Musings of a Country Girl

Thanks, Boss

2010-03-29T10:14:00.003-04:00

Let me see if I can remember how to do this.....??? I have been so blessed since I last visited with you back in the summer of '09. That sounds so long ago, but believe me, the time has sprinted by and all I could do is stand amazed. I will try to bring you up to speed on what's been going on in the life of this country girl.

After I graduated from the Clinical Pastoral Education program at New Hanover Regional, I was able to continue my service there as a Unit Clerk in the NICU. It was a good job and I loved the people I was able to work with but not being in hospital ministry any longer, I felt like a fish out of water. I was only able to get 24 hours a week so needless to say, something had to give. I had been applying at various other institutions, all non-ministry positions, and nothing was happening. I ventured out of the county and found there were two openings for Clinical Chaplain II positions in prison settings. Now, let me be the first to tell you that prison ministry had never been an option for me. Actually, I had never even given that role a thought in the processes of my mind when it came to seeking a ministry position. Oh, I looked for hospital chaplain jobs and corporate chaplain jobs, but prison? That was one place I had tried to avoid - and my parents were real proud I had done so.

However, I felt a strong calling to apply. I received a phone call from Harnett Correctional Institution a few days after the closing date for applications and followed through with the interview. When I left the interview, I was so disappointed. That was by far, the worst interview I had ever given. I was totally unprepared for some of the questions they asked and thanked God for the opportunity on the way home, but chalked it up to experience. Before I ever reached home, I received a call from NCCIW, which is the women's prison in Raleigh. They offered me a chance to interview for the same position and I gladly accepted thinking I would be ready this time.

I went to Raleigh, went through the interview, walked out on a cloud. I was good! :) I had studied up on the questions, which were very much like the ones previous, and I had great answers. Drove home with sites of Raleigh in my head. You see, Raleigh is a women's prison and Harnett is a men's prison. I was pretty sure they wouldn't hire a woman chaplain in a men's prison so I was glad the Raleigh interview went so well.

A couple of weeks went by and I heard nothing from anyone. I wasn't surprised about not hearing from Harnett but I thought I would hear from Raleigh by now. My references had called me and said both facilities had inquired about me so I was wondering what was going on. By this time, I had set my sites on Raleigh and then the phone rang!!!! It was Harnett. Harnett? "Did you say Harnett?" They were offering me a job. A real, honest-to-goodness chaplain job. So what do you think I did? I told them I'd have to call them back. Did I want to work in a men's prison?

Let me just tell you, when God goes to work, there is no stopping him. I accepted the job a few days later and have been the chaplain for Harnett Correctional since January 4th and I couldn't be more pleased. For the first time in my ministry I feel I am using the education and skills God has given me to the fullest extent of service. When we get out of the way and allow God to do the work, it is amazing. I watch him work daily in the lives of these men and feel so blessed that he has allowed me to play a role. Thanks, boss.

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The Summer of 2009

2009-09-03T19:05:00.005-04:00

Good gracious. Has it been almost 3 months since I last posted. Where did the summer go? Well, let me just tell ya. After Patrick got married, it seemed like the summer started rolling and gained speed as the days went on. We had youth camp which was a great time, then we had Bible School, then Carowinds and in the midst of all that I was finishing up my last unit of CPE. Now THAT was an experience.

What is it about ministering to the needs of patients, families and staff that awakens you to your own spiritual needs? I found that so many times I would hide from my own feelings and use the excuse that someone else needed me more than I needed to seek out the underlying emotions that were stirring in my own being.

I worked with some terrific folks this year. We were a true team. Not a week went by that one of us didn't need another one of us to either take the pager for a few hours or swap a day here and there. And for the most part, the changes were made without much thought. We respected each other and that made for a great year.

My co-chaplains have been engraved in my heart as friends forever.

Cecelia Beck (seated right) is a newly commissioned missionary by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and is beginning her work in Shelby, NC.

Barbara Evans (seated left) is a 35 year veteran of New Hanover Regional Medical Center and will continue her service there as an associate chaplain and a monitor tech as well as serve as a prison minister.

Laura Joost-Kuhn (standing left) has traveled back home to Oregon where she is awaiting God's call.

And Fernando Morales ( standing center) is in Orlando, Florida in search of a Chaplain position with a healthcare facility in that area.

Please remember these fine folks in prayer as they seek God's call on their lives.

I'm a Mother-In-Law

2009-06-18T20:18:00.006-04:00

I think this is a sign of getting older, but I now have a daughter-in-law. Being the mother of two sons, I felt this day would come eventually and to be perfectly honest, I never dreaded the day, but I did think it would be later rather than sooner.

My boys are the light of my life. I have loved being a mom more than any other profession I have ever had, but both of them will tell you that I wasn't a pushover. Having been a single mom for most of their childhood, I had to be mom and dad and most of the time the disciplinarian "dad" side showed through more than the nurturing, coddling mom I would have rather been. Because we were a family of three when Daniel was 4 and Patrick was 18 months, we all sort of grew up together. I was working at Pinehurst at the Members Club and trying to keep two children in daycare and make ends meet. It was one of the hardest times of my life but in hindsight, it was one of the most precious times of my life. Because they were so young, it didn't take much to entertain them so afternoons were spent playing baseball in the front yard with a plastic bat and ball.

Now, 20 years later, they're all grown up. Daniel will be 25 in July and today is Patrick's 22nd birthday. He spent his 21st birthday in the sands of Iraq fighting for our freedom. Today, he spends his birthday in the islands of the Bahamas on his honeymoon. Happy Birthday, Patrick! My favorite Marine.

Month 3

2009-03-28T11:37:00.004-04:00

Can you believe it's already Springtime? I wonder where the time goes. I know there are still 24 hours in a day and so many days in each month and so on, but it does seem to fly by. I have to believe it's because we don't stop and take time to "smell the roses" so to speak.

During some of our seminars in CPE we have been dealing with Family Systems Theory. I never took those courses in grad school because it wasn't needed for my degree and I quite frankly didn't want to know all about me. LOL However, during the last few weeks, I have learned a lot. One being triangulation. Now, I didn't stay "Strangulation" which is sometimes more fun that the other. Learning to take oneself out of the triangle is harder than swimming upstream for me, but I have linked it to something I can relate to and it seems to be helping. Notice I said "helping" and not working.

Over the past 3 months I have had to learn how to eat and more importantly, what to eat. There are some things I just can't tolerate even now. So, I try to stay away from it because it physically hurts me. I still can't eat breakfast meats. I guess because of the fat content, I may never be able to eat breakfast meats. But, is this a bad thing? I don't think so. We do tend to eat things and not realize the long term effect it has on our bodies. If you fry a piece of bacon, take the bacon out of the pan and let the pan cool, the grease from the bacon sets up and becomes the consistency of paste. Can you imagine this stuff lining your stomach walls? Yuck!

Having given you this lovely look into your stomach after breakfast, let me see if I can bring this together. All that grease makes me physically hurt, so, I don't eat it to avoid pain. Being in a triangle in a family system hurts, so I am trying diligently to stay out of it. Is it working? Not always. I'm a very opinionated woman and if you don't want to know what I think, then it best that you not ask. But given the physical and emotional pain of being in the triangle, maybe it's just as well we back away from it just like we should back away from the bacon.

BTW - 3 months and 51 lbs. and counting. Thanks for your support.

Month 2

2009-02-26T18:03:00.004-05:00

When I first decided to do this surgery thing, I thought the procedure would be one of the hardest parts. In relationship to the past 2 months, the surgery was a piece of cake. I have healed nicely and have no problems from the surgery itself. The challenge is finding something I can eat now that I've reached the point where I can have anything I can tolerate while staying within the grams of fat and sugar boundaries.

Each week I try to add something new to my diet and each week I end up throwing something up. It's a fact that I am not able to tolerate dairy products. Macaroni and Cheese was one of my favorite dishes, but not any more. I used to love a cold glass of milk, but no more. A grilled cheese sandwich is a quick meal with a bowl of tomato soup, or it used to be. Finding things I can eat and not get sick in the process has been a challenge. The foods I loved in the past have now been moved to the "Not Right Now" column of foods that used to show up on our grocery list.

One reason for the change in food choices is the fact that I must chew everything very well in order for it to sit well in the new pouch a.k.a my stomach. The more I chew, the worse it tastes, so I eat less. Have you ever chewed a piece of baked chicken 127 times? If you did, you'd never eat it again.

Since I take in far less solid food, the liquid protein drinks are still very much a part of my life. However, if you add unflavored protein whey to Tropicana Light Orangeade it tastes just like a Dreamsicle. This is not a bad thing! And, it satisfies my sweet tooth.

It's been 2 months and I've lost 41 pounds. Needless to say my pants don't fit anymore. This is a good and bad thing. Good that I'm down 4 sizes but not good that I need to buy clothes before my goal has been met. Thank goodness for friends who have gone through this and are passing down their clothes. :)

The challenge continues. So what do you do? You find something you can tolerate and stick to it. Yay for rice and shrimp!

New Year's Resolution - Lose Weight

2009-01-25T15:12:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's been 3 months since I last blogged. I guess I didn't realize just how time consuming this residency was going to be.

It's been a very interesting journey and I have learned so much about myself. But one thing I learned about myself was that I wasn't happy with me, physically. So, I decided to do something about it.

I have dieted ALL my adult life. You name it, and I've tried it. Fastin, Meridia, Xenecal, Phen-Phen, etc. A few years ago I ventured in to a Diet Clinic in Myrtle Beach and was successful with the weight loss for as long as I took a handful of pills everyday. Besides the fact that it was expensive, I just didn't like putting all those pills inside me everyday and I wasn't learning anything about how to eat.

As you know, I have two adult sons and one is in the Marines. When he was overseas, I was reminded that life was short enough without having a death sentence. Being overweight is a death sentence. I had high blood pressure, my cholesterol was creeping up every time I went to the doctor for blood work and it was becoming harder and harder to walk without being out of breath.

I had given thought to surgery but wasn't completely sold on it until a friend of mine from church did it and was quite successful. I began to do massive research on Gastric By-pass and found it was the safest surgery in the country as far as death but also one of the most effective as far as permanent weight loss.

The only way I was going to lose weight and keep it off was to change my lifestyle and my eating habits. But because my will power is pitiful at this stage in my life, I knew the surgery would force me to "follow the rules".

After a short battle with my husband, my first appointment was scheduled for October of 2008. There were some tests and requirements that had to be met before I could continue through the process. I didn't have sleep apnea, so that test was not required for me but for some, it is a necessary step. I was required, however, to go through a psychiatric evaluation and attend 2 nutritional classes. (For those of you who are wondering, yes, I passed the psyche exam)

The nutrition classes told us what to expect during the coming weeks of pre-surgery and helped us to begin thinking what we would have to do to prepare our bodies for this surgery. The 2nd class prepared us for the days, weeks, and months ahead AFTER surgery.

December 22nd, 2008 I underwent Gastric By-Pass. I came home on the 23rd and led the Christmas Eve service on the 24th. Now, it hasn't been an easy road because I am still having to teach myself to chew slowly, eat small bites and watch fat grams and sugar intake, but so far, so good.

It's been a month and I've lost 29 lbs.

I have to take in 50 grams of protein in liquid form, take 2 children's vitamins and 1500 mg of Calcium Citrate everyday and this will be for the rest of my life. I can't eat more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup at each meal and I will forever have to watch what I eat, but to add 12 years to my life and be able to live to see my grandchildren, it will all be worth it.

This is one New Year's Resolution I will keep.

Another Policeman Story

2008-10-03T09:20:00.005-04:00

At New Hanover Regional Medical Center we have these wonderful name badges that have 50 other things attached to the plastic clip that attaches to our clothing. I have the picture badge that contains a chip that will access any electronic door in the hospital. It has a card with all the codes listed and the appropriate response to a fire, code pink and a chemical spill. There is a card with all the necessary phone numbers that a chaplain would need along with all the other chaplain page numbers. It has a card with the NHRMC standards for communication and compassion ownership and teamwork. There is even a card with nothing on it but is of a greenish color so everyone who sees us will know we have been employed for less than 90 days. All of these badges collectively hang from a plastic loop that snaps into place with a nice name plate that proclaims CHAPLAIN in big letters. Some of us even have a key hanging from our badges that will give us access to the on-call office, the resident's office, and the all-important sleep room.

Needless to say, when this collection of important material is hanging from your clothing, it's a big heavy obstruction, so when I get in the car, it's usually one of the first things that comes off. Second only to my shoes.

For some reason on Tuesday of this past week, I didn't take it off. I guess I was in a hurry to get to Lowe's to give Daniel, my son, the card for his girlfriend's birthday so I could get home. It had been a super long day.

So, I'm traveling down my usual path to Lowe's on College Street from the hospital and get to the back street to turn in to Lowe's. There are huge barriers in the road, with the sign "ROAD CLOSED". It was closed the week before, but I thought maybe it would be re-opened by now. No such luck. On the one other occasion I had to go around this street, I had made a short cut through a bank parking lot to get to my destination so I thought I would do the same thing this day. The only difference was the bank was open now. But, I turned in, made my way around the parking lot and was heading out the back entrance when a policeman stopped the car in front of me. I wondered what he was telling us, so I rolled down my window in preparation for his rehearsed speech. As I sat, I heard the policeman ask the driver ahead of me if he had business with the bank. The driver told him he did not, and the policeman told him he could not use the driveway for through traffic and would have to turn around and go back out to the street.

DANG!!!! Here I was in a hurry and now I would have to turn around, maneuver through the traffic at the bank, get back on a busy street and go all the way to College to get to my destination. Another 15 minutes wasted.

After the car ahead of me pulled off and turned around, it was my turn to hear the words of the officer. He waved me to a stop, looked in the car, said, "Have a nice day, Chaplain" and waved me through.

Maybe I won't complain about the weight of the badge ever again. And I definitely won't cut through the bank parking lot EVER again.

Outreach vs. Evangelism

2008-09-27T20:48:00.002-04:00

I looked up the word "outreach" and it wasn't until definition #6 that I got the one I believed "outreach" to be. It says, "the act of extending services, benefits, etc., to a wider section of the population, as in community work."

Our church held a Block Party today in the sub-division where a couple of church members live. It just so happened that David and I live in the same sub-division but I think the reason it was held here was because it's the closet one to our church. We had a great time. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, potato salad, drinks and all the trimmings. The burgers and dogs were cooked on a huge charcoal grill that smelled up the whole neighborhood. Some of the residents brought desserts and we all brought chairs.

We had been "trained" in the block party idea so as not to evangelize as we met new friends. In fact, there was a thought that David and I might not need to go so folks wouldn't feel as if this was, in fact, an invitation to come to our church. But, as it turned out, only one couple knew who we were and what we did.

As the afternoon went on, a live band from our church played on the porch of the hosting family and I think everyone had a good time. There was even a little shaggin' going on in the grass and face painting on the side. Baptists dancing? OH MY.

All this to say, outreach is a great way to exhibit the command given to us by Jesus in that we should love one another and reach out to those that might not know him and we can do it without saying a word. As a result, a couple asked us about our church and will be attending tomorrow.

"Ain't" God good?

Planning/Budgeting Retreat

2008-09-09T20:40:00.007-04:00

This year our Youth Council and their parents headed to the beach for a Planning/Budgeting Retreat. Our church year, like most church years, start in October so we needed to decide what we wanted to do for the coming year.Coming up with the activities wasn't a problem, but we had to figure out how to pay for our play so we did a little budget planning as well.

We spent our days playing either outside on the beach or inside playing board games, reading books, or watching TV. It was a time to do just exactly whatever made you happy (within the confines of the beach house or on the sand in front of the ocean front house) as long as it was relaxing and stress free.

We got our planning done and figured out how to pay for it so I thought I would share a few of the wonderful shots of just how we spent our time:

Oh, by the way ... we do live at the beach but so seldom do we get to relax and enjoy what's in our own backyard. Needless to say, this retreat was put on the calendar for next year as well.

Reunion Time

2008-08-19T17:42:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday I attended a mini-reunion of my graduating class. At the risk of giving away my age, it was our 30th Class Reunion. 30 years!!! I can't believe I've been out of high school that long. It seems only a few weeks ago I graduated from Campbell. OH, IT WAS!!!! But some of us wait a little longer to try to do something with our lives, and that would be ME!

Anyway, back to the reunion.

I went to school in Richmond County in North Carolina. Our county was made up of four Jr. High schools and those four Jr. High schools came together to form one high school. Richmond Senior High School, home of the Richmond Raiders, 4-A Football Powerhouse. Hence the real reason there was only one high school. Our class was so large. We graduated with 556 people in our class. We started with over 700 but we had one particular English teacher that probably could be one of the reasons for the decrease.

Because our class was so large some of us don't take advantage of the "every 5 year" reunion opportunities simply because we don't know the folks that attend so the Ellerbe Jr. High School group decided to have our own reunion.

It was so nice to see the ones that attended. We didn't have a large group because of some trying to get in that last summertime vacation before schools start, but we had enough to sit and remember. It was fun to hear what folks had been up to for the last 30 years, how many grandchildren had been born to the group, how many had achieved their life-long dreams and those that had not. The best part was being able to renew the friendships we enjoyed so long ago.

The one thing that prompted this "reunion" was the fact that one of our own had mini strokes which led to a surgery that involved a major stroke on the table. We were reminded in an instant that we won't live forever and we should keep in touch with those who were such an important part of lives at one time. If you haven't seen or talked to some of your "old" friends in a while, do it now. You never know if it will be the last time.

God has put folks in our path throughout our lives for a reason. Cherish them and let them know how much they mean to you. You'll be glad you did.

My New Job

2008-08-08T09:48:00.003-04:00

Well, it's official! I am going to be working as a resident Chaplain at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. You may remember my earlier blogs where I spoke of such experience during the last semester Div school. It was a rewarding experience and knew then that God had placed me in that place for a reason. For a little while I thought the reason was so I wouldn't have to take Supervised Ministry under Dr. Brock, but now I know better.

In a recent conversation with my mother, I realized there were some paths I could have taken that would have led me far FAR away from where I am now in my walk with God. I'm not sure God and I are hand in hand all the time, but I'm not too many steps behind him on the path of my life. If I had chosen other ways, I'm not sure I would even be on the path. So, God is good and God is patient.

I've stayed busy over the summer but nothing of any great worth, which I might add, was my intention. I didn't want to have to do anything after graduating so, I didn't. I have successfully gotten a good tan, which was a goal and I have laid out my hours at the church so that my part-time status doesn't actually take up 50 hours of my week. This is good.

Now, I am in the planning mode for my new job. I'm one of those weird Chaplains that gets excited when her pager goes off. Not because someone is in crisis, but because I have an opportunity to minister to someone. So, on August 25th I will begin my new journey. But until then..... I'm off to beach to keep working on this tan.

2008-07-31T18:23:00.002-04:00

My husband posted this on his blog but I thought it was good enough to share with my readers as well.

"We are held Vacation Bible School (VBS) a week ago and on Wednesday night there was a very special moment near the conclusion of the session. There was a skit that featured a song in which the most prominent line is the refrain "Come to Jesus." As the song began Jesus came walking down the center aisle of the sanctuary.

Okay, it wasn't really Jesus. It was a man named Rick portraying Jesus. He has long hair and he let his beard grow out for the skit so he looked much like popular portraits of Jesus. Rick also wore a costume like Jesus might have worn. He really looked the part.

The skit was included in our VBS material and it featured "Jesus" hugging and helping various people who were previously selected to come forward as recorded singers continued singing "Come to Jesus" and the children did the sign language to the song. That's the way it was supposed to happen, but things didn't quite work out as planned.

As "Jesus" came down the aisle many of the children could be heard whispering loudly. "It's Jesus!" When people began coming forward and getting hugs from "Jesus" several children who were not part of the script also went to receive hugs from him. Rick handled this very well, staying in character he hugged all comers.

When the program was over Rick was still in costume and he and I
David were talking at the back of the sanctuary away from the children. But a crowd of kids came and huddled around him asking many questions. They wanted to know if Rick was really Jesus. Again Rick handled the situation with Spirit-led ease. He explained the he was not Jesus but that Jesus was with them all the time. The children wanted to know if his long hair was real and Rick let them tug on it.

Perhaps the highlight of the experience was an energetic little girl named Chloe who is three years old. I was at the doors making sure the children were picked up by parents when Chloe's father arrived. She jumped in to her daddy's arms and then began to slide down, scampering about. Chloe just about dragged him into the sanctuary repeating over and over, "Daddy you've got to come and see!" The confused father went with her.

While her father stood near one side of the sanctuary, Chloe ran toward "Jesus" who was now front and center of the sanctuary chatting with some folks. "Jesus" looked at Chloe as she rushed toward him and she motioned toward her father and said, "This is my Daddy!"

Rick smiled and said, "What's your Daddy's name?"

"Daddy." Chloe responded and we all chuckled. Then, still looking at Jesus, Chloe said, "Give him a hug."

Rick said, "Sure." Then he walked toward the man with his arms spread and the two met in an embrace at the front of the sanctuary. Chloe looked very pleased and there were numerous damp eyes around.

Later Rick said that he is going to have to be extra careful about his behavior whenever he is out and about because some of those kids might be around looking at him like he is Jesus."

VBS workers were still abuzz about the skit and the response of the children, especially Chloe the next night. I decided to bring "Jesus" back for the commencement program on Friday evening.

What would happen if we all had the excitement of "seeing" Jesus? Would we want to run up and hug him? I think sometimes I get so wrapped up in my "job" I sometimes forget to stop and remember ... I love Jesus!

The Summer, So Far.....

2008-07-06T22:50:00.005-04:00

Wow. Can you believe the summer is half over? I usually gauge the half-way point at July 4th, so in accordance to my timetable, it's half over.

I was trying to think of something I had done that would be classified as constructive since the summer began and for the life of me, it's just not happening.

I was a bit ambitious at the beginning of the summer and got the kitchen painted, but in order to get the floor put down, I have to FINISH and that would require me getting the laundry room painted, too. Details, details.

I have been to camp with the youth, which was an experience and am getting ready for VBS which will be another experience. Then we're off to Busch Gardens in August. Sounds like a fun-filled summer, huh?

In the midst of all that I have visited the beach, ONCE!!!! I LIVE HERE FOR GOODNESS SAKES. You would think this would be a given, but, that would be a big NOT.

I'm still searching for the job that is intended for me. After 27 applications later, I still wait.

Maybe I'll go to the beach while I wait.

See ya!

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIGGETY JIG

2008-06-20T20:05:00.005-04:00

We're back, safe and sound. Well, safe anyway.

What a week. Last year was a great time at PASSways so we decided to go again. We were a little critical about the happenings this year because we had something to compare it to, but all in all, it was a great week. The young people and us adults were made aware of the millions of people in the world that are hungry, deprived of health care and education, and are shut out because of their gender.

I am thankful that the young people we took to camp have been in church since the day they were born, just about, and they knew all the biblical references for the daily thought, but the statistics were a little overwhelming for them. We viewed 5 of the 8 Millennium Development Goals better known as MDGs for the week.

