Sunday: Got through 3rd and final wedding of the month. Touching, swanky, delightful and....delighted to be done. Got home at 11:30 and yup, I left (well slipped out actually) before the entree was served!
Monday: was sleeping peacefully until parishioner called the manse(twice!) leaving messages about stuff that was neither an emergency nor my responsibility. It was the last straw. I called one of my beach buddies, packed a bag and ran way from home.
Tuesday: Slept in at the beach and was awoken more pleasantly by children yelling down the street, racing to get to the ocean with the snap-snap of flip flops. I walked the beach, swam in the ocean, took a nap, made dinner with friends.
Today: Played hookie (again). Played golf with a new friend who's fascinating and fun and could give 2 s****s that I'm a pastor.
Home now. Cool drink in hand, ice pack on knee and enjoying breezes from the A/C.
Aaaaahhhhh.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Workin' on workin' at it
I am at the edges (or the final mile) of what feels like the 18 month marathon. 2 more days of VBS (still going well, thanks be to God) and the last of three weddings is this weekend. I went to the Chateau (yes, literally) where the wedding will be. I agreed to marry them here solely because it was the only 'neutral' ground for both families. I had the bride as a student in Jr. high youth group 100 years ago so although weddings are challenging and painful for me, it'll be a treat to marry her.
The chateau is the one of the swankiest properties I have ever seen. The pool room is literally the pool room used for the scenes in the movie "Cocoon", which is frankly where I'd rather be, than putting out more energy to the world from a fuel tank on fumes.
The last of my energy will be used to manage this stuff, along with more church crazy demands and of course preaching the near sacrfice of you-know-who. This along with eating right and exercising so that I am in shape for surf camp AND attempting to look my best when I meet up with an old 'friend' for lunch in 3 weeks.
Lord have mercy...to it all. None of it's terribly important in the big scheme-just sayin', dieting and exercising at least for me, is a full time job all by itself.
The chateau is the one of the swankiest properties I have ever seen. The pool room is literally the pool room used for the scenes in the movie "Cocoon", which is frankly where I'd rather be, than putting out more energy to the world from a fuel tank on fumes.
The last of my energy will be used to manage this stuff, along with more church crazy demands and of course preaching the near sacrfice of you-know-who. This along with eating right and exercising so that I am in shape for surf camp AND attempting to look my best when I meet up with an old 'friend' for lunch in 3 weeks.
Lord have mercy...to it all. None of it's terribly important in the big scheme-just sayin', dieting and exercising at least for me, is a full time job all by itself.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Gifts of Grace
Returned from 24 hours away with NBB? Check.
2 weddings down,1 to go? Check
First day of VBS a HUGE success? Check.
Parishioner buys dinner after VBS(with 2 cold ones)? Check.
Air conditioning working? Check.
Gonna sleep hard?
Well, As Tom Cruise says in TOP GUN : "I dont know, but it's lookin' good so far..."
2 weddings down,1 to go? Check
First day of VBS a HUGE success? Check.
Parishioner buys dinner after VBS(with 2 cold ones)? Check.
Air conditioning working? Check.
Gonna sleep hard?
Well, As Tom Cruise says in TOP GUN : "I dont know, but it's lookin' good so far..."
Friday, June 20, 2008
My New Formula
Problem: Tireless stomach ache/acid reflux from on-going stress from work (along with sadness and grief from work in therapy) combined with residual guilt for lack of self care (read: eating like a horse and not exercising)
Negative Effects: More guilt and self loathing, couching and excessive channel flipping
Solution: See Photo.
Long term affects? None-When I wake up from the sugar coma, it's gonna be like a whole new week!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sloth, and not by the Sea...
...but I WAS there last Thursday into Friday. So NO complaints. Well sorta...
I am enormously grateful that a lovely-beloved "I-wanted-to-be-like-them" family from my church has shown where the hidden keys are to their beach house which sits on the bay. That is the glorious news.
The reason why I have been avoiding it (besides an impossible pastor's schedule)? The house is 5 blocks from where i spent vacations with my family as a child. This is particularly timely as i unearth the worst of my family-of-origin S**t!
On a lighter note, the first of the three weddings I have in June is over and Confirmation Sunday was 'Successful". This seems like an odd word to use, maybe...but I do come from 20 years in the asphalt jungle... But successful is exactly what I mean after 9 months of parents, mentors and the confirmands themselves, pushing back, complaining and wanting it their way. I stood my ground and popped anti-acids like tic tacs all year. It seems that experience and God's grace prevailed and all are now happy and grateful.
So why am I sitting in my manse staring out the window 'bored' and lifeless?
Probably because the exhaustion is kicking in, I haven't exercised seriously since dancing on the Lido deck for three minutes with Zorra, St Cass and Katherine,(while Cheese rolled her eyes), I've been eating like a sumo wrestler and am dreading 2 more meetings this evening.
C'mon July.
No meetings, light-hearted sermons and hopefully I'll get my sumo body to the gym before I make an ass out of myself at surfing camp in August.
Wahini baby,
GBS
I am enormously grateful that a lovely-beloved "I-wanted-to-be-like-them" family from my church has shown where the hidden keys are to their beach house which sits on the bay. That is the glorious news.
The reason why I have been avoiding it (besides an impossible pastor's schedule)? The house is 5 blocks from where i spent vacations with my family as a child. This is particularly timely as i unearth the worst of my family-of-origin S**t!
