SUMMER MEME:
As seen at St. Casserole's and therefore tagged!

1. What first tells you Summer is here?
Heat, humidity and long summer evenings!

2. Name 5 of your distinctly Summer habits or customs?
*Grilling food
*Watering herb garden and flower beds, even trees when there's a drought
*Sitting on the front porch in my rocker/on the back patio watching the sunsets
or the starry skies
*Vacation - either to my sister's in IL/WI or someplace else
*Deadheading my red geraniums and refilling the hummingbird nectar



3. What is your favorite smell of summer?
The scent of rain before the approaching storm.

4. What is your favorite taste of summer?
Fresh raspberries and peaches, not necessarily together!

5. Favorite Summer memory?
Spending the summer with my Grandma in 1983 while interning at a church two
towns over in Switzerland. It was an amazing summer and I just loved it (except
for preaching in German!) Went on a mission trip to an Alp where we finished
laying a waterline from a glacier to a meadow where the cows could get water
the flowed into an old bathtub. It was an hour's hike just to the worksite,
pickaxing into the granite mountain, sandwiches and tea w/siesta on the alp
and viewing the vistas. Went to Geneva, Basel, Zurich, local Fest, saw my
cousins and Aunts and Uncles. One morning, my great-aunt called and invited us
on a day trip. About an hour and a half later, my great-Uncle (who was a truck
driver), my great-Aunt, (probably 76-78 years old) and my Grandma at 84 and I
went on a lovely ride over the St. Gotthard pass (where we ate a picnic lunch
at the side of the road) My Great-aunt had packed a basket full of sandwiches,
fruit, chocolate, and red wine - complete with real glasses!) We drove over
several passes that day including the Susten/Furka. It was a lovely, wonderful
gorgeous summer day in good company!

6. Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why?
Neither. I prefer it in the 70's-50's. I don't handle heat very well nor
the extreme cold. Although with the cold, you can bundle up and also stay
indoors where it's heated!

7. What books do you plan to read for the season?
Three Cups of Tea, Pawley's Island, Anne LaMott's Third One in Travelling
Mercies, Wangerin's Father and Son

8. How does Summer affect your faith? Is it a hindrance or an allay?
Sometimes it gives me breathing room and space. Once VBS is done, although
this year it's the end of July :( , I seem to enjoy a slower pace.
Unfortunately there's still a sermon to write most every week and planning
for the fall. All in all, it's an allay. Perhaps, the extended daylight
and all things green and growing inspire me more than the grey, cold and
drab.

If you read this, consider yourself tagged! Enjoy your summer!

WEEKEND DISCOVERY:
We rented a wonderful DVD Friday evening for our entertainment.
"Vitus" is a wonderful Swiss film that was a nominee for Best Foreign Film in the Academy Awards. It's about a child prodigy (piano and otherwise), his protective & yet pushy Mom, his-trying-to-make-a-living Dad, and an imaginative, good souled Grandpa. Delightful and wonderful that points to the tension of being a prodigy and yet desiring to be "normal". Just an all around great film. See it for yourself!
I struggled with reading the subtitles or just listening to Swiss-German! Sounded so good to me. Guess I needed to hear Swiss again!

ISN'T WINTER OVER YET?

As we were under a frost advisory last night, I had to cover up my remaining tomato plants and my bay tree and herbs and this on May 28! This is the latest frost advisory I can remember in a long, long time. I am thankful that I didn't yet plant my other 3 tomato plants or my new Basil. I hope to plant them Friday and this frost stuff had best be over and done with by then. It's practically June!

A CHRISTIAN GRADUATE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION GUIDE

1. Pray daily; it holds your day together and connects you with God.
2. Read the Bible regularly. It is the guidebook to living out your faith in life.
3. Worship often: your spirit needs to express praise to the Creator in community
with others.
4. Become part of a fellowship/Bible study group: it helps you to grow in faith and
the support of other Christians is encouraging, inspiring and comforting.
5. Make and keep a place for faith in your life; the well-being of your spirit
depends on it.
6. Don't be fooled by slick advertising, the pull of society and the Hollywood
crowd; they do not hold the ultimate truth.
7. Stand firm in your faith even when challenged and don't be ashamed of your faith.
8. Live by the Great Commandmant. (Matthew 22:34-40)
9. Do the best you can where you are with what you have. God expects excellence not
perfection.
10. Expect some pain and disappointment in life. God will be along side of you and
will bring you through even the most trying of times, even when you feel as God
isn't there, God is there, most profoundly.
11. Live with the hope of Christ in your heart.
12. Don't be afraid of troubles or failures; God provides opportunities and growth
even through these.
13. Read the Beatitudes often. (Matthew 5:3-12)
14. Let the joy of your faith shine out from your heart and hands to everyone
around you.
15. Sing out hymns boldly, joyfully, and with all the feeling your body can muster.
16. Be still at times and listen to the quiet of God's voice.
17. Trust God even when it is hard to do so.
18. Nurture a thankful, loving heart. Let the love of Christ dwell within you.
19. Express gratitude for all things big and small.
20. Tell others you love them. We all like and need to hear those wonderful words.
21. Let your life be a doxology: "Praise God from whom all blessings flow...."
22. Remember that forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door to love.
23. Accept that life is not always fair and there are no guarantees except for
God's grace and love.
24. Celebrate the great moments in your life and in the lives of others.
25. Pray for wisdom, courage, strength and guidance and not merely for "things."
26. Let music or art wash away the dust of everyday life from your soul.
27. Remember that there are no hopeless situations, only people who have grown
hopeless about them.
28. A good leader is concerned about others, not him/her self.
29. Happiness is found along the way and not at the end of the road.
30. When you are grounded in God, peace and contentment blossom and flourish.
31. Pray genuinely and sincerely for others. Sometimes it will change you more
than it will them.
32. Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
33. Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.
34. Responsibility is taking care of all that you can for yourself and not expecting
God or others to give things to you or do it for you.
35. Own up to your mistakes and learn from them.
36. The measure of success are the degrees of peace, joy, love and gratitude you
have in your life.
37. Integrity is being true to the self God desires you to be. It is a life-long
work.
38. Life is partly what you make it and partly how you respond to its unfolding.
39. Read widely to expand your horizons and challenge your thinking.
40. Be willing to take a risk, but not foolishly. Listen to your inner spirit and
heed the prompting of God's Spirit at work in you.
41. Give credit where credit is due.
42. The short-cut is most often the long way around.
43. Be patient, not all things come about instantly. Things of worth take much time
to grow and be.
44. Make time to play or just watch for shapes in the clouds.
45. Be gentle with yourself and others.
46. Dream dreams and reach for the stars. You may not reach the stars but the view
from the mountaintop is breathtaking.
47. If you can ease the way for others or soften their burdens, do so.
48. Everyone is a child of God, whether they know it or not, you do.
49. Embrace the fullness, the freedom, the spaciousness of God's love for you.
50. My prayer for you: that God be with you wherever the days, the years, and the
future may take you.
St. Inuksuk 1999

In honor of all graduates, including my nephew who will be receiving his Masters. Congratulations and God's blessings.

OLDER THAN DIRT?
I just checked my profile which I haven't done in ages and discovered that my birthday year was 1756 or some such year and I was listed at 252 years old? Now, I may certainly feel old on some days, but never quite that old!!!!!! So, for anyone out there who thought I was being facetious about my age, opps, just a typo! Don't have a clue how that happened, but there ya go. I am older than dirt!!!!!!!!

JUST SAW -
Lars and the Real Girl this weekend. Made me reflect how I as a pastor would've handled the situation. Quirky, funny, and inspiring to see community forming and what is done for love of one in community. Catch it on DVD!

NEW TENANTS-
Over the weekend, I had put some mealworms out for the bluebirds and was peeling some bark off our River Clump Birch when I noticed a bird's nest. Looks like there will be some baby Robins sometime in the future. No eggs yet, but the nest looks near completion!
Planted a butterfly bush, lupine and another larkspur. Sure hope they take and bloom.
Back in April, I planted 5 Milkweed seeds in a wee clay pot. Finally, two seeds began to grow. Now, of all things, there are 2 more fragile green stalks and one very wee green sprout appearing. That means all 5 seeds took even though they were a year and a half old. I don't know how I can plant these wee tender plants beyond our fence by the meadow. The weeds and grasses are aggressive and tall and would choke out these tiny milkweed. I don't know how they will ever grow enough to bear pods.
In the meanwhile, I water and set the pot outside and tend these fragile sprouts. Eventually, I will put them in a bigger pot.
Maybe, I should start the seeds in the fall indoors and perhaps, by spring they will be big enough and strong enough to be planted outdoors and not be overwhelmed by the meadow vegetation.
In the herb garden, I planted Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon (looking a bit weakly), Basil, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Hyssop and a little Bay tree! The chamomile have run with abandon through the garden, the garlic should've been thinned last fall and didn't, the chives are beginning to bud. I also planted tomatoes. So far, I have lost 1 Basil - I always lose the first one every year, and 3 tomato plants - either the first few days were too wet or as I suspect, a little too much tomato food fell into the hole and burned the roots. So, I have a back-up Basil to be planted this weekend (surely well after the frost date) and 3 new tomato plants. I usually lose 1-2 tomato plants every year as well. Go figure.
There is such a joy in planting these wonderful herbs and being able to pick leaves fresh off the plant or enjoy a turkey with my own sage, or chicken or lamb with homegrown Rosemary. And there's nothing as good as a ripe tomato fresh off the vine. At least with the herbs and tomatoes, when you plant them, eventually there is fruit by the end of the growing season. In ministry, it seems that all I do is plant seeds, and prepare the soil and rarely see any fruit. That always remains in God's care and hands.
The flower beds are lush and the poppies should be blooming within a week. The pin cushions have grown all over and have buds, the Bee Balm are growing up, the Baby's Breath has buds, and the larkspur has a bud. The Coneflowers and Brown-eyed Susans are growing well. The Siberian Iris have buds. June should be a colorful month and I am looking forward to a profusion of color gracing the front of our house.
May God be bringing good things to sprout and grow and eventually to bloom in the garden of your life.