Each night after the day's events, we would meet in our room for devotions. These young people had some great ideas as to how to help eliminate hunger and how to improve health care and educate those in need.

God has done a great work in these young people and I am proud to be their youth minister.

WE'RE AT CAMP

2008-06-16T00:39:00.009-04:00

We're here and already having a great time.

Our young people and two of us older young people pulled out today for a week at PassWAYS camp at Wingate University in Wingate, NC.

Tonight was packed with lots of introductions and getting to know our Bible Study group. I will send a few pictures for our moms and dads and will update on our activities as the week progresses.

Camp Time

2008-06-06T09:44:00.006-04:00

It's almost time for Youth Camp and I'm so excited. We will leave next Sunday, Father's Day, to head to PASSways in Wingate, NC. Last year was our first year at this camp and we really enjoyed it.

Now, it's not like camps of the past. I remember going to youth camp at Caswell and we had to take our own food, plan our own program, lead our own program, and NO AIR CONDITIONING. Then the camp scene became a little more organized and we would go to camps where the camp itself would provide the staff and the meals and all we had to do was get there. But, still NO AIR CONDITIONING.

Then as I got older and out of the youth program, there came along camps such as Centrifuge where all you had to do was show up. Everything was taken care of and the adults weren't responsible for much at all. I never went, because I had aged out and was not yet old enough to be a chaperon but the ones that did go, had a great time.

Now we have found Passport. What a great camp. We introduced our youth to it several years ago via videotape but they didn't seem too interested at the time. Last year, we were made aware of changes that had been made in the curriculum and in the entire make up of the camp. PASSways is now made up of choices the young people make in sync with their interest levels. Last year there were 5 and this year there are 7. You choose to spend the week doing some kind of mission work or learning about your call to ministry or how to see ministry through the arts. It's great. Here we are ALL part of God's plan to work for him.

Not to mention we stay in apartments on campus with AIR CONDITIONING!!!

While some of you will be at the CBF Convention in Memphis, we will be involved in teaching young people as we countdown God's blessings in their lives and ours.

Peace.

What Now?

2008-05-29T21:54:00.002-04:00

The festivities of graduation are over and reality has set in. What do I do now? I have searched the Internet for full-time jobs and to my not-so-amazement, there are none for someone with my experience and my education. So, the ultimate question is, "Was it worth it?"

I had a great time, I studied hard, most of the time, and sacrificed a pretty good chunk of time and energy for the last 4 and a half years, but now what? I have a part-time job in a church doing music and youth, which I completely enjoy and fill called to, but part-time jobs don't put gas in my car anymore. I need a weekday job with 40 hours so I can keep my church job. But here's the catch:

I'm qualified for ministry positions and not much else. So, where do you find a full-time ministry position and still be able to keep the one you've got? Or do I keep the one I have?

I'm so confused. I admire my classmates who are getting acclimated into new ministry positions with new starts in new places. But, I guess I will have to sit back and wait to see what God has in store for me.

In the meantime, I will continue to listen to David say, "When are you going to get a real job" as I inspect rental houses this summer. Maybe going up and down flights of stairs all summer long will make me lean and mean. LOL Ok, so I'm half-way there....

Graduation Day

2008-05-14T12:17:00.008-04:00

I see that my classmates and I are a little sluggish about posting about the weekend filled graduation festivities. I checked around to see, who, if anyone, had posted anything about this past weekend and found ONE. Dr. C had written about his regalia which is quite interesting. You can tell he's real fond of wearing them from the picture stage left. His comments come from a new professor who just isn't in to the robe wearing mindset yet. Dr. Harmon says to go easy on him, he's still new. HA HA HA HA

This was my second Campbell graduation. I walked the first time in May 1995 after finishing my undergraduate degree in December of '94. It wasn't something I would have done if it had not been for my children. Walk, not gone back to school, that is. This time was not too different. The main difference was I was in the back of the line instead of in the front. The Divinity School was the very last group to receive their scrolls from Dr. Jerry Wallace so you can imagine our interest levels by the time we were called.

The speaker was, well, what can I say? Not sure, so I won't. But to listen to 450 names before ours was a little more than we wanted to sit through. So, we found other things to engage our thoughts. We learned of upcoming events in the lives of those we might not have been otherwise privy. I actually sat beside a man whom I had not had a single class with, that I know of, and knew very little about him. By the time our names were called, we were pretty good friends.

We had a new style of robe this year for the first time, and if the comments are listened to, this will be the last year. They were just below being tacky. (This is my blog and this is my opinion). By the time I had worn it twice, the sleeves were coming apart. But besides the cheap-made robe, we were intrigued with the "pockets" at the end of our sleeves. Not to go in empty-handed, we put bottles of bubbles in the pockets. It helped to keep them from flopping in the wind.

But, as Dr. Wallace finished up the ceremony, the bubbles found their way out of our sleeves and blowing in the wind. Hey, don't laugh. We made the paper. Sometimes you just have to make your own fun. Like when our names were put on the ground in the Academic Mall to mark our place in line.....YES, that is MY name. I was right beside the only hydrant in the yard. My classmates thought that was quite funny and even though I didn't mark my territory, Campbell will always be a part of me.

Taaaaaaaaa Dahhhhhhhhhhhhh

2008-05-02T22:45:00.005-04:00

The day is finally here. The one I have been waiting for since January. The semester is officially over and I am through with graduate school.

Technically, the semester has been over for me since Tuesday of this week but I was hesitant to celebrate since the grades weren't posted. In fact, the grades still aren't posted, but because I have a dear friend in the office at the school, she informed me of the contents of my mailbox and I have received 2 of the 4 papers I have been waiting for and they were fine. So, now, I celebrate.

But wait, what am I celebrating? Campbell University has been part of my life for many years. I did most of my undergradute at Campbell and graduated in 1994. (I was old then, too.) and then 10 years later, I re-entered the halls of Taylor to begin the journey of a Master's degree. I do celebrate the accomplishments made possible by God and by my family.

