unto texas i go

unto texas i go. i go to texas because the general assembly of my church is there this week. i go because i need a break. i go because my good friends go. i go because i need good worship. i go because i need the 2 yr renewal of my covenant with my church-denomination. i go because i need to hear again why i do what i do. i go to be with others who are ask the same questions and also need a break and will challenge me in this ministry. i go because i have always gone. i go because i look forward to it for 24 months. i go because if there ever was a place where i feel my life and vocation are at one --at home, it is among them.

so i go, remembering all the great times of assemblies past, the hilarious roommates, the late nights and early mornings, the banter, the avoiding people we didn't want to see, the hauling around of free stuff, and of course the being with my best friends. there will be some really great friends that are doing the family thing in these years and are not able to go. i will miss them. so, to them i will offer a toast at a dinner gathering... and of course make sure to take their share of the free pens.

ps: as i am writing this, ironically enough, my good friend Lee called. she and i have always shared & loved the hilarious and varied journey of the assembly. she is about to birth and cannot go. i will miss her. until indy in '09, Lee...

LBJ has died.

LBJ. Interesting that her initials were the same. Lady Bird Johnson seemed to out last them all. She was 94. I watched some video clips on my yahoo page about her... not having known much. What I found was a graceful woman with a great old-time Texas accent. We don't see or hear them like that anymore, and surely not from the White House.

vacation & the ass

it is difficult vacationing as a single person. one has to find friends to go with, that are fun & easy travel companions, or travel with one's parents, or travel alone, or not at all. so in this vein i traveled with a new friend.

note to self: when going on vacation, only go with those individuals you have been in relationship/known for over 5 years. make sure they are hilarious...very hilarious, easy going, low on control issues, good drivers, lack road rage, are not passive aggressive, and generally go-with-the-flow types.

i vacationed last week with what was becoming a "significant other" only to find out that this person did not have any of the above "vacation worthy" qualities. ie: an ass. and now the only things of "significance is that 'it' is over!" thanks be to GOD!

however, i highly recomend the shore of lake michigan. the beaches, towns, restaurants, inns, art, shopping, entertainment, weather... all perfect. it is wonderful in so many ways, one just needs to be with the right people.

so, if anyone reading this falls into a worthy vacation friend status i am always ready to go!

and in a related matter... (be ready the following vent uses "ass" rather liberally)

well it is ass hot outside. just standing in the afternoon sun makes my inner t-shirt soaked in about 5 minutes... and after 10 minutes, sweat begins running down my ass. nice.

the parsonage a/c is running its ass off. i hope it doesn't crap on me this week......it must be more than 35 years old. at least. well i mean least is looks older than me, if that means anything. Ha! i am sure it was the first a/c put into thisorginial to this 50s ranch. every morning i go out and have little talk with it. a pep talk really. sometimes, like today, i even offer a little prayer.

okay. so we are in the throws of summer. the mississippi is the only think that is cooling off this preacher this week. so i am hold up in the parsonage... waiting for the evening when people get out again. tonight is happy hour poolside with my friend mary. perfect...

finally back

overheard at confession this week: "dear friends, i know it has been more than 24 days since my last blog. forgive me."

so here is it in a nut shell:
the mission trip was awesome. great kids, work, weather, adults, location, fun, laughs, safe, we were to build one ramp but we built two!, --probably the best mission trip yet. i really do have some great kids here.
otherwise i have been maintaining the course around here. fundraisers for community things, summer social engagements, river time, church work too.

this weekend i hosted here at the parsonage our annual "Lawn Party & Cookout." 50 or so church members for the evening on the lawn. we had croquet, umbrellas, lots of food and of course the usual great fun we always have upon gathering. the folks at FCC really do that well.

but lord it took all week to get ready for the party. the quafing of the yard, the cleaning of the house the transport of patio furniture, tables and chairs from all over town... but all good.

today has a been a recoup day. and more movement of tables and chairs. we are finally getting the fellowship hall et al floors stripped and waxed. so of course no one thought about moving all the tables, chairs, piano, etc off the floor... so guess who got to. alas...destined to the ministry of tables and chairs. i have a soap box about that very thing. but that will have to wait for another time. because...

tomorrow i am at it again with a 7:30 a.m. departure with the youth group for the annual Canoe Float Trip. two have cancelled already....ugh. i hope they know they are paying anyway! but float trips are always fun and this group is hilarious... especially in canoes!

okay. i have come back to the blog... thanks for checking in even in days where it just hadn't moved a bit.

also noteworthy: it is 12:40 and i am still drying clothes.

