A Curious Thing

It's official now - my letter to the church appeared in the newsletter we received in the mail this week. It will be interesting to gauge the reaction now.

It's a somewhat curious thing, though. Pastor D came to speak with me two Sundays ago and said my letter would be delayed to the following issue so that he could have time to write a response. But there was no such response in this newest issue.

Last week I had gotten an email from the church secretary thanking me for the article and it would be published. Judging from the tone of the email, she seemed rather pleased with my letter.

So what happened? Why no delay? Was Pastor D overridden? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But considering the chain of events lately, maybe my letter has had a bigger impact than I expected - or hoped for.

A New Beginning for Our Church

This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that's gone.

- The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), pp. 383;
words by Brian Wren, music by Carlton R. Young

Today we got a big announcement at church. In fact, it was pretty huge (I just don't think folks know yet what an impact this will have).

After all kinds of communication with the Annual Conference and things looking grim for our church, it would appear now that the good guys got their point across and our District Superintendant made well-informed and good decision, and appointed a new pastor for us. And when I heard the announcement of who it was this morning, I was extremely pleased.

You see, Pastor B just happens to be someone I know quite well - he is the dean of the music camp I serve at every summer. I know this man to be a humble servant of the Lord and whose words will have a healing effect on our congregation. Pastor B tends to be pretty laid back and lets the staff do their thing at camp. I think when you translate that to running a church, we will be in good hands The laity at our church will once again be given the latitude to succeed - or fail. But in either case, we should be a stronger church under the direction of this man who truly is a shepherd.

It doesn't hurt that Pastor B has a strong musical background and a love for the music that we provide for worship. And he already has a good rapport with our choir director. It would also appear that those who believe our music program is outdated will not find an ally with the new pastor.

Today, I was given a brand new hope. I know what Pastor B can do for our church, and I'm excited again (I even asked to be liturgist on his first Sunday with us). Just when many of us thought that the next chapter would be the last, it now appears it will be a new beginning.

Pastor B often will open a meditation at camp (and I know he says this in his church as well) by saying, "Has anyone told you today that you're special?" Indeed, these are words that my church is aching to hear. I can hardly wait - July can't come soon enough.

Sure Glad That's Done

I sat staring at my computer trying to work on my annual performance appraisal on Thursday night. Definitely not the funnest thing to do (see my previous post to see how I really feel about it). I didn't get any farther on it Thursday night.

But on Friday night I got really ambitious and started writing down a lot of stuff. And hey, I had a pretty good year! I finished my review at the office on Saturday morning.

I'm glad that's over with.

Explaining Death

I got this in an email and thought it was pretty cool:

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing...I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Ugh! Annual Performance Appraisal Time

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to fill out my performance appraisal for the year. One of those things I hate to do (in fact, everyone hates to do it). It's due Monday. I would rather go clean the cat box. Come to think of it...

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off To Fun They Go

My wife is on spring break now, so she and the girls and our grandson are on the way to Disneyland for a few days. S was amazed how she wasn't all tired and sleepy when she got up this morning. She can use the break.

Meanwhile, I'll hold the fort here with all the critters. I'm going to grill a steak, now.

Taking A Stand

Taking a stand isn't always easy. My letter to the church (link) hasn't even been published yet and it's already stirring up a few people - most importantly, our pastor.

Mind you, this is a letter not written of my own mind, but inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written under the authority of Jesus Christ. These are words that need to be shared in our church. Granted they are strong words, but they don't single out any individual. They don't place blame on anyone. Yet, they seem to be convicting. And my pastor is upset. So I hear. He doesn't talk to me.

My letter. My pastor's rebuttal. My church's response. Our next church newsletter should be very interesting indeed. As one friend says about my situation, I already have one foot out the door. What have I got to lose?

Speaking out boldly in my faith has been invigorating to my spirit. I have received positive responses from two people already. They are encouraging me to fight the good fight. Pastor D has promised to put up a fight of his own by writing a rebuttal. I say bring it on - in fact, I welcome it. It only serves to strengthen my resolve.

