Monday Bullets

• Second Sunday in new appointment; yesterday was longer than the previous Sunday. It was a 10 hour day and by the time the family got home, we all were tuckered out.
• I've developing opinions about multi-church charges; the stress between the churches really can resemble a form of sibling rivalry. I think my job is to be the non-anxious presence. No sudden movements....
  
• I seem to be developing a summer cold. It's not bad but each day it is getting a little worse; I'm going to drink a lot of water; vitamin C and that kind of thing.
• Johnny Cat is developing some kind of cold as well. Sneezy cat. Gooey eyes. We've looked up therapies on the internet. I've had cats for years -- I can't remember the last time I had a Sneezy Cat. I found people who give their cats Vitamin C (I don't think I'll do that -- I don't know the toxicity of Vitamin C on cats). I love the suggestion to "flush" the cat's sinus cavities with saline water (I can't even pill a cat -- I can see me doing THAT to Johnny.) I guess it's time for a vet visit.
• Entropy didn't like yesterday. The first part of the day was OK -- It was the visiting after the covered dish dinner that got to her. She had her DS but ran the battery all the way down. There is no playground at the church. It's a real culture shock for her. The churches don't have telephones (or even a mailbox). Our cell phones don't work (Dead Zone!) I understand they don't even have water at times in the year -- the well runs dry. They are miles and miles away from "civilization." When we can get the trailer out there, we can put the teeny weeny cheapo TV out in the trailer, a cheapo DVD player and the unused Gamecube -- but they tell me they can't LIVE without wireless or the internet.... I actually think that this might be a good thing.
• I am wondering how all this is going to work during the school year. I know I'm tired today. We spend Saturday getting ready for the Estate sale; then had a very long day yesterday. We are going to have to work on this.
• I need to (ooo ... feel that pressure?) I need to get a bunch of things in the mail, packages, forms, stuffy stuff. I need to get the dishes put up and fill the dishwasher again. I need to do laundry and put it up. I need to do some limited vacuuming (but can't we left the vacuum cleaner in Buckhead at the LH's g'parent's house.) I need to do general pickup-cleanup stuff.
• But more importantly, I need to figure out Sabbath. For both myself and my family. Yesterday was NOT Sabbath. Without Sabbath, I don't think this appointment is going to work.
• Oh yeah -- my group of Jurors was not called up today. Thank you, God. I may have to report for Jury Duty tomorrow. We shall see.....

Edited: I found out that not only can people be allergic to cats, mice can be allergic to cats and (get this) cats can be allergic to mice. Talk about food allergies! (I am finding this to be HIGHLY amusing. Shall I get Johnny Cat allergy shots? Oooo... I shouldn't laugh to hard... makes my head hurt worse.)

W-a-a-y too close to truth ... but funny

hat tip to A.Lin.

I'm NOT having fun

I'm NOT having fun shopping for cars.

I can't find what I need much less what I want -- that is for the amount of money the insurance company is giving me. I suppose that is par for the course, but shoot! I had the perfect automobile for my purposes and now I don't.

I'm now asking: what is the lesson to be learned here?

I've been to several car dealerships; the nice ones didn't have the automobiles and the awful one (whose high pressure tactics would earn them a place in Dante's Hell) who just want me to buy a car any car just a car. NOW. I haven't seen such high pressure tactics, well, EVER. "What do we have to do to get you to buy this car today?" (Uh, cut the price in half.) "Why WON'T you consider a loan? Aren't you an American?" (Because I don't want to be in debt. Like the nation. And probably you to the tanning salon.) "Doesn't your husband trust you enough to get a car by yourself." (Uh, it's not trust there, it's the concept of "I don't spend this kind of money without consulting my life-partner first.") "If you marriage is so weak that this will strain it that bad, maybe you are close to divorce anyway." (WHAT?) Then the getting in my way and not letting me exit the building. (PLEASE -- Do it again. I WANT to call the police.)

I'm so drained from the car shopping -- I may just do without. Or buy one on eBay. I Do Not want to go again tomorrow.....

edited:
You know, this has me thinking about how we all can be a force for Good or Evil. The Unctuous Pig (Unctuous, Oinktuous, ha ha) with his well oiled tan -- what he was doing can only be called one thing: evil. Today I've had dealings with (shock!) honest used car salespeople. Yes, they do exist and get this -- the honesty can and will pay off. It may not be turn you a quick buck, but a car sold honestly and business that is well earned will eventually get you more business. Hmm... rather like the saying "you reap what you sow'? Get that you Sow? (Sow, pig, ha ha.)

Cutest Cat Ever

Well, maybe I'm biased. But he is dern cute.

How to Preach the Fourth of July

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus

All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:27-30

This poem of Emma Lazarus' with its stirring words always seem to me to be an odd echo of Jesus' words in Matthew 11. The promise of rest for the weary -- of the easing of burdens. They are both words of hope.

I've been pondering about how to preach the Fourth of July in my new appointment. I think that I will stress the idea of freedom causing responsibility. We, as Americans, have many freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms, freedom to worship as we wish, freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, the freedom to petition, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, cruel and unusual punishment and compelled self-incrimination.

Yet these freedoms come with responsibility. A parent can be held responsible for their careless storing of a firearm if their child comes to serious harm. Yes, the parent is free to have and bear that firearm, but they also have the responsibility to take care with it.

Yes, we are free to say or to publish just about anything we want to say; yet you can and will be held responsible for your words; especially in the case of libel and slander. Words are power; words are powerful. Words can make or break a relationship.

More stuff here.


Victor Frankl was a psychiatrist who had been arrested by the Nazi's during World War II. Frankl was a pioneer of modern day Psychotherapy. He had spent years researching his theories and writing a book. When the Nazis came for him, he knew that he probably would never go home again. He had hidden the pages of his book in the lining of his coat. He was processed with other prisoner and was very upset when his coat was taken away by his captors. They replaced his coat with the ragged clothing of another inmate who had been sent to the gas chamber. Frankl said, "Instead of the many pages of my manuscript, I found in the pocket of the newly acquired coat a single page torn out of a Hebrew prayer book, which contained the Shema, the daily Jewish prayer. That is the prayer that goes, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one God. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

All his work exchanged for those words. "Hear, O Isreal!"That page became the turning point for Victor Frankl. It gave him strength to go on. He endured 4 years in the concentration camps. Since he was Medical Doctor, he was put to work treating other prisoners. And he survived that awful imprisonment. "Love the Lord your God."

He decided to use his experiences in the camp to do new research. He became determined to survive the experience and so he could record his findings.

He was thus able to use his theory about the importance of meaning in life in order to survive. That is, he gave meaning to his life even though he was living under the most miserable circumstances imaginable. Despite the near-certainty of death, the beatings, the hunger, and the cold, Frankl found a reason to go on.

This is the core of the human spirit, according to the theory. If we can find something to live for – if we can find some meaning to put at the center of our lives – even the worst kind of suffering becomes bearable.

The last of human freedoms - the ability to chose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances.

In fact, meaning can even be found in our reaction to difficult circumstances. By being determined to preserve some measure of their humanity, in spite of the Nazi’s efforts to steal it away, many were able to survive the concentration camps.

