7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 66): the one that got written on a Sunday

— 1 —

Happy Friday Sunday!  My parents were in town Friday evening, and knowing that I would likely be out late (which I was), I meant to write this post mid-week last week to publish on Friday, but (obviously) that didn’t happen.  And Saturday ended up being a pretty full day, as well.  So here we are on a Sunday evening – probably the latest edition of a 7QT post to date – but ah, well.  Such is life.

— 2 —

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’ve been thinking about maybe ditching my 7QT posts altogether, and honestly, aside from not always feeling like I have enough worthwhile content, it’s also because sometimes I get to Friday and I just don’t have a lot left.  I love writing – love it – and it energizes me… but you have to have at least a little bit of energy to get started, and sometimes I just don’t.  So I’m thinking about hopping off the 7QT wagon, and reverting to a series I used to write: “Random Ramblings” – which never did get shifted over when I moved my blog to WordPress.  It was essentially 7QTs, but just whenever – and usually not on Fridays.  I don’t know.  We’ll see how the next few weeks go – but especially now that summer is here, I think I want to feel like I have the freedom to write or not write whenever I like, and maybe be a little less scheduled about it than I’ve tried to be over the winter.

— 3 —

Summer.  Oh, how I love summer.  I’m looking forward to biking as often as I can, and taking weekly trips to a local farm/market, which happens to be located just down the road from what I think might become my new church home.  I’ve been going for three weeks now, and actually led worship there this morning.  I like this church a lot.  It feels… safe.  And it’s small.  It’s the kind of place you can’t really get lost, and everyone I’ve met so far has been really nice.   There’s still a part of my heart that is cautious about even considering a commitment to a new church – but I think at this point, that’s still normal, and probably part of the process.  But I’m hopeful that it might be a good place to land.  One of the things I love about this church is how upfront they are about saying, “We’re all broken.  We don’t expect you to have it all together.”  That’s the kind of church in which I would feel right at home.

 — 4 —

So awhile back, I put out a plea for questions, in an attempt to find something to write about, and I promised I’d answer the rest of them in my next 7QT post.  Here we go!  🙂

©Depositphotos.com / chaoss

The first question is from Shara, who wanted to know what I’d do if I had a million dollars.  (I seriously contemplated being ridiculous and creating a spreadsheet detailing exactly where every penny would go.  And then I thought, wow – while that would be really funny, it would also be really time-consuming…)

But seriously, if I had a million dollars to spend any way I wanted to, I would:

• plan on only really having $500,000 after taxes
• pay off all my debt
• set $150,000 aside for an extended trip to Europe (or maybe several trips)
• give $100,000 to a charity that is doing practical work in the world, like Doctors Without Borders or Vox United
• and hire a financial planner to help me invest the rest wisely – so I can use the profits from those investments to continue giving where I can in the future

Also, if taxes came in at less than $500,000 – I would probably buy some new clothes, join a wine club, and seriously consider moving back to Michigan.  Or at least buying some furniture of the non-bookshelf variety…

— 5 —

“Why is the Jesus conversation always the deal-breaker?” (I’m pretty sure this question was in reference to dating.)

Jesus himself explained it in Matthew 10 – that even families would divide over him.  How can we expect anything less in our dating relationships?  I know of very few people with differing belief systems – even within Christianity – who have found ways to make it work.  I can only imagine that to not be on the same page about Jesus in any way would just make it even harder.  The Bible talks about a “oneness” that happens in marriage.  How can you be “one” with someone whose thoughts about Jesus are diametrically opposed to your own?  How can your life be centered around Him when the one with whom you’re supposed to be one wants nothing to do with Him?  I think there are ways to be friends with someone who has a differing view of Jesus that don’t work when you add romance, but “the Jesus conversation” has been dividing friends, families, and nations for two thousand years.  Wars have broken out because of Him.  So I think it’s only natural and maybe even a little providential that “the Jesus conversation” in a dating relationship reveals places where “oneness” would have serious fault lines.

— 6 —

Erica wanted to know about plans for my birthday.  It was awesome.  🙂

I went to Michigan on Saturday with a good friend.  It did rain a bit, but we had a good time anyway – coffee at our favorite coffee shop, the best chicken-corn chowder on the planet for lunch, yummy Irish food for dinner, and a bit of window shopping.  Then on Sunday (my actual birthday), I visited a new church, had brunch with a dear friend, dropped in on Shara (who just happened to have cheesecake), and spent the rest of the day enjoying the sunshine and some down time.  It was lovely.

— 7 —

One more question from Shara, about what the next fun book on my reading list is going to be.  I actually have two that I’m looking forward to reading this summer:

1. The Ladies’ Paradise – by Emile Zola
2. Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire, and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God by Lauren Winner

What about you?  What’s on your summer reading list?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

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P.S.  You’re welcome: