It started when the Appalachian Mountains began to fade into more gently rolling hills. Next came the brutal jolting of abrasive roads that apparently have not received DOT attention since 1986. The final indication was the heat wave that blasted me as I stepped out of my car, despite the clock saying 8:00PM. Yes, I had finally arrived.
Alabama. Continue reading
That was an awful book, wasn’t it? I still do not understand why the Tennessee Board of Education saw fit to make it required reading for 11th grade English. I mean, I am sure the societal commentary was piercing and the style paved the way for a uniquely American genre of literature and all that jazz, but it just drones on and on and on. And on.
That’s beside the point, though, and it marks the last attempt at humor for the rest of a post dedicated to a decidedly unhumorous topic: Death. It happens, we don’t want it to, now what are you going to do about it? Continue reading
What does prayer mean to you?
Do you pray?
If so, to whom?
Do you offer gratitude, praises, apologies, supplications?
Do you get a response?
Do you think it causes tangible results or does it just make us feel better? Continue reading
“Mint Ting-a-Ling.” “Piece of Cake.” “Bittersweet Symphony.” “White Lightning.”
No, those aren’t brands of moonshine – those are the different ice cream flavors that I have tried so far from The Ice Cream Shack. Much like Wegman’s grocery story, I have become enamored with this local lactose staple. I’ll keep you updated on the newest flavors… Continue reading
It’s time to tackle the pint-sized elephant in the room: This church I am working with for the month of August is tiny. In fact, it’s so small that on July 1st it entered into a “cooperative parish” with another nearby church. Basically, that just means that two small churches share one ordained elder who splits her time between the two congregations. In theory, the churches should have joint committees and merged ministries and the like. In practice, the two churches have yet to really integrate their organizational structure, leaving my pastor with twice as many meetings to attend, twice as many budget issues to deal with, and half as much sleep. Continue reading
Note: I will use blog posts to talk about significant events, and let the picture slideshows tell the rest of the story…
A couple of things. First of all, only 4 days into my grand journey, I have discovered an indisputable truth: Wegman’s Grocery Store in New York is the most incredible creation ever. It must have been divinely inspired, because it is absolutely heavenly. I haven’t even looked at the rest of the grocery store, but apparently you can get food items there that are virtually non-existent elsewhere. Continue reading
I have arrived in beautiful Lakewood, NY. This marks the closest I have ever been to the Great Lakes – in fact, I pulled off the highway to see Lake Erie up close and personal. Also, I didn’t think the change coming from Tennessee to New York would be an increase in trees, but I swear I have never seen such an endless expanse of forest as I did in the last 30 miles to Lakewood. Continue reading
Life Reconciling 