Weary and wondering

I'm much too tired to put any sensible thoughts together, but thought someone might enjoy a few pictures from the Fall. Some are from Lake Tahoe and others just down the street from my house.

Daughter's Faith, Part Duex

So, my youngest daughter has decided NOT to play softball this year. After a long and thoughtful process, she is determined that she needs the time to focus on school and her relationship with God. She was asked by the varsity coach to re-consider this decision. He wrote her a personal email and made some good points (good, but also somewhat transparent) stating that her ability to play was, in his view, a God-given talent and he wondered if she should waste that. He also suggested that she might be able to play and participate as a member of the team in a way that would give glory to God. This was something that I had subtly suggested, but dare not push too hard.

She wrote back and copied us on her response. Basically, she thanked him for his thoughts and said she was flattered. However, she said that while she understood any achievements or skills she had are gifts from God, she believes she has other talents and wants to spend her time developing those instead! She wished him the and the team the best in the upcoming season. A nine year career has come to an end. However, a life of faith and leadership is just beginning.....

thankfulness

I generally detest holidays that set aside one day to do the things that we should do all year long, like be thankful, celebrate the religious traditions that are uniquely ours, honor our parents, etc. However, if we allow ourselves the opportunity, we can be reminded of how we can live our lives in a celebratory, thankful and honoring manner all year long. So, allow me to add to my list the things for which I am really thankful, and those for which I feel guilty for offering thanks!

First, the real ones:
Family
Friends
Faith
Shelter
Clothing
Food
Spontaneity
Work
Church
Children
Life itself
Husband
Fuyu persimmons
Yosemite
Education
Books


Now the ones that make me feel a bit guilty and self-indulgent:
The internet
Peet's coffee
NFL
Major League Baseball
Cute handbags
Gourmet Cheese
Wine
Office supplies
Christmas music
An afternoon alone at the movies
Jesus Bling (my cross collection)
Days to lounge around in my pajamas

Death does not have the final word

This week one of the saints of our church died after a long illness with lung cancer. Last Saturday, I had one of those "God moment" experiences at the hospital with him and his family. Another pastor and I were there, gathered around the bedside and reading Psalms and preparing to pray. I invited all to pray, and as I usually do, I took a few deep, internal breaths. I seldom just jump into a prayer. Before I could utter any words, our church member started to pray the Lord's Prayer. He had been struggling to breathe, much less talk in any real audible fashion. He was fervent and almost boisterous in his recitation of the prayer. We proceeded and then I closed with a blessing. Last Tuesday, when I stopped in at the hospital again, his daughter pulled me out into the hallway and said that her dad, now in a coma, must have been very moved by my leading the Lord's Prayer. Of course, I was quick to say that I didn't lead it, he did. She went on to say that it was the last thing he had been able to utter before he slipped into an extended sleep and coma. Wow! Is it possible that God really does speak in our breaths, our pauses and yes, even in our prayers? Praise be to God! breathe breathe pause pause wait wait Amen!

Since when did my daughter become more faithful than me?!

So, tonight, after school, my younger daughter comes home from school and confronts me with big issues. She sits me down and says in a nearly tearful way that she's thinking of quitting softball. She's realized (after a weekend away on a leadership team for a Love of God retreat for senior high school students) that her faith is more important that sports. She wonders why she is spending so much time on something that doesn't seem to have a lot of long, or even short term value, to her.
I know this is truly troubling her, since she was already considering quitting softball to take a part-time, after school job. What is stunning, is her thoughtfulness and the intensity of her feelings. She said that she doesn't feel she has the time she needs to develop a real "relationship" with God. She said she knows it isn't just about going to worship on Sundays or going through the motions, it's a way of life! Whoa! Suddenly, I feel I've been leapfrogged. How did my kids get so big, old, mature and smarter than me?

On This Day

On this day
many will say
that history has been made
and it's true

On this day
many will say
that life will change
and it's true

On this day
many will say
dance in the streets and celebrate
for the truth

On this day
many will say
justice has been served
and maybe it's true

On this day
many will say
why the prejudice
and lack of what's true

On this day
many will say
but who will pray?
for all to be true

Amy Grant....still good after all these years

Thursday evening I took a walk down memory lane with my husband and another couple. We drove to Morgan Hill to see Amy Grant in her 20 city tour of the Lean Me On reunion, celebrating the release of that album (it might have still been an album back then!) 20 years ago. Amazing!
There were some sweet moments, a lot of tunes I'd not listened to in ages and a real jolt of reality that like it or not, I've actually gotten older.

