Monday, November 26, 2007

the morning

i wake up each morning and before i open my eyes i ask myself 'what day is it?' and then all the details of that day come crushing over me like a huge wave. when i come up for air i remind myself that i have the whole day to get things done and fight the urge to get up and get to work. my goal each day is to check off the things on my list and maybe find some time that isn't already scheduled. so monday is filled - write, meditate, exercise, kids up and ready for school, calls re new health insurance, new spiritual director, sermon for wedding, final plans for advent, Christmas and epiphany.

i need a new way to wake up.

on another note, we've been hosting an interfaith forum at the church. yesterday there was a buddhist priest there and i asked him what difference does ordination mean in his tradition. and it makes me stop and pause to ask myself the same. who am i as an ordained priest? what difference does that make? i could go back to priest call 101, but want to delve more deeply into the question rather than rattle off an answer i know too well.

peace.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

war

One week ago today a friend of mine was told that her son was killed in Afghanistan. He had signed on for his third tour of duty with the marines and shipped out in August. She begged him not to go this time, but he wanted to go one more time. She is the kind of person who ached to have grandchildren and wanted him to settle down and have children, not go back to the middle east. He was her only child.

To complicate things, she was divorced from her son's father and the father is making all the decisions about the funeral and their son's belongings. He is going to be cremated, but the father is going to take the urn supplied by the marine corp. She will get half of his remains in a cardboard box. She wants the flag that covered his coffin on the flight home from Afghanistan, but the father is going to get it. It seems to get worse with each new bit of news.

I just pray that God will be evident to her, tenderly walk before her and enfold her these next days to cushion the harsh reality that she is facing.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

RevGals

I have not blogged in a over a week - just the busy-ness of life. My 30 year old son juts moved back in with us. He was diagnosed with Lyme disease and is on disability. I have 9 year old twins at home as well. You know, things like swim meets, helping in the classroom, basketball, and all the rest keep me a bit too busy. I cherish my 5 am time to meditate and still my mind that seems to be full of bouncing ping pong balls.

We just had our diocesan convention last week end. It was a good convention - the first one that was led by our new bishop. I'll try to post a video I made of the women in ministry dinner. I'm still trying to figure out how to save videos to a computer and a cd. It's not very intuitive for me.

I've also just joined a blog community - revgals - and have been thinking about the questions asked for one of their Friday at Five sessions. Take a look at their blog. It's fantastic.