NPR Today...

As I was driving around town early this morning I was given the opportunity to listen to my beloved NPR. I've been a bit out of the news lately so I'm not as up to date on the world happenings as I usually like to be...but I'll make no excuses for my ignorance.

At any rate as I was stuck in Branson West traffic (which will be my fate for the next year at least, while they are doing road construction) I was able to hear quite a few stories on Morning Edition. The topics haven't changed that much...who's going to be the Democratic nominee, Reconstruction in Iraq, people complaining about the president...people defending the president...

What I was most surprised at was listening to some guy (whose name I can't even remember right now) give an interview...the interviewee was prepared with an answer no matter what the question was, and he didn't stumble over his words or need time to think...he knew what he believed in and he knew the information he was willing to share, and he gave if confidently. Whether I agreed with him or not, I was impressed with this guy.

There are so many times that I am asked for an opinion or someone challenges my beliefs, or challenges the essence of who I am and what I do...and it takes me time to regroup, usually the first thing out of my mouth isn't exactly what I wanted to say and share...10 minutes after the fact I think of something really wise and impactful that I could have said. I wonder if the guy on NPR ever feels that way.

Life's Excitement...

Well it has been a busy week...it all started with Peer Ministry Training last weekend and then a quick trip out to Fort Wayne to visit my brother and sister-in-law. I love hanging out with them. My parents and grandparents...along with Gretal's family were all there as well. It was good. I know I've mentioned it before, but I always wish I could spend more time with my brother.

This time we were all in town for Jacob's call night. He graduates from the seminary in a little less than a month, and on Tuesday night the seminary had it's call night to tell the candidates where they would be heading after graduation. It was pretty neat to be sitting in the chapel filled with people and watch my brother receive his first call. He really is going to be a pastor...crazy. And not only is he going to be a pastor, but I think he's going to be a pretty good one. I'm pretty certain that he never reads this blog so I can brag about him a little bit and he'll never know. (as long as my parents don't snitch on me) My brother and I are alike in so many ways, but we've had our debates and disagreements over theological and doctrinal issues. I've spent a good amount of time in the last ten years of my life debating theological and doctrinal issues with people...alot of them pastors or soon-to-be pastors. Some people I disagree with and wonder how on earth they are going to make a positive impact in the Ministry...(of course all of us are set up for failure when it comes to ministry, but hopefully you get the point.) my brother on the other hand is really solid and grounded in scripture...and I'm really excited to see how God works through him as a pastor. God has definitely done a good thing...and I'm excited to watch it unfold. I'm also excited for him to be in full time ministry, there's something kinda of nice about having someone that knows me so well get a little better what it is I experience day in and day out as a professional church worker. Anyway he'll be in Dwight Illinois which isn't too terribly far from Chicago...and therefore only a few hours from my parents, which leads me to believe he and I might get to catch a few cardinals games from time to time!

Also while I was in Fort Wayne I got a phone call from my friend Danielle...she was in Florida visiting her family and was surprised by the early arrival of her second son while she was there...only my friend would go on vacation and give birth while she was there....Caleb Michael was a month early and is completly healthy and beautiful.

Today I was taking a nap when a phone call woke me up. It was Godson Noah...he's only 19 months so he doesn't have a ton of words yet, and our conversation wasn't filled with a ton of information but it was fun to hear his sweet voice on the other end of the phone, and even though I know it's the novelty of talking on the cell phone that he likes, it makes my heart smile just a little bit that he wanted to talk to me...ok ok, he did hang up on me twice...but we did cover some of the more important topics of the day...like the fact that he watched cartoons, likes apples, thinks caleb is cool (and noisy) and that he still can't say "Godmother Rachel"...he'll probably be six before he can say Godmother Rachel...it's a lot of syllables so I won't blame him...

Anyway it's been an exciting few days...my brother with his first call and my Godson with his first little brother. Now I can't wait to get to Minnesota to meet this kid, and see my friends that I love so much!

The Time Has Come...

Well, I have my computer back, and apparently it's all fixed. Things have been busy...but that's neither nere nor there...the point is that I have a story to share.

Yesterday I chased a mouse out of church. As I was re-wireing a speaker (yes you heard me correctly, I was re-wireing a speaker that I finally moved from my office to the nursery because no one had gotten around to it a year and a half later) I asked Judy, the ever willing secretray, to go out to the shed to get some wire nuts (or whatever they're called) and as she walked down the hallway she began screaming bloody murder. Well it wasn't exactly bloody murder and that might be a bit of an exageration but for the purposes of our story we'll go with that...exageration sometimes makes the story better right??? I jumped off the ladder to ask what was wrong. She said there was a "critter" down there. By the sounds of her screams I was thinking it was going to be a huge animal...but no. It was a mouse...a teenie tiny little mouse that looked more scared than we did. So I decided to free it. Due to an extensive amount of mouse hunting that I did when we lived in the ghetto house on Dayton, I knew exactly how to handle this situation, so I blocked all point of exit except one, and I ever so carefully inched my way towards the mouse, hoping to not scare it. Then I went toward the handle to open the door. Of course the stupid little thing wouldn't go outside like it was supposed to so I had to shoo it out with a broom...but I have once again kept the church safe from the random animals that often get inside....and I totally put a new socket in a wall. I'm pretty stinking amazing.

Also last night I had a dream that I went on a date with Mr. Big from Sex in the City. I'm not sure what that was all about but I was also in Minneapolis and it was Lindsey's birthday. For her birther I got 2 dozen green balloons and I had to carry them through the streets, but it was windy and they all kept blowing away...and by the time I got there (after my date with Big) I only had one balloon...but she was still excited...so Lindsey, thanks for being the kind of friend that in my dreams is still kind to me when I lose 23/24ths of your birthday present.

That's all for now folks.