I did it!

Ok, so actually, I did two things! Here they are...

Yesterday, after work, I was sitting around with the boss at the bar. I always sit out there for at least a few minutes with him because we chat a little bit and then I leave. I've been a complete chicken with telling him when I'm leaving, but last night, during a commercial (I wanted to make sure I had his undivided attention) I told him that December 1 would be my last day. I said, "Boss, December One. That is going to be my last day here. It's a Friday." He said, "Ok. We're really going to miss you." And I didn't say anything to that. Then I said, "OK, bye now." Not really, but you're not interested in the other chit chat we had... I'm thrilled. 45 working days left! Yeehaw!

The other thing I did is a little more exciting to me... I submitted my application to Seminary. I did it online because they waive the application fee if you do it online. I snail-mailed by autobiographical essay to them. 3 out of 4 of my references have submitted their forms, and I just sent my other clergy reference the forms today. OH yeah, let me tell you about that...

Remember how I was discouraged because I don't know many pastors and so I had to call someone to ask if he would be my other rostered leader reference? Well, he said he would be, so long as we had a meeting and got to know each other a little better. That was supposed to take place on October 7. But, my pastor had a new suggestion (He suggested the guy in the first place) that I have the Assistant to the Bishop (A to the B from here on out) for Candidacy Affairs be my other reference. So, I called her and she agreed because she already knows me. So, I talked to the other person and told him that I was very grateful for his willingness, but I realized that I did know another pastor. He thought that would be better too, because the A to the B knows me in a more natural way. So, I sent the A to the B for Cand. Affairs the forms today, and I trust she will fill them out and send them off expeditiously.

So, because that was straightened out, I asked Pastor if it would be a good time to apply, and he said yes. So, I came home from school today, ironed my pants for work, and then applied! I'm excited. Hopefully they accept me. I really want to go!

On a completely unrelated note... A little child made my day on Sunday. The kids sang during worship, so Ma and I had to sit a pew back from where we normally sit. The Sunday School kids came in and sat in the first 4 pews while waiting to get up and sing. So, anyway, once they were done, they all went to their parents. Well, one parent who was sitting directly behind me didn't have room for both of her kids in the pew, so she asked the girl to sit in my pew by me. She did. I noticed she was drawing a little something and it looked cool, so I said, "That looks really cool!" and she said, "Thanks." So, I didn't think much else of it. After worship though, as we were all ushered out to shake hands with Pastor, I talked to him for a brief moment about the reference form that I put on his desk. Then I kept going so as to not hold up the line. All of a sudden I heard the little voice say, "I drew this for you!" I looked down and the little girl handed me a picture that she drew on the back of a communion card. It says, "God, Jesses" (meaning Jesus, obviously) and then it has a picture of a cross, and of God (with a beard) and Jesus (with a smile). The words on it said, "God Loves YOU" I thought it was so cool. I said, "Thank you! I really like this!" And I meant it. I have it here on my desk because I think it is special that a little girl is so willing to tell others that God loves them. I drew her a little picture in return that I plan to give her on Sunday. I hope it offers her encouragement, because I just think that it is so cool that she was willing to tell me, whom she had never met or talked to before, that God loves me. Anyway, that's it. See ya.

I was wondering...

As time continues to pass, and as I continue to plan for my post undergraduate studies, I have found myself wondering a few things. Here are some questions I have regarding my (hopefully) acceptance to seminary and life therein:

What kinds of things should I take for my dorm room?

What do students do for money?

How many people at Seminary like chili? (this is a whole other blog post to itself; I just need to write it)

What is CPE like?

If there were a few words of wisdom from people who have "Been there, done that," what are they?

Ok, that is what I've been wondering lately. Anyone care to chime in?

What a cool day!

Today, I went to the seminary I hope to attend at a later date. I've been there before, but I never saw the dorms. Sis, BiL, and Howard wanted to see it, too, so I scheduled a tour and we went. I was SO grateful that they worked something out so we could come today, because usually they don't do tours on Saturdays. It was great, though. We left home at about 7:40 a.m. because we wanted to stop at an infamous restaurant on they way for breakfast. So, we did. It was GREAT. Then, we met up with BiL's sister and BiL to give them a sticky bun from said restaurant. We talked with them for a little bit and then headed toward the seminary. I didn't print out directions because I figured once we got to the city, I'd remember how to get to the seminary. Well, because we met BiL's sister farther in the city than I'd ever driven before, I was a little less confident in my ability to get us to the school. However, I remembered some landmarks and said, "I think we need to turn here. And, there should be a restaurant down here at this fork in the road. We need to stay left." So, BiL was skeptical of my navigatory skills, but then when I was seeing the landmarks, I knew we were on the right track. We got there with no problem.

The tour was cool. I'd seen most of the campus before, except the dorms. Our guide showed us a residence hall room and it was really cool. They're all single occupancies and are a lot like little studio apartments, except they don't have a kitchen. But, there is a residence hall kitchen and residence hall laundry room. It was more than I was expecting. I was pumped! I really am looking forward to going there. I am feeling re-energized and motivated to get in for January. It is such an awesome place, and I'm not even that familiar with it yet...

After the tour, we went to a coffee shop downtown. It was cool. I'm not really a coffee drinker, but I didn't want to be a huge dork and order a glass of water or something, so I got a flavored coffee. We all sat down and talked and stuff, and I had a great time. Like I said before, I am REALLY grateful that this student worker was willing to come in on a SATURDAY!!! to give me and my family a tour. That is just awesome. And she didn't treat us like we were imposing on her free time or anything. She said she has the best job on campus, and it's all good. If this woman is any indicator of the majority of the people on campus, I know it will just be great.

On our way back home after the tour and coffee, we stopped at the same infamous restaurant for dinner. I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered a small meal and finished most of it. It was excellent, just like breakfast was. Howard was a very good boy today. He's 5 months old, but he hardly ever cries at all. He's a smiling fool. :) Anyway, I just thought I'd post on my wonderful experience. Have a good day.

The Shower Story

Well, after I got done bellyaching in my first post yesterday, I had to go get ready for work. I was in the bathroom getting ready and all of a sudden, I heard someone laughing at me. I thought, "Oh great... Someone's laughing at me and the problems I am having. That's fantastic!" So then, I looked up and noticed that I had poked my "Patrick Star" (From Spongebob) shower hangup and it was him laughing! So, I started laughing, too. Patrick makes me laugh. And that made my day better. I was all ready to go into the "I don't get no respect" routine, but it was just Patrick. Oh Patrick, I love you.

An addendum

In response to my last post, I need to say that I am very grateful to the A to the B for being willing to meet with me to be my second rostered reference. I just wanted to make that clear. Because he's a nice guy (from what I know of him) and he is very busy. Despite my general frustration at being held up yet again, I just wanted to let you all know that I am not angry with him. He's cool. I'm just upset at me, really. And I think I'm stressed cuz we have 2 big parties on the books for tomorrow night and it's very stressful because we're not a big restaurant and there are only ever 2 waitresses on Friday nights and that's not enough to deal with 2 big parties and the other people who come in. So, I'm stressing. And Pastor suggested I wait to apply to seminary til I have all the required paperwork, so I guess I'm waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I have to go to work now. Bye. P.S. remind me to tell you about my "shower experience" that I had today. It'll be worth it.

I'm being unreasonable.

Do you ever have the problem where something unexpected happens and you have a completely unreasonable response to it? That happened to me today. I had a good morning, where I really thought, "You know, even though this whole application to candidacy and now candidacy process has been somewhat long and "stop & go" for me, and despite the many questions I have posed to myself regarding my ability and/or readiness to move away and begin theological education, I really believe that ministry is where I am being led." I was feeling really good about it all, and I was even planning on submitting my application to seminary online today after I got done talking with one of the Assistants to the Bishop in order for him to be my second rostered leader reference (Not the A to the B for Candidacy affairs, the other one who is in part responsible for teaching churches to do Natural Church Development. Our church is in the midst of NCD, and that is how I know the A to the B). Anyway, I was expecting to have a talk with him over the phone for maybe 45 minutes to an hour and that would be that. But instead, he suggested I go to the Synod Office to have a 2 hour meeting with him. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not averse to meetings or whatever, but I have been waiting for what seems like FOREVER to apply to seminary. And now, I don't know if I should WAIT until after October 7 to apply, or if I can go ahead and apply now. The application requires that the applicant put down the information for the references, so I'm in a quandary. Our meeting is 2 weeks away! That seems like a long time. A really long time! And what if they don't take me for the Spring Semester and I will have quit my job already and blah blah blah... Anyway, so I'm just way more upset about this than I should be. That is why I feel like I am being unreasonable. I'm also angry with myself because I should have read my e-mail before I called the A to the B because Pastor suggested I use the other A to the B (the one for Candidacy Affairs) because she already knows me. I had thought about her before, but didn't think she was allowed to be a reference for me because she is so involved in the application and candidacy process. Or if I'd known that I needed to have a huge whole long interview, I could have found a more local pastor to help me out. I've met a few of them, and I'm sure one of them would have been willing to act as a reference. But no... See, unreasonable. I'm being unreasonable. It's not the end of the world. Maybe I'm just tired. I don't know. I need to go get ready for work now. Bye.

The end is near!

No, sorry, I'm not prophesying anything here! I'm not the Kentucky Prophesy Guy (Woman, in my case). I have been thinking a lot lately about the future. A million questions have been running through my mind. "Will I be accepted to seminary for January? Will I get in to the extended CPE term? When am I going to quit my job? What do I need to take with me? Am I going to fit in? Will I be able to handle the rigors of theological education? Is this really my calling?" All these questions and some others related to these questions have been running through my mind. But, in my thinking, I at least think I know when I'm leaving Restaurant. I would like my last day to be Friday, December 1st. I plan on graduating on Saturday, December 16, so having two weeks off prior to that will help me get things in order, and will also help me have time to finish up my research. So, as I was driving to school today, I realized that the end is in site for my "career" at Restaurant! I didn't realize it until today that, as much as I like serving the people who I have come to know and love there, I am ready to be gone because of all the drama that is Restaurant. I'm thrilled. I've been there for 9 1/2 years and it is time to move on! So, I'm thrilled. And now, people are standing around waiting for a computer here at school, so I'm going to stop blogging and let someone else have my station. Hasta.

