7 Lists for HMA

This summer is an HMA summer (Home Ministry Assignment), which means I’ll be in the states for 7 weeks, mainly to visit with people who help make my ministry possible. Bring on the Friends and Family!! To show my excitement, here are 7 lists of 7 for HMA.

7 States I think I will be in:

1. Minnesota

2. Wisconsin

3. Idaho

4. Oregon

5. Washington

6. Colorado

7. Illinois

7 Foods I plan to eat: (I really just want to put “Mexican” for all of them)

1. Chipotle

2. Chick-Fil-A

3. Nebraska steak

4. PNW cherries

5. Corn on the cob

6. Dairy Queen

7. Amanda’s macaroons 

7 Songs on my Summer Playlist:

1. “Praise!” The Worship Initiative and Davy Flowers

2. “Galway Girl,” Ed Sheeran

3. “Wholehearted,” We are Messengers

4. “Hallelujah Anyway,” Rend Collective

5. “Something to Somebody,” Dermot Kennedy

6. “Life is a Highway,” Rascal Flatts

7. “Crazy People,” Casting Crowns

7 Places I want to visit:

1. Itasca State Park, MN

2. Powell’s Book Store, OR

3. North Shore of Lake Superior, MN

4. Great River Shakespeare Festival, MN

5. St. Croix Falls, WI

6. Ute Valley Park, CO

7. Ramsey County Library, MN

7 Activities it's safe to say I’ll do:

1. Speaking

2. Hiking/Walking

3. Reading

4. Driving

5. Celebrating the 4th of July

6. Kayaking/Swimming

7. Sleeping

7 Books on my To-Read List (yeah right):

1. The Great Alone, Kristin Hannah

2. Abide in Christ, Andrew Murray

3. Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, Tyler Staton

4. Celebrities for Jesus, Katelyn Beaty

5. Crying in H-Mart, Michelle Zauner

6. The Things we Leave Behind, Clare Furniss

7. Small Prints, Kristi Dahlstrom

7 Nieces/Nephews I plan to Hug:

1. Olivia

2. Megan

3. Emmi

4. Audrey

5. Elli

6. Jacob

7. Eva (Thorsen gets a fistbump)

Bring on those Minnesota lakes

German Father's Day

I stuck out an elbow to block the guy who’d just been shoved by his friends and seemed to be falling toward us. It was more to protect 6-year-old Sem than myself. Behind me I could feel Ellen grasping the strings of my backpack and I put a hand on Sem’s shoulder to guide him a bit to the left, the crowds continually pushing in on us. Is that what Jesus felt like? I wondered.

We emerged out the other side of the sensory bombardment and paused for a head count. All the Michaels are here, too. Whew. We took a deep breath, felt the long-anticipated sun on our skins again, and continued with renewed intentionality on our 12-km hike. 

It was both Ascension Day and Father’s Day, and a lovely tradition exists that families get out and hike together for the holiday. Sort of like Jesus and his disciples. Of course, it’s Germany, so there’s a bit more alcohol involved than in the first century (hence the somewhat rowdy crowds in villages). However, the joys of live music and random running-into-friends outweigh all the noise. There were roughly 20 stops along the 12 kilometers we had chosen, and one of them included a BBQ pulled pork food truck, so I was rather content with my choice to hike on this holiday. And once we got past the crowded middle of the hike, the path was much more open and breezy. The finale included a vista overlooking Basel and some good old German Kaffee & Kuchen. Yum. Happy Father’s Day!

View of Basel in the distance - we made it!