She kept joking about the fact that people continually come up to her and say that they like her music, but they really like her "old stuff." She talked about us being the kind of audience that now wants to just come in, sit down, relax and watch someone sing....no more jumping up and dancing and singing and so on. It's so hard to believe that we're the ones we used to call "older." That's me now! Why should this surprise me when one daughter just drove out the driveway to attend her homecoming dance and the other is at a friend's house getting ready for the same party. 20 years ago, those children weren't even born yet!!!!!

On the other hand, last week I had a young woman who is in seminary and in her mid-twenties, drop her jaw when I said I was 49 years old and later on she said I was a rock star! So, this getting older stuff isn't all bad....maybe I'm also still pretty good after all these years ;-)

Writer's Block, version 2

I've known for quite some time that my most creative stuff, my richest loam, comes from deep, dark and even depressing times in my life. So, here I sit at my computer wondering why I am not able to write. I listen to my muses, the creative geniuses in my life, and wonder why I can't write like them. A Carrie Newcomer song brings me to tears with her depth, cleverness and certain connection to real life. I read a Rilke poem and wonder at the genius and the veil of creativity that is lended him by his own shadow side. What do I do? Wait for bad things to come again? That seems like a desperate way to be a writer.

My creativity feels shriveled, dead and distant. How can this be when life seems so good? Possibly the refrain I would write is actually the life I am currently living. It's so good and fertile right now that I can't access the depth of my feelings, emotions and all the stuff that makes for really good art! That seems very sad to me. Maybe my "dry bones" will be brought to life soon. I keep hoping....

why I love teenagers

I've been waiting a really long time for the bad, horrible, tension filled days of teenage life to enter our household. Seriously, in a sort of hold your breath, wait for the other shoe to drop sort of way, I've wondered when things will get really bad. When will my kids refuse to talk to me? When will they sneak out of the house and not tell me? Or go somewhere completely different than where they told me they were going? Fact of the matter is, this has not happened. And as a parent, I feel similar to the way I felt when both of my daughters, respectively, started sleeping through the night at around six to eight weeks of age! Shhhhhh, don't share this with any other parents, because they might just chop your head off or worse!

I absolutely love my daughters. Now, I am in no way deluded. They are not perfect people and they have inherited their share of flaws from both me and my husband. They are probably not going to win any academic awards or be named all-league athletes or the like. But, they have some qualities that I find exceptional, remarkable and God-given.

Let me list a few:
- grateful for what they have and seldom ask for things beyond our means
- they do their own laundry
- they fix their own lunches for school
- one of them is an exceptional cook and the other a great baker
- neither one of them complains about going to church, youth group or the like....they do it willingly and are generally involved in more than would be minimally expected
- sensible
- concerned for others and the planet
- generous
- good, healthy senses of humor
- not overly concerned about looks or fashion
- appropriate and growing sense of independence

Okay, that's enough gloating for now....I am mostly sad that these are not the kinds of traits or qualities that we generally are looking for or affirming in our teenagers. If you live with one, teach one, lead one, know one in any context, the next time you have a conversation with a teenager, ask them things that would draw out matters of person rather than GPA, intended college or latest sporting achievement. You might be surprised!

I serve two churches

Those of you who know me know that I am a pastor of a small, aging, liberal congregation in the East Bay (California). What you may not know, though, is that I seem to be pastoring another church, too. I have an increasing list of folks who regularly call on me, meet with me, seek my counsel, reflect with me about spiritual and life matters, but come nowhere near the doors of my church on a Sunday morning. This has not been an intentional development and it has grown slowly over time. Let me share with you some descriptions of just a few of the "members" of my second congregation: * a peer who is a single mom and very spiritual, but not religious - a very common description * a young woman in her 20's who is a devout Christian, but has questions about her relationships her career, etc * a man I counseled 20 years ago at high school church camp who just found me on Facebook * a newly married woman whose struggling and whose husband is not a Christian * a friend who has become disillusioned with the church after years of active involvement * and many more I share this because I'm wrestling with what it means....for me, for the church, for these individuals and so many others who are searching for something that does not look exactly like what church has looked like for the last 50 years (or more). The real challenge is to communicate this with my first church and to share the ministry I have with them. If anyone out there has any ideas, please let me know!

