Another Trip

I am getting everything ready to send my daughter off to the University of Kansas for the next three week, while I prepare to leave for Houston. She loves going to the Duke TIP summer camps. I love the fact that Duke puts its money where its mouth is and gives her a scholarship to attend the camp. Last year it was Philosophy and this year it is Introduction to Medical Science.

Let me tell you, sending a teen-ager off to study philosophy is the biggest mistake you can make. For months, I was told that my arguments for anything were illogical. I had to resort to "I'm your mother and I told you so" way too many times.

Pray that she had a safe trip. It doesn't seem to get any easier to let her out of my sight.

Freedom

I will not even pretend that I meditated very long over the concept of freedom this 4th of July. I did, however, get almost all of my pre-seminar homework completed. Now I am frantically working on my Project Proposal Narrative for submission to the D.Min. Committee. I am having problems coming up with quantifiable measurements for spirituality, so I enlisted the help of a Math professor and and Engineering instructor.

The other project I am working on is my physical well-being. I have been working out at the gym almost every single day. I have lost twelve pounds and over 7 inches. I hope that the next two weeks don't cause me to falter. First, I have the D.Min. seminar and then I have a "mandatory" retreat. The retreat will also put my one week behind in my post-seminar assignments, but I hope that it doesn't have a negative impact on my conditioning program. I will have to take really long walks and some weights along with me, I guess.

There is some negative stuff happening at the church (not with me). So far I have avoided being triangulated in the situation and I pray that I can keep out of the potential backlash.

Commissioning

Well Friends, I didn't think that this day would ever come. The Arkansas Annual Conference voted on my Provisional Membership today....YEAH! Tomorrow is the Commissioning Service. I wish all of you could be there with me but I know that I wouldn't have made it without all of your spiritual support. Thanks!!

As many of you know I'm an Introvert, I'm wondering if someone could be pathologically introverted. I'm really worried about someone I know. It is really interfering with her ministry. She is already on anti-depressants. It seems to be getting worse.

Forever

It seems like forever since I blogged. My life has been so hectic that when I finally get home I seem to plop down in front of the television or go straight to bed. It won't get any better soon since I received my next semester's pre-assignments yesterday which are all due by July 13th.

I did do one really neat thing since I blogged last. I went on a Dental Mission of Mercy trip. The Arkansas Dental Association comes together once a year to provide free dental care to the needy. We helped close to 2,000 people receive much needed dental care. One guy had to have sixteen teeth extracted. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain he was in.

I have been having trouble getting motivated when it comes to reading my assigned books. I am so tired of all this. The church has been great about giving me the two weeks per year off and giving me time during the week to work on this project.

Part of all this might be the fact I am getting over a pretty nasty bug. I just don't feel like I have any energy. However, I am very excited about being Commissioned next month. The months are just too crowded though...May-Mission Trip, June-Annual Conference, July-D.Min. Seminar, August, trip to Kansas.

And Sixteen books to read and write papers over between now and July. Pray for me...............

Gym

Well, I broke down last night and joined a gym. It is a pretty nice place that allows Ryss to work out too (which can be kind of hard to find). She loved it and practiced getting her mile faster, and faster, and faster. I don't have that kind of energy but it felt good to work out last night and again this morning too.

After the work-out, I went and picked up food for tomorrow. My Sunday School class is feeding the homeless dinner. I thought it would be a good way to spend Easter. I have been teaching a series over the Seven Deadly Sins. Tomorrow's sin is "Sloth". I am preaching over the Seven Deadly Sins next Sunday.

Update

Well it looks like attempts at a reconciliation failed. It is rough to witness something like this in the church. It is even harder when you honestly like all the parties involved and can see both sides of the conflict. This will definitely damage the ministry at Trinity, at least for the short term. In some ways it is even harder because this is Easter, the Holiest of Days, for Christians.

Pride and Anger are running amok....................

Trianglulation

Massive conflict at the church this week between Contemporary Worship Leader, Youth Pastor and Senior Pastor......the first two are a married couple. Emergency SPRC meeting tonight before our Maundy Thursday service. Not good timing in my opinion. Everyone comes and talks to me.......trying very hard not to take sides or get drawn into the conflict. Egads!!! This is a lesson in good communication. I will post more on this later.

New York City

Well half of the folks made it back from NYC safety, the other half is stuck there because of bad weather. I am so glad that Ryss was in the early group even though she had to get up at 3 a.m. The only flight the other group can get is tomorrow into Dallas.

Hmmm, Dallas....I have friends there. So I volunteered to go and pick them up but apparently some of the parents are not happy that youth pastor is not stuck in NYC with the kids (and adults). They want him to be the one that goes to pick them up. Of course, it doesn't help that his two daughters are two of the ones stuck in the airport. Sounds silly to me. I know my way around DFW and the airport. It would be a lot easier for me to go.

So instead of a trip to Dallas I will be preaching at the contemporary worship service tomorrow night instead of the youth pastor. I'm trying to see the bright side. Oh I know, my garden survived the cold weather. Always something good to see if you look. Plus, the best of all, I got my daughter back from NYC safe and sound. She immediately passed out and I don't think I will talk to her again until tomorrow. Plus, now she thinks that the BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO LIVE is NYC. We are so "provincial" here. God you have to love teenagers.

Sleep Issues

When I was in Texas I had severe insomnia and had to treat it with meds. I haven't had to take one sleeping pill since moving but this past week I thought I would have to take one. I determined that it was breathing issue keeping me awake (Plus, one very annoying cat.).

So yesterday I went to the drug store, bought Breath-Rite Strips and nose spray, I slept like a baby, woke up with lots of energy, accomplished a lot this morning on only one cup of tea. One problem solved....now for that darn cat.

Inscription

Found written on the walls of a Nazi Concentration Camp:

"I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.
I believe in love, even when I do not feel it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent." (Author Unknown)

I remember my trip to a Concentration Camp. It touched me in ways that I cannot describe easily -- horror, compassion, empathy, anger -- I felt all of those emotions.