While serving in that capacity, he had an opportunity to observe people under the most trying of circumstances. He saw people as they lived. And he saw them as they died. He had expected that people who were weak would die and those who were strong would survive.

However, that wasn't always true and it caused Frankl to wander if there wasn't something else involved. What he observed became the source of his "Logo Therapy." He noticed that those who live had one thing in common: they had chosen to live rather than die.

He found that when everything else had been taken, friends, food, dignity, health ... the one thing their captors could not take away was choice; the choice to live.

According to Frankl, the last of man's inalienable rights was the right of individual to choose how they would respond in any give situation. Victor Frankl said:" You cannot control your circumstances, but you have the power to control your response to your circumstances."

In other words, you can have peace because you choose peace... you pursue it. But the bible also teaches us that while lust and sin and hate are in the world there will never be universal peace until the prince of Peace comes.


In the meantime however Gods purpose for the human race is that men and women may know a personal peace an inward peace made possible through the redemptive work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.



In fact, political freedoms really are shallow when compared to true freedom -- real freedom and this freedom, given to us by God, lays upon us the ultimate of responsibility.

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. -- John Diefenbaker.

The last of human freedoms - the ability to chose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances.

Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right.
Peter Marshall, Before the U.S. Senate.

What it looks like uncooked

Steel cut oats -- not ground or sliced after steaming, but cut before any cooking. This is basically a de-husked oat kernel cut in either two or three pieces. I've tried a variety of methods of cooking; the rice cooker is working the best so far, if I can figure out how to stop it from boiling over. Next experiment is soak the oats overnight before cooking; from what I'm reading, that will do it.

I looked up Fiber One; 16 grams of fiber in a single bowl. This is a keeper. Oatmeal every other day. Steel Cut Oats -- about 6 grams per cup. Brown rice (after I finish this 50 pound bag of Jasmine Rice.) Apples are excellent. Benefiber and Metamucil. Lentils, Black Beans, Split Peas, Lima Beans and Butter peas -- all have 12 to 15 grams of fiber per cup. Whole Wheat Pasta has about 6 grams per cup. Green peas have about 8. I'm going to build a spreadsheet that has the fiber and the calorie information and build an index of fiber per calories (or something like that.)

Yes, the Math Nerd is emerging.

Fiber -- Oatmeal -- a Very Exciting Post

Yes, this is an EXCITING post. Oatmeal. Yes, indeed.
Srly.
Steel Cut Oats. I'm working on getting this to cook in the rice-cooker. They are delicious. Lots of fiber, a little chewy and a rich nutty taste. This fiber thing isn't all bad.

I've been eating more fiber and -- I've gained weight. I need to figure out how to eat enough fiber AND reduce calories. Oatmeal isn't bad -- I think this is about 200 calories with the brown sugar. I also ate a piece of fruit -- that's about 100 more calories. But I need lots more fiber today; this was about 6 grams of fiber and was about a fifth of what I need today. No matter how I add and subtract, recombine foods and so forth, the FIBER ALONE is about 1500 calories. Then I also need some protein and whatnot -- how do I get all this fiber and hold the calories to 1000 to 1250 a day??

It Worked!

I love that line from "Cotton Patch Gospel" -- it's the first thing Jesus says after the resurrection. Just -- "It worked!"

Well, yesterday worked. It was a long drive but we can do it. The people are lovely, the buildings are very nice and beautifully kept. The services were wonderful. It worked.

In other news, one of our airplane partners pranged the prop on our Cessna 172. It's nice and bent and he's stuck in Bowling Green Kentucky. Another wreck to deal with -- two in two weeks. Again, I'm glad that no one was hurt...

More about debt

• About 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year.
• Average households carry some $8,000 in credit card debt. (2004)
• Personal bankruptcies have doubled in the past decade.
• Revolving Credit debt is up 167% (1990 to 2004) (From MSN Money)

78% of Baby Boomers have mortgage debt, 59% have credit card debt, and 56% have car payments. (Dave Ramsey)

According to information gathered by the US Census bureau, there were approximately 164 million credit card holders in the United States in 2003 and that number is projected to grow to 176 million Americans by 2008. These people hold 1.5 billion cards - an average of nearly nine credit cards each.

Americans charged approximately $1,735 billion dollars to their credit cards in 2003 - that's just over $10,500 in charges. This is just revolving debt -- not mortgages, school loan or cars.

The US Census bureau also tells us that Americans carried approximately $786 billion in credit card debt and that number is expected to grow to $965 billion by the year 2008. This works out to nearly $4,800 in credit card debt per card (not household) and that number is expected to increase to nearly $5,500 by 2008. This is debt carried, not charged.

That's a lot of debt.

Johnny Cat in "Don't Wake Me Up!"

Crunch

Doesn't look too bad. But because the cost of the repairs is MORE than the value of the car, it's totaled. There is damage on all 4 sides of the car... all 4 quarter panels, the hood, the liftgate, the bumpers. And you can't really tell it from the picture, but the back tire isn't exactly lined up with the rest of the tires meaning that there is frame damage. I'm having a hard time replacing it; yes, Expeditions are a dime a dozen now-a-days, but this one had a unusual set of options. I need (more than comfort stuff) the big engine (5.4 L) and low differential reduction (more torque). I also need a Class III or Class IV hitch with the electric brake controller.

I don't like car shopping. Sigh.

Options

I've heard of Church on Wheels -- I know of a few churches who have done this.

Well, my churches are not on wheels -- I'm looking to have a portable parsonage. I believe we are going to park our camper a month at a time behind each church. As soon as we get a car that can tow it.

I'll be a traveling preacher-woman.

Option two is to rent a condo in the college town nearby -- but it's still 30 miles away. I like option number one better.

Church Signs

hattip to Deb.

Continue the thought...

To continue the thought from yesterday ...

I have talked with three (four?) people who are either parishioners or former parishioners who are getting home-equity loans to pay for their homeowners insurance, property taxes and food. I suggested that if they do indeed do this, that they consider really restructuring their life-styles so that the loan can be paid off ASAP. It reminded me of a snake trying to swallow its own tail.... and about as futile.

To borrow money for consumables -- it is indeed a snake swallowing its own tail.

***

Update on the car search: I have an ex-parishioner who is retired from the car-selling business who is going to help me navigate these waters. Thank you God. The high-pressure sales tactics are overwhelming.

Eat Cake

I have been looking for a new car (or cars). The insurance company is going to call me Thursday with an offer to replace the Expedition -- and the Loving Husband and I had already begun talking about a THIRD car. The Expedition is necessary to pull our camping trailer and loads of Girl Scouts; however filling its tank with gas requires taking out a second mortgage on the house. (Well, almost.) So the LH and I were discussing purchasing a little run-about: especially seeing that on Sundays we will have a 140 mile round trip (along with whatever day of the week I do my visitations.)

So little run-about cars -- a Honda Fit, a Ford Focus -- whatever. Boy howdy! They are climbing in price! I went to my local Ford dealer (which whom I've dealt before) because I had found an Expedition that would be a good replacement for the lost and much lamented Expedition. I also found an OK Ford Taurus. It was more than I wanted to spend; that's life.

