Hamilton and My French Boyfriend

The other day I encouraged people to blog about a secret obsession or, at least, an unexpected one.

Mine is my love affair of the heart with the Marquis de Lafayette. I read all I can about him. (Yes, I know about Sarah Vowell's new book.) 

My Lafayette love led me to follow through on learning more about the serious popularity of the new musical, Hamilton. Yes, it is a musical about Alexander Hamilton. 

And it is amazing. (Not only because Lafayette does French-accented rapping!)

The musical touches on what it means to be an immigrant, an orphan, a spouse, a parent, a "Founding Father". The musical styles are all over the place, but amazing in their variance and scope. 

There is little religious significance to this, except that people are people and motivations remain the same. There are always those who are driven, those dealing with the unimaginable, those who are afraid to take sides. 

And we live our stories together with our secrets known to God (and the spirit of Lafayette). 

[Guilty] Pleasures

The Friday Five  yesterday was about guilty pleasures.

I'm not sure anything should be a guilty pleasure. If you are enjoying yourself, then do it. If you're are not, then don't. If you're finding pleasure in something you should NOT be doing- exploitation, abuse of self or others, pain, destruction- stop and get help.

Otherwise, I like to abide by this passage, Ecclesiastes 3:9-14:

9 What gain have the workers from their toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. 11 He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. 14 I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. 

I love that passage so much that I chose it for the Hebrew Scripture reading at my ordination. 

So, I take pleasure as seriously as anything else, which probably means too seriously. 

Five things that I do [unexpectedly] enjoy: 

1. Ham. I love ham. I don't eat it that often because my husband is not really a fan. Consequently, I consume a large amount if there is ham nearby. 

2. Pens. I like to have all kinds of pens at hand- colors, ink types, point size. The number of pens that I have mean that this has passed necessity and gone into pleasure. 

3. Candied fennel seed. Delicious. Hard to find. Little jars occasionally round my purchases from a certain online retailer- just to reach the free shipping threshold, of course. 

4. Romance novels. Not all kinds, not all the time- but smart heroines, smart heroes, precarious situations... ah, escapism. 

5. Jell-o. I love Jell-o. Love the "salads". Love the molds. Love to drink it warm. Mmm, jell-o. 

Frankly, I don't feel guilty about any of these things. They don't interfere with my regular life, make up large parts of my diet, or consume [too much] of my discretionary income. They're all suitable for their time, just as God intended. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to read this book until my ham is done and the Jell-o is set. I also need to put candied fennel seeds shopping list. Where's my pen? 

Currently

Weathering; The ups and downs of Alaska summer. It’s been very hot. Now it’s rainy and cool. Never complain, because it will change in a minute.

Listening: “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor. Not normally my style, it’s just very catchy and positive about a variety of body types.

Reading: Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery

Eating: Nothing because we had a barbecue after the softball game. Incidentally, I read a message recently that said you can say Bar-b-que or BBQ or barbecue, but NOT barbeque according to the AP Style Manual. I say, if it ain’t Lexington-style chopped pork from North Carolina, it’s just grilled meat- maybe with sauce.

Drinking: Water

Wearing: My softball jersey- “People of Hope” #29

Feeling: Like I did not get enough done today

Wanting: To have a good night’s sleep

Needing: See above

Thinking: about 1 John 1:1-4 (Sunday’s main text)

Enjoying: Cooler evening breezes and being inside, thus, away from the mosquitoes

Wondering: Enneagrams, Parents and children, if I will have a sore arm tomorrow from playing catcher tonight

Loving: The quietness of my house

**You know I'm pretty tired if this is my post, but it was interesting to fill out (if not to read). 

Friday Five: Love!

Today at RevGalBlogPals, RevKarla encourages us to write a short list of 5 things we love. This is a Friday Five in honor of and inspired by Valentine's Day.


1. I love living in Alaska. My dad says that Alaska smells raw and unfinished. I find a sense of discovery and being discovered in so many places here- both outdoors and in some of my usual places.

2. I love sushi. Not everyone likes the texture or the taste, but the firm bite of pure, cool protein thrills me every time. There are fish I enjoy more than others, but almost all of it is delicious to me.

3. I love St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I've been using this stuff on my face since I was 13. Even when I've tried other things, my face doesn't feel clean until I've used this stuff.

4. I love e-readers. A few years ago, I would have sworn that I'd never succumb to such an abomination. However, it turns out that the ability to have multiple books at your fingertips on a trip or in bed or at the gym or in any number of places is quite handy.

5. I love Greek Gods yogurt- especially the strawberry & honey or orange & honey flavors. I mostly eat that like a dessert. That stuff is delicious.


I usually wouldn't use the word "love" for any of these things in writing, but I great enjoy all these things.

I deeply love- as in carry in my heart and commit my life to- Jesus, my husband, my kids, the congregation I serve, my siblings, my parents, my friends, and my colleagues.