NEW LOOK!

OK, I thought it was time for a change. I should take a class to see how you all do things with pix and videos and links. I keep it simple but I thought it would be nice to look a bit different. So here we go...

JUST FOR FUN!

What Your Favorite Color Green Says About You:

Balanced --- Relaxed --- Flexible Compassionate --- Philosophical --- Humble Loyal --- Inventive --- Unique

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING...

What I should be doing is rewriting the openings and closings for VBS, but I'm not.
What I should be doing is making a few phone calls, but I'm not.
What I should be doing is reading, but I'm not.
Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner!

RGBP'S GRAND TOUR FRIDAY FIVE:

In honor of upcoming trips many are making, name 5 places that fall in the following categories:

1. Favorite destination - someplace you visited once or often and would gladly go again:
Cedar Beach, WI - it's so lovely on Lake Michigan, so relaxing

2. Unfavorite destination - someplace you wish you had never been and why:

The trainstation in Frankfort/Mainz late at night, dark, lonely, filled with
some seedy characters

3. Fantasy destination - someplace to visit if cost and/or time did not matter:

Space, I'd love to see our world from a spaceship and marvel at it

4. Fictional destination - someplce from a book or movie or other art or media form
you would love to visit, although it only exists in
imagination:

The gardens of Giverny - although they really do exist!
5. Funny destination - the funniest place name you've ever visited or want to visit:

Intercourse, PA & Bird-in-the-Hand, PA, stopped there on our way back
from venerable Presbyterian Seminary con ed program and spent a day
wandering around!

Just Because -

Just because the rain is done
just because the sun is shining
just because the sky is azure blue
just because the bluebird sat on our fence
just because the birch is tall and full of leaves
just because the redbud bloomed
just because the grass is green as green can be
just because it's Tuesday in May
just because it's a beautiful world
just because I'm here, alive and appreciate the miracle of May!
Thank you, God, just because.

POST-PENTECOST

It was a quieter Pentecost, but still powerful. Everyone got a birthday candle to make a wish (a prayer) for the church. The choir anthem was great. The Communion Hymn: I Come With Joy, was played far too slow :( yet the communion was meaningful and flowed well. Even the red fabric panels got hung up in time for worship!
All the women received a chocolate bar for Mother's Day.
Had my much needed nap that afternoon.
Perhaps, the longing ache of unfulfilled motherhood made it just a quieter day for me. I still cannot understand the reason I was not able to be a Mom. I think I may never have an answer. Someday, God will explain it to me and I will understand. Maybe at that point, it won't even matter any more.
In the meanwhile, I think...I think about who will care for words I have written, for photos taken on our vacations, for our wedding photos, for my wedding dress which my mom made for me, for our family heirlooms, when LH and I are gone? There will be no legacy, no forward into the future for us, forgotten as though we hadn't ever lived. It bothers me. It grieves and saddens me. Others will be remembered either well or poorly simply by being mothers and fathers, part of the family tree, grandparents, great-grandparents. There is no one LH's side, funny, six siblings - only 2 are married with no children and the other 4 are single with no children. That family line is ending with this generation.
On the other, I have a niece and nephew, but I know they will not care. I am their only blood aunt and their only aunt in the States. It is rare that I ever hear from them. I even tire of calling of them and leaving messages on their cell phones. I always remember their birthdays, graduations, and at Christmas. I have sent them care packages in college. Would they ever think to send me a birthday card? Or just call to say hello more than once a year? I don't understand that generation, they long for relationships but they don't put themselves into them.
I have no answers and from time to time, these questions rise up and unsettle me. I will stay with being unsettled for now.

EVER HAVE A DAY...

Ever have a day when the weather outside just reflects what you are feeling inside?
It's cool and rainy and grey. Sorta feeling that within me. No special reason, just kinda grey. I will be with this greyness and let it speak to me to see what it holds. But maybe, it's just a grey day in my soul.

PURE UNADULTERATED SPITE

In recent weeks, I have had to keep the door of the bluebird house open as the sparrows again had taken over the house. On the roof of the house is a small plastic dish for mealworms for the bluebirds.
When I hadn't seen the sparrows for awhile and saw the swallows flying around, I closed up the house. Last Friday, a swallow went into the house, and there were some chirps and the swallow and a sparrow flew out.
So, I once again opened the birdhouse door.
In the meanwhile, I still put out mealworms for Beau and Belle, the bluebirds. If we can't be a Bed & Breakfast, we can at least offer a snack.
For the past two days, the sparrow has crapped in the feeding dish. Pure, unadulterated spite! So, I've had to clean out the dish before putting in the worms.
Last evening, Beau came by, ate his fill and perched on the birch for some time, just resting, just giving me opportunity to enjoy him. I delight in the bluebirds and it is sad that they cannot use the house that is theirs. But I enjoy their visits and am glad they return often to say hello and let me be in their company.

ONE GREAT JOY!
I confirmed three young people yesterday and what a joy it was! The one girl had just been baptized a little over a month ago. They are great kids and grew up for most of their lives here at Country Church. I pray that their faith will grow stronger and be an essential part of their lives from this point on and throughout their adulthood.
This is the first time where I started out with 5 confirmands and only three followed through. Usually, it's been the entire class. One got caught up in sports and missed far too many classes. She has a good faith understanding and hopefully, later will be confirmed. The other a boy who chose not to be confirmed. He is a moody, introverted kid and try as I could, simply could not draw out. His mother is hurt that her son didn't want to go through with confirmation. He is a smart kid, has shoulder responsibility for younger siblings, and volunteers to help clean up and serve the monthly community dinners. Mom and grandparents, even Aunt, have been wonderful examples of faith and involved church members. I have spoken to the Mom and suggested that she not push him to do what he is not ready to do. I assured her that the family has been a wonderful example of faith to their child and we pray that God and God's Spirit will continue to work in him until he reaches the place where he can embrace the love of Christ and make public his profession - whether that is in a year or two or when he is an adult.
I have enjoyed getting to know these young people better and to explore with them their faith and beliefs. They are a blessing and have been a blessing to me!
All that's left is to schedule the pizza party and movie "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" for next month as a closing hurrah with thoughts on discipleship.
There are some things about being a pastor that make up for all the crud we often have to deal with. Confirming young people is a joy that makes it all worthwhile!

PERSONAL PRIVILEGES II:
As seen at Frog Blog:
These are my personal privileges of a very "different" sort. These are things that not everyone gets to experience and know in life. They are privileges, yet some of the wealthiest folks in the world have not done them. Copy and paste to your blog if you wish to play. All of these apply to my life, bold the ones that apply to yours. Please feel free to add any of your own.

*Learned to cook or bake before age 12 with a family member. Been cooking and baking ever since!

*Had a pet growing up and *experienced its death, as well as life. Let's see, there were goldfish, turtles and a terrier mix, Rex. Still a dog lover.
*Witnessed puppies or kittens being born or got to keep an eye on a nest until the eggs hatched and the birds flew. Haven't seen the puppies or kittens, but we were adoptive parents to bluebirds in our backyard.

*Helped plant seeds or plants in a garden and then eat the vegetables fresh. Bonus if you ate a tomato fresh off the vine! Not much better in life than a fresh, ripe tomato off the vine.

* Lived within 10 miles of a grandparent. -Nope, lived thousands of miles from my grandmothers. (Grandfathers were deceased)Did get to visit them in Switzerland and they visited us in the Windy City.

*Can remember having homemade ice cream in the summer (always peach for us). Nope, we got our ice cream off the Tastee Freeze (soft serve) and Good Humor Truck (ice cream bars)and 1/2 gallons from the grocery store. Make mine Chocolate Moose Tracks!

* Went on nature hikes with a family member. Extra credit if you collected stuff, licked the drops off of honeysuckle or skimmed rocks across the water. Yup, camped every summer on weekends and vacations. I collected rocks and skipped them across the water. We hiked in many states and in national parks, not to mention the alps in Switzerland!

*This one is a bit out there, but you have blown bubbles through a bamboo pole into a pond, creak, lake or river. If you have never done this, please do it before you die. The smell, sound, feel is wonderful.(perhaps you have one of equal weirdness)- Nope, just enjoyed blowing regular bubbles. Still do.

*Had a special tradition for Thanksgiving or Christmas that was passed down. This involves food. Still make our family stuffing, complete with Italian sausage! Still have a live Christmas tree every year (except for the one year when LH just had to have an artificial tree. It remains in the basement!)

* Built a snow person or rode a sled with sibling, parent, grandparent, or aunt/uncle. NOt only built snow people, but in the year of the Great Blizzard, we made an igloo!!! Sledding was tough in the flat area of the Windy City. However, sledding in Switzerland down an alpine road was a rush and way cool, even with my Mom!

* Had homemade hot cocoa (recipe on Hershey container) as a child. -Yes on the homemade cocoa, but it was Droste. Hershey was not big in our house. Probably spoiled by all the Swiss chocolate!

*Had an article(s) clothing that was handmade by family member or family friend. Mom made all our clothes growing up. Really cool stuff like skirts with matching trim jackets, back to school dresses. Mom made my wedding dress which I still treasure as a priceless gift.

*Lived in a town where RC cola and Moon Pies could be purchased at a local store. Surely, that was so. Never did like cola until 7th grade and never cared much for Moon Pies. Odd child. I drank water!

* You were taken fishing before you were 13. If you can call baiting a hook with chicken liver on a bamboo pole in a pond in Florida and catching bass!!!
*Had a pen pal growing up. Had a pen pal from Melbourne, Australia which ended in 8th grade. Had a pen pal from Philippines which ended about 20 years ago. Had a pen pal (family friend) from South Africa since sophomore year in HS. We still write (e-mail) and just meet last fall in South Africa.

