Numbers 11. Everyone's favorite!

Find the first 5 sentences. Post the next 3 sentences.

"When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down. Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry and Moses was troubled." Numbers 11:9-10.

And really, who can blame God and Moses. Don't we all hate whiners?

Lots of people have already been tagged and played, so I'm not tagging anyone. But please feel free to play!

Tagged for New Book Meme

Presbyterian Gal tagged me for this one!

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Actually, the rational me should have cringed away from reading Eat, Love, Pray, but I didn't and we all know how that worked out.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

I'm assuming the question means "fictional characters." I'd have a lovely afternoon tea with Elizabeth Barrett (Pride and Prejudice); Maisie Dobbs and Precious Ramotswe . The tea would be good Indian or Earl Grey for Elizabeth and Maisie, but we would be sure to have bush tea for Precious. And lots of cake, since she is "traditionally built". As for me, pass the Starbucks.

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it's past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. DK and Portia raved about it and loaned me their copy. I got about half way through it before abandoning it. And usually we have very similar tastes in books. I thought this was boring with a capital B.

Come on, we've all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you've been nowhere near it?

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin. ~bows head in shame~

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to 'reread' it that you haven't? Which book?

There's been more than one, and they were all forgettable historical novels. Too forgettable, apparently!

You've been appointed Book Advisor to a VIP (who's not a big reader). What's the first book you'd recommend and why? (if you feel like you'd have to know the person, go ahead of personalise the VIP)

I'll choose Aayan Hirsi Ali (author of Infidel and former member of the Dutch parliament). She is very well-read, so maybe this cheating a bit. But I would like for her to read the Gospel of Luke, with an open heart and mind, because I think she is still seeking God.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

As a devoted Anglophile, this is a really tough question because to me English is the premier language of literature. I do like Russian literature however, so I would choose Russian so I could find out how many nicknames each of the characters REALLY has.

A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

Dakota, A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris.

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What's one bookish thing you 'discovered' from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

I didn't know there was a subset of the mystery/detective genre that involved women ministers as detectives until I read about them on several RevGals blogs. I read a few of them but found them so-so.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she's granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favorite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

My dream library would be full of hardback books. They don't have to be leather-bound, they can be cloth-bound. It would have a very large university library style desk in the middle with excellent lighting overhead. There would be a large window overlooking an exquisite garden. A window seat would be built into the window with a very comfortable cushion and pillows. Did I mention the houseboy that would bring me refreshments when I rang a bell?

TAG TIME: Gannet Girl (because she needs an excuse to take a break from her seminary studies); BesoMami (she of the Reading Challenge 2008); Toby Brown (to see what he's read that was published after 1750--just kidding, Toby!); zorra (a reeely big reader) and anyone else who wants to play.

Candy Cane Monday on Wednesday

Presbyterian Gal tagged me for this little meme, which asks what are your five favorite presents, either gotten or given? Sorry it took me a couple of days to get to it, but as you see below, I've had "issues."

1. As a child, I got a new book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House" series every Christmas for several years. How I loved opening those books and reading them on Christmas afternoon. And re-reading them the next day!

2. As a teenager I got a portable record/tape player that pleased me as much as an IPOD delights my daughters today.

3. It was a great thrill to give my father a mult-record set of the Brahams Requiem when I was a teen. It took me several months to save the money out of my allowance and he was very surprised!

4. El Jefe surprised me a few years ago with a beautiful set of black pearls. So elegant!

5. Last Christmas as we were preparing to buy a recreational home with my in-laws, my brother-in-law gave me a wooden name plaque our future bay house inscribed with the name of my family's original Gulf cottage by the sea. It's in my closet now waiting to adorn the finished product later this spring!

I'll tag Classical Presbyterian, Spooky Rach, Mindy and Denis Hancock (the Reformed Angler).