I started the grad program in 2004. I was a single mother but with both my children out of the house. It was just Maxie and me (see previous post). That was pretty tough because I had to hold down a full-time job, the part-time church job AND go to Campbell one day a week. I thank my employers for allowing me to do this. After David and I got married, I worked a full-time job, the part-time church job, went to Campbell and tried to settle in to a different life-style.

The time came when I had to go to Campbell 2 days a week instead of one and this made it almost impossible to hold a full-time job, so I made a choice to just do school and church. Because of David's patience and willingness to say, "We'll make it the best we can" God allowed me to do just that. So, officially, in front of the world, I say, Thank you, David.

Celebrate? I now leave the friends I have made over the last 4 and a half years, I leave Elaine, who's willingness to "be there for me" has been unbelievable, I leave the halls of Taylor to David who will begin his doctoral studies in August and I have to find a full-time job.

Celebrate? I don't think so.

Dog Stories

2008-05-01T11:37:00.005-04:00

I've been reading blogs from folks I regularly read and because of the blog posted by Dr. Tony Cartledge about his writing class, I have found some new and interesting ones as well. But whatever way I turn, I am reading something about dogs. Is this the season to get a dog?

My friend, R ebecca, rushed in to our Church History class on Monday afternoon with the news, "Let's hurry up and get this exam over with. I have a dog waiting on me to adopt him at the animal shelter."

Another friend, Jan, was perplexed by a request from her son about getting a new puppy. She blogged about it as well. Cute story and photos of the pup with his new owner.

But then I read Kristi's blog about her dog, Abby, that has been part of the family for many years and is now experiencing health concerns. If you are a pet owner, you know how attached we get to our four-legged friends, be it a dog, cat, horse or rat. (ugh)

We have three dogs. Earl, is a large Doberman that we adopted from the Brunswick Animal Shelter a little over a year ago.

Pickles, a Dachshund that belonged to the Stratton family before I did, and Maxie.

Maxie came from the Brunswick Animal Shelter, too, about 5 years ago. We're not real sure what Maxie's breed is comprised of, but we ARE certain it's several different ones. She was my companion when Patrick moved back home to finish high school at Richmond Senior and Daniel was in college at St. Andrews. I wanted a little lap dog to keep me company and one that would let me cry on her shoulder when I missed my boys.

Wouldn't it be great if we attached ourselves to the work of Christ like we do to our animals?

NEWS FROM PATRICK

2008-04-25T17:46:00.005-04:00

I just heard from Patrick. We were able to talk for almost an hour. He sounds good. He is in the city of *******. Some of the others are being pulled out of ****** and will be in the surrounding areas for the remainder of their stay. The way things are structured now, there are 95% of their battalion in the city for defense purposes.

Al Qaeda is putting out fliers stating that they will take over the city of ******* on May 1st but Patrick said that's not likely since Al Qaeda is not an organized fighting group.

Patrick is now a gunner on an MRAP. This huge truck has a machine gun on top and that's Patrick's job. He said they will never fire the gun in the city, but if they are called to the field, this vehicle goes.
The city is so crowded people can reach out and touch the vehicle when it rolls through the city. He said there were some really nice houses and neighborhoods in *******. Gated communities and everything. The concern he has is that if a terrorist gets into the city, all they would have to do is flip a grenade up in the air and let it fall down the shoot where he stands. With the streets so crowded, they would never see it coming.

He is part of a group referred to as EOD = Explosive Ordinance Disposal. They are called to go out into the field when an IED or some other bomb is found. They go, blow it up, and come home (to *******)

The other section he is part of is the QRF = Quick Reaction Force which means if there is an outbreak of fighting, they go in with "guns a'blazin'" to quote him. I would rather he just ride around the city and make friends with little Iraqi children.

He is enjoying the goodies that have been sent his way. He said the fruit roll-ups, gummies, cheez-it grips, and snack crackers are great. He said the food wasn't bad but sometimes they are out in the city so he can snack.

The only thing he said he would like to have that he doesn't is something like a whisk broom and dustpan to keep their vehicle clean, so I will try to take care of that the first of next week. And more snacks. LOL

He was using the computer based phone card but lately it takes an act of Congress to get to use the phone so he's adding minutes to his AT&T card. He said they only get mail once in a while, but every time they have had mail call, he has gotten some, so thank you for remembering him.

I'll pass on information as I get it, which is sometimes longer than I would like.

(for his safety, I have bleeped out the name of the city)

Onward We Go

2008-04-23T16:51:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's been so long, but it's been grueling for the last couple of weeks. I've heard from Patrick several times and he's doing fine. He's not real happy about where he is or what they are having to do, but he's alive and well and that's what I prayed for.

We've had a wedding in our family. Everything came off without a hitch, so this is good. The weather was beautiful as it was held on the beach so no rain for the day was a good thing. The bride was beautiful and beamed as she went from Miss to Mrs.

Journals have been turned in, exams have been taken, CPE is over which means no more on-calls, the PEICH paper is turned in as is the 2nd sermon and exegesis report. Now all that stands in the way of the last day of grad school is a Church History exam and a book review. I think I see the light.

My Senior Panel was today and what an affirming meeting that turned out to be. I had been told it would be just that, but there is always a wonder of what questions you will be asked and so on. It was wonderful. I didn't cry but I'm sure I will. Campbell is a very dear place to me and I will treasure my time there as an undergrad and a grad student.

All this to say, life is moving forward. I hope you are having a great day and enjoying the gifts God has given you. I'll be back with more on the upcoming graduation events in a few days.

Life Moves Forward

2008-04-10T22:40:00.004-04:00

Now that I have talked to Patrick via the Internet one night and a phone call on Wednesday, I am more at ease about the whole situation, so now I can concentrate a little better on the fast pace of April.