*Know a family recipe by heart Pretty much, although I still have the recipes on hand to make sure I don't leave anything out. Mostly, there isn't a whole lot of measurements. I just know, even as Mom and grandma just knew.

* A trip to town usually meant you got a quarter to ride on the carousel at K-mart.

* You were encouraged to memorize scripture. Not necessarily. Did learn some scripture. Had to memorize German poems to recite at Christmas time and to Grandmas over the phone.

* Played Hop-scotch, Marbles, or Annie Over as a child. -Not really, skipped rope, played Red Light Green Light, Freeze and TV Tag, Ghosts in the Graveyard, and Mother May I?

*Drove through a local neighborhood, charity or business to see Christmas light display. Yes, we would drive through the neighborhood to see the lights at Christmas time. 'Course we'd go into Windy City to catch the window displays at Carson's and Marshall Fields.
Feel free to play along! I feel very privileged personally!

GOD'S SYNCHRONICITY/SIMULTANEITY:

Have a parishioner who's undergoing treatment for cancer at mega hospital in City on the North Shore. He'll be there all week for 7 weeks and come home on weekends.
This was to commence on Monday of this week. This person sings in the choir.
The choir anthem Sunday morning was, "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me".
There couldn't have been a more appropriate piece that morning for this one parishioner. There were several other places in worship - prayer, something in the sermon, that just seemed meant for him. He slipped out while I was greeting folks.
So, when I got home and had lunch, I called him. Again to assure him of our prayers, of our willingness to help with any need, and I mentioned the anthem and how God seemed to be speaking to him through it. He agreed and noted that he found it hard to sing in a couple places. A good, hard, I affirmed, where the truth meets our deep need, fear, hurt, etc., where God has connected with us.
I continually marvel at God's synchronicity/simultaneity within us and around us. It's as though God is saying, I am with you. I love you. Take notice. I am here.
It's a wondrous, holy and mysterious thing, God's synchronicity/simultaneity.

BEHIND -
I'm soooo behind in my gardening. The weeds have begun to overtake the herb garden, not to mention the front flower beds. It didn't rain for some time and it was very warm. Things grew overnight and the ground got hard. Now it rained, and I can't get out there!!!
The chives are ready for their first cutting! Little chives are springing up all over, the dandelions are blooming, the Canadian Thistle is growing taller and the sour clover has spread a network the lentgth of the flower bed and one Queen Anne's lace will need a shovel to get at its turnip root.
It's also window washing time again.
Time for Ben's dental.
Time for me to do my laundry.
Time to wrap and send SIL's 50th Birthday package - pampering spa, chocolate,
princess and wild woman
items
Time to wrap Confirmands and Mentors gifts & cards - for this Sunday
Time to wrap FIL's 80th Birthday gift - also for this Sunday
Time to get moving on a Synod retreat
Time to start rewriting the openings and closings for VBS
It just never seems to stop.
Ever feel like your just spinning your wheels and not going anywhere or getting anywhere?
I've been here nearly 4 years and feel like there is little that has been accomplished at the church. I know that it is in God's hands, but there seems to be little or no fruit. The church is aging and no new members except for the 3 Confirmands which we welcome with joy and love. They have grown up in the congregation and are great kids.
I have spent time in pastoral care with at least 3 non-members who are still non-members. I invite folks to share ideas and they are quiet.
I don't feel as though I am doing much good here, nor am being very effective. And I care too much for the wonderful folks here to drag them down. But I can't carry the whole church myself or be the miraculous breath of the Spirit that breathes new life into them. I feel so tired and spent.
One member complained "Why do we have inserts on hymns when we have two hymnals?"
Answer: Neither hymn was in the hymnal - "Just a Closer Walk" and "They'll Know We are Christians". Neither of them unfamiliar to our folks. But I figure, if that's all they have to complain about, then it isn't too bad. I pray for God's Spirit to come, with a mighty gust into and through them and I. Come, Holy Spirit, come breathe your breath of life into us, into all the world.

WHERE I'VE BEEN:

*Stomping out fires with joint VBS, and national/local organization-
It has been draining and tiring, many hurt feelings, people who
have lost sight of the big picture, big egos, etc. The fires are not
quite out and one may yet be smoldering, but the congregation is
supportive and our representatives are good and solid folks
*Presbytery - Continuing Ed day and meeting. 'Nuff said.
*Session - meeting with Confirmands (3 out of initial 5)and committee meetings
*Writing- sermons, newsletter articles, and press release for National Day of
Prayer Breakfast host at our church and sponsored with the Methodists
*Visitation - of elderly, shut-ins and sick
*Getting gifts - for confirmands, graduates
*Weekly shopping and errand running
*Vet - annual checkups, Ben needs a dental
*Sighing over the herb garden and flower beds running rampant with weeds and
not having time to weed after rain, guess I may use the hose to soften the
ground this Fri. Fertilized the lawn - why are there still dandelions coming
up after applying Turf Builder plus 2?
*Feeding the bluebirds
*Ironing all the summer clothes I dumped the end of October after our trip to
South Africa. Need them now for Spring/Summer
*Gift-bagging the Adminstrative Assistants Day gifts for LH and me to give to
the church secretaries
*Baby Shower gift purchase, gift-bagging and attending the shower
*My Bed - but never for long enough
*Nursing my thumb that I sliced on my razor this morning in the shower
I really did a number on it
*Church Clean-up Morning - raking every leaf from the entire village that
gathered in all our bushes around the church

That's where I've been in this very busy and trying month of April. May doesn't look all that promising either - a very hectic month around here. Maybe, just maybe the beginning of June may offer some breathing space with God and a re-engergizing!
One special grace: Finding a pair of sandals that fit my feet to replace a worn
stretched out pair. What a joy! Comfortable sandals that fit!

I'M JUST SAYIN'...

Why is it every time I try to find confirmation class gifts, teacher gifts, mentor gifts, etc. when you need a 5, 7, 12, of a kind, the Christian book store only has 1, 2, or 3. I can't be the only one in a 3 county area that needs small quantities of the same thing. If you're serving a whole county, wouldn't you have extras of things? It's always so frustrating. Hopefully, I ordered early enough to get the bracelets I found for the confirmation class.
I'm just sayin' it ticks me and happens everytime I find the "perfect" item.

COMING UP FOR AIR

It's been a whirlwind around here. Two parishioners with medical diagnoses you wish no one would have, and an incident that anguished my soul. It made me wonder, why I do what I do, that all my preaching has been for naught. I wept, I prayed, I began to think that I had best update my dossier. I know I often fall short of living out my faith, but this was grievious in damaging relationships. Suffice it to say, I felt I had failed as a pastor to this certain parishioner-who-does-so-much.
Later last week, I receive a call from said parishioner that perhaps, some reconciliation had begun to take place. My prayers have been for this to happen.
Prayers continue for reconciliation.
So, to recover from this drama-that-didn't-need-to-ever-happen, and several long and spirit-draining weary days, I took the dogs to the Vet for their annual, had my van washed, cleaned out the herb garden and put down the cow manure,and then picked up all the doggie doo (after how many winter months?)and filled two shopping bags full. But the yard is clean now! Or was, since, the Boys have since made new contributions!!
Because the weather was so great, I went to the Big Box Home Store and picked up fertilizer and laid that down, hoping to combat the dandelions before they rear their yellow heads. This is the earliest I've gotten the fertiziler in in several years. Wow!
The crocus and anenomes are blooming even amid the sour clover I couldn't pull out last fall.
LH put the mealworm container on the birdhouse and I put some mealworms in Sunday evening. Beau and Belle, the Bluebirds, were on the birdhouse and had eaten their worms for breakfast. It looked like they want to build a nest. Pray that the sparrows will stay away and not harm their eggs this year.
All these things, gave me some hint of control, dealing with what needed attention, and fed my soul. I so look forward to planting some fresh herbs and even a couple more perenials. I delight in watching what will pop up next in my perenial garden. And the weekend was good, very good. And spring has finally arrived here. And reconciliation is possible.l

Waiting...Still Waiting....

Yup, here it is March 26th and we are still waiting for Spring. It would be wonderful to have a day or two of 50+ degrees days. At least the sun is shining for now, and the birds are chirping. The daffodil leaves are poking up as are the tulips and crocuses. They have been poking up for awhile but then the snow covers them back up again. But like clockwork, they rise up from the cold hard ground amongst the weeds that didn't get removed last fall and the encroaching pin cushion plant babies running amok.
But, O, for a day or two of a bit warmer weather. The spirit aches and the soul and body longs for spring to arrive.
We must have had one of the coldest March's on record. Not even to have a stray 60 degree day somewhere in the month.
So, I wait just awhile longer and hope that soon, soon, there will be some warmer days.

PRESBYMEME:

This Meme has been going around and I'll take a stab at it.
In 25 words or less:

1. What is your earliest memory of being distinctly Presbyterian?
That would be first grade. I was frustrated at being the only Presbyterian
in my class and not being able to spell it. Growing up in an Italian Roman
Catholic town, I was an anomaly. Made me feel really different. I wanted to
be Lutheran, because it was easier to spell.

2. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend LESS energy and time?
Well, gee...mmm...think it might be the sexuality and ordination issue?
It has torn the Episcopal church apart, it's tearing ours apart and the
Lutherans are not far behind.
3. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend MORE energy and time?
Spiritual formation, outreach and mission, can anyone say ACTS 2:42?
4. If you could have the PC(USA) focus on one passage of scripture for an entire
year, what would it be?
Colossian 3:12-17
5. If the PC(USA) were an animal what would it be and why?
A sheep that has gone astray by nibbling its way slowly and steadily from
it's center
Extra Credit: Jesus shows up at GA this year, what does he say to the PC(USA)?
see Presbyterian Gal!
Keep it simple. Love me, serve the God's kingdom, love and serve
one another. Pray for one another. Matthew 25:31-46

POST-EASTER

It was a funny lent, not funny haha, just funny more like different. Perhaps, because it was so early, I didn't have enough space to plan. Then with the snow and ice, 3 of our Lenten breakfasts were cancelled, 1 Lenten soup supper and I Lenten Sunday worship service. Then before you knew it, it was Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter! Wheew! It all come much too fast.
Getting up at 5 am for the very, very chilly sunrise service at 7:15 am was not pleasant at all! The Methodist neighboring pastor changed the location from just outside our church doors to down by the cemetary - 1 block from the church. Not far but when it's merely 23 degrees outside it's just too cold. She spoke a wee bit longer than necessary. We processed into the darkened church, blew out our candles and warmed up in our fellowship hall with the bank of east windows where the sunrise was wonderfully visible and light. The rest of the service went well and the breakfast was great and the sun poured into the windows bathing us all in a glorious bright light.
After breakfast, I helped clean up. Set up the baskets of rocks for the ushers and took a few moments of quiet.
We had a wonderful worship by the grace of God, with the church much fuller than usual, a few more kids up front for the children's chat, blooming tulips and budded but not yet blooming Easter lilies. This is the first Easter I can ever remember when not lily had a flowering bloom! I mentioned that Easter was so early this year not even the lilies had a chance to open!!!! Everyone recieved a rock and how God can remove the rocks in our lives even as God removed the rock that entombed Jesus. With the rocks removed, we are given new and everlasting and abundant life.
Communion was a joy to celebrate.
I finally got home at 1 pm ready for the egg salad sandwich I put together quickly.
After changing into comfy sweats, I feel asleep on the couch for just over an hour. LH slept more since he finished lunch and got upstairs before I went up to change.
Had a lazy day and made supper of crab cakes, fettucini, broccoli, cauliflower, and LH's homemade Newburg Sauce (even better made with tomato paste instead of ketchup). We enjoyed a couple Pirouline Wafers (Rolled with chocolate hazelnut creme - mmmmmmmmm....)for dessert.
Yesterday, I was wonderfully granted as a reading day. I was able to sleep in and spent the day reading: Becoming a Blessed Church by N. Graham Standish.
Yayyyy! Got it finished and began Robert Fulghum's new book, What Have I Done?
So, it was a quiet, gentle, and productive day.
Fortunately, I did work ahead and have the liturgy together for our Joy Sunday this coming Sunday, March 30th which includes a baptism. Now, all I need is to work up a sermon!
Now there is some breathing space although I know April and May will fly by quickly. For now, there is this post-easter space to simply be in the light of our Lord's resurrection.

MAUNDY THURSDAY...
Had a good, but hard visit with a parishioner with lung cancer that has spread to the brain. It is a Good Friday time-dark, bleak with death all around and a deep grief. We cried together. I pray that I and the church will help walk her home, difficult as that always is. And in all this grief lies the promise of Easter, the new and everlasting life that awaits us all, that the risen Christ brings to us. I cling to that promise, especially now, in the gut-wrenching, heartache of life right now. Our only hope, is the hope of our faith, the hope of our risen Lord. It is in that hope that we live and die and live again. It is in that hope that we walk through our days, that we walk through this Holy Week to the Cross.
On Monday night, the Men's AA group was still meeting after Session meeting was over. A woman stood in the hallway and I asked if I could help her. She said there had been a family emergency and they were getting their relative out of the meeting - apparently a 15 year old had committed suicide. As the two men joined this woman, eyes welled up with tears, numb with shock, not knowing what to think or feel, I offered to pray with them and for them.
Another parishioner is facing throat cancer and still awaiting results and a meeting with the doctor to see what treatment might be best.
This Holy Week has been filled with grief and echoes the grief even yet to come.
And that is why our Lord gave himself away on the cross. There was no other way for us or through this. The power of Easter seems even greater this year. We are God's now and forever, in this life and in the new life we will be birthed into even as we leave this world and shed our bodies. Life is ours! Life will always be ours!
Thanks be to God.

War Has Been Officially Declared:
Had a good Lenten breakfast this morning with about 30 between the Methodist church and ours. This has been the third breakfast out of six. Half had to be cancelled because of the weather. The last one will be next week. Fortunately, I'll be doing a longer piece on "Living in Grace" tomorrow evening at LH's church for their once a month Mugs N Muffins Young Adult Bible Study. I pray it will go well.
Because of having to cancel worship on Sunday, I am actually going into Holy Week better prepared and rested than usual. Neither LH or I have been sick! A major church season without sickness, has to be the first in a long time.
We've heard the call the red-winged blackbird last Thursday before the major snow, on Sunday towards evening and again the other morning. Robins are around all year and it is the blackbird that is a true sign of spring. Now, if we could just melt the snow away and warm up some!!!
This morning while looking out the kitchen window, I saw a sparrow in the bluebird box. The hole in the box was plugged up all winter. It was plugged up yesterday. I don't know what the sparrows did with the rag plugging up the hole. I didn't see it lying on the ground, course it and the snow are both white. Perhaps they shoved it into the box. The drifts back there are still deeper than I want to walk through but I am livid. War is now declared on the sparrows. They are persistent little buggers!!!!
So, in a way, spring must be right on the way, if the War on Sparrows has begun!!!

Living La Vida Arctic:

And so it snowed and snowed and snowed with a fairly good wind. Late Sat. afternoon, I let the dogs out and let them in and the sliding glass door to the backyard wouldn't, couldn't be shut all the way. Snow was blowing into the house where the 2 doors bypass each other, just blew in like it was outside and not inside a house. The 1 1/2 inch gap where the door couldn't quite reach the frame wasn't snowing in hardly at all. It was so weird. LH helped get towels to stick in between the doors. I ran down for plastic sheeting and duct tape and could only find plastic packing tape. (Why is it, in an emergency, I simply can't find what I need?)
By the time we had the 2 ends of the door stopped with towels, covered in plastic and tape that didn't want to stick to wet glass, I had removed over 5 sherbet container tubs of snow! The wind was wicked and just blew in with a vengence.
Of course, now that the door was frozen open and unuseable, we had to harness the greys and coax them down the garage steps and out the overhead garage door, since the snowdrifts at the side door were the height of greyhounds. The were discombobulated as to why it was ok to do their business on the driveway (which was snow covered even after being snowthrowed clean). So everytime they had to go out, it was put on boots, heavy coat, scarf, hat and mittens and leash the dogs, and trek outside. The worst is always first thing in the morning, when you're still half asleep and throw on your sweats and take them out. Ugghhh...
Fortunately, it was sunny on Sunday and between the radiant heat from the afternoon sun and the heat of my hair blowdryer, we managed to get the door unstuck and mop the melted ice that collected quicker than the blink of an eye. How glorious
to be able to use the door again. The dogs could just run out, they could freely roam and frollick in the snow, and I could be warm and dry in the kitchen without boots, hats and scarves!!!
I am so looking forward to spring! I've lived La Vita Arctic. Enough!!!

SNOW UPON SNOW UPON SNOW...

We are presently being buried under vast quantities of snow. The wind is blowing and drifting the snow as well. It does not look good for holding worship tomorrow morning. I'm still pondering how I will traverse the state route to get to church, or which state route to try. Many of our folks are older and won't attempte to go out, which is wise. Several churches in NE OH are already cancelling their worship services. So far in my 4 years at Country Church we have had to cancel Sunday worship nearly 1 Sunday every winter due to adverse weather. Looks like tomorrow will be our Sunday to cancel. This, of course, on the Sunday when clocks are ahead one hour as well.
The weather forecast says that it will be near fifty degrees by the end of the week!
Yup, that's NE OH for you!
Even the greyhounds, with their long spindly legs are having to plow through the snow in the backyard. Good thing we don't have a Yorkie!!!
It's back to work on the Maundy Thursday service.
It's disappointing about worship tomorrow. I was planning to bring in a beef shank bone which the dogs have completely chewed cleaned and which have been washed and dried and are really bleached-out looking for the children's sermon. Sigh. Guess I'll save it all for 3 years from now!!!!
May all your services go well and be a blessing to you, leaders, and to all who will join together in worship tomorrow. I and our faithful will worship with you in spirit in our homes.

TWO-FER-ONE!

(I'm making up for lost time by posting twice today!)

I am beginning to feel like Jonah. I have tried to squirm my way out of Jury Duty with only limited results!
The Judge in County we live in had my number last year. I tried to excuse myself claimly (rightly) that I am a solo pastor. He didn't accept that as an excuse. So, every evening I had to call in and see if I was to report. He never seated a jury all that week. I was relieved after such a week of being on tenterhooks. I should be safe for years.
Nope. The Judge has called my number again and I was scheduled for next week. Yah, right before Holy Week, extra services and two late evenings that week. So, I pleaded again that as a Solo pastor and right before Holy Week was a hardship. Maybe the Judge does go to church. I was excused! Yipee!!!
Read the next paragraph of his letter and I'm rescheduled for the week of May 5th. Dum, Dum, Da-dum...
The Judge will not rest until I serve on his jury. He will not let me go. He will continue to hound me, to seek me out, to call my number and demand my presence in his courtroom. I know what Jonah feels like. I can run, but will be found and caught. There is no escape, until I serve as I have been called to serve. Sigh.
I'm thinking maybe I should give the Judge LH's number. There's a fish that's never been caught!!!!
I served Jury Duty in Chicago while in Seminary, scared that I would have to serve on a trial and miss classes and have to take a semester over. Mercifully, my number wasn't called that day and I was done.
Then I got called up to Jury Duty while in the City on the North Coast. Fortunately, they accepted my excuse as being a solo pastor and I was excused.
LH has yet to ever be called up.
I am Jonah...

