Prayers

Thanks to everyone out there praying for my sister. I'm really hoping that it is a misdiagnosis which isn't very brave or smart but where I am right now. She is already convinced that she only has three years left to live. We did talk about her continuing to smoke. And, reading up on the disease, smoking can be a contributing factor. I haven't told my daughter yet. I thought it would be wise to wait until they confirm the diagnosis. Not that I don't have faith in the VA Hospital but, well................. it's giving me a glimmer of hope right now. They've been wrong before.

I began reading Barbara Kingsolver's book yesterday Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. This is the second monthly book read for RevGalPals. I read Good Fences: The Boundaries of Hospitality this month. I want to be up-to-date and ready to go when I get to join in the monthly book discussion. It's very exciting to be a part of something that I love to do anyway -READ. I have to wait just one more month and then I will have been blogging long enough to join RevGalPals and the first thing I'm getting is the T-Shirt. Let me tell you a little secret - I love T-Shirts. Trying to dress professionally has been the biggest struggle of this whole being a pastor process except, maybe, for having to learn the entirely new vocabulary.

I remember the first time I saw the word - Prevenient Grace - I thought "Damn, don't they have spell check!?!" And in my Intro to Theology class at seminary, I had to read the assignment with a dictionary in my right hand so I could decipher the words on the page. And it was a humbling experience. I had graduated Magna Cum Laude from university. Intro to Theology was my very first "C" (except for an Algebra incident early on - and really who needs algebra :-). It definitely took the wind out of my puffy sails.

I was on the Editorial Board of my Seminary's Journal last year. It has gone to print and they have agreed to mail me a copy. I didn't submit anything this year because I thought it was unfair and wouldn't look right if my article made it while I was serving on the ed board. It was fun getting to read all of the papers, poems, etc.

Ryss' school can't find her yearbook order. She lives in her yearbook. Most of us put them on the shelf and never open them again. Her friends and her pour over the yearbook when they get together. It's kind of weird. I put the order for the book in through a friend because, frankly, we were supposed to have been moved this year. But they didn't have anywhere for me to go.

So I stayed at a Student Appointment but it worked out well, since I'm going to be a student again anyway. I miss the pay increase that would have come with a move but that's not really the motivating factor in my life. One thing about me staying past my expected time, I've really been able to stir the pot and get the church moving in new directions. I'm afraid that I will be the last student pastor here, though. It really looks like they are going to move to a Part-Time Local when I leave unless they agree to the merger.

I have had three professions of faith this year but my numbers have remained static. This church is part of the Transformation Project, so we have really done a lot of work but we don't have any of the programs to offer that a new person moving in is looking for. This is one of the reason's for the Kidz Day Out program. But can I realistically expect to have the same group of people do all of the work? Can I hold up to the pressure of doing everything and always being here? Let me tell you a secret - (I hate the Game & Fellowship Night) - SHhhhhh. It's held once a month. And we eat junk food and play domino's. I tried playing poker but got in trouble with the old fogy's. It wasn't for money. How is that different than domino's?

My quest to find a replacement for this Sunday has failed miserably. The District has a list of retired pastors who fill in for you in theory. I have only missed one Sunday (Annual Conference) in over a year. That can't be healthy. But I can understand them not wanting to drive an hour each way.