Already it is April 10th. I have a counter on my Facebook page that counts down the days until upcoming events in my life. I know, for example, that it is 41 days until my anniversary, 31 days until Graduation from Divinity School, 29 days until the Hooding Ceremony and 19 more days until the end of classes.

The sad part of is, I can remember when the counter went to 100 days until the Hooding Ceremony. And that was just yesterday........in my mind. Where does the time go? I have been working on my final evaluation for the CPE program I have been enrolled in this semester and it seems just a few weeks ago, we started the program. Now it's time to end.

I'm 47 years old and even though that sounds like a lot of years, it seems like such a short time ago I was preparing to graduate from high school. Would I go back and redo it again? Not on your life. I have learned so much in the experiences I have had. It wasn't all roses, that's for sure, but it wasn't all thorns either.

Some of my roses are the friends I have made at Campbell Divinity School, the professors and staff members who will forever be etched in my mind, my peers and supervisor in the CPE program at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, and my spiritual development that has come as a result of those roses.

Life moves forward and it's not the forward movement that scares me. It's the fast pace at which it happens. May I never forget to stop and smell the roses.

The Day Has Come

2008-04-05T21:27:00.006-04:00

I feel as if I have been to a funeral. I'm not sure in my 47 years I have ever felt so helpless as I did when the buses pulled away from the barracks this afternoon. My son is officially on his way to Iraq for his first, and hopefully his last, tour of duty. I would have gladly taken his place if there had been any way possible.

My oldest son had to leave around 3 so he could get to work on time so he told Patrick he had to go and to be careful. They hugged each other for several minutes, both crying and clinging to each other. I had to walk away. I had tried so hard to keep things together for Patrick's sake but that was more than I could take.

My sons loved each other so much when they were young, but as they grew up and got older, the competitions kicked in and they began to grow apart. Daniel, being the oldest, always did things first. He was the first to be able to play sports, thus putting Patrick in his shadow. Daniel was very good at anything he attempted and this put Patrick at a disadvantage having to fill the shoes of his older brother.

The year Patrick graduated from high school, they began to like each other again and their bond is one that will never be broken. It is such a joy for me to see them together and enjoying their time together.

Anyway, after he left it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling. But when the commanding officer yelled, "Formation" I got sick to my stomach. He hugged everyone and we all had our turn at crying on his shoulder and he on ours. There are not words to describe what I felt when I watched my son walk away with an M-16 attached to his body.

We got one more chance for hugs and tears before he had to get on the bus. He was on the first bus of 4, so it took a little while for all the buses to load. Once they were loaded, I watched the doors close and my heart sunk to my feet.

But nothing, NOTHING, will compare to the sick feeling I got and the crack that sprang through my heart when his bus began to move forward. As each bus began to move, you could see mothers and girlfriends and wives crumble in the arms of those who may have been a little stronger than those of us who were not. I will see those buses go around that curve for many weeks to come.

His agenda is uncertain at this point, as far as the military is concerned, but my agenda has just begun. Prayer, prayer, and more prayer.

Iraq Bound

2008-03-29T21:53:00.005-04:00

I love a party, most of the time, but this past weekend included a party/cookout that still produces tears.

My youngest son, Patrick, leaves for Iraq this coming weekend. I used to could say it without tearing up, now I can't even type it without the tears streaming down my face.

We had a great gathering of about 35 family and friends at my parents home yesterday afternoon. Most of the guests were family but there were several of Patrick's friends from high school there as well. It was fun to watch them interact with each other and enjoy talking about the times they have had in the past. They talked like it had been years when in fact, it had only been a few weeks for some and only a couple of years for others.

My dad called the group to order and welcomed everyone for coming to Patrick's going away dinner and turned the "program" over to Patrick's girl friend who presented him with a nice computer to take to Iraq with him. Her parents, my parents, David and I and she had decided that would be as good a gift as we could get him so he could carry a little bit of home with him.

After he opened his gift, he told Amanda he had something for her, too. He told her that the next 7 months were going to be hard and that he was glad she would be here waiting for him when he returned. He told her he wanted her to have something to remember him by and he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Everyone there knew he was going to do it except her and we enjoyed watching her reaction and of course the two moms cried even though we had known it for weeks.

As the afternoon turned in to evening, the crowd divided up into various groups, mostly older and younger. But, I found myself having far too much fun with the younger crowd to sit with the older ones.

I wanted to be close to Patrick.

Everyone left and we sat up for a little while watching basketball and then retreated to bed. The next morning after the tables and chairs got returned and the breakfast dishes were finished, my mom, Patrick, his girlfriend, oops..... I mean fiance, and I watched some home videos of him and Daniel when they were little bitty things. Patrick was 2. I laughed and cried at the same time. Where has the time gone? What happened to that little boy squealing with excitement at Christmas, "Woooook what I dat!"

I hugged my son this afternoon, told him I loved him and I cried all the way home and have leaked most of the day. I will be in Jacksonville during the window of time he is to leave which will be Saturday, Sunday and Monday of next week. I will get to spend time with him but when he gets the call, he will leave for 7 months.

Please remember him and his unit and all our military persons in harms way. I know God will be watching over him but the thoughts of him being there is not comforting at all.

32-23-35

2008-03-27T18:24:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday was a great day. I had almost forgotten what it was like to stay up late to work on a school project, but I found out on Monday evening. I had a research paper due on Tuesday along with a presentation to the class on the research paper. Because I didn't want the class to watch me the entire time I was speaking, I wanted to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to go along with the oral report.

I got to Bunnlevel around 7 pm and after speaking to the folks in the house, I headed upstairs to get started. I realized I didn't want to use my research paper for the oral report, so I decided to write out exactly what I wanted to say on Tuesday morning. For some reason, this took way longer than I thought it should.

By 10:00, I decided I needed to go downstairs and put the potatoes on to boil that I would use for the potato salad I would be taking to Dr. Wakefield's house for our Senior Synthesis "party." After the salad was made, I went back upstairs to begin the PowerPoint. AT MIDNIGHT!!!!!