IT'S MARCH!

Yikes!!! It's already March and I've been busy.
LH and I spent the better part of Leap Day, driving up to the Big City on the Northcoast to meet with our tax preparer. It snowed slushy snow all the way there and took a bit longer. Afterwards, we went to the Great Market and found some Arctic Char and Great Lakes Whitefish! Yipee! We scored! I found a bone for Jett. There was only one acceptable bone. Poor Ben. He got a couple extra Milkbones. Pounced on some fresh asparagus and garlic.
When we got home, I still had to run to the grocery store for other incidentals.
Saturday, I worked on the Maundy Thursday service and Sunday's service.
Sunday was another Soup Supper at a neighboring church just 8 miles from home and 15 minutes one way.
I may have a very sick parishioner on my hands next week, depending on the diagnosis. The pre-diagnosis is pretty awful.
Our Wed. Lenten breakfast was cancelled due to ice. There's a beautiful icy coating on the trees, bushes, and yes, even the grass. Yesterday, for a brief moment
a beam of sunshine broke through the overcast skies and just sparkled up the birch tree and grass in our backyard around suppertime. It was most amazingly gorgeous.
So, that's where I've been and how February slide into March before I could write!

IT'S SNOWING, SNOWING, SNOWING...

I got a snow day today, since it's been snowing up a storm today.
Since I live a county north of where I serve, we had oodles of snow and they had snow and freezing rain which turned back into snow.
The state route (2 lane) is a winding, curvy, hilly road which often isn't plowed first thing since the highways come first. I wasn't even going to attempt it this morning, too much snow.
Spent the morning working on the Maundy Thursday service.
I should have slept in!
Looks like LH will have to start up the snowthrower later on.
It's kinda nice to have a snowday, like the kids at school. I've gotten quite a bit down on Maundy Thurs. and have my laundry going as well. Made several phone calls to parishioners and now its a cozy, quiet day.
Our Lenten Soup Supper went very well. The families of our youth made 13 different kinds of soup with grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese and oyster crackers to put in your soup. Several Presby churches in our county are involved in these Sunday evening Soup Suppers.
I did a spiel on Prayer, presented 5 different types of prayer and invited them to try one of them out for about 10-12 minutes. They then could make a symbol out of white pipe cleaners which they brought forward and placed on the altar which had a purple tablecloth with white rope light oval on it. We sang a closing hymn: Take Time to be Holy and had a closing prayer. At each place setting, there was a card with a quote from Teilhard de Chardin and a small wood cross that they could take home. I also prepared a handout on each of the five prayers for them to take home and to try them at home. It went wonderfully well.
My prayer is that God's Spirit would open them to a new way of praying that would spark their prayer life and deepen their relationship with God. All I can do is present and invite...the rest is in God's hands.
So, having today as a snow day has been a wonderful gift.
I hope, of course, to be able to go in tomorrow. I think there's about 4-5 inches already. What a blessed grace in the middle of Lent to be given a quiet day to be with God, to enjoy the snow that washes over everything making it clean, fresh and bright, and to savour the breathing space this day brings with it. Ahhhhhh....

Too Tired for Words~

I woke up after 61/2 hours of sleep, just knowing, it was not enough, just wanting to stay in bed a couple more hours.
I think that I will take a bit of time this afternoon and give in to my tiredness.
I am not much good in this state.
Oh, bed, couch...how I long for thee.

HAAPY BIRTHDAY! (Happy - I really do know how to spell!)

Today's my birthday and I've got a 12 hour day with Worship Committee and Session meeting tonight. Oh Joy! I did bake brownies for the Session meeting complete with frosting and confetti sprinkles.
This is the last year in my 40th decade.
*I've noticed that my hair is grayer and doesn't take on color as well nor retain it as long. (sigh)
*The skin around my neck is not as firm as it used to be. (Yikes!)
*12 hour days really do me in - hope I can survive VBS week with 3 back-to-back 12 hour days.
*I don't remember things as well any more. (Big sigh!)
*It takes me longer to do less.
*Some aches and pains are mostly just annoying rather than anything really painful.
*I've fallen asleep on the couch waiting for the news to come on. (I thought only old people did that!)
*There are some clothes I just won't wear - really deep V'd dresses, sweaters, tops, etc. I really don't want to look slutty and I have so much padding already, who needs to wear a cami underneath, and I don't like the look of an inset in the V. Would clothing manufacturer's get over it already and bring the V up a little? I'm not too much of a frump - just modest.
*My skin sometimes seems drier. So, it's slap on the moisturizer!
*Have to pumice my feet and heels more often.
*My birthday wish - that I could wear cute shoes and not have my feet and bunions hurt!!!!
I hope to celebrate many more birthdays and all the changes they bring!

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!
By The Psalmist at The Psaltery for this book Meme.

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
(no cheating!)
Small Surrenders: A Lenten Journey
by: Emilie Griffin
Paraclete Press, 2007
Find page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
"Such intertwining of death and life, sorrow and rejoicing,
is always part of the Christian message. Ours is a religion of
heartbreak and of celebration, a message of God's deep love for
his wounded world. Richard Rohr says that our religion helps us
to dance between attachment and detachment, gain and loss."

Tag 5 people!
Since I don't know how to link (I know, Duh!).
Here are the five I tagged:
Holy Grounds
Hazlenut Reflections
Faith Stones
Inner Dorothy
Micah Girl

RGBP'S FRIDAY FIVE ON MONDAY: What Are You Doing for Lent?


1. Did you celebrate Mardi Gras and/or Ash Wednesday this week? How?
Attended pancake dinner at LH's church on Shrove Tues.
Held a joint Ash Wednesday service with our Methodist neighbors
at their church.

2. What was your most memorable Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday/Lent?
Memorable? I suppose 2005 when I had surgery on Shrove Tuesday to
repair the quad muscle I tore off my knee when I spilled down
icy steps. Spent Ash Wednesday in the most pain I ever had in
my life in the hospital.

3. Did you/your church/your family celebrate Lent as a child? If not, when and how did you discover it?
There was not as much emphasis on Lent when growing up, at least not in
the Presby church, although I was surrounded by Roman Catholics. Mom
made Fasnachtchuechli every year (dough stretched paper thin over the knees,
deep fried, drained and then sprinkled with powered sugar.
Maundy Thursday we attended church and had communion.
Discovered Lent in Seminary and as I served as prison chaplain.
4. Are you more in the give-up camp, or the take-on camp, or somewhere in between?
Usually the take-on camp.
5. How do you plan to keep Lent this year?
By dwelling with a Lenten word a day in prayer and contemplation.
And also, holding my tongue with LH and being less critical. That's
the plan at any rate. So far so good!

NAMES MEME - as seen over at Presbyterian Gal, thanks, dear. This was fun!
Give it a whirl and see for yourself!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Rex Sebring (used husband's car, since "caravan" doesn't have the same cachet!)
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):
Chocolate Moose Tracks Sneakers
3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Green Greyhound
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Ann Melrose Park
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name): Barba (sounds barbarian)
6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Blue H2O (Help to Others!!)
7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Sam Rudy (used short forms which maybe sounds better?)
8. STRIPPER NAME ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy):
Opium Chocolate (sounds addictive)
9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Zak Zurich
10. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Autumn Larkspur
11. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Peach Sweater
12. HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Bagel Gingko

My 160th Post -

On this grey and rainy Ash Wednesday, on this day of repentance, of rending our hearts and not our clothes before God, of remembering my mortality and my sin which is ever before me - GRACE!
A beautiful colorful rainbow to speak of God's grace, love and hope. Take heart. My love is with you and all around you. Your sins are forgiven. With Me there is life and new life forever and always.

ASH WEDNESDAY

A grey day reflecting the grey grittiness of the ashes.
A humbling day remembering my mortality, my sinfulness.
A day of returning to God, kneeling before God, in contriteness,
in repentance, seeking forgiveness, grace, hope, and a love that
accepts, welcomes and makes new.
O God,
I turn to you, so sorry, for my headstrong willfulness, need to control, and busyness that gets in the way. In your mercy, forgive me and renew a right spirit within me. Make this time of Lent, a true time with you. Amen.

FEELING OVERWHELMED-
It's the start of Lent anxiety preparing for Ash Wednesday and First Sunday in Lent, as well as the last 3 Lenten breakfasts (in March) at our church, a Lenten Soup Supper hosting Presby churches in our county, Communion this Sunday, Baked Potato Lunch for Mission, and the Ordination/Installation of Elders and Deacons next Sunday, and the Boy Scouts Blue and Gold Dinner the night before our Soup Supper.
For a short month, even with an extra day, February promises to be a whirlwind of activity and I will need to be even more intentional in carving out time to simply be with God. I am already exhausted just thinking about it all.
Best to ease through it one day at time, walking one step at time with my Lord.

BLUSTERY ARCTIC MORNING

The winds blew in last night and we've had gusts of 50-60 mph.
Of course, we had the windy rainstorm followed by a huge drop off in temperature, on garbage night.
Little Town has automated garbage pickup. The city assigns you a cart with a number and it's yours to care for. For nearly 5 years, we've had nary a problem with our green cart, until this morning.
No green cart as far as the eye can see. I assumed it blew somewhere, but not even within sight?
So, I spent 20 minutes driving through the sub-division looking for our cart, down every cul-de-sac. One fellow had three carts on his lawn, alas none were ours. I drove (mind you with that bitter cold whipping I wouldn't have lasted 5 yards) down the the major intersection where there were 2 carts lying on the corner. It was a long shot that ours would have travelled that far, but hey, stranger things have happened. I got out to check the numbers. Another van pulls up, another woman gets out with a little scrap of paper in her hand - also checking numbers. We exchange how we're looking for our lost litter containers. She checks the one and then says, "I guess I'll just take one." And she loaded up one garbage cart that wasn't hers. I wouldn't take a cart that wasn't mine, knowing someone must be looking for it.
Now I wonder who might've taken ours. I'm hoping one of my next-door neighbors brought it into their garage for safe keeping and will give us our garbage cart back this evening. Unless someone, actually took ours by mistake, but then where is theirs?
The Sanitation Dept. in Little Town got flooded with 1400 calls about missing garbage carts. Sure hope they turn up.
As humble as they are, garbage carts are a necessity and one thing I wouldn't want to do without - except I really only miss it, once a week, when we fill it and set it out to be relieved of its burden and ours. I wonder how we will cart away all our weekly debris and where our garbage cart now resides. I kinda miss it, even if it did just stand mutely in the garage as a sentinel to greet me whenever I pull into the garage. It was our garbage cart, spanking and sparkling new along with our house (except for the construction dust and grime)and the mail box. It all was new together and part of our life in Little Town.
Oh, Little Town will give us another one, but it just won't be the same. I know its number and I'll be looking for it.