However the salesman and sales manager could not believe that I was going to pay CASH. That's right -- CASH. I believe that if Satan is at work in our society, you can find his fingerprints all over that thing called "revolving credit." The origins of the word "usury" are from the Medieval Latin word usuria, "interest" or "excessive interest", from the Latin usura "interest") originally meant the charging of interest on loans. In the 12th century ANY charging of any interest was usury. Now-a-days we only call it "usury" if the interest rates are considered high. But I believe we should not take advantage of any credit whatsoever.

Now I know that we are "beyond" the Old Testament -- that the law is no longer hanging above my head like a sword but I will also say that there is much wisdom to be found in the OT (or Hebrew Bible). In Leviticus 25 we read:

35 " 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. 38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

And also from Exodus 22

"If you lend money to my people, to any of the down-and-out among you, don't come down hard on them and gouge them with interest.

Usury is NOT GOOD. Likewise, to take advantage in revolving credit -- that is NOT GOOD either.

Aquinas, "the leading theologian of the Catholic Church, argued charging of interest is wrong because it amounts to "double charging", charging for both the thing and the use of the thing. Aquinas said this would be morally wrong in the same way as if one sold a bottle of wine, charged for the bottle of wine, and then charged for the person using the wine to actually drink it. Similarly, one cannot charge for a piece of cake and for the eating of the piece of cake. Yet this, said Aquinas, is what usury does. Money is exchange-medium. It is used up when it is spent. To charge for the money and for its use (by spending) is to charge for the money twice." (Wikipedia)

In other words, Aquinas would argue that it is sinful to charge for the cake and then the eating of that cake. I do believe this is the origin of the phrase, "You can't have your cake and eat it too." True, it shows up in proverbial speech a couple of centuries later -- and it changes meaning to "you can't have it both ways." But to see it as an extension of Aquinas' argument make more sense to me.

Aquinas would claim that usury was a violation of natural moral law and thus ethically corrupt. Money is not an end but a means of buying goods and services. Putting money out for the generation of more money is an evil unto itself. When we participate in a system of revolving credit, we share in that evil and thus share the weight of the sin.

My 2 cents worth. You may slice it differently -- perhaps I am asking for my cake and the eating of that cake as well. However my conscious lays more lightly to NOT put a car on credit. I feel that I am a better steward of what God has blessed me with. And yes, that means no flashy rides. Sorry, Chaos.

Brit shrinks, meanwhile, have previously claimed "between five and 10 per cent of online users are internet addicts".

A US psychiatrist has declared internet addiction a "clinical disorder" with some sufferers so hooked on cyberspace they "required medication or even hospital treatment to curb the time they spent on the web".

Dr Jerald Block, of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, describes in an editorial in the American Journal of Psychiatry the four symptoms of hopeless addiction: victims "forget to eat and sleep"; they crave more advanced tech and more time online as they're numbed by "resistance" to the kicks they get from their current system; prising them away from their computer results in "genuine withdrawal symptoms"; and they begin to become more argumentative, more fatigued, more isolated from society, and perform worse in tests.

Article here.

I can quit anytime. I swear. =o)

(serious time now) I am doing what I call "Internet Fasts." John Wesley would ask us to attend to the ordinances of God and to attend first to our journey toward perfection -- to seek to live a Christian life, growing in love for God and neighbor by acts of piety (prayer, worship, Scripture reading, Communion, Christian conferencing, fasting) and acts of mercy (outward acts of care and love towards others).

Thus, some of you may have noticed, that I am not actively reading blogs as I was wont, nor am I participating in my online communities as oft as I was. If there is another person in the room with me who is not absorbed in their own task, it is my responsibility to interact with them with actions of love and care. Pure and simple. So don't look for MORE blogging or Second Life-ing or Facebooking or Twittering (or anything else!) from me.

And that's the way it is on June 23, 2008. Good Blogging and Good Morning.

Sore all over

I am sore all over. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Wait! I WAS hit by a truck.

edited: I WAS on bed-rest until Monday -- then I did indeed try to take it easy at conference. I was very laid back. The accident was Expedition vs. Expedition. I was stopped at a red light a full car length behind another car and WHAM, I was hit by another Expedition. The police officer estimated that he was going 45 to 50 mph. He employed his brakes way too late, but did slow down a bit from the speed limit. The impact shoved me into the car in front of me, who was shoved into the little truck in front of her. Three cars totaled. The Expedition weights literally a ton -- about 2000 pounds. He was really moving fast to have shoved me that far and with enough force to total the car in front of me as well. I think if I had been in my husband sedan, I would have more than a couple of bruises....

We rented a car yesterday b/c the kids are off to Music Camp and the LH's car will NOT hold all four of us, suitcases, a violin, a viola AND a cello. I'm going to go look for cars (plural) on Monday. I figure to get another Expedition and another very small car that has air conditioning and really good gas mileage. We had discussed a third car to save on gas and to keep the Expedition just for when all four of us are in the car and to haul the trailer. We are going to use this as an opportunity....

Friday Bullets

• Today was the end of Annual Conference. Moving Day is June 26th for the Conference. I have been officially appointed to Oglethorpe Circuit which consists of Glade UMC and Burt's UMC in Oglethorpe County.
• If you will remember, I stated a novel a while back "Death and Taxes in Carlton, Georgia." I selected the title because I was traveling through Carlton to go back and forth to Erskine Seminary for a few classes. I really loved the looks of Carlton, but never thought I would even know anyone who would be there. After all, Carlton is east of -- well --east of everything. On the edge of my world, as it were. One of the churches has an address of -- you guessed it -- Carlton. That God -- such a sense of humor.
• So today I went to do a dry run of driving routes -- Hwy 78 to the Outer Loop to Hwy 72 to Lexington Carlton Road to Glade UMC and then to Sandy Cross and then some some fancy work around Veribest Enterprise Road (haven't worked that all out) to Burt's then one mile or so to Hwy 77 to Hwy 78 to one of three ways: Inner Loop, Outer Loop or Business 78. I took Business 78 so that I could go to the Varsity and then to look at a condo in Athens.
• I never made it to the condo. About 2 block away at a stop light I was rear-ended so hard that it sheared the driver's seat off the track, crumpled up the back, the front and most stuff in between. The glass from my rear window was all over my hood.
• I really liked that car. RIP my sweet Expedition.
• We are now in the market for one or maybe two cars. Sigh. This was not on the agenda.
• And NO this is NOT punishment for breaking my diet with Varsity food. I don't think that God operates that way. Mostly.

Ugh

Overdid it yesterday. Feel Ugh today. Resting. Eating Graham Crackers. Applesauce. Yogurt. I need to go to karate tonight b/c there is a belt test on Friday. Ugh. Time for Annual Conference. Ugh.

Emory has finally erased my account

Emory has finally erased my account and I no longer have some of the images on my blog. I updated my profile picture. I thought that it would have happened last year...

My Name is Inigo Montoya...

more graph humor and song chart memes

Annual Conference

Glade UMC


Burt's UMC


Annual Conference is this week. Starts tomorrow. I'll wander over tomorrow afternoon for the kick-off and then the Clergywoman' dinner. I have to go to Karate tonight and Wednesday because there is a belt test on Friday night, so I will not stay for evening activities.

