My To-Do List for the Next Few Weeks or So

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I’m posting this to see how much I can get done by the end of March:

-clean up mess immediately around my desk in my study
-see if anyone at the church can give me sewing lessons on my machine
-put books in bookcases
-sort through remaining boxes in study
-sort through papers
-get taxes to Sally to prepare (got this done relatively quickly)
-get FAFSA done
-sort through boxes in basement
-re-pack non-essential stuff
-go through closets for Goodwill/consignment shop donations
-organize papers and bills into file folders
-organize cat records
-register at a temp agency

I think that’s a good enough start.

Home Again

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My babies are home again. I am a happy Jen. They are not pleased with us, but they had their foster mommy there (who wanted to keep Finian) and the vet treats them well.

Kitties at the Vet

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We got up this morning, threw on clothes, and stuffed the boys into their carriers. As there are now two carriers, I couldn’t sit in the backseat with them and when I reached back to let Finian sniff my fingers, he clawed me and refused to let go even though I was screaming. Jon finally helped me get my fingers loose (while driving 60 mph) and we made it to the vet. I washed and banadaged my finger and we got the babies out of their cages and into the arms of the vet techs. (One of the vet techs was the one who fostered the kitties and she really wanted to keep Finian but couldn’t at the time.) As I was handing Finian to Cindy (his foster mommy), he caught my nose and clawed me. He did a pretty good job because the puncture is still clotting and I now look like I’ve been beaten up.

The kitties got weighed before we took them back and Finian is 9.5 lbs. Cullen is only pushing 9 but still… this is 3 times what it was in August and September when we got them. They’re not fat either — just very muscular and solid. We get them back tomorrow morning, but I’ll miss my babies until then. At least Jon is home today so that I have company…

Update: I just called the vet’s office and the babies are OK. They performed the surgery first thing this morning and the kitties are awake but not moving. The vet always keeps them overnight, so we’ll get our babies back tomorrow morning.

Healing Service

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Jon preached on healing today in his sermon and suggested to Bill (his supervisor) that we have healing services after all the normal church services. Bill OK’ed it and there were probably 10-20 people that stayed after each service and went to the chapel for the healing service. I went to the one after the 10:45 service, since I’d really like healing from my depression and from this nasty virus that is refusing to leave my body. I managed not to cry when they were laying hands on me and anointing me with the olive oil and I was very thankful that it was just straight olive oil. (The dean of the chapel at Trinity usually mixes in a ton of lavender or rosemary oil and you smell like an herb garden for the rest of the day. Those were the days I showered immediately after chapel.) I think that we’ll start doing it a lot more frequently, especially since a good portion of the congregation is senior citizens and many people are dealing with flus and colds right now.

The reason I would probably have cried is that having hands laid upon you is a really humbling experience as it opens you up to a power that is beyond your comprehension. I remember praying for people in college and being prayed over and you start crying, regardless of how calm you were going in. At the seminary, we do healing services quarterly, if not monthly, and grown men and women will break down in tears in the line to be prayed over and anointed. I thought it was one of the better attended days in chapel because a lot of people would stay after for this experience. It’s something that I would love to do when I am a parish pastor someday because the Christian faith deals with the body as well as the soul. The healing effect of this is usually just psychological, but then again, many illnesses have some psycho-somatic causes.

Some Prayer Requests

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Two of my home-girls on my sidebar and with whom I hang out on the Forever-Inspired Boards are really standing in the need of prayer.

Andrea’s grandparents were in a car accident a week ago and are still really badly off health-wise. Her grandmother is not breathing on her own and her grandfather is back in the hospital with heart problems and a broken neck. Prayers for her grandparents and the family are asked for.

Almighty God, source of human knowledge and skill: Guide physicians and nurses and all those you have called to practice the arts of healing. Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit, that, by their ministries, the health of all people may be promoted and your creation may be glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Julia’s father passed away after a long fight with cancer. Please pray for her family right now.

Almighty God, source of all mercy and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray, with those who mourn, that, casting all their sorrow on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday Five

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It’s the Friday Five!

1. What did you have for breakfast this morning? If you didn’t have breakfast, why not?
Quaker oatmeal with cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg, and walnuts.

2. What’s your favorite cereal?
Special K and Lucky Charms

3. How often do you eat out? Do you want that to change?
Probably 5-6 times a month. I’m OK with it though I do crave Subway frequently. (It’s the only fast food I don’t feel guilty about eating.)

4. What do you plan on having for dinner tonight? Got a recipe for that?
Probably ramen and spinach salad with walnuts, feta cheese, and mandarin oranges or something.

5. What’s your favorite restaurant? Why?
Showgi (the sushi restaurant by my parents’ house) because I love their food. Chainwise, probably Olive Garden because I can usually find low-fat food there that is flavorful.