P.S.

I'm excited! I'm going to visit my hopeful future seminary on the 23rd with Sis, BiL, and Howard! I'm getting a tour and then the plan is to go to a coffee shop there and have a question/answer session! I'm pumped!

I was wondering...

You know, I've wondered something (A particular something) at various points throughout my teenage and early adult years that I've never actually put out there verbally or in written form. But, tonight, I just decided that I would ask. Hopefully someone might comment and let me know their thoughts. But, what I've wondered is if kids, teens, and early adults go about their lives and think about people in their lives who act kind of as a surrogate parent. I have thought of several people in my life as kind of a surrogate father, but I was unsure if that was because my own dad died when I was 12, or if this is something that is normal. At various points in my life, I have come to love some men in a fatherly sort of way. Now, what I was wondering is if this is something all/most people do, or if only those of us who do not have a parent think in these ways. I have grown to love some of these men (There have been 3 total, so don't think I'm some psycho who slaps the "fatherly love" emotion on any man who comes into my life who is older than I am) because they actually remind me of my dad, and one I love because he makes me think of the "ideal dad," even though all dads have their faults. Any thoughts? I really am curious. Lay it on me.

Something cool.

As promised, here is the something cool. It is a 3-D picture:

You can click on this to go to the site to make your own! It's really cool! The only bad thing is that it displaced my profile to the bottom of the page. Ah well. Such is the price we pay for art!

Lots o' Stuff

Well... It's Monday. This morning, I was woken up by house-shaking thunder and strobe-light lightning. It was cool though. A little scary, but cool. I woke up and thought, "I'm going to die if a tornado rips my house away because I'm too tired to get up." But, I fell back to sleep for another hour or so, so it was all good. Worship yesterday went fairly well. Even at the church with no musical accompaniment. Although, for one hymn, I said, "We will alternate left side to right side for this hymn." And then I opened the LBW and saw that it was only a one-verse hymn. DUH! haha. So, I said, "Oops, I guess that's a bad idea. How about we read this one all together." The congregation laughed a little, so at least they weren't thinking, "What an idiot!" Otherwise, worship went well. Sis, BiL, and Howard came to our church (not to be confused with the "other" church I did). I almost feel bad for admitting this but, I had to steel myself while reading the Gospel lesson because Howard and I "talk" a lot (keep in mind he's 5 months old) when I'm playing with him. While I was reading the Gospel, he started babbling, I think in response to my voice. I cracked a smile and didn't want to turn into a pile of laughing mush, so I had to block his little voice out. It was cute though. The people in the first few rows may have noticed a smile befall my face as he started his little conversation. I love that child like crazy. Actually, I love BOTH of my nephews like crazy. They're special little people.

In other news, I called the seminary to which I hope to apply today. I called one of the professors who has been in conversation with my pastor. I wanted to hear what he has to say about starting in January. Any seminarians out there want to weigh in on this issue? Do you think it's a good or bad idea to start in January? When did you start, and how long did you take? I'm curious about these things. I also called the seminary to try to set up a visit. Sis and BiL want to go with me to check the place out and perhaps look at the residence hall rooms to see what kinds of stuff I will need to take. They want to go with me to visit sometime this month, so I would really like to get this set up. Unfortunately, no one was in the office there, or in the professor's office. Ah well. Another time, perhaps. Anyway, that's long enough for now. I will post something cool in just a moment that I saw on a friend's blog. It's amusing. See ya.

Music Appreciation Sunday

Hey, guess what!? I get to lead worship/preach today! Pastor is on vacation and so I get to "give church" as some like to say. I'm excited, even if I still am fighting with my draining sinuses. Ah well. Today will be "music appreciation Sunday" at the second church where I am leading worship. Both of the organists are actually members of another area Lutheran church, and they are testing out the new hymnal or something today. So, we will not be able to sing. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say. :) There are still hymns involved in worship, but we will be reading them, perhaps responsively, perhaps by gender, but not singing them. Pastor chose hymns that have a good message but are a bit harder to sing. I don't mind. I can't carry a tune in a bucket anyway. So, now I have to go and make sure I have my ducks in a row. See ya later.

Yuck.

'Sup, people? Man, I should be in BED right now! I'm bad. Oh well, I have a legitimate reason for being up this late. I just got done with my homework. And no, I wasn't procrastinating (well, I was, but not too terribly). I actually was busy and couldn't get to my work. I am leading worship this Sunday and so I had to write my message and get it sent to Pastor. He and his wife are leaving tomorrow to go on vacation. I hate having to drag him away from what he is doing on vacation to read the message I should have had sent to him prior to their departure. So, I wanted to get that done. I did and he gave it the thumbs up. I'm thrilled. So, then, our church council meeting was changed from Monday to tonight (Wednesday, even though it is technically Thursday right now) because of the Labor Day holiday. I had to go to that because I am the secretary. Plus, they talk about me a lot because of the Student Aid fund and what not. I like to be in the know, ya know? So, I got home tonight and had some dinnah and then got (almost) straight to my homework. If I wasn't feeling so crappy, I might have been able to get at it sooner, but I think I have a sinus infection or something. It's making me queasy. :( Thank the Lord for chewable Pepto Bismol (it actually tastes like that old candy "bottlecaps"). And anyway, I've noticed something in several of my recent posts... Sometimes I am a little too negative. I think I'm going to start working on that because negativity is not something I want to let get a foothold in my life. Pastor and I have been talking about my impending application to seminary and I have been feeling weird about that, and kind of down on myself. He talked to the dean of students at the seminary to which I plan to apply and the dean said that starting in January isn't a bad idea. Pastor emailed me and told me about his convo with that man. He gave me a little boost when he said, "Some things/people are worth the extra investment." Now, I didn't think much about that comment until tonight when I stuck around after council to have a brief chat with Pastor. I thought he had meant that some extra time at Seminary wouldn't be a bad thing because it's a cool place. But during our chat, he said, "Did I make myself clear when I emailed you the last time?" And I said, "Yes. Extra time at Seminary wouldn't be bad because it's worth the extra investment." And he said, "I meant that YOU are worth the extra investment." Thanks for the reminder, Pastor. Sometimes I forget. And that is my daily outpouring, poor self-esteem issues and all. Have a nice day.

Wow, I feel special!

Labor Day is kind of a big deal 'round my parts. The town in which I live doesn't really do anything, but neighboring small town (NST) has a bunch of festivities. A carnival comes to town, one of the state's largest Bocce ball tournaments is held in NST, and a big Labor Day parade is pretty much the culmination of the festivities. People from all over the area come to put their horses, tractors, floats, legion members, marching bands, and cool cars in the parade. One year, they even had three parachuters jump in on the parade. Unfortunately, one hit a street light or some wires (I remember seeing the accident, but I don't remember what the guy hit; I was not even a teenager at that time) and was seriously injured. They've not done that since. Anyway, so last Thursday I was the hostess at Restaurant. We have a lovely older couple who comes in on Thursdays whom I truly respect. They are just nice people. You know the sort; they always have kind words and ask about life, school, and all that good stuff, and they truly seem to care. Anyway, the Mr.(Whom we shall call Mr. MooCow, because he farmed in his younger days) asked me if I was going to the Labor Day parade. I said, "Usually I do, so probably." He said, "I'll be in it with my '72 Vet." I told him that would be cool, and I asked him if he would be throwing candy. He said, "I don't know if I'll have candy or not. We'll have to see. You know, I'll pick some up and throw it for the kids." So, I said, "If you see me, throw me some!" I was half-joking because the candy is supposed to be for the kids, but really, who can turn down candy? So fast-forward to the parade today. I sat uptown with my sisters, BiL, "Howard" and some other friends and acquaintences. We watched the parade and laughed as all the kids scrambled for the candy that was being thrown around. I looked and looked for Mr. MooCow, but I wasn't seeing him. The parade neared the end and a bunch of corvettes drove past, but no bright yellow, 1972 corvette showed. So, finally, I stood up and looked down the street and saw it coming. So, I sat back down and when he got closer, I saw him throwing butterscotches, tootsie rolls, and peppermints to the kids. And when he got closer yet, I yelled, "HI Mr. MooCow!" and he was doing the rote parade wave. You know, the one where you just turn in the direction of who said your name and wave. But then, he saw me and got a big smile on his face and waved a real wave before reaching down and throwing me two special Baby Ruth bars! Haha. The kids next to me snatched them up, but that was ok. He had "special" candy for me! I just thought that was so nice. He made my day. He really did. People like that make life so much easier and fun. He made the day of some kid he barely knows by just doing one act of niceness that could be overlooked by so many in our fast-paced world. And for people like Mr. MooCow, I say, "Thanks, God."

158

Today, at bowling, I bowled probably the second best game of my life! I scored a 158! My highest game ever was a 199, which I scored on the last day of league bowling in 2005 (I think). Yeah. So, I'm excited.

In other news, wait, what am I talking about? There is no other news. I'm boring. :) ha. See ya.

Exasperated.

Sometimes, life is exasperating. Ya know?

Something that made me laugh...

My church sends out a monthly newsletter to all of the members of the congregation. Pastor puts it together and sends it so that, ideally, it should come close to the beginning of the month. Sometimes the post office doesn't deliver all of the out of towners until the month is half over, but it always gets to us. But anyway, September's didn't face the same delay the previous two months' issues did, so we got it a little early. I was reading through it (because getting it makes me remarkably happy), and I noticed that Pastor wrote a short article about me. The title says, "Candidate for Ministry" and the article states: "Trish LastName has been approved as a Candidate for Ministry by the synod candidacy committee. Trish will graduate MyCollege in December and plans to attend HerChoice Seminary next year. Congratulations Trish! We are proud of you! (Even though you have confessed to jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.) Funds are regularly received for Student Aid at MyChurch and will be used to help defray costs for seminary education. Thanks to all who contribute regularly to this fund. It is a great way we can help minimize the financial burden of seminary education as well as show support in training effective leaders for the Church of Christ." The support my congregation showers upon me just continues to touch my heart. A part of me just has such a hard time believing that they think so highly of me, but I am just so grateful that they believe in my abilities and gifts so much that they are traveling with me down this path. I love those people like crazy and am so thankful that God brought me into fellowship with them so many years ago. I am indeed truly blessed! Thanks, God!

