Parish Workday
What do you get when you combine 30 Norwegians, 2 skid loaders, 5 chain saws, multiple shovels/rakes/hoes, 3 hedgeclippers, 25lbs of grass seed, 5 flatbed trailers, 1 gallon of paint, 4 trees that need to come down, some nice shruberies, and a ton of rocks?
Answer:
Protected: Confirmation (I)
Telemarketers
The following conversation took place on Sunday night:
J: Jen, the supercool pastor’s wife
T: The stupid telemarketer
*phone rings*
J: Parsonage
T: Hi. Can I speak with Ms. Lutheran?
J: What???
T: This is _________ from Mediacom. I need to speak with Ms. Lutheran.
J: Ummm… this is a church office and parsonage. We’re Lutheran Christians so there isn’t a Ms. Lutheran.
T: There’s not?
J: No…
*hangs up*
Jon’s gotten asked if the caller can speak to “Mr. Minnesota” before.
Birthday Canteloupes
We returned from the ER tonight (I was in pain and needed some pyridium — extrapolate from there) to find a vase of flowers and a canteloupe in the dropbox by our door. There was also a card from our oldest parishioner (she’s 96 and still active and driving) saying “Belated birthday wishes to Pastor Jon and happy joy to you and Jenna.” I have to say… a birthday canteloupe and flowers is infinitely more creative than a birthday cake and probably better for us too. 🙂
One of Those “DUH!!!” Things
CNN.Com: Study: Soda linked to diabetes in women
When I saw this, I was thinking “I could so have told them this!” I lived on Pepsi in college and gained probably 50 lbs over those three years. I gave up soda for Lent two years in a row in seminary and on Jon’s internship and felt so much better. (I also lost enough weight for my wedding dress to be loose on me.)
I think people really don’t calculate the amount of sugar they consume in beverage form. Three cans of Coke a day is about 450 calories — the amount in a modest meal and all of it is sugar. Another problem: the sugar we put in our coffee and tea. Two spoons of sugar goes a long way. (And yes, I know that this is the pot calling the kettle black because when I get a latté, I get a few shots of vanilla in it.)
Spiritual Revelations
I realized yesterday while praying under a tree at my local park (gotta love those Celtic-Christian roots) that I am angry still about the car situation. I’m angry at the doctor who hit us and I’m really angry at the Lord because that car was supposed to be the answer to a prayer and it got taken away. I know there is probably some good reason for this (after all, I wouldn’t have walked away alive had it been any other car besides a Volvo) but I’m still frustrated because we loved that car.
Unlike Job, I really have no reason to be angry or to state my case in the way that he did. After all, I’m not sinless and I’ve done stupid things like run stop signs in the past. I’m just frustrated because it was OUR car that was totalled and not the doctor’s (you know… the one who could afford to replace it). We have a used one in California that we’re looking at but still… our old car was so good and about 90% of the car was OK. (The reason it was totalled: busted the radiator and engine block as well as bending the frame.)
This too shall pass but it’s hard right now…