If all goes as planned, I will be appointed to Glade UMC and Burt's UMC in Oglethorpe County on Friday morning. It's a 60 mile commute and the churches are aware of it. I have been trying to think of an inventive way to get closer to the churches every weekend -- we DO have a travel trailer. There is a State Park within 5 miles, but they don't allow for long stays. There is a "fish camp" kind of place about 25 miles PAST the church where we can leave the trailer all year round; but that's 85 miles from here. I have cousins in Athens which is a little more than half-way were I might beg a room on occasion. I'm still looking for a more optimal solution.

The two churches have about 75 in worship on Sunday morning. Neither have a choir. I think I would like to start a choir. It will depend on what they want, of course.

Things I don't Like #21

The Spinning Rainbow Pizza of Death. It's the wait cursor for OS X and I get it a lot with this MacBook. I think I either need to go on an "open windows" diet (OK, OK, 17 open Word Documents, 10 Preview Documents, a Final Cut Express Document, Mail, Skype, iPhoto, iTunes, Firefox (12 windows), Safari (9) -- 9 applications and 53 open documents? Ok, that may be a lot.) or get more memory....

I suppose it's time to shut some applications...

Goodbye! Goodbye! Parting is such sweet sorrow....

Morning Prayer - Psalm 130

Psalm 130
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

How to Add Fiber

I thought I ate a lot of fiber. I eat carrots, apples, raw spinach, veggies, you name it but I don't seem to be eating enough fiber (according to the Doctor). So I'm adding fiber. I need to eat 30 grams of fiber a day. How does one do that?

That's 10 grams of fiber every meal --
Breakfast:
an apple is 4 grams (6 grams to go)
1 cup steel cut oats is 4 to 5 grams.
Benefiber is 3 grams.
OK, I'm a couple of grams ahead!

Lunch: Beats me at this point. I don't think this far ahead. I can do with some Benefiber. Another apple and maybe some carrots?

Dinner: Maybe Split Peas soup -- 12 grams of fiber and some more Benefiber.

I think this is going to take some thinking about and some time....

Morning Prayer -- Frederick Buechner -- Poor Crippled Prayers

'Something terrible happens, and you might say, "God help us!", or "Jesus Christ!" -- the poor, crippled prayers that are hidden in the minor blasphemies of people for whom in every sense God is dead, except that they still have to speak to him, if only through clenched teeth.'

Found old Photos

My Grandparents, Russell Allgood DeLay and Gladys Marie McGarity DeLay in their Touring Car in 1928 on a road trip to Toledo, OH. They would have been 22 and 19 years old at the time. I believe that this is the trip on which my Grandmother hit a very large pig (a 600 pound one) on the road and nearly wrecked the car. The pig escaped without injury (or so family lore would have it.)


This is my Grandfather's lineman's truck in 1928.




A Floating Line Gang -- taken in 1928.
From Left to Right -- Mr. Glazier, Pete Donaldson, Charlie Giles, J.R. Hill, (we think) Tom Worley, R.D. Potter, R.A. DeLay and Bill Leggett. My Grandfather worked for the Bell Telephone System for 45 years; I have his 45 year pin. He retired in 1968 or there about and died shortly after. My Grandmother worked as an operator for about 10 years; my other grandmother worked during the war. My mom worked for Southern Bell for 35 years and I did 2 summers as an intern. The LH's Grandfather was also a Bell man -- he worked for 45 years and retired in 1971 a vice president. Deep and strong ties to the Bell System.

Don't get hit in Hartford CT

News article states that no one in the video stepped forward to help the man, prompting police Chief Darryl Roberts to declare, "We no longer have a moral compass."

Lord have mercy on us all.

My Girl Scout

Chaos is helping Entropy bridge from Junior to Cadettes.

New Churches

Lord willin' and crick don't rise.

Sorted Shelves

Yes, there IS light at the end of the tunnel. Sorted shelves. Beautiful.

The Book Problem

Is real. It is very real. However, there are notes of hope on the journey. If you will look, there is an EMPTY SHELF. Yes, a cleared shelf where I can place sorted books. Yeah!

Note: Of course, I am using my "child labor" to do this, as I am still recovering. They sure complain a lot.

Theology of Space: Dante's Inferno

On one side and the other, with great howls, Rolling weights forward by main force of chest. They clashed together, and then at that point Each one turned backward, rolling retrograde, Crying, "Why keepest?" and, "Why squanderest thou?"

In Dante’s Inferno there is a circle of Hell reserved wildly differing groups of people, engaged in eternal war -- the Hoarders and the Wasters. They spend all of eternity rolling huge weights at each other on a hot and scorched plain. The weights are actually diamonds and represent the things they had such unhealthy relationships with. They scream out “Why keepest?” and "Why squanderest thou?" They do their roundelay -- forever and ever. This is the 4th circle of hell.

The LH and I sorted some of his clothing last weekend and were busy getting ready for an estate sale this weekend at his grandfather's house. I don't think that anyone is 100 percent a hoarder or a waster: we contain both. I think there are multitudes of reasons we hoard and/or waste. We hoard out of fear, out of a primal urge to collect our sticks and stones in our caves to fight off other cavemen, we hoard precious things to remind us of moments of happiness, of relationship.

News Flash

I don't like IVs. I don't like multiple antibiotics. Bleh.

The Good News; The Bad News

The Good New is that I'm not in the hospital and that I'm improving somewhat. The Bad News is that I have to stay in bed for 10 to 14 days. That means no vacation; no Florida Escape; no Shrimp and Grits. The kids are so very disappointed (as am I); I think they are going to drive me batty.

The other Good/Bad News is that I'm not feeling like cooking. We are going to eat whatever the Loving Husband can fix. The jury is out on if this is good news or bad.

P.S. My Tuesday prayer included one for persons in the hospital. Wednesday I WAS in the hospital. I hope this is not setting a precedent. I wouldn't want to pray for those in debt or suffering from scabby knees if that is so.

Home again

I am alive because of the miracle of modern medicine. This week, I have had IV antibiotics, oral antibiotics, a CAT scan and Lab work (I cannot help but think of the inevitable pun, here.) I'm better. Not well, but better. We may be able to travel somewhere tomorrow; time will tell.

If it weren't for modern medicine, I think I probably would be dead about 4 times over by now; childbirth, pneumonia, appendicitis and now diverticulitis. I cannot help but be grateful for this; I thank God for this. Whilst I was researching my new appointment, I found interesting things. Some of which was the 1870 Mortality schedule for Oglethorpe County, GA. What strikes me is the number of people who died of things that are so easy to treat today -- and the number of children. So many children. One guy died of a "conniption fit." So many died of things that we commonly treat now: "dropsy", pneumonia, an 18 year old and a 19 year old who died of childbed fever, rheumey, typhoid, diptheria, pertussis -- and the one that gets to me today -- bowels. Just that one word -- bowels. I had a g'g'grandfather who died of "bowels" while his wife was pregnant with their first child. My g'grandmother grew up in her mother's second husband's house -- not exactly treated as a child of that household (according to family legend) so much so that she married at age 14 to get out of that house.