I'm weak.

What? I am weak. In more ways than one. This semester, I am taking Bowling as a class. It is a one credit hour course that I decided to take because I am also taking a history class and the capstone class for my major. I used to bowl in a league (although I have never been very good). Well, for class, we haven't been having "lecture" yet, so we have just been practicing bowling and showing our stuff. I am so out of practice that my legs are killing me! I like biking, hiking, skydiving, walking, and all sorts of sports, and here I am all stiff and sore from BOWLING. Haha. I'm such a dork.

You know though, as I wrote the first paragraph, I realized that I AM weak in more ways than one. I'm weak when it comes to breaking my tendency to procrastinate. This is something I have tried to overcome many times in the past, yet to no avail. I'm so apathetic about getting most things done in a timely fashion. Don't get me wrong, I always get things done ON TIME, but often as a mad dash to the finish. *Sigh* what's a girl to do?

As I think about my inability to overcome my procrastination habit, I also find myself thinking about this coming Sunday's Gospel lesson. The people are grumbling about how what Jesus is talking about is too hard to understand. His commands are "hard words" to follow. What does he mean we have to eat his flesh and drink his blood? What does he mean that he is from the Father? Isn't he Mary and Joseph's son? Isn't he just a down home boy? Is he off his rocker?" Hard words. So many times, when we hear messages that are difficult to understand, we tune out. The words are too long, the ideas are too foreign, or the concepts are just too abstract, and so we just kind of check out. Many of the people Jesus was talking to didn't really understand what the big deal was, or they didn't think they could do it, so they just decided to forget about it. But Jesus stated quite clearly that it is imperative to take his body and blood in order to have eternal life. Those who decided to stick with Jesus through the Father's beckoning them will reap the rewards that Jesus promises. Those who follow the "hard words" will not lose their reward. May we find the strength to follow the tasks we find to be difficult as we live in service to our Lord; even if it involves overcoming procrastination.

A bad sign...

Well, here I sit at 11:30 at night, blogging. I am nearing the end of my first week back in the groove of school. I'm a bad, bad girl. I only have 3 classes this semester, but I am already procrastinating. I really, really, REALLY should be reading some stuff for my Soc. 300 class, but I'm not. I think I'll do it this weekend. I really need to get out of this procrastination habit. It's not good. I want to stay on top of things this semester and not wait to do what I should do now. And I haven't written the prayers of the people for Sunday yet, and I'm really tired, and I need to do some other stuff too. Ugh. When I got the results of my psychological profile from the 5 1/2 hours of testing I endured, they said that I might want to consider sitting down with a professional and talking about my tendency to procrastinate, among a few other things. Maybe I should, but I don't want to do it now. Maybe later... :) I'm going to bed now. I'm bad.

A little bit of encouragement...

Hi. Things are looking up. I went to work tonight and my boss was apparently over whatever she was mad about on Sunday. I'm glad. It's much easier to work when people are not harping on each other. Then, when I got home from work, I checked my email to find a message from my pastor saying that he had some conversations with some congregants. One of these congregants apparently TRACKED him down to tell him that I did a "great job" leading worship on Sunday. Two other people said that they really liked church on Sunday and that I did a really good job. I was pleasantly surprised. If I wasn't such a wuss, I'd post my sermon. But, I AM a wuss with a capital W. :) Hehe. Maybe one of these days I'll put one up.

School started Monday. I have bowling on M/W/F, and American Diversity and Senior Experience on T/R. Senior Experience is the capstone class for Sociology majors, and it involves doing your own research experiment. I was and still am slightly worried about it. I thought I was gonna hurl during the first meeting of the class today. I tried really hard to get into a certain section with a teacher I really like, and it was successful. But then, he got a grant and so they brought in someone absolutely new to teach the class. So, I don't get the prof I tried so desperately to get, and I'm just slightly worried. I know I shouldn't be. I'm perfectly capable of doing the work; it just makes me a li'l bit nervous. Whatever. Anyway, I need to go. I'm really tired.

Dude...

Today has been quite a day. I got to lead worship at both of my pastor's churches this morning. I got A LOT of positive feedback on my message. I was happy about that. Sometimes I get done preaching or I'm halfway through and I think, "These people are NOT paying attention. My sermon must be very substandard." But today, I was getting laughs, people were engaged, I didn't see anybody with that glassed over look, AND people said it was an attention getter from the get go. I'm glad though. I like to keep the people engaged. And, the wireless mic at my church functioned perfectly! Nothing involved in the sound system worked at the other church, but that's ok because they don't really need it anyway. One of the people at Church 2 said that he could hear me perfectly, even without a mic. So, I was happy. That church is substantially smaller than my church, so maybe that's why they could hear.

After worship, I had to go to work. It sucked. My boss was being slightly neurotic and mean today, and she was harping after me and just being mean. I was sad about that. I know I should not let her get to me like she does, but she just really can be cruel sometimes. Hopefully she's better by Tuesday so I don't have to get it all over again. I don't think I'll be able to stand continuing to work there if she's going to make my (hopefully) last few months miserable.

I was going to mow the lawn today, but this cold is sticking with me and I didn't feel like it. I had to go get my mower from my brother's house because his step-son had borrowed it. Well, on my walk home with it, I was just thinking about how tired I was and how much I did NOT want to mow today. And just my luck, a neighbor's nephew who is in town came over and asked if he could do it for a couple of bucks. Can we say Divine Providence!? Haha.

And finally, today is my last day of summer vacation. School starts tomorrow. I have one class and I just *know* it will be grueling. It is bowling, after all. I think I will throw the first few games so I can improve a lot. I used to be a league bowler (Although I was never very good) but I don't want to risk graduating on account of very little improvement in the game. I think it'd be cool if they offered skydiving in college. I'd be all over that! :) I am really tired, so I think I'm going to hit the hay early now. Have a blessed week, and don't let "the man" (or "the woman") get you down. Hasta.

Something must be going around...

I think I'm getting sick. My throat started hurting yesterday, and today I just feel kind of crummy. :( At first, I thought I was hoarse just because all of my "WOO-ing" and laughing on my skydive, but I think it's more than that. I've been using my Zinc lozenges, but I don't think they're helping. Lutheran Chik is also feeling under the weather, so maybe it's that time of year or something... Oh well.

In other news, I think I'm going to go skydiving again. Not right now, mind you, but someday in the near future. If I buy my next tandem jump by Monday, I will get to go for 1/2 price. If I buy that jump, it will be good for one year. So, I won't have to go right away. I don't know so much that skydiving will become a regular hobby of mine, but I would like to go again. Anyway...

"Dan" didn't seem as elated and giddy as I was about the activity, and I don't think he plans on going again. Then again, he didn't plan on going the first time. If I hadn't suggested it, he probably never would have gone. Oh well.

And with that, I'm going to head to bed. I need to be better by Sunday because I'm leading worship again! I sent my message to Pastor, so I'm waiting for the "yay" or "nay" from him. Later.

Woohoo!!!

So, Trish, what'd you do today?

Thanks for asking. I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at 10,000 feet.

You did what?! You've got to tell me all about this!

No problem. Allow me to begin at the beginning...

"Dan" picked me up at 11:30 a.m. to go to the skydiving place. On the way, I suggested to Dan that we yell "WOO" when we're flying through the air, like Ricky Bobby and his friend on "Talladega Nights." Dan thought that would be fun since we're always yelling "Woo" in the car and stuff anyway. We drove the approximate 45 minutes to the drop zone, got out of the car, and walked in through the hangar because the front door had a sign on it that said, "Please use side door due to fresh wax." So, we entered the place and found the registration office. The young woman behind the counter gave each of us a packet of materials with instructions on how to fill them out. The packet was a binding legal document where we had to initial after just about every paragraph saying that we understood what was going on. The whole thing basically said that we assume all the responsibility should we fall to our deaths or otherwise be injured. "If you sue, you will NOT win," basically. So, we did those, and went to the counter to have them looked over by the same woman who gave them to us. She asked to see our IDs, and then signed the papers as a witness that we were actually the people who signed our papers.

So, after we got the legal business out of the way, we walked out to the lobby to wait for the tandem master to take us downstairs to begin the mandatory class. After a few minutes, "David" came out and talked to us for a few minutes before leading us downstairs to the classroom. The class consisted of a video of a man with a VERY long "Moses" type beard, and then "David" spoke to us about the chutes and what we needed to do. After the video, David was talking to us as he explained the procedures and asked us if we had any questions or anything. The place I skydived at is a "teaching" place, so they encourage you to be a part of what's going on. When you exit the plane, you have your hands holding on to your harness. Then your tandem master does some things and pats you on the head. Then you do a "HAT" check. You look at the Horizon to make sure you're belly to the ground, you check your Altimeter, which is a wristwatch looking thing with numbers that tells you your altitude, and then the tandem master gives you a Thumbs up. After the thumbs up, you put your arms in a "lazy W" position so as to stabilize yourself as you continue your freefall. As soon as you put your arms in the "lazy W" position, you do a practice throw out where you reach back and grab the golf ball that you pull to get the parachute to deploy. Then you go back to the "Lazy W" and do one more practice throw out. Then, you have fun. You're supposed to check your altimeter every 5 seconds or so, and when you hit 6,500 feet, you lock in on that so when the altitude reads 5,500 feet, you can give a big wave off, reach back, and pull the rip cord. He also explained toggle maneuvers and the different types of landing. You can do "sit down" landings which are the safest way to land a tandem jump. A sit down landing is where you and the tandem master put your legs up and slide in on your butts. The other way is the stand up landing where the student puts her legs up and the tandem master lands you and you put your feet down at the end to stabilize you. After he told us the procedure, some people asked some questions and Dan asked about the weather. They said they hadn't been up yet because the clouds were too low, although they were broken, which means that the sky could potentially clear up enough to allow us to get up there. After the class and questions, we went upstairs to see what the weather was doing.