A Letter to My Church

If you've been reading this blog, you know that we've experienced considerable turmoil at my church. In response to a recent article in our church newsletter, I was compelled by the Holy Spirit to respond with a letter of my own. The opening of my letter pretty much states the testimony I wrote on my home page. The following is an excerpt from the remainder of the letter:

There has been some talk that we need to have more available in [our church] to keep people in our church. I couldn’t agree more. But there is also talk that perhaps there is too much emphasis on worship, and what we offer every Sunday is perhaps too much. Well, I don’t buy that (how do you think I got here? didn’t you just read my testimony?)

Recall the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). To make a long story short, three men were entrusted with various amounts of money (called talents) while their master was away. The one who received the most talents did very well, doubling his investment. The one who received the next higher number of talents also doubled his investment. But the one who received the least made no return as he didn't even bother to invest his talents.

Many of the artists who share their talents with [our church] have been blessed with an abundance of those talents. Perhaps without realizing the Scriptural significance of their actions, they are also investing those talents in a place where those talents will get the most return.

Let’s face it. In order to get the most out of his/her talents, one needs to be in a place where they will get the most return for utilizing those talents – it simply does not work elsewhere. If the man with the most talents just buried them, who would have benefited? Nobody!

While [our church] is unique in its music program, that does not mean it is unnecessary or without value. There are few places outside of [our church] where the talents we currently possess can be utilized to their full potential. Some of those other places in the Phoenix area are

not even in a church. And sadly, none of them are in a United Methodist Church.

We have some highly talented people who have made a conscious choice to share their talents in a worship setting at [our church]. And if it appears that those involved with the Worship and Arts seem to jealously guard what they have here at [our church], just know that they are essentially fighting for their home. It’s not like they can just go to another Methodist church in the valley and pick up where they left off – because one simply does not exist. Period.

I happen to be one of those whom God has abundantly blessed with a musical talent. That talent is what God used to lure me into [our church] – and ultimately a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Sure, God would have found another way – but this was the best way – and in my mind, the only way. So I hope you understand that for me, this is deeply personal. If you discount the mission of our Worship and Arts, then you discount my testimony.

I don't worship at [our church] because it is convenient. I don't drive from Glendale (almost Peoria!) every Thursday night to rehearse because it is convenient. There are at least a dozen pages worth of churches listed in the phone book that are closer to home where I can practice my other spiritual gifts. Our music program is the only thing unique to [our church] that keeps me coming. And what a privilege and honor it is to be able to minister to my church - [our church!] - in a way which I have been so blessed and so much enjoy.

It’s time to drop all the bickering and politicking – NOW! It’s time to work together – as the Body of Christ (read 1 Corinthians, chapter 12). It’s time to give of our time, our resources, and our talents so we can make all this happen. And be the church God intended us to be.

Well, there it is.

Weather We Can Get Excited About

It rained here yesterday. Pretty exciting. Only in Arizona.

It wasn't just the fact that it rained yesterday. It rained for the first time in 143 days, the longest dry streak in Phoenix history. It not only rained - it rained a lot. We got about an inch and a third here at our house. It also snowed in the slightly higher elevations. We can see snow-covered mountains around Phoenix, especially to the north. Pretty cool.

New Look for This Old Blog

Okay, so this blog really isn't that old. But I think the new and simplified style looks better and will be easier on the eyes. It will also be easier to edit. Most of the links have been moved to my home page and are easier to see at a glance. And granted that construction is essentially over, there will be more tweaking in the days and weeks to come - but you probably won't notice. So enjoy!

Construction Alert on This Old Blog

Do you ever get that urge just to change things around a bit? That's what I'm going to be doing here on this blog. I've taken advantage of some new software and the free webspace provided by my IP and created a whole new home page (how about that!). Many of the little doodads you see on this old blog will move to my home page and I'll make this blog look a little more bloggish (is that a word? is "blog" a word?) and will probably sport a whole new look. So hang in there with me, and we'll have some fun!

