Day 10 (August 31, 2009)

My nephew moved today. For the first time, he now lives someplace other than with his parents. New apartment. New city. New school. New independence. Congratulations to him!

Though I would guess he's a little nervous, I would also guess that he's thinking that it's good to be a grown-up. In a culture obsessed with youthfulness, that feeling is sometimes hard to come by.

So, as someone who's about to turn the Big Four O, let me be honestly counter-cultural and say, "I like being a grown-up." I'm glad I'm almost 40 and, in a couple of months, will be glad that I am 40+.

I have no interest in reliving my childhood. I had a good childhood. My shrink has probed around it for years and hasn't found much material to work with. Still, I have no interest in reliving it.

The college years are filled with great (and some really messy) memories. It was a time of tremendous growth and unparalleled energy. I don't want to go back.

When I look back at my young adulthood years, my most pleasant memories are pretty much all tied to things that are outward displays of adulthood: graduating, getting married, buying my first new car, moving across the country, getting a "real" job, buying a house, having kids. Let me say it again, "I like being a grown-up."

That's not to say that everything is easy, happy, and fun. Instead, there's a satisfaction that comes with making and keeping commitments (even when I question them), planning finances to pay the bills on time (even though there are other things I really really really want), keeping a house in order (despite the contractor leaving it a mess), and helping the younguns grow up (knowing that their therapists will have job security).

So, to my nephew, congratulations on taking this next step in being a grown-up. I hope you'll wisely embrace being more and more grown-up in the next few years. May you find satisfaction in these milestones and their ramifications so that when your 40 is just around the corner you'll be glad you're a grown-up, too.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 9 (August 30, 2009)

In making plans, I always try to include at least a "Plan B" to be ready for the unexpected. Sometimes, though, the unexpected is too far out of what I consider possible to plan for.

This "too far out" lands in two categories: 1.) Things that are so completely "normal" in my life that I don't ever think to plan around; and 2.) Things so completely "un-normal" in my life that I wouldn't have thought to plan around. Both of these categories happened for me this morning.

The first thing to throw off my plans happened when I went to get a drink of water after breakfast. I turned on the tap and found that the water coming out was browner than iced tea. Yuck. Nothing to drink. No shower. No brushing teeth. All with church starting in 90 minutes. There was nothing to do other than be the unshaven odoriferous pastor with halitosis.

Category 2 arrived during the sermon. Josh came in mid-message and whispered something to his mother. She looked shocked and left the building. Needless to say, we wondered what was going on. Come to find out, a man who lives across the street from the church who knows pretty much everyone in the congregation had just jumped off the roof onto the concrete below.

When things we take for granted aren't there it's inconvenient, annoying, and, in the case of today, a little smelly. With a few coping skills and a few phone calls the world can be returned to order.

Disillusion is an immediate byproduct of things from category two. They're beyond a phone call and a repairman getting to work. This is where faith comes in.

And by faith, I don't mean the pat answers/smile Jesus loves you kind of faith. The faith I'm talking about is what comes from walking through lots of life trying to follow the path we think Jesus is on. There are no easy answers and it's not all blue skies and apple pies. Better, we have the promise of strength and comfort amid the unimaginable.

And just so you know -----

The water was clean again by about 1 p.m. Our neighbor is in critical condition with a fractured skull.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 8 (August 29, 2009)

It came up in some things today. Hell. No, it didn't rise up and burn up my neighborhood. Rather, the question of why I don't preach and teach about it very much (ok, pretty much never) was at hand.

I hadn't spent a lot of time contemplating why I didn't/don't. It's not that I shy away from difficult topics. It's not like I only preach once in a while (I've preached well over 800 sermons) and don't ever get to it. Why not this topic?

I answered by saying that I don't spend much time teaching about it for the same reason I don't study travel guidebooks to Louisiana; I know it's miserably hot and don't plan on going there. (No offense for my LA friends --- it's just someplace I really don't want to go and even you die-hard Atchafalaya dwellers have to confess that sometimes the only thing you can honestly say is, "It's hot as Hell today.")

So, I guess that it would be fair to say that I don't preach on Hell because I don't know of people who are interested in going there. I mean, imagine if you went to a travel agent and asked for brochures for destinations they would recommend not going to. Though I'm sure they could relay some great stories from trips from Hell they've been on, that's not what they're selling or what they're hoping for you.

As for me, I'm interested in God's Kingdom and will teach about finding the Path to get there from where we are. If you're interested in going there, come listen to some "travel brochures" next Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 7 (August 28, 2009)

Is it just me or are there some days where nothing seems to be in its correct position? Today (Friday) was one of those days.

-I showed up to pick up my nearly 1500 photos from our summer vacations. They were to be ready by the end of business on Tuesday. They hadn't yet started printing them.

-When we went to buy magic markers in bulk for the school supply drive at church, the first Walmart we went to was completely out of markers. We emptied the racks at the second one.

-I dropped off an order at Staples. When I went back to get them they had copied page 2 up side down and needed to rerun the order.

-I sent a text message to a kid at church who texts me often. It bounced.

-The church's Facebook page even went rogue for a while and had to be reset.

Is it a Zeitgeist? Is it just that I notice things like this more some days than others?

Too weird.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 6 (August 27, 2009)

What is it about lists that are so comforting, especially once things are checked off of them?