We do indeed live in a different world; and for that I am grateful. But I also felt the dehumanizing and rather demoralizing effects of being in the hospital. It's one thing to discuss in a comfy CPE group (yes, I used the word comfy) or in ethics class the dehumanizing effects of our current medical system and another thing to experience it. You become your disease. Well, first -- you are a wallet. Before I could be treated in the ER, I had to fill out forms. I didn't feel like filling out a form -- my husband was out parking the car. Then you sit. And sit and sit. Until your name is called and they realize that you have a life threatening situation.

I know it's different when you come in an ambulance. Perhaps (if I ever do this again) next time I'll arrange for an ambulance. I hate the feeling of being in a cattle chute and being "herded" from one holding pen to another. And as soon as you get labeled with your disease, you get culled from the herd and put in a holding pen for your particular symptoms. I was actually placed in a trauma room for a while. I don't know what would have happened if there were a real trauma -- I might have been shoved off into the pile of medical supplies in the corners.

I hate hospitals; I hate emergency rooms especially. There is a different ethos in the ER -- rightly so, I imagine in most places. However a little room for human dignity would be so very welcome. At one point, I also was "abandoned" in a wheelchair in the hall as the radiology techs chatted about their weekend. Just a hunk of meat. I know that the techs meant no harm -- however they were not left without their clothing or their personal possessions; they were not draped with ill-fitting hospital gowns and abandoned in the hall.

There was a regular ward nurse in the ER -- she reported for duty, but as there was fewer people in the hospital than anticipated, she came down and assisted the overworked ER nurses. I could tell the difference. She had a listening attitude; she was the one who brought me ice chips, a blanket from the warmer, a pillow for my head. It takes a different kind of nurse for the ER, I suppose. This hospital also had no chaplaincy program. I felt that lack; I now know why parents and patients clung to me so hard in the ED. The Chaplain gives that humanizing presence; the Chaplain is incarnational. I will never take my role as Chaplain for granted again (when that is the role I am cast).

Yes -- that is a difference. The ER nurse ministered to my flesh; the regular ward nurse to both my flesh and my dignity, my spirit. She ministered to the image of God that lies within -- and it is as much as a calling as mine.

So, I'm home, I'm better and I appreciate the prayers. Keep them coming!

(P.S. I should thank Chaos for pointing out to me the dangers of the "remember me" check box.....)

Hey, can I get some prayer here?

Hey, y'all -- This is Chaos. This is the reason you never ever check the "remember me" box. Rev. Mommy is currently in the ER with some long D-Word problem. It's gastro-intestinal and she's now home.


The problem is, we were SUPPOSED to be in St. George by now, but have to postpone until she gets better. Something about not wanting her to die. Prayer is good. Lots and lots of it. I WANT TO GO ON VACATION. And I want my mom to get better, too.

Limitations of Time and Space

I've written many blog postings in my head -- like the one about stretching analogies and fruit. And the one about wilting roses on a kitchen table around which no one ever eats. But there is not enough time to write them all -- we are limited by lack of time and resources.

However, without those limitations would there even be blog postings to post? If life were completely comfortable all the time, would there be anything to discuss?

I wonder sometimes where all those thoughts end up. Is there a "dead letter" department in my head like the one at the Post Office? If these thoughts aren't expressed, will my head eventually explode? Or will they just gently fade away?

I had two or three postings in mind this morning, but they are gone. I was going say something about rice. And there is one I really want to write about cats/church. I sometimes start a posting with really brief little notes, so that I can write it up later. But when I go back, I end up wondering "What has bread to do with the making of earthen tiles?"

Does a blog post make sound if it falls down in the forest?

Morning Prayer

Wake my soul with all things living
thanks be giving to the Source of life and day
Sunlight comes and gone confusion,
night's illusion, like the starlight
fades away.

Cry for help, when griefs assail you,
good friends fail you, life seems hopeless, death appears.
One whose child knew deep affliction,
crucifixion,
ever waits to dry your tears.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9

In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;
let me never be ashamed.
In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free;
incline your ear to me and save me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;
you are my crag and my stronghold.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from of the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
For you are my hope, O LORD God,
my confidence since I was young.
I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb you have been my strength;
my praise shall be always of you.
-- Psalm 71:1-7

Almighty God,
Your own Son had nowhere to lay his head:
Be with those who live alone today so that they may not be lonely in their solitude,
Help them live according to your example and follow in your steps,
May they find fulfillment in loving you and
May they find fulfillment in the love of their neighbors.

For those in the hospital today

Dearest Lord,
Be with us and be the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers:
Mercifully accept our prayers,
And give to those suffering the help of your power,
that their sickness may be turned into health,
and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sanctify those whom you have called to the study and practice of the arts of healing,
and to the prevention of disease and pain.
Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit,
that by their ministries
the health of the community may be promoted
and your creation glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Johnny being Handsome

Isn't he handsome?

Schrodinger's Cats

see more crazy cat pics

I find Physics a nice place to discover analogies that ring true to life. According to Wikipedia, "Physics is the science of matter and its motion as well as space and time - the science that deals with concepts such as force, energy, mass, and charge. Physics is an experimental science;it is the general analysis of nature. Its purpose is to understand how the world around us behaves."

Personally, I think we are always looking to understand how the world behaves. The Laws of Physics can help, even with people. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. True? When someone "acts" upon us, we tend to "react." Just watch two kids fight. It can become a perpetual motion machine. "She hit me!" "She hit me first!" And so on. I don't think I have to spell it all out.

I am always looking to make sense of this world; I am always looking to analyze. I don't know if that's a part of us all or just a part of my personality, but I am always striving to understand.

I've wanted to know how churches work; what makes them tick. I am now solidly of the opinion that 1) it's all about the relationships and 2) it's all about power/control. Part of this is good; part is very bad. It should be about God and God is all about the relationships. But it ends up being about US -- about having power and control over each other.

But there is freedom when one lets go of power and control. I don't know where I want to go with this -- I can't determine my direction when I control my speed; I don't know if the cat is dead or alive. I suppose what's important is the possibility of either. Can one measure health of a congregation without influencing that health? Can you determine the speed and velocity of the church? Can you measure direction?

Life ... do I have one?

because I'm upset that Twitter is down. No Twittering tonight. ::sadness::

Honor Roll Students

With near perfect grades, perfect conduct. I cannot BELIEVE these are my children. Academic Excellence. I'm proud.

Sunday Morning Prayer

O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Give us the joy of your saving help
and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.

Jesus says, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.'
So let us turn away from our sin and turn to Christ,
confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Your Son, Jesus Christ, suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen.

Blessed are you, Lord our God,
creator and redeemer of all;
to you be glory and praise for ever.
From the waters of chaos you drew forth the world
and in your great love fashioned us in your image.
Now, through the deep waters of death,
you have brought your people to new birth
by raising your Son to life in triumph.
May Christ your light ever dawn in our hearts
as we offer you our sacrifice of thanks and praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Awake, Jerusalem, awake!
No longer in thy sins lie down;
The garment of salvation take,
Thy beauty and thy strength put on.

Shake off the dust that blinds thy sight,
And hides the promise from thine eyes;
Arise, and struggle into light,
The great Deliverer calls: Arise!

Shake off the bands of sad despair;
Zion, assert thy liberty;
Look up, thy broken heart prepare,
And God shall set the captive free.

Vessels of mercy, sons of grace,
Be purged from every sinful stain,
Be like your Lord, His Word embrace,
Nor bear His hallowed Name in vain.

