Kim in KCK

2011-01-25T14:21:00.001-06:00

Goodness! Has it really been a year and a half since I posted on here? My, how time flies when you're having fun!

A lot has happened since my last post.

I attended a gathering of my elementary school in July. What wonderful fun, seeing some of the people I hadn't seen in 35 years!

In November I attended some of the festivities surrounding my 30 year high school reunion. Found myself suddenly shy. Not like me at all. But I had a good time reconnecting with some people and remembering things I had forgotten.

In December I turned 49, thus beginning my 50th year.

I have submitted paperwork to apply for ordination in June. Interviews with the Board of Ordained Ministry are on March 4.

I have submitted an application to attend a week long writing workshop in August.

I still need to complete Statistical Tables for 2010. They are due Monday.

One thing at a time...one thing at a time...

My son has a swim meet about 30 miles away at 4, so I'm gonna go now, buy some gas, and get some lunch to eat on the way.

I hope to get back to writing again, but no promises....

Close encounters of the furred kind...

2009-05-09T13:05:00.003-05:00

May 7, 2009:
There’s a groundhog in the grill! And no, I’m not talking about some roadkill cuisine that has just suddenly occurred to me. As I drove into the parking lot of the church as I returned from lunch, my attention was captured by movement in the seventies vintage brick barbecue pit in the corner of the lot. I saw it in time to catch the hindquarters of a very large groundhog turning around and disappearing into the grill.

I thought it was closed. I thought it was concrete on the bottom. I thought the sides were solid brick. Obviously, I was mistaken.

I stepped closer to the grill, and I could see no hole, only the accumulation of leaves from seasons past. I looked down the hillside behind the grill, and saw no signs of the escaping wildlife.

I guess he (or she?) lives there in the inner, hidden recesses of the grill. No fire has touched it in years, so it must be a strong brick house. No fear of big, bad wolves for this little earth-piggy.

Live well, my furry friend, live well.

Septic Tank Pumping Etiquette

2009-05-01T12:52:00.002-05:00

I had the septic tank pumped today. I was told they would arrive sometime between 11 and 3, and would call when they were about 30 minutes away.

They called about 11:45.

A nice young man named Tyler showed up at the door. I showed him where the tank was located, told him I thought it was about 1200 gallons, and that we had lived here 10 years and had never pumped it.

He told me he would knock on the door when he was done.

When he came to the door, he asked why we thought it needed pumping. I told him that I knew it had been at least 10 years, and we periodically could smell sewage.

(I didn't share with him the fact that we have houseguests coming over Memorial Day weekend, and Murphy's Law tells us that if it were to fail, it would be then.)

He told me that the level was above the outlet; that he rarely sees them full to that level. He also told me that he pumped out 1500 gallons.

I gave him my credit card, he called in the charge to the office, and offered me some sage septic tank advice. (I also didn't tell him that I had worked in the wastewater business for over twenty years.)

As he left, he reached out to shake my hand.

I found this rather odd, but I shook his hand, nonetheless.

When I went inside, I found the hand sanitizer and used it.

Day Off

2008-09-05T07:04:00.002-05:00

Today is my day off. My job is 3/4 time, so I try to take Monday and Friday as days off.

Last week, that meant that I spent only about 75% of my available time doing church-y things. Today, I'm pretending I'm doing the things I want to do, like trying to get in to see the chiropractor, picking up the other half of my husband's prescriptions because the pharmacy only handed me one of two on Wednesday, going to Sam's Club to buy meatballs for the church dinner next week, calling the DS to see what he knows that I might not know, getting a start on my sermon since I'll be in a training most of the day tomorrow, and scrubbing the kitchen floor (but I cheat at that since my hubby got me a Scooba for Christmas - I still have to babysit it, though, because it tends to hang up under the cabinets). If I have time I really need to make a jail visit, but I don't quite feel up to it today.

Monday isn't shaping up much better.

Allergies are driving me a bit crazy, so I think I'll take a nap. I can't really do any of this stuff 'til after 8 AM anyway. Later...

First Person, Present Tense

2008-08-29T11:32:00.005-05:00

The following is the text of a homily I preached at a nursing home in my area on this week's lectionary text.

Exodus 3:1-15 ^3:1Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ^3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. ^3:3 Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up." ^3:4 When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." ^3:5 Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." ^3:6 He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. ^3:7 Then the LORD said, "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, ^3:8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites^{. 3:9} The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. ^3:10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." ^3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" ^3:12 He said, "I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain." ^3:13 But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" ^3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" ^3:15 God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

This is a familiar scripture to most of us. Even if we haven’t necessarily read it, we’ve at least seen it played out by Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments. We know it and understand it as the call of Moses. Many of you have probably even heard it preached on.

You all know the story. Moses was just walking along, minding his own business and tending his father-in-law’s sheep when he saw a bush burning off to one side of the trail. As he noticed this bush, this fire at the side of the path, he was a little confused, because even though it was burning, it wasn’t being burned up. He decided that he needed to check it out a little more closely, and he had to leave the path to do that.

Often, it seems, God will go to great lengths just to get our attention! For Moses it was a burning bush. Sometimes it’s a lightning strike. Sometimes it may be a serious illness. What lengths has God gone to just to get your attention?

And once God has our attention, isn’t it usually the case that, like Moses, we may have to leave the path we are on to figure out what God wants us to do? God’s path isn’t always the one we have marked out for ourselves, but it seems to me, once we start down God’s path, there isn’t any turning back. We may hit detours and obstacles along the way, but we can always work our way back to the path.

When God saw that Moses’ attention had been caught, God called out to Moses. And when Moses responded, God started talking and didn’t let up. As God spoke to Moses, God began with the proper approach toward holiness – Remove your sandals – you’re standing on holy ground. Now we don’t think about taking off our shoes when we go to church, but we do need to prepare our minds and hearts for any encounter with God. We need to prepare ourselves to be ready to face the miraculous and amazing. When it comes to having a direct encounter with God, we prepare ourselves as best we can, and expect to be amazed.

God continued with the identification of who was speaking, including a short history lesson “I am the God of your father and your ancestors – of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. This was enough to get Moses’ attention, and he hid his face so as to not look directly upon God. Nobody, but nobody feels worthy to look at God straight on.

And then God began to recount how God knew about all that the Hebrew people were going through. God told Moses, "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."

God knew what was going on with the people. God wasn’t hiding out up in the clouds, oblivious to what was happening on earth. God was keeping track of every person and every encounter and every relationship and every prick and pain of every person.

And that’s still the way it is. Even today, God knows what we are going through. This isn’t just a story of people a long time ago. It’s our story, too.

Some of us may be in Egypt – experiencing suffering and loss of hope…looking for the way to bring an end to the agony, torment and affliction.

Others may be wandering around in the wilderness. Not quite tormented as they have been in the past, yet not really having found the promised land either. Some may be looking backward over their shoulders thinking, “we had it so much better before….Why can’t we just go back? Others may be looking forward, thinking, “I know the promised land is just over the next rise…a few more steps, and we’ll be there!”

Some of us even hear the voice of God calling to us from a bush along the side of the road, and even though at times afraid to face it, are learning to turn toward it to say “Here I am."

And wherever we are in our journey of faith, God knows what we’re going through and promises to be with us on the way.

This scripture offers us God’s promise. It may be a little hard to weed out, but we find it in God’s words to Moses. When Moses asks God what he should tell the people…how will they know that God sent him? God tells him to say: , 'I AM has sent me to you. The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

Two simple words, I AM – the name of God. These words are a promise.

God’s name is I AM forever. First person, Present tense of TO BE. God - the first being and the last. A person in the man, Jesus Christ who suffered more than we can know or fathom, so much to die for our sins as a living and human sacrifice, and present always with us in the Holy Spirit. A wonderful promise for all times- always present tense: I am. Yesterday: I AM. Today: I AM. Tomorrow, and the next day, and the next – for all generations –present tense: I AM!

This is the God we worship. The great I AM. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, the God of our parents, our ancestors, of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. The God of our journey from the land of suffering into the land of promise. The God who created us, who calls us into service, who knows our suffering, who walks beside us even now, and who leads us on to eternity. This is our God, and we Praise the great I AM for all time. Thanks and praise to God’s holy name!

Labor Day Friday Five

2008-08-29T06:56:00.002-05:00

It is supposed to also be a celebration of the working man and woman, the backbone of the American economy, the "salt-of-the-earth nieces and nephews of Uncle Sam. With apologies to those in other countries, this is a Friday Five about LABOR. All can play. Put down that hammer, that spoon, that rolling pin, that rake, that pen, that commentary, that lexicon, and let's have some fun.

1. Tell us about the worst job you ever had.
Every job I've ever worked at has had both its good and bad aspects. When I was in college, I worked on a survey crew for the railroad. Sometimes our assignments would include inventory activities, and as I walked along the tracks counting railroad ties for miles on end, I remember thinking about how I thought as a child that it would be a really boring job to have to count railroad ties. And it was.

Another place I worked as an environmental engineer enforcing regulations on various industries. It was one of the most polluted places I've ever been. The air stunk, and the groundwater was purported to have a foot of benzene floating on the top. Beyond that, the work environment was also very poisonous, with egos that had to be protected and vicious back-biting. In the two years I worked there, I encountered at least 8 people who have since died of cancer or had other mysterious illnesses. I still credit my former boss with having saved my life by recruiting me away from that hell-hole.

2. Tell us about the best job you ever had.
Gotta be the one I have now! It took me 25 years to finally respond formally to my call, and now that I'm into the third year with my churches, I still have the feeling of "I can't believe they actually pay me to do this!" To get paid to love people and to be loved by them in return while serving God is the most incredible opportunity I can imagine! I get to read at work and visit people in the hospital and set up gatherings of others. I'm having a great time!

3. Tell us what you would do if you could do absolutely anything (employment related) with no financial or other restrictions.
I'm doing it now! (See #2 above). Like I said, it took me a long time to get here. I used to say that when I won the lottery, I would quit my job and go to seminary. The problem was, I didn't buy lottery tickets. I finally decided that I needed to take the Nike approach and "just do it." I used to make a lot more money than I do now, and had many job-related perks, but I'm so glad I followed this path.

4. Did you get a break from labor this summer? If so, what was it and if not, what are you gonna do about it?
As my first summer out of seminary and the first in full-time ministry, I was looking forward to getting some plans laid out, and my house cleaned, and maybe some start on some other household projects that have been on hold a long time. It was labor that I was actually looking forward to - somewhat.

None of it happened that way. I did get the opportunity to take a road trip with my daughter, and that was great fun, but the work didn't happen. I keep thinking that now that the kids are back in school I can get some things done. We'll see.

5. What will change regarding your work as summer morphs into fall? Are you anticipating or dreading?
Anticipating. I have a couple of new programs starting up at the churches, and I feel much more organized than I have been, so my hope it that I won't have quite as many things slipping through the cracks due to overload.

Bonus question: For the gals who are mothers, do you have an interesting story about labor and delivery? If you are a guy pal, not a mom, or you choose not to answer the above, is there a song, a book, a play, that says "workplace" to you?

A terribly appropriate question today since it is my dear daughter's 17th birthday. It was a rough 34-hour labor, and then she ended up spending 10 days in neonatal intensive care. Not something I want to relive, but stories aplenty. We ended up bringing her home from the hospital on Labor Day weekend - a major improvement over the previous year when I spent Labor Day weekend recovering from a miscarriage.

Rev Gal Friday Five - Date edition

2008-08-22T13:25:00.002-05:00

Songbird offered this Friday five:

Here are five things to ponder about dates. I hope you'll play!

1) Datebooks--how do you keep track of your appointments? Electronically? On paper? Month at a glance? Week at a glance?

Every few months, I look for that perfect solution. I prefer week at a glance on paper, but I also keep things on my phone/pda, and that seems to be the most current at any given moment. But it offers the difficulty of not being able to see the whole week or month laid out. I can look at it in outlook, but with two offices and home, having everything all synced together gets complicated.

When I work my calendar well, I schedule my time for myself as well as the things other people have me doing...when I don't, I tend to blow off my spare time. But isn't that what spare time is for? I tend to get a lot done just because I do manage time pretty well, but I also tend to over schedule myself and get stressed.

2) When was the last time you forgot an important date?

I really don't recall....I didn't write it down.

3) When was the last time you went OUT on a date?

About 2-3 weeks ago. Husband was coming home from Boy Scout Camp, son was still there, daughter had plans of her own, and my sermon was mostly done before Saturday evening. I called my husband up and told him that if he got home in time, we could go out. He got home in time. We just went out to dinner, but we had both spent the past week with one child a piece and not together, so we needed time to catch up. It was nice.

4) Name one accessory or item of clothing you love even though it is dated.

I used to have a cardigan sweater with beads and embroidery that my mother hated and I loved, but that was over 30 years ago. I really can't think of anything that I have now that is particularly dated since I tend toward fairly classic pieces and don't get too hung up on clothes.

5) Dates--the fruit--can't live with 'em? Or can't live without 'em?

I don't know that I've ever eaten one. In 1999 I walked the Disney Marathon, and one of my teammates was a devout Muslim. It was during Ramadan, and he had to do the entire marathon without eating or drinking anything. We were all very concerned for his safety. He finished about the same time as I and when we were on the bus waiting to return to our hotel, I saw him looking out the window, holding a bag of dried fruit and nuts. It was January, and about 5 in the evening in Florida. He turned to me and asked, "What do you think, Kim? Is the sun down yet?" I assured him that I believed that it was, and he began to snack on the fruit and nuts, offering me some. I told him to eat up.

And then the lights came back on...

2008-07-15T15:11:00.002-05:00

I was reaching for the telephone to return a call about 2:30 PM, and suddenly, the overhead light in my office came back on.

I told the parishioner I was calling what had just happened.

When I finished the call, I checked the hallway....the lights work.

The computer monitor in the secretary's office was on.

The lights in the secretary's office came on when I flipped the switch.

Understand, this church can't really afford to call in an electrician to fix things like this. Perhaps it was the failure of a single phase on the line that just got corrected.

I like to think it was God.

Thanks, God!

In the Dark

2008-07-15T10:34:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here in my office in the middle of the day, working on my sermon, in the dark.

It's probably my fault. Last week when I was here, the central air wasn't keeping up (compressor problem? I don't know,) so I turned on the aged window unit to cool the office. It ran for a while, noisily, but it was helping the temperature improve.

After about 20 minutes, there was a pop, the unit stopped making noise, and my lights went off. I went in and shut off the AC, and decided I needed to look for the circuit box. But then my office lights came back on. I figured it must have righted itself somehow, or maybe it was just a surge from the public utility that shut everything off.

When we came in Sunday morning, the power was off in the secretary's office (there is no secretary), and the hallway. Lights still worked in the bathrooms and classrooms. I found the breaker boxes and flipped all the switches, but the lights that were out wouldn't come back. I tried again this morning when I came in, and still no luck, and now my office lights don't come on either. The wall outlet is good, the phone, radio, computer, and printer still have power, but the only light in my office comes from a very small west-facing window that is well-shaded, and the light of my computer screen.