Under the Weather

I've been fighting some upper respiratory ailment for about two or three weeks now. It was finally enough to knock me down and make me call in sick for work yesterday and today. Yesterday I could feel it in my chest. Today, I was showing signs of infection. So I went to the doctor's office and saw the nurse practicioner. I got drugs now. Life is good.

She's Home, She's Home!

My wife got to come home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and she is off working today. All her parts seem to be working as they should. Praise God!

Deep Healing

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." [Luke 5:17-26]

I was thinking a lot about this Bible verse this past week. It's a verse that makes quite a few important points about faith, healing, and forgiveness. Upon hearing it this time, though, I was focused on the healing aspect.

Here's a man who was essentially paralyzed, at least from the waist down. How long had he been that way? We don't know. It could have been weeks, months, or his entire life. But Jesus merely uttered the words, and the man could walk.

Those of us who can walk do it without any thought. But you have to realize that we all have to learn to walk. Even if we've temporarily lost the ability to walk - because of accident or illness - we have to undergo weeks or months of physical therapy to learn how to walk all over again.

Now look closely at the story again - Jesus said the word, and the man got up and walked. He not only had the physical ability to walk; he knew how to walk. He didn't have any physical therapy, but he obviously had all his faculties together; just coping with his sense of balance alone was quite an accomplishment (and remember, he bent down to pick up his mat!)

Now that's healing - deep healing. Amen.

Update on Crappy Week

S just now called from the hospital. She's exhausted today after them having done an echo-cardiogram. They're concerned that her heart rate has been too fast. So she's on medication for that and being monitored. If that doesn't work, they'll shock her heart. Fun, fun.

Meanwhile, the docs have now ruled out that the infection was caused by her stents - the infection has cleared up too quickly. It was probably viral.

Pretty Crappy Week

My wife is having a pretty crappy week now. On Tuesday she broke a crown while eating dinner. At about 4 AM on Wednesday she woke up (pretty amazing that she could) with her blood sugar at 43. She stayed home on Wednesday feeling not so well (pretty normal when she's had a low-blood sugar episode. Then on Wednesday evening she started experience nausea and vomiting (but no pain otherwise).

On Thursday morning she announced that we were going to the hospital. She figured she had the flu or something and she knew she'd get terribly dehydrated if she didn't get treated soon. So off we went. We arrived at the emergency room at about 7:20 AM. Amazingly we got right into an exam room and with S running a temperature of 102, they began to give her IV fluids to rehydrate her along with some anti-nausea drugs. They drew blood and urine samples and gave her some Tylenol (you don't want to know where) to bring her fever down. It was definite that S had some sort of infection, and given her history with the pancreatitis, the doctors wanted her admitted to the hospital (that was the long part - S didn't actually get into a regular hospital room for another 12 hours on account that the hospital was full).

She's feeling much better now and the infection is under control. The gastroenterology docs have ruled out - sort of - that this is not a pancreatitis/bile duct episode in itself, but could be S's body thinking the stents placed in her bile duct last month is a foreign object (which it is) and triggering the infection. And now they're keeping her in the hospital longer because the infection my be affecting her heart.

So that's where we're at with that.

The other bummer is that one of my coworkers worked his last day with the company on Thursday (well, maybe "worked" is too strong a word for what he did on Thursday) and I wasn't able to be there for his sendoff. He has been a good friend; we enjoyed many lunchtime conversations over various topics, including religion. I will miss those talks, but I hope to at least keep it up through email.

It's gotta get better.

Biggest Non-News Story of the Week

It must have been a slow news week, even with the Winter Olympics.

Vice President Dick Cheney accidently shot his friend while they were hunting last weekend. As a result, Mr. Whittington endured more media scrutiny than was called for. I'm not going to bother to link this story because it was that much of a non-news story. Instead, this post is intended to point out the questionable journalistic skills of our liberal media.

My wife's very life was threatened by illness when she was in the ICU two years ago. Did anyone call CNN? John Ashcroft's pancreatitis - a result of a gall bladder gone bad - was nothing compared to what S has had to endure. Yes, we alerted family and friends, and kept them updated. But we did not alert the media.

