Friends

As I reflect on this year, the thing that I realize I am most thankful for is my groups of friends!

I feel very blessed, as I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I have friends, best friends, close friends, friends who live far away, friends who have lived in my home, friends in ministry, friends who are in ministry that gather away from ministry, friends who like FRIENDS, friends who like HIMYM, friends who like the office, friends who like to ski, friends who like to run, friends who like to go to sporting events, small groups, friends not connected to the church, ministry cohorts, teams, walking buddies, different camp staffs that I am blessed to be a part of, and so much more. I feel like I am connected to people through numerous circles. And this year, I feel especially blessed! I don't know how I would survive without these people in my life! They fill me with joy! They encourage me, they listen when I am down. Sometimes they relate to the mental health issues that I struggle with, sometimes they don't, but they listen anyways. Sometimes we laugh about what it means to be OCD, sometimes we share the struggles. Some friends are easy to travel with, and make life fun. Some stay home and give me rest.

Some friends are closer through facebook, some are close enough to meet for coffee.

It's all different kinds of friends, and all different kinds of people. Old, middle, young. Tall, short. Skinny, Not as skinny. Great huggers, non huggers. Funny, serious. Random, Surprising.

Everything.

Man, I AM BLESSED!!!

I am so thankful for these friends!

And those are the thoughts that have been filling my head lately.

It could always be worse!

After the weekend that I had, and the readiness to quit, I received the best email that I could today! I know it's a forward, but it gave me great perspective! It could always be worse! Enjoy!

When you have an 'I Hate My Job day' [Even if you're retired, you sometimes have those days] Try this out: Stop at your pharmacy  and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson. Be very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed. Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken.  Now the fun part begins. Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is this statement: "Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested

and then sanitized."


Now, close your eyes and repeat
out loud five times,' I am so glad
I do not work in the thermometer
quality control department at
Johnson & Johnson.'


HAVE A NICE DAY; AND REMEMBER,
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE
WITH A JOB THAT IS MORE OF A
PAIN IN THE BUTT THAN YOURS!Â

Â

if you haven't got a smile on your face
and laughter in your heart....

Maybe you should go and work
for Johnson and Johnson!

Responsibility

Are parents no longer requiring or encouraging their children to take responsibility for their actions anymore?

I have had two situations in the last month, where parents have completely ignored what their child is doing, or how they are treating others. I had to cancel an event last night because a student signed up with a group of friends, and did not tell their parents or bother to show up. When I called to ask if the kid was coming, I got hung up on. Then, when I asked the kid to be in better communication with their parents and to cancel ahead of time next time, I got reamed.

Okay, even reading this, it seems like I'm over reacting, because the kid you are probably thinking of while reading this, is the exact opposite of who this happened to. This is a church going family, strongly involved, and a family that I considered myself to be close to. I try to support the family every day, and am in good communication with the parents. The parents have told me that they don't want their kid to go on the mission trip, so when the kid kept trying to sign up, I continued to tell them to talk to their parents. So, last night I sent an email to the student, asking them to talk to their parents ahead of time next time, because it is important to be in communication with them, I was shocked to get this phone call to word bash me today.

I just don't even know how to handle it right now. The parent almost hung up on me again, before I could explain what actually happened. Thankfully by the grace of God, they listened to the truth of the stories, rather than the side they had made up. But unfortunately, I am not sure that they actually heard, or know that I have been supporting them all along.

So, what do you do when it really is the kid who is muddling up the communication. Do you stop communicating with that kid? Because obviously, the parents think something else is going on.

I don't know.

All I can say is that this really sucks right now! 2 kids, one month.

I guess I'm great at this job.

or not.

Advent

I'm working on a sermon of hope and waiting. It's about the Advent season, and I am really excited about it. Problem being, I'm experiencing a little writers block right now. I guess I should go ahead and take a break.

But really, this is a fun message to write. I never realized how much I love about the Christmas season, but it just keeps coming! Plus, it's an excuse to listen to Christmas music all day.

The song I think I'm going to focus on is "God of us" by Shaun Groves

Hope has come
To the world
Heaven's son is
Born to earth
To hide beneath our
Flesh and bone
Call us friend
And call this home
Emmanuel
God with us
God with us
Emmanuel
God with us
Love has come
Weighted down
By splintered beam
And thorny crown
To take our nails
And taste our steel
Spill his life
And grace reveal
Savior
God for us
God for us
Savior
God for us
Heaven come
And take our hand
Whisper till we understand
Move our stubborn
Hearts to love
The very least
As you love us
Spirit be
God in us
God in us
Spirit be
God in us
Emmanuel
Savior
Spirit be
God of us
God of us