Friday Five: the Big To-Do

The list maker in me loves today's Friday Five!

Kathrynzj writes: Greetings from the land of the Big To-Do! It seems like every year I enter into the summer with a growing list of HUGE projects/events/trips that seem to have a permanent place on the 'to do' list. This year I have a huge move pending so that takes up an entire list all on its own, but it doesn't take a big event like that for me to make plans bigger than my summer can hold!

How about you?Is this the third summer in a row you have made a pledge involving your garage and actually getting a car into it?Did you once again miss the registration deadline for the continuing education event of your dreams ?Are you starting to think you couldn't even find the tents, let alone get it together to pull off a camping trip?Here is your chance to get it out into the open and OWN your Big To-Do! Who knows? Maybe making the list will help you move the Big To-Do to the Big Ta-Da!

1) What home fix-it project is on your Big To-Do?
I would love to paint my kitchen cabinets and put on new hardware, but I am so afraid of mucking it up. I wish I just had the money to re-do the whole kitchen: floors, cabinets, counter tops, back splash, appliances...but, you know.

2) What event (fun or work) is on your Big To-Do?
My church is named after the big, important reformer who is having a special birthday this summer. I would love to do something for our Presbytery, but I'm letting myself off the hook because 1) I'm still pretty new here (office isn't even all put up yet) and 2) there is no enthusiasm in my congregation for such a thing. So, this is very helpful...I am officially scratching that off my mental to-do (or "ought-to") list! Yay!

3) What trip is on your Big To-Do?
We are taking the first two weeks in August to go to Colorado, as usual to see our families. However, we are going to first hit Southern Colorado to go camping near the Sand Dunes. We also plan to go to this cool mountainside stations of the cross and also see the Royal Gorge. Then, my in-laws will come to pick up the children and my husband and I will spend a couple of nights at a fancy B&B. Then it will be off to do the family thing in Colorado Springs and Ft. Collins...probably stopping by Iliff School of Theology along the way.

4) What do you wish was on someone ELSE's (partner, family member, celebrity, etc...) Big To-Do?
I wish Dick Cheney's to-do list included getting the *bleep* off my television screen!

5) Getting inspired? What may end this summer having moved from the Big To-Do to the Big Ta-da?
By the end of summer, I seriously would like to get rid of at least 1/3 of our stuff. We have decided to remain in our itty-bitty house, so we need to stop accumulating, which is harder and harder as the kids get older. So, there will be lots of crap...er, treasures available for FREE on the curb at Iris' house this summer!

Iris Is Still Planted

In case anyone bothers to check here anymore...I am alive, just haven't been feeling very bloggy lately. I'm well. The church is great. Lots to blog about, but I probably won't get to most of it.

I'll get around to my usual places again soon to see what you all are up to!

My Next Few Days

I have funeral #4 tomorrow afternoon- the woman I wrote about a couple of posts ago. It's going to be a hard one, as the whole church is just devastated, not to mention her family. The cancer ravaged her body at full-speed.

I go up north on Monday for the family funeral. My stomach is in knots just thinking about it.

On Wednesday, I travel a couple of hours away to do the graveside service of my church member.

I pray that we don't have any more deaths for awhile. It's getting to all of us.

Some Sad, Sad News

My heart is breaking for my cousin's 5 year old son right now. His mother, who was only 28 years old, was killed in a car accident early this morning. She and my cousin had not been together for about a year, but they were very good about sharing custody and giving their son a sense of security. In fact, I'm told that the three of them just had dinner together last night.

She even continued to come to all of our family get-togethers. She was a member of the family.

It's just so awful.

Sorry I haven't been around for awhile. I've been down for the count for past week or so. I came down with shingles...ugh.

However, I was recovered enough to go see Elton John and Billy Joel last night. Incredible concert. I haven't had so much fun in a long time. And my husband and I hadn't done anything together for a long time. I wish I could have basked in that feeling longer.

Pastoral Care Overload

I have another funeral this Saturday- my third one with this congregation. She was a really wonderful woman. She asked me to preach Luke 9:62 at her funeral, which is,

"Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’"

She was a published author and she told me that this verse described "the way I see myself since I began writing." What a woman.

