He is Risen!

Have a Blessed Easter!

Quick Check-In

Going to interim training the week before Holy Week has made me way behind with no time to blog....rats!

But quickly...

• interim training was good, but very intense. At times I felt like it would have been more efficient to have just sliced off the tops of our heads, ala Sylar from Heroes, and just dump the information into our brains! And plenary session after plenary session was too much for this introvert to take.
• I met some fantastic people, including my great roomie and a woman who is serving on the Presbytery level for the first time. (*waves* at any new friends who may be lurking!) I sat at a table with a woman whose children's books on worship I have used extensively (think church mice.) So cool!
• Interim training has made me realize just how much I don't want to be an interim right now and that I truly long to be in a called position.
• I have been invited to fly out to a Western state in a few weeks to meet with a Pastor Nominating Committee and do a neutral pulpit.
• We still haven't made any changes to the dining room walls.

I promise I will expound upon all this after we get on the other side of Easter. Have a blessed and meaningful Good Friday.

"Dammit, Jim, I'm a Pastor, Not an Interior Decorator!"

Well, our home is almost completely restored from the damage from the ice storm; we've just got to have the gutters replaced in the back, yet. As sick as I was of having a hole in my dining room, I'm almost as sick of contractors and sub-contractors!

Although we only had a small amount of damage to the walls in the dining room, it necessitated getting the entire room re-wallpapered. Decorating is soooo not my forte, but I think I picked out a pretty paper for above the chair railing. Now, what I chose for below the chair railing.... Well, just look for yourself...

Gag me! I thought the green would match the green in the leaves above...and so did the woman in the wallpaper store. But, um, no, it certainly does not. I didn't realize that it would look so sea foam greeny up on the wall.

I definitely want to change this. Of course, insurance won't pay to have it changed just because I'm bad with color. The contractor working on the ceiling suggested that we paint a tan stain over it so that just the dark green would show through. It might be worth a shot.

*sigh*

Please forgive the lame-o Star Trek reference in the title!

Glad That's Behind Me...

Thank God Tuesday is behind me and now I can concentrate on other things in my life that have had to be back burnered, like Holy Week services and the two books I need to read before I go to interim pastor training on Monday.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers on Tuesday. It was rough. I was up front fielding questions for close to 40 minutes, I think. Well, it felt like 2 hours. I explained, I think fairly well, the reasoning behind our committee's decision to make our motion. I 'm not sure I didn't cross the line from explaining to "piling on," but I did the best I could.

I was prepared for some to speak against our motion. Heck, if I hadn't been serving on this committee and didn't know what I know, I'm sure I would have been speaking against it, too. So, I was ready for that. I also thought that I was prepared for the glares and head-shaking I would be subject to while I gave the report. However, I wasn't really ready. I tell you, this experience was ten times worse than all the times I have been examined on the floor of Presbytery put together!

But I got through it and our motion carried 2 to 1, which was good affirmation that the Presbytery trusts the committee. I hope and pray that people understood that we took no joy in what we did, but it was absolutely necessary and, truly, the most faithful and loving we could do for all involved.

That evening and the day after, I received numerous phone calls and e-mails from folks saying that I handled this painful and sensitive issue well. I haven't heard from those who disagree, but I'm sure I will eventually.

I may not be posting for about a week because I am heading to Austin for interim pastor training on Monday. Anyone else going to be there as well? I could be back to preach the next Sunday, but I decided I am going to take the whole week off. I really need it.

Prayers, Please....

Presbytery meeting is tomorrow. I would appreciate your prayers for the report that I have to make.

Thanks.