THINGS NEVER MENTIONED IN SEMINARY:

Sunday was our annual congregational meeting following worship in our Fellowship Hall. Nominating & Building & Grounds committees (small committees though they are)were to host the coffee hour. One white-haired saint of the church made a point to mention a week ago Sunday, that she hoped there would be something more than just donuts, if you expect people to stay.
Well, now she had a point. When the Deacons met on Wednesday (1 is on Nominating committee, 1 is wife of Nominating committee member), the annual meeting was mentioned and someone mentioned donuts. I simply commented that perhaps we could use something a bit more since it would be lunch time. One offered some Trail Bologna (good Amish country cold sausage) and cheese and crackers. Great.
I began to think of the kids and knew you have to feed the crowd to make it more enjoyable and way of gathering. What good is the meeting when everyone's stomach is growling and all they're thinking is: how much longer 'til this is over and we can get lunch?
So, I made three salads - egg, salmon and chicken on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, I went through 3 loaves of bread (2 white, 1 wheat)and made an assembly line smearing salad on slices of bread and topping them with another slice, then cutting the slice diagonally into triangles and cutting the triangles diagonally into smaller triangles. After, I filled a serving plate, I went on and made American cheese sandwiches, cutting them in the same way. Next the PB & J with the same process. I put the cheese and PB & J onto a serving plate and the salmon salad sandwiches on their own seperate plate.
(The day before I made folded over index cards and a multi-colored pencil to write the name of the different sandwiches so people knew if it was chicken or tuna or what the salmon was!)
In a half hour I had all the sandwiches made, having gone through three loaves of bread and wondered if there was enough. I bagged up the left over salads, thinking they could be smeared on crackers.
Right after worship, I had to go to the office and run something off the computer which took some time. By the time I got upstairs, most of the sandwiches were gone. I got a triangle of American cheese. The trail bologna had vanished. There was some Swiss cheese, crackers, veges and dip and cookies still left.
Had I not made the salads and sandwiches, there would've been many hungry people. The kids gobbled up the cheese and PB & J sandwiches.
I sent one woman whose daughter is disabled and whose grandson lives with her, home with some egg and chicken salads.
There was still some left for LH and I to have a sandwich when we arrived back home.
I don't recall it ever mentioned in Seminary, that sometimes you have to literally feed your people, with homemade sandwiches!!! Even then, the meeting lasted less than 1/2 an hour! (which I suppose is OK that there weren't any major issues or concerns weighing heavily on people's hearts - outside the big gloomy ones of aging membership, no new members, tight finances, but we have 5 young people in the confirmation process, kids involved in Tone Chimes, choir and a small youth group and younger members who stepped in and have taken over some of the activities the older women and folks could no longer do without so much as a complaint! So there are signs of hope along the way!)
It's just one of those things that never got mentioned in Seminary...
I'm sure there are many more! Care to share what never was mentioned in Seminary that you ended up doing?

MY TRUE NATURE REVEALED -

You Would Be a Pet Dog

You're friendly, loyal, and an all around good sport. People love to be near you. You are very open with your feelings, and you're quite vocal in expressing them. You are sincere and kind. You love many people - without any sort of agenda. Why you would make a great pet: You're content to chill out with your friends Why you would make a bad pet: You always find yourself getting into trouble What you would love about being a dog: Running around and playing What you would hate about being a dog: Being left home alone while everyone else is out having fun

What Kind of Pet Would You Be?

Thanks to Skewed View!!!!
Guess all the time lazing about with my greys has worn off on me!!!

SO FAR THIS YEAR...(Book Challenge)

I have read Praying in Color by Sybil Macbeth. I am still working on A Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs, and also in process is The Disciple-Making Church by Glenn MacDonald.
I ended up last year with Pontoon by Garrison Keillor, and Desperate Preacher's Wives by (I can't remember and passed the book on).
I have a couple others in process and hope I will actually finish them. Anne Lamott's is right up there (third in Traveling Mercies series).
I am flooded with Lenten projects and am at the overwhelmed stage although ideas are fairly solid and taking good form. Now, I have sit and type them into existence.
What I most want right now is a nap!!!!!! (and this at 10:55 am). Gonna be a long day working on my sermon.

RGBP'S FRIDAY FIVE - LAS MANNANITAS

The Birthday Friday five:

1. When is your birthday? Does anyone else (famous and/or in your own life) share
it?
February 18th. John Travolta

2. Do you prefer a big party or an intimate celebration for a chosen few?
Haven't really celebrated my birthday much in many years. Pretty quiet affairs with LH and a dinner out.

3. Describe your most memorable birthday(s) - good, bad or both.
There's been a few: When I turned 7, we moved on my birthday into a new house just 2 blocks up the same street. I didn't get party that year.
A few years ago, LH and I drove to Princeton Seminary on my birthday for a continuing ed seminar and spent the whole day in the car. Had dinner at a nice restaurant in Princeton and had a Hostess cupcake with a candle in it for my Birthday cake.
When I turned 41, my Dad was dying of lymphoma. I was in Chicago at my sister's where Dad was staying. My niece came in from college for a long weekend to be with the family. We three girls managed a to go for a nice luncheon at a tea place. I bought my sister a mug and she bought me one - same style, different design on it. To this day, I use that mug every Saturday morning! It was a sad birthday but also special that we three girls were together. It was hard to really celebrate when our hearts ached so about losing our beloved Dad. He died about 2 weeks later.

4. What is your favorite cake and ice cream? (Bonus points if you share teh cake recipe) Or would you rather have a different treat altogether?
That would be chocolate layer cake of some kind - Pepperidge Farm used to
have a frozen one that was quite good. And, of course, Chocolate Moose Tracks ice cream to go with it!!!

5. Surprise parties: love 'em or hate 'em?
Never had a surprise party. Gave some though. I guess it would be kinda fun to have a surprise party.

BONUS: Describe your ideal birthday - the sky's the limit?
I would enjoy champagne brunch with my whole family (LH, sister, BIL, niece and nephew).
On a more realistic note, just a day to sleep in, putter around, read, play with the camera, write, and just laze about. Then to have a nice dinner out with LH.

That Annoying Feeling of Inertia...

Don't know what is nor can I put my finger on it exactly, it's just annoying feeling of inertia I've had lately. So much that needs to be done, planned for Lent, Easter, etc. Confirmation class to prepare for, Annual Report due, Newsletter article coming up, another week and another sermon, Presbytery meeting on Saturday, Session meeting Sunday after worship with Presbytery liasons for Triennial visit, ughhh...and I just can't seem to move and get going. To top it all off, I can't find things: my confirmation books (they seemed to have just vanished into thin air), a folder from Presbytery gathering on Small, Strong churches, my retreat folder on grace, etc....
I just wanted to sleep yesterday, so tired. I did doze on the couch from 10:00 ish pm until nearly 11 pm and woke in time for the news!
Now that I finished my annual report, spoke with a neighboring pastor about our county Pres churchs' Lenten Soup Suppers and have an idea and ordered the book, I'm starting to feel more energy, only slowly.
I think that the Presbytery meeting is already draining me of energy - too much time sitting and hearing ones who like to talk talk. The shine has long worn off going to Presbytery meetings, it's more an obligation, chore and duty than it is a joy. If they could be just 9 am to noon, that would be great, but it ends up being all day plus travel time.
Will continue to pray and work at shaking off this inertia of heavy tiredness and acedia.

TO START THE NEW YEAR:

One of the first things I did in this New Year was to sew 2 fabric panels for our chancel area for Lent. Did you know there are only 3 Sundays in Ordinary time, 1 Transfiguration Sunday and it's Lent?!!!? This is a extremely short season.
Anyhow, the fabric panels are done and ready to be hung at the proper time. I also happened to find a pastel tie-dye print for the Easter season. It looks like the paper towel used to wipe the egg dipper after dipping/turning eggs in different colored dyes. The colors just bleed into each other in a beautiful pastel rainbow.
So, that will be the next big sewing project (actually the big part of it is the measuring, marking and pinning! The sewing is the easy part!)
Today, I will be making mini-cheddar meat loaves for 18-20 (actually the recipe makes 24) for the Rotary Dinner at the church tonight. The Confirmation class will be serving and cleaning up the dinner which each parent making one dish for the dinner. Yours truly, of course, felt compelled to do the meat entree. (With only 5 confirmands and 2 from the same family - it just didn't seem fair to ask them to do the main meat dish). So, there you go. What a fun way to spend the first Monday of the New Year - making 24 little meat loaves and obsessing over the dinner. This is from someone who usually only cooks for 2, sometimes for 4-5 and never more than 8.
My prayer is that all will be well and dinner will be served on time. I've lost sleep over this already.
Perhaps, I should merely focus on the opportunity to provide hospitality, food in the eating place and drink in the drinking place and let God take my worry about the rest.
I had this winter theme all selected for the table decorations: blue votive candles holders with snowflakes and winter snow sparkles on them, fake snow, glass
ice cubes and frosty snowflakes. The placemats are white with blue napkins that have a snowflake on them. Only problem is that it's over 60 degrees here today!!!!
Oh well...winter theme it will remain!
Happy first Monday of the New Year to you!