Ignoring it all

I do not want to know the news
I would rather fill the pews
with folks who want to hear good news

I'd rather not lament the past
I'd really rather have a blast
I'd like to go and have some fun
or help some others, even one

I hate to think that the world is bad
or that people everywhere are so sad
Can't we just think positively
please let me see your face full of glee

There is some hope, there has to be
Perhaps it's just around the corner, ooh, I see
And if it isn't here or there,
Just for the moment,
I don't care!

Best things in life...

Saturday is my birthday.....one more year til the big 5-0! Wow, where do the years go????
Anyway, it seems a great opportunity to share my greatest joys. I just feel so full of gratitude right now for....
....An awesome, supportive, generous, hard-working and partner for a husband.
.....Daughters who give me such joy for the ways in which they are growing and becoming
.....A place where I can minister and share my gifts to such a wide variety of people (ages, stages of life, varieties of theologies, etc)
.....So many amazing friends from so many different facets of my life, create an extended family that fills my heart with love and imagination
....Music, music, music
.....a God of grace, compassion, justice and love
.....health, home, and all good gifts
In the words of the t-shirt maker, "Life is Good....do what you love, love what you do"

Writer's Block

What does one do when the resistance is so great? How do we move beyond the point where we are certain we have nothing worth saying? What happens when the doubts creep in? The creative killers are stalking you at every corner. You're not a writer, no one cares about what you have to say, no one has commented on your blog in weeks, and on and on goes the negative tape.

It's like so much other work that requires discipline and regular endeavor - keep writing, keep painting, keep singing, keep playing, keep dancing. A friend of mine used to say that there were only two times that you should exercise -- when you feel like it and when you don't! Such is the case with artistic and spiritual endeavors. Just keep after it. The fruits are not always evident, but they will emerge. One cannot reap if one does not sow.

Why being a pastor is a strange profession

1. For starters, almost all my friends and family start to get more excited for the weekend, as Friday approaches. Even if I have Saturday away from work, the impending sermon to preach on Sunday morning is never far from me
2. Then, Monday morning arrives and almost all of my family and friends are off to work and school, while I am doing my best to practice Sabbath
3. We pastors spend a lot of time talking about and being around stuff that most people try to avoid - sickness, death, brokenness, divorce, addiction, loss of faith, etc.
4. This is not a job - if I were an accountant, most likely, I could stop counting beans at the end of the day. If I were a construction worker, I'd come home and be a mom, a wife, and all the other hats a woman wears, but I'd probably no longer do stuff that resembled being a construction worker. However, as a pastor, the role and the person don't separate very easily. Even if I can extricate myself internally, as soon as I step out my front door, and encounter another person, I most often am treated as pastor.
5. The chain of command and assessment of one's work is often elusive and intangible.
6. I get paid to do stuff like pray, read, talk to people, listen to people, pray some more. That doesn't sound like a job to most people.

You may wonder what has led me down this path of reflection....well, today was Monday, my day off. However, a beloved and significant member of our congregation had open heart surgery today. So, after some down time in the morning, I found myself in a hospital waiting room with family members, hoping for good news. The news was good. A first hurdle - coming out of surgery, having the doctor say he was "pleased" with the results, etc. After some time, the family going into see their father and husband, I left to resume my day off. I was distracted by my Blackberry and missed the fact that an elevator was open and a man asked me if I was going down. He probably asked me a couple of times before I came to. I joked about the question should be am I even awake and alert. When we got to the lobby and got off together, he stopped and commented how crazy this was. He said his mother was having open heart surgery, and he was going downstairs to meet his brother-in-law who was in emergency. I could see the look of distress and sheer panic on his face. Without skipping a beat, I told him I was a pastor and asked him if he would like me to pray with him. What!!????? Oh my gosh, this was not me, Gail, asking this, it was surely God. This is who I have become, not who I am! I was standing next to him, hand on his shoulder, and praying something, before I even had really thought about the implications of such an offer, or what I would say. His wife and daughter were just coming around the corner when I was finishing and I'm sure that must have been shocking to see some strange woman with a hand on their father/husband, but once they got the story, their faces were both relieved and grateful.