I'm not trivializing what happened to Mr. Whittington. I'm just trying to respect his privacy and his feelings. This was a hunting accident between two good friends which fortunately (for both of them) did not end up in tragedy. Period. Yet the media has treated this as the crime of the century.

There are those who criticize Cheney for not reporting this to the media sooner. Oh how conveniently the liberal media forgets the tragedy at Chappaquiddick! Senator Ted Kennedy not only failed to contact the media immediately - he failed to contact the police - and left Mary Jo Kopechne to die while he fabricated his alibi.

Olympic Hype

Is anyone even watching the Winter Olympics in Torino? TV ratings have been abyssmal this year (they were beat out by by American Idol!) I'm not sure if that's because the Americans are doing as well as they normally do in the winter games (which is typically dominated by Norway, Germany, and Russia) or if the NBC's coverage has left us somewhat wanting. I was disappointed to see that the opening ceremonies, scheduled to be aired at 7:00 pm local time didn't actually get underway until at least an hour later - I think NBC lost a lot of its audience during the hour they were piddling around with other stories. That's too bad because I think the Italians did a pretty decent job with the opening ceremony (although I'm not so sure about the music selection when the athletes marched in).

Anyway, I found the medal tracker on Fox News to be the most visibly pleasing. Enjoy.

Do We Have An Awesome God Or What?

When they came, he saw Eliab and thought, "Certainly, here in the LORD'S presence is his anointed king." But the LORD told Samuel, "Don't look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the LORD looks into the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab and brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." Then Jesse had Shammah come to Samuel. "The LORD has not chosen this one either," Samuel said. So Jesse brought seven more of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel told Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these. Are these all the sons you have?" "There's still the youngest one," Jesse answered. "He's tending the sheep." Samuel told Jesse, "Send someone to get him. We won't continue until he gets here." So Jesse sent for him. He had a healthy complexion, attractive eyes, and a handsome appearance. The LORD said, "Go ahead, anoint him. He is the one." [1 Samuel 16:6-12]

It amazes me how God works. And once again, a passage from 1 Samuel figures in today's post.

I felt called to be at my church at various times during this weekend's men's Walk to Emmaus mostly in hopes that God would reveal to me the assistant head cook I've been praying for. And I think I know now how the prophet Samuel felt when he was called to annoint amongst Jesse's sons a new king [David] for Israel; there were quite a few names rattling around in my brain through the course of the weekend - no fewer than those that were brought before Samuel. These were good men to consider, yet something didn't seem quite right.

This afternoon I headed down to the church to see if the team needed any help with the tear-down and cleanup. It was pretty much done by the time I got there. But then T showed up and I helped him break down the sound equipment and set it up in the Sanctuary for the closing service. He had an extra microphone and invited me to sing with him during the service (and as God would have it, we ended up being the only two singing tonight). As I was singing and looking over the crowd, someone whose name hadn't even crossed my mind (although his brother's did!) appeared way towards the back. I had met and served with this man for the first time a few years ago when he was head cook on a Chrysalis weekend - the two of us had clicked instantly. And now I felt that the Lord was putting it in my heart that he would be the perfect choice for my assistant - this is someone I worked with closely and knew that we worked well together, and I knew he loved working in the kitchen. "He's the one, isn't he?" I asked the Lord. I prayed about it more and knew I needed only to ask him.

At the conclusion of the service I approached R and his wife (I can't remember her name!) and after the hugs of greeting I mentioned that I was head cook for the October walk. She said of course I would need an assistant. And then she blew me away when she mentioned that she had been praying during the service that R would get to be a head cook again! I posed it formally to R and he pretty much just needed the dates (I gave him a rough timeline) and he said of course he would do it. We exchanged business cards and the annointing was completed.

So just like that I have an assistant head cook. Like David, he wasn't the first choice - but he was the obvious choice. I just needed to wait and trust that God would provide. He did. And two prayers were answered. Do we have an Awesome God or what?

A House Divided

This is rather odd - it almost looks as if a civil war is brewing amongst the Palestinians - and they don't even have a country!

