Through every period of my life...

It seems transition is a word on everyone's tongue. There are major transitions happening at an organizational level at my work. I'm transitioning from the steadiness of school to the new rhythm of a job. I have new housemates, a new place to live, a new identity. I can no longer claim the identity of student. What am I now? An adult? I guess that's my new title. But there has to be something more than that.

With a tip from my mom, I bought a personal-size watermelon at Fred Meyer on Sunday night. I didn't cut into it until Monday evening when I was packing my lunch for the following day. I cut easily into the deep pink flesh of the melon and was pleased to see firmness, no mush. I carved away the green rind and popped a pink square into my mouth. The pleasure of the flavor and cool, crisp texture was pure joy. I continued to cut squares and throw them into a Tupperware. My housemate, Katie, and her boyfriend were making tacos in the kitchen alongside me. When I came to the second half of the melon, I had an overwhelming need to share this delicious treat with them. What was there of my joy if it couldn't be shared? The next morning, I opened the compost bin to throw in my banana peel and saw two watermelon rinds just the size of the ones I had shared. That evening, Katie announced that she had bought two of those same watermelons. "It was so good!" She declared. I smiled. By sharing my joy, my joy had doubled.

I'll admit I was dreading Tuesday afternoon. It was a foolish thing to dread. I had asked Brad Beal, my faithful helper, to move furniture from my friend Lydia's house to my house. I dislike moving furniture. It wears me out. On the way out of the neighborhood, we passed a lemonade stand manned by a gaggle of girls. I wanted to trade places with them. When Brad and I arrived at Lydia's, we strategized at how best to move the loads of furniture from one house to the other. Lydia's fiance, Tyler, and Brad made quick work of loading the mattresses, dresser, and bookshelf into Brad's van. Before I knew what was happening, Tyler insisted that I stay at the house and help Lydia cook while he and Brad delivered the loads of furniture to my house. I did not protest. Lydia and I had a delightful time making a lentil and rice casserole and a peach cobbler before Brad and Tyler returned.

When they did come back, Tyler handed me a lime green otter pop. "We stopped at the lemonade stand, and they had otter pops, too," Brad said. I eagerly cut off the top and sucked up the icy slush--sour apple. Yum! While I was sucking away, Tyler told me where they had put all the furniture and that they had even set up my bed on its frame. Suddenly, realization hit me like the warm water of a shower in the early morning. Grace. Wonderful, sweet grace. In my childish dread of moving, God had still decided to bless me with two men who moved everything back and forth with consummate efficiency. And here I was sucking on an otter pop, enjoying a forthright conversation with a person who will soon experience one of life's greatest transitions: marriage. More grace. In the midst of many transitions, here was an outpouring of grace...to me. To complaining, wayward, fearful, self-centered me.

***

Two songs have meant a lot to me in the past week. The first is a hymn we sang at church on Sunday entitled When All Thy Mercies. Here are just several of the verses:

Unnumbered comforts to my soul

Thy tender care bestowed,

Before my infant heart could know

From whom those comforts flowed.

When worn with sickness, oft hast Thou,

With health renewed my face;

And, when in sins and sorrows bowed,

Revived my soul with grace.

Through every period of my life

Thy goodness I'll pursue

And after death, in distant worlds

The glorious theme renew.

I'm sure the older readers of this blog can attest to the loving care of the Lord through every period of life. Don't hesitate to do so! Gratitude is key to life with God. I found this hymn a beautiful testimony to the steadfastness of God in the sea of change that is life on earth. And yet, despite any change I experience, each stanza of this hymn reaffirms a simple truth that I needed to hear: God bestows grace and comfort and goodness upon us beyond our knowledge, our sins, our sorrows, and our transition-filled lives. Praise the Lord!

The other song is one that I just happened to catch on the radio yesterday. It's a new song from Switchfoot called Restless. The tune of the song is sweeping, and the lyrics are a poem. I love good poems. You really have to listen to it, though, to capture it. Look on YouTube for "Switchfoot Restless" and find the Radio Edit version. You can find the lyrics on www.air1.com under the music tab. The lyrics are worth reading. Listen and read if you have time. I hope you are edified by both these songs.

We have an overwhelming, driving desire for God. This desire is a gift from God; it keeps us longing, restless for God. But we have something even more valuable than this. We have a God who responds to our longing in every season of our life.

I want to be defined in this new stage by this grace of God that takes me by surprise, that keeps me restless and content at the same time, and somehow, mysteriously, doubles my joy. It's not a defined title, per se, but I think it's even better. It travels through every season of my life.