Then, I walked on out the door and to my car and hoped that I was going to resume my day off...but at that point, doing so with much less certainty because being a pastor is a strange profession.

life is not for the faint-hearted

A parishoner recently told me that getting old is not for the faint of heart. I think I know exactly what he means. The longer I live, the more I realize how fragile, tenuous and uncertain this earthly life really is. Some of us have been shielded from that reality for a longer time than others.
I marvel at how unscathed I have been up to this point in my life. However, there comes a time, when we all realize the blessings and the troubles are pretty random occurrences.
My dad died in December, and what comes with that, in addition to grief and loss, is the stark and shocking idea that I am not getting younger. Aging parents, children in their teens, a few more wrinkles and aches and pains than just a few years ago, and so goes the list.
I also recognize that on my good days, on those days when I'm really aware and alive and present to the moments, that all this mortality and fragility awareness makes me so much more grateful for the moments and days......
for a beautiful dinner with friends,
for coffee and meditation on my balcony in the crisp, fall air,
for the comforts of home,
for a husband who is loving and caring,
for a place to serve and be challenged and share my gifts,
for the freedom to express myself,
for countless ways in which I feel loved and embraced by God.

The Economy

I find money to be one of the most disturbing and puzzling matters for humanity. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that it is one of those things that is given so much attention and in the end, it often gives so little back. I'm also astonished when there is a disaster or some other really important event that happens, and so often, one of the first things that is talked about is how much money it will cost to recover or what the damages were. It seems like such a superficial way to value and describe life happenings. There is so much attention being given to the economy right now, as the stock market took another slide today. Our dependence and the fact that this can unravel us and make so many people edgy or downright panicked seems to say a lot about who we are as a people. Where do we put our trust? What is it that gives our lives meaning? How do we value ourselves and others? I seriously doubt that dollar signs will do the trick!

The Holy Spirit is an harpist

And all strings

Which are touched in Love

Must sound.

- Mechtild of Magdeberg

Pluck the strings of my soul and make music to the spheres

Play me like a finely tuned instrument.

I must sound.

Sing

Laugh

Cry

Tune my strings to one another and to the orchestra of life

Play me gently, softly, slowly

Then there will be

Harmony

Balance

Serenity

Sightread the Spirit of God into every note of my being

Improvise and scat all over my life

So I’ll know

Joy

Playfulness

Delight

Compose an original symphony of a diverse and creative life

Beat the drum of justice

On my heart

Peace

Peace

Peace

Remember

I find this day brings me to a place of both sadness and hope. Sadness for all the lost opportunities.
Sadness because we don't seem like we've gotten very far. Sadness for all the lives lost. Sadness for war. Sadness for hunger. Sadness for poverty. Sadness for a lack of caring. Sadness for what is lacking. Sadness.....

I also have hope. Hope that change is around the corner. Hope for new leadership. Hope for our children. Hope for the transforming power of Christ. Hope for things not seen. Hope for folks to stand in solidarity for those without hope. Hope that there is a better way and a brighter tomorrow. Hope that springs eternal....rising from ashes, rising from dust, rising from all that looks lost and despairing. Hope!

The Dragonfly

I was so excited about this picture, but now, I see that the light was not right. All in all, though, it's so amazing just to be able to stand next to a creature like this and take its picture. I just stood there mesmerized by how still it was for a very long time. Almost as if it was attached to the petal of the rose. Not afraid, nowhere to go, no reason to move....just sitting there being a dragonfly. I am not much of a photographer and maybe only a bit more of a writer, but both of them teach me more about being me. So, one of God's creatures lent me just a bit more insight on what it could mean to be human. Thanks, Mr. Dragonfly (or is that Ms.?)

Sunday afternoon musings of a weary pastor

* Ministry in the church is hard work.
* Ministry in the church is really hard work!
* Sometimes the more we try, the less we accomplish.
* God is generally one giant mystery to me.
* Bay Area sports are no longer the joyful diversion from life's daily trials.
* Community organizing sounds like a pretty good work to me.
* Did I mention that ministry in the church is hard work?
* Sabbath is not an option.
* Beauty will save the world.
* Yes We Can!
* Joy does not come in the morning for all of us ;-)
* I need the patience of Job, the humility of Mother Theresa, the prophetic power of Martin Luther King Jr, the financial prowess of Bill Gates, the entrepreneurial abilities of Steve Jobs, the creativity of Twyla Tharp and direct lineage from Jesus, then, maybe then, I'd be a great pastor. Then again, maybe not!

