Monday, December 29, 2008

The Story of Jake the Dog or NOT.

Well that story will have to wait until another day. Just as I typed the title of an old story that would make a good blog entry, my sister called to say Mom took a tumble in a parking lot in another big city. No serious injuries, but hairline fractures and the end of New Years plans with her cousin at a spa resort. All relatively minor inconveniences but extremely frustrating for my mom. Sister who is hours closer than I am will take her daughter down and pick Mom up tomorrow, making orthopedic appointments as she drives. Prayers appreciated.

UPDATE: Good news - no surgery required. I spent a few days helping get Mom's house set up for her to be as independent as possible in the next few weeks. Current prayer - she sees the orthopedic doctor again on Monday. We are all praying she'll be able to get the short arm cast he mentioned at the last appt. It's amazing what a difference movement of one's elbow can make in one's life.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Can't think of a snappy title

Well, I've been out reading a few blogs on this cold morning - 24 on my patio thermometer which for some of you isn't all that cold, but for this place it is. Broke out some of manBoy's stocking stuffers - hand warmers for running - before he left for school this morning. Figured giving him what he needed now was more important than a surprise he might not need in a few days.

I'm teaching the Disciple I Bible study on The Book of Job tonight. That.will.be.interesting. All those questions about innocent suffering... Lord, help me. No, really - I'm trusting you Spirit to give me what I need for this.

ManBoy has been driving himself around for about 10 days now. So far, so good. G&T and I attended the neighborhood progressive party (3 houses) on Sunday evening. For the first time in 4 years, we didn't have to leave in the middle to pick him up from youth.

It was wonderful to go to that party and not be in the middle of a crisis (as the last two years have been). I was even asked to offer the blessing. In the past that has always fallen to a man. This year someone said, "Hey, we have our own pastor on the street." There may be a time when I wish that wasn't so acknowledged, but since I taught school in the neigborhood elementary school before I went to seminary, this was a cool acknowledgement of my career transition being complete.

The other cool thing about this annual party is that it also involves collecting gifts and funds to provide Christmas gifts and food for two families who would not otherwise have them. These families have children attending above mentioned elementary school which serves two lower income areas as well as our fortunate neighborhood. We don't know their names. The school nurse provides us with age, gender, size information, but keeps the names private. I live in a great neighborhood!

I have many things to do at the office this week, and to prepare for the kind of Christmas celebration I'm hoping to have (fun, relaxed...), and my January calendar is absolutely nuts - chock full. So, my current spiritual discipline is to catch myself when I fall into "dread mode", and pause to enjoy the here and now. Today my goal is to live that out in relationship to tonight's class.

I should be ready for work by now, but I'm sitting here in my flannel bathrobe and jammies and slipper socks. So, this is the end of this blog entry.

Update: Disciple class went really well. Lots of good discussion participation. Now on to the next thing.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Everything I can blog in 10 minutes

Okay, it's been weeks and weeks since I blogged. I've had blog block, plus a busy schedule so this entry is everything I can get down in 10 minutes. Then I have to go back to doing stuff on my to do list. Limiting to 10 minutes seems to help the blog block.

Item #1 - It is done. This morning manBoy or should it be ManBoy obtained his driver's license and has driven himself solo to school. This won't happen often as he doesn't have his own car. He's got mine today. He'll be able to drive to school when I travel on business which is more and more often it seems.

Item #2 - I did a baptism (or most of it) last Sunday. I was scheduled to preach and lead worship at my home church. I was wrestling with my sermon on Saturday evening and had just typed "we know that we can expect the unexpected," when the phone rang. It was our pastor, letting me know that one of our members had called asking to move his grandson's baptism from another church to ours (long story). The whole family was in town including great grandfather who is a retired UM pastor and arrangements had fallen through at the other church. So, of course we had a baptism. Technically, I didn't baptize the baby, Great Grandpa did that part, but I did all the rest. I've done baptisms before, but always in the hospital, so not with a healthy baby that looks at you and grabs your cross chain, and is just utterly adorable.

Item #3 - I am coming to terms with God regarding my anger over my friend's death. She trusted God to take care of her and her husband and her almost 5 year old son, so I can too. I'm still grieving, but less mad.

Time's up.