Well, the sky was still cloudy, so "Dan" and I were talking to "David" about what might happen. He said that the sky could clear up, but he didn't want to be responsible for us wasting our whole day if we ended up not being able to go up. So, he told us about rainchecks, where you can get a raincheck to come back without having to pay again, so long as you come back within a year. So, Dan and I thought we would go to lunch and see if it cleared up. So, we got some rainchecks, gave them Dan's cell number, and then we began to leave. When we stepped outside from the hangar, we noticed that the sun was out, so we decided to stay. Just then, we saw a few corporate types walking across the runway to an awaiting plane. So, Dan and I sat on a bench and watched their plane take off. Then we went to the other side of the hangar where David was hanging out talking to a few of our fellow tandem students. Another guy whom we shall name "Sparky" was there and was talking to us. It was funny because he was talking to us and he seemed really knowledgeable when he said, "They believe every word I'm saying. I guess I should tell them I'm just a part of the groundscrew!" That was a joke. At that point, there was a PA announcement for "David" to report to the lobby. So, off he went.

A few minutes later, David returned and said that the clouds had broken up enough that they thought we'd be able to go up in a few minutes, so we headed toward the hangar again. Some of us used the restroom really quick, and then we all met up in the hangar again. We put all of the stuff in our pockets into a holding area because they recommend that so your stuff doesn't go flying out of your pockets. David recommended that we wear jumpsuits in order to prevent grass stains in case we had to do sit down landings because sit down landings are the safest way for tandem jumpers to land. So, Dan put a red one on and I put a green one on. Then the rest of the tandem masters started showing up. Dan got "Sparky" and I was teamed up with a guy we shall call "Steve." Steve wasn't there yet, so David helped me into my harness. Then Steve showed up. Steve has bleached blond hair, is only about 3 inches taller than I am, (I'm about 5'5") and he's a really cool guy. He looked like a surfer with no place to surf. Steve introduced himself to me and said, "My usual job is videographer, but I've seen this done enough times that I think I can do it." That was a joke. I laughed and played along. I said, "Just make sure you put a chute in your pack so when we pull the cord your video equipment doesn't go flying out." He said that would be a good idea. Then, he got me all tightened down and safe. He got me hooked up with some safety goggles that fit over my glasses. We then went through the procedures we'd learned in the class. After that, Dan and I were standing around talking waiting to board the plane.

After a few minutes, Steve came to get me and he said it was time to get in the plane. I think the plane can hold up to 23 people in the passenger part. But, there are no seats. You go in and sit between your tandem master's legs and then another tandem master sits in between yours (on busy days) and so forth. Steve and I were about the 2nd team on the plane. So, we were talking and he said, "You know Trish, I think I'm forgetting something." Hehe. Trying to freak me out. So, we're sitting toward the cockpit because the door to jump out of is on the other end. I had a tandem master and a fellow tandem jumper named Ben to my right, with Dan and his tandem master right in front of me. There was another "couple" to Dan's right, and then I think 2 solo divers and two videographers in front of them. I said to Steve, "In the classroom instruction, David said 'No' sounds like 'Go.' I just want to make sure I do NOT land in this plane!" Steve replied, "Ha, you must know our pilot!" I looked into the cockpit and the pilot was a young lady who looked to be about my age (23). I thought that was awesome. Steve said, "Don't worry, we'll get you out of the plane." So, I was happy.

Once we all had our seatbelts on, we started going. I've never been in an airplane before, so I was excited about that. I was looking out the window, in part to keep from getting sick from not being able to see, and in part because I wanted to know what that kind of altitude looked like. It seemed like the ascent was crazy steep because I was actually looking down at the people in front of me. At 2000 feet, the door came open and the tandem masters released the seatbelts. They then went over the procedures again to make sure we had it pretty much figured out. At 5,500 feet, we then made sure our altimeters were in sync. Then Steve told me that O'hare had put an altitude halt on us so we could only go to 10,000 feet. O'hare can do that because the area from which I skydived is in the "final approach" stages for both Midway and O'hare. I was slightly bummed that we wouldn't get to 13,000 feet, but safety first. About that point, we got to our knees and the tandem masters strapped us all in and tightened everything up. They double-checked everything and made sure we were good to go. When we got to 10k feet, I saw people start to exit. Dan and his tandem master were the first tandem jumpers to exit, I think. The videographers were hanging on outside the plane, waiting for the people they were to video. Those people went, and then Steve told me, "Ok, it's time to get up. Shift your weight to your left and put your right foot out." So, we then got up and Steve practically carried me to the door. (Not because I was chicken, but because he said it's pretty difficult to move when you're strapped so tightly to someone else). On our way up to the front, I made the sign of the cross somewhat subconsciously, as a remembrance of my baptism and of the fact that I am ALWAYS in God's hands. We got to the door and I thought, "WHAT AM I DOING!?" But I didn't really even think about backing down. Steve told me to put my toes over the edge. He also told me that we were going to wait a few seconds before exiting the plane in order to give the previous jumpers a minute to get distance from us. Here I was, standing on a precipice!

Steve said into my ear, "Grab your harness and arch, and I'll do the rest." So, I grabbed my harness, arched, and next thing I know, I'm rollling in mid air, looking up at the plane, and thinking, "Oh, look, there's the plane. Bye Plane!" So, we got belly to the Earth and Steve patted me on the head in order for me to do the HAT check. I did that, and did the "lazy W," and then the practice throw outs. But then, I totally forgot to keep my eye on the altimeter. I was looking down and yelling "WOO!" I was SO excited! It was exhilarating! I was going between yelling "WOO" and laughing. Then I saw Steve give me the hand signal for "check your altimeter." I looked, and it said 6k feet, so I locked in on it, and I THINK I gave the big wave. Then I reached back and yanked the rip cord.

Let me tell you something! Boy was I glad I went to the bathroom before going up! When I pulled the cord, the harness dug in a bit and if I had been full, I would have probably peed my pants, or jumpsuit, if you will. But, I didn't. As soon as the canopy opened, my legs kicked out and I could hear again. I was laughing like crazy and I yelled "WOO" a couple more times so Dan could hear. Then Steve was talking to me some and I was like, "This is SO awesome!" The view was absolutely spectacular. The clouds off on the horizon were awesome, seeing other skydivers in flight was sweet, and the view of Illinois' vast cornfields was even cool. Steve handed me my part of the toggles (the things that are used to steer) and explained again how they worked. If you want to go right, you pull the right toggle. The harder you pull it, the faster you turn. Same thing for the left. So, I pretty much had my hands on it for show, because I was afraid I'd wreck us or something. Steve took us on a few quick turns, and explained the landing by first pointing out the landing zone. It was a big patch of grass right by the office. There is a runway with the name of the business that helps you locate exactly WHICH patch of grass you should aim for. He then explained the mechanics of landing. Pull both toggles in succession from 1-shoulder, 2-chest, 3-all the way. Pulling them all the way gets you to really slow down in forward motion. He also said he would tell me which landing we would use when we got closer. As we descended a little further, to maybe 400 feet or so, he said, "Do you see that guy in the tie dyed shirt? We're going to try to land next to him." So, I was like, "Ok." Steve brought us in and I think I "helped" him land and he told me that we'd do a stand up landing, so I needed to put my feet out. We came in, I put my feet out, and we landed so softly that it was like coming down off of a ladder. AND, we landed RIGHT next to the tie dyed guy. It was suhweet!

The whole thing was just amazing! I wish I'd opted to spend the extra money and get the video, but I'm too cheap. Although I did find some cool videos of first time jumps on YouTube.com. If you have time, you might want to check them out. They're awesome! I will probably be talking about this for the rest of my life! If you've read this far, thank you for sharing in my day. If you have any questions, fire away!

Books!

One book that changed your life: The Bible. I wish I read more inspirational type books, but, I'm a slacker.

One book that you’ve read more than once: Left Behind, the first one. Not for the theology, but just because I find it very interesting.

One book you’d want on a desert island: Aside from the Bible.... Hmm. "101 ways to get off a desert island" haha!

One book that made you laugh: I know I have laughed while reading books because people usually look at me like I'm a psycho.. But, I'm drawing a blank right now.

One book that made you cry: When I was a kid, I really liked Lurlene McDaniel books. She wrote fictional accounts about kids who were diagnosed with cancer. Just about any of her books did it for me.

One book that you wish had been written: Hmmm. Well, I used to want to be a published author, but that desire has gone by the wayside. I guess I'd like to see an ELCA seminarian write a book about their experience with the process.

One book that you wish had never been written: Hmm. Well, I don't really wish that because people like to read different things for different reasons. If you really pressed me on it, though, I'd probably say something that promotes satanism.

One book you’re currently reading: "how to think theologically." My pastor said a guy at the seminary suggests it to those considering theological education.

One book you’ve been meaning to read: "Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Rural Congregations" It's on my list right after "How to Think Theologically" because it deals with what we're doing now with the Natural Church Development process.

Now tag five people: You know, I don't think 5 people read this blog, but if you're going to twist my arm, I'll say RuthRe, Inheritor of Heaven, Jae, and I think that's all I have! Ha. Thanks to Tara over at Praying on the Prairie for inviting me to participate in this!

What am I about to do!?

My friend is coming to pick me up in 10 minutes to leave to go skydiving. The sky is cloudy, but otherwise, it's a nice day outside. I hope the clouds don't get in the way of our fun. I'm kind of scared, but totally looking forward to this activity. The only thing that's got me a little freaked out is that my boss has said all week, "I hope you don't go Splat!" And today, I went over to Waiter's blog and the title of his most recent post is "Splat!" Talk about weird... :) Anyway, have a good day, and I can't WAIT to share the experience with you.

A slight case of the nerves...