I may have yet another funeral soon- a woman who was a member of the Pastor Nominating Committee who was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer in the middle of the call process. She's only in her mid-50's, but very, very sick.

I appreciate your prayers for these people and their families...and for me.

Did I mention I just began this call on January 1st?

I Had Never Been a Field Trip Before...

Last week the daughter of one of my older members called me up to invite me to go to lunch with her, her daughter and her two nephews, all of whom are home schooled teenagers. She said that they had just finished studying the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy. (I thought, "um, wow. I had very little notion of those events until...well, seminary!")

This woman and her daughter worship at a non-denominational "Bible" Church and the nephews and their family are members of a Presbyterian Church of America congregation-very conservative, with no women in ordained leadership. Not even Elders or Deacons.

She said that she was aware that these young people were pretty insulated religiously and she thought it would be good for them to have a conversation with a "thinking, faithful person who comes at things from another perspective." Also, she said, "They have never met a woman pastor before." She probably said four times, "We aren't going to grill you!"

Because of the sweet way she asked and because I have a lot of affection for her father, I said I would be glad to meet them for lunch, which we had today.

I met them at Panera Bread and they bought me lunch! Yay! (1/2 Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich and Harvest Orchard salad. Yum!) After we ate and chatted a bit, they began with their prepared questions, asking for my thoughts on the infallibility of scripture, creation, heaven and hell, end times, miracles, interfaith dialogue and the person of Jesus Christ.

I was so very impressed with the respectful way in which they asked the questions and how they seemed to really listen to my answers. Although I could tell that they disagreed with many, if not most, of my answers, they never argued with me or looked visibly disgusted by my more liberal take on things. Actually, I could tell that they were really thinking about my answers, especially as I spoke about my emphasis on the authority of scripture rather than inerrancy.

Of course, they may be praying that I become a Christian someday. :)

Symphony No. 9 (Scherzo)

I've been a poor blogger, so just for fun, I'm doing this meme I saw at knittinpreacher's place. Play if you want!

1. Put your iPod, ZUNE or other music player on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

4. Tag friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got it from. (if you like...)

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? "Xanadu" by Olivia Newton-John (an apt response for not responding!)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? “Everyday is a Winding Road" by Sheryl Crow (that's about right...)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? "Desire" by U2 (!!!)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? "Airplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants :)))

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? “Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos (hmmm...)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? "Sunny Day" by Deana Carter

WHAT IS 2+2? “With or Without You" by U2

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter" by Pearl Jam (sorry, friend!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? "Walk on the Ocean" by Toad the Wet Sprocket

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? "Hey Ya!" by Outkast (that's about right...especially the shake it like a Polaroid picture part!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? " The Long Way Around" by the Dixie Chicks

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? "Highway Blues" by Marc Seales

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? "Addicted" by Kelly Clarkson (ha!)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? "Since I've Been Loving You" by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? “Sorry" by Push Monkey

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? "You Found Me" by Kelly Clarkson

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? "I Keep Forgettin'" by Michael McDonald (How convenient...)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? "Blow Away" by George Harrison (okay, that's so not true!)

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles

HOW WILL YOU DIE? "Best of Both Worlds" by Hannah Montana (I guess I die of embarrassment because you now know that this song and "Walk Like an Egyptian" are on my ipod...hey I have a 5 year old daughter!)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET? "Something So Strong" by Crowded House

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? "Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants (this is true- Presbyterian youth "energizers" can be very funny!)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? "Freeway" by Aimee Mann

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac (huh.)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? "Wise Up" by Aimee Mann

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? "Worlds Apart" by Jude Cole

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? "City Don't Cry" by Page and Plant

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? “If You Want Me" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (from the movie "Once"..and yeah, this song answers this question pretty damn well.)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? "Symphony No. 9 (Scherzo)" by Beethoven- played by the Seattle Symphony

Quick bullets points...

