I lost a friend yesterday. I wasn't especially close by physical standards. I never met her in real life, although, I'd argue we knew more about each other's real lives than many who see each other daily. Her name was JoAnn.
I didn't lose this friendship to petty jealousies, or "Real Houswives of Wherever" garbage. I lost this friend to melanoma stage 4 and metastized by the time a correct diagnosis was made. I could rail about the injustice of our health care system, about how she'd known something was wrong for months earlier, blame the doctors and vent up a storm. But MoJo as I teasingly called her--never did that, and so I won't either.
We knew each other through a group of women online... Prairiehomemaker. www.prairiehomemaker.com We bonded over the need to keep Christ our primary focus while recognizing that we often had to leave God at the altar in order to meet Him as we did our daily housework. We worked outside the home, had wonderful kids and great husbands. We chatted while doing laundry, making dinner, etc.
Some would say that Jo wasn't a "real" friend. I'll say that she was there more often than my IRL friends. She helped to moderate a room for Mom's of kids with disabilities. She offered insights into the working of IEP's and other challenges. She helped where she could.
I remember rejoicing with her when her son, daughter and husband were baptized into the faith. I know how she'd longed for that day and worried that due to special needs it might not happen. I know she worried over how they would cope at her death-- would it be more than their faith could handle?
I know that Jo is with God, and she's pain free... but I selfishly wish she'd had more time to chat. One more time to set the timer's and get housework done, and then come back together for a 15 minute conversation... so it isn't for Jo I grieve... but for myself and all of us here who are a little poorer because she's off enriching heaven.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Morning Run
My dad used to say, "What's good about a morning that begins with getting up?" Well, aside from the fact that being able to get up is generally an indication that God has gifted you with one more day that is...
I'm a neophyte, painfully slow but inordinately determined runner. My longest distance so far has been a 10k. I've tried to run in the evening, or in the afternoon, but I can convince myself that there's this that or the other 15 things that need to be done. It's easy.
However, when I go for a morning run... I can't do that. It's the first (well, okay, getting the daughter to band, the husband on the road to work, and the son to school are the first thing) thing I do. I also find when running in the a.m. that my thoughts turn to God...
I find myself singing the Nicene Creed in my head, or Holy, Holy, Holy... or Mary's Magnificat.... I pray for those on the church intercession list, for my own family, for the neighbor's in the homes I run past... for the kids on their way to school. It's not the only time I pray... but there's something about running that on a purely unconscious level does that.
The rest of the time, I have to consciously pull my mind toward Him. It's an effort because the world, and culture has so much that isn't of Him. Running frees me from that. It's purely informal and sometimes as I gasp, wheeze and huff up a hill my prayers become very selfish... Lord, please, help me get up the hill. Still... this is my first prayer time with God, before the morning prayer, or devotion... before anything else... I meet Him while running. Maybe C. S. Lewis had it right when he said... "If one could run without getting tired, I can't imagine wanting to do much else."
I'm a neophyte, painfully slow but inordinately determined runner. My longest distance so far has been a 10k. I've tried to run in the evening, or in the afternoon, but I can convince myself that there's this that or the other 15 things that need to be done. It's easy.
However, when I go for a morning run... I can't do that. It's the first (well, okay, getting the daughter to band, the husband on the road to work, and the son to school are the first thing) thing I do. I also find when running in the a.m. that my thoughts turn to God...
I find myself singing the Nicene Creed in my head, or Holy, Holy, Holy... or Mary's Magnificat.... I pray for those on the church intercession list, for my own family, for the neighbor's in the homes I run past... for the kids on their way to school. It's not the only time I pray... but there's something about running that on a purely unconscious level does that.
The rest of the time, I have to consciously pull my mind toward Him. It's an effort because the world, and culture has so much that isn't of Him. Running frees me from that. It's purely informal and sometimes as I gasp, wheeze and huff up a hill my prayers become very selfish... Lord, please, help me get up the hill. Still... this is my first prayer time with God, before the morning prayer, or devotion... before anything else... I meet Him while running. Maybe C. S. Lewis had it right when he said... "If one could run without getting tired, I can't imagine wanting to do much else."
Monday, September 20, 2010
Menu Monday and other Musings!
Menu for 9/20-9/26
Monday: chicken stirfry with peppers, onion, carrots, and broccoli served over rice
Tuesday: Blackbean and beef burritos/mexican coleslaw
Wednesday: Catfish sandwiches/coleslaw
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Bratwurst, sauerkraut, grilled onions, and apple pie to celebrate the official start of Fall!