It's giving me a different perspective on my sermon writing. The scripture is the parable of the wheat and tares. As I began thinking about this, I was thinking about how none of us is really in any position to judge anyone else. We can't tell who is good and who is bad. That is really up to God. That's the way I'm looking at going with the sermon.

But as I sat here in the dark, reading the other lectionary scriptures for the week, and doing a little free association to look for links, I remembered the short story "Revelation" that we read in one of my seminary preaching classes. It was about a woman who was very judgmental and in the end saw a bridge leading to heaven with all kinds of people on it. The author, Flannery O'Connor, actually said that she had written the story about Jacob's Ladder, and that just happens to be the Hebrew Bible selection for this week. Eureka! A link between the two has been discovered! I think I now have my starting point and somewhere to go.

But I'm still in the dark.

Waiting

2008-06-30T23:01:00.002-05:00

It's late - well at least for me. I'm waiting for friends to get here that are going to spend the night and then go to the airport in the morning.

The house is relatively clean - at least by our standards, but it's getting late.

I should be finishing the admissions manual.

I should be preparing for the funeral I'm doing in the morning.

I should be reading a draft of the chapter from Susan's book.

Instead, I'm playing around on facebook, reading blogs, and waiting.

So much for productivity...

But the house is relatively clean.

Some of the laundry got done.

The van has a new muffler without breaking the bank.

We'll have a new (to us) car by morning. (We're buying it from the friends going to the airport...they won't be back for a long while.)

My husband is in Phoenix - it's 112 there.

It's 73 here.

We're headed to St. Louis for the weekend.

Life is good.

I think I'll go snooze on the couch until David & Julie get here. I can deal with the funeral in the morning. The rest will come together, too, it always does.

Peace.

Rev Gal Friday Five

2008-06-20T10:04:00.003-05:00

A Word Association Friday Five
It is a beautiful, sunny day at my place. So come on outside and let's play a summer Friday Five!This post is loosely based on previous "wordy" Friday Fives from Reverend Mother and Songbird. I liked the results, and so we are doing another word association . Theirs were based on words from a lectionary text. Mine comes from the Lovin' Spoonful song, "Summer in the City."Think summer......are you there?

Below you will find five words or phrases. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem, a memory, a recipe, or a story. You get the idea:

1. rooftop: I think of the Drifter's song "Up on the Roof." I think Bruce Willis may also have sung it during his very brief recording career.

2. gritty: Nitty Gritty Dirt band..., The floor of a beach house.

3. hot town (yeah, I know, it's two words): A former coworker told me of growing up in New York, and when it was the middle of summer and they didn't have air conditioning, they would go to the movie theater and see movies to escape the heat. We escaped to the library a few times a couple of summers ago during rolling blackouts.

4. night: Hanging out on the front porch, watching the world go by.

5. dance: Hubby and I actually won a dance contest many moons ago when we were dating the first time. We have also taken ballroom and ceili dance classes together. He even took dance classes in college because he figured it would be a great way to meet girls, yet it is still difficult to get him to dance. Maybe it's me? But I did receive the Dick Durant Dirty Dancing award at the Sports Car Club banquet several years ago.

Out of Seminary

2008-05-17T09:17:00.004-05:00

Finally...Finally...I'm out of seminary! I graduated with my Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology on Friday, May 16th. It took me 5 years and mucho dinero, but now, as they would say in O, Brother, Where Art Thou, "I'm bona fide!" Or, as I said to my husband last night, "...or at least bona fiable!"

Congrats to other friends who have graduated with me, and thanks to all the friends and family who have supported me in this journey. I'm looking forward to relaxing a little now. Maybe I'll even find the time to write a little more often.

Kim

Yes, I'm still here.

2008-03-14T21:51:00.002-05:00

I know I've been away awhile...Let's just say I've been a little busy.

I got laid off from my engineering job in October, and picked up three additional part-time jobs at the seminary. I still have two churches and a family.

Back when I got laid off, I was approached by an architect and fellow seminary student asking me if I might be interested in using my engineering knowledge in mission work in Haiti. Long story short...I'm going to Haiti for a week in April with the support of my churches. It has also offered a mechanism by which I can continue to keep my PE license current even as I move into full-time ministry.

I will graduate with my MDiv in May. I determined two weeks ago that I had all the necessary course requirements for a specialization in evangelism. So I completed the paperwork, and I will have the specialization on my degree, and I expect to graduate with honors. Oh yeah, and I'm knitting my dress to wear under my robe for graduation.

I went before the conference Board of Ordained Ministry this week to be approved for commissioning as a probationary Elder in the United Methodist Church. They said surprisingly nice things about me and approved me unconditionally. I feel very blessed. Not all were so fortunate.

It's been a busy few months, and probably won't let up until mid-May.

Say hello if you happen to read this.

7 Random Things

2007-12-19T10:07:00.000-06:00

I was tagged in a meme by Hipchickmama, and I'm needing a break, so I figured I might as well. My challenge is to post 7 random things about myself. I'll leave out the more incriminating factoids.

1. A man at my church when I was growing up would buy warts for a penny. He'd rub the penny on the wart, then give me the penny. It always worked! The warts would go away. I wonder what he did with all those warts?

2. I like sweet potatoes -raw or cooked. I get that from my dad, I'm sure. The little old ladies at church would get a kiss from dad whenever they brought sweet potatoes to a potluck. Often there were five or six casserole dishes of baked sweet potatoes - and it wasn't that big of a church!

3. I had a pet hermit crab in 7th grade.

4. I used to be a skinny kid. My first husband actually wanted me to gain weight - If he could see me now! (Not! I really don't care if I ever see him again!)

5. I'm a music and instrument junkie. I took piano lessons as a child, voice lessons in high school and before my daughter was born, hammer dulcimer lessons after my daughter was born, and taught hammer dulcimer before moving to KC 14 years ago. That doesn't even count the guitar lessons (off and on), the fiddle lessons (two months), and the miscellaneous other instruments that I've collected and attempted in the 46 years of my life. I'm taking piano lessons (occasionally) again now and have recently again been tempted to teach hammer dulcimer.

6. I bought a grand piano at the KCK Habitat ReStore in September. It turned out to be a really nice piano! (that's part of why I'm taking lessons again!)

7. The Christmas tree is up, but not yet decorated. The house is a disaster area; my MIL gets in Monday night, and I'll be at a funeral ALL DAY on Saturday, so I have no idea how the house will get clean unless the kids really kick it up a notch and Steve does some this weekend.

Now I have to tag some folks, but I know so few that have blogs that Crystal didn't already tag! I may just have to edit to tag them.

Are you happy now Crystal? I posted something.

Later!

What We've Always Known

2007-10-21T06:35:00.000-05:00

2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

It came as quite a shock…these things always do. Sure, Timothy had always known the day would come. He even vaguely recalled having heard that the old man had been ill, but he had been so busy, the news just sort of slipped by without registering.

It had been so long since he had seen him…How long had it been? And now this. The old man’s wife had called and said that there was something she needed to give him – something personal. Well, curiosity finally got the better of him and he decided to make the trip to meet with her.

It was a beautiful fall day. Just like a postcard, only windier. The hotel was just on the edge of town, and the day was so gorgeous, it seemed just as easy to walk over to her house. As he walked along, Timothy remembered the days when he had run down these streets. Days that seemed without end. Summers of baseball and wandering in the woods. Fishing in the creek down alongside the tracks. Riding his bike up the hill as far as the cemetery, then freewheeling all the way back down into town and almost out the other side.

Goodness knows that was a long time ago. But this was a place he’d always known. Somehow, coming back in the fall seemed right. Those days of childhood were long gone, fall had begun to settle in on him, too.

As he walked, his thoughts turned to the old man. Well, he seemed old back then, maybe he really wasn’t THAT old. He remembered how their odd friendship began. Timmy had been up the hill – he was Timmy back then - and was freewheeling down on his bike, just like he always did, when suddenly, some stray dog ran right out in front of him right there in front of the old guy’s house. As he swerved to miss the dog, he crashed through the front fence and flew off the bike landing right in the middle of the flower bed. The old man came running out of his house asking if he was hurt…only his ego was bruised, but the man told him what a spectacular stunt he had just witnessed. There was just something about the guy that made Timmy feel special, Like he’s known him all his life, and it wasn’t long before they became friends. The old guy said to call him Paul.

About that time, Timothy arrived at the house. The fence had long since been repaired, but the house was just as he remembered it, fence flowerbeds and all. Just like he’d always known. As he walked to the door, Paul’s wife noticed him coming and stepped up to the screen door and opened it wide. She invited him in, and deciding he had probably long since outgrown milk, offered him cookies and coffee. He accepted, thanked her, and sat down.

After the conventional small talk and formalities, Paul’s widow stood up and said, “Excuse me a moment…I have something for you.”

She returned shortly, carrying a box. From the box, she removed a sealed envelope with “Timmy” written on the front. She handed him the letter, and as he turned it over in his hands, she explained that Paul had asked her to give it to Timmy if she ever saw him again. Well that simply wasn’t good enough for her, and that is why she had tracked him down to ask him to come.

She poured more coffee, then excused herself from the room once again and left him alone to read Paul’s final epistle to his young friend Timothy.

The letter was long. Paul was always pretty long-winded. It said nice things about Timothy’s mom and grandmother, and talked about how much he had missed Timmy in the later years.

But then it took a turn. Paul spoke of those people who had lost track of what scripture taught. He told Timothy to hold fast to what he had learned and believed, knowing from whom he had learned it and how from childhood Timothy had known the scriptures that had instructed him about salvation through faith in Christ.

My, how those memories came rushing back. Timmy had never even been to church, but after his crash landing in Paul’s yard, and Paul saying how it had been a miracle and all that he hadn’t even been hurt, Timmy started going to church with Paul and his wife. He loved going there with them, and it made him feel good when all the grown-ups there would ask him about baseball and fishing and other stuff that he liked doing.

He would go to Sunday School with the other kids his age, and over the years he learned a lot about God and Jesus, and stories that sometimes didn’t make a lot of sense but were fun to listen to anyway. True, he really didn’t enjoy the memory verses, but even now, he found it funny how sometimes they would just pop into his head without warning. Could that be what Paul was talking about; knowing the scriptures that had instructed him about faith?

Paul used to talk to Timmy a lot about faith. It was all part of the way that Paul had mentored him through those years until he left town. Paul would tell him how the scriptures were inspired by God. He explained that the word “Inspired” had the same root as the word respiration, and that meant that the words of scripture had been breathed by God. Just like God breathed life into people when they were created, God had breathed life into the scriptures. He went on to say that the Greek work for Spirit, like in “holy Spirit” was from the same word, too! That had been a lot for a ten-year-old boy to take in, but now it was starting to make sense.

Timothy continued to read, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

Again, Timothy’s mind wandered. He sure had run into a few of those folks who thought it was their duty to reproach and correct. If only they would concentrate more on the training and teaching part. Even though it had been a long time since Timothy had read any scripture, he did remember that there was a lot in there about God’s love, especially in the stories of Jesus that Paul had talked to him about. He told him that the love of God could be found in the love of the people around him who cared for him. Sure, sometimes it was important for those who love us to correct us, or at least our behavior, but the overriding message of scripture is that God is always with us and will never leave us stranded. What was that verse? “God’s steadfast love endures forever.” Hadn’t he always known that?!?

Paul’s letter went on to urge Timothy to proclaim the message, to be persistent in good or bad times, to convince people with reason, to correct them when necessary, and to encourage and build people up with patience. He wanted him to understand above all that there was a need for people to hear the message that he had tried to teach him, that there was a time coming when people would become impatient with the gospel, that they would have what he called “itching ears” and would jump from teacher to teacher to hear what suited them instead of the truth.

Timothy thought about this some more. What was it that he had read? Amazon has in its listings more than 140,000 books on various self-help topics. And over 38,000 of those are in the areas of religion and spirituality. The self-improvement market including infomercials, mail-order catalogs, holistic institutes, books, audio cassettes, motivational speaker seminars, personal coaching, weight-loss and stress-management programs was worth over $8.5 billion in 2003, and is expected to top out over $11 Billion in 2008. Seems like a lot of itching ears there. What is it that all these people are looking for? Don’t they know they can find the answers from the sources they’ve always known? Why do they have to spend so much money looking for new and exciting answers? Aren’t the old answers enough? Can’t people see that all these programs and over hyped techniques are just ways to enrich the people who come up with them and they really do nothing for the purchasers and readers?

As he neared the end of the letter, Timothy read, “As for you, keep your head together, put up with whatever you have to, even if it means suffering, tell the story of the good news in doing the work of an evangelist, and carry out your ministry fully.”

This last part confused him a little. Where did Paul ever get the idea that Timothy was an evangelist? What is this about carrying out ministry? Timothy was appalled by the thought! Him? An Evangelist? No way! What in the world could Paul be talking about? Sure, he had tried to live the way he’d been taught, he’d always had a good sense of right and wrong, but how could he tell people about it. After all, he was just a regular guy. Evangelist, indeed!

Feeling somewhat threatened by the implication he quickly folded the letter and stuffed it into his pocket.

Just then, Paul’s wife returned to the room. She asked, “What did he have to say?”

Timothy collected himself and calmly responded, “He rambled quite a bit. Talked about scripture and my ‘ministry’. He obviously knew nothing about how I turned out. I’m afraid he was sadly mistaken about me.”

She replied, “No, you’re mistaken. Paul was lucid until the end and throughout his life he had a gift for reading people and knowing just how to see their potential. He saw it in you that first time you crashed your bike in the yard. Every one of us has a story to tell, and if you don’t tell it, it will haunt you until you do. You have always known what it is to be loved and mentored by someone who cares. Just as he taught you the story of the gospel, you have those words and God’s love written on your heart and you know it to be true. Whatever he said to you, it’s because he knew it to be true. It’s now up to you. You can share the message you’ve always known or forget it. It’s up to you.

Timothy, thanked her for her hospitality and for Paul’s letter, and then silently walked toward the door. As he stepped off the porch and looked at the flower bed where he had landed all those years ago, he heard her say through the screen, “That’s the way it is with the things we’ve always known. They’re easier to remember than they are to forget. And they are remembered in the telling. Paul’s gone. If he meant anything to you at all, you’ll tell the story, not just yours, not just Paul’s, God’s story. You’ve always known it. Don’t be afraid to share it.

Thank you???

2007-10-06T06:50:00.000-05:00

"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? ⁸ Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? ⁹ Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" Luke 17:7-10

It’s a thankless job, being a mother…Get up early, get the kids ready and off to school, a quick shower and then out the door to face the day. Nine hours at the office, all day long being told to do this and told to do that. Make some coffee, make some copies, get the mail, deliver the proposal, answer the phone, order supplies. Lunch was from the vending machine. Was it a nice day today? No way to know. It’s already dark, fighting the traffic back home. Walk in the door and before she even sets her purse down, the kids begin to ask, “What’s for supper?” Forty five minutes later the dinner is prepared and consumed, and it’s time to go to scouts and to piano lessons, and “Oh, yeah, mom, I forgot to tell you, I need some poster board for a school project tomorrow and two dozen brownies – in baggies for the bake sale.” Is the homework all done? “Come on, children; brush your teeth; get ready for bed; you say you want a story?”