Musings on a Delicious Sandwich

I just have to say this one thing. I've had a simply stunning dinner the last two nights. My friend Kari brought me a frozen loaf of braided Italian Parmesan bread that we had made for an Open Door dinner back in April. On Sunday night, I sliced thin pieces of the defrosted bread, piled on Monterey Jack cheese and tomato, and cooked it on the stove. Delicious! On Tuesday night, I realized that this grilled cheese sandwich would be 100x better with fresh basil. When I was visiting my house (I'm still house-sitting) on Tuesday afternoon, I picked leaves off the basil plants on my back porch and added them to my sandwich that night. Heaven.

This isn't quite the poetic essay about food I was talking about in my last post, but I don't know that more needs to be said. Sometimes simple is best.

:o)

A Smorgasbord

Hello! I hope you're all doing well!

On July 8-9, I was in Seattle to be in the wedding of my freshman year roommate, Kate Schmedake (now Williams). I especially enjoyed the rehearsal dinner on Friday night as both her and her husband Henry's families took time to appreciate Kate and Henry. I've had the pleasure of getting to know both Kate and Henry's parents and brothers over the past four years, so I enjoyed spending time with them over the weekend. Weddings are so fun! It's awesome to have an excuse to celebrate God's gifts of marriage, family, and friends. The wedding and reception, were also delightful. I got to help decorate Kate and Henry's car with other members of the bridal party. Balloons, window markers, etc. So fun!

Last week, my parents came to Spokane for Whitworth's annual Institute of Ministry. As a combined birthday/Mother's/Father's Day present, I cooked all their meals for them. At the same time, I was house-sitting for Adam and Janet Neder, a connection through Whitworth and my Spokane church, which was great for my parents. The Neders have a comfortable, spacious house with beds for both my parents and me! I still don't have a bed at my house, though I hope to by the beginning of August. The meals came off excellently, and I'm still eating the leftovers. I like skipping a week of grocery shopping to save money. :o)

I was able to go to several WIM events with my parents. It was a delight to be at Whitworth again and hear lectures on Church history and the Bible. It made me realize that I've let my brain take an intellectual break these past few months. But even though I'm happy to be done with homework, papers, and tests, I'm not ready to be done with reading, learning, and asking hard and important questions about the world and about faith. I'm thankful, though, to take learning at my own pace, to savor what I read and learn in a way that college doesn't always allow.

I've been reading a book that I got for graduation called "The Spirit of Food: 34 Writers on Feasting and Fasting Towards God." I love reading about food, so this book is right up my alley. It's fun for me to consider the role of food in our lives as Christians. Since taking a class in Fall '10 called Creative Nonfiction Writing, I've been trying to read creative nonfiction in order that I might learn better how to write about my own life and experiences. This blog is a place for me to practice. If a rather long-ish piece of writing appears soon, you'll know that I've been inspired by this book, which is a great piece of creative nonfiction.

Since my parents left on Saturday, I've had a couple of very quiet days. Part of that is because I'm still house-sitting for the Neders by myself. But another part is that I just don't have anything planned. I'm realizing how much I have had planned since graduating in May. I do have things to finish that need the time (I'm not sitting around twiddling my thumbs), but all this time alone has exposed something in me. I wonder if I've filled my schedule up with things and people because I'm scared that the lack of constant activity means I'm somehow losing my Spokane community. I don't know if that makes any sense to you. I'm not sure it does to me. But I'm going to put it out there in order to ask a bigger question. Are we so busy because we're trying to mask fear or insecurity? Maybe. Maybe not. Whether it is or isn't, I still think the question is worth our consideration as Christians. I just read an interesting article in Christianity Today by Carolyn Arends about how our busyness can disguise spiritual laziness. She writes, "Part of the problem is that spiritual receptivity requires unglamorous practices like prayer, time in Scripture, and attentiveness to what God is doing in the people around me." Arends holds that our busyness squashes this time. It definitely does for me. I hope this makes us think about all that we do on a daily basis that might squash more important priorities. May everything we do be for God's glory alone!

On a practical note, I am now officially the Harvest of Hope Coordinator at Partners International. Megan's last day was Friday. It was strange to come in yesterday morning and move my things to her cubicle. I still have a learning curve ahead of me, but Megan has given me a strong foundation. I feel confident and excited about the potential in the coming months. I came to work late this morning because of a severe headache, but I was just in time for our weekly Chapel. When our ministry partners come to the United States to visit their supporters, we have a time at work to hear about the ministry and to pray with the visitors. After chapel, I realized that Megan was at Chapel, and I got to have lunch with her. PI will miss Megan very much, but the spirit of the organization is such that she's still an integral part of our community and ministry. I'll be glad whenever she visits over the coming months.

