Garden

Anyone who wasn't able to get outside and enjoy this last week-end truly missed out. Thankfully, the rain knocked some of the pollen out of the air (it will be back I'm told), which made breathing a little easier. The warm air caused me to get started on planting my summer garden. I couldn't get everything in that I wanted because my winter garden is still ripening, but I did get in tomato, pepper, cilantro and basil. My basil exploded last year and ended up with tree-like stalks so I put it in a big container this year to make room for some other stuff. I harvested carrots, lettuce and chard. I still have broccoli and cauliflower producing, so it gets to stay in a little longer.

After spending Saturday gardening, I decided to rest and read after church on Sunday. I had Billy Abraham's new book "Celtic Fire" about evangelism on my Kindle and a comfy spot on the back patio to start reading, when my back neighbor started trying to cut some branches that were blocking her satellite. I couldn't just sit there and read when someone my Mom's age was working, so I got up and helped. A couple of hours later my arms were tired from cutting and snipping but we got her a clear path from her satellite to the open sky.

I did manage to read part of "Celtic Fire" later, I think Billy would be proud :) It did remind me of seminary when we read the book by George Hunter called "The Celtic Way of Evangelism" and it talked about the way evangelism was done by the early monks in Ireland. They moved into a community and started working in and with the people. It was a kinder, gentler way of evangelism versus the door knocking, forcible baptism evangelism of the "Roman" way. I loved that book because it showed me that there is a different path to evangelism that doesn't require me going door-to-door with pamphlets, something that my postmodern soul cringed at the thought of doing. The one problem that United Methodist clergy have with this particular way of evangelism is that we are seldom in one place long enough to put down the kind of roots necessary for George Hunter's method. It is still possible to train the laity up in this way of evangelism, however.

All in all, this was a great week-end to get things done around the house and rest up for the Palm Sunday/Easter rush that is hitting this week.

Spring Time

By now most of us of almost used to the time change. I love Daylight Savings Time but detest the losing an hour of sleep part of the whole change over. I am becoming an advocate of leaving it this way forever. Who do we have to petition for that to become reality? I was stationed in Arizona for two years and for two years the time remained the same. I would have enjoyed it if I wasn't a shift worker and our shift rotated every two weeks, but I digress.

The other part of this time of year is becoming very apparent in the South, all of our cars are covered with a nice yellow color....tree pollen in out in full force. One can only gaze longingly out the window at the wonderful weather because to venture out requires a HazMat level breathing apparatus for those of us who suffer from allergies. I just take a record level of allergy medicine because I am weak willed and must go outside and work in my vegetable garden.