Oh, for a minute to herself. Just a chance to put her feet up, maybe take a bubble bath, read a magazine – nothing heavy, nothing too deep. Too tired to think or even move, she collapses in a chair and thinks, “Sure would be nice if somebody would’ve at least said thanks.”

It’s a thankless job on the line. Nineteen years on the job. Smoke and dust in the air, a little space, a lot of noise, too hot, always the same – boredom and monotony day in, day out, day in, day out.

“What’s that? The boss wants to talk to me? Right away, boss. What’s up?”

“Laid off? How can that be? I’m never sick, never late. Always accept overtime when asked. I’ve been here nearly twenty years. One more month and I’ll have enough points in to retire. But you say I’ve been laid off. How can that be?”

It’s a thankless job, going to school. When she got home from school, she called her mom to tell her about her grades. Four A’s, two B’s, and a C. It really is a report card to be proud of! Afterward, she calls her best friend. “Can you believe it?!? All mom cared about was the C! And one of those A’s used to be a B! I guess that’ll teach me to get good grades!”

Thankless jobs. We all know them. Maybe some of us have had them. We work hard and we expect something in return. We see those who don’t work hard, and they seem to get the same as the rest of us.

But I guess that is how it’s always been. Even in Jesus’ day, there were thankless jobs. In our text, Jesus begins by asking the disciples a series of questions. The first he asks is about common household practices: “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’?”

A simple enough question. We know the answer to this one- “Well, nobody, of course,” we answer with the disciples.

Jesus asks, “Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink.” It’s not in the scripture, but I’m sure the disciples are nodding their heads up and down, murmuring, “Of course, that is exactly what we would do.” That was really just restating and reasserting the first question, right?

“Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?”

We’re on a roll, now! “Of course not!”

***

I once had a boss, one of the smartest men I’ve ever known, and he had a habit of asking questions of his employees. Often, he already knew the answer, and it was like going through oral exams every time he stopped to talk to you or called you into his office. It really made one doubt his or her own expertise. George would ask a question, and the brain would go into panic – “Does he want to know what I think or is he testing me to see if I really know this small aspect of my job?”

Asking questions has long been an established instructional method. It’s the method popularized by Socrates. Luke, the writer of this text was no doubt aware of the method. Jesus probably was, too. Or maybe Jesus was playing a game with the disciples – getting them in the habit of agreeing so that he could turn them around. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time!

Quite a fisherman, that Jesus! Just throw out a little bait – you know, get them to agree with you, …jiggle the hook a little, - oh, yeah, they’re starting to come along.…feel the nibble – almost there… and set the hook – “Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?”… and reel ‘em on in.

But we’re on to Jesus’ game! We have the luxury of time and distance and the whole story to help us respond. The disciples cry out, “Of course not!” and we see it coming. We now know slavery to be a bad thing, and we want them to know it , too. We know how tricky Jesus can be at times, and we don’t want the disciples getting caught. They’re really just like us. We want to call back to them across time and space that of course you do thank people who serve you. Since we first learned to talk, we’ve been taught to say thank you. I imagine even now if I were to observe someone handing something to another person and I would ask, “What do you say?” the automatic response of the receiver would be, “Thank you.” Those scripts of our mothers’ teachings are just way too ingrained in us.

Not only that, when we go to a performance in an eating or drinking establishment, the announcer always reminds us, “Be sure to tip your waiters and waitresses.” In other words, “Remember to say thank you.”

And haven’t we all had those thankless jobs; those jobs where we did all the work and someone else got all the credit? We know how important it is to hear, “Thank you.”

But then, Jesus hits us with “Well then you don’t get it either!”

Now, wait just a minute, Jesus, are you talking to us or to the disciples?

Jesus didn’t actually say, “Well then you don’t get it either!”, at least not in the NRSV. That’s my paraphrase of what Jesus said. What this translation says is that Jesus said to them: “So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” The disciples had been looking for glory for themselves, and Jesus made it clear they weren’t going to get it.

And then, we remember the older brother a few chapters back who used similar words in speaking to his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.” But we never really liked him. Sure, at times, we sort of identify with him, but he didn’t get it, and we do so want to be among those who understand. So we go the other way. We think, “Oh, poor baby.” While he was standing on the porch feeling sorry for himself, looking for the thanks he thought he deserved, the rest of the family was already inside the house partying it up. He seemed to forget that everything his father had was also his.

Jesus has done a really good job of dragging the disciples along to make his point, but let’s look at it another way. What if Jesus really had intended that last question, “Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?” to be answered, “Yes”?

It’s the ‘what-if’s that really mess with our minds when we look at the things that Jesus taught. There are so many ways we can dissect this and rearrange it.

We’re told to be kind to others. Isn’t it appropriate to thank people who help us out? Isn’t that part of being kind? Isn’t that what Jesus would do?

Maybe Jesus is the master in this text. When we do the work that is commanded to us on behalf Jesus, the Christ, do we do so expecting to be thanked? Maybe not, but as servants of the kingdom do we expect, or at least hope to be rewarded in the kingdom?

Do we find ourselves asking of Jesus, the master, “Do you thank the slave for doing what is commanded?”, hoping that maybe, just this once, he will?

But what if Jesus is the servant? We know from Philippians 2:5-8 that Jesus Christ, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of his very life to obey the command of his master, God, but at the same time to serve and save all of humanity. That was certainly a thankless job!

So do we thank the servant or don’t we? It’s hard to know. Jesus closes his discourse by saying, “So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” The word translated “worthless” means those to whom nothing is owed. Perhaps a better reading would be, “You don’t owe us anything, we have only done what we ought to have done.”

The disciples are directed by Jesus to say that they are not owed anything because they have done only what they were commanded to do. As disciples, are we to infer from this that we should just do that which is commanded without expectation of recognition or reward? Maybe. But does the example of Jesus as servant also suggest that perhaps we should do even more?

As we wind up our stewardship campaign, we look to Christ’s example, ask those same questions, and ponder the implications. What if Jesus really wanted the disciples, and through them, us, to respond differently to all of his questions?

"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'?” If Jesus is our Lord and we are the servants, does not the master regularly invite us to come to the table and eat alongside him whenever and wherever open communion is served. We are called to be present.

“Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink.”

And we are called to respond, “No, Lord. What you have done for us is already too much. Let us honor you with our gifts and our service.”

“Do you thank the servant for doing what was commanded?” Do we honor God for all that has been given to us? Do we adequately acknowledge the gift of Jesus’ life being given in suffering and death for the sake of our salvation? After all, he was just doing what was commanded. Are we truly thankful?

Truth forces our response, “Not nearly enough, Lord, not nearly enough.”

When Jesus asks the questions, we, as Christians are called to respond. Do we do what we’ve always done because it was what was commanded? Or do we do more so that we do not have to respond, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’?”

Is it about us? Or is it about God?

At loose ends - Calgon take me away!

2007-09-28T14:43:00.000-05:00

I'm having some job struggles right now.

On Sunday and Monday, and at odd times during the week, I work very focusedly on my pastoring gig. On Tuesday and Wednesday, it's time to be a student. On Thursday and Friday, I am a consulting engineer. Recently, the engineering gig has been causing me some stress.

The engineering work has been a little slow as of late, and I'm not really enjoying it much anymore, but it does help get the bills paid. A week ago yesterday, my boss and I had a heart-to-heart about some goofy things happening at the corporate level that I'm very disturbed about, and also about how little work we have in our office right now. Bottom-line: If we don't round up some work soon, I will be one of the first to go since I'm almost entirely overhead. Because of my part-time status, my project involvement is very limited - mostly doing QA/QC.

That evening, I went home in a bit of a funk. Even though I don't enjoy the job much anymore, I'm not really quite ready to cut the cord. On the way home, I called a friend with another firm to see if they needed anyone on a short-term, part-time basis. He said he would get back to me by Monday. I still haven't heard from him.

I called another friend at another firm...this one more conveniently located to my church job. His firm is the same boat as ours right now.

On the drive home, I formulated a variety of alternatives and scenarios, including the possibility of picking up something on an interim basis at the seminary.

When my husband got home I told him what was going on, and we had wine with dinner.

On Friday morning, I stopped on my way to work to visit with my former employer who is now a client as well. I told him honestly the situation and asked if there might be anything at all they could send our way on the on-call services agreement our firm has with them. He promised to do some checking around and get back to me.

On Tuesday afternoon, I spoke with one of the deans at the seminary, and he said that if something would happen that would leave me stranded, to get back with him because he had a project that he needed help with and it was probably something I would be capable of doing with very little direction.

On Wednesday, one of my friends who owns an architectural firm that my engineering firm has worked with before came into class and frantically told me that they had gotten more on some huge projects than they expected to get and needed help in a big way. I asked if there was anything we might be able to help them with, and she called her partner and returned to tell me "Yes, have your people call my people." I called my boss to let him know, but he was out until Friday.

Yesterday, I sent an email reminder to former boss/client asking if he had come up with anything. Today, I met with a client in the morning, and while in that meeting, my former boss/client called with an emergency project that needed immediate attention. I contacted the office and set the right people onto it to get it moving. My current boss is now playing phone tag with the architectural firm. So, it looks like I may have found us some work!

So why do I feel like I'm not going to see any of the benefits of it? Right now, I still feel like my job is on the line. And frankly, I don't know if that is bothering me as much as it probably should. I'm afraid that even though I scrambled my a$$ off this last week and got us some work, I may get laid-off anyway, and if I do, it will leave a very sour taste in my mouth. I wanted to be able to leave here on good terms, but if what feels like may happen does actually happen - the work comes in, but I get sent away anyway - it may be very difficult to take the high road, and it may be very harmful to the firm in the long run, regardless of how gracious I am in leaving. Former boss/client was burned once before when a consulting firm let his friend go, leaving his friend and his project high and dry. If this firm lets me - also his friend - go, especially after I got the work for them, he won't be happy, regardless of what I say or don't say. And that combined with the corporate thing I mentioned before will make it all the worse since it will function as connecting the firm that burned his other friend with this firm. Clear as mud...huh?

And all this in the midst of a denominationally related paperwork storm!

Thanks for letting me vent.

Friday Five: Seasons Change...

2007-08-31T07:32:00.000-05:00

It's Labor Day weekend here in the United States, also known as Summer's Last Hurrah. So let's say goodbye to summer and hello to the autumn. (People in other climes, feel free to adapt as needed.)

1. Share a highlight from this summer.

I had a really great summer!

I had a class with Revhipchick and got to know her a lot better.

I had time to read some things that weren't required.

I helped my professor move her office.

I lived vicariously through my daughter who spent three weeks in Costa Rica.

But probably best of all, I had a great time spending a lot more time with my kids than I have in past years. My son went to a camp in mid-Missouri, so we had some good car time together, and my daughter took driver's ed, so we've also had quite a bit of good car time. It's kind of cool that my kids actually enjoy hanging out with me. The week before school started, the kids and I went to Omaha (3 hours away) to go to the zoo there. We had heard it was a good zoo and we weren't disappointed. It was in the high 90's in KC that week, and Omaha was in the low 80's so our timing was perfect. And daughter dear drove the whole trip!

2. Are you glad to see this summer end? Why or why not?

Yes and no. I'm glad to be getting back to school where all my friends hang out, but I'm also a little nervous about having more work to do than I have in the past even though I'm carrying less hours. Weird...I'm not sure where that is coming from. I also realize that it is the beginning of the end of my seminary education. I'll be graduating in May. Then comes the big transition of letting go once and for all of the engineering job that has supported our family for so long and relying on God through the auspices of my denomination. God help us all! Maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself. Live in the moment, Kim.

3. Name one or two things you're looking forward to this fall.

1. A road trip with three of my best buds to Tulsa for the Stacey Preachers' Workshop featuring BBT and Fred Craddock in mid September.

2. Officiating at my niece's wedding in mid October and then going to my best friend from grade school's annual bonfire and hayride later that evening.

4. Do you have any special preparations or activities to mark the transition from one season to another? (Cleaning of house, putting away summer clothes, one last trip to the beach)

I'm cleaning house today, but that is mostly because my MIL is coming in tonight to spend the weekend with us. We are also planning to paint the barn Saturday and Monday, and to attend Irish Fest after church on Sunday. Our biggest end of summer ritual is our daughter's birthday which falls on August 29. Other than that, going back to school for all of us is the main thing.

It's funny, the first year I was out of college, August/September hit, and I felt this strange need to go spend exorbitant amounts of money on books and office/school supplies. Maybe that is the real end-of-summer ritual for me!

5. I'll know that fall is really here when __________________________________.

The trees begin to catch fire with all the colors of the rainbow and I can smell that indescribable spicy aroma that I assume is decomposing leaves but has always just meant autumn to me. And I can start comfortable wearing knitted sweaters again.

Kim

Spouses of Pastors

2007-08-30T09:27:00.000-05:00

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about my husband and his role in my career(s). What follows are miscellaneous ramblings on the topic of career, marriage and ministry in no particular order.

Sunday, one of my churches had a potluck in my honor, and one of the trustees rose and made a speech in which he was very good about acknowledging not only me, but my family as well. He recognized that even though I was called to ministry, chances were good that my family had not been, and therefore, he was certain that there were a lot of adjustments that had to be made because the family had just gotten a lot bigger with many more demands on Mom’s time. He thanked them for sharing me with the church and for supporting me in my work.

Then, this morning I read a couple of blogs written by pastor’s husbands: http://marriedtothechurch.blogspot.com/
and http://www.mitchross.com/blog/.

My husband is a manufacturing engineer. Ministry is my second career, having been a civil engineer for 20+ years. Throughout my career, I have held positions of some authority. We often attended functions related to my job where people would speak to him first (because he was male) and then become very confused when his employer didn't match up with anyone they knew. Most significant was when I worked for a major public works consulting firm, and we were attending a retirement party for one of the higher-ups of the municipal wastewater utility. During the mingling and mixing, someone began speaking with my husband, and eventually asked, “Where do you work?” He said, “I’m with [insert name of major aircraft manufacturing conglomerate well-known in the area].” The person who asked got a puzzled look on his face and said, “Oh…why are you here?” My wonderful husband then replied, “I’m with her. She works for [insert name of well-known local consulting firm].” And I said, “Hi, I’m Kim.” Following some initial awkwardness and continued conversation the person apologetically excused himself and walked away (presumably to remove the egg from his face). We still chuckle over it.