YOU KNOW THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS OVER WHEN...

1. The tree is slowly denuded of tinsel, ornaments and lights.
2. The naked tree is on the tree lawn.
3. The decorations are put away
4. The evergreen wreath on the front door changes to one with crystal ice sparkles
5. Most of the Christmas chocolate is eaten
6. The lime (for gin & tonics) has been cut down to a tiny knob of green
7. You take your glassware to the recycling bins and you count 5 wine bottles,
2 bottles of champagne and 1 spaghetti sauce bottle
8. The Christmas CD's go back in the holder
9. You're finishing the last of the Christmas paper towels and napkins
10. You sit among yards of purple fabric already focusing on Lent!

The Recipe For stinuksuk

3 parts Daring 2 parts Creativity 1 part Passion Splash of Vigor Finish off with a squeeze of lime juice

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Thank you, Inner Dorothy, for some fun to begin the New Year!

BLESSINGS OF CHRISTMAS

The whole day was a Sabbath day.
Resting
Snoozing
Phone calls to family
Gifts unwrapped
Being with the Boys all day
Baking gingerbread cookies for LH
Quiet time, holy time
lighted Christmas tree
wonderful dinner
being ever so thankful
feeling blessed beyond belief

BECOMING GODBEARERS

"In the fullness of time, God sent the Son." (Galatians 4:4)

"What good is it to me if the eternal birth of the divine Son
takes place unceasingly but does not take place within myself?
And what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace
if I am not also full of grace?
What good is it for the Creator to give birth to his Son
if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture?
This then is the fullness of time:
when the Son of God is begotten in us."
Meister Eckhart - 14th century

May Christ be born within you this Christmas.
And may you bear God to a world in need of Christ's light,love, life, peace, hope and joy.

FAVORITE THINGS MEME

Just happened by Cheesehead's place and yup, read her favorite things meme, and now I've been tagged. So we'll give it a whirl:

Swiss chocolate
my greyhounds - Ben & Jett
my sister
my husband
artwork
Vivaldi
Henri Nouwen
bookstores
black ink
hard back journals
spaetzli
rainbows
pools
my corner of the sofa
inspired ideas
retreats
chocolate chip cookies
good wine
water
the music of cowbells on an alp
moose
Taize worship
the way the lights on the Christmas tree color the ceiling
colored Easter eggs
Zopf - Swiss bread
boiled wool slippers
comfortable shoes
my van
my pillow
duvets
freshly fallen snow on trees and bushes
bluebirds
the hushed quiet when it snows
Christmas Eve
70-75 degree days
time to just be
warm towels out of the dryer
fresh herbs & tomatoes from my garden
sunsets

Have to end somewhere...may as well be with sunsets. Consider yourself tagged!

ADVENT PREPARATION UPDATE:

So far, I've completed three Advent services.
Attended an Advent Event
a youth group Christmas party
did the service at the Retirement home
made plenty hospital/nursing home visits
working on home visits
sorted and gift bagged all LH's staff gifts
sorted and gift bagged all my staff gifts
wrapped, packed and sent 4 Christmas boxes full of gifts
sent 22 German Christmas letters
sent 25 Christmas cards and letters
handed out 9 gift cards to needy families (and bought went to the store and bought the gift cards for the church)
working on Christmas Eve very short reflection
and finishing all the parts of the liturgy for the lay people on Dec. 30th:
offering invitation, prayer of dedication, benediction, prayers of the people
the Christmas tree is up au natur! No lights, no decorations, no nothing!!! Hoping the lights will go up to tonight. I will hang ornaments and tinsel the next couple of nights.
Still have family gifts to wrap up.
I am very, very tired!!!
I could...just...sleep....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

MACHO-MARTYR MINISTER JUST DOESN'T WORK!

YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My computer came back today! All clean and fresh-faced from having it's clock cleaned!!!
Now, perhaps I can settle into Advent and get all my services together.
Between all the folks in the hospital and no computer, it's been...well...better not say!
Last Tuesday the heat went out in the offices and I froze since it was such a bitterly cold day. Heating folks can't make it out til Wed. morning.
Had Christmas Lunch with the Women's Association at a restaurant. I was glad for the drive so I could crank up the heat in the van. Was still cold at the restaurant and had a cup of coffee just to warm up. It worked!!!
On Wednesday, still no heat and cold and snowy. Arrived at the church to see footprints up the stairs to the door by the kitchen. Door was unlocked, boots and jacket on the floor and beautiful sounds from the sanctuary piano. School was cancelled due to the snowy morning and gifted HS student was practicing piano - all morning!!!
Shoveled the 2 sets of stairs and sidewalk out front. (Our custodian has a near full-time job with Friday and weekends off. He has to be at work very early in am so we have no one here to shovel during the week!) Went to spread salt, the bucket was next to empty with barely a handful. The shovel I used was old and beat up.
A trip to the local Hardware store was immanent. The Red Cross Bloodmobile was that day at 1 pm and they arrive at 11 am to set up.
By now I have held off going to the Hardware store still waiting for the heating company to arrive. Just as I told piano student what to tell the furnace guy and walked out the door and down the steps who should arrive? Yup, furnace guy. Tell him the offices have no heat and I have to get to the Hardware store.
Trip to Hardware store to get new shovel and 50 lbs of ice melt. They load it in my car. The ice melt bag is not nearly as big as a 40 bag of dog food or a big bag of fertilizer. I think I can handle it! I'm showing off, that a woman pastor can do what a male pastor can do. (Sinner that I am and stupid as I am!!) I actually get the bag up the steps and to the door. Can't open the door with the bag. Set bag down, open door, use big butt to hold door open, lift, twist and plop bag over threshold. Cut bag open, dump into bucket. Now go sprinkle ice melt at all doorways and down steps.
As soon as I had the bag over the threshold who tromps up the inside steps? The furnace guy!! Where was he 10 seconds ago, when he could've helped me? Igniter is burnt out, will check his van for a new part. Of course, doesn't have the right part, returns to company and will be back.
Red Cross arrives. I take off for my monthly clergy lunch. I am so ready for lunch and to get away from a very crazy morning. Lunch is good.
Drive in the clear opposite direction to make a hospital visit. Good visit.
Decide to return an extra book from the Mainline Christian bookstore in this town. I had already tried to return it once before, on a Saturday, with holiday shopping traffic in this shopping mecca of this part of OH, and there was an accident on the street of the bookstore. No traffic was moving for 20 minutes. (I gave up, turned around and went home by another way!!)This time I made it and instead of having credit in my account, found two other books and bought them.
Went home and called it a day!!!
Some days just make you wonder why you're a minister?
The weird thing that happened ocurred after dinner, when my knee (the one I had torn the quad muscle off two years ago) began to hurt, pull and feel tight like it did 2 years ago. I took some medication and had to be careful with it for three days. It hasn't ever hurt like that for 2 years. I surmise it was trying to be a macho martyr of a pastor and tried hauling that 50 lbs. of ice melt.
Lesson learned - it doesn't pay to show off, or brag or try to be a macho martyr pastor. Ask for help next time! Believe me, I will!!!!!
Hope this week will find me infinitely more productive and less stupid and sinful!
Hope springs up from within and without, especially in Advent!

RGBP'S FRIDAY FIVE ON TUESDAY! - LEAST HOLIDAY FAVORITE:

Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal:

1. dessert/cookie/family food
Has to be fruitcake, the candied fruit makes me shudder

2. beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog with way too much egg and not enough nogg, etc...)
eggnog, I'm just not a fan of it

3. tradition (church, family, other)
getting together with in-laws, not that thrilling

4. decoration
plastic Santas and Snowmen, etc. How tacky!

5. gift (received or given)
Outrageous socks with bizaare colors and circle mirror sequins on it that
I received from a friend. Totally tasteless and so not me! (Maybe it was a
regift!!!)

Bonus: Song/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it
Barking Jingle Bells - how obnoxious is that?!!? And I'm a dog lover!!

WHAT I DID LAST NIGHT -

I came home around 5:30 pm. Changed clothes. Began cooking dinner. Fed the greys.
Made the salad. Stirred the sauce. Heated the tortellini. Served dinner. Ate dinner.
Cleaned up. Made a pan of brownies. Put them in the oven. Washed a bunch of dishes.
Went through my mail. Removed the brownies from the oven. Mixed a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. Filled 3 cookie sheets. Popped them in the oven one by one. Did the dishes again. At 9:40 pm, I finally got a moment to sit on the couch. How many pastors bring dessert to their informal Hanging of the Greens time at church?
I guess that's what quaint about small churches and women pastors.
Remember this is the church that has potato chips as a side dish to pizza?!!!?
I should've made veges and dip - had I known that the one to do so wasn't coming tonight!! It probably would've taken a lot less time!!!!!!!!
I would have like to did other things last night!!!

C'est le vie!

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

Ooo-la-la!!! My Swiss roots are soaking in white wine and cream sauce!!! Of course, the Swiss have the best of the French, Italian and German worlds. I think I just confused the quizzers!!! Thanks to Lutheranchik for the invite to the quiz!

7 Mugs Meme as seen at St. Casserole's:

Just 7? I've a cupboard full of mugs and enjoy collecting them:

1. Mug with a picture of my Dad when he was about 2 years old on one side
and the other with a picture just a couple years before his 70th
birthday.

2. Pottery mug from Moorefield Pottery (local potter) - beige and green and white
with a distinctive design.

3. Ceramic mug from Africa Cafe in Cape Town, SA - just couldn't resist it's
narrow shape and the animal print and colors on it.

