Tuesday

Some of you might be curious what pastors and their families do. Today has been somewhat quiet but busy. This morning was prayer group at 7am. John went over there a little bit early and turned on the lights and made coffee. We had our prayer until 7:30, then John and others went on to work.

I checked on a few things and helped Judy a little when she put up the sign. I also unloaded an assortment of baking items that I bought last night from my car and put them in the kitchen for Phyllis. She is going to bake things for the Bazaar/Luncheon this Saturday. I went from the church to a grocery store that had mac and cheese 4/$1 and bought 32 boxes for the church food pantry plus a couple of other items.

I came home and got a call from another minister in town concerning a family we had helped this week. I think the family has called John every night since Thanksgiving and he has taken them food and arranged for housing and told them how to earn money selling plasma or working day labor to get some cash.

I got a couple of calls from church members and one from a sick friend. Most of my time has been spent working on alternate studies homework.

Zach went over to the church for a bit and picked up his Bible and things he forgot. He is coteaching a class with Joann. He talked to Phyllis and several other people there. He said Phyllis was very appreciative of him helping watch her dogs while she was away for thanksgiving. Ben was over at church too. Jean is teaching both boys how to play drums and he was practicing before he went to work.

John has spent a few hours working on redoing the church website and pictures for it. He talked to several members both on the phone and in person. He has also spent time working on his sermon. (A sermon can take 20 hours or more to write and research)

Monday
My parents, who had been here for the week, left in the morning. I worked on my alternate studies homework much of the day. I also got several phone calls, mainly church related, and dealt with things that came up. Sometimes people just like to talk. In the evening I went grocery shopping and bought sacks of baking goods to take to church the next morning. There were emails to respond to.

John worked some on starting his sermon after he got home from the lab. He had a few calls of a personal/pastoral nature to make, both members and others who asked. (It would not be right to tell others personal lives.) He spent time talking with a family who was needing help with difficulties. Another had issues.

My cat's face is swollen so I took him to the vet again for a recheck. He has been on antibiotics and probably has an absessed tooth, although it could be a tumor. He has surgery next week.

Sunday
John spends the early hours of the morning reviewing his sermon and gathering any last minute visual aids. He goes over early and gets the coffee started is it is not already done and makes sure things are ready. There are others who are supposed to take care of things but sometimes they do not or things go wrong so he makes sure it is all done. During Sunday school he is busy with people and preparations. The church service itself is busy. After church there are always people who need to talk to him for a while.

Sometimes we go home and change clothes between church services. Last Sunday we had company. We went out to eat around one with them. After church a few people had some needs so he was delayed. He also took a couple and their two kids home who had no car. After we ate, John went back out to talk to somebody.

We went to night service and John got a call during the service. A young family needed help. He arranged for that with an elder. The young man came by and got the help. He was so happy and very thankful.

Just 5

I copied this from a blogging group as something to write about.

"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8, NRSV)

Friends, it's nearly Thanksgiving in the U.S. and it's the time of year when we are pressed to name things for which we are thankful. I want to offer a twist on the usual lists and use Paul's letter to the church at Philippi as a model. Name five things that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent or worthy of praise. These could be people, organizations, acts, ideas, works of art, pieces of music--whatever comes to mind for you."

True: the Bible, Jesus, good friends and family, pet dogs and cats
Noble: hard work, honesty, those who help others, trailblazing missionaries, those who strive for worthwhile goals
Right: churches who are reaching new people, a fair verdict, an honest mechanic, people who return valuables they find such as wallets, an honest wage, encouragers
Pure: clean water, a kind heart, love offerings, a child's smile, clean air
Lovely: trees in fall, handmade quilts, flowers blooming, waterfalls and beaches, a genuine smile
Admirable: intricate handiwork or art, someone who gives up everything to follow the Lord, those who strive for excellence whether they win or lose, those who spend hours a day in prayer, those who treat all people as important
Excellent: a delicious meal, wonderful music, good news, a surgeon's skills, the comfort of seeing the cross lit up in the distance in a time of crisis, beautiful churches
Worthy of Praise: a kind heart, people who keep their word, the Lord, a faithful church, a faithful pastor, and a faithful member, those who actively strive to grow as Christians

Deer Sightings

On most of my walks, I see deer. They are beautiful and peaceful creatures. Unlike most people, who just pass by without really looking, I like to stop and talk to the deer. Of course, I like to talk to any living creature. It's just one of my quirks that makes me unique. Everybody is unique in some way.