My husband has often played the role of “spouse.” He always seemed to enjoy himself. He’s somewhat introverted, but always enjoyed the free food and drinks. He’ll speak if spoken to, and of course he can always talk about guy things. Most of the professional activities in engineering are “guy things” so he holds his own in conversation. I’ve done less of the corporate spouse thing because his coworkers don’t seem to socialize all that much. Frankly, it’s a role that feels a little weird to me. Sure, I can talk about my children ad nauseum with the other wives, but I do other things, too, like attend seminary, work part-time as a consulting engineer, pastor two churches, and occasionally teach knitting. I’ve never done submissive, shy, diminutive, and retreating very well. I’m pretty WYSIWYG and sometimes a little in-your-face, but in a nice way, and I’ve always worked around men, and am often more comfortable around men than around women. It’s really been only in the last five years or so, since I started seminary and have become more involved in knitting, that I’ve really had many women friends.

And what does the church call the husband of the pastor (other than his name)? At my former church, they called the pastor wives “first ladies.” I found that rather offensive. It seems to give the pastor an authority, that, I’m sorry, I find rather inappropriate in this denomination. I also felted it was very dismissive (is that where “dis” comes from?) and disrespectful (or is that?) of my husband because he was still a member there after I began pastoring elsewhere. Not all of the women who were called "first ladies" were married to pastors at that church. One was a widow of pastor from another denomination, one is the wife of a pastor in another denomination who does interim gigs, so the family remains there for stability. So what should the pastor’s husband be called? One of the bloggers mentioned above suggested “first husband,” but that won’t work for mine because he is really my second husband.

One of my friends has an even more unique situation (though probably less so than we realize). Her spouse is female. It’s not likely that she’ll be ordained in our denomination anytime soon for just that reason, and I guess “first lady” would work, but even so, her challenges will probably be even greater when that time comes. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to be called “first lady” if my spouse were the pastor.

So let’s put on our highly creative thinking caps and come up with a name for the spouses of pastors that works in a generic, gender-neutral way.

GO!

In Memoriam

2007-08-23T21:55:00.001-05:00

Our beautiful, 13-1/2 year old black lab died today. I worked at church this morning and had some errands to run, and while I was on the highway en route to one of those errands, my cell phone rang.

It was my daughter. The kids were home from school today for a advocacy meetings, and I could tell right off that something wasn't quite right. Eileen was crying and I had a very hard time understanding her. The only word I could understand was "Star." I suspected what proved to be true.

Star's health has been failing for some time now. when she was 8 we had a large mass removed that the vet told us was a very severe cancer. Since then there have been other lumps that we haven't bothered having biopsied. We knew what they were.

When Star was ten, we could see her beginning to fail. Her arthritis was getting worse, but she still seemed to enjoy life. We knew she might not be around much longer so we got another dog to prefill the anticipated loss. We were also hopeful that she might help in the training of the youngster, which she did. Funny thing was, this new puppy took about three years off of Star's age, and she found a new lease on life and what appeared to be new joy.

Over the last few months, we have come out to the back porch in the morning to find "accidents." I had begun to suspect the end was coming.

This morning, it was much worse. I think I knew then that it wouldn't be long. When I told my husband what had happened , he said it really didn't surprise him after this morning.

I have been thinking for some time that we might soon have to make a decision. But Star was still happy. She still ate well, and just yesterday, as we took the three-year-old through his routine of tricks, Star had to show our son that she still had a few tricks left, too. She rolled over several times for him, just to show off.

Star has been my daughter's dog since she was two and a half. We never worried when Eileen would climb trees because Star mothered her so well that if Eileen would have fallen, she would have landed on her whimpering, worried dog. As she got older, many times we observed Star removing burrs from my or my daughters sweatpant legs with her teeth - grooming us as we often did her. Eileen will be sixteen next week, and it's so sad for her to have lost such a good friend, especially so close to her birthday.

Our former neighbor died two weeks ago. He and his wife always spoiled Star rotten while we were at work. I like to think that Guy will take care of our Star puppy now that she is in heaven.

I finally was able to cry a little this evening when the children weren't looking. They had enough grief of their own without seeing mine.

We took her body to the vet to have her cremated. We should get the ashes back in a couple of weeks, and then we will have a memorial service. It was a good thing that the kids and I were home today. It was a very hot day, and the required tasks could have been much more unpleasant than they already were if she had laid there in the yard all day.

The younger dog still hasn't seemed to figure it out. It will sink in soon.

Please pray for my family as we grieve and heal from our loss.

Kim

The ballad of the vineyard – based on Isaiah 5:1-7

2007-08-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

To the tune of Barbara Allen (or anything 8.7.8.7.)

Come listen, love, unto my song

A song about a vineyard.

A vineyard on a fertile hill

A finely cared for vineyard.

My love he dug and cleared the stones.

He planted only good vines.

A tower to watch over it,

A vat and press to make wine.

He thought it would yield choicest grapes

But all he got were rotten.

So judge ye well, all people here,

Why is this all he’s gotten?

***

“So I will tear down all the hedge.

The vines shall be devoured!

I’ll break the wall and tramp it down,

For giving grapes so sour.

I’ll make it waste, not prune nor hoe.

With thorns it will be covered!

Through briers thick, no rain will fall,

On this vineyard.” said my lover.

***

The vineyard is this very place.

The people are God’s planting.

God hoped for righteousness and peace,

Found bloodshed, hate, and ranting.

***

This is my song, I’ve sung it well.

And now it comes to you friends.

Seek justice, peace, and righteousness

In all the plantings you tend.

Praying for you

2007-08-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, as I was leaving my engineering job at midday to go to an eye doctor appointment, my low fuel light came on.

I knew it was an ozone alert day, but I also knew that I had a lot more driving to do before dark, and I wouldn't make it.

I also recognize that gas prices are on average a nickel a gallon less in Missouri than in Kansas, so I determined to stop for gas before crossing the state line.

As I swiped my credit card, I saw this little fellow peering out at me.

I have always been fascinated by praying (or is it preying) mantis (What is the plural? - Mantises?). I remember in elementary school how we would have one in a terrarium in the classroom and we would catch grasshoppers at recess to feed them.

This one just looked so friendly, and he was really pretty big - I'd guess about four inches long (that's 10 cm for you metric folks).

This was in a highly industrialized area, with nary a speck of greenspace to be found and a 100+ day to boot! Another indication that God touches us with creation everywhere.

And in that weird state that I was in, (not Missouri, although I was), I started thinking about prayer and how I say that I will pray for someone, and then, for whatever reason, I don't specifically name that person later in my prayers. Sometimes, I forget. Or I remember I said I would pray for someone, but I forget who and why. It makes me wonder if my intent is enough.

I don't really think so. And sometimes, I'll think a prayer quickly and hope I remember it later.

It was interesting I saw this creature when I did, because the prayer chain at my smaller church had just been activated on behalf of the membership secretary's granddaughter who is five months pregnant and had just been rushed to the ER with a 102 degree fever and what was believed to be a ruptured appendix. They were fearful that she would lose the baby. I took the "pray quickly while driving" option on this one.

I talked to the grandmother late last night. The appendix had not ruptured and was removed. A drain was inserted, premature labor had been stopped, but it is touch and go for the next 48 - 72 hours. I wonder if Heather will be on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy?

So how do you keep track? When you say you will pray for someone, how do you remember to? Do you carry a list? Are you surreptitious about adding names or do you just yank out the list and write it down then and there in front of them? OR do you just avoid saying "I'll pray for you" because you know you won't? Comments welcome.

RevGal Friday Five Stress Busting edition

2007-08-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

Sally writes: I am off to spend a few days at the beach chilling out after a hectic few weeks and before I head off for Summer School...

So with that in mind this weeks questions are looking at how you deal with the stress monster!!!???

1. First, and before we start busting stress, what causes you the most stress, is it big things or the small stuff ? Hard to say...usually the small stuff. It tends to pile up without me noticing until I get so overwhelmed with it that I'm immobilized. That's when I find myself yelling at the kids, and then I feel bad about it. I feel really good when I can get all those little things taken care of when they need to be.

2. Exercise or chocolate for stress busting ( or maybe something else) ? Should be exercise, tends to be chocolate, but if the stress is huge, I can't eat. I was just talking to somebody about that this morning. At one point in my life I wondered if anorexia could be physiological in addition to psychological. I was very thin. I liked to eat, but still was always very thin as a younger person. If I didn't eat right when I was hungry, the feeling would pass, and I wouldn't be able to eat when I did get food. Looking back, the time when I experienced that the greatest was during a period of intense stress with a MIL who, suffice it to say, had issues.

3.What is your favourite music to chill out to? Anything on the Windham Hill or Narada labels. Do they still call that New Age music? Please don't tell my fundy friends. I also really enjoy singer/songwriter folk and Celtic.

4. Where do you go to chill? When I need to chill, I prefer to be alone. I try to go to the front porch - one or both of my children tend to follow me there. So I go to pet the dogs. Again, I'm followed. If it really gets bad, I go to the grocery store. They usually don't want to go there with me.

5. Extrovert or introvert, do you relax at a party, or do you prefer a solitary walk? Definitely an extrovert, but people energize me. To relax, the solitary walk is much preferable.

Bonus- share your favourite stress busting tip! Lying in my hammock, staring at the sky, or as I sometimes refer to it - contemplating the color blue. If I happen to fall asleep, all the better. A good nap never hurt anything.

Fair Follow-up

2007-08-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

The Wyandotte County Fair ended on Saturday. I picked up my knitting and that big prize check!

I received 6 blue first place ribbons and two red second place ribbons. Two of the blues also qualified as Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion.

And they got it right! The Grand Champion was the best thing I entered - a circular lace shawl. The Reserve was also a deserving piece of knitting - a wall hanging of my own design depicting images from the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes. Some of my classmates have seen this one.

The wall hanging has another blog-worthy story attached to it, but I'll have to write it up when I have a little more time.

So I can now say that I am an award-winning fiber artist since someone commented on the shawl when I wore it a few weeks back and referred to me as a fiber artist. Also, the wall hanging was truly a piece of art.

Oh, and the big check? $7.25!!!! I'll try not to spend it all in one place!

Misty morning

2007-07-31T13:03:00.001-05:00

As I was writing my blog post this morning, I found these pictures on my camera. They were taken in the cemetery adjacent to one of my churches this past spring in a heavy fog.

The cemetery is quite old and somewhat historic for the area. The church is named for Moses Grinter, who is believed to be one of the first permanent white residents of Wyandotte County, KS, and he donated the land. He and his wife, brother, and sister-in-law are buried in the cemetery. Theirs are the large tombstones under the tree in the picture on the right.

Moses Grinter's sister-in-law, Rosanna Grinter (She was both the sister of his wife and the wife of his brother) is mentioned in the abstract of our house. Apparently the original owners of our home borrowed money from her and she held a mortgage on the house/property. I find this particularly interesting because she was not only a woman, but also a Delaware Indian. I would think such business dealings would have been unusual in the late 1800's!

Fair Knitting

2007-07-31T09:31:00.000-05:00

The Wyandotte County Fair starts tonight. We'll probably go tomorrow night. I entered eight items in the open class. Looks like I'm only competing with myself. When dropped off my entries yesterday, I saw a lot of crochet, but only my knitting. The judging was to occur at 9 AM yesterday.

The above picture includes, starting with the red item and proceeding clockwise: A mobius shawl in red wool, an entrelac bag I carry a large water bottle in, a grey/green felted purse, and orange triangular lace shawl, a white circular lace scarf, an ivory mohair circular lace shawl (I'm really proud of this one!), and a soysilk summer shell.

The picture on the right is a wall hanging I made for my Qohelet class project last semester. I depicted images from Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:11 in knitting. I included a copy of the scripture with the pertinent verses highlighted.

The judging of the knitted items at the fair is always a little funny. I think all the judges are crocheters and don't understand knitting. They are always so impressed with entrelac - and it is really pretty simple. Cable work doesn't seem to interest them, and this is my first time offering lace and mixed color and texture. Both the lace and the wall hanging are much more complex projects, but they may not recognize that. The mobius is seamless and intentionally twisted, and some don't understand that either.

I'll update when I find out how I did!

Back again

2007-07-31T08:26:00.001-05:00

I've been away a while. The trip to Rolla and St. Louis were good, but expensive.

The tires on my car have been giving me a bit of trouble, so when I went on this trip, I took an air tank with me in case they got low.

After dropping off my son at his camp program, I spent some time driving around Rolla, checking out my college haunts and discovering the changes since I last attended school there 19 years ago.

I checked in on the campus ministry where my husband and I met. I was disturbed that the Missouri Conference has just determined that it is no longer going to fund campus ministry. Apparently, the payback just isn't there. Personally, I think they are measuring the wrong things. I know many people who came to ministry through campus ministry, and I wouldn't be United Methodist if it hadn't been for my friendships in that particular campus ministry. Makes me glad to be in Kansas where we just voted for a capital campaign to pour $9 million into campus ministry.

The Wesley house that I knew is now a parking lot. I went to the house that I was aware they had moved to. There was a sign on the door: MOVED TO THE METHODIST CHURCH (and the address - I knew where it was.) I went there to try to get answers. The lovely woman in the office introduced herself - she looked vaguely familiar, but I've been away a long time - and explained the situation to me. She said Wesley still had their own space, but it is in the parish hall/rec. center that has been built across the street from the church. As we talked, I realized that she may be the wife of one of the professors I knew from the Wesley Board when I was a student. So I asked, "Are you Jack's wife?" She said yes. I explained that I went to Panama on the mission trip with her husband in 1983. That is why she looked familiar to me. Then our conversation was more like that of old friends. I finished my visit, and returned to my wanderings.

I ate lunch in the greasy pizza joint where we used to hang out. IT HAD NOT CHANGED.

I then proceeded with the next leg of my journey...on to St. Louis. The plan was to maybe try to catch a matinee of License to Wed before meeting with my niece and her fiance that evening to work on wedding stuff. About halfway to St. Louis, there was an incredible downpour. At the same time, traffic lanes were reduced for construction. About the time it became to let up and open up, a car came flying up next to me to point out that my tire was flat.

I pulled over to the side, got out my air tank and began to refill the tire. It was still dripping rain a little, so I just needed enough to get to the next exit which I knew had a service station. One car started to pull off to help me, but when I saw him/her signal, I waved him/her on to let them know I had things under control.

When I pulled off at the next exit, the station even had FREE air! I refilled the air tank and knelt to finish filling my tire. Then I saw the screw in the tread. Okay, I was going to need to get that fixed. I knew the next exit had some real car repair places, maybe even a real service station, so I went off in search of a tire repair.

The first place I stopped looked reputable...solid business, been there a long time. The mechanic told me he could fix it, but it would be a couple of hours before he could get to it. I asked if there were any other places he could recommend, and he told me there was a tire place up behind Pizza Hut. I went there. The screw was too close to the sidewall to make a good repair, and my back tires were down to the wear bars anyway. I still had 35% remaining on the front tires. The store did not have a tire that would match my existing tires. Because my car is all-time AWD, I needed matched tires. I bought four tires, but only paid for three because the front ones could be reused. I was due. Actually it was good that it happened at a time when I actually had time to deal with it. I sat in the waiting room and read. That was part of my plan for my days away anyway.