Thanks for reading today! I hope each time you read this blog you feel encouraged to go out and serve the Lord Jesus with vigor and joy! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord this day.

Car Shops and Sushi

I have two main stories to tell in this blog, one from home and one from Spokane. Last Wednesday (6/22), I drove home to participate in some wedding activities (Bridesmaid Tea, Rehearsal and Rehearsal dinner, and wedding) of a good friend from my home church, Cassie Shaw (now Cassie Plucknett). It was so good to be home and spend time with family and friends. I had a lovely couple hours with my grandpa at his farm on Thursday and enjoyed my graduation party on Sunday. Thanks to all the friends and family who were able to make it to my party. I am so grateful for your support in my life!

On Friday, my dad wanted me to take my car to a shop in north Portland for a tune-up. I invited my friend Ruth Benzar to join me. We were at the shop by 9 a.m. on Friday. I expected that we'd be done by noon, if not sooner. "What are you planning to do while you wait?" The shop owner asked us. "We'll probably take a walk," I answered. "It'd better be a long walk," he said. "We don't expect to be done until 2 or 3 p.m." I was shocked, as I'm sure Ruth was, too. We left the shop and sat outside a nearby Starbucks, trying to decide what to do. In a burst of inspiration, we decided to walk to the University of Portland, Ruth's school, though we really had no idea how long it would take. What did it matter? We had all day.

After setting off in the direction of UP, we happened upon New Seasons, an upscale grocery store with tons of organic, ethnic, and whole grain food. Not paradise, per se, but something very close! We wandered through the store for a good half hour before deciding to buy our lunch here. We bought two freshly-baked rolls, a big yellow heirloom tomato, hummus, and a pint of Oregon strawberries. The walk to UP seemed long, especially because we were hungry. And I really think it was a long walk, perhaps six miles round trip. Halfway to UP, we got a call from Stan.

"Okay, your car is ready to go, Miss Brink."

10:52 a.m.

"Umm...we're a couple miles from the shop. Can the car hang out there for a couple hours?"

After his "yes," I hung up the phone and told Ruth the news. We were properly outraged. The folly of people! But soon we were able to see our situation in a better light. We resolved to continue our walk to UP, where we enjoyed our lunch immensely. And, as usually happens, the walk back to the shop didn't seem nearly as long. We were pleasantly full and had yet much to discuss and talk through. We retrieved my car and set off, an adventure under our belt that we couldn't have anticipated. Who knew that Stan the maintenance man was also a prophet? We had indeed had a long walk!

That's a rather long story, but the second story is too fresh in my mind to not write about. If you're bored, save the next story for another day. :o)

Today was June's FIRED lunch at work. (See the previous post for an explanation.) The elected choice was Wasabi Bistro, a sushi place on Division and Hawthorne. I've had sushi once before and enjoyed it, so I was excited to try it a second time.

I ended up sitting by Bob Bowen, Bob Savage, and Jon Lewis, a VP, a long-time PI employee, and the president of PI, respectively. I ordered a Philadelphia roll, which is sushi with smoked salmon, avocado, and cream cheese. My plate came with eight tidy sushi rolls and a pair of chopsticks. Everyone else at the table picked up their chopsticks with confidence and began to eat. I had a choice before me. I could fake chopstick confidence or look like a total novice. I decided to look like what I was and admitted my ineptitude to the three men.

I was promptly shown three different ways to hold my chopsticks by Bob, Jon, and Robert Huggins. I rotated back and forth between the methods, not wanting to offend anyone. I was actually able to manuever pretty well. But I did not want to put the whole sushi roll in my mouth at once. I was sure it would be a disaster. However, these men would have nothing of it. All of them have traveled in Japan and China and assured me that slurping noodles, chipmunk cheeks, and the like are common sights. They wouldn't continue eating until I had downed my roll. I did. They applauded. As I thought about it later, I figured this was a pretty good way to develop humility, all things considered. :o)

The only other mishap during lunch was that I swallowed an ice cube by mistake. My face must have looked ghastly because I thought Jon was going to freak out. But there was no real cause for alarm. Fortunately, I felt better when Bob Savage admitted that when he had eaten wasabi (a VERY spicy paste) for the first time, he hadn't known it was hot and so ate the whole ball of it on his plate. He claimed that he went unconscious for a full minute and saw bright lights. In light of this, I'd swallow an ice cube any day. :o)

Other than that, I had a delightful lunch. It was so fun to get to know people better and feel comfortable with them. Thanks God! And thanks to you for reading both stories.

