Writer's Block

I feel badly that I haven't really been updating this blog well lately. I'm no busier than usual, perhaps even less, since last week was spring break at the community college (no Arabic class). I thought I would enjoy the week off, but it seemed to fly by, leaving me wondering this past weekend where on earth all that time had gone.

I went to Middle River AG in Essex on Sunday morning. It was an impromptu decision; I didn't have another church scheduled, so I picked a church that I hadn't had much contact with over the past few years. I have some family friends that attend there, and the people of the church are solid gold. I really enjoyed the service; what impressed me most was that every person there introduced themselves to me and chatted me up for a minute or two. That's what I call a friendly church!

This week has started out a bit more hectic than usual because my sister is in the hospital with another flare-up of pancreantitis. We've had Olivia here since early yesterday morning; she's such a delightful child that it's a pleasure to spend time with her, but like any one-year old, she'll wear you out! We all hope that Sarah has a quick recovery, and I appreciate your prayers for her.

I found out yesterday that when I return to the field, it will be under a new supervisor. Our current Area Directors (whose name I will not mention here because of security issues) are retiring. I had the pleasure of serving under their leadership when I was in the Middle East years ago, and I really respected their leadership and vision for that area of the world. I'm glad for them, because I know their retirement plans are to spend more time with their grandchildren. I don't really know the new Area Director couple, but I'm sure that coming years will give me plenty of opportunity!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Isn't it funny how time flies when you are not at work? That Easter week just roared by so fast it's hard to believe it really came and went.
7:46 PM
Anonymous said…
that was me, momabeam, the infamous anonymous who cant get this blogger to work to "save my soul", as my Nana would say.
7:47 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A lot of work for cheap bookshelves!

Continuing the “catch-up” on old posts . . . Feb. 25, 2006 I thought you would enjoy the (mis)adventures of my day today. I had the day off of work, so I decided to go to Ikea to get some bookshelves. Ah, the beauty of a plan! Are you also one of those people with a “to-do list,” evenly checked or crossed off, that keeps you on track? My whole life seems in order when I have that piece of scrap paper in hand, telling me what to do next! So this morning, I was up, ready and out the door by 9:00AM. Ikea is six or seven exits up the beltway, so it’s about 20 minutes. I was actually early. They opened at 10:00 AM, so I sat in the car and made a grocery list, because I have no food in the house (having been gone all last week). In fact, I had so little food, I had to eat French pastries for breakfast (the only store open yesterday was the corner bakery). Now, I know you are thinking, “French pastries? Poor Ariel!” But really, I don’t like to eat them for breakfast because they ...
Read more

Ethan Allen Faith in an Ikea World

Image
I had a conversation with my brother recently, while moving furniture, that Ethan Allen furniture is really great stuff. It's built to last forever, and it's worth the high price. Unfortunately, most people can't afford to decorate their entire home in one fell swoop from expensive furniture stores, so half of their furniture is hand-me-downs, a few pieces are high quality, and a few pieces are from places like Ikea. You can only afford to do so much at one time, and when you first move into a new home, you need things immediately--beds to sleep in, tables to eat on. You get what you need at the moment. The problem is that you get what you pay for; buying furniture from Ikea means you'll have to replace it in about three years. In the past few months, I've dealt with a few things spiritually that have been difficult for me. I was praying this weekend about it, and I questioned God about these particular trials. I was reminded of my furniture conversation. My faith ...
Read more

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

Image
I have a commute to work every day. Until our office moves in a few weeks, I continue to drive thirty minutes to work and thirty minutes back. I spend that time either deep in thought—once I even missed my exit—or singing at the top of my lungs. I suppose it depends on my mood. I try to redeem the time by listening to French music, learning through musical osmosis, if you will. But sometimes I take a break and this week I am listening to Switchfoot ’s second album, Nothing is Sound . My brother and I are both fans of Switchfoot, and we spent some time over my vacation discussing the merits of our various favorite songs. Until this week, I wouldn’t have said much about the song, “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine.” It’s got a fairly singable melody, but it wasn’t one that jumped out at me. However, this past week, I was reading Psalm 22, which starts with “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” One of the most famous quotes of Jesus as he was dying on the cross, this reference stayed ...
Read more