The Rose Garden

Hound of Heaven

Sometimes I am simply haunted by images, people or events in my life. Yesterday I had one of those moments. I was walking with a church member down a busy street in Clayton (okay, I know, some of you think that Clayton is not all that busy) but anyway, it was about 7:15 am and we rounded a curve and saw a young boy walking in the middle of the street next to the median strip. We were concerned for his safety and asked him to come over to the sidewalk. He did and kept walking away from us in the opposite direction. About 5 minutes later the boy returned, running up behind us and asked us what time it was. By now it was 7:20, and then he asked us "Do you know where Diablo View school is?" Now Diablo is the middle school in town and by the young boy's size, I'm guessing it was his first day in this school. He's walking, a long way from the school, doesn't know where it is, exactly and we tried our best to direct him and hoped and prayed for the rest of our walk that he made it and he made it on time. Wow! What do I do with that? What should the church be doing about that? If anyone reads this and has some suggestions, please let me know!

peace

I took this photo of a photo today. The original is by a photographer named Duke Caldwell. Wonder what the padre is thinking? Is he waiting for something? Praying? Just bored? Or is he in trouble with the Abbott? I wonder.....

Knitting

I'm not sure if blogging is making me notice more things, or if I'm noticing more things because I'm blogging. I was sitting and knitting in Starbucks today waiting for my younger. There were two rather precocious young girls there with their moms. They were clearly impatient and not enjoying the conversation or the slow pace of drinking coffee. So, one of the moms suggests that they watch me knit. A bit uncomfortable was I, at first. Then, the girls started to ask me questions about the yarn, how long it takes to knit a scarf, who was it for, etc etc. I just was amazed at how eager and inquisitive they were. Also, they talked to me as if I had known them a long time. They talked about going to preschool and kindergarten, about how their little brothers were cranky, and lots of other little life details. It just occurred to me that this conversation probably would never have happened if I did not have my knitting.

So, I just find myself musing over the slower crafts of life - knitting, cooking, gardening, painting, quilting, etc. - seems to me they're about a lot more than the craft, the trade or the products that result. These lost arts are pathways to conversation, journeys to a calmer center (almost zen-like), and ways to re-claim the creator in all of us.

Ahhhhhhhhh it was great to be back

Ever have one of those days where you just are feeling sorry for yourself? It was one of those days for me. As I was driving home from church, it was exacerbated by seeing all these families out on the school field by our house. Dozens of them! They'd been there all day. The first pathetic thought that came to mind is, "Oh woe is me. Why are all these people out here instead of at church, where they belong!?" I started down that slippery slope of wondering what difference anything I do makes, does the ministry really help anyone, is it all just self-serving and impossible, irrelevant and without a future? The spiral down continues as I then start to doubt whether I can do this and personalize the lack of young people in church to my own failings. Wow! Talk about functional atheism.

Anyway, I arrived home and vowed to continue to work here as it's cooler in my house than in the office. I opened my email and found a note from a church member. The trite saying, "God works in mysterious ways" comes to mind. I'm editing what she said, but this is the essence of it:

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh It was great to be back. I have missed you, and the church and everyone at CVPC. Your sermon today, once again, hit the mark for me! Thank you!!! (some personal stuff I've deleted including ways she has been questioning and some gatherings and comments that have really caused her to question, as well as her personal doubts re: lack of knowledge of scripture) So I have been spending my Sundays in quiet reflection, not learning, not questioning, but soaking in all of the gifts we have here before us. I am still just as confused, but I am happier about it now. So that is why I have been "absent" from services this summer. (some more personal reasons for being away) Funny how things work themselves out, hhhmmmmmm. ( And yes I did thank God for the gift of a good friend)....Thank you again for your words today, they made a difference in my life.

The Tyranny of the Sermon

Late nighter
Sermon writer
Open eyed
Heart wide
Deep thought
Now what?
Soon comes Sunday
Gotta pray

my friend, Sadie

I have a friend named Sadie. She is one of my youngest friends. In a week, she'll be two years old. It's funny how much she teaches me. Being around one so young without requirement says to me that it's really good to have a friend who doesn't "need" you to be her friend. Her parents take care of her in so many ways, but they also leave her be and let her be friends with lots of other folks.

I love the way she looks at life. Her questions are so wise. "What's momma doing?" "What's that?" and her statements too, like "Up, please." "I don't know!!!" "uh-oh" and "bump bump"(which means put it back where it was) All of these are such simple phrases and such transparent ways of looking at her world.