Saturday: Leftover spaghetti/or a lasagna.
So that's the plan... it's a gray and drizzly day here in normally Sunny South Dakota. Still... not all bad.
We had a good kick off to our Sunday School program on Sunday. We've begun the onerous task of casting parts in the Epiphany play that we'll be working to put on at Epiphany. :) Followed by Lent and the Stations of the Cross, followed by Pentecost... you get the idea!!
Sunday school teachers are part of our Search Committee of the Whole for a new priest and don't want to be left out. As I am one... I know this to be true, so we came up with a creative plan for those Sundays when we are discussing and deciding on characteristics we'd like to see in a priest. I think it will work... and if not, well, it's only ONE year.
Don't get me wrong... traditional Sunday School activity will still take place, we just need to have something to fall back to on those Sundays when we teachers are tugged in more than one direction. Our Sudanese congregation has also kicked off their Sunday school and they are looking to recruit another teacher... in the meantime, there's a VHS player and some good bible movies and VeggieTales movies so that one half the group can be entertained while the other half learns and vice versa.
Monday: chicken stirfry with peppers, onion, carrots, and broccoli served over rice
Tuesday: Blackbean and beef burritos/mexican coleslaw
Wednesday: Catfish sandwiches/coleslaw
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Bratwurst, sauerkraut, grilled onions, and apple pie to celebrate the official start of Fall!
Saturday: Leftover spaghetti/or a lasagna.
So that's the plan... it's a gray and drizzly day here in normally Sunny South Dakota. Still... not all bad.
We had a good kick off to our Sunday School program on Sunday. We've begun the onerous task of casting parts in the Epiphany play that we'll be working to put on at Epiphany. :) Followed by Lent and the Stations of the Cross, followed by Pentecost... you get the idea!!
Sunday school teachers are part of our Search Committee of the Whole for a new priest and don't want to be left out. As I am one... I know this to be true, so we came up with a creative plan for those Sundays when we are discussing and deciding on characteristics we'd like to see in a priest. I think it will work... and if not, well, it's only ONE year.
Don't get me wrong... traditional Sunday School activity will still take place, we just need to have something to fall back to on those Sundays when we teachers are tugged in more than one direction. Our Sudanese congregation has also kicked off their Sunday school and they are looking to recruit another teacher... in the meantime, there's a VHS player and some good bible movies and VeggieTales movies so that one half the group can be entertained while the other half learns and vice versa.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Bad Blogger, Bad!
Has it really been that long? Yes, it has. Why has it been that long? Life.
Teenagers are at the odd age where they don't depend on parents as they do when young children for every small need. However, they do need parents. They need us to check grades on the ParentView, to advocate to the school for changes in classes, to support their decisions to debate or not to debate. In short, they need but in a different way.
The different way teens need, though, should NOT be viewed as any different in time consumption. Trying to work my way through what will be the next lesson in pre-calculus so as to assist my daughter... is as time consuming as potty training (and often less rewarding!).
That said... I love life, and my church. I'm a wee bit concerned for us right now. We're a small congregation holding fast to some pretty steep ideals about the priesthood, and for a church that's still part of TE...well, it's hard to attract members with those similar ideals forsaken by TEC. Yet we sure can't afford a lawsuit to leave, and have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters in the Sudanese congregation.
Where does that leave us? Trusting in God. Listening, Loving and Praying as a great priest said. It's not an easy place... but Psalm 91 tells me we'll be okay. How??? It's a mystery... but His greatest works always are!
Teenagers are at the odd age where they don't depend on parents as they do when young children for every small need. However, they do need parents. They need us to check grades on the ParentView, to advocate to the school for changes in classes, to support their decisions to debate or not to debate. In short, they need but in a different way.
The different way teens need, though, should NOT be viewed as any different in time consumption. Trying to work my way through what will be the next lesson in pre-calculus so as to assist my daughter... is as time consuming as potty training (and often less rewarding!).
That said... I love life, and my church. I'm a wee bit concerned for us right now. We're a small congregation holding fast to some pretty steep ideals about the priesthood, and for a church that's still part of TE...well, it's hard to attract members with those similar ideals forsaken by TEC. Yet we sure can't afford a lawsuit to leave, and have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters in the Sudanese congregation.
Where does that leave us? Trusting in God. Listening, Loving and Praying as a great priest said. It's not an easy place... but Psalm 91 tells me we'll be okay. How??? It's a mystery... but His greatest works always are!
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