Being Defensive in Excess

"A picture" - it is said - "is worth a thousand words." Such is the case in the uproar over a not-so-recent (September!) publishing of a series of cartoons published in a Danish newspaper [news link]; the cartoons have been republished this past week in various publications across Europe [news link]. One of the cartoons depicted the prophet Mohammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb with a burning fuse.

And that bomb has gone off. Muslims around the world are furious. Okay, that's understandable. But to recall ambassadors, burn embassies, and essentially issue death threats against various European interests? Once again, Islam is showing its zero tolerance for anything that is not Islam. Get a freaking life! Oh, and by the way - welcome to the free press! I found an article from a rather enlightened Arab in which he states that Muslims have a repeated history of playing the part of the victim.

Jesus reminds us to turn the other cheek. And as Christians in society, we tend to do that. Our religion is blasphemed on a daily basis, by many groups including Muslims (when they want to take a break from persecuting Jews). In response, do you see us beheading Muslims for their faith? Do you see us using our churches as munition dumps? Do you see us crashing jetliners into mosques? No, of course not. I just wonder if Muslims are angry simply because Mohammed was depicted, or was it because of the way in which he was depicted. I tend to think that if idolatry wasn't the issue, perhaps they'd be proud of how Mohammed was depicted.

Islamic law does indeed prohibit any depiction of the prophet Mohammed. But I'm not bound by Islamic law, nor are the newspapers that published these cartoons. Yet out of respect I personally would not have published the cartoons myself, nor did I choose to publish these images on this blog (however I've included a link to one of the cartoons here in case you're curious what the uproar is about). Just because we can say something, doesn't mean we should.

But Islam has done absolutely nothing to demonstrate their faith has been depicted falsely. In fact, their responses only add more credibility to their detractors. Frankly, the folks in Europe are quite pissed off with their Muslim immigrants; these cartoons - controversial as they may be - are merely a reflection of the frustrations that are being experienced there. After all, we're dealing with a mentality that finds people dancing in the streets when America was attacked on September 11, 2001. In Iraq we found images glorifying the destruction of the World Trade Center. Not to mention celebrations over Bali, Madrid, and London - broadcast in living color on al-Jazeera. And you wonder why Islam is shown in such a negative light by the rest of the world! Get a frickin' clue!

I do not post this article out of hatred - I write this in an attitude of righteous anger. For I am thankful that God has given me a free will. I am thankful that I live in a nation that allows me to exercise that free will. And most of all, I am thankful that I walk a faith journey that is based on love and grace, not a religion whose history has shown to be spread through fear and intimidation, conquest or death. And if you find that offensive, that's just too frickin' bad.

A Step Closer in Prophecy - And a Stern Warning From Jesus

I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? [Luke 12:49-52, 56, 57]

The world just became a bit more dangerous overnight as Hamas won a landslide victory in Palestinian elections. The headline from CNN is more than just words - it is likely a chilling foretaste of what is to come. For all that Hamas stands for, the Palestinian people might as well have voted in the Nazi party.

Obviously this is quite a controversial topic between those who believe Hamas to be a bunch of freedom fighters and those who believe Hamas to be a bunch of terrorists. I think you can figure out where I stand, and I base my opinion from these generally undisputed facts:

• Hamas is an Islamic fundamentalist group that wants a Palestinian state.
• Its military wing, Izzadine al Qassam, has claimed responsibility for many terrorist operations, including suicide bombing in Israel, as well as attacks on Israeli troops and Jewish settlers in Gaza and the West Bank.
• Hamas has called for the destruction of Israel, but that demand was not central to its platform in the Palestinian elections. However, it continues to refuse to recognize the right of the state of Israel to exist.
• In its election campaign Hamas portrayed itself as an alternative to the corruption-plagued Fatah -- the group founded by Yasser Arafat and now led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that has dominated Palestinian politics for decades.
• Hamas runs humanitarian activities in the West Bank and Gaza -- building schools and hospitals as well as social projects.
• Its fighters have mostly observed a cease-fire for the past year.
• The United States, the European Union and Israel consider the group a terrorist organization.
• Previous leaders Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz Rantisi were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in 2004.
• In Arabic, the word "hamas" means zeal, but it's also an Arabic acronym for "Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya" or Islamic Resistance Movement.
  

