We recently invited ministries, families and individuals to create a chair for world communion Sunday which would somehow represent them. We had 10 contributions - not as much as I was hoping for - but enough to make a nice display in the narthex. My chair, pictured to the left here, had to be painted over a few times before i got it right! Is that an indication that the process of self- discovery is always on going? Perhaps. I of course had to paint my chair purple- with some green thrown in for good measure. On the seat, I painted a labrynith - I've ben pulled to them for a while now, added a few celtic swirls and my favorite scripture verse - which is Zephanaiah 3:17.

It was wonderful to see the diversity represented. You can see the rest of the chair pictures in my flickr account under ryansgemsandjunk.

Ever feel like this?

Ever feel like this? Saw this on a t-shirt at the Celtic Fest. I do wonder about parallel Universes sometimes...the books I am reading - " The Golden Compass", "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spy Glass" deal with parallel universes...kind of fun! Where things are almost the same, but yet not quite the same...my luck..i'd be diagonally parked!

Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away!

A life friend send me this pic of a sign he took while on vacation - its been a favorite of mine for sometime. I believe that life is made up of moments. Most of them are just ordinary. Some of them a really hard moments and tough to make it through...but some of them are breath taking! And it's my belief that those really good , breath taking moments make up for all the bad ones, and make the ordinary ones worth living as well. I'm keeping a journal of breath taking moments...i hope i have enough of them in this life time to fill it up! But if not...perhaps someone else will pick up the journal when my days here on this earth are done, and fill it with more of their own. God is good....and the breath taking moments will go on!

bozo

When I was little, and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say, "A Clown ...or a Pastor". Maybe it's because of Bozo. I got to watch Bozo every Saturday mornings - yes way back then, cartoons were only broadcast on Saturday mornings - it was an event we kids looked forward to! Every Friday Night, I would go to the Booth's Corner Farmer's market, buy some popcorn to eat while I watched "the Partridge Family" that night, and a giant sweettart or other candy for Saturday morning. Bozo was always happy. He loved kids, he loved to laugh, his life seemed carefree. He got to wear cool clothes, and generally shared the joy of life. As a grown up, I know now that there was a man behind the makeup - undoubtedly, his life was not always carefree - and I am sure there were Days when he didn't feel like putting on the makeup, the skullcap with the crazy red hair, and all the rest. But he did it anyway - and I am glad he did! Sometimes, I confess that I don't feel like putting on my robes, smiling and putting the energy into preaching. Most days I do, but now and then I don't. Bozo taught me that "the show must go on"...and he did it Saturday after Saturday...I guess being a clown and a Pastor are not all that different! I'm glad that Bozo did his job....hopefully there are some who are glad I do mine.

P.S. Link to a history of Bozo: http://www.tvparty.com/lostbozo.html

101 Things You Might Want to Know About Me - Part One

I am borrowing this idea from a friend of mine....items are listed in no particular order

1. My favorite color is purple.
2. I think of myself as a person of great joy.
3. My most prominent spiritual gift is hospitality - which includes helping people feel welcome in

the presence of God
4. If I was not a Pastor, I think I would be a caterer

5. I really don't like most sports. Have a basic "ball phobia"...maybe its cause as a kid, I was

always one of those "last picked kids".

6. I love a well baked sweet potato!

7. I really enjoy being creative and like "painting with big strokes"

8. I grew up in Delaware County, PA.

9. I went to Asbury College, where I majored in Christian Education, and minored in Drama.

10. After College, I went to Wesley Seminary.

11. After Seminary, I was appointed to Washington Crossing UMC, where I met my wife,

Jeanette. We have been married almost 21 years.

12. One of my favorite hymns is "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation"

13. I've been serving as an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church for 22 years.

14. Jeanette and I have two sons, Jon ( now 19) and Zac ( now 17)

15. I love watching Big Brother on TV, and The Amazing Race, and almost anything on the Food

Network.

16. When i was little, when people asked what i wanted to be when i grew up, I would tell them,

a clown or a Pastor.

17. In college, I was in a Puppet Ministry and got to be a clown. Now, I'm a Pastor.

18. I love long walks on the Beach. Any beach will do. Laguna Beach is especially nice!

19. One my my best "mates" is my Internet Friend, David, in London. He is a "frum" Jewish

man I admire.

20. The Wizard of Oz is one of my all time favorite movies. I always cry when Dorothy has to

say goodbye to the scarecrow. I hate goodbyes.

21. I have a great Secretary and a wonderful assistant Pastor!

22. I treasure my collection of rocks. I have one from Ireland, one from Martha's Vineyard,

one from Laguna Beach, a few from the Grand Canyon, one from Jellyfish Joel's, several from Israel.

23. I'm trying to learn how to draw a labyrinth with out looking at the directions.

24. I love reading sci-fi fantasy novels - ones filled with wizards and dragons, elves, magic, good

verses evil. I especially love it when there are a number of books in a series. Loved

Ann McCafferty's "Dragons of Pern".

25. I majored in Christian Ed in College because I thought all the bible majors were nerdy.

26. I love preaching and leading worship. I try to do it with great enthusiasm!

27. A messy desk does not bother me, but I like a neat one for the few hours it stays that

way

28. I've had training as a Weight Watchers instructor. I don't always follow instructions!

29. I try to work out at the gym - at least several times a week.

30. I'm enjoying reading the blogs of friends. Also regularly read "jonnybaker".

31. We have three pets....two cats who are brothers - Max and Timothy, and a dog - a Puggle,

named for " Miss Sadie"a character from "The Mitford Series".

32. I love candlelight, and sometimes have many burning!

33. I enjoy doing really big cross-stitch projects. I'm currently working on a Celtic Cross - for the

two and a half years.

34. Lately I have been buying way to many shoes!

35. I'm excited to be working with "Circles of Opportunity" - our goal is to move individuals

and families out of poverty.

36. I like Celtic Music, but most of the time my radio is tuned to a Country station - since there

isn't a Celtic station around!

37. I can play the guitar, and a little bit of piano. I'd like to learn how to play the Button

Accordion

38. I talk to my Mom and Dad on the phone almost every day.

39. I love to get a Massage!

40. I find it's a lot harder to write out 101 things about me than I thought!

Pinwheels

Pinwheels

Color in Motion

Whirling in the Wind

Round and Round it goes

Where it shall stop, nobody knows

Fortune

As a kid, I was always fascinated by the mechanical Fortune Tellers found along the Boardwalk. For a just a quarter, you could find out what your future held! The lights would come on, the mysterious lady would move her hands over the ball....and in just a few moments...your fortune would be there for you to read. Funny that I don't remember what any of those slips of paper said! Maybe its just as well...cause as someone once said..if we could know everything that would happen in our future..we probably would not want to go there! Its better to find out as we go along!