Fave Things

Here are my favorite things from the past week. Thank you to Susanne for hosting this fun meme!

My husband and I took our youngest daughter out 2 weeks ago (I didn't have time to do the fave 5 last week) to the new Japanese-Korean restaurant in town. (My oldest was attending an Emerge event (Sat nite youth group) so couldn't join us). It is a bit pricey but oh, so worth it! I had never tried Korean food so I ordered this pot of food which in Korean translated to fried rice, beef, egg, veggies. The veggies were fantastic: carrots and zucchini plus seawood and sprouts. It was so hot I burned the roof of my mouth. It was rather spicy too, but not too spicy. I much prefer Korean food to Mexican after trying this dish. Claire ate with chopsticks for the first time in public although we both switched to spoons after a bit. (we have used chopsticks often in the privacy of our home when eating Chinese take-out). I want to go back to this restaurant sometime in the near future!




This pedometer! I bought this last Sunday afternoon as my cheap one was not keeping an accurate count of my steps. This was just $40.00 and a great investment. It not only counts my steps but it keeps track of one week's worth of steps and miles. The pedometer can be set with my age and stride length. It keeps track of milage (although it is not as accurate as doing the mathematical formula with a calculator, mainly due to the stride you set). It also tells me how many calories I have burned during my various workouts. It also shows the day and time. It comes with a clip or you can stick it in a pocket. Since I am really into power walking these days, this has become my new accessory!

This face protector is THE best Avon product I have ever bought! Usually I cannot wear Avon make-up unless it is certain eye shadows or the Glimmerstick eye liners and brow definers. Some of their perfume is ok and I love their shower gels and foot creams. Most of their jewelry is nice and affordable as well. This is a silky cream that goes on alone or under foundation. (I use Clinique foundation). It has an spf of 20 and it evens out skin tones, reduces redness and really feels like silk going on. This has been my most favorite product to put on every a.m.

This picture of a fern in spring. This location is Hope Falls near Northville, NY ( a small village in the southern Adirondacks) which is located way out of town, on an old hiking trail that is not heavily used any longer. The trail is super easy. Both of my children have hiked it when they were just 3 years old. It is relatively flat and less than a mile one way. At the end of the trail, there is a beautiful waterfalls. Further up the trail, bushwhacking required, are 2 more falls. The reason this made my fave 5 this week is because I discovered it on a website of Adirondack Photos and it reminds me of the promise of spring as it was labeled "Ferns in Spring at Hope Falls". The vivid green is gorgeous; we have had several grey, dreary days this week here in the capital region of NY so this spot of green with a splash of sunlight has been just what this naturalist has needed!


And my final fave thing is something I don't have a picture for but it is probably the most important thing from the whole week: the 7th part of the 8-part sermon series our pastor has done on the topic of the Holy Spirit. I learned new things on Sunday that I had never known before although I had heard the labels for 2 of the categories. I didn't know there were 4 major groups of people and how they view the Holy Spirit in our lives today. The 4 groups we learned about are: Cessasionists (this is how I grew up), Open but Cautious, Third Wave (this is where I fall), and Pentecostal/Charismatic (where I was 6-10 years ago). Pastor Rex explained each category so that we all understood it. He does an excellent job with his sermons. He has a very diverse congregation as we have some seekers, as well as more seasoned Christians. He then had us mark on a line, that was on our sermon notes, where we fall in these categories. Cessationists were down at 1-2 and Pentecostal/Charismatics were up at 9-10. I am a 7 on that scale which is Third Wave. For those of you who are interested, I can share the specifics of what he preached if you leave me a comment.

But exactly WHY did this sermon make my top 5 list for the week?
Because for years I have felt "different". I never felt like I really belonged in the church where Dave and I met and started raising our daughters. (a charismatic type church). I always thought there might be something wrong with me, spiritually speaking, since I didn't constantly pray in tongues and since I liked more order in my service. By having our pastor explain these 4 groupings, it really made me see that 1. I am in the right church, a balanced church for me and 2. I can finally be free to be my self and not feel guilty for feeling different!
Note: Pastor Rex also recognized that we have all 4 groupings represented in our congregation. My absolute fave moment in the service was when he had us shout aloud, in unison, where we fell on the scale/what grouping we felt we belonged in, and then he had all of us shout the name of Jesus. And then a 2nd time in a quieter voice. This was powerful! Very powerful. It showed unity in diversity. And then he gave us a challenge: that we be kind and respectful toward those who are at a different place on the scale. That we all seek to live explicitly supernatural lives by asking the Lord daily, to empower and use us for His purpose. And that we seek to deepen our walk with Jesus.


And now....what about you?
What are some of your favorite things from this past week?
What grouping do you think you fall in, in regards to your views on the Holy Spirit?