[Sources: CNN, U.S. State Department. Emphasis placed by myself]


Certainly we can draw our own conclusions to the above statements, but before I'm accused of being a Zionist pig or some other Islamic (or bleeding-heart liberal) term of endearment, I ask you this: Am I missing something?

Yes, Hamas fighters have been pretty quiet lately. Perhaps there really was some authority behind the Palestinian Authority - I must admit I'm pretty impressed with the efforts of President Abbas. But now that Hamas is the authority, it should be interesting to see if the nuts run the nuthouse or if Hamas can really act civilized. I wouldn't bet on the latter.

Meanwhile, prophecy appears to be unfolding - as prophesied. The Bible says Israel will become a flashpoint at a time near the end. Has the match been struck?

Keep watch, my brethren. Be vigilant.

And Another Thing to Consider

While prayerfully considering being a head cook on an Emmaus weekend, I've also been asked to serve as chairman of our Membership Care committee. I'm still waiting to receive a job description for that position before I considering it much further.

Here I Am, Lord

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." [1 Samuel 3:10]

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been praying over whether or not I should serve as head cook for the men's Walk to Emmaus in October. It never ceases to amaze me how God speaks to me in times like these.

Often he speaks to me through other Christian friends. Everyone with whom I've shared my prayer request has been quite supportive - including some folks who have been downright exhuberant. Perhaps the most meaningful human affirmation came from my wife who asked, "Have you been head cook before?" When I said, "No," she replied, "Yeah, but you know what to do."

God speaks to me through Scripture as well. When M first called me to serve, I later read that evening from Matthew 16:24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. (from the God's Word translation).

Sunday was the real kicker. Granted, by this time I was leaning toward saying yes, but sought further convincing. One of my small group members - who is now a pastor - mentioned on Saturday that he was going to preach on 1 Samuel 3:1-10. Not surprising when you consider that it was the lectionary Scripture this week. I heard it from my own pastor on Sunday - twice (I was liturgist). And I heard it again on Sunday night when I attended a Chrysalis candlelight service in Buckeye. I got in my car for the long drive home and basically said, "Okay, Lord, talk to me. I'm listening."

I felt compelled to take a different route home, and so I did. It was a quite a bit further out west than my usual route - but then again, I don't go to Buckeye very often. And as I drove home, a thought popped in my mind seemingly out of nowhere: This is a different path, but you know the way home. Following the path that a head cook would take is certainly different than any I've taken before - but I know the way.

I also received an email from a friend who reads this blog. She is one of those people whose prayer life is a model for everyone. She mentioned how she was drawn by the Lord to read my last posting and that she, too, has been praying for me.

The fact of the matter is that this feels right. I've been leaning toward saying yes anyway. It's time for that leap of faith again. Oftentimes we know the right answer. It's just a matter of obeying that call. So I called M and made his evening - perhaps his week or even his month.

Here I am, Lord. It is I, Lord.

Well, There It Is

Perhaps the toughest job on a Walk to Emmaus weekend is that of the head cook. For years I've said that I would never be head cook. I've even turned the job down once. I've served in every position a lay person can serve on a Walk to Emmaus weekend - except head cook.

But over the years, I think I've softened. S and I have been in charge of dinners and luncheons at various church (and Emmaus) functions so often that I feel I've already done the job of head cook. I've also twice been in charge of logistics whenever the Walk has been held at our church. So I guess that's God's way of telling me I'm qualified to be head cook.

As I've softened my position (though I've kept that to myself until now), I've conceded that if asked to be head cook, I would take it into serious consideration provided someone special asked me - like a group brother. As it turns out, one of my group brothers has been called to serve as lay director in October. And yes, I consider him someone special. And as it turns out, he has asked me today to serve on the October walk as his head cook.

Well, there it is. I certainly will be deep in prayer.