On to St. Louis....

I got to my niece's neighborhood a little early, so I drove around the park where she planned to have her ceremony. Catholic Supply was just around the corner, so I stopped in to look around. I'd seen their website when I was looking for clergy shirts, and had made a mental note at that time to look for them if I had time while in St. Louis. How convenient that it was so close. I bought a black clergy shirt and two collars.

I had a nice visit with Lindsey and Dave and then went on to visit my mom and dad for two nights. I shopped with my mom and aunt, read a lot, and didn't do a bit of knitting - strange for me. I did go see License to Wed, but not before meeting with Lindsey and Dave, so they were spared. It was a cute movie - had a few good lines, but I'm glad I only paid matinee prices. Rent the DVD.

When I picked up son at Rolla, he had lost his dorm keys. I was charged an additional $120 for the replacement of the keys. I was livid! They said they had to core and rekey three locks and that was to cover the cost of that. I know for a fact that the University has people on staff that can accomplish that in a matter of about half and hour for all three! I've had locks cored and rekeyed. They probably even have a stock bin full of locks that they just have to change out!

You know, the $400 for the tires didn't bother me. I needed new tires, and as my dad said, good tires are cheap insurance. But that $120 for keys was like nails on a chalkboard to me. This is the university where my 10-year-old son has already decided he wants to go to college. This is the university that calls me and my husband at least twice a year asking for money. This is the university that has changed so many things on campus that it doesn't even feel like our Alma mater anymore. This is the university that is changing its name in January, and it WON'T be where we went. Maybe that's the real source of my anger - no acknowledgement of the past as they barrel ahead into the future. I think the grief I felt in all of the losses I experienced as I saw the town and the campus and the Wesley foundation chose to exhibit itself in anger as I wrote the check for the keys.

Yes, it was an expensive trip.

Preaching the Gospel - Epilogue

2007-07-16T18:55:00.000-05:00

Well, I performed the funeral today. Everyone behaved themselves. Daughter R., Daughter D., and Son R. each emailed something for me to read, and I did. I preached a gospel message, but I didn't have an altar call, and even the grandson who caused the commotion at the grandmother's funeral came up to me after the service and said, "Nice service, Pastor. Just keep preaching the Gospel and you can't miss."

Thank you for your support.

Dinner was provided by the church ladies, and it was good, and then I had to run off to a meeting with my new DS.

It all went well. I told him about the funeral. He said I handled it well.

I asked him about my performing my niece's wedding in October. I'm a licensed local pastor, and she is in another state - I wondered if I needed permission from a DS or Bishop there. He reasoned the same way that I had that since marriage is not a sacrament in the UMC, and I was authorized here, I am authorized anywhere. That was good to hear since I'm meeting with the couple tomorrow.

Finally, I spoke with him about my churches and my desire to stay with them after graduation 3/4-time to keep them from having to pay for insurance which I have through my husband. I'm currently half-time. He seemed to think we could make it work.

We visited about some other things, he offered a prayer, and I left. I think he is going to be good DS. He seems supportive and open, and acts like he wants to be available and helpful to his pastors. Today was a good day.

After my visit with the DS, I went back to the office, checked in with the chair of Staff-parish to fill her in on the meeting, and went to visit one of my shut-ins that I hadn't seen in a while. There were flowers left from the funeral, and recognizing that they wouldn't last until Sunday, I took them to F. for her enjoyment.

As I signed the visitor book at the nursing home, I noticed the name above mine was that of the son of our former neighbor. He was there visiting his father (who I didn't know was in the nursing home.) After visiting F. and taking her the flowers, I decided to stop by and see G.

His wife and son were both there, and G and his wife recognized me when I came in. We visited for a bit, and G. told me to tell Steve and the kids "hi" for him. L. (the wife) walked me out of the room and told me that G. has an inoperable brain tumor that is very fast-growing. All this only came up in the last two-three weeks, and she is beside herself. G. is 80 years old, and until this happened two weeks ago, he was still mowing the lawn every other day. I gave her my card and told her to please call me. She was so glad I had come by. I was glad I did too. When we moved away from them 7 years ago, we knew that we would miss having them as neighbors. Since that time I wondered if we would know if something happened to one of them. I have long feared that we might not know if one of them died unless we just happened to read the obituaries on that day. It sounds strange, but I'm glad to know what's going on with them. Not glad for the news, mind you, but it's truly a GOD thing that I just happened to see the name in the visitor book and reconnect.

I'm off tomorrow to take son to aerospace camp at the University where Steve and I both got our engineering degrees. From there, I head on to St. Louis to meet with my niece and her fiance, and to spend some time with my parents. I pick up son on Thursday about noon. I'm looking forward to a couple of days off. I may see a movie, do some reading and some knitting.
Some time I have to get Sunday's services planned, but I'm not going to panic about them. I had planned to do that today, but then the funeral kinda sucked up the day.

I think it's gonna be a good week.

Later.....

Establishing My Turf - Preaching the Gospel

2007-07-13T15:20:00.001-05:00

Let me begin by saying that I am NOT a territorial person. I try to exude hospitality and welcoming to any and all of every persuasion. I tend to be an encourager of those who lack confidence or self-esteem, and try to help those at different places in their spiritual development find their voice. I think those who know me personally will chime in here and affirm that. (Hipchick?, Mandy? Nick?)

Now a situation has arisen in my parish that has forced me into a territorial position.

One of my parishioners died this morning. It was not unexpected. He has been in a nursing home for 2-1/2 years, and for at least the last six months, he has been so heavily sedated when I went in to visit him that I really expected him to go at any time. I really felt that during my last visit on July 2 and even said as much to my husband and some others in the parish. He was 96 (97?) years old.

I got a call from his daughter R. about 9:30 this morning informing me of the death, and to check my schedule. Mind you, only the deceased and his wife who preceded him in death were members of my church. I have only met one of his sons (W.) in person once at the nursing home, and have spoken to daughter R. by telephone on one occasion prior to today. When she called this morning, she mentioned that there had been a problem with her nephew G., (son of daughter D. and grandson of the deceased) at her mother's funeral, and she hoped that it wouldn't happen again. She felt that her sister D would not go there again, as it was somewhat embarrassing to the whole family. She did not elaborate on the nature of the problem, but I did seem to recall the pastor before me mentioning something. I let it go, and agreed to talk with her later about funeral details after she had a chance to visit with the funeral home about arrangements.

This afternoon, as I was returning from lunch, my cell phone rang. It was brother R. He wanted to make sure that I understood the situation, and wanted to brainstorm ways to prevent its recurrence. It seems that nephew G. is a newly called fundamentalist Baptist minister. At his grandmother's funeral two years ago he got up to speak (I don't know if it he was scheduled by the pastor as a speaker or if he responded to a request that if anyone wished to say something they could) and proceeded to preach a hellfire and damnation sermon proclaiming all in attendance to be hell-bound sinners including the deceased. He then proceeded to have an altar call. Needless to say, the presiding pastor and several members of the family were livid, and found it totally inappropriate. Brother R. told me that he was probably the only one who would speak up about it, but he wanted to make sure that it wouldn't happen again.

On the spot, I made an executive decision. I hope it's the right one. I told him that I was all for keeping things as simple as possible, and I would be the only one to speak at the funeral. If others, like family members wished to share something, I would be happy to read it on the family's behalf, but I would be the only one speaking. He liked that solution. I suggested that people email me their remembrances so that I would have a chance to look them over before the funeral. I also told him that I would close the loop with sister R, and that if they needed anything else, please call.

I picked up my phone to call sister R., and before I could dial, the phone rang. It was sister D. the mother of G. She told me that her son would like to speak at the funeral, and she recognized that as the presiding pastor, that needed to be cleared with me. He wished to bring a gospel message as he had done at her mother's funeral.

I explained to her that I understood that there had been some conflict and tension related to that at her mother's funeral, and I had been requested by other family members to assure that would not happen again. I explained to her that I would be bringing a gospel message, and also a celebration of her father's life. I also told her that I would be the only one speaking, but if others had something they wished to share, I would be happy to read their statements. I told her that her parents were members of this United Methodist Church, and that we must all be respectful of their church family and their beliefs. I reiterated that I would read statements of remembrance. She told me that she didn't think that her son would want me to read his message. I told her that was his decision. She said that she respected my decision and understood my position, and hung up.

I immediately called sister R. and filled her in on all the details of the discussion with brother R and sister D. She thanked me for handling it.

I also called the chair of staff-parish to make sure she knew I had exerted this authority. Call it a CYA call.

Meanwhile, I'm still shaking. I feel this is the right way to approach this, but it feels so darn territorial. I feel it is necessary to be honest and up front about the problem, but at the same time not to let it overwhelm the remembrance of the deceased. I'm struggling a little with taking such a strong stance, but at the same time, I somewhat resent the implication that I will not be bringing a gospel message. I will, but the gospel that I will bring is a message of God's prevailing grace available to all, of God's love for all of humanity, of the resurrection of Christ for the salvation of all. The deceased once said to me, "That's my church. I was baptized in that church. I did a lot of bad things in my life, but Jesus saved me. All that's gone away now, because Jesus saved me."

That's the Gospel I'm gonna preach.

Rev Gal Blog Pals Friday Five - Muggle version

2007-07-13T08:32:00.000-05:00

So today's F5 is a Choose Your Own Adventure: do the magical version or the Muggle one, or both:

1. Former U.S. First Lady "Lady Bird" Johnson died this week. In honor of her love of the land and the environment, share your favorite flower or wildflower.

Has to be the plain white daisy. We used to stop the car and pick big bouquets along the side of the road. They don't grow like that around where I live now. We have sunflowers here. I tried picking those once, and ended up with yellow pollen covering everything in my car and office, including my clothing.

For domesticated flowers, I love lilacs - on the bush or cut and in a vase. I love the smell.

2. A man flew almost 200 miles in a lawn chair, held aloft by helium balloons. Share something zany you'd like to try someday.
I tend to be fairly risk averse. Extreme for me is the fact that at 45 years old I ride a scooter. I've wrecked twice, but with gas at >$3/gallon I really appreciate the 80+ mpg. Anyway, I would love to do a camping road trip on my scooter. A scooter acquaintance of mine, twenty-something female, bought a scooter and rode solo from KC to Utah and back while she still had temporary tags. My husband once did a long motorcycle trip, camping on the way. I planned a bicycle trip when I was in high school, but never did it. I've never done anything so irrational and adventurous - unless you count attending seminary.

3. Do you have an iPhone? If not, would you want one?
I don't need an iPhone. I have a variety of SmartPhone that pretty much does everything that I think the iPhone is supposed to do. It's a PDA, a camera, and an MP3 player. I can surf the web and I can even make phone calls! My only real gripe is that the touch pad for dialing numbers is more difficult than real push buttons might be. It doesn't have GPS, but I don't see the need, either.

4. Speaking of which, Blendtec Blenders put an iPhone in one of their super-duper blenders as part of their "Will It Blend?" series. What would YOU like to see ground up, whizzed up or otherwise pulverized in a blender?
An aircraft black box. They are supposed to be indestructible. I read (or listened to the audiobook) a story once about a man who ate a plane. He was doing fine until he got to the black box and wasn't sure how to proceed. The book is called The Man Who Ate the 747 by Ben Sherwood.

5. According to News of the Weird, a jury in Weld County, Colo., declined to hold Kathleen Ensz accountable for leaving a flier containing her dog's droppings on the doorstep of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, apparently agreeing with Ensz that she was merely exercising free speech. What do you think? Is doggy doo-doo protected by the First Amendment?
Seems it would depend on the leash and curbing laws of the area. Most places you can't leave dog feces in public places or on private property other than your own. And a flier, too. Definitely littering. It seems that one could find more culturally appropriate ways to exercise free speech, like by having the flier and dog doo delivered to the person. Much classier.

Another Saturday in Paradise

2007-07-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

Steve is about to take the kids swimming. I have a sermon to write. Soon the house will be quiet and I will be able to think. I usually end up writing my sermons during the wee hours of the morning because it is the only time to do so without distractions. Of course, there is always the web, though, if I do need a distraction or procrastination excuse.

We should have been going to piano lessons, but the kids' teacher called last night to cancel. Aaron has a friend over anyway - he's a very nice young man. two and a half years older than Aaron, but they get along so well, he's extremely polite, and therefore, definitely someone that I want my kid to be around.

I finished knitting a shawl this morning and started another one. I also started a purse that I got the pattern for yesterday. I ordered some yarn last week that is supposed to be here Tuesday. My plan for it is a dress. I figure that if I start now, I may actually have a dress to wear for commencement next May.

I have a lot of reading that I want to do. I also have paper that I need to write - or at least rework an old one - before Friday.

I went to the farmer's market this morning and got corn and cabbage and snap peas and peppers. I'm growing peppers on the front porch, and a couple are almost big enough to pick, but I'm hoping to leave them on until they start to turn red, yellow or orange. I think I planted some of each. I think I have some pork steaks in the freezer. We can throw those on the grill with the corn and call it supper tonight. We may go to a fireworks display tonight, but it doesn't start until fairly late, so we'll just have to see. (When I was a kid, and my mother said, "We'll see." that always meant, "No.")

Well, I better get writing. I probably won't get much sleep tonight anyway.

Kim

On Writing

2007-07-03T10:42:00.000-05:00

Nope, not the Stephen King book. (Although it is pretty good. I listened to the audiobook back in 2001, shortly after 9/11. I know when it was because I remember that I flew to a conference in Atlanta only one week after the planes were flying again, and I distinctly remember walking about Atlanta listening to that book.)

No, I've been thinking about writing because I need to be writing. I started this blog, thinking that it would encourage me to write. As the sparsity of the posts witnesses to, that hasn't exactly worked.

I've often bought lovely journals thinking that would encourage me. It just never works. I have many lovely journals with three to five pages used and then, nothing.

Of course, I write a sermon every week. That's something, but they are intended for speaking, not reading. It's just not the same (but I must admit, I'm better at talking through thoughts than sorting them on paper).

I've even talked to one of my mentors about journaling. I recognize there is that hand/mind right-brain connection when one writes longhand that just doesn't seem to exist when typing - a very left-brain activity. But then, to capture it for posterity or at least to use pieces later, it needs to be typed. What to do, what to do? Write and retype? Seems too redundant and subject to editing.

One of my parishioners has kept a journal for 50 years. She says she has never lost an argument because everything is in her journals. She can look up the exact date things occurred because she writes everything down. Even phone numbers and addresses end up in her journals.

Yesterday, I got another idea. When I was a teenager, I used to write long, detailed letters to select friends and relatives cataloguing every little thing going on. Usually these were just a method to combat boredom during the summer months, some of it was pure drivel used only to fill space, but as I think back on them, they did a nice job chronicling my life at the time.

