I Can't Make This Stuff Up

The Scene last night:
It is dusk. Rush hour. While walking the dogs, a stray dog is loose in the neighborhood, so I try to catch it but can't. So I go home to get the car, and drive around the neighborhood. Don't find dog, but say lots of prayers. Then, when I park, I notice that a volunteer working at the cat foster home across the street has left her lights on. Car door is locked. So. I go into house, go downstairs, and guess what? PUPPIES?! OH MY!! Totally get distracted. PUPPIES! Five little squirmy squeaking pound puppies. (Don't ask why they are with the kitty rescue organization.) Finally tear myself away from PUPPIES to get ready for a board meeting tonight. For twenty minutes I search everywhere. No Keys. No Wallet. Hmmm. Where are they? OHHHHH NOOOOO. Locked up acrosss the street with PUPPIES. I don't have key to house and volunteer gone, and homeowner not home. So, I sheepishly call the organization to let them know what happened, and I can't get there. They think I am a nutball. Which is probably true. But did I mention, PUPPIES?
Don't you think puppies and cupcakes are the best things ever?

Today...

I was invited to a meeting of mental health providers, agencies, educators, and parents of children who have special emotional/mental health issues, or some kind of special needs. I was the only person there from a spiritual/religious community. A little bit of a fish out of water (but I tend to get myself in these situations--when I was on the board of the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, it was the same kind of situation--I was the only non-agency kind of person there, but I still cared.)

I listened. I listened to parents losing their jobs because they had to spend so much time advocating for their children, I listened to a mom talk about being so isolated because there was no one she could ask to babysit because she didn't know anyone who could "handle" her child; I listened to educators who were confused about the system; and I marveled at several people in the room who were the parents of ten, five, 6 children--many of whom had been adopted through foster care system. (Forgive me, I don't know all the correct terms or processes).

I wondered...how can the church/religious community even be relevant to these families? I wanted to gather up the parents and just hold them...comfort them...encourage them....I wanted to thank the agency representatives, the educators...even the bureaucrats...well, thank you. Thank you for letting me into your world for just an hour and half today.

I don't know if I have much to contribute to the conversations I have been invited to on a monthly basis...but I will learn...and maybe, hopefully, I will learn from God why I am there.

Until then, I hold these people, this group, in my heart.
Amen.

shopping? pretty much done.

We are doing a pretty simple holiday this year. The bathroom remodel is postponed until January, but that really is our gift to ourselves.

We've finished with my family, all four parents, and then the the gifts in which we each draw a name. My sisters and I have been doing this since probably the day I was born and before. We include in-laws, now...but we still do it, even though sometimes I wonder why. I think it is kind of sweet--and no one has suggested to give it up. I think because we are all scattered around the country, it is one of the ways we stay connected throughout the year.

I am planning two special services right now--one is a "Blue" christmas meditation, for people who have experience loss or depression during this time...and a new Twilight Christmas Even service, for those with young children and even elders. The first time we have done it, and I guess I have pretty much free reign.

Other than that, life is getting a little bit back to normal. I took our Venus to the vet for her annual checkup--poor baby is totally blind in one eye, and has very limited vision in her other; she is stone cold deaf; her wrists and knees and back are full of arthritis...but she still demands a walk in the morning, and her appetite is stronger than ever. She is a trooper. Her heart is very strong, as well...she is on pain killers and anti inflammatories (spelling?) I just adore her. I hope she can tell us when it is all too much for her. I am not sure I will be able to tell.

I am still...in a state of flummox (not sure what the word means, but it sounds like how I feel)...and wondering. "Yet to be revealed" is the phrase in my heart. I would like it to BE REVEALED soon.

Need to get back to worship planning.

Maybe more later!

sigh.

I wrote a long post yesterday, and it got "signed out"

I just need some prayers. There was a challenging situation at work last week, into this week, which I had to absorb a lot of angry energy...but it's all good now...but still tired from it....

and my beloved is out of town for a funeral of her sister cousin, so that has been hard for both of us...I can't be there for her, she can't be here now...

and I got some incredibly dissappointing unbloggable news yesterday,

and I am feeling bereft, confused, really angry at God, but clinging to her because She knows me....
and I do trust...but still???

don't mean to be cryptic...
but prayers, I would completely welcome.

thanks, dear ones.

absolutely no time...

..to try and sit still and be thoughtful right now.
I'm not harried, just have a few things to do!

Today I am thinking about...
facing a sticky situation with a space-user at work,
a planning meeting with a parioshioner,
a clergy association meeting that I forgot about,
the come-to-Jesus annual exam I had this morning that really, it is time I stop eating pizza take out four times a week cuz it is just not working out well with my cholesterol, (however, my weight has stayed stable--two pounds less than last year, even!),
and deciding how much to decorate our lovely home for Christmas.

I'm also thinking about my prayer partners--who else gets a neuro cardiologist and a financial planner for her prayer partners? How cool is that?

Lastly, am thinking about of you....just cuz!

Oh, and tile. I'm thinking about tile for the Christmas bathroom, which won't get started til January some time.

Off to the races!