Wishing you a blessed Fourth of July weekend! May it be fun and restful!

Food, Work, and other stuff...

Here's a post that I wrote last week. I didn't post it because I had to hurry off without being able to proofread it. My best guess is that I wrote it on Saturday, June 18. :o) Hope you enjoy!

I've been running myself ragged these past few weeks by scheduling tons of activities with friends and transitioning to new work and living environments, but not giving myself enough time to process through all these things. I love to be with people, and I get energy from being around people. But I also know that there's a strong strain of introvert in me. I need time on my own. I need time to do my own thing, whether organizing my room, writing letters, journaling, reading, or cooking, etc. However, it's a need that's easy to ignore in order not to miss out on activities with friends or at church or with my co-workers. Does anyone else feel like this?

Work makes me tired, too. Megan and I have been doing much more concentrated Harvest of Hope training this week. There is so much to learn! Fortunately, Megan has been sensitive to how I learn best as she trains me. I just keep praying that God would allow my brain to act like a sponge in soaking up all Megan teaches. I want to do my job well, and Megan is a great resource. I would appreciate your prayers that I might take advantage of my time with Megan by asking good questions, taking good notes, and being unafraid to try things, make mistakes, and learn.

At Whitworth, there tends to be an atmosphere of near-immediate intimacy with friendships. This became a point of tension for me when I realized that true intimacy between friends takes time. With my co-workers at Partners, I have realized how little I know about my coworkers' lives. I was hard on myself at first--I'm not asking good enough questions, I'm not listening well enough, etc.--until I realized that my relationships with my co-workers will take time. As I look forward to the coming months at Partners, I want to be intentional about getting to know my co-workers, asking good questions, and listening well.

Once a month at Partners, whoever wants to can attend the FIRED lunch group, which stands for "Food is Really Ethnically Delicious." Essentially, FIRED is a group of people who go to an ethnic restaurant for lunch on the last Wednesday of the month. There's also FIRED Home Edition, which is when we go to a co-worker's house for an ethnic meal. This month, Amir, an IT guy at Partners, invited some folks over to his apartment for Egyptian food. Amir is Egyptian and his visiting mother, Violet, cooked a wonderful meal for ten of us. It was quite informal. We didn't sit at a table, but sat in chairs or on the floor of the spacious kitchen, played with Amir's two delightful children, Benjamin and Joy, and chatted about subjects from the recent upheaval in Egypt to one person's particular fear of the dentist. It was a good time to be together and learn more about each person. I am thankful for my co-workers; they show real support for one another. I submitted a prayer request for our weekly Prayers/Praises sheet and several people have asked me more about the situation and/or have prayed aloud for it when we meet together each morning.

I'm also learning that the Partners employees are rather like eager goats that are willing to eat anything and everything. One employee told me that I could clean out my fridge, bring it to work, and people would still eat it! That's good because I often have leftover food. I brought a loaf of banana bread on Wednesday from a stellar recipe (thanks Lorry!) and it was gone by lunch time. Also on Wednesday, we had a grilled lunch using the Partners' grill. I said I would join in the fun, but then panicked because I didn't think I had anything. However, I was able to put together a pita pizza with olive oil, Monterey Jack cheese, peppers, spinach, broccoli, and chicken. Yum! This has been a good eating week.

The First Week of Work

Sorry to be so long in writing this next post. I've had technical difficulties with my computer, but we're up and running again. Thank you to the Whitworth computer help desk!

I've just finished my first full week of work at Partners International. Last Friday, I walked into work and couldn't believe this office was actually going to be my reality for the next who knows how long. I almost felt like an impostor. But I've felt more comfortable this week, both with the people and with the work. My title is the Harvest of Hope (HOH) coordinator. The current HOH coordinator, Megan Huggins, is a Whitworth grad from 2005. She's having her first baby in mid-July, so she's training me until that time. There is so much to learn! But I'm looking forward to being there. God has been gracious to give me this job, which I would do well to remember when I'm about to pull my hair out over the rebellious folding machine.

I enjoy the people at work especially. We start each morning with prayer, for each other and for the partner ministries that Partners supports. I love that prayer is a focus at Partners. I remember this quote from Oswald Chambers: "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work."