Some of you might remember that I recently decided to go skydiving. I was laying on my sister's couch the other night, trying to get to sleep, when I started feeling slightly nervous. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going, but I am starting to feel excitedly nervous. It was funny because I have a pretty slow heartbeat normally, but I felt my pulse and it was going quite a bit faster than usual while I was thinking about jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet. But, it's good nervousness. Just typing the phrase, "jumping out of a plane at 13k feet" made me smile. I've been looking up stuff about skydiving tonight, and I just keep smiling. I'm so excited! My friend text messaged me today trying to make me nervous, but I'm very determined! He laughs at me because this will be my first time in an airplane, and I won't even be there for the landing. He says that this increases my chances of my first landing being with him, considering he is working towards getting his pilot license. That's fine with me. I trust the guy. So, anyway, in 34 hours I will be at the place getting ready to jump. Wow. I can't wait. I just hope it doesn't rain or otherwise mess up our plans. I really am excited to go. Ok, I've said excited way too many times so far. Kind of like on "Peewee's Playhouse" when they would have a word of the day and everytime someone said that word, they'd scream and yell and laugh. Haha. So, the word of the day is "Excited." :) Have a fun time making a big hubbub of people who use the word (especially when you're simply in the midst of intelligent conversation!). Have a blessed Sunday!

Woot!

I'm official! My Synod sent me a letter yesterday telling me that they officially approved me for Candidacy! I'm excited! Very VERY VERY Excited! Wow, that' way too many exclamation points. Sorry. Anyway, I'm off now. I am taking my little nephew to his substitute babysitter's in the morning. Have a good day!

AHHHH!

Wow. I have realized that I seem very mean in my previous post. I think I'm letting some stress get to the better of me. I know that I should not be worried, but as I think about what my life is going to be like for the next few months, I get kinda anxious. I am not a fan of anxiety. It may be jumping the gun, considering I've not yet been accepted to seminary, but I'm scared about leaving home. I'm scared that I won't get to see my family on a regular basis and that I'll miss out on my two nephews' growing up years, and that they won't remember me as the silly, let's have fun aunt that I try to be. I'm afraid that my friends; especially my two best friends and I will drift apart. I'm afraid that things here will go to pot, and I'm afraid that I will feel guilty if they do.

But on the other hand, I'm excited about leaving. I'm excited about the new friends I will make and come to love. I'm a pretty outgoing, funny, lively, and energetic person. I was voted as class clown in high school, and I have always found ways to have fun. I know that I will not completely lose my whole family because I love them and I know we can use email, telephones, and occasional trips home to keep in touch. I know that I have 4 siblings who can help my mother in my stead as I work on higher education. I also know that I have felt anxious in the past, and when I really stepped back and looked at my life, I could see God at work. Therefore, I know that God loves me, has a plan for me, and will not let me be crushed. Nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus; not even my hysterical tirades against my hometown... I need to remember that it is not my own calling, but it is God's call in my life that has led me to this place and God will not forsake me as I begin a new leg of my journey. So, I guess that this post has allowed me some time to think about the situation in which I find myself, and I feel better. You guys are great for listening to me. Thanks.

Nothing really...

I don't really have anything to say, but I like updating this thing. I guess I'm a little frustrated with my hometown. I still live in it, and it just seems so idiotic at times. I live in a very small town of about 400 people or so. Well, lately, it seems the administration has gotten a little kooky with their rules and what not. Everyone in town recently received a letter stating that a new Ordinance Enforcement Officer was going to be employed to make sure everyone in town was compliant with the ordinances. This, in itself is problematic to me. First off, it seems the ordinances change fairly often. Sometimes we're allowed to burn in our yards, sometimes not. Right now, we're not supposed to burn. However, I was on a bike ride after our church council meeting tonight and I smelled stuff burning.. Hmm. Another reason having an OE officer seems problematic to me is because we are a very small community. Practically everyone knows everyone else, and so we should ACT like neighbors. We should be respectful and helpful; not complaining and snarky. Third, some people have their violations looked over, while others are targeted. It just seems bizarre and like a waste of taxpayers' dollars to me.

I guess I'm just upset because my brother recently fixed the roof over the front and back porch at my house. Bro said he would dispose of the shingles and stuff when he could borrow a truck from someone. So, Ma piled all of the stuff neatly by the tree out front so that when Bro got the truck, he could just load it up in a relatively quick manner. Unfortunately, Bro's wife has been battling some rare disease lately, and so he took her to Mayo's to try to get it figured out. Therefore, borrowing a truck has been far from his mind, understandably. Well, tonight, I was out here on the front porch (or foyer, or facade, whatever floats your boat) messing around on my computer when I saw a guy walking in my yard. I immediately knew that he was the OE officer, and since I was dressed kind of skankily, I ran to the bathroom to put other clothes on. Well, by the time I came back out, he was basically done talking to my mom. She told him that she had plans on how to get rid of the stuff, but that it was a matter of getting time and resources to do it. He was pretty cool about it, saying that he just wanted to approach us so it didn't look like he wasn't doing anything. I guess someone had complained.

I think that if my neighbors feel that their quality of life is affected so much by a pile of shingles, they need to see a shrink. It's not that big of a deal. When my neighbor to the west moved into a nursing home and subsequently died, leaving no one to tend her yard, you didn't hear me moaning and groaning. I went out there and DID THE WORK to help make it look nice again. Almost all of my neighbors have things that I could technically complain about, but I don't, because I choose not to let their stuff bother me. But, one or several of them going behind my back to a third party really bothers me. I read a book entitled, "The Moral Order of a Suburb" last semester. A great deal of this book deals with how people in communities rarely address each other with problems, but instead, they go to a third party, and usually only when their anonymity is guaranteed. Well, maybe we need to realize that these 3rd party people just make others mad. If any one of my neighbors had called me THEMSELVES and talked to me about the pile of shingles I would not be nearly as angry. But, no, they had to call the rent-a-cop, have him drive over to my house, and talk to us. So, everyone around knows that someone has been complaining. Talk about alienation. It just makes me dislike my neighbors. Unfortunately, I think the OE stopped at a few houses on my block, so I plan to talk with some more of them and see how they feel about having money wasted by the town to pay this guy when we should be helping each other and talking to each other instead of asking some outsider to come in and deal with this stuff. I was so mad I almost called Pastor to tell him I wouldn't be able to make it to our meeting tonight because I needed to go to the town council meeting instead. Unfortunately, as an elected person, and as the secretary, I decided that my responsibilities were more important. Also, I probably wouldn't have made wise decisions and said smart things considering my level of anger at the time. I'm calming down now, but I still am hurt that people could not overlook something that they should know we'd have cleared up soon, or at the very least, addressed to me or Ma themselves. Perhaps I'm overreacting, but I'm just upset. I don't know. Sorry about the ranting. I'll go now.

A good song...

Have you ever heard the song, "When Did You Fall?" by Chris Rice? I was going to post the lyrics on this page, but I looked them up and at the bottom it says they are not to be reproduced w/o express consent from the publisher. However, I can direct you to the site. The song is about him realizing someone loves him. He didn't realize it at the beginning, but now that it has dawned on him, he has embraced the relationship. I really like this song, not only because the tune is bouncy and fun, but because it seems we so often don't see love clearly.

Love, my friends, is a complicated issue. Such as, what is the difference between love between really good friends who enjoy each other's company and romantic love? If that spark is there, and the relationship, although in a friendly manner, has lasted many years, could it evolve into romantic love? How do the friends know? What if one feels it and the other doesn't? How does the one find out if the other feels the same way? I wrote a whole different post regarding this, but it made me feel a little too school-girlish, so I saved it as a draft instead of posting it. I'm not very experienced in relationships, so I'm a little clueless, but whatever. I love the guy, I'm just not sure in what capacity. That frustrates me a little, but it kills me to think I could be risking the ease of our friendship if I confront him about the ambiguity of my feelings. Who knows? I don't. I'm sure you all were just DYING to read about my love life, so now you can rest tight. :) Have a good evening and if you wouldn't mind, before you go, please say a prayer for those being ordained, voted on, or otherwise called to church service today, tomorrow, or in the near future. Bye.

Hmm.

You know, I just realized that it has been 4 years to the day that my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She's been in remission for quite some time, but it just strikes me as odd that I would remember the day she was diagnosed. I remember because that had been a really stressful time, with all of the wondering if she did or did not have it. Well, I didn't think she would actually have it, so I went with my step-nieces to see Austin Powers: Goldmember on that day. When we came back, Ma told me that the doctor told her she had cancer. So, she went through chemotherapy, lost all her hair, dropped quite a few pounds, (Mom wasn't chubby, though) went through radiation, and then was declared cancer free some time the next March. So, thankfully, she recovered from cancer. She's been a strong lady for a long time. I wish I treated her more respectfully because she deserves it. I think we're at each other because I still live here and it is frustrating to me that she still treats me like a teenager at times. But, what can ya do? I'm not moving out, because I'm too cheap and I'm saving my money. So, I just need to be more intentional about being respectful and loving toward her, knowing that I am called to honor her. Anyway, I don't really know what the purpose of this post is; I guess I just wanted to think some things out on paper. Thanks for bearing with me.

Hey Now...

Well, I just finished writing the Prayers of the People. Those of you who read this blog on a semi-regular basis might remember me mentioning that I have been blessed with this opportunity for some time now. Well, I realized as I finished writing the ones for Sunday that I have now written prayers for the entire lectionary. I've been doing the prayer writing for 3 years now, so that includes Years A, B, and C. It just seems kind of weird. It doesn't seem like that long ago that Pastor asked me to begin this endeavor. Ah well. I hope that the words have helped people in their own lives, but I don't know. Anyway... I just thought I'd share that bit of information.