On a lighter note, the first of the three weddings I have in June is over and Confirmation Sunday was 'Successful". This seems like an odd word to use, maybe...but I do come from 20 years in the asphalt jungle... But successful is exactly what I mean after 9 months of parents, mentors and the confirmands themselves, pushing back, complaining and wanting it their way. I stood my ground and popped anti-acids like tic tacs all year. It seems that experience and God's grace prevailed and all are now happy and grateful.
So why am I sitting in my manse staring out the window 'bored' and lifeless?
Probably because the exhaustion is kicking in, I haven't exercised seriously since dancing on the Lido deck for three minutes with Zorra, St Cass and Katherine,(while Cheese rolled her eyes), I've been eating like a sumo wrestler and am dreading 2 more meetings this evening.
C'mon July.
No meetings, light-hearted sermons and hopefully I'll get my sumo body to the gym before I make an ass out of myself at surfing camp in August.
Wahini baby,
GBS
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I'm back...
Phew! Hard to believe my last post was a month ago!! But honestly, it's been a blur. (I'm sure that's only true for me...)
Since we spoke last, I've received a most warm welcome from you, my RGBP's. I've also hugged, laughed with, 'eaten and dranken' with and shopped(!)with RGBP-ers's at Festival de Homies and met some new lovely ones! (Sue your book mark is still around my wrist. Prayers continue!!)
I have also been juggling funerals, weddings, youth events, sick friends, confirmation stuff, the capital campaign the renovation of our spire and our 175th anniversary. PHEW! All's well that ends well. God has richly blessed all these events well beyond my gifts or dreams.
Now what? I admit, I'm a little lost.
Before I run away and try to recoup sanity and some lost days off, a small voice is telling me to finally wash the kitchen floor for first time in days...ok weeks...all right! Months!
The non-essential laundry has set up its own blog " Wash me or I'll call the health department" and the oranges and grapefruits in the fridge that are now the size of grapes, I'm pretty sure, are not edible.
Instead though, I have made plans to take my two days, see some friends, go the beach to see more friends, eat, sleep, giggle and give thanks again, that while i was MIA, I know you were thinking of me and praying for me.
GRACE ABOUNDS...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
First Word, Second Word, Final Word
So the first "word" I received through Mary Marcotte's divine exercise on the BE was SERVE. And so I did.
Upon my return from "Fantasy turn Reality" I began to madly prep for our officer's retreat four days from my return. I decided to bring along 'the words' to do with our officers. They loved it. It worked beautifully. The word I pulled?
SERVE.
And so I did. That weekend, and for the last 5 weeks, it seems there have been almost non-stop crises, interventions, ugly behavior in meetings, strained relationships, friends in hospital, unexpected deaths, children in trauma.
By the time I arrived at the Confirmation retreat last weekend after a funeral, I learned that the advisers had left their entire plans for the retreat at home. They could not remember what they planned. I went numb.
It's not that I can't plan retreats on the fly. I can. I am a retreat junkie. But to create a plan in a bubble without letting the kids know we're unprepared is worse than the nightmares we've all had about ending up in the pulpit on a Sunday AM, in our bras and panties, without a sermon in hand. Well at least it is for me.
I spiritually got on my hands and knees and begged God to show up, care for, intervene, and make God's presence known to a group of students who have been reticent all year long (as well as their parents) about the "new" process that the "new" pastor put in place. This retreat would either make or break them and me.
I brought the cards again. I handed them out. I pulled one too.
The retreat commenced. In no time at all it went from awkward conversation over hoagies to a hilarious, playful, tender, deep, and wildly successful retreat.
24 hrs later, when we shared "our words" around the table right before communion, almost every student (and advisor) could talk about their word meaningfully. It was beautiful and poignant and I was so deeply relieved and thankful.
I shared my word.
You guessed it.
GRACE
Upon my return from "Fantasy turn Reality" I began to madly prep for our officer's retreat four days from my return. I decided to bring along 'the words' to do with our officers. They loved it. It worked beautifully. The word I pulled?
SERVE.
And so I did. That weekend, and for the last 5 weeks, it seems there have been almost non-stop crises, interventions, ugly behavior in meetings, strained relationships, friends in hospital, unexpected deaths, children in trauma.
By the time I arrived at the Confirmation retreat last weekend after a funeral, I learned that the advisers had left their entire plans for the retreat at home. They could not remember what they planned. I went numb.
It's not that I can't plan retreats on the fly. I can. I am a retreat junkie. But to create a plan in a bubble without letting the kids know we're unprepared is worse than the nightmares we've all had about ending up in the pulpit on a Sunday AM, in our bras and panties, without a sermon in hand. Well at least it is for me.
I spiritually got on my hands and knees and begged God to show up, care for, intervene, and make God's presence known to a group of students who have been reticent all year long (as well as their parents) about the "new" process that the "new" pastor put in place. This retreat would either make or break them and me.
I brought the cards again. I handed them out. I pulled one too.
The retreat commenced. In no time at all it went from awkward conversation over hoagies to a hilarious, playful, tender, deep, and wildly successful retreat.
24 hrs later, when we shared "our words" around the table right before communion, almost every student (and advisor) could talk about their word meaningfully. It was beautiful and poignant and I was so deeply relieved and thankful.
I shared my word.
You guessed it.
GRACE
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