On Wednesday, several of us were sitting outside at a picnic table for lunch. I had a dress and dress shoes on, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Robert Huggins, Megan's husband and a co-member of the Communications/Marketing team, somehow knocked over his water bottle and soaked my left leg, filling my shoe with water. I was so shocked that I just sat there. Charlie, another member of the Com/Marketing team, and Megan said, "You didn't even react! And with water all over your leg!" I grinned and said, "Well, this gives me an excuse not to wear my shoes for the afternoon!" And I didn't. But is this the way they initiate a new member of the team? I suppose it could have been worse. :o)

Otherwise, I've been settling into routine for the summer, getting a Spokane library card, grocery shopping, and the like. My room has finally been painted, so I can start putting things up on the walls. I won't have several pieces of furniture until the end of July, but I'm making do. Maybe living simply will whet my appetite for camping...

I'm glad for the weekend, especially a weekend with no homework!!! I've found a spot in my backyard to plant some vegetables, and tomorrow, I'll go to Whitworth Presbyterian Church to see my good friend, Kari, be commissioned as the new Pastoral Care intern. Enjoy the weekend!

Seattle and my New House!

On Saturday, May 28, Kari and I hopped in my car and drove to Kari's home in Seattle. On the drive, we decided to christen my little periwinkle Geo Prism "Beatrice." I'm hoping it sticks. What do you think, Lorry? Is Beatrice a fitting name? Our purpose in going to Seattle was to attend my junior year roommate's wedding in Eatonville, WA, about 70 minutes southeast of the city. As a bonus, Kari and I got to spend time with Kari's family over the weekend, too.

After an enjoyable Saturday evening and Sunday morning with Kari's parents, Steve and Myrna, we headed to the Olsons' favorite Indian restaurant: Taste of India. The Olsons used to have lunch here every Sunday after church when Kari was in high school. Our meal was delicious, especially the fresh chai tea. I asked Steve what "tandoori" meant on the menu, and he thought it was a kind of Indian oven. Sure enough, we poked our head in the kitchen door after lunch and were eagerly invited inside by the chef to witness the oven in action. Apparently, a tandoor oven is a special clay oven that is used in Indian cooking. Food that is cooked in a tandoor is called Tandoori, e.g. tandoori chicken.

The oven was shaped like a huge clay flower vase with a narrow opening at the top. The chef pulled out a lump of naan dough and with quick, deft movements, pulled the dough into an oblong shape, dusted it with butter, cilantro, and garlic, and slapped it on the inside of the oven where it stuck and cooked in two minutes' time. We were amazed and delighted. What a treat to see naan cooking! With typical Indian generosity, the chef gave us the fresh naan with a side of tamarind paste. Delicious! If only I could have eaten it then, but I was SO full. I could barely eat any dinner or cake at the wedding because I was so ridicuously full of Indian food. But I'm definitely not complaining. Good food is a gift. :o)

The wedding was fun, though it was strange to see the first of my friends get married this summer. This begins a series of five weddings for the summer, three of which I'm in. Perhaps the best part of the wedding was seeing friends from Whitworth who have scattered across the west coast for the summer and beyond. I also enjoyed the apple favors from the bride's family orchard. It brought back good memories of the boxes of apples fresh from the orchard that we enjoyed as roommates. The picture above is from the wedding.

Straddling May and June, the past week has been busy and tiring and full of God's blessings. On Tuesday, I worked feverishly between rainstorms to mow the Edwards' expansive lawn, pack my things, and clean the house. On Wednesday, my housemates and I moved into our new house on Woodway Avenue, which is a rather poetic name to my ears. In the midst of the chaos of packing, I was particularly thankful for three people:

1) Brad Beal, a friend from Colbert Presbyterian Church, offered to help me move my things in his spacious van. His generosity made the move 100 times easier and way more fun. Moving ranks as one of my least favorite things to do, but Brad made it a breeze.

2) Lydia Garth, a dear friend, made me a delicious lunch, and we enjoyed it together on the Edwards' deck. In the haste and chaos of moving, a prepared meal was a welcome break.

3) Kari Olson was my faithful helper in cleaning up the Edwards' house, cleaning bathrooms, making beds, washing sheets, etc. and helped me move several things, including food and clothes. I have so much food. It's rather ridiculous, so I need to try and use things up over the next several weeks. However, I always say that and it never seems to happen. Oh well.

Today, my housemates and I have been enjoying our new house and the sun. We organized our kitchen (praise God!) and took a leisurely bike ride through our neighborhood. My housemate Katie and I discovered at least six garage sales, of which the highlight was buying chocolate chip cookies and lemonade from two elementary-age girls. We also discovered how expansive our neighborhood is and that we're close to Fred Meyer! Now if they'd just put in a Coldstone Ice Cream shop nearby...

A blessed and hopefully sunny weekend to you!