In other news, I just had lunch and something hit me... I had a grilled cheese sandwich, and some chips and homemade salsa. What hit me was that, as I was pulling the salsa out of the fridge, we have been given so much. I mean, honestly, God has created such a wide array of flavors and spices, that I'm just amazed. God could have just said, "Here, eat this manna that I will give you every day." I mean, this coming Sunday we will look at the Israelites when they were traveling throughout the wilderness. They were provided with manna every morning. God could have made manna and that was it. But instead, God has given us spicy foods like habaneros and jalapenos, bland foods for people who don't like spicy; we have chocolate, vanilla, salt, pepper, garlic, meats, poultry, vegetables, and SO many other flavors to please our palettes.. That might seem like something insignificant, but it just struck me today. And related to this plethora of tastes, this Sunday's Gospel lesson will talk about Jesus as the bread of life. We are each given grace according to the measure of the gift of Jesus, and through our baptism, we are granted gifts for building up the Church. Not all of us are given the SAME gifts, (except for salvation, but you already knew that) but each of us is different. Some people can be preachers and teachers, some can prophesy, and some can really witness. It's kind of like the flavors thing... Without different flavors, life could be kind of bland, wouldn't it? I mean, I only know how to cook 3 or four things, but if I constantly ate just those things, I would get REALLY sick of them. So, I can go to my sister's for Mooching Monday and enjoy the culinary gifts she has been given. I amuse her, she cooks for me; it's a win-win situation. So I think flavors and spiritual gifts are similar in some sense, ey? Working together allows us to really enjoy the things we've been given. Kind of like the old story about soup. If I have some carrots, and someone else has some peas, and someone else has some meat, and someone else has some potatoes, if we all come together and put all our stuff in the same pot, we can have something way better than the one thing each of us has. So, if I do whatever I do, and you can teach, and someone else has a vision for the future, and someone else can do X,Y, or Z, then we all can come together and work for Jesus. That way, people won't get horribly bored by just being encountered by the same thing all the time. Different strokes for different folks, right people?

Wow, that wasn't anything like what I was expecting to write today. I hope it makes sense... :) I need to go get ready for work now.

I can't believe it!

I talked to my friend "Dan" today. He is the one that I do all kinds of stuff with. He told me that my suggestion of Monday, August 14 would be fine for our skydive. He asked me to get it all set up, so I did! I'm SO excited. It was weird though, because I made our reservations online and gave them my credit card number, and it is non-refundable, so we HAVE to go. I'm so cheap that even if I'm puking from nerves, I will still jump, so as to get my 199 dollars worth. :) Hehe. Well, you know... When Pastor mentioned skydiving in the sermon on the 23rd, I remembered that I thought about it when I was younger. I thought it would be a fun thing to do. As a teenager, I put it on my list of things to do before I die. Well, there's no time like the present. So, Monday, August 14, at 12:30 p.m. we will get to the place to take the short tandem dive class, then go up in a light aircraft to 13,000 feet, jump out while harnessed to experienced skydive instructors, freefall for one minute, and glide with the parachute for 5-7 minutes. I'm excited. I can't wait. :) Yeah, Baby! Too bad it costs an additional 70 bucks or so to get photos and a DVD done. If you're willing to do that, a professional photographer jumps by you, and either takes stills or a video (depending on what you pay for, unless you pay for both) and then gives the results to you that very day. But, I'm too cheap. Especially since I think I'm going to have to have car repairs done soon. I'm not 100% that something is going bad, but I think I might need some new ignition things soon.. That's what BiL seemed to think, although he's not a real mechanic. Hopefully I just need new spark plugs. Who knows? I'll ask the mechanic to check it out when he changes my oil the next time. Anyway, I'll post later about my skydive. Blessings on your day!

P.S.

WOO, is it HOT out!

"No, we are NOT at a Sting Concert!"

Haha. I'm such a dork, but it's great fun. Today, I led worship because Pastor, some chaperones, and many youth went to camp. Overall, it was a good experience, but we were having some technical difficulties. Allow me to start at the beginning...

I got to worship, copied the minutes from this past month's Council meeting, (I'm the secretary) put them into peoples' boxes, talked with the people who were milling about before worship, and having a pretty good time. Well, it got closer to 9:00 a.m. so I went back to the sacristy to vest in the alb in which I always vest when I lead worship. So, I put the wireless mic on, and the prelude music started playing, so I let enough time pass for the acolyte to get the candles lit before I walked out. I went and sat in the leader's chair until the music ended. I stood up to give the announcements. I talked in the announcements about how we will be including several people in the prayers of the People for healing and wholeness as they deal with illness and recuperation. I also said we would be including a prayer for safe travel for Pastor, the chaps, and the youth as they go to camp for a time of refreshment and fellowship. Then I said, "I myself had a bit of a road trip yesterday as I went to the synod office for my Candidacy Interview. The Candidacy Interview is the last step as an Applicant to Candidacy. I was interviewed by a few people who will make a recommendation to the full Candidacy Subcommittee, and later apprise me of their official decision. Unofficially, though, you're looking at the newest Candidate for rostered leadership in the My Synod of the ELCA." Before I could even get that whole sentence out, the entire congregation just erupted into spontaneous applause. I almost started crying, and that's really something because I'm not much of a crier. Then I said, "I appreciate the support, encouragement, and prayers you've given me as we have been about discerning here, and I ask that you would continue to discern with me as we venture along this new path." Then at the end of my announcements, I could see the ushers gesturing from the back that they couldn't hear me. But, I had the power bar, the battery pack, and the switch on, so it should have worked. So, after I announced the first hymn, I went back into the sacristy where the sound equipment is housed because a few of the ushers were in there trying to figure it out. So, I think they turned it up or something, and I thought we were set. When the hymn ended, I went out to begin the opening dialogue, and I saw the ushers gesture that they still couldn't hear me. At that point, I really started to project my voice the best I could without shouting. So, we said the dialogue and the creed, and then we sang another hymn. During the hymn, I again went back to the sacristy (which, btw, is just off the side from the altar) because the same two ushers were in there. So, we changed the battery and thought we had it working. When the hymn ended, I came running out of the sacristy and said, "Sorry, we're having technical difficulties! Then, I flipped the switch that actually makes the leader's voice go through the mic and I got a whole bunch of feedback. Like a complete dork, I said, "No, we are NOT at a Sting concert." As if Sting would have feedback at one of his concerts. Does that guy still even make music? haha. At that point, it was Prayer of the Day time, so I just projected as loud as I could. Then, it was time for the first lesson, so I again went back into the sacristy with the ushers to try to figure it out. We realized that we couldn't get it working with me running back and forth, and with the parishioners ears falling victim to the feedback. So, I decided to not use the wireless today. I was trying to take it off and out of my pocket and off my collar (the alb has a collar to which we attach the mic, I would not even PRESUME to wear a clerical collar) when I heard the first lesson end. Well, today, of all days, we were actually reading the Psalm, so I ran out there and put the battery box on the pulpit because it was out of my pocket, but I still had the cord running underneath the alb and the mic was still attached to my alb. I said from the pulpit mic, "This morning, we will be reading Psalm... 145, no, 138, found on page 283 of the LBW. Let us read these verses responsively." The bulletin back says 145, but the inside said 138, so that's why I got mixed up. So, we did that and after the Psalm was read, I just sat down in the leader's chair, finished taking off the wireless, and breathed a calming sigh. After the second lesson was completed, I was glad that the lector forgot to bring me the big Bible from which we read the Gospel lesson because I just opened it at the lecturn and read the Gospel from there, instead of walking into the aisle to read where we usually read it.

After the Gospel reading, we sang another hymn, and I thought about how I would do the rest of the service, and I came to some conclusions. I would just use the pulpit mic for my sermon, although it doesn't work as well as the wireless works (when it functions properly), and I would project at the other places I needed to project. Fortunately, most of the "me talking to them" part was over. So, I preached from the pulpit mic, and I know that a lot of the older folks couldn't hear me very well, so I felt bad. I talked as loud as I could and realized what I was doing when I started to go hoarse. I didn't even realize really that I had increased my volume, but I'm glad I did. So, the sermon was over and we sang another hymn. Then, the offering was collected and the offertory was sung. It doesn't bother me ONE bit to not be able to be heard during the singing part, so we were all good. The Prayers of the People are read by the lector at the lecturn, except for the final petition which is pretty much always the same. Then, we all said the Lord's Prayer together, so it didn't matter that I wasn't being loud. Then, it was time for the Benediction. I walked down a little bit and projected as loud as I could. Then, we sang the closing hymn, and it was over.

Other than these mishaps, worship went well. As I was preaching, I looked out and saw who I thought was a great friend. I thought, "Is that Friend out there?" And then, someone swayed in their seat a little (Not THAT kind of sway; we're not that kind of church) and I saw Friend's husband, so I thought, "yay! That's really cool." When I went to the back of the sanctuary as the congregation was singing the last verse of the closing hymn, I looked up at the clock in the fellowship hall and it was 9:53. I was thrilled. That's the longest any of my services has ever lasted. Then, as I was shaking hands w/ people on the way out, one funny man said, "I always say that if you can't get it said in 15 minutes, you can't get it said in 25." So I said, "How long was mine?" And he said, "13 minutes. I timed you." So, I thought, "Yeah, baby!" Because usually my sermons seem REALLY short. But, I got a lot of "congratulations" and people wishing the best for me, and saying how proud they are of me. It was a good experience, even though a few people mentioned they couldn't really hear that well because of the lack of wireless mic. We'll have to mention it to Pastor. It's weird, but that thing almost always acts up when I'm leading. I only remember one time when Pastor had difficulties with it. Ah well. But THEN, I went to Pastor's other church, and when I walked in, the head usher said, "The sound system is acting up today."

Great...

So, he fiddled with it some, and I was standing at the back of the sanctuary when Usher said, "blow into it so we can see if it's working." So, I blew on it, and nothing. He did something else and I tapped it a little and it was working. So, I tapped it a little more, and it was still working. So I said, (quite excitedly) "Yeah! I think it's working." That met with some laughter from the congregants. It wasn't perfect, but it was at least functional throughout the whole service. Although, usually I flip the one switch on for when I talk, and off for when it is time for singing. I was afraid that would mess it up though, so I just sang REALLY quietly today. :)

My announcement met with the same applause there, and I felt very affirmed and loved. The people liked my sermon (or so they said) and worship again lasted for 53 minutes. I'm thrilled. The first time I actually make it to that hour point, I will be absolutely giddy. And now, this has been a very long post, so please forgive me, and thank you for reading. Bye.