Theremin -- Pictures of the Coils

Here are the cores for my coils and the two coils themselves. I used an old harness from a television set for the copper wire and two cores from my Loving Husband's pile 'o cores. I think I did an OK job on winding the coils. But I think that I will need MUCH bigger inductance than I originally thought.

I've found a little box to put my next project in -- I'll snap a few pictures shortly . Maybe I can put the kit together tomorrow....

I have a life and it's a geek life, thank you very much.

Star Trek, Time, Veterans and Crystallization of Identity

I'm a Star Trek fan from way back. WAY back. So it's not to surprising that I think of Star Trek as one of my "lexicons." Well, there is this episode of ST:DS9 that intrigues me. Sisko takes back an orb (sacred artifact of the Bajorans) into the wormhole and has encounters with the Prophets (wormhole aliens). Now the prophets are pretty interesting; we are anchored in one particular place in TIME, but not space. We can move around. The Prophets are anchored in one particular place in SPACE but not time. So interactions with the prophets are interesting. It's a Heisenberg-ian kind of thing.

In this episode, Sisko communicates with the Prophets, but is always in the same place and time. Every time he encounters the Prophets, it is at the moment of his wife's death. We see that moment over and over again. We experience the violence of the death, his grief and agony, his despair of having to leave her body. He asks the Prophet why they are tormenting him and they respond, "But this is where you exists." It was a moment in time where Sisko WAS in a way that he WASN'T anywhere else. His person and identity are crystallized in that moment; it shapes the rest of his life.

These moments occur in all of our lives. My dad was a veteran; if you are a vet, you can understand some of his moments. I saw an echo of this in the movie "Flags of our Fathers" when Doc Bradley collapses from a stroke/heart attack on the steps of his place of business and he cries out, "Where is he?? Where is he??" From the flow of the movie you KNOW that he is looking for his friend Iggy who had died in the hands of the Japanese 50 years previously. My dad lived, he existed in moments when he helped liberate the concentration camps; I know other vets that live in moments like these. I think of them every Memorial Day and I wonder if they will ever find healing; if they CAN be healed or if that moment needs somehow to be redeemed.

I have my moments in time; there was the moment where I told my Dad goodbye; there was the moment where I was driving to the hospital to claim my mother's body and I saw the lights on First Baptist's Steeple. There was the moment I surrendered to God as I rocked my baby who was sleeping in a light blanket because of jaundice; I surrendered myself and took up my call. I exist in these moments; somehow these moments are eternal.

My mom died May 28 seven year ago. Those final moments with her are still crystal clear. They have shaped my life. I think of them every year, around this time. We all have them. My Dad dreamed of the concentration camps the rest of his life. We also will crystallize other people by these moments; they shape our perceptions of them. I have a perception of a minister of my youth and the day he ordered a homeless person out of the sanctuary. I have an image of another the day he held my grandmother's hand and cried with her the day my grandfather died.

What are your crystallizing moments? How have you been shaped? Are they moments of hurt that still need healing? Are they moments that have helped shape the world's perception of you?

We also have images of Christ that we carry around with us. Some of us have an image of the babe in the manger; some the image of Christ on the Cross. Most of these crystallizing moments are of great pain or great joy. Which will we cling to? Which can we let go? Where will we exist? Can we exist with the great "I Am?" Can we?

Thursday Bullets

• I've been "off" of blogging for a week. The break was good.
• The girls are now out of school. We've been busy doing this and that -- we spent 3 hours at the dentist earlier in the week and I'm going to get them both physicals in the next couple of weeks. Their school day was 9:30 to 4:00 this year and the school system doesn't like you to check them out for routine doctor visits, so it's catch-up time now.
• The house is still a work in process. It will be for a while, I'm sure, but I would like to SEE the progress instead of a mess. The last time that the house was TOTALLY clean (like I like it) with every drawer sorted, every thing picked up, every closet sorted, all the laundry done, the refrigerator cleaned out and behind all furniture and appliances cleaned (all at the same time) was December 2, 1996. Why I remember the day, I don't know.
• The last time I really sorted my closet out and gave away stuff was December 14, 2003. It's time. I'm going to spend the next few days working on that.
• I did finish the bathroom (it's been about 5 years for that too.) Every bottle examined and determination made to keep, give away, throw away. I threw away a couple of garbage bags of stuff. Why do I purchase a product, use some of it and then when decide I don't like it -- why don't I just throw it away then? Why do I wait until the "sell by" date rolls around? The bathroom is great now -- nice and peaceful. I even put out fresh candles.
• My bedroom is approaching "finished" as well. I have a motherload of video tapes in there -- I will never watch them again. I am going to go through the videotapes and sell or donate all of them. I also need to sort out my jewelry stuff. I will put some of it aside for the kids but I don't need all of that stuff.
• The girls are off to Savannah this morning to do the Girl Scout Big Trip. I'm looking forward to romantic dates with the Loving Husband. They are going to be so very busy. On their itinerary: Dolphin Cruise, First Headquarters of the GS, BirthPlace, Mable Frances Potters Cupcake Emporium, Casbah Restaurant, Ghost Walk, Andrew Lowe House, Tybee Lighthouse, Fort Pulaski and the beach. They are camping at the 4-H center on Tybee.
  

For Girl Scouts, it doesn't get much better than this. Camping, the beach, belly-dancing, Juliette Gordon Lowe, Dolphins, Cupcakes, Lighthouses. I am SO GLAD I'm not the Adult in charge of that flock of 12-14 year olds. Been there; done that. Got the Tee Shirt. Maybe next time. =o)

Mildly Funny. OK, Really Funny.

Playing Around with Statistics

I've been playing with numbers this week and doing some very basic analysis on Church Growth in north Georgia. Here is a population density map with pushpins on all the Megachurchs in north Georgia. I would say that the pattern is self-evident; there is a large concentration of Megachurches within the Atlanta area, following the population density.

You can "see" numbers and then you can SEE numbers. In this map, I can "see" how there is a corridor of growth up I-85 and another up I-75. I've also done maps on the 50 largest UMC churches in NGa, the 50 who have grown the most via membership and the 50 who have grown the most via attendance. The patterns there are also unmistakable.

I need to have the presentation finished by Monday so that it can go to committee, be reviewed and ready to go by Annual Conference mid-June.

Morning Prayer -- I Cannot Do This Alone

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.
In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me…
Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before me.
Lord, whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Headachey

I've had a series of headaches this week; a cluster headache. Migraines. It's better now, but it sure has taken a while. I know of so many who have these for a long time; it's been years since I've had one this bad. Blogging has suffered; so has the house. I'm taking a true sabbath day to see if it will go away.

On occasion...

On occasion I will download or purchase a software package that will start to totally suck up my time and interest. I downloaded a newer copy of Google Earth and I have been geeking out -- exploring remote Antarctic Islands, looking at my neighborhood, making "tours." I really did it to make a tour of the fastest growing churches in my conference; it's going to be a nice presentation.

I just can't believe how long I've played around with this -- I've looked at all the Malls around, at the place we are going to spend our vacation, at parts of Alaska; there is one shot where there is practically no land to be found. We really do live on a water world. There is another shot I could have taken where Asia and Africa take up the entire view.