SOOOOOO.... my next experiment is to start writing letters - never to be sent - but to keep a record of my thoughts, feelings, activities. If anything is worth keeping, maybe I'll retype it into the blog, or at least a file.

Now, if I can just find some good paper and a new pen.........

"The Cutest Thing Ever"

2007-06-15T18:45:00.000-05:00

When I arrived at my son's best friend's house to pick him up earlier this evening, his friend's dad was standing in the driveway and he said to me, "Want to see the cutest thing ever?" As I got out of the car I noticed that he was looking up at the tree next to the driveway. I followed his gaze and this is what I saw:

He said there were four, but the next door neighbor had caught one of them. I said, "They do know that is very illegal and generally a bad idea, don't they?" He said, Yes, but they don't usually listen."

As we stood there watching them, they climbed down the tree and began looking for dogfood in the rocks below.

These pictures aren't great, they're taken with my phone, but I had to have pictures.

They were only about two feet away. I could have reached out and petted one.

Thanks, Bob, for inviting me to see them.

One of those silly blog things

2007-06-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me...This looked pretty accurate. What do you think?

You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around
Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want
You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you.
When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back
Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love!
You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Eight Random Facts about Me

2007-06-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

Hipchickmamma tagged me so I have to come up with eight random facts. Hmmm…this is difficult, I’m really pretty boring.

1. I play the hammered dulcimer – used to teach, too. I even made a recording back in 1995. Cassettes (what are those?) are still available. One of my first students eventually went on to take first place in the Southern Regional Hammered Dulcimer competition. She came in second at Nationals. She actually has a professionally produced CD - maybe more since I last saw her.

2. I’m very Archie Bunker about my favorite chair at home.

3. I’m addicted to NPR.

4. Everybody knows I knit – a lot. I think more people at seminary know me as “the woman who knits” than by my name.

5. I used to work for a blind nun. It was NOT a spiritual experience.

6. I quit Girl Scouts in eighth grade because one of the leaders said something about my dad that she knew nothing about (and it had to do with religion!)

7. I used to work at a place called American Bottoms in a city best-known for its strip clubs. American Bottoms is a wastewater treatment plant, not a strip club. I once got into a little trouble for giving directions to the plant using the strip clubs and all-night bar as landmarks. What did I know? They were well-known landmarks.

8. I’ve written a couple of songs, but the muse only seems to visit during times of great stress or really bad bosses, and I just haven’t gotten there in recent years.

Now I’m supposed to tag eight other bloggers. I don’t know if I know eight other bloggers that hipchick hasn’t already tagged. I tag Jeff, Mark, Tim, Vivette, Kathy, Suzy and…I’ll get back to you. It's not like any of these will play, though because most are as bad as me about keeping up posting, and the rest don't read my blog.

So there!

Speaking Spanish (parte dos)

2007-06-12T11:14:00.000-05:00

My beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter is in Costa Rica right now, attending language school and living with a family there.

She left two weeks ago. She returns this Saturday. I miss her.

Fortunately, she has email and writes from time to time. I know she is okay. Did I mention that I miss her?

She was fighting a rash last week and wasn't feeling challenged in her studies, so she got some hydrocortisone and asked to be moved up to a higher level class. Both seem to be working.

She went hiking in the rainforest with "her family" on Sunday. She says the mountains are incredible. She's going to another rainforest later this week. She thinks she will beat her postcards home. Unless, of course, she sees more mountains and decides that she needs to stay.

I say, "Another time, Eileen. Come home. You're already signed up for driver's ed."

I think I miss her.

Speaking Spanish

2006-10-05T16:06:00.000-05:00

I studied Spanish from 7th – 12th grade. In college, I took all of my humanities electives as Hispanic literature courses (taught in Spanish). During my first grad school stint, I hung out with the International Student Association and shared an apartment with a woman from Honduras. I’ve also studied a little bit of French, but am better at reading it than hearing or speaking.

With all this, you’d think I’d be comfortable speaking Spanish. Yet, I have so few opportunities to practice that I get intimidated easily. I recognize that it is the intimidation factor as I become fairly fluent after a couple of beers. I learned this hanging out with the International Student Association and going to their parties. The lowered inhibitions allow me to speak without worrying if I’ve used the right tenses when I speak.

One of my professors who is preparing for an immersion trip to Guatemala, together with a woman from the dean’s office who is originally from Mexico, have begun reserving a room at the seminary on Wednesdays for lunchtime conversation in Spanish. I thought this might be a great opportunity for me to practice in a less threatening venue than the real world, so I went to check it out.

When I entered the room, K. from the dean’s office was there, as were S. – one of my professors this semester, M. another of my professors this semester, and V. – a classmate.

K. spoke Spanish (Of course! She is from Mexico.); S. knew some Italian, having lived 5 years in Rome, but no Spanish; M. was dragged in by S., but had studied Spanish for 3 years in Jr. & Sr. High; and I never quite got V.’s story.

J. – another of my professors this semester and the woman who set it up came in a little late, dragging along KD who we discovered was born in Puerto Rico. I have known him for some time, but was unaware of this tidbit. He always calls me “Cuz” when he sees me, (another story for another time), so when he came in I said, “Eh, Primo.” (Primo is Spanish for cousin.)

As we tried to speak, I could understand nearly everything that K. said in Spanish. I understood most of what KD said as well, although his accent was strange to my ears. S. spoke Italian, and I often understood him (because of similarities to French & Spanish and past attempts to read Italian), and sometimes repeated what he said in Italian back to him in Spanish. M. kept saying in English that he would never again follow S. into a room at lunch, and J. thought carefully about each word before she would say it, and therefore really struggled. She tried, but it was apparent she was working hard. V. did okay speaking, but had more trouble understanding, and she had to leave early to go to another meeting.

K. commented to J. that I speak Spanish very well. I told K. (in Spanish) that I become more fluent after a couple of beers. She responded, “No. Tequila es mejor.” (Tequila is better.) J. caught that and responded, “Not at school!” I responded, “Al otro lado de la calle.” (Across the street!)

K. told (still in Spanish, then in English) how last May her mother had called the office to wish her a happy birthday. She was not in at the time, and the secretary spoke no Spanish, and her mother spoke no English. About that time, J. walked into the office, and tried to speak with her mother, but they couldn’t communicate. Next, S. walked in, and in a mixture of English, Spanish, and Italian, was finally able to let K’s mother know that she wasn’t there.

By this time, we were all laughing really hard at the story, the conversations, the struggling, and M.’s reluctance to ever follow S. to do anything again. It was a lot of fun.

I don’t know about the others, but it was a great confidence builder for me. It was equalizing. Here I was in a room with three of my four professors this semester, and I was more comfortable with the subject matter than they. Our roles were reversed; I was instructing and they were learning.

And I continue to learn about self-image and the walls we build around ourselves. I don’t see myself as a person with a lot of walls, yet just last week I declined informing some folks looking for speakers of languages other than English that I knew Spanish. I know there are better speakers than I on campus, and I lack the confidence to place myself in the role of a translator. Maybe I need to reconsider. Perhaps I need to see it as an opportunity to hone my skills further. Maybe I need to take a little journey outside of my comfort zone.

Hasta luego,
Kim

Lunch with an old friend...

2006-09-22T15:21:00.000-05:00

A few months back, I received a phone call from a friend from college. It's silly, really, his family lives here in town; I hung out with him and his wife in college - even sang at their wedding - yet I hadn't talked to them in YEARS! They even have kids the same ages as our kids! When we were planning our barnraising, I had an old email address, so I invited them. Surprisingly, the email address was still good, and Rob called me up to decline the invitation. But in the process we discovered that we work next-door to each other. Today, we met at the deli across the street.

Rob is a full colonel in the Army Reserve. He has spent a number of tours in Bosnia, and was in Iraq for a year. When we saw him last, he had just bought an airplane kit. Turns out that he has finished the plane and began flying it this month. Here's his site: Rob's plane .

It's so nice to catch up. We've all changed a lot, but really not so much. I saw pix of his kids. His daughter looks just like his wife. I forgot to bring pix of mine, so maybe next time.

Nothing particularly profound about this. Just felt like sharing. Later....

2006-09-01T11:18:00.000-05:00

You Are A Fig Tree

You are very independent and strong minded.
A hard worker when you want to be, you play hard too.
You are honest and loyal. You hate contradiction or arguments.
You love life, and you live for your friends, children, and animals.
A great sense of humor, artistic talent, and intelligence are all gifts you possess.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

Back to School Meme

2006-08-25T09:23:00.000-05:00

1. What is your earliest memory of school?
Walking to school with my cousin Jimmy. My sister was the same age as Jimmy, but she refused to be seen with me. Jimmy actually introduced me to his friends and was very cool about his baby cousin.

2. Who was a favorite teacher in your early education?
My fourth grade teacher Mr. Hay was profound influence. He really cared about kids. I visited him every year while still in school, and many times after as an adult. I invited him to our ten year highschool reunion picnic, and when he showed up, he drew a crowd among my classmates. We all loved Mr. Hay. On the day we got lots of snow and school wasn't cancelled, we worked together as a class to build an eight-foot snowman on the playground. We had a class picnic at my best-friend's family farm. He encouraged us to write with weekly creative writing assignments. He read scary books to us in a sinister voice. He made us excited about math and science.

3. What do you remember about school “back then” that is different from what you know about schools now?
We NEVER had snow days! The first snow day we ever had was when I was a junior in high school. It just happened to be the same day as the funeral of the school board president's wife which was very well-attended. To this day, I believe that had more to do with the snow day than the snow did.

4. Did you have to memorize in school? If so, share a poem or song you learned.
2nd grade:
If Nancy Hanks came back as a ghost,
Seeking news of whom she loved most,
She'd ask first, "Where's my son?
What's happened to Abe? What's he done?"
That's all I remember. We had to memorize lots of pieces of the Courtship of Miles Standish in 7th grade, but that's all gone now.

5. Did you ever get in trouble at school? Were there any embarrassing moments you can share?
Never really got into any trouble. I was a good kid that everyone went out of their way to smooth the path for. I was very fortunate.

Once, while playing soccer with the boys at lunch, I was running along and my pants fell down. I stopped, pulled them up, and kept going, glancing around to see if anyone noticed. NO ONE DID! (Or at least nobody said anything...) One of those potentially embarassing moments from which I was saved.

Precious memories, how they linger!

2006-08-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

Still waiting on the doors and roof, but definitely making progress!

Barn Building

2006-08-23T13:46:00.000-05:00

Much of July and August has been spent building a barn! We had an old fashioned barn-raising on July 29, the day before Steve left for a week at Scout camp. Here's a picture from the barn raising. The guy in the pink shirt and the large white hat is my brother-in-law Daniel. My husband Steve is behind him, next to the guy in the white baseball cap.

We purchased a roast pig to serve to the 50 or so folks that came to help with the barn-raising. It was really pretty amazing. We invited people, and they showed up in droves! There were people from both of my new churches, friends from our home church, people from both mine and Steve's workplaces, and neighbors. A real community spirit prevailed. The people that we bought the timber-frame kit from didn't think that the barn could be raised without a crane, but we proved them wrong in short order. It was an exciting and joyful experience. Some people came just to watch, but they were the cheerleading section. Daniel chided them saying they should be chanting, "Rah, Rah, Team! Lift that BEAM!" More pictures from the day and before can be found at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasWTJm3YsmLqQ

During the next few weeks, the carpenters made great progress. Here are some before and after pictures from before and after my trip to Chicago. I've tried to get more or less the same angle on the pix.

More to come....(Blogger isn't letting me load all of them into one post.)

RevGalBlogPals Friday Five Musical edition

2006-08-04T15:48:00.000-05:00

1. Describe the last play or musical you saw. (At least provide the what, when, where, and why). What was your opinion of it?
I went with my UMW circle from church to see "Menopause." The music was fun and the actresses were good, but my sem friend and I couldn't completely relate having not yet "gone there."
2. All time favorite play? Musical?
I absolutely adore Julie Andrews in both The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Dick VanDyke ain't half bad in the latter, either. But truly, I enjoy just about any musical.
3. “The Producers,” “The Philadelphia Story,” “Hairspray,” “The Wedding Singer”…all were movies before they were musicals (okay “The Philadelphia Story” was a play and then a movie, and they changed its name when it became a musical, but whatever). What non-musical movie do you think should next get the musical treatment?
Memoir of a Geisha. Has Our Town ever been turned into a musical? If not, why not? How about, "It's a Wonderful Life"? No. It could never live up to the movie.
4. Favorite song from a musical? Why?
"You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel. Why? The lyrics have long been a part of my personal philosophy: Walk on through the wind; walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone.
5. The most recent trend in Broadway musical revues is to construct a show around the oeuvre of a particular super-group or composer, where existing songs are woven together with some kind of through story. The most successful of these (“Jersey Boys” (The Four Seasons), “Mamma Mia” (ABBA), “Movin’ Out” (Billy Joel)) have made a mint, but many (“All Shook Up” (Elvis), “Hot Feet” (Earth, Wind and Fire)) have bombed. What great pop/rock singer/composer or super-group should be the next to be featured, and what might the story-line be for such a show?
Elton John, Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens all come immediately to mind. Storyline and plot? I have absolutely NO IDEA!

RevGalBlogPals also asked if I'd ever been in a musical. I've been in two in high school. Guys & Dolls and Camelot. Guys & Dolls was great fun! - I was one of the dancers (and I don't dance, but it fit the part). Years later one of the girls in my youth group was in the same musical, and I found a memento I had from 20 years earlier and passed it on to her. Camelot was a big disappointment because the new choir director chose leads for their popularity rather than for their talent and previous hard work in the choir. Bitter? Who? Me? Naaahhhh. I'm over it now.

I've done many other plays, too. Directed a production of The Curious Savage while in high school. It is a nice play with a good message, too. Basically takes a group of institutionalized people and depicts them as much saner and more caring than the "normal" people on the outside. Emphasis is on the little things we do daily that let people know that we love them...things like saying, "Take an umbrella, it's raining."

Enough nostalgia for one day. Thanks. This was fun.

A picture of "Blaze"

2006-07-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

This is "Blaze," a modern-day circuit rider's loyal steed. No hay nor grain for this one, only a gallon of gasoline every ninety miles or so.

I tried to add this to my last post, but it just didn't happen. The cross and flame sticker has been added just below and to the left of the KimPossible sticker on the windshield.

How do you get better? Practice, practice, practice!

2006-07-17T15:08:00.000-05:00

Alright, God sometimes has an interesting way of getting a point across.

For some time now I have been struggling with "praying out loud." Once upon a time, I didn't fear it, but in the last several years - maybe since I started seminary and hear so many people who are SO-O-O-O good at it -I've become insecure about it.

But NOW, I am responsible for pastoring two congregations, so I get to do it a lot. I especially have difficulty with the pastoral prayer and trying to incorporate the joys and concerns that have been shared. Both congregations are accustomed to these being included in the prayer.

