is one that has been on my heart for a while, one that I discovered this past summer.
On this day of St. Valentine, my heart goes out to the children of the world who desperately want to be loved by a family. There are millions of them. If your family feels incomplete, watch this video with an open heart and with prayer. Perhaps God is calling you to adoption.
It's something that our family has been praying about for months now, as many of you know. None of us know what our families will ultimately look like, but as one of the songs from that Transiberian Orchestra concert I blogged about in December says: "Every man is my brother, and every child is ours."
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Where Were You At 1:30 a.m.?
I ask because 1:30 seems to be the time that I'm awake in the middle of each night.
I know, I know...maybe if I'm awake I should actually POST AN ENTRY at that time once in a while, but I'm usually otherwise occupied.
For example...
Last night (and most normal nights) I was helping our son make it to the potty for his middle-of-the-night trip.
But the night before, and the night before that, and the night before that,
well those were another story.
Now, before you read the rest, you must know that this post is not for the faint-of-heart (or stomach). If you can handle it, read on. If not, wait a few more days (yes, I'll try to be more faithful to post from now on) and check for a new entry to read. OK, here goes.
So night-before-last, I was regretting that we'd allowed our son to eat normal (and not so healthy) food again too quickly after he got over the terrible stomach virus all three of us have had, because at 1:30 he lost it (all of it--in every way possible) all over the toilet, half the bathroom, and both of our PJ pants. So the next 15 minutes were spent cleaning him, the bathroom, and me, then putting him back to bed. Now remember, I'm still very weak and recovering from the bug myself, still having eaten NO SOLID FOOD since Saturday. Oh, and I'm also sleeping on the couch at that point because the bug had attacked my husband after leaving me sapped, and he now needed the night-time privacy he had afforded me the two previous nights.
So here I am at 1:45 a.m., cleaning up after my son's illness's last stand. But then, of course, the soiled rugs and clothes could not sit in the bathroom for the rest of the night; they HAD to be washed. So I go to the washing machine (in our kitchen adjoining the den where I'm sleeping on the couch). I put in the bath rugs and PJ pants. I start the machine, and I lie back down on the couch to return to dreamland, after pushing the cat out of the way.
Round about 2:00, I hear water pouring onto the kitchen floor.
No lie.
So I rush (as fast as I can) to the bathroom and grab two towels to sop up the water that's now everywhere. Two isn't enough--I go back for three. I don't have the energy to wring them out, so I let them sit in the kitchen sink, having (of course) to move a pile of dirty dishes out of the way. Sigh
Then I go get two more towels to put up against the machine, to guard the floor against the next spin cycle. Fun, huh?
Now, you probably don't want to know about 1:30 a.m. two nights before that.
Let's just say it really not pretty--at all. And neither was just about any other time that entire night.
So all of this to say...If you think pastors and their families are immune from this kind of nasty illness, think again.
Also, I do think a quote from a wonderful spiritual writer said something to me (and maybe to all of us) this morning:
The circumstances of our lives are another medium of God’s communication with us. God opens some doors and closes others.... Through the wisdom of our bodies, God tells us to slow down or reorder our priorities. The happy coincidences and frustrating impasses of daily life are laden with messages. Patient listening and the grace of the Spirit are the decoding devices of prayer. It is a good habit to ask, What is God saying to me in this situation? Listening to our lives is part of prayer.
- Marjorie J. Thompson
in her book Soul Feast
Lastly, I want to acknowledge that ONE OF MY NIGHTMARES BECAME REALITY when I had to call people late Saturday night (when the virus decided to take over my body) and ask them to lead worship in my absence. In nearly 7 years of pastoral ministry, I've never missed a Sunday morning due to illness. There's a first time for everything, but I surely hope it will be at least another 7 years before I have to again.
Thank you, lay speakers Charlie and Gregg! I know you led worship faithfully and spoke God's Word clearly in my absence, and I am deeply appreciative. I look forward to getting back work today (finally I'm getting some energy again) and to being in the pupit Sunday.
I know, I know...maybe if I'm awake I should actually POST AN ENTRY at that time once in a while, but I'm usually otherwise occupied.
For example...
Last night (and most normal nights) I was helping our son make it to the potty for his middle-of-the-night trip.
But the night before, and the night before that, and the night before that,
well those were another story.
Now, before you read the rest, you must know that this post is not for the faint-of-heart (or stomach). If you can handle it, read on. If not, wait a few more days (yes, I'll try to be more faithful to post from now on) and check for a new entry to read. OK, here goes.
So night-before-last, I was regretting that we'd allowed our son to eat normal (and not so healthy) food again too quickly after he got over the terrible stomach virus all three of us have had, because at 1:30 he lost it (all of it--in every way possible) all over the toilet, half the bathroom, and both of our PJ pants. So the next 15 minutes were spent cleaning him, the bathroom, and me, then putting him back to bed. Now remember, I'm still very weak and recovering from the bug myself, still having eaten NO SOLID FOOD since Saturday. Oh, and I'm also sleeping on the couch at that point because the bug had attacked my husband after leaving me sapped, and he now needed the night-time privacy he had afforded me the two previous nights.
So here I am at 1:45 a.m., cleaning up after my son's illness's last stand. But then, of course, the soiled rugs and clothes could not sit in the bathroom for the rest of the night; they HAD to be washed. So I go to the washing machine (in our kitchen adjoining the den where I'm sleeping on the couch). I put in the bath rugs and PJ pants. I start the machine, and I lie back down on the couch to return to dreamland, after pushing the cat out of the way.
Round about 2:00, I hear water pouring onto the kitchen floor.
No lie.
So I rush (as fast as I can) to the bathroom and grab two towels to sop up the water that's now everywhere. Two isn't enough--I go back for three. I don't have the energy to wring them out, so I let them sit in the kitchen sink, having (of course) to move a pile of dirty dishes out of the way. Sigh
Then I go get two more towels to put up against the machine, to guard the floor against the next spin cycle. Fun, huh?
Now, you probably don't want to know about 1:30 a.m. two nights before that.
Let's just say it really not pretty--at all. And neither was just about any other time that entire night.
So all of this to say...If you think pastors and their families are immune from this kind of nasty illness, think again.
Also, I do think a quote from a wonderful spiritual writer said something to me (and maybe to all of us) this morning:
The circumstances of our lives are another medium of God’s communication with us. God opens some doors and closes others.... Through the wisdom of our bodies, God tells us to slow down or reorder our priorities. The happy coincidences and frustrating impasses of daily life are laden with messages. Patient listening and the grace of the Spirit are the decoding devices of prayer. It is a good habit to ask, What is God saying to me in this situation? Listening to our lives is part of prayer.
- Marjorie J. Thompson
in her book Soul Feast
Lastly, I want to acknowledge that ONE OF MY NIGHTMARES BECAME REALITY when I had to call people late Saturday night (when the virus decided to take over my body) and ask them to lead worship in my absence. In nearly 7 years of pastoral ministry, I've never missed a Sunday morning due to illness. There's a first time for everything, but I surely hope it will be at least another 7 years before I have to again.
Thank you, lay speakers Charlie and Gregg! I know you led worship faithfully and spoke God's Word clearly in my absence, and I am deeply appreciative. I look forward to getting back work today (finally I'm getting some energy again) and to being in the pupit Sunday.
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