• I am still in need of prayers for me and my family. I am so sorry to be vague, but it has to be that way.
• My installation service is tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it and am so very grateful to those who will be participating. I just wish things were going better so I could enjoy it more fully. Hopefully, I will be able to set all of it aside for an hour and just receive and thank God.
• First thing Thursday morning, I had a talk with my AA telling her that "shushing" her boss (me) was probably not the best move for her professionally. I am not sure that it is going to work out with her, not just because of the shushing, but because she doesn't seem to have a second gear and it seems like it is such a struggle to get things done on time. I don't want to have to do so much supervision. However, I am VERY loathe to put someone out of work in this economy. Let's hope we'll see some improvement. I'd hate to be an AA. I'd last less than a week, I'm sure.

Unbloggable

Your prayers are much appreciated. Truly.

There is so much that is just unbloggable.

Professionally, everything is going so very well.

Personally, so very not.

ETA: Everything is going well professionally, except I just got "shhhh-ed" by my Admin. Asst. WTH?

Prayer...

I need it.

Thank you.

I Love Jesus, But....

Okay, after a day of inaugaration watching, this is something completely different! It made me laugh harder than I had for a long, long time. Enjoy!

It's the Little Things Sometimes...

I'm just in my second week in my new church. I'm sorry that I haven't been feeling very bloggy lately. Everything has been going very well- even preaching a very large funeral on my third day!

Two decisions have got me paralyzed right now. It's like my brain shuts down every time I try to think about them. They are:

1) What color to have my office painted and
2) What wireless carrier to go with, and then, which phone to choose. I guess that's 3 decisions!

We've had a "pay-as-you-go" plan for a few years, but now that I'm with a larger congregation as solo pastor, that would probably be more expensive in the long-run. So, I guess it's time for a big-girl cell phone plan. But, I go to the websites of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint...and get so confused. Do I need Bluetooth? A QWERTY keypad?

The truth is that I resent being asked to carry a cell phone at all. I know, it's how the world works now, but I still hate it.

I guess all phones have an "off" button, don't they?

*blush*

imngrace has honored me with this award. Thank you, thank you! I love your blog, too! Although I haven't been a very good blogger or blogging buddy lately, I appreciate those of you who still check in on me every n0w and again.


Of course, as with every Bloggy Award, there are A Few Rules. They are:

Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

• Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.


• Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.


• Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!


• Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Several of you have already received this award, so I am awarding only those whom, I think, haven''t yet been so honored. So, without any further ado, I give this award to the following 5 blog friends:

Sarah because if I was ever skeptical about finding true friendship in the "virtual world," becoming friends with Sarah via the RevGals blogring has cured any skepticism I had. She is one of the most authentic and crazy-smart people I have ever known. (She is also a new mother. Her daughter was born just a few days ago!)

Revcrystalk (though she will always be HipChick to me!) because I resonate so much with what she writes. Sometimes I wonder of we were separated at birth or something! She is very honest and so funny!

Towanda I got interested in Towanda's blog because I noticed that she was then a student at my Alma mater, The Iliff School of Theology. I remain a reader because she challenges me to look beyond the end of my nose and notice those who are crying out for justice here and abroad. Her courage inspires me to truly live out the gospel. She also posts from funny cartoons from time to time!

Mrs. M because Diana's blog was one of the first I got up the nerve to leave a comment on when I was first dipping my toes into the blogging world. She writes about her sense of call with passion and humor. AND she sometimes posts recipes!

Mags Oh, Mags...she just rocks, plain and simple. She posts wonderful sermons and has such wisdom. She also sometimes posts funny YouTube clips...:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.

As for me, I'll be in bed. I is a sicky. I got the last appointment available at my doctor's office cause I just couldn't shake this crud. I'm on antibiotics. $55 dollars worth of antibiotics! I hate being allergic to both sulfa and penicillin.

We'll probably have Thanksgiving dinner on Friday.

Have fun everyone!

Why I've Been Away For Awhile

I have had a crazy few weeks with no time or energy to blog. A couple of days after being elected pastor by the church that sent spies, (I really need to think of a new blog name for them now, huh?) I flew out West to visit my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and most importantly, meet my baby nephew who was born on October 20. He is a sweet, sweet boy!

The day after I arrived, my mom, sister and I went to see "The Secret Life of Bees," which was actually pretty good, but could never, ever live up to the book. Afterwards, we went to my parents place so I could raid my mom's closet. We were hanging out in my mom' s room when, my dad rushed in and tearfully blurted out, "Your mom died."

