Welcome to My New Office...(Part 2)

 

If you missed it, yesterday I shared the big picture of my new church office. Today I want to show you some of the details and explain why they matter to me so much!

                This clip board was a garage sale find, and I actually bought it from some people IN the church, so that makes it more special to me. Right now, it holds a picture one of the kids drew for me, but I also plan to use it to keep track of projects in process and to leave printouts for people when they ask for a copy of something. (This happens often.)

                The sign below it has a story! Back in April, I saw a picture of a similar sign on Beth Moore’s Instagram. She added this note, “This sign sits at the entrance anyone has to take to serve from the platform of Central Church in Las Vegas, where our LPL is this weekend. I love it so much. Let it be so, Lord.” I loved it so much that I made my own version in our church colors and put it right by the light switch. I want it to be the last thing I see when I leave my office to serve our people.

                In the frame (behind the verse) in this picture is a copy of the last line of an essay I wrote my senior year in high school. Our assignment had been to write about what we would do with our lives if we could be guaranteed we would succeed. I said I would be a pastor’s wife. My teacher wrote below the last line of my paper that I should seek to become a pastor. Why she said that, I will never know. I was beyond introverted at that time in my life. But I found the paper when cleaning out tubs from my parents’ house last summer and, having felt a ministry call on my life by that point, copied the last page. It felt fitting to place it here in this space, because it was the first time someone spoke that over my life.

                The drawing is a sketch done by a friend of mine in college. He drew it of me, and I have always loved it because he saw a spark of life in me that I did not see in myself at that time.

                Two of the three small Bibles belonged to my grandparents and represent my heritage. The third is the New Testament my mother carried with her when she went out on the Sea of Galilee years ago. She wrote a note to me in the front cover, and it’s dear to me.

                The green pitcher is a family piece and reminds me of the message I teach when I share my “Pouring In, Pouring Out” talk. Some of you might have heard that one. The little cross is one I carry when I speak.

                This frame holds (on the left) a photo of my parents and pastor dedicating me to the Lord when I was 2 weeks old. In the middle is my parents with me on the day I was licensed in ministry – 47 years later – almost to the day. And on the right, Ryan with me on my licensing day.

                In this photo is a tiny sign I found in a thrift shop that says, “Don’t follow. Lead.” And the watercolor was painted by a dear friend and prayer warrior in my life.

                The hourglass in this photo is one I wanted to remind me of the quote “Only one life will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” Every moment counts! And the little wooden “joy” was a gift to me from Char Binkley when she came to hear me speak last month. She has had such an impact on my life, and this little token, hand crafted by her husband, means so much!

                The two coffee shelves on these signs have been mine for years – gifts from friends. The coffee grinder and pour over were anniversary gifts from Ryan this past year. He bought them for me FOR this office, in faith that this job would be mine. (I had not yet gotten the job on our anniversary last year.)

                This “Together” frame was a gift to me from a friend, and I chose to fill it with pictures that are meaningful to my heart. The lamp was a garage sale find, and the coffee mugs and tree came from our home collection!

                The baptism vignette came from my home office. As I support our congregation members pursuing their own baptism journeys, it’s important to me to have my own memory at hand for my heart and to share with them. The other photo is a screenshot from the day I was licensed. I do not ever want to forget the prayers these friends prayed over me.

                The plant is from one of my recent speaking engagements. It’s the gift the church gave to all the women that day. I added a picture of our staff, because I sure love working with them! And the frame on the far right is my “why” frame. These photos represent why and how God has called me to this work. Clockwise from top left: favorite WillowBridge moment (reading devotions to our tenants), my friend, Craig (whose death was a marker in my faith), my nephew, Kirk (whose life and death also marked my faith), and my friend, Michelle (a minister in the Wesleyan church who passed away a few years ago…I am committed to continuing what she set out to do).

                I’ve been asked why there are so few books on my shelves. This is just the beginning! I brought these from home and plan to add more, purposefully, as I go!

                The clock was a SWEET Goodwill find a few months ago. It was brand new! And my shield of faith was a gift from my parents (which I wrote about here) that is perfect in this space.

                The lion art is a photo I took 15 years ago this summer and turned into a piece of art. This one hung in my parents’ home, and when they moved to Swiss Village, they gave it to me.

                The two message boards were Goodwill finds, and the whiteboard came from our house.

                Goodness. I sure love this space so much. Thanks for taking a tour with me!