Rainey Days

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Eastern Sectional Council wearing many hats: an Eastern section minister, a missionary in need of support, but most importantly, a member of Pasadena Assembly of God, who was hosting the event. I got to be a part of the meal planning, adding my input based on having attended a few other councils at other churches. Afterward, I got to be a part of the clean-up crew. I felt proud that my church represented itself so well to all the visiting pastors. A lot of work went into making sure the building was sparkling, the decorations were pleasantly attractive, and the food was superb! I heard nothing but positive comments from all the pastors--the cream of crab soup was great! The chocolate fountain was wonderful! The new Family Life Center was very useful building! Our church secretary is worth her weight in gold! It just went on and on. I appreciate how much effort the church staff and volunteers went through to host this meeting and luncheon...

Matthew 28 The Resurrection 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen , just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clas...

Well, folks, in one of life's odd coincidences, I was unable to fly to France today AGAIN. I was all ready with my tickets and luggage, flying Northwest all the way this time (no more Delta--see last post). When I arrived at the airport, skies here in Baltimore were absolutely cloudless; I breathed a sigh of relief that no weather was going to hinder my trip today. I didn't count on a snowstorm in Michigan, however. My flight to Detroit (the major Northwest hub) was delayed, and as I waited near the gate, the gate attendant began making a series of announcements, each one more dire than the previous: "Due to a massive snowstorm in Grand Rapids, the Detroit airport is handling all the air traffic being re-routed from Michigan. This means that all flights in Detroit are being delayed due to overflow. Your flight will be delayed at least one hour." "For those of you who have connecting flights from Detroit, there is a possibility that your flight will be re-rout...

When I was a teenager studying literature in high school, I remember the teacher telling us that Charles Dickens had been a court stenographer as a young man. His genius for sketching such realistic characters came from his keen observations of human nature, playing out before him every day in court. I often think of this when I travel, because I feel that public transportation offers the kind of glimpse into human character that would have sent Dickens into raptures of delight. I like to sit in airports at the gates facing the wide walkways, just observing the various types of people that walk by--their stance and gait, their accents, their conversations on cell phones, their manner of talking to their children, and especially their behavior with airline employees! When I got to the airport at 4:00 pm, I was hoping to leave at 5:45 pm, but I learned shortly that due to rain, our flight would be delayed until about 7:00 pm. I was thankful that I had a four hour layover in New York, ...

All my bags are packed; I'm ready to go.

For those of you wondering what I do on the days I'm not blogging: Today I'm preparing to leave for France tomorrow afternoon for five days of business. I've been trying to work ahead of myself by lining up some appointments by phone, so my days there will be productive. I will be staying in my old office building; apparently, since I've been gone, they've converted an extra office into a "crash pad" with a bed and a shower. It seems strange to think of staying overnight in the building where I used to work everyday, but hey, it's free! My aunt Kate is in the hospital and I would like to have been able to visit her today, but it just didn't work out, with all the stuff I wanted to get done before my trip. Mom, Granny, Sarah, and Olivia went to visit and cheer her up. She's suffering from vertigo and the doctors have not yet found the cause. Please keep her in your prayers. I've got a big page of Arabic homework, which is taking up in...

The beautiful weather today was energizing. I always feel invigorated on sunny days, and our glimpse into spring encourages me to get out in the yard and play with my niece, walk the dogs, or do some needed yard work. Since Mom was babysitting Olivia, my middle niece, we went outside for a good walk just before lunch time around the yard to pet the horses and back. It was so pleasant that we started to get out the Little Tikes yard toys that were garaged for the the winter. Livvy was in her element; she even got a long ride around on the wagon. We were having such a good time, that when my sister returned from her appointment, we told her to get my grandmother and bring her over to our house to enjoy the sunshine and Livvy's backyard enthusiasm. Granny mostly just sits in her house complaining about how bored and lonely she is, so here was a perfect opportunity to get out and have some fun. It turned out to be more fun than she anticipated! Mom's been wanting to haul away...

I'm working on my newsletter, which if all goes well, you should be receiving at your churches by next week (before Easter, at any rate). Leaving for France next week has given me exactly the impetus I needed to attack my "to-do" list. I want to get as many things finished before I go as I can--less to do when I get back, exhausted from double jet-lag! Next up: financial reports and then taxes! Yesterday was the Eastern Shore sectional council. Eastern Shore is one of my favorite sections, even though its small and widespread geographically. I have a lot of respect for the E.S. pastors, because the churches seem to struggle for some reason. I think it takes a determined pastor to do good work there. Most of the churches there support me, so I feel a strong connection built on many visits to the churches and shared newsletters. Plus, as a native Marylander, what's not to love about the Shore? As I said yesterday to the pastors, the Eastern Shore represents th...

Does anyone else out there procrastinate? I don't do it all the time, but there are certain things that I just dread. I'll put them off for days, not because they're difficult, or because I'm not capable of doing them, but because of the "what if?" factor. For example, what if I ask that person for this favor and they say no? Then, of course, once I buckle down and make myself do it, I get a positive response 99% of the time, and I'm thrilled. I think, "What was I so worried about?" A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. This week, I'm making phone calls to France, trying to line up all the details of the business I have to take care of in the five days that I'll be there at the end of this month. I need to sell my furniture at a furniture consignment store, and that means I need them to pick up the stuff in a large truck. I need to close out my bank account, signing whatever forms that involves. I'm still waiting on t...

Several months ago, I was at a luncheon for pastors in the Capitol Virginia section, and I heard a pastor tell another missionary, "It looks like we're going to be able to pledge support for you." He was grinning when he said it, knowing that he was probably making that missionary's day. Then to my surprise, the missionary responded, "I appreciate it, but we've raised our pledge budget already. But, say, see that guy over there?" pointing to another missionary in the room, "He really needs the pledges right now. He only has a few months left before he has to leave, and I know he really needs it. He's just starting out!" I was so surprised by his generosity; he was willing to give away the money that a pastor was offering to him to another missionary who he felt had a greater need. I couldn't help but think, "Here is a missionary who knows how to trust God." He knew that God would provide what he himself needed, so he was...

Not long ago, I ran into a pastor that I've known for years. He was working with youth and I'd seen him at camp, and his church was supporting me for quite a while. When I saw him, he told me that he had changed churches; now he's the senior pastor about an hour south of my home. He booked me for a service and I didn't give it much thought, until a few weeks ago, when I ran into a girl who had been at Valley Forge when I was in college. I didn't know Monica well, but she married a friend of mine, Steve. As it turned out, Steve and Monica go to the church in Southern Maryland where my friend is now pastoring. I was happy to make that little connection, and I was looking forward to seeing them on the day that I would speak at their church. Finally, it was the weekend for that service, and as I was preparing to leave, my dad told me that Brenda and Jimmy, a young couple who used to attend my church years ago, also go to the church where my friend is now pastoring....