The wedding

My friend's wedding went very well. I didn't Porky Pig the reading, although I did make myself look dorky at one point. Because I was passing out bulletins with my friend "Jacki," we asked my other friend "Paige's" fiance "Chris" to save us some seats. "Paige" was a bridesmaid, so she wouldn't be sitting with him. Well, he sat toward the wall and not toward the aisle, and so when "Jacki" and I went in to be seated as the service was about to begin, I had to sit on the end of the pew toward the wall. A gentleman who goes to church with me was filming the ceremony because he's related to the bride. He stood right by us, but in a recess in the wall so as to not get in anyone's line of sight. Well, when it was time to get up to read, I whacked my knee on the pew in front of me and said, "Ow." I realized a moment later that my little "ow" probably is going to end up on the tape. I hope the newly married couple finds that funny and not stupid, because I couldn't help myself from saying it. I really whacked the ol' knee pretty good. But anyway, several people from my church were at the wedding because we live in a small community and the bride is related to several people from my church. So, I told the ex-president of the council who was the prez when I started that the Candidacy Committee gave me the unofficial thumbs up. His term was up last year, though, so this year we have a new president. But, I told him that, and I was going to try to keep it a secret until I could announce it tomorrow before worship. But, as I was passing out bulletins, another church member came in and asked how it went today, and I told her really well, and that they gave me the green light. So, she hugged me and her husband said congrats, and then I turned and saw practically a LINE of my church folks, so by the end of the night, I'd guess about 1/4 of the congregation has already heard that I got the go ahead from the C.C. Haha. Oh well. I'll still be able to tell the congregation tomorrow because SOME of them were not at the wedding or reception. The pastor at the church today even heard about my good news and said congratulations. So, it was interesting. Anyway, the wedding was really nice, although it really started storming hard when we were on our way to the reception. Thunder, lightning, driving rain... it was slightly frightening. But, the reception also turned out to be quite fun. I danced, I served cake, I raised my glass in a toast, (I didn't say the toast, I just drank to toast the couple) I heard a bunch of congrats from my church family, and then I came home. So, it's been good. Today is a good day, but with all the excitement I'm really tired and I have a slight headache, so I'll be going now so I can practice my sermon for tomorrow. Have a fabulous day.

I was going to tell a joke...

But it wouldn't work well written down. My bad. Anyway, I'm back from my Candidacy Interview. There were four people and me in the room. I was slightly nervous because I didn't really know the people interviewing me. All went fairly well though. I knew the Assistant to the Bishop for Candidacy Affairs and I think she is delightful, so I was glad she was there. I also had talked to the chair of the panel before, and he seems nice. Then, two completely new people were there and I really liked them, too. There was a laywoman who just made me feel incredibly at ease, and then there was a director of some sort who had a very warm look about him; kind of like that guy who said, "There are no strangers; just friends I haven't met." So, the interview lasted about 45 minutes or so, at which point they asked me to step out so they could discuss me. I made friends with an Intentional Interim Minister while I waited. They then had me come back in to apprise me of their decision. I was slightly worried, but only because the chair wasn't looking at me... But, they said I'm IN! They have to have it approved by the entire subcommittee, but the Assistant to the Bishop told me that the Chair would personally body slam anyone who took issue with my approval. :) :) :) I'm so excited. Pastor gave me his cell phone number so I could call him with their decision, so on my ride home, I calmed down some and gave him a ring. They're on their way to camp right now and had just passed Iowa City when I phoned. He was happy to hear the good news. So, I'm kind of floating around on cloud 9 right now, with this huge grin on my face that is starting to hurt, but I can't HELP IT!! I'm so thrilled. Anyway, I have to go now; my friend who is getting married today asked me to get to the church around noon so we can have our photo taken together. So, blessings on your day, and stay cool!

I'm SO EXCITED!

Last Sunday, Pastor mentioned skydiving in his sermon. I feel bad to admit this, but when he said that, my mind started to wander off as I thought, "That sounds like fun!" I have a friend who I do a lot of stuff with and I wondered if he would be interested in doing this. This is the same friend that accompanied me on the helicopter ride last month. So, I've been checking out skydiving websites for places around here and I think we're going to go! You have to do tandem jumps the first two times, so that sounds great. And, my friend and I will be able to go at the same time, harnessed to experienced instructors! I've always thought skydiving sounded like a lot of fun, so hopefully this becomes a reality. It's kind of expensive, but I figured, why not? It's funny though, because in the sermon, Pastor said, "I don't know why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane..." And that's about the time my mind took its little detour.. So, I gotta call the skydiving place hopefully tomorrow in between my other stuff, and hopefully get a few questions answered. Woohoo! This sounds like FUN! I'll let you know.

Another Opportunity

Well, I get to preach again Sunday. I'm pretty excited. Pastor gave the message I wrote a thumbs up. Actually, I get to lead worship Sunday, not just preach. Pastor and some chaperones and the youth are going to camp in another state. They'll be gone for something like a week. My little sister got to go to camp when we were younger, but I couldn't go due to some medical issues. I was seriously bummed about that, because I've never been to camp and it always seemed like such a fun experience. Maybe, hopefully, when I'm older, I will get to go with some youth. But anyway, I'm pretty excited about leading worship. I preached on the 16th, I'm leading on the 30th, and I get to lead worship again on August 20th. It's exciting for me to get to do so many all in such a short amount of time. Woohoo!

Anyway, I blogged earlier about this being a really busy week. After today, things are really going to start going kinda warp speed. Tomorrow, I have to get up and go to town to get a friend a wedding present, because the shower gift I got her was kind of crappy. But, in my defense, it was the only thing the store had in stock that was on her list. So, I'm going to the other place at which she and her soon to be hubby are registered. But, then I am meeting another dear friend for lunch at the Olive Garden. I haven't seen this friend in probably about two years almost. The last time I saw her was at her own wedding. She and her hub moved to Indiana, so that makes it difficult to see them. But, she comes back to the area for work once a month or so. So, I'm thrilled. So, then I have to be the waitress at Restaurant tomorrow even though I'm usually the hostess on Thursdays. The regular waitress is going to Wisconsin, so she offered me her day. I don't mind because I'm taking Friday off to help decorate the American Legion with my bride to be friend. Then, we have the rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner afterward. Then, it's straight home so I can go to bed to wake up at 5:00 a.m. to head to the synod office to be there by 8:00 for my Candidacy Interview. I'm so excited, thrilled, and a little bit nervous.. But, mostly excited. I've been an applicant to Candidacy for almost a full year now, and it's exciting that I could potentially be a Candidate before the week is out... But after my interview, I have to come home, get ready for the wedding, head there where I am helping to manage the guestbook, pass out bulletins, read the lesson, head to the reception where I am helping to cut the cake, and have a good time before leaving to get to bed at a decent hour so I can get up Sunday to lead worship and preach at my congregation and preach at Pastor's other church. Then, I have to go to work, although a little bit later than usual. So, I'm sure you all are sick of hearing the play-by-play of what my week is going to be like, but I'm VERY excited. So, I'll let you all know what the Candidacy Committee tells me if they give me an answer right away. I don't know if they will or not though. Anyone who has been there care to clue me in? :) Hasta.

What's Up?

Hey! I just got back from my 5 year high school class reunion, and wow was it cool. It was held at the restaurant that one of my classmates owns. Social hour began at 5 and lasted until 7 or so. I saw some of my friends and met another classmate's wife. She was really fun. People talked to me about what's going on with me, and I got to be my goofy self. Since social hour was held in the restaurant bar section instead of the regular bar section, I got to see everyone who came in to the restaurant. My friends and classmates were amazed that I knew and talked to just about everyone who walked through the doors. I knew everyone because my classmate's restaurant is right next door to Restaurant where I work, and we don't have a monopoly on the customers. So, I know them because they also come to Restaurant. A good friend's fiance said, "Hey, you already got one part of being a minister down; the whole meet and greet everyone routine!" Haha. So, around 7, we sat at our tables and were served family style dinner with chicken, spaghetti, tortellini, fettuccine alfredo, a baked potato, and salad bar. Included in the price of the evening was also unlimited pop or beer. I drank water most of the night. But, after the meal and after we all schmoozed together for a while, we moved to the bar again while they set up karaoke. My classmate's wife, who we will call "Libby" said, "Hey, we're going to sing a song together, aren't we?" And I said, "I'm TONE DEAF!" and she said, "Nice to meet you Tone Deaf, what do you want to sing?" So, we chose a song and when it was our turn we went up there and sang it. It was so much fun. I have never sung karaoke before because I'm not at all confident in my singing abilities. But, most of the people there were drunk anyway... And, I had a couple of beers and a few shots in me before we went up. I had a blast. We sang the song "What's Up?" by 4 Non-Blondes. Hahah. It was great. After we sang, a classmate came up to me and said, "Hey, you guys did a really good job!" And I said, "Yeah right." And she said, "No, really, everyone was saying what a good job you guys did while you were up there." To which I replied, "Then these people must be drunker than I thought!" Hehe. But, it's good to know that people weren't running for the doors with their hands over their ears screaming for silence! And for only having just met "Libby", I felt like we've been friends for years! So, after we sang, I switched back to water, sobered up, listened to more singers, talked to more of my classmates who came late, and then went home. And now, I sit here writing about my evening in my blog. The only thing I wish was different was that more of my classmates would have shown up. Only about 20 classmates showed up, which is kinda disappointing, but what can ya do? And then several of them left pretty early. Ah well... I had fun anyway. So, I wholeheartedly recommend going to class reunions because it's completely different from your actual high school experience because people grow and change from the kids they were in school. I know I have.

