warming up with new friends

Oh, midwinter. You come with snow and cold and grey skies...and we sit down with a cup of tea and a bunch of new blog friends!

Emily at Table Salt (Faith in the Everyday Stuff of Life) is: "following Christ, helping others to know Him, passionate about family faith conversations, reader, traveler obsessed with mountains, coffee, ice cream, and trying new recipes, would love to own a bakery."

Angie, a friend of Robin's, blogs at Mother Grieving Loss of Child. She offers her journey as a comfort and help to others.

Kimberly at The Monkey in the Bush says "I love to journey. I love to share stories. People and places ground me and provide home. Ohio, Wittenberg. Trinity Lutheran Seminary, The Gambia, The Camino and Missouri have transformed me." join in the journey!

Leanne at With A Cup And A Prayer "has many passions, and I find beauty in the simplest of moments. Ultimately, I’m just a gal who tries to seek daily to follow Christ in both word and deed. This blog contains meditations on faith, life, and beyond as I live my life with a prayer in my heart and a cup of good coffee in my hand." Grab a cup and join in--she's transitioning out of her first call now, so send some love!

Liz at Dayenu-Enough is "a thirty something minister married to a minister of a different church in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We have two children, a wonderful dog and two sweet cats. Life in ministry and as a parent can be an amazing blessing and a stressful, chaotic mess and sometimes all at the same time. I write about what I know, understand, and learn in hopes that others will gain something from it."

Kate at Living in Temporary Times is, "In addition to being a pastor, mother, wife, friend, colleague and anxious New Yorker, I am a story-loving reader and writer. Books and the stories, characters and worlds I have come to know through them, have enriched my life more than I could ever express. I want to tell stories too, and am working on realizing the writer part of myself more fully. I am seeking integration and wholeness, and I hope that writing this blog will allow me to explore ways to integrate the different calls I have to be a mother, wife, friend, pastor and writer. Frederick Buechner’s advice to “pay attention to your life” guides me. I am trying to pay attention to my life."

A.E. at Secret Seminary: "I live my life in quirky contradictions that just seem to work out in spontaneous kismet. My Stats include: Seminarian (about to graduate), Member in Discernment in the United Church of Christ, born and bred west coast Pentecostal, twenty-something, queer women of faith, musician and gospel singer...did I mention I also have 6 tattoos and counting. I currently work with youth but am a zealot for pop culture theology and creative forms of liturgical worship. Fun Facts: Dog Lover, Movie Buff, ice cream addict, terrified of heights, sci-fi nerd, AND Horrible speller (anyone up for an editing position for free???)." As a youth minister in Newtown, she's one we have been praying for in recent months.

And one blogroll update: Barbara at Gifts in the Rubble has moved to Grace In The Rubble, so update your google readers!

phew! Getting to know all these new friends should keep us occupied and toasty warm for a while! Pop around and offer a warm RGBP welcome to all these great newbies.

AND: in the comments here, let us know: what are your favorite non-RGBP blogs? We can all use a little inspiration, new friend, or procrastination on winter days...