Friday Five - Words II

After what seems like forever, I am finally getting to do a Friday Five and in a timely fashion! There aren't words for how much this excites me. Which is pretty appropriate since the topic of today's Friday Five is "Words!" More specifically, words that are meaningful and why!

Sumatanga - This word is meaningful to me for so very many reasons. The first is that it is a camp and conference center that has been absolutely formative in my life. But even more than Camp Sumatanga as a specific place, the word itself means "a place of rest and vision" which I think everyone needs at times in their life!

Community - I didn't realize how meaningful this one was to me until I felt like I had lost it. It's hard to believe that I'm now celebrating two years since my graduation from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and while it's been a great two years of growing and working, it's also been a somewhat lonely two years because I felt like I had lost "my" community. Thankfully I am now realizing that I still have that community and several others where I am just as valued, including this wonderful online community. And that's a pretty darn special thing!

Bodean - This one is just plain silly because it's my husband's pet name for me. I'm not exactly sure where it came from except that about two weeks after we were married he declared that I was "Sandy Bodean" or "Mrs. Bodean," except on Sundays when I was "Rev. Bodean!" He said he had to choose something with a "B" because his nickname and his mother's nickname (both given by his grandfather) were "B" nicknames, but I think he just randomly chose something! Either way, I love it and all the unique alternate forms it has taken over the last two years!

Create - This is something I love to do and don't do nearly enough, but still love just the same. Whether it's creating some sort of artsy, craftsy project or creating a great meal or creating an experience for others I love to create. Now I need to be better about creating time and space for myself!

Blessing - I can't think/talk about words without also talking about blessings. This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately - both the giving and the receiving of blessing. And as I think about words and their power, I am quickly reminded of a quote from Henri Nouwen's book, Life of the Beloved - "To give a blessing creates the reality of which it speaks." WOW! Not only is there some serious power in those words, but it also gives serious power to the words that we may speak. I could probably talk/write in circles about all this, so I will just stop here and say that if I were to choose a sixth word, it would be "Beloved". If you haven't read Nouwen's book, do it. It explains "Beloved" better than I ever could!

As always, thanks for stopping by. Leave me a comment and let me know you were here, and let me know if any of my words stirred something in you! Happy Weekend!