This was my Mema. She was 88 years old living by herself and did not have any diagnosis of a life-threatening disease or condition. She just fell down dead. She didn't even have time to push her "I've fallen and I can't get up" button on her wrist.

She was a fiercely independent woman and, I think, that this was probably exactly the way she would have wanted it. She lived alone, but had daily contact with my aunt who lived down the street. She wasn't in pain or living in a nursing home, which she would have hated.

The funeral was this past Monday here in my city and I preached. She didn't have a pastor, so rather than have someone who didn't know her do it, I agreed. I'm glad I did. It was a gift to my Mema, my family and myself. There's a lot more to say about that, but I don't think I will. My Mema and I had a complicated relationship, but I loved and admired her, even when she held me at arm's length.

I promptly got a cold the next day and it's getting worse. This is a hard time of year to slow down.

That's Exactly How I Feel, Too...

First of all, everything went well. I am the pastor-elect of (Important Reformer) Presbyterian Church by a vote of 120-something yeas to 4 nays. Not bad... I can live with that. I was told that those four "wouldn't vote for Jesus himself."

I didn't feel good at all in the pulpit, though. They have very bright spotlights, which blinded me and made me super hot. The light made the pulpit mic cast a big shadow over my manuscript, which made it hard to read. Also, I had underestimated the font size I would need, so basically, I preached from memory. It didn't feel good, but I got through it.

My family was great and so supportive, patiently shaking hands and telling people their names again and again and again. My son drew this picture when we got home and told me, "I felt like a handshaking machine today!" Yep.

Give Me Oil In My Lamp...

Keep me burnin', burnin' burnin'...

Great camp song based on our parable this week. Although one verse that we used to sing is what I really need right now:

"Give me umption in my gumption, let me function, function, function..."

I am almost always done writing my sermon by this time Saturday. I am stuck... Help!

ETA: It's 10:15 pm and I'm as done as I'm gonna be tonight. It'll be okay. I'll tweak it some in the morning and then, I'll let the Spirit do what she will with it!

Sarah, I just now read your kind offer to listen to my sermon. I'm afraid it might be a little too late now- shoot. Thanks so much for offering. I may take you up on that some other time! I'm going to try to get a good night sleep now.

Friday Five: Funny Papers

Presbyterian Gal says: After an exhausting election here in the states it's time for some spirit lifting! Join me with a nice cup of tea or coffee or cocoa and let's sit back and read the Funny Papers!

1. What was your favorite comic strip as a child?

I loved the Family Circus, especially when Billy would go on one of his "adventures" through the neighborhood!

2. Which comic strip today most consistently tickles your funny bone?

Bizarro.

3. Which Peanuts character is closest to being you?

I'd like to say Linus, but it's probably Lucy.

4. Some say that comic strips have replaced philosophy as a paying job, so to speak. Does this ring true with you?

Perhaps, in this "sound bite" culture. I don't know.

5. What do you think the appeal is for the really long running comic strips like Blondie, Family Circus, Dennis the Menace as some examples?

Oh, I could write about archetypes and timeless themes, but it's because they're funny and have become part of the American cultural landscape. I mean, without the Blondie strip, we wouldn't have the Dagwood sandwich!

Bonus question: Which discontinued comic strip would you like to see back in print?

Well, it's not discontinued, but I was furious when my local paper stopped printing Cathy- and right before her and Irving's wedding! ACK!!

Getting Ready to Party!

My son is decorating our entire house with Obama...we have Obama forks, Obama napkins, Obama pepper shaker and...

I'm not sure if should be proud or disturbed! I *do* hope that we get to pop open that champagne tonight!

ETA: My 5 year old daughter just informed me that she likes, "Mr. McCain." So, my son made her a McCain napkin. We respect a variety of political views in our household!

Well, Better This Sunday Than Next....

It was bound to happen at some point. I suppose.

I was standing at the communion table with the bread in my hands- lovely, beautiful bread made from the special communion bread recipe of a dearly departed saint of this congregation. I was holding this bread up...and I forgot the words.

I forgot the words of institution, y'all! How many times have I done this?

I did collect myself, finally, after about five really long seconds. Long enough that it was pretty obvious I had forgotten the words.

*sigh*

Well, here's hoping I don't have a similar brain fart next Sunday!