We get so used to seeing it "right side up" that when you can turn the view this way or that, it gives fresh perspective.

I think I'll go explore Togo now.

Question of the Day

Note: I'm bumping this up top today -- I really want to know what you think.

What makes a church congregation "healthy"? How does one quantify it?

More: I'm doing an analysis of our conference; I've got bunches of statistics for the last 7 or 8 years. These are the things I can look for. I would appreciate more suggestions.

1) I have the growth rates for each county. I also have a) membership gain b) attendance gain. I am going to either add or subtract the difference (the delta) of the growth rate for the county from these -- this will "normalize" the growth of the church. For instance, if a church's attendance appears to be dropping 10% per year, you might assume that the church is at risk. But if the county is dropping at 10% as well, then they really are at steady-state. If the county is dropping 15%, then this church really is doing quite well.

2) I have the "average age" of people in each county. It really does vary all over the place. If there is a church with just a handful of prep members and /or constitutory members and they are in a "young county," then they might be at risk. If on the other hand they are in a county that is aging, then they probably are OK.

3) I have a figure for "giving." I can divide this by membership and get a count per head. I can look at the figures for average income and figure out how this congregation is doing compared to the income of the county. (What will I use for the "norm"? The average giving? The mean, the median?)

4) Membership to attendance ratio. I know that people just don't do church like they did in the 1950's. In the 50's, people went 36 to48 Sundays per year. Now I think our largest group attends 24 to 36 per year (lots of reasons for this.) Can I legitimately normalize for this?

Morning Prayer -- African Hymn

The cross is the hope of Christians,
the cross is the resurrection of the dead,
the cross is the way of the lost,
the cross is the savior of the lost,

the cross is the staff of the lame,
the cross is the guide of the blind,
the cross is the strength of the weak,
the cross is the doctor of the sick,

the cross is the aim of the priests,
the cross is the hope of the hopeless,
the cross is the freedom of the slaves,
the cross is the power of the kings,

the cross is the water of the seeds,
the cross is the consolation of the bondmen,
the cross is the source of those who seek water,
the cross is the cloth of the naked.

We thank you, Father, for the cross.

An Offer You Can't Refuse; maybe.

Found on an email list.
Offer: One Russian Blue Cat. His name is Puppy. He likes to eat and sleep. Overweight. He is very cuddly as long as you do it right and as you let him approach you, hates being teased. He is older, maybe 10 years, declawed and fixed. Has to stay inside. Only likes women. Must be the only pet. Spoiled rotten and has grumpy old man personality.

How can I resist?

Tuesday Randomness

• Entropy's Awards Ceremony was last night. Chaos and Entropy go to a HUGE middle school. Entropy received two awards; one for perfect conduct and one for High Honors. Yeah! But it was 3 hours of my life I will never ever get back. Thank goodness we had the 2 DS's and could play "Brain Age."
• And Thursday? We get to do it AGAIN for Chaos' Awards Ceremony. Goody.
• Last full week of school -- all the end of the year stuff to do. Not enough time.
• Karate is going well; because of Awards Ceremonies, we will miss a couple of classes. I've not lost weight, but I am stronger. And I've lost inches. I suppose I will eat carrots... instead of snacks. And oatmeal for b'fast every day.
• Walking everyday sounds good. That would be a good way to incorporate more exercise.
• We are arranging vacations. Kids this age make life complicated.
• But because they BOTH are going to be gone on Memorial Day, the LH and I get to do some Adult Time Without Kids.
• We've beach time coming up too. That sounds wonderful.
• Still working on an Estate Sale. That's trucking along.
• And the Book Sorting is continuing. I'm on Fiction L-M today.
  
• I've missed "creative time." I made a video for Annual Conference yesterday -- almost finished. It's cute and silly. Last couple of AC's, all the videos were very "significant." This will be a nice silly note to lighten mood. After all, the subject will be statistics which is "significant" enough.
• I've lots of "missing links." I'd post pictures except that the battery of the camera needs to be recharged and I'm missing the charger. I'd take pictures of various things except I'm missing my good wide angle lens. I'd sew some, except I'm missing the little screwdriver thingy to change out the broken needle. I'd vacuum, except I don't know where the vacuum cleaner bags are. Lots of "missing links."
• Time to package Amazon books, get ready to leave to pick up kids and go to Post Office. Then it's fold laundry, empty dishwasher, bring down dirties to wash, pick up living room, make dinner and karate. A Day In the Life...
  

Option #2

moar funny pictures

Option #1

moar funny pictures

Lol of the Day

see more politics and fun!

True Sportmanship

"It's a wonderful thing when someone has the character to do the right thing at the right time."



A game where there were only winners; no losers.

Hattip to: Lake Neuron

Morning Prayer -- from the Celtic Tradition

God's will would I do,
My own will bridle;

God's due would I give,
My own due yield;

God's path would I travel,
My own path refuse;

Christ's death would I ponder,
My own death remember;

Christ's agony would I meditate,
My love to God make warmer;

Christ's cross would I carry,
My own cross forget;

Repentance of sin would I make,
Early repentance choose;

A bridle to my tongue I would put,
A bridle on my thoughts I would keep

God's judgement would I judge,
My own judgement guard;

Christ's redemption would I seize,
My own ransom work;

The love of Christ would I feel,
My own love know.

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 7:37 -39

Morning Prayer -- from the Celtic Tradition

Lord, hear my voice when I call to you. My heart has prompted me to
seek your face; I seek it Lord; do not hide from me, alleluia

The maker of all things,
The Lord God worship we;
Heaven white with angels’ wings,
Earth and the white-waved sea.
May the Trinity protect me wherever I stay, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.

May Jesus and the Father,
may the Holy Spirit sanctify us!
May the mysterious God not hidden in darkness,
may the bright King save us!

The praise of Christ is illustrious speech,
The worship of God’s Son is an art full of virtue.
May everyone who has sung it or heard it
Belong to God’s kingdom without rejection.
Christ, Christ, hear me!
Christ, Christ of your meekness!
Christ, Christ love me!
Sever me not from your sweetness!

Monday Bullets

• Today is a catch up sort of day.
• I've made phone calls all morning; arranged for the girls to go to horsey camp; cleaned house; done laundry; sorted stuff and that ilk.
• I'm working currently on "my" 8th grade Social Studies project. Chaos has two projects due tomorrow; she's currently on a all day field trip with her science class (7:00 am to 6:00 pm), Girl Scouts at 6:30. The kid will be home at 8:00 pm. So I'm helping -- I've spray painted all day (every 20 minutes or so) her cardboard cutout of a 1948 Cadillac Convertible for her skit in Social Studies tomorrow. I will detail it this afternoon with some markers. I sure hope I get an "A" on my project.
• I've put cardboard to recycle in the back of the car as well as 4 big bags of outgrown kid clothing. I'm continuing the purging process.
• I've D and E in the correct spot in the Book Alphabetizing project. F to G is sorted and ready to be moved onto the correct shelf; H is on the correct shelf, as is I. J is floating around in a box, as is K- M. I'm making progress....
• I purchased with my trade-in points three books this morning. I took in 60 books and took home 3. Definitely the right direction.
• I wanted to build this weekend on my Theremin project; never had time. I did find the other lens I needed; I think the lens on the camera now is toast. Somehow the Nikon got dropped on the lens and my cheapo wide-angle lens is busted. I'll take pictures as soon as I get the new lens on the camera.
• Entropy cut her hair off and is now donating it to Locks of Love (second time for her.) She also had her eyebrows waxed for the first time. The kid looks like a different person. Who is this child? What did you do with my daughter??
• I'm geeking about karate. I'm watching karate videos on YouTube...
• I've built a "Theremin" in Second Life; no scripting yet. Still wondering about how to do that. I've got to learn how to created animations first. More to do.
• I couldn't get online for my Monday morning Bible Study in Second Life. Dern this Linksys Router!
• I'm currently playing with statistics in between coats of spray paint. Time for another coat!
  

