Thinking Thinking Thinking
As I thought, my blogging bit the dust last week. Lisa left early Wednesday morning for a conference in Minneapolis and didn't get back home until yesterday afternoon. James and I had a great time together, but I didn't have many opportunities to put any thoughts down. Nor did I have too many thoughts worth putting down. My concentration is split about four or five ways right now and that's not good for blogging.I'm thinking a lot about getting back to work. We start back on Monday and I'm trying to refocus on teaching. I don't think I gave it my absolute best the last few months of last year and anything less isn't good enough.
I'm thinking about what's going on at College, particularly my role in all of it. Two brothers stopped me after services yesterday, wanting to talk about the changes we are going through. Both had their own ideas for what should be happening and wanted me to, I don't know, champion their causes...or at least agree with them. I listened, added my own two cents, and ultimately referred them both to the elders who are actually making the decisions. In other words, I did what a minister would do in the same situation. I missed going to class because of the length of the conversations and neglected my son in the meantime, all of which is on me. I missed out particularly because I had pegged yesterday as my day to hear Brady talk about his mission work. After these two discussions, I met an elder on my way out and listened to him as he explained his own frustration. We commiserated as two volunteers whose passion is for the church and whose reward, for the moment, is ingratitude. In short, I left feeling far worse than when I arrived. Sadly, that happens all too often.
Before everyone starts miming violin motions and putting the backs of their hands to their heads in the universal "Woe is me" gesture, let me explain that I am confident in the long-term health and spiritual welfare of our current direction and our leaders. I am equally confident that God has me in this place at this time for His reasons. I'm just saying that it isn't always easy and yesterday was, most decidedly, not.
In addition, there is the sermon I need to write for Sunday, the fall series which DCB and I are putting together now which will take us to December, and the current goals of the worship committee to revamp some things.
I'm also thinking a lot about all the "doctor things": the headaches, the change in diet, the biopsy, the CT scan tomorrow, etc.
The Angels are also three games back, which doesn't help.
So, all in all, today's blog is just a big list of debits. I could (and should) write a much longer list of credits. But for right now, there is an overall sense of, as my mom would say, "bloppiness."
Here are a few of those "credits" to tide everyone over:
I got hit in the side of the face yesterday by a crumpled up Visitor's Card. The chucker of said card was Randy. His wonderful wife sang next to my sister on the praise team. It was really good to see them both.
My incredible niece sang "her song" yesterday in what will be her last time at College for a while. She leaves for school next week. While that could be a sad thing, I truly take it as a credit because I so envy the journey she is to embark on. Plus, she sang good.
James and I built a kick-butt Hot Wheels (tm) track while Lisa was gone. It starts at the top of the bookcase, down to a couple of tables where it turns 135 degrees, goes through a supercharger, turns 90 degrees, another 90 degrees taking it up over itself and off the table, down through another supercharger and into a loop-the-loop, finally culminating in a sweet jump off a lifted ramp. James stayed at my mom's house Friday night while I had some guys over to play cards. It took us awhile to get around to the cards.
Brisco County, Jr. is now in my library of DVD's.
That alone makes up for a lot of the other nonsense.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I'll play more catch-up on Wednesday.
posted by Thurman8er @ 3:14 PM
4 Comments:
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My "Math/church leader" Brother - I feel your pain. We went back to school this past Wednesday with the kiddos reporting tomorrow. Every summer I forget how mulit-tasking this job is and then it hits me like a ton of bricks on the first day of pre-planning.
I too have had some frank and intense chats with some of our members which can be draining. The outcome however was positive.
Hang in there Steve.
Love (and no pitty) from the east coast.
You are doing a lot… And people are being blessed. I'd like to have one of those long chats with you too!
Oh WOW,,,I didn't know anyone ELSE liked Brisco County but me!! (Can I borrow it?)
(I'll loan you all my "West Wing" up to the 6th season in exchange)
I'm kinda like the LAST one to know anything going on...and I certainly haven't a clue as to the nature of...what is it..."politics"?... during this apparent transition time, of unknown-to-me hot issues. That's probably a good thing...get me a soap-box with my "toys', and I'm ON it!! Even tho' no one probably has any interest to know what I'd say.
I've seen 23 years of "change" at College...there was a time when it felt like the creative juices were dry...there was a hollowness sensed, but even still, I was determined to "be there" and get to know everyone for the long haul. After all, I had a 11 year old who faced the challenge of being integrated into a definately established social system...she was the outsider. It's hard for 11 year olds who are new Christians to penetrate through the tight, protective bonds on the social stratus. But she persevered...and so did I!! That's why I m so thankful for Brady and Steph - they visited us first, and what a lasting impression it made. My pre-teen was flexible, talented, and carried her Lord in close to her heart through all this. She prayed a lot. Change is difficult...but change we did. What we did was grow...and there were pains involved. I saw people come, I saw people go - people who were mentors to me. That made me sad. All of you know when that sense of "unity" began to seed...but even tho' we may have taken a few steps back, we were still never as far down as we once were (was?) Sometimes where we were going was not quite defined...sometimes we made it up as we went along...that's OK. We seemed to gain a few, lose a few, and rejoiced when we could gain some of them back. There are still people I miss a lot...they touched me. I know that whereever we are going now is coming from the hand of God...Look...we have an amazing ministry of Music...God's hand was certainly in that. Wisdom and creativity, and "being on message" is making us grow. Whatever direction we go, it will be good.
If it ISN"T, Steve, I'm coming straigt to YOU and I'm really going to drain that brain!! In a nice way...
Where do I have to go, who do I have to see to get a handle on what's going to happen?
I read that you were having belated preparations for today's sermon to be done...well, whatever you did, it WORKED. It was an amazing lesson. It's a gift...not only just the "speaking" part, but it's MORE than that! You gave me Amos! That was RICH!
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