4. Pottery mug - rusty red clay with primitive black images of animal, human,
snake, water from the Southwest. I like the color and the
primitive design and the handle is way cool. From a Southwest
store that is no longer in Cedarburg, WI

5. Pottery mug - beige, blue and green glaze from a 10,000 Villages store way
back when.

6. Tartan & Thistle mug - small mug of muted blue, purple burgandy with a water
color thistle on a watercolored tartan background from
Scotland which National Trust for Historic Places puts
out.

7. Pottery mug - white with purple pink rim and handle with fireweed painted
on it in the same color with green leaves. The handle is
a rounded tube/snake shape and can't be stored upside down.
It is from (Black)Raven Pottery, in Whitehorse, Yukon.

Guess that's the 7 for today. Thanks, St. Casserole. It was fun going into the cupboard and picking out the 7 mugs!!! Now I'll be using some Christmas/winter ones for Advent and beyond.
What kind of mugs are in your cupboard? Nosey people want to know!!!!!!!

A SERENDIPITIOUS MONDAY: An Advent Lesson

Thankfully the Turkey day marathon of cooking, cleaning, decluttering, and clean up are all behind me. It is a lot of work!
Still missing my computer at the office and it sure is crazy without one! Have to use the secretary's. Now her black ink has run out and I will run out to replace the cartridge so desperately needed.
I printed the letter to be sent to 11 local families about the gift cards we will be giving them to get their children some warm clothing or shoes for Christmas. We've done this every year for many years. In the last two years, the Methodist church has joined in and given us some money to help with the project. We work with the wonderful school counselor who knows the children and family situations all too well.
So, when I spoke with the counselor, she mentioned that there were 11 families with 27 children, this year: 2 families that had 5 children each. The 2 large families would get 2 $100.00 gift cards. All the others would get $100.00 gift cards.
Only problem was that our mission committee allotted $1,000.00 for the project and the Methodist gave us $200.00. Which means, if you do the math, a total $1200.00:
$400.00 to 2 families, leaving 9 families with only $800.00!!! We were short by $100.00!!!! As my brain began to whir, and my prayers went up to God, my secretary called out and asked if I received the phone message from Sunday afternoon. No, I had not. Then the good news, the secretary said, the Methodist have an extra check for $100.00 for us for the kids!!!!!!!
Wow! Sometimes God is at work long before we even know what we need. And sometimes God performs miracles in an instant. Usually, though, God works quietly and slowly.
But today, today! God had everything in hand even before I began to unravel and all was neatly tied up with an admonition, "Hush, my child. Do not be anxious for anything! Just wait on the Lord. For I will provide what is sufficient and will supply your need. Trust me. Look to me. Wait on me." Truly, a lesson this Advent season. God already knows what we need and is already at work to provide for us, whatever is sufficient. May your Advent, be a time of patient, but expectant waiting, trusting in God, and not being anxious over anything. God is already preparing all that we need.

FRIDAY FIVE ON MONDAY: POST-THANKSGIVING


1. Did you go elsewhere for the day, or did you have visitors at your place instead? How was it?
LH and I hosted as we do each year - his Dad and 2 sisters. It all ran far more smoothly than ever.

2. Main course: If it was the turkey, the whole turkey, and nothing but the turkey, was it prepared in an unusual way? Or did you throw tradition to the winds and do something different?
It was the whole turkey and nothing bu the turkey, seasoned (with herbs from my garden: sage, rosemary, thyme) stuffed, and roasted to perfection!

3. Other than the meal, do you have any Thanksgiving customs that you observe every year?
The table is set with our china, crystal and silver. Everyone gets a favor and 2 Ferro Rocher - the gold one with the whole hazelnut, surrounded by chocolate/hazelnut cream encased in chocolate wafer, covered by chocolate with bits of hazelnuts. We use our gurgling cod to serve ice water and our brown Swiss cow to dispense milk or cream for coffee.

4. The day after Thanksgiving is considered a major Christmas shopping day by most US retailers. Do you go out bargain hunting and shop ‘till you drop, or do you stay indoors with the blinds closed? Or something in between?
It is my tradition to be done with Christmas shopping by the bdginning of November.
So on Friday, I do some grocery shopping for the week, and head back home to work on my Christmas letter and the German Christmas letter. That pretty much takes the rest of the day far from the irritable crowds and long lines.

5. Let the HOLIDAY SEASON commence! When will your Christmas decorations go up?
Not 'til Advent begins!!! This coming Friday, we will put a wreath on our front door and LH will put the candles in all the windows. We will buy a real tree sometime later and get it up the week before Christmas. Usually, we are too busy with planning services, writing Christmas cards, wrapping and sending all our Christmas gifts to decorate too much. Keep it simple and enjoy!

WHERE I'VE BEEN!

Mostly at the church and at home. I'm ok. The church computer is not! It is very sick and has been taken away by the computer ambulance to have its slate wiped clean and so that it can begin again.
Thus, I did not have access to my computer.
At home, I usually am doing a whole host of other things and very rarely get on the computer except once or twice a week to check my home e-mail and to work on my sermon. LH is on the computer most evenings when he gets home from church meetings. I will not compete with him for computer time.
Felt pretty lost, lonely, and greatly frustrated without a working computer. Thanks be to God, that I was able to print out my liturgy for Sunday's worship and also the following Sunday. Wheeh, that would've been awful to start all over again.
I did manage to print out the Advent Candlelighting liturgies this morning.
So, the most important was saved! Now my naughty computer will go to confession, be cleared and wiped clean! And can start anew and afresh all scrubbed clean, glowing, and ready to begin again. Would that we might take our forgiveness and pardon in such a way, that we do feel scrubbed clean and washed, and wiped clear of all our sins and ready and truly believing we are indeed forgiven to begin anew.
We tend to hold one to one thing or another or doubt that we can ever be fully forgiven for everything. But what grace, what freedom there is in knowing and believing, trusting and accepting that forgiveness is ours, is mine!!! Totally and completely!!! Thanks be to God!!!!!!! I am forgiven. The hard drive of my life is erased and wiped clean and I can begin again and anew. How glorious is that?!!?
May the grace of our being forgiven be a blessing for which you can always and ever give thanks.

HIP UPDATE:

Spent most of Sunday, either lying or sitting or reclining on the couch! Felt so "good for nothing"! Didn't get a stitch done, although there is always something to be done; laundry, ironing, putting clutter away, throwing out the tons of catalogs, among others.
Woke up yesterday morning, took a shower and let the warm water massage the hip and ate breakfast, let the Boys out and made them breakfast. And my hip felt almost normal. No pain, no real ache. Had a good morning and the Bible study went well. Worked on my liturgy for Sunday and made a couple visits. Noticed a growing soreness. Got home, changed, rest a few on the couch, made dinner, did dishes, stripped the bedlinens and washed and dried them and remade the bed with a different set of linens. Sat on the couch for the rest of the evening.
Felt pretty ok this morning, but not as good as Monday. I mean really. I can't spend the rest of my life sitting, reclining and lying on the couch! My plan is to make time to rest inbetween my doing and see if that helps. Haven't had to take any pain pills which is good. I just want to be my normal self again. (Sigh)

THINK GOD'S TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING?

In the past week, beside all this hip pain, I have been approached by two folks looking for Spiritual Direction. Spiritual Direction has not been all that sought after here in Amish Country. So, I haven't done much in direction in the past 4 four years and am feeling rather rusty.
Now, out of the blue, these two folks have appeared seeking spiritual direction. I understand it as God's way of telling me to get myself in gear, and to offer what I have been trained to do, to dust off those skills which have been languishing and re-engage them. Perhaps, I need direction as much as those coming to me do. I mean, that the benefits I receive from offering direction and the holy offerings of directees touch me deeply as well. So, God is giving me a wake-up call, "Awake, O Sleeper, Awake!"
Now, comes more time spent in prayer, that God would provide me with the wisdom and gifts needed to offer direction again. And to trust in the Mysterious and Holy Presence who is ever present and at work. May I be made worthy and able by God's own Spirit.
Wake-up! I've been asleep too long!

A ROYAL PAIN...IN THE HIP

And that's putting it mildly! A week ago, I stirred mincemeat for 3 hours almost nonstop in the church kitchen for the church's Fall Bazaar and Pancake Breakfast.
My hip was sore last Thurs. night. I proceeded to do my grocery shopping, leaning on the cart helped and sitting in the car driving from store to store helped ease the pain. I didn't sleep well. On Saturday, I got up early and drove to church to help with the pancake breakfast. Yes, I had pain. I served and bussed tables for a while. The pain got worse and radiated to the left groin. Visions of hernia and even kidney stones burst in my mind.
LH took me to the ER Sat. afternoon where I stayed until nearly 7 pm. Some blood work, a small pain shot and CATscan later, I was waiting for LH to pick up and take me home in the same amount of pain as when I went in. No, hernia or kidney stones.
I took some pain meds (which didn't help much) and barely made it through Sunday morning service. I sat during the hymns and for the children's chat. I was miserable.
Went to the Doctor on Mon. morning and we think the muscle from the back to the hip joint is totally inflamed with a hint of arthritis. Stronger pain meds needed and given! Anti-inflamatory welcomed. If this doesn't help, which it doesn't appear to be doing much good, I'll be getting a cortisone shot. The pain meds (have to take 2) keep me relatively pain free for 5 hours at a stretch, but when they wear off, it's awful. I've been sleeping on the couch for the past three nights so as not to disturb LH with any moaning.
As much as I don't want the shot, it's beginning to look more and more enticing, especially if it well really relieve the pain.
And all this, just a couple weeks before Thanksgiving when I will be cooking and standing in kitchen followed by Advent and Christmas.
It's rather uncomfortable to lay, to sit or to stand or walk for any length of time without the pain meds. I've been tired all week and have had it with the excruciating pain. Enough all ready! Looks like the shot is in my future. What a royal pain in the behind!