The Little Things

Sometimes, in life, the little things can really offer a boost to help a person through the day. In response to a little challenge from Tara over at Praying on the Prairie, I've been trying to think of ways that people use the "little things" to speak God's presence into my life. It may sound insignificant to you all, but I have noticed a few little things this past week. Although, maybe insignificant is the point... Thursday at Restaurant, I was the hostess. Well, that day, I think maybe five or six people talked to me about my hopeful future vocation. Usually I don't even get that many comments a week, but these people were encouraging and supporting me all day Thursday. It just seems amazing to me because as I draw closer to my Candidacy Interview on the 29th, it just seems that people are all gung-ho for me. That is really nice, especially since my psychological profile details that I respond very well to affirmation. To me, those people who have asked and encouraged me have been one way that affirms that God does know me quite well, and that God cares for me so much that he sends people into my life who speak to me in ways that really touch my heart. So, I encourage you to check out Tara's post about the seemingly "little things." Anyway, be blessed. This is going to be a really hectic, busy week for me coming up, so hopefully I will be able to blog about it. I'm going to my 5 year class reunion tonight, and I have stuff above the ordinary to do almost every day this coming week. So, I am not falling off the face of the planet, I'm just incredibly busy. So, see ya later.

Team work!

Today, I got to help lead worship with Pastor. I wrote the sermon so he could focus on his continuing education days. So, today, I read the Gospel lesson and preached the sermon at both of the congregations Pastor serves. I didn't have the usual, "This message is crappy" feeling about this sermon. I was quite content with it. Today, I was just very happy. A woman with whom I work even came to church. I've invited her many times, but she and one of her daughters came this time. I think she liked the service. I saw her when the shifts were changing today. I was leaving and she was coming in. She said that she was sitting in her pew and she said to her daughter, "I know Trish isn't ours, but I'm so proud of her!" That just made me smile. I sincerely hope that they will come back, even when I'm not preaching. My sisters, BiL, and "Howard" were also in church today. That baby is so cute you would not believe it! Wow. Maybe I'm a tad partial though. OH, something else I found kinda interesting... When I got to the church this morning, I was mingling around and saying hello to people when I noticed someone who does not regularly come to our church. But, she seemed really familiar, and so I remembered that I've waited on her before at Restaurant. So, after the service was over, Pastor and I were at the back of the sanctuary shaking hands as people were ushered out. This woman came up, shook my hand, and said, "So, you're a good public speaker AND a good waitress!" Haha. It was just weird for some odd reason. Not many of my church folk come in to eat at Restaurant and so it's weird when I realize that my customers are people who have also heard me preach. Not bad weird, just weird. Anyway, I'm really tired now, so I think I'm going to head to bed.

Guess what!

Hey You GUYS!!! (Bonus points if you can name the movie in which that line appears) I'm fairly excited, and do you know why? I get to preach this Sunday! Pastor has taken most of this week "off" to have some reading days for continuing education. Because he wanted to focus on the continuing ed, he didn't want to take time out to do sermon prep. So, he asked if I wanted to preach, to which I replied, "Yeah!" So, this Sunday it is. He will be leading the actual worship part, with the singing and kyrie and all of that good stuff. I just have to do the sermon. That's alright with me, though. The sermon is my favorite part to do, probably because I can't carry a tune in a bucket and so much of the liturgy is singing. I don't sing by myself in front of the congregation because I am so self-conscious about my singing. I'm hoping that they "teach" singing in seminary, or else I'm in some serious trouble... But anyway, I wrote the message Tuesday night. I'm pretty happy with it. I didn't have any of that usual, "Pastor is going to HATE this message and tell me what an awful job I did" feeling. Maybe it's because I have heard one statement a few different times lately. That statement is that, "God calls us to be confident in our baptism." I heard this last Sunday in Pastor's sermon, and then again on Monday, when I had my replacement Initial Interview. So, I think I've really taken that to heart. I even used it myself in the sermon. I'm happy with the message I've written. Pastor says it's nicely done. I'm happy with that.

In other news, I'm done with my summer class. We had the final yesterday. I don't know how I did. I got an A grade on everything up until then, but I think I might have blown it with the final. I was so tired after this week that I think my brain turned to mush. Oh well. The teacher grades pretty easily, so I shouldn't be too worried.

Oh yeah, my replacement Initial Interview, which I mentioned above, went fairly well. It was done over the phone because I already did one I.I. and they felt bad for making me do another one. The interviewer was the head of the Candidacy Committee, so he had all of my information and knew what kinds of questions to ask me. They were harder than the questions I was asked the first go around. At least now I'll be more able to reflect and think upon my history and what not and hopefully be more prepared for the Candidacy Committee Entrance Interview on the 29th. I'm excited. That is going to be ONE VERY BUSY DAY! I have to wake up around 5:30 so I can get ready to leave at about 6:00. I have to be at the synod headquarters at 8:00, have my interview, probably wait for them to say yeah or nay, and then drive home, get ready for a wedding, go to the wedding for which I am the reader and one of the people who passes out bulletins, go to the reception, come home, practice my sermon, and then go to sleep because I'm leading the whole worship service on the 30th because Pastor is going away. So, I'm excited with all that is coming up.

So, I'm keeping busy, keeping my name out of the papers, and trying to enjoy my summer. :) I hope you all are keepin' cool and bein' happy. :) Later.

A little Cheer Up.

My sister-in-law just sent me some pictures of my dog! She says that Stormy is doing pretty well. She wants to play all the time with their other dog, but he won't most of the time. Sis-in-law also said that Stormy is stubborn and is still trying to figure things out. She's cute, but kinda dumb. That's a great part of her appeal. :)

Anyway, so, in other news... Church was especially interesting and good this past Sunday. When I got to the church, Pastor came up to me and said, "Here is fair warning, I'm talking about you and your application process in the sermon this morning!" I told him that I'd try not to turn too bright red, to which his reply was, "Too late." Haha. So, during the sermon, on the text of Mark 6:1-13, where authority is discussed, and how Jesus was thought of as only the son of Mary and the carpenter Joseph, Pastor said that God calls us in our baptisms to God's service. Pastor talked about how the people in Jesus' hometown were asking among themselves, "Who does he think he is?" And then Pastor talked about how we might remember when I was that shy little girl in high school and that might question us to ask, "who does she think she is?" But, God empowers all of us in when God calls us by name and claims us as a part of the family of faith. Pastor told them about how I am nearing the end of my application to candidacy and am ready to go forth into actual candidacy if they will have me. My appointment in Springfield is on the 29th of July. The whole sermon wasn't about my journey thus far, just a minute or two. That was fine with me. But the BEST part of worship (for me, anyway) was after the sermon when Pastor invited the baptismal party forward. So, Sister, BiL, Younger Sis, "Howard," and I went up there. Y.S. and I are "Howard's" sponsors. So, Pastor was in front of the font facing the congregation, Sister, BiL, and Howard were facing toward Y.S. and me. Y.S. was closer to Pastor and so she had to hand him some things, which made me kind of laugh because Y.S. was probably reminded of her acolyting days. Haha. I can sort of read lips and when Pastor would ask Y.S for something, she would kinda turn to me and give me the, "what did he say?" look... I would tell her what he asked for and she would do it. It was funny. Well, I was up there smiling this huge smile like a huge dork, because baptisms are just so remarkable. Pastor would look up and the parents, at Y.S., and at me, and he probably thought, "What is this psycho smiling at?" But, I couldn't help myself. I even got teary eyed when Pastor poured the water over his head. My little buddy has been adopted by God because God loves him! It's so fantastic. It reminds me of my own baptism. But anyway, that's probably enough gushing for now. I'll talk to you later.

Sad.

I miss my dog. I took her to live with my brother, sister-in-law, and their son this past Monday. I drove the almost two hours down there with her, played with her a bunch in her new yard, stayed the night, and came home on Tuesday. I was feeling okay about the whole thing because she seemed to get along good with Nephew and their other dog. But then, as I was walking toward my car to leave on Tuesday morning, it was like she KNEW I was leaving her because she started jumping on the fence and barking at me. I felt like a BAD TRISHY! It was reminiscent of when I used to babysit and I had to leave the child with another babysitter when I had to go to my wisdom teeth removal appointment and he just bawled because he wanted me. That's how it made me feel. And now, I come home after school or work and look at her dog house and her tie-out cable and I keep forgetting that she is not there. I miss her. I know it's for the best, but I really, really, really miss my dog. I've had her for over nine years and now all of a sudden she is gone. I know I can go visit her whenever I want, but it's two hours away. That's not too terribly far, but it is longer than I'd like it to be. :( I don't know if I'll ever get another pet. I love them, but when they die or you have to get rid of them, it just is sad. Anyway, thanks for listening. See ya later.

Slightly disgusted...

As some of you may have gleaned from my posts lately, I'm in a summer class at School right now. And any regular readers might recall that I've occasionally complained and griped about School. Well, today, class got out a little early so I was walking down the hallway to get to the door to head me out toward the parking lot in which I park Neno. As I was walking down the hallway, a young woman came out of another room and was walking behind me. She was on a cellphone and was talking to someone. I try not to eavesdrop on people, but cellphones make that a difficult task. This young lady was discussing how she "hates this school," and how it is "too hard." She went on to gripe about how she had been all prepared to go to a different university, and how she had taken a 4000 level course elsewhere and it was easier than School's 100 level course. She thought that was a bunch of B.S. and she thought that was stupid. This young lady just kept blah, blah, blah-ing about how hard School is and how she really doesn't want to go there. I was a little offended because I have gone there for almost two years and here she is bashing it. It's really the principle of the matter. I'm not terribly loyal to the place, but honestly, I could have been a die hard School fan and she did not care that she was just shoveling crap on it. But anyway, I tried walking faster to get away from her because I was sick of hearing her bellyaching. But I just could not get out of earshot. I reached a place and rounded a corner and then started off in a dead sprint so I wouldn't have to hear her anymore. I ran out the doors and down the stairs and finally I got away from her. I kind of feel sorry for the girl because she thinks she should not have to work to get her college degree. Now, like I said earlier, I have complained about School a few times. But I complain about the size and stuff like that and NOT about the actual education aspect of it. I think School does a good job. Granted, we're not Harvard or something, but we're also not Dumbass U. Hopefully that girl figures it out so she can succeed. And stop bellyaching so loudly about the place while she is IN the place. Sorry about the tirade; I was just a little frustrated.