Stupid, but blessed...

RevHRod blogged about 4th of July memories via Friday at Five.

Last night's memory takes the cake.

I was with friends, enjoying a super 4th of July celebration at a lovely lake-side home.

Hot grill, cold beer.

The neighbors were setting off their own contraband fireworks but the real show was slated for dark, at the other end of the lake, viewed from my friend's boat, as always.

We decided (against all weather predictions and dark skies) to get in the party boat (aluminum) and go out into the middle of the lake (with all the other idiots) to watch the fireworks.

All was going well; the usual ooohs and ahhhs and of course the "kinda big finish".

But the “Grand Finale” happened 2 minutes after we had turned to head for home.

That’s when God's lightning show started. Bolts and thunder came out of nowhere and 'dern' close!

Imagine then about 250 boats scrambling at 'lightning speed' (but um…safely) in the dark, with nothing but tiny running lights, to get home, “in -between the raindrops”. It was like watching modern day whalers scrambling in search of Moby Dick (with Jaws music playing in the background).

The bolder the lightning, the more the kids shrilled; the harder I prayed--not just for our boat, but all the boats and their cargo.

Then the real rain came with vines of light like you see on “Storm Chasers”. We hugged the land and I prayed harder and faster.

Then the winds started to whip up.

The lake became Gennasaret, but Jesus was NOT asleep in the back.

"Don't you even CARE that we did this foolish thing that we need saving from now?"

More lightning, louder thunder, higher kiddie shrills, faster prayers...

As we approached the dock, the lake was now a sea of waves. Getting there was one thing- docking in these waves, another.

When we were close enough for me to leap onto the dock and grab a line, our passengers jumped off the boat, titanic-like and scrambled for land and cover, while 3 of us stayed to secure and cover the vessel.

Oddly, standing on a wood dock in torrents of wind and rain, securing a canvas cover was a menial task after worrying and praying mightily for 20 minutes for the safety of 1000 or so boaters.

Snap-Snap-Snap. We're outta here!

For a bunch of well educated, usually-very-responsible people, it wasn’t the smartest thing we’ve ever done...but a story to tell the grandchildren or at least work into the Romans text this Sunday. I know what I should do (stay on land in safety), though I do the very thing I hate (go for the fun and worry about the consequences later).

There IS a wideness in God’s mercy…

Aaaaaaaahhhhh....

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.

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.

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..."

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!

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'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...