Today, I took the day off of work and we ventured into the city to help one of our sister churches with some projects. They have a thrift store and needed some help sorting and pricing there. They have a garden…in the middle of a not at all nice part of the city, they found a vacant lot and made it a beautiful garden…we didn’t have any work to do there today. And they have a new meeting place. They are retrofitting the first floor of a building that was built back in the early 19oos. It’s an interesting place but A LOT of work is needed there. I had hoped to be working on framing out some walls or putting up drywall but today was not a day for that. Today it was about cutting up PVC pipe (which was fun), cleaning up pipe and wires and what-have-you from all around, and tearing the wood off of windows and letting the sun shine in and air breeze through.

It doesn’t look like much…but they can see the potential there – and I can see it too. Through all the dirt and dust and…well, junk…I can see a space where people can come, in the middle of a not so great part of town, and find the Lord there, through his people who care enough – care so much – to make this a priority, to put in their time, to put in their money, to put in their sweat and probably their tears.

I feel like summer has completely passed me by. Where were the long, leisurely days? Where was my trip to the beach? Or the lake? Heck, I’d settle for the local pool – or even an inflatable pool in someone’s back yard.

I feel like I have totally missed out. And it’s going to be September…and then the holidays!!

How did this happen????????????????????

The ups, the downs, the turns, the twists!

And now, another chapter begins.

The pastoral search is over, praise God! We interviewed and selected a new pastor and he accepted on Friday (even that was a roller coaster but the end result was positive!)

I feel like a great weight has been lifted.

…for baby Addison today. She is only 12 weeks old and undergoing open heart surgery today. Please pray for wisdom for the surgeons and for the hand of the Master Physician to guide theirs. Please pray for Addison’s mom & dad, who have shown so much faith in God and strength through this storm, and for the rest of their family and friends as they await word of a successful surgery & recovery with no complications.

I think working two days a week would be quite sufficient.

I have been a busy bee this weekend. I went out to Blues Street BBQ with David, Michelle, the famous one and her friend. When I got home, I decided I was going to do the reading I had been procrastinating on for my course. When I looked at the syllabus, though, it turned out I had to read the whole book! But I forged on and completed it. I went online to take my content test only to find that my dsl had failed me and I was going to have to deal with tech support in the morning.

Which I did, completed the content test and also took another test on the book overall. In that regard, I’m apparently ahead – which is a great feeling! So it is on to unit 4 now, which I hope to complete this week and get back on the suggested one unit a week schedule.

I went to look at a townhouse yesterday. I wasn’t thrilled with it, though it was a nice enough place. It had a little fenced in area in the picture that I was excited about – I really want some place of my own that I can plant flowers and a little vegetable garden and sit and read and relax. The place I am in now is a rental and the woman who lives above me has lived her for 30 years…so it always seems as though this is her property. Plus, with renting, there is little I can do. I have tomatoes growing haphazardly in pots and am trying in vain to grow an eggplant in one as well…though that seems pretty futile right now! Anyway, so I go to this house and step out in the fenced in area…nary a piece of grass or green anywhere!!!!!!!!!!!! It was all cement. You sat on cement and stared at your tight fencing. Kym & Trish and I were joking about it today that I could take a jackhammer to it – can you imagine??????????? So that is a no go.

Then last evening, K & I went to fundraiser for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. I found out about it through a local singles group, and it was at a local zoo, so we thought we would check it out. Well, it was hotter than heck, packed with people, lacking animals, and just overall a flop. Though K does want me to point out that some random guy fanned me while I was waiting in line for a drink! But because I totally lack any social interaction skills with members of the opposite sex, that was about it. Oh well – seems like a good organization and one that doesn’t get a great deal of attention, so the admission fee went to a good cause.

Today was another busy day with church and then a jaunt up to my parents neck of the woods. When I got home, I hunkered down and caught up on my homework for a Precept Bible study on the book of Jonah. I only have one day’s work to finish by Tuesday – should be a piece of cake! (Cindy, aren’t you proud?!?!?!?)

Now, here I am finishing up dishes and wash and generally putting my house back together finally after workcamp. I am still tired but feel more normal (ha) this weekend than I did last week. Another day off would serve me well, however. I have to give that some thought – my next planned day off from work is slated for a service project with the youth in the city to help out another church in our denomination that is trying to clean up their neighborhood. Sounds like a good day (twice, I typed “God day” – which it also will be!) and it’ll be nice to serve somewhat locally. I’m thinking and talking to David about starting a once a month day of service – like First Saturday of Service for the youth and anyone else who wants to participate. Then people would know it was going on each month, be able to take off work, etc. if need be to participate. I know there are a lot of places & ways we can serve in the area. I just have to put it in motion and get people on board.

Well, enough for now. Hope you all had wonderful weekends and if you are here in the east, STAY COOL. They are calling for up to 115 degrees on Tuesday/Wednesday. YIKES! We right-coast-ers aren’t used to such things!

What a week.

We got home from West Virginia around 4:30 on Saturday and I had a dinner meeting at 6:30. I got home around 10:30 or so but had to take care of something for church in the morning.

Sunday was a whirlwind; church, taking the vans back, trying to get wash done and things back in some semblance of order, leaderhship community meeting, etc. Thankfully Kym invited me back in for dinner after the meeting or I would have completely forgotten to eat at all.

Monday was back to work day and I was dragging. After work, I had to take Ramona to the vet because she had been very lethargic and the petsitter said she was also drinking a lot while I was away. So we went to the vet, which she oh so loves, and because she is such a friendly, loving cat to the vet (NOT!) she got to stay so they could sedate her and take blood. I was so upset to leave her there overnight.

Tuesday morning began with a trip to the dentist. My last checkup I had a cavity -gasp! This is so unusual for me. In all my life, this is only my second cavity. So I was anxious about it. It really wasn’t that bad – the worst part was the needle and then the numbness in my face which lasted about four hours afterwards. After work, I picked up Ramona and took her home (with no word from the vet on what was up) and hurried off to my bible study.

Wednesday, the vet calls and leaves a very nonchalant message that Ramona has diabetes and will need to go on insulin, so hey, give a call back when you have a chance! Now I am not a fan of needles and I surely have never given anyone else one…so I am not sure how I am going to do this. But she is my baby and she is entrusted into my care – and care for her I will. But it took me until yesterday to get one of the vets to talk with me. We go in next Thursday to learn how to give the insulin, etc. Pray I can do it! Pray she lets me do it!

Last night I had a children’s ministry management team meeting. We covered a lot and came up with some solutions to some problems that I hope will work out quickly and well. I am blessed with a great team of people to work with, who truly care for these kids. Trish stayed late catching up with me afterwards and ending up driving home in a WICKED storm. I pray she made it home ok! I’ll have to give a call in a little while and make sure all is well.

And now, here I am, finally at Friday. I feel like I could sleep for a week and I probably could! I am definitely sleeping in tomorrow. I am going to look at a house in the afternoon (yes, I still have a fleeting hope of finding something – I haven’t completely put aside that dream!) and in the evening K and I are going to a fundraiser at the Elmwood Park Zoo. I’ve never been there; it’s something different & it sounds like fun. We shall see. There is a deep craving in my soul lately for thigns that are fun and different…as you may have noticed in previous posts…not sure where this will all lead…or what’s causing it (though I have a tiny inkling.)

More later!