For what it's worth, my very kind husband, who is usually quite honest, says he thinks I really do okay with the pastoral prayer.

Enter God, stage right.

In the two weeks that I have been in this appointment, four of my parishioners have been hospitalized for major health issues. I have visited, and I know they really expect a prayer before I leave. I try. I think I'm getting better at it, but I'm still fearful. Is this God's way of making sure I practice? Do the people I'm praying for/with really hear what I say, or is it enough that I'm present and attempting to pray for/with them?

Now, about those hospital visits.... All the visits this week were by scooter, and I even parked it in the clergy spot at one of the hospitals. The other two didn't have clergy spots, or I would have there, too. Sunday, I rode my scooter to both of the churches. Parked it in the pastor spot. One of the men who has only come back to church since I've been there (he didn't get along with my predecessor) came up to me before church started and said, "Is that your motorbike out there?" I said, "Yes." He said, "You are ALL right." Made me smile.

Actually, the scooter became a necessity this weekend. Steve had my van on a Scout trip, and the clutch went out on his car just before he left town as I was on my way to visit the hospital. He was able to drive it home, I had to make do with our remaining vehicles, none of which allow the transport of more than one passenger. Therefore, the kids were stuck at home. Friends picked them up to take them to church. They don't go to the same church as me, anyway. The scooter was the most convenient of the other vehicles, so I rode it to church. Now I remember why I got a couple of gaucho outfits last summer...for times such as these.

I've decided to name my scooter "Blaze." As I was riding between churches on a weekday in my first week on the job, I was thinking about the circuit riders of the old days, and how I was kind of doing the same thing in a more modern style. I thought my scooter needed a name like that you would give a horse. Someone suggested Blaze, and I do have flames on it, and added a UM Cross and Flame sticker, so Blaze it is!

Enough randomness. See you soon.

RevGalPals friday fiveZzzzzzz....

2006-06-16T09:56:00.000-05:00

friday fiveZzzzzzz....

1. In what kind of environment do you sleep best? (e.g. amount of light and noise, temperature, number of pillows, breathe-right strip, sleeping in the buff, etc.)
Windows open, covered with sheet and quilt, but feet have to be out. Noise and light don't bother me unless I'm the only responsible adult in the house, and then I hear everything..

2. How much sleep do you need to feel consistently well-rested? Used to be seven hours, recently it seems like more. Ideally - seven hours at night and a mid afternoon nap.
How much can you get by on? Six or seven hours, but eventually have to catch up. I've done 3-4 per night for a couple of consecutive days, but then I have to crash.
What are the consequences when you don't get enough? Brain doesn't work as well. I get snippy with the family and look like hell.

3. Night owl or morning person? Definitely morning. My eyes close on their own after 10:30.

4. Favorite cure for insomnia - So far this has never been a big issue for me. Usually when I can't sleep it's because the brain is working overtime. Prayer helps for that.

5. To snooze or not to snooze? Why or why not? I do, but probably shouldn't. I always end up feeling more tired when I do get up than if I'd just gotten up the first time the alarm went off.

In the Middle of the Night

2006-06-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

Makes me think of the Billy Joel song:

“In the middle of the night,
I go walking in my sleep.”

Nope. Not walking in my sleep. Awakened from it. Steve’s silly alarm watch went off at midnight in his dresser. He took it downstairs to see if he could disable the alarm feature. When he came back he said that he couldn’t get it shut off so he put it in the refrigerator. “The refrigerator?” “Yes, the refrigerator, not the freezer.” (Like THAT made a difference?)

As we settled back in, the dogs began barking on the back porch. Are those voices in the yard? Steve went downstairs to settle the dogs and to check on things. He was gone too long. An unusual light passed over the window…more like a spotlight than a car headlight. Were those voices? A police radio? I looked out the window. There was a man standing by the dog pen in the back yard. I spoke through the open window,

“Who’s out there?”

“Police Department.”

Yeah, I thought it was a cop.

I got dressed and went downstairs. Steve was watching the man outside. He also spoke to him through the window. Apparently the police had chased a burglary suspect through the yard and they were trying to establish a perimeter. Steve went up and got dressed in case he would need to go outside. We paced around the house for a while, leaving the lights off. I finally went back to bed about 1. Steve came to bed about 1:30. He said the policeman was still in the yard when he came upstairs. They were gone by morning. I don’t know if they caught anybody or not. I called our neighbor across the street this morning to make sure she was aware. She is always good about keeping us informed about such things. Turns out our next-door neighbor’s garage was broken into a couple of weeks ago. Had a minibike stolen. He thought it was somebody he had let into the house. He’s a single guy who tends to be really paranoid about things. He’s been broken into several times that I’m aware of. We haven’t had any problems. Neither has the neighbor I talked to. Weirdness.

I was supposed to have a dentist appointment this morning, but when I got there, they told me that the dentist had just called and he was stuck in traffic and didn’t know when he would be in. I could wait or reschedule. I rescheduled and rode my scooter on into work. A beautiful day for scootering and NO DENTAL WORK TODAY!

Later...

Dream Logic in the Real World….

2006-06-12T14:28:00.001-05:00

“Did you want a sheep?” asked the scruffy old man seated at the table on the sidewalk outside the café/deli.

“Excuse me?” (Maybe I misunderstood what he said.)

“Did you want a sheep?”

“Uh, no, sir, I don’t think I need a sheep.”

And I went into the deli... Who was this man? He appeared to be a fixture outside the store. Perhaps he was a farmer with sheep to sell. What an odd place to be looking for livestock buyers, here in this trendy neighborhood with its small cafes.

I purchased a sandwich and drink and went back out to await the rest of our group and to eat a little lunch before we took off on the scheduled scooter ride.

As I passed him again, he said, “Now you be sure to call me if you need any help!” I replied, “Yes, sir, I’ll be sure to do that.” I lied.

I returned to stand with the folks that had already arrived and ate half of my sandwich and drank my Coke. When I finished the Coke, I looked for a trash receptacle into which I could dispose of the empty bottle. I would have to walk by him again. Not too sure I wanted to do that! Suck it up, Kim. Just walk to the trash can and throw the bottle away.

As I passed, “I know you told the manager about me!” (Nope, not me.) As I returned, “That manager’s name is Shannon.” (Good to know).

Back with my own group, I pondered what to do with the remainder of my sandwich. It was a very good sandwich, prosciutto ham with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and fresh basil on good Italian bread, but with three to four hours of scootering ahead of me, the sandwich would be spoiled by the time I got home. I couldn’t throw it away – That would be such a waste. I resolved to offer the sandwich to the old man.

“Excuse me, sir, I have half a sandwich here that I just couldn’t finish. Would you be interested in it?"

“Is it Italian?” he asked accusingly.

(What was the correct answer? Is an Italian sandwich a good thing or a bad thing?) “Well, I just bought it in there, it’s the number three on their menu.”

“Then it’s Italian. Okay, I’ll take it.”

I handed him the sandwich and walked away. Later, I saw that he did eat it.
Recounting the story to some of my scootering friends later, they related some things he had said to them – things that almost reflected on their personalities in some obtuse way. Did his offer of a sheep indicate that he knew I knitted and that I had an Australian shepherd in need of a job? Steve suggested that perhaps he was some sort of oracle, like the blind man in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” The whole thing was like experiencing dream logic while fully awake. You know dream logic…where things that make no sense whatsoever seem perfectly reasonable. You step out of a house, walk across the street and encounter another familiar place that in reality is miles and years away.

So what does this mean? Steve thinks there is a sermon in it. I haven’t found it yet. Ideas?

Sumner Singers NYDC Tour

2006-06-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

How I spent my Memorial Day Weekend...
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasWTJm3YsmLko

My daughter's school choir went on tour to New York City and Washington, DC. Since I had never been to NY, I signed on several months ago to go along as a sponsor. We (35 kids and 8 adults) had a BLAST! I shared a room with three teenage girls (one was my own), but they were very pleasant young women. We left KC at 7:15 AM on Thursday, May 25, flying to LaGuardia. One kid missed the flight and had to catch up with us in NY. Scary, but it worked out. We had lunch Thursday at Grand Central Station, and spent a lot of time on a tour bus with a guide pointing things out to us. We stopped at Ground Zero, and spent a great deal of time at Trinity Church across the street while we waited for the lost boy to show up at the hotel across the street. We then went to Chinatown for shopping and dinner. The evening finished with a sunset visit to the Empire State Building. We checked into our hotel in New Jersey about 9:30 that night.

Friday morning, we performed at St. John the Divine Cathedral. A beautiful church, but there was a lot of construction going on as they are still cleaning up following a fire several years ago. The cathedral is 2/3 done. Construction noise and tour groups going through made it a very noisy place. The people that stopped to listen (and the sponsors who weren't singing) said we sounded wonderful, but we could not hear each other at all. I could hear the voices of my daughter on my right and a bass on my left, and that was all. After that we went to the Lincoln Center for a formal group photo while we were still dressed up, changed clothes there, and got back on the bus for more sight-seeing. We ended up in Times Square where we were turned loose in pairs to find lunch and run around. Eileen and I had a nice lunch and she bought some t-shirts. We went to the Hershey store and loaded up on chocolate. Back on the bus and on to the docks. The fleet was in that week, so we got to go on an aircraft carrier. Not really my thing, but it was okay. Dinner was pizza, then some running around in Central Park, then we went to see The Lion King on Broadway. The $60 seats were tiny. One kid from my church really didn't even fit in them, and I had to turn my boats for feet to the sides to fit. But the show was absolutely magnificent! Words cannot describe the incredible costuming and set design. It was absolutely thrilling. Back on the bus and return to hotel in Jersey.

Saturday morning we checked out and loaded the bus. Drove to Liberty park to board the ferry. Ferried by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We had to stay on the boat because of our tight time frame. Then back on the bus for the long ride to Washington DC. Barbecue dinner at 5 at a marina near the Pentagon, then on to a 7 PM performance at a retirement facility for retired military and their spouses. They were our best audience for the whole tour! Cookies and lemonade while we visited, then back to the new hotel where we had some late night pizza.

Sunday morning, we performed for two services at Christ Church Episcopal in Alexandria. A surprisingly small church, I thought. But they did have a gift shop, and I bought a pewter cross and an apron that said "Have you hugged an Episcopalian today?" which I gave to the seminary professor I work for since she is an Episcopalian priest who I thought would get a kick out of it. She was pleased. We were supposed to go to Smithsonian next, but because Rolling Thunder (100,000 Harley riding veterans) was in town, the guide feared the city would be too congested, and we went to a mall instead. I was very disappointed. I've now been to DC twice, and still haven't made it to the Smithsonian! Next was a LOT of walking in Arlington National Cemetery, where it was very hot! We participated in a wreath-laying at the tomb of the unknown at 3:15. I was somewhat disappointed in this, as well, because our wreath stayed there all of five minutes before the next ceremony. Seemed rather shallow. Dinner was at Buca di Beppo, and there was a birthday party group in the same dining room as we were. We did a lot of cheering each other on, and it got pretty silly. After dinner, many of the kids were whining so much about their feet hurting (poor shoe selections for Arlington) that we went back to the hotel, and those that wanted to see more got back on the bus and we went to the WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, and Korean War Memorial. I had not seen the WWII or Korean Memorials before. They are relatively new. We did find the name of one of my Uncle's friends/cousins in the wall. I had forgotten about him (I never knew him), but Eileen remembered us finding my uncle weeping in a cemetery and telling us the story, and I was able to pull up his name from the recesses of my brain. This tour was the best of the whole trip because there were only 8 kids and four adult sponsors plus the tour guide. Made it much easier to keep track of everyone.

Monday, we checked out and flew home.

Whooooo! I'm still tired!

RevGalPals Friday Five

2006-06-09T10:25:00.000-05:00

1. Favorite way to spend a rainy day
Knitting on a new project and/or reading a good book.
2. Favorite song about rain
Laughter in the Rain (What can I say, I'm old.)
3. Favorite movie featuring rain
I can’t think of any except “Singing in the Rain” and I don’t know that I’ve ever watched that one all the way through. Wait! Does "The Wizard of Oz" count? Isn't there a rainstorm before the tornado?
4. Favorite piece of raingear, past or present
Felted wool hat
5. Favorite word for rain
Sprinkle, mist, toad strangler(!?!)

Catching up

2006-05-19T14:06:00.000-05:00

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion.
Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu..
Your convictions are strong and unwavering.
You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

Well, I decided to try this since a couple of my friends from seminary turned out to be agnostic. I pretty much agree with all but the last item. I figure there are many paths...Christianity happens to be the one that works for me.

Been a busy few weeks. Classes are done, as is the last flurry of assignments. I got the appointment that I was hoping for! Two small churches that are very close to home. I've preached there several times (preaching again this Sunday), and the people are great. I'm really looking forward to it. I start July 1.

Eileen and I are headed to NY & DC next Thursday with her school choir. I've never been to NY, so I'm as excited as the kids are. I no sooner get back, and I have to go to Annual Conference. Not gonna make much money in the next few weeks. Good thing the tax refunds just came.

Went to urgent care last night. I've had a backache for about a week, and a trip to the chiropractor on Tuesday didn't alleviate it. I had some other symptoms of a urinary tract infection, so I feared that maybe it was affecting my kidney. The doctor concurred with my diagnosis and gave me some antibiotics and something else that turns my urine bright orange. I know, TMI, but it's just kinda weird. This is my second course of antibiotics in less than a month, so I guess I better start hitting the yogurt hard to return some good bacteria to my system.

Scooter rally this weekend, and tomorrow is my 17th wedding anniversary, so maybe dinner with hubby if he's not worn out from hiking with Boy Scouts, I'm not too wornout from the rally, and I have finished my sermon prep for Sunday!

Old house musings - Mystery/History is fun

2006-03-10T09:59:00.000-06:00

Saturday, we're going to a barn-raising.
http://www.realwoodbarns.com/invitation.php
Steve has been wanting a garage since we moved to this house. We actually paid way too much for an architect to design us one to go with the house when we first moved in, but ended up not being very satisfied with the design, and didn't want to throw any more money at that same architect to get it right.

We had told our friends that when we built our garage/carriage house, we would have a big barn-raising party. One friend said, "I'll be there to dance at your barn-raising." Alas, he won't. We lost him to mental illness that resulted in his death. I still say that Ken is the reason that we haven't yet built our barn...he can't be there to dance. We still miss him.

Steve went to one of the smaller local home shows last month and stumbled across a company that sells/builds timber frame barn kits. He really liked the looks of the options, and we have met with the builder and are waiting on his quote. They are hosting a barn raising tomorrow, so we're going to go watch how it is done. They will have food, but we'll probably take a picnic lunch anyway. Should be a perfect day for it. I'll take my knitting and some of my reading and figure out when I get there which works better for me. Looks like we may be having a barn raising ourselves sometime afterall. I know Ken will be there in spirit.

