Do I have to Come Back?

In the last few weeks (partly because I've been sick, partly because it's excellent distraction from real life) I've been hanging out in Austen/Bronte-land. I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which was hilarious and disturbing. I also read the Eyre Affair, which I could try to explain, but it would take too long. Alternate reality, characters crossing over from fiction to that reality, main character spending an extended period inside of the novel Jane Eyre. I have watched Pride and Prejudice (the mini-series, yay Colin Firth!), Bride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Jane Eyre (the Masterpiece theater mini-series). I decided last night after watching Jane Eyre that I like these stories and I would like to stay. Does this mean I need therapy of some sort?

Horoscope

Yeah right...

aries (Mar. 21st-Apr. 20th)

Love and money will go hand in hand this week. Of course, you should never rule out spending time with someone who interests you intellectually. But this week, we think you’re going to find yourself in the fortunate position of not having to answer the following question: Was it love, or was it the jet plane to Paris for a private eight-course candle-lit dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower?

Frustrated

It seems like it's always my goal to eat healthier, get more exercise, lose some weight. I'm actually doing better on the first 2. Not perfect, but definitely better than past endeavors. My frustration comes in these stupid 10 pounds that I have been gaining and losing for what seems like the last 800 years. Yes, that's hyperbole, but I think it helps demonstrate my frustration level. In this most recent endeavor I lost 2 pounds and then gained 6. Part of that was vacation, but still. It's like every time I get toward the bottom of those 10 pounds I backslide and start gaining. Which leads me to wonder if I'm sabotaging myself. And if that's the case, then that's just really darn annoying.

Long Time, No Post

So, I haven't posted in a very long time. The strange thing about my brain (OK, ONE of the of the strange things about my brain) is that I tend to think in illustrations: sermon illustrations, blog posts, newsletter articles, etc., but I almost never use them. Which probably makes me a big dork, but whatever. Anyhoo, I've thought about posting many times, but I either put it off or I get side-tracked, or I have a little moment of self-pity and I think, "well, no one reads this stupid thing anyway.'' Then the other part of my brain tells the first part to shut up and get over it, and then the first part sulks. It's always a good time in my brain... Again, I say whatever. Point being, I haven't written in almost a month. Here are a few things I might have written about if I weren't a big slacker:

• Vacation! I took 2 weeks off in June. I spent the first week at home with the fam, and the 2nd week hanging out with a friend in the Seattle area. Ahhh....good stuff.
• Part of vacation was doing the Holidays day with the kiddos. It was just the 4 nieces this year as the other family had planned to come but then forgot and scheduled something else. Oldest niece decided after 8 years that she just wanted to be a helper this year, and youngest niece is now 3, so this was her first year of getting to participate.
  
• I came back from vacation to be the only pastor here at Made up Name LC. This wasn't a surprise, I knew it was coming, of course, but it's definitely an adjustment, and I have to say I'm not particularly enjoying the new, longer hours.
• I'm caving to the pressure and reading the Twilight series. I'm only 2 chapters in, so I can't say too much about it. It's strange, because usually I love anything with vampires, but I have had no desire to read this series. But people keep talking about it and I feel like I should have an idea of what they're talking about. I'm also going to read The Shack for the same reason (just not the vampires).
• Speaking of reading, I recently completed my annual re-read of Harry Potter. Then I re-read the Little House series. I read it a bunch of times as a kid, but it's probably been 20 years since the last time, and it was interesting to read it as an adult, with a different perspective.

I know there are other things I thought of, but now they've gone somewhere else. Maybe I'll try to post more so the random things don't disappear. Or maybe it's better that I don't post and the random things go away, never to be seen or heard from again.

Weekend

This past weekend was good, just crazy busy. It was wedding 3 of 3, which went well, but it was approximately 8 million degrees in the sanctuary, and a woman collapsed after so the paramedics were called. I felt really bad for her. It was kind of an odd picture, though, the receiving line went out the front door, and at the end was an ambulance. Not exactly what you would hope for at a wedding. Sunday was SP's last day. We only had 1 service with a reception after. It went OK. Lots of people were really confused at how fast everything seemed to happen. The bishop was here last Sunday, but since it was Memorial Day weekend we had very low attendance, so not as many people as we'd hoped were around to hear her speak and ask her questions. After the reception I had an executive committee meeting, then a New Orleans youth group meeting, and then I went home to pack and drive 200+ miles for a graduation party. The trip was definitely worth it as it's one of my favorite people in the whole world. I just can't believe she's graduating, since when I started babysitting her she was 2 1/2. Man, I'm old. She's absolutely gorgeous, she was co-Valedictorian, and had just won several events at the state track meet the day before. Yep, she's amazing, and I'm immensely proud of her.

Oh, and here's one of the many reasons I love living in MT: on the drive over I stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom and get something to drink. As I went up to pay the cashiers were having this conversation:

"It's a good thing he didn't break into MY house, I sleep with a dagger under the bed."

"Uh huh, I've got my gun right on the night stand. I'da shot him for sure."

I have no idea what the original story was, but their follow-up comments made me laugh.

Weddings

3 weekends, 3 weddings. I'm officiating at last weekend's and next weekend's, but today I was simply a guest. Well, sort of. The short version of the story is that I did the premarital counseling for this couple since the bride's childhood pastor is now in Michigan. I guess he didn't want to commute for the counseling. :-) So I did the premarital and he did the service. But, it was the first wedding in a long time where I had absolutely nothing to do during the service. I was trying to think while driving there when the last wedding was that I wasn't involved in, and couldn't. I've been the pastor, the intern, a musician, a bridesmaid or maid of honor, the bride's personal assistant. Anyhoo, it was a lovely service and an absolutely gorgeous day. But, I think I'm now ruined for weddings, too. I have trouble sitting through worship that I'm not leading because I pick it apart, and I did the same thing with the wedding today. Not necessarily negative stuff, my brain just swirls around and around as I compare what we do at our church, or I do as a worship leader, how I like some things that are different, how I would never do some things a certain way, etc. Sometimes I wish my brain would shut up!

Here are 2 other random tidbits for this entry: yesterday while driving home I hiccoughed while sneezing and almost drove off the road. Weird. Last Sunday when I drove to church there was a dead skunk in the middle of the road. Very smelly. Then, on Tuesday when I drove home after being gone for 2 days I noticed that someone had spray painted the skunks white stripes green. On the one hand I find it amusing. On the other, I think someone has way too much time on his or her hands!

Transition

Oh, the times, they are a-changing. But then again, what else is new? Things have been crazy around here for the last month or so. It's now been announced to the congregation, so I guess I can type about it, here. SP, for a variety of very complicated reasons, is resigning. Since I have a co-terminus call, I will also be leaving. I can stay until I have another call, but of course this means that I will soon be back in the call process. And then I will have to move again. Things here have been overly dramatic and sometimes downright crappy over the last year, but I still didn't think I would be back in the call process after only a year. I SO do not want to move again. So I'm worried about SP and his health during this process, I'm angry at certain parts of the congregation, thankful for other parts of the congregation, bitter about the call process and moving, hopeful that things will work out, scared about the future, and about 10,000 other emotions. Prayers are appreciated, for me, the SP, the congregation, random strangers--you know--whomever!