When I talk to the deer, they respond. Some just stare at me. At least one stuck her tongue out at me. Lots of them tip their ears back like the kitty cats do when I talk to them. I get a kick out of that. If I ask them a simple question, they may shake their heads "no" like dogs and cats and horses do. When I tell them they are beautiful, their heads often go higher and their ears perk up even more. Sometimes I ask them where their buddies are. I almost never see a deer alone. If there is one, you can be sure there are others close by. This week I had one tip her head up and down and point her nose in a direction where there was another deer lying in the grass. It's the same kind of thing I have seen horses do when pointing at something with their noses. I think the deer like being talked to by a person. A few get really nervous acting and are poised to run off, although only a few ever do.

I don't think squirrels are quite as bright as deer. They do have much smaller brains. Most seem to like it when I talk to them but they aren't very responsive. They just sit there and look at me and continue eating the acorn, if that's what they were doing. They are noisy eaters. A squirrel that is squealing will squeal at me if I talk to it. I make noises at it and it makes noises back at me. I have no idea why they do that but it's fun to get the response. They will talk for a long time (or maybe they are complaining).

Birds have even smaller brains than squirrels. When I talk to them they sometimes listen, even tipping their heads as dogs and cats do, and they often talk back, but they fly away much more readily, except blue jays. Blue jays aren't afraid of much. It's possible to make noises and get an ongoing response from them. Funny birds.

So much for talking to the animals. I know this sounds like a little kid but the Bible says unless you become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. This wasn't exactly what the scripture meant but it also does no harm.

Look Up

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens..." Isaiah 40:26

As I walked through the woods, I pondered several troubling things and prayed to the Lord about them as they came to mind. My desire was for guidance from the Lord concerning my response to all that was transpiring. As I walked along the Lord spoke to my heart, "Look up."

It's autumn and the golden and crimson leaves were showering down like colorful snowflakes. As I looked up, the sun burst through the clouds and the contrast of the bright blue sky and the painted leaves was breathtaking. As I continued along the path, the Lord continued to speak to my heart over and over, "Look up". As an obedient person, I did just that and it was a feast for the eyes.

I continued to walk and to pray. As I walked next to a high hill with steep rock cliffs, I stopped again and looked around. Again the Lord told me to look up. The trees were fantastic and again the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. As I took in the view, the clouds weren't the only thing that peeked out. A buck with large antlers raised his big, brown head from behind a rock where he was hiding near the top of the hill and looked at me for a while. He was awesome. What a blessing!

The message was clear, I've been looking the wrong way. I need to look up to the Lord and quit looking down, majoring in the minors. He was reminding me of my memory verse for confirmation in the UCC many years ago from Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." I am to serve the Lord first and not worry about the rest. He will take care of it.

Quiet Power

"In quietness and confidence is your strength." Isaiah 30:15

Leisurely strolls through the woods are refreshing to the soul. I love to watch the squirrels, chipmunks, turkeys, deer, turtles, birds and other wildlife as I walk. The unhurried pace blesses my heart with peace.

As I walk, I listen for the sounds of the leaves, the water in the creek and the animals. The littlest animals make the biggest noises. When I hear a stomping through the leaves, it's either a squirrel or a chipmunk, usually a squirrel. They like to make noise and pretend they are big I guess. Turkeys are in between. They are quiet when walking but get pretty noisy when calling for one another. If I talk to them while they are calling, they will answer me with noises too. Turkeys aren't shy.

The deer are another matter. They are the biggest creatures in the woods and they are the quietest. Most of the time they stand and eat and watch people go by or they lay in the grass. They are so still and quiet, it is easy to miss them if you aren't looking.

It seems like life is like that. The littlest make the biggest noise but look out for the quiet ones. Just as a deer is more powerful than a squirrel, the silent ones often have more power and influence than one might guess. There is an old saying that silent water runs deep.

As we draw closer to the Lord, our strength comes from Him. We have peace in our hearts and a quiet confidence that cannot be described. We remain who we are, but our souls are at rest in Him.