4 Things Meme

Gannet Girl took a break from her seminary studies long enough to tag me for the 4 Things Meme that's going around the web. So, GG, here's an excuse to take another break, drop by and comment!

Four Jobs I’ve Held:

Hospital Admissions Clerk
Assistant District Attorney
Associate General Counsel of a corporation
Director of Christian Education

Four Films I Could Watch Over and Over:

Elizabeth R
Robin Hood: Men In Tights
Troop Beverly Hills
Pride and Prejudice

Four TV Shows I Watch:

What Not To Wear
Project Runway
Top Chef
Barefoot Contessa
and I'm embarrassed to admit I watch LA and Miami Ink with Babs


Four Places I’ve Lived:

San Antonio, Texas
Austin, Texas (law school)
Ithaca, New York (college)
Houston, Texas


Four Favorite Foods:

chocolate
coffee
Anything Mexican
shellfish


Four Websites I Visit Daily

Google
RevGalBlogPals
Presbyweb
All the blogs on my Google Reader


Four Favorite Colors

Red
Black
Deep Oriental Blue
Brown


Four Places I Would Love to be Right Now

Scotland
Tuscany
Texas Hill Country
Rocky Mountains


Four Names You Love, But Could/Would Not Use for Your Children:

Claudia (the feminine version of El Jefe's never used real first name)
William (didn't have a boy)
Trevor (see above)
Christine (too many versions of this name in the family by the time I had my girls)


Tag Four Bloggers:
Toby Brown (Classical Presbyterian), Rev Dave, Rev Kim and double tag on Mark (Mark Time).

Hope you enjoyed this post, GG. Now....back to the library!

5 Things I Dig About Jesus Meme

Presbyterian Gal tagged me for this meme. Here are the rules:

(a) Those tagged will share "Five Things They Dig About Jesus".
(b) Those tagged will tag 5 people.
(c) Those tagged will leave a link to their meme in the comments section of this post so everyone can keep track of what's being posted.

I'd like to steal her answers, but that's not allowed. So here goes.

1. Jesus had a great sense of humor.

2. Jesus made the simple wise, and the wise simple.

3. Jesus knew how to use even the "cracked pots." See 2 Corinthians 4:7.

4. Jesus' life transformed his disciples
5. Jesus' resurrection transformed the world. And me. And you.

I don't think this meme has been around much yet, so I'll tag:

St. Casserole
Gannet Girl
Mark Time
Cathy's Grace Notes
Cheesehead

And anyone else who wants to play--leave a comment so I can visit.

8 Random Things Meme

Gannet Girl tagged me for this meme today, which reminded me that Mary Beth had also tagged me while I was on vacation and I had forgotten to respond. So with apologies to Mary Beth for the tardy response, I'm doing so now.

The rules for the meme are:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3.At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are my 8 random things:

1. I listen to "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" podcasts on my drive to and from church on Wednesday evenings for choir practice. One podcast is equivalent to one round trip. I learned about WWDT from Songbird's blog and just love it. My favorite panelist is P.J. O'Rourke.

2. There's a collection of crosses on my kitchen wall. Each one is a gift from a friend which makes them very special.

3. Snow fell in San Antonio, Texas, the day I was born. I've never figured out what that portended. If anything.

4. One of my ancestors was a victim of the Salem witch trials.

5. IMHO feng shui is bogus.

6. With respect to gardening, I have a black thumb but am working on turning it to at least brownish-green.

7. Although I have a good "bump of direction", I'm terrible giving directions to others because I have a brain glitch that prevents me from articulating "right" and "left". Poor Portia inherited this trait, so DK is frustrated as well as El Jefe.

8. El Jefe and I met through a mutual acquaintance at the review course for the Texas bar exam. Despite that, we both passed the first time. (I scored higher, BTW).

Practically every blogger I read regularly has been tagged already. So I'll just tag Rev. Dave and his lovely bride Rev. Kim.

Update: For those of you who asked... Here are pictures of the cross collection.