We adults become so complicated and so convinced that we already know the answers, so we don't have to ask the questions. We assume we already know what "momma" is doing. We've decided for ourselves what things are. As for the requests and statements, we are seldom vulnerable or interdependent enough to ask another for a lift up and we never, ever, ever want to admit that we don't know something. It is nearly impossible for us to admit that we've done something wrong that would require an"uh-oh" to be uttered from our mouths.

My friends, do remember, "a little child shall lead them."
Peace and grace,
Gail

And another thing....

Today I am feeling very philosophical and nostalgic. In just one week, my two daughters will be entering their 10th and 12th grades of high school. I have lots of friends who have babies, toddlers, elementary school kids and friends who have college students, single adults and children with children of their own (in other words, grandchildren!) I have loved every age and stage of my girls' growth, progressively more than the one before it. I'm not one who really likes things to stay the same. My sameness is really about things always changing. However, it is amazing to me that the one in this picture was wearing a plaid skirt, cotton blouse, holding a lunch pail and a backpack for her first day of kindergarten 10 years ago. Where did the time go? I am fairly certain that those of us who have or have had children will never quite get over marking the beginning of a year in late August or early September. It is my prayer that this year more children will have homes, more children will have adequate nourishment, more children will go to bed with assurance that they will sleep peacefully through the night, more children will know love and support, and more children will be whole people. Otherwise, it is hard for me to understand why God has blessed me with so many opportunities and these assurances for my own children. I hope we'll all be encouraged to share these blessings with others. A wise friend of my mom's used to say that our children do not belong to us, but God has simply loaned them to us for a little while. I'm enjoying my little while! Thanks God and thank you Allison and Shannon. Amen.

The end or the beginning

I've spent the last ten days at home, mostly, studying, writing, reflecting, working on such things as worship schedules, confirmation classes, talks for a women's retreat in the fall, and in between, doing really ordinary things like auto maintenance, grocery shopping, and doctor appointments. Well, let's be totally honest I also have logged a fair amount of hours watching the Olympics and the finale of So You Think You Can Dance (yea, Joshua!)

Anyway, there is something oddly calming and right about this rhythm. The sacred and the profane. The ordinary and the extraordinary. The miraculous and the explainable. However, sometimes I can't tell which is which.

Breast Cancer Help

Some of you know I'm a frustrated artist....I encourage you to go take a look at this blog and the Pink Doll created by 182 different artists as a fund raiser and to raise awareness for breast cancer:
http://girl-gone-thread-wild.blogspot.com/2008/05/pink-artist-drawing-august-1-october-15.html

I'm back

So, it really has been far too long since I've done this writing thing on a regular basis. Observing, seeing, listening, reflecting, praying, musing, sharing et al. I tend to think I've been too busy pastoring and parenting and wifing (being a wife) and personing (being self), to do this writing thing. Hmmmmm, an excuse, perhaps? Avoidance, definitely! So what is it that holds me back, holds all of us back, from sharing our true selves, the gifts, the passions, the identities, the beliefs, the thoughts, all of it. Why is there so little "real" in the world these days? Instead, we have virtual communication, social networking via computer, online banking, the church of the cyberspace, e-harmony, and on and on it goes.
Don't get me wrong, I love this stuff! It challenges me, keeps me feeling young and in touch. I love the convenience. I can even can feel a bit hip when I recognize that I am more technically savvy than some of my peers (both professional and in age), but the whole techno rave can also make me feel empty, void and like I'm missing something. Something big. Something tangible. Something real. Something like human contact with another human being....live, in front of me, talking to me. Sipping the coffee I bought instead of looking at the picture of it on the Facebook message I just sent them!
There is this really old fashioned idea that I learned from my Midwestern ancestry, when I was growing up, in the day of 8-track tapes, no cell phones and only 3 really good channels on the TV: everything in moderation. My prayer for today is that the next time we spend a lot of time on FB, Myspace, YouTube, Twitter, etc., we might actually pick up a phone, and schedule a real, live, human encounter with a friend or family member.....just for the nostalgia of it all!

where have I been?

That is a very good question...9 months and no posts, what kind of blogger am I? The last time I wrote I was in a different church, doing totally different work, and so much has happened since then. I would love to say I've been away because I've been too busy, doing too many worthwhile things, serving others without fail, and extending myself for noble causes of social justice and equality. However, that would be a far stretch of the truth. A more accurate alibi would be my own reluctance to write and my lack of discipline. It's much harder to be open and transparent about that sort of lacking. So, I'm back and hope to create something worthwhile for anyone who would care to read.