OK, I can't stop snickering.

Virtual Parties can Make Real Mess

I'll clean it up later. Or I could just add some virtual rats and roaches that I found on teh interwebs as a freebie.

I'm too tired to make a real posting about GC2008 right now -- I stayed until the very end. Gavin and I were the only-est ones to stick to it that long. I eventually downloaded some Tai Chi moves so that my avatar didn't get too fat. =o)

Spiffy new shirts

Last Night

I lost track of how many people wandered by last night. I know at one point we ran out of seats -- I had out 11 chairs. Unlike Sunday, the 20 to 30 people who wandered by came a few at a time.

There was a large enough core of people that we have formed bonds -- throwing around "inside jokes" that were only two or three hours in the making. It's really amazing how something like watching this feed together (for hours and hours) can forge friendships and bonds.

And it's amazing how silly you can be after watching this for hours and hours and hours. And we did indeed get really silly. Hence the Bowties -- we noticed how many people were wearing Bowties. It was really a large ratio of speakers. It eventually got to the point that someone would get up and speak and we would say, "Hey! S/He needs a Bowtie!" Silly stuff.

After the feed was turned off -- we stayed and prayed. It was a Beautiful time.

I'll be on again this afternoon, but I do have to take care of some things in Real Life.

Later, y'all.

Thinking ...

It has been indeed the issue of Homosexuality that has been the hot topic this year at GC2008. And again, we are staying with the language currently in the Book of Discipline. Those on either side -- I feel for them. I feel the hurt of a mother whose child cannot be theirself and still find a way to fulfill their call. I feel the pain of men and women where the door has been shut in their face; the pain of couples who want to be bound together in covenant.

Yet I also feel the pain of those who feel that we are losing our grounding; that we are not seeking to will of God in this; that we are denying a certain witness of scripture. They hurt as well.

To see the open wounds and the open conflict is heartbreaking. How can all this brokenness come together in unity? How can we be indeed the Body of Christ in all this?

I know that real reconciliation will not come on a legislative floor; there must be some better way. I was caught by a sentence in the May 6th Christian Century -- "Leadership often gets too far ahead of the congregation... The vision caster must wait for the team, the team must wait for the congregation, and everyone must wait on the Lord."

In the General Conference's decisions to not change our wording in the Book of Discipline, I am not hear rejection of either side. What I am hearing is, "Wait." Adam Hamilton's posting today likened a radical change in either direction to throwing a car into reverse as it's speeding along at 70 miles and hour. It would destroy this church. Let us wait a while until all of our conferences and delegates and congregation can catch up. Let us not get too far ahead.

Let us wait and pray for discernment; Let us be still and wait upon the Lord.

Final Hour Watching

Dear All,

Watching General Conference 2008 in community within the medium of Second LIfe has been such a blessing. We have had jokes and laughter as well as excellent and thoughtful reflections on the actions of General Conference.

Tonight is the final working evening for GC2008; the closing worship service will start tomorrow, May 2 at 3:15 Central time. Please join us in community tonight at 10:00 pm Eastern Time (9:00 Central, 7:00 Second Life time) to watch the final working hours of GC2008.

Tomorrow, we will gather together at 3:30 Eastern Time tomorrow for a short prayer session before the final Worship Service of GC2008 starts at 4:15 Eastern, 3:15 Central or 1:15 Second Life time.

To enter Second Life, you will need to register at www.Secondlife.com and download the client. The orientation for Second Life will take anywhere between 15 minutes to 30 minutes -- when you are finished, IM myself (ReverendMommy Rabeni) or Gavin Richardson (Gavin Tellig) for a Teleport invitation to the build. If you want to find it for yourself, the build is on Xenia Island and is just North of Koinonia Church.

Thanks and I hope to see you there!

Thursday Bullets

• Here's a picture of a few of us watching GC2008 outside the Methodist Meetinghouse in Second Life. Yes, I know that the video feed is upside down and backwards. It seems that a quarter of the viewers don't see the video at all or hear any audio, a quarter hear the audio, but see no video, a quarter of us see the live feed upside down and backwards and a quarter of the viewers see it just fine and wonder what's wrong with the rest of us. I think there is something deeply theological about that. The recorded videos play back just fine -- it's the live streaming video that gets messed up. I almost didn't want to stream until the feed was perfect, but that's sort of like not having anyone over until the house is perfect -- I don't think that it will ever happen.
• This is myself, Carol from Smallest Angel, Gavin and John Meunier from Come to the Waters. I'd link, but I'm lazy today. I added the bubble chairs yesterday when I realized that some of the problem with streaming was probably due to the fact that the parcel was "full." The folding chairs took up too many resources.
• Last night was a biggie -- they voted to keep the Discipline the same per homosexuals not being ordained clergy. They also discussed other changes -- and most of the time have voted to keep the Discipline as is. The issues are so very complex at times: the leg bone is connected to the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone is connected to the hip bone -- literally a connectional system. If legislation A is enacted, the people B are going to feel displaced. If people B are displaced then people C will not support legislation D. I'm not going to get into what exactly A-D are but just say that it has been interesting to be a fly on the wall. For a beautiful and heartfelt summary of the issue, go to the Rankin File. Here's an excerpt:

  I know that this is how politics works and I guess, most of the time, I'm quite OK with it working this way. But when I see the emotion permeating this particular vote; when I watch people weep after the vote because, once again, they feel that the church has spurned them or someone they love, I think to myself, "There has to be a better way to deal with this issue."

• On other fronts, I'm shopping for gaming headsets for use in SL. The problems I have with what I can find: too heavy, mic boom too short, uncomfortable. I'll still just shop for a while.
• And I have to shop for a dance dress for Chaos. My little girlies are growing up.
• I got my Rotten Banana Belt (yellow with black stripe) last week. Loving Husband was correct and I was wrong (there, I said it, ok?)
• The gas thing is freaking me out. I figured it is costing me $.33 a mile. I used $10 of gas yesterday. I'm planning on combining trips as often as possible. I'm reading on the interwebs how to save on gas mileage. And it's gallons, not galleons as Jim so aptly pointed out. I'm going to save galleons on my gallons, though.
• I'm reading a couple of books to help me write a proposal for the SL church thingy. "The World is Flat" from a couple of years ago and "Exodus to the Virtual World." Interesting reading.
• I'm still sorting books.
• I'm still thinking about Theremin -- I may take pictures this afternoon.
• But first today, I think I will sit outside in the sunshine and listen to the birdsong.
  
• More Later.