On other house related news, this past week Steve and I took a walk around the neighborhood and discovered another missing piece in our house's history. We have the full abstract on the property, and despite the various uses the house went through over the last 116 years, we are only the third/fourth owners. The house was built in 1890 (according to the tax records) by Harvey Stover (bio here: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/wyandott/history/1911/volume2/s/stoverhl.html The brick mansion on the electric line is our house) . His widow, Dora, lost the house to the bank over repeated refinances in the early 30's. In about 1935, the house was purchased from the bank by the Carlson family. The daughter of the family married a man named Novotney (so she is kind of number 2 and 3, hence 3rd/4th), and that is who we bought the house from. Yet, our connection has always been closer to the Stovers. We have tried to be faithful to the character of the house they built, despite all its multiple uses over the ensuing years. When Dora lost the house, the court records said that she did not attend the hearing. We wondered if she had died during the process, or just gave up, or perhaps was unable to because of illness. We always suspected that the family members were buried nearby, and felt that a public cemetery a couple of blocks from the house was the logical resting place, but had never taken the opportunity to investigate it further. I had checked cemetery records at the public library, but the directory for the cemetery in question did not list the Stovers, and that was part of our rationale for not pursuing it further.

Yet, old cemeteries have always interested me. Steve and I took advantage of the nice weather earlier this week and included Bethel Cemetery on our walk. Lo and behold, we found the graves of Jacob and Elizabeth Stover, and of Harvey and Dora. Even though they were not listed in the directory, their graves are in that cemetery. We found that Harvey died in 1926, and Dora in 1941 - several years after she lost the house. We still wonder why she was absent from the hearings, but at least we now know she didn't die during the process. Some things we will never know, but these are some of the interesting mysteries to explore when you own an old house.

So, is it weird that I feel such a connection to people I've never met? I am even considering taking some irises or daylilies from the house over to plant on their graves. I doubt that anyone else remains to even visit them. I still wonder where Harvey, Jr. - who died at 18 months - is buried. Perhaps we overlooked a small tombstone. A reason for another visit?

Okay, back to work now.

The boys are back in town

2006-02-23T09:40:00.000-06:00

Husband Steve, and son Aaron went skiing in Colorado over President's Day weekend. They left Friday morning, and got back late Tuesday night. It was Aaron's first time on an airplane, and I think he was as excited about that as he was about going skiing. Here's a picture of the two of them in Colorado:

They had too much fun. Here's another of Aaron:

Meanwhile, daughter Eileen and I had a good time at home. Friday night, after getting home from work and school, we frantically cleaned house for two hours as we prepared for a Sit & Knit at my house. A couple of people braved the cold and joined us. On Saturday morning, Eileen participated in Math Relays sponsored by the school district. She participated in four events, and although it wasn't a clean sweep, she received three Gold Medals (in Algebra, Data, and Number Sense) and one Silver (in Geometry) at the 9th grade level. Makes her mama proud, that one! We celebrated at Outback Steakhouse that evening.

We also attended three worship services in two days. We went to the Saturday night contemporary service at Church of the Resurrection, our own church Sunday morning, and friend Laura Guy's church, Living Water Christian (www.livingwaterrchristian.org) on Sunday evening. Our conversations driving to the different churches were very interesting as Eileen read to me the list of things I was to watch for (for worship class) and we discussed the various aspects. She is the Alpha group leader for the youth at our church, and it has been very good for her and has caused her to think about things that are way beyond her fourteen years. I was really impressed by some of her insights and questions.

Meanwhile, with the boys gone, we broke a lot of the household rules like staying up late and eating in the living room. We did manage to "keep the home fires burning" for the boys. I have not been blessed with the fire-building gene, but fortunately Eileen got it from her father, and we were able to maintain until Tuesday morning a fire in the fireplace that Steve started on Thursday night. We had a great weekend!

I had a root canal on Tuesday and have been suffering since - welcome back to the real world! Well, not exactly the real world...the darvocet world.

Eileen and I get our turn in May. Eileen's choir from school is going to New York and DC, and I'm going, too. I have a few other fun trips planned, as well...a work-related conference at TanTara during Spring Break (good timing, huh?) and a trip to Chicago on the train in August to attend the UMC National Clergywomen's Conference. (www.gbhem.org) So far we have two in the room, and there is room for two more. Any interest?

So that's what I've been up to.

Roadkill - a knitted frog

2006-02-11T11:26:00.000-06:00

At last some knitting content! That's what I set this blog up for, yet I haven't yet posted anything about knitting.

Someone on one of the lists I'm on wanted a toy frog pattern for one of her beginning students. Google search turned up very little. The question inspired me and I came up with this pattern. Knits up quick. I call it "Roadkill" because of how it looks when it is first knitted. Let me know what you think.

Flat Garter Frog
Use two coordinating shades of green, and knit two pieces, one in each color.
The lighter color will be the underside of the frog. The frog pictured is knit from Opal Crocodile sock yarn. Only half of the frog has been done in the picture.

Use an appropriate needle size for your selected yarn. If you wish to felt the frog, you should knit more loosely. If you wish to stuff without felting, drop down a needle size to create a firm fabric.

CAST ON 3
Row 1: K3
Row 2: INC1, K3, INC1
Row 3: K5
Row 4: INC1, K5, INC1
Row 5: K7
Row 6: INC1, K7, INC1
Rows 7-18: K9
Cast on 12 at start of next row
Row 19 : K21
Cast on 12 at start of next row
Row 20: K33
Row 21: K33
Row 22: Bind Off 11, K22
Row 23: Bind Off 11, K11
Rows 24-39: K11
Cast on 13 at start of next row
Row 40: K24
Cast on 13 at start of next row
Row 41: K37
Rows 42-29: K37
Row 50: K34, Place 3 stitches on holder
Row 51: Bind Off 31, K3
Row 52-66: K3
Cast on 3 at start of next row
Rows 67-69: K6
Row 70: bind off 6 and cut yarn
Repeat rows 52 – 70 on the three stitches placed on the holder at line 50 (you will not repeat row 51)
Place the two pieces together. Because it is done in garter stitch, there is no right nor wrong side, although it would be best to match up the cast on rows. Stitch together using the darker color yarn, leaving an opening where the mouth of the frog would be.
If you used wool, you may wish to felt your frog. Otherwise, stuff to the desired firmness. Sew mouth closed using contrasting yarn. Add buttons or googly eyes for eyes.

When it rains it pours!

2006-02-10T07:56:00.000-06:00

I got an email from my pastor yesterday, and he asked me if I would be available to preach on March 12. He has planned a lenten series on Gandhi's "Seven Blunders" - the traits most spiritually perilous to humanity. They are:

Wealth without Work

Pleasure without Conscience

Science without Humanity

Knowledge/Education without Character

Politics without Principle

Commerce without Morality

Worship without Sacrifice.

Here is a link for Gandhi's grandson's interpretation of the seven blunders:
http://www.gandhiinstitute.org/Library/LibraryItem.cfm?LibraryID=780

My pastor allowed me to select one of five (Knowledge {Dr. McCoy - Palm Sunday} and Worship {retained for Easter} were spoken for) so I chose Science without Humanity. As a recovering civil engineer, I am somewhat familiar with science. At least that is the reason I told myself.

So now I'm in deep. I have a few things that I've thought of for illustrations, considerations, etc. Among them: Thoughts I had while visiting Los Alamos while on my immersion last year (Thanks God for once in my life I actually kept a journal!); The Tuskegee study some years back (Needs more research - Only a vague recall of major ethical issues having to do with subjecting African American males to some sort of harmful medical or radiological testing without their knowledge or consent); experiences in mission and using "appropriate technology". I'm still looking for ideas...feel free to post.

I also need a scripture that fits. A Psalm would be good, then I could possibly use the exegesis for a class that I'm taking this semester. Again, any ideas would be more than welcome!

********

I've been finding some other friends blogs, and as soon as I get their permission I will link to them as well. I added links for Hipchickmamma and Deaconess_grrl. Never played with html before. I was really thrilled when it worked!

A Couple of interesting quotes

2006-02-09T10:27:00.000-06:00

I get quotes in my email. Still need to figure out a good way to save them for future reference, but here are a couple that spoke to me. Maybe something to develop further....

There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.
--Washington Irving (1783-1859) American Writer

Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength. -- Anonymous

Your thoughts appreciated.....

Getting into preaching

2006-01-31T08:41:00.000-06:00

Well, I survived my preaching class. I have intentionally used the word "survived" because that is how it feels. It met 5 hours a day, every day for two weeks. During that time, we had to read 5 books, write two papers - one 5-7 pages, one 15 pages, write and preach two 12-17 minute sermons, and preach two extemporaneous 5 minute sermons with little prep time. All scriptures for sermons were assigned, and the texts for the 5 minute sermons were assigned just before the break, and had to be preached after the break - 15 minutes prep time!

Don't misunderstand...I learned a ton in the class, but we all felt pretty abused. The professor was from another culture, and was promoting a style much different than that with which most of the class had experience. As she critiqued the sermons, she tended to harp on the errors (from her perspective) that she observed. It would have been enough to state the error and move on, but she would hammer on it for a good ten minutes or more. I felt so bad for the speakers that had to endure such abuse. One student ended the two weeks with bronchitis/pneumonia she felt was purely from the stress of the class. Running short or long of the 12-17 minutes was a guaranteed C or worse on the sermon. The professor said she "Loves preachers," but her behavior sure didn't show it.

It all made me very appreciative of one of the cultural phenomena of our seminary. There seems to be an unwritten rule among most of the professors that I have had that affirmation is essential. They seem to recognize that more can be achieved through positive reinforcement than through negative.

Well, I did come out of the class with two written sermons, one of which I preached for real this past Sunday, and one that I will preach next Sunday. I'm filling the pulpit for a friend who is leading a VIM trip to Bay St. Louis, MS. If you want to come hear me, send me an email privately and I can give you times and places. Hipchickmamma has suggested I post my sermons, but they're too long. I have translated one of them into Spanish as well, as I was told that one of the churches has a woman who speaks little English. I thought she could follow along and get a chance to "hear" (read) the sermon, too. She wasn't there. :-) But it was a good exercise. I've been needing to brush up my Spanish, and it really helped set the sermon in my mind. I'll probably do it again this week.

And I have decided I DO enjoy preaching. I wasn't sure before, but now that I have a few more tools instead of just the OJT that I've used before, the process is much more enjoyable. I got that much from the class.

Kim

In a Slump

2005-12-29T15:06:00.000-06:00

Maybe it's the holidays...maybe it's health related. I don't know why, but I seem to be in a knitting slump right now. I finished my son's Christmas sweater the last week of classes, only to find out on Christmas morning that he had grown since I started it. I may have to add more to the length and sleeves and do some redesign on the collar 'cause I just don't like how it turned out. I had started some toe-up socks last week, and ripped them out about as quick as I cast them on. They were too wide. I cast them on again last night, but just can't get motivated.

Maybe it's because my mother-in-law is in town. I think she believes that I spend much too much time knitting...time I should be using to clean my house. I'm sorry, if Steve married me for my housekeeping skills he was seriously mistaken, and he'd have to be really SLOW because we've been married 16+ years and if he hasn't figured it out by now...Well, whose fault is that?

Seriously, I'm taking a little break. I stayed home from work yesterday fighting a cold - much better today. I only seem to get sick when I allow myself time to let down a little. Why is that? I tried researching it, but everything I found said that stress contributes to lowering immunity, not relaxation. I seem to thrive on stress; I get sick when I slow down. Maybe by slowing down the cold catches me (Why would anyone want to catch a cold?) When I'm moving full pace it can't catch up.

I'm planning a major sewing project for the weekend. I don't, as a rule, consider myself a seamstress. I've made skirts, and doll clothes as a child, and once made a dress, just to see if I could. (I wore it for a couple of years before it started falling apart. I'd call that a qualified success.) I made cushions for the window seat in the house. From knitting, I know the basics of clothing construction, and I can read a pattern. This is a major project more in terms of its importance to me. I'm making myself a clerical robe to wear for some upcoming preaching engagements! I'm planning to use good fabric in a natural color and take my time. If it works well, I may make more in other colors like black or navy. I'll post pictures if it's worth looking at. Stay tuned!

Back to work...lots of reading to be done for my January class. Happy New Year!

Kim

Chance of flurries...

2005-12-13T14:56:00.000-06:00

We've had a flurry of activity as of late! Three weeks before Thanksgiving, my dear, dear husband suggested that maybe we should finish some projects before my inlaws came for T-day. Well, it was my busiest time of the semester, but house projects are one of my favorite ways to procrastinate! In the next several weekends, I painted the entire upstairs hallway, yanked up nasty carpet on the upper portion of the staircase and the upstairs hall, cleaned the WHOLE house, and Steve and I painted the living room! I had a paper due Thanksgiving Day (It's okay, it had originally been due two weeks earlier, and the prof extended the deadline) and the Monday after, and suddenly got busy at work, too. Somehow it all got done, and the relatives were well fed.

Then, last week, we got flurries of another sort! Ten inches of snow! The kids had snow days on both Thursday and Friday. It was beautiful and fluffy and VERY COLD! The kids had early dismissal on Wednesday and the dentist cancelled their appointment, so we baked cookies. I'm really not that kind of mom, and that is the first time I ever remember doing that. It was so successful that last night we made peppermint wreath Christmas ornaments.

This week is back to flurries of activity. We got our tree Sunday, but haven't brought it in the house yet. Last night was Scouts for Steve. Tonight, Aaron has an All-City Children's Choir performance, tomorrow Eileen and I have church activities, Thursday night is Aaron's school program, and Friday, I have a sit & knit at the house! And today is my birthday and I have NO IDEA if Steve and I will ever get a chance to go out and celebrate. Oh well, I did get some nice gifts from friends. :)

Here's hoping all will have a blessed holiday season!

Kim

Welcome to my world!

2005-09-09T08:32:00.000-05:00

I'm new to this blogging stuff. Been considering it for some time, but didn't get to it until now, and mostly just because I wanted to post a comment on a friend's blog, and had to register to do so.

I tend to stay busy. Someone asked my daughter what her mom does, and she said, "My mom is a full-time student, works four part-time jobs, and still manages to be home two days a week."

I guess that pretty much sums it up! I am a full-time student at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO working on a Master of Divinity to begin a second career in ministry within the United Methodist Church. My first career is/was in civil engineering specializing in water and wastewater. I still work ~20 hours per week as a civil engineer. My other jobs include teaching knitting through community education, helping out one of the professors at the seminary, periodically substitute preaching for friends, and teaching workshops, along with a variety of volunteer activities through my church.

I live with my husband, two kids, two dogs and a cat in a 100+ year-old house on four and a half acres. This is an old picture. The plastic shutters are now gone, and there is more landscaping in the yard, but it should give you an idea. We love working on the house, but recently the time has been hard to find. We did manage to plant some trees last weekend, but it was a holiday! This weekend I really need to get some studying done.

I hope you enjoy my blog, and I'll try to write regularly.
Kim