8 hours and counting...

I am headed out on the annual youth mission trip in 8 hours. In these 8 hours I need to do some major sleeping. All is packed. Rental van in driveway. I think FCC is prepped for the Sunday without me. Kids are excited. Sponsors are wonderful.

13 of us (10 youth, 2 adults) headed to Springfield MO for a week of work, fun, and spirit time.

Pray for us. Pray for me... I think I have gotten a cold in the last 48 hours. ugh...

All is good. When I think back on all the "night before mission trip"s over the years it is amazing how I have gotten better at this. AND amazing how nothing changes. ie: 12:26 am... and still drying clothes... :)

Taking the Peonies to Fairview

Today I have been thinking of my grandparents. I loved all three that I knew in my life, but my Dad's parents were very close to me in many ways. My grandfather, James Jr., died when i was 10 and my grandmother died when i was 22. I was the oldest grandchild and had the opportunity to be with and know them the most. We shared some very important grandparent-grandchild moments in life for which I am most thankful.

My grandmother was the keeper of the family history and story. It was on Memorial Day weekend that she was very intentional about going to all the cemeteries here in Louisiana. We always picked out the flowers that her parents and those close to her would have liked and then head out to the Riverview and Fairview Cemeteries.

I was always the one who would go along for the annual trapezing around the countryside in Grammy's classic Chevelle with our flowers to find the ancestors. As we would come upon the Smiths, Vasconcellos, Collins, and Readings we would always recall the names and stories of our family. The drive out Frankford Rd to Fairview (which is in my opinion the prettiest place in the country) would always mean passing the family homesteads and commenting on their stories.

Since my grandmother passed away some 11 years ago I have carried on her tradition. (I think she made me promise I would back when I was like 8.) Today is the day for my special trip to the country. I will get out Grammy's old Chevelle and head out the old road past the homesteads and when I come to the top of the cemetery and find the Smiths under the big Oak tree and Grammy & PawPaw not to far away under the Bradford Pears, I will be reminded again of the names and stories of my family.

The great-grands all get Violets this year. Great great Aunt Will Ella who I only knew until I was 10 years old, when she was in her 88-98th years, will get bright Zinnias (she had a very sad lonely life, so I always give her big & bright).

It will be Grammy's that I will go to last. I think she would have approved the selection, for she always had a thing for pink Peonies.

la te da

well today was crap.
so, in the midst of a crap filled day that we aren't going to elaborate on, i will note some nice things i pondered in the last few days driving around town...

i want a house with
...light up house numbers.
...an entry way-hall.
...a dinning room.
...shade trees, none of which can be sweet gum.

the streak is over

well i just recently boasted to a friend that my sermons lately had been so good....easy to put together, delivered well and engaging for the congregation. good thing i stated those qualities out loud because it meant that all such luck was over. today's was crap. there i said it.

the slack sermon was only augmented by the electricty that decided to go hairwire today. we lost power to the church just about the time worship was starting. so in the hot dark we worshipped and managed pretty well, rearranging worship as we went. random craziness.

ecumenism into the mississippi

after the monthly meeting of the louisiana ministerial alliance i am usually ready to shove ecumenism out into the mississippi river. oh my lord these people are picky, critical, and ALL know everything.
today i was on the verge of reminding them that "in fact we are not on staff with eachother, nor were we called by God to this place to be on staff together... so get off my back."
the way it seems to work in our small town, is that we do everything together. the list includes: baccalaureate, pentecost, palm sunday, maundy thursday, easter sunrise, national day of prayer, world day of prayer, blessing of the animals, world communion, vacation bible school, youth group, mission outreach, thanksgiving. it is all just too much.
only by the grace of God, i am president of the august body of clergy so as to keep said meetings moving. alas.

may it be noted, i find it interesting that it is not our polity that is the problem. humm...

there, i have vented. much better now.

breakfast alfresco

what a glorious morning. we fed the youth groupers breakfast on the Parsonage Patio this morning. there were 8 in attendance showing prom pictures, offering harassment to each other and some pretty witty banter for 7:15 a.m.

we are in just 4 weeks endeavoring upon our 4th summer mission trip together. we have a good group signed up, this amazing early-retiree couple as sponsors, and a good location. i believe it will be a good thing.

ahhh... the good air, a pleasant 70 degrees, with blue sky and sunshine. it will be a good day.