I had a long list of things to get done today. Some were significant. Most weren't. Many didn't really accomplish anything at all. But, I was able to check them off the list so I feel pretty good about the day.

This list did bring a few changes in my life. For example, I now have text messaging on my phone. The other items on it did not do much of anything.

Most things were just odds and ends like getting the new fliers for the church ready for printing. Mind you, I didn't actually get the fliers printed, folded, and distributed, but the "ready" line on the list is checked off.

Some things on the list were surprisingly expensive, like my meeting with the plumber who found nearly $3K worth of problems leaking onto my kitchen ceiling. (He also tells me that I'll need a contractor to fix or replace the ceiling once they're done with the pipes.) You would think I would feel depressed or angry or sad about this, but because it was on my list, I feel good that it's checked off even though the work hasn't started yet.

For me, I think lists are sort of like the odometer on a stationary bike. No matter how long I peddle, I haven't gotten anywhere. Yet I can feel good about myself because the numbers on the dial are higher than when I started.

In a life that's often chaotic, frustrating, and going as far as a stationary bike, a checked-off list gives me just enough of an illusion to get a good night's sleep after a "productive" day.

I'd better get my list ready for tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 5 (August 26, 2009)

So, if you're still needing a reality check on the economy, come hang out in my 'hood this week. Historically, the church has given out school supplies to kids the day before school starts. Typically, the church gave out supplies to 35-45 kids. In 2006 we helped about 65 kids. In 2007 that number jumped to 120. Last year we closed the doors at 160 kids.

This year, things are different. Everywhere I go I get people stopping and asking me about supplies. I even have people knocking on the door of my house to see if and when supplies will be available. I've never seen this level of need before hand.

Now, here's the kicker: We don't have near the supplies available to give away this year as last year. I have a substantial donation coming on Friday and we've got about $100 given to us to spend to fill in the gap. Still, we are nowhere near last years resources with a seemingly dramatic increase in demand.

We've got lots of crayons, notebooks, pencils, pens, and erasers. We only have about a dozen boxes of markers and fewer than ten boxes of colored pencils and bottles of glue. Last year we had boxes upon boxes of 3-ring binders. This year we have 8 binders total.

We may need a loaves and fishes thing, riot gear, or both.

I, for one, am most curious as to what will happen next.

Thanks, for reading,

Jeff

Day 4 (August 25, 2009)

There's something special about the start of school. I don't know if it's the fumes from the new Crayolas or the adventure of the unknown but this time of year is always good for me.

There have only been a few falls since 1975 that I haven't been going back to school --- elementary, junior high, high school, college, graduate school, teaching, seminary. When the buses start rolling and the crossing guards appear on the corners something in me wants to go with them.

Well, not exactly with them; I have no desire to relive my childhood or write more term papers. But, I do feel the call of the classroom, either as student or teacher.

This year I'll have to resist it again. Perhaps I'll settle for a fresh box of Crayolas.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 3 (August 24, 2009)

I've been missing my friend Theresa a lot the last week or so. She died in June and I haven't had much time to really go through mourning the loss.

Theresa was a real delight at the church. She was at every activity and had an amazing faith amid a very tough life.

I've had about 14 people in my life die so far this year. Some, like Theresa, were friends. Others were acquaintances who were close friends with other people in the church.

As we've been transitioning from our summer activities to our fall schedule there's been just a bit of space in my spirit for some healthy grief. I really haven't had much of a chance to do that.

Jesus said, "God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!" (Matthew 5:4 CEV) I'm grateful for those who have been a part of my life, for finally having some mourning time, and for the Comforter who continues to be found.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 2 (August 23, 2009)

Yesterday I spent some time trying to solve a Rubiks Revenge. For those of you who don't remember the 80s, it is like a Rubiks Cube only it's 4X4X4 rather than the standard 3X3X3. Mine had been unsolved for over 20 years so I thought it was time to do something about it.

After following the algorithms that I'd found on line for an extended period of time, I turned one side too quickly and a couple of pieces popped out of the cube and skated across the Pergo floor. Since I didn't know which way the pieces should go back into the cube the only real option at that point was to take the thing apart and assemble it correctly (which, btw, is almost as challenging as following the algorithms).

This is a lot like the rest of life. If we're trying to solve a problem, even when we try to follow the best instructions available sometimes it all falls apart right in our hands. The only thing we can do is deconstruct and start over again.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Day 1 (August 22, 2009)

Well, this is the start. I'm trying to move into new (for me) areas of technology. I confess to being a late adapter when it comes to technology. I've been in a bit of a time warp for about 10 years. The last couple of months I've decided to push my comfort zone out of the 1990s. I joined Facebook and am even thinking about getting a text plan on my cell phone. Don't laugh --- I still get TV over the air so this is a big leap for me.



So, why the blog? Well, earlier this week the family and I toured some historic sites in New York. Among them was Eleanor Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park. One thing I learned about her was that she published a daily newspaper article called "My Day" for many years. In essence, she was a blogger with a typewriter.



Now, I'm no Eleanor Roosevelt. But, I admired her discipline. I also have been wanting to do something different with my weekly email reports that have been going out since the early days of email and thought this might be a good venue. We'll see.



What will I blog about? Well, that's a hard question at this point. I'm going to give it a try and see where it goes.



Thanks for reading,



Jeff