I'm too old for this junk. But by 2:15 am I was finished and satisfied with the outcome. However, I had to get up at 6:30 and my 8:00 class was the presentation. Needless to say, I survived and I am more than pleased that it's over. I was more scared of Dr. Harmon's questions that I was the actual presentation, but he went easy on me. Probably because EVERYONE ELSE ASKED QUESTIONS!!!!

Anyway, the day was completely downhill after that. It was a terrific day because I found out my sermon wasn't actually due this week but next week and it was already finished. How wonderful.

So, all this to say, the days are hastening by like big white clouds on a windy day. I feel like I am on my back in a hammock watching as my time at Campbell is drawing to an end.

32 days, 23 hours, 18 minutes and the hooding day will be upon us. Don't you love countdowns?

Falcons Anyone?

2008-03-18T21:52:00.002-04:00

I was doing a little research on Falcons today since the Falcon man was at Campbell yesterday showing off his beautiful bird. I had watched Falcons on TV as they swooped down to pick up their prey and head off to the nest to enjoy dinner.

I began to wonder if I could train one to pick up select individuals and drop them in the ocean like maybe a teen-ager or a parent???? (Not you, mom. Call me for an explanation!!! :) )

After doing a little more research, I found out that these birds are quick powerful. The Falcon and its relatives: powerful birds, often the size of small hawks, they also have a black malar area (except some very light color morphs), and often a black cap also. Otherwise, they are somewhat intermediate between the other groups, being chiefly medium grey with some lighter or brownish colours on the upper side. They are on average more delicately patterned than the hobbies and if the hierofalcons are excluded (see below), this group contains typically species with horizontal barring on the underside. The tails of the large falcons are quite uniformly dark grey with rather inconspicuous black banding and small white tips, though this is probably plesiomorphic. These large Falco feed on mid-sized birds and terrestrial vertebrates, taking prey of up to 5-pound sage grouse size.

5 lbs????? Is that all? Dang, I guess I'm going to have to capture and train a pteradactyl.

Unattached Enough to Care

2008-03-16T21:56:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I get a little concerned about myself during this whole CPE thing. I love it. My pager goes off and I get excited about the opportunity that awaits me either in a patient's room or in one of the units. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled about someone being in crisis, but the chance to be a comfort to someone is exciting. My concern comes when I seem to be emotionally unattached. It's as if I am picked up and set outside my self in order to be the strength of those in need.

I have had several instances where patients have stopped breathing and a Code Blue was called which automatically sends a buzz to my pager or when someone in a particular room just wants to talk to a chaplain. Both are opportunities that God has given me that I might minister to the needs of those who call.

Sitting in a conference room awaiting the doctor's visit that will bring the news of the death of a loved one is not a fun place to be. However, being able to wrap my arms around a grieving mother or father, wife or husband, son or daughter and praying with a receptive family allows me to feel God is using me in a very special way.

Are there right words to say in all circumstances? No way! I got run out of a room the other week because to the one whom I visited, I was perceived as the shadow of death and no way was she ready to see me. But, that's ok, too. It just allows me to realize the vastness of what chaplains have to do.

What shocks me more than anything about being a chaplain, is how you can remove yourself from the situation enough to be a comfort and stronghold for a family who has just lost a loved one or of a family member who has been involved in some sort of crisis. But, I think God has protected me to this point. My calls have mostly been to expected demises. It is still tough times for family members, but because I am not emotionally attached I am able to give them the strength through my faith when maybe their's may be weak.

I have yet to be called to the Emergency Department or any other department for the death of a child. That may be the day I crumble. But so far God has provided me the strength I have needed to minister to hurting folks. Thank you, God, for allowing me to do what I feel is what you have called me to be and for allowing me to be unattached enough to care.

Dang, Cars are Expensive

2008-03-04T21:21:00.003-05:00

You know it's bad when your mom emails you and says, "I think it's time you posted a new blog. This is the only way I can keep up with you." So, here goes.

Last Saturday I realized my inspection sticker was worthless so I headed to Fast Eddie's, my regular stopping place for oil changes and inspections. I walked in and told the guy I needed my oil changed and my car inspected. He asked me if I had the registration card and I did, so he told me to "pull it behind the little blue car" and I'd be next. As I parked my car behind the "little blue car" I got the registration card out of the glove compartment and decided to read a little while I waited. I glanced at the card and saw that it expired the 15th of February. Not good! It was the 29th of February.

I started my car and headed home. The license plate place is not opened on Saturdays so I was going to have to wait until Monday. "Lord, please don't let me get stopped before I get this taken care of."

I was on-call Sunday so not only did I have to wait until Monday to take care of my car, but I was going to have to drive 40 miles to Wilmington on Sunday morning and back on Monday morning. Again, I prayed, "Lord, please, please don't let me get stopped before I get this taken care of on Monday."

I got home Monday morning and even though I really needed a nap, I drove straight to the license plate place and stood in the long line to get my sticker for my tag. Finally, it was my turn and I walked to the counter, presented my registration card and told the lady I would like to get my new sticker. She tapped and tapped on her computer and looked at me as if it were sheer pleasure to say, "You're car has a tax block on it. You will have to go to the tax office and get a receipt before you can get your sticker." WHAT????? A tax block?

As I drove 12 miles back toward Wilmington to go to the Government Complex where the tax office is located, I saw that my last name was not correct on my registration card. Could this be why I don't remember getting a bill for my vehicle taxes? Who knows?

I went in, paid the bill and came out with my receipt and was going to head back to the license plate place but realized it was going to be closed for lunch, so I headed home for a little bit. After having a bite to eat and visiting with my husband for a brief moment, I headed back to Shallotte. Again, I stood in a long line and finally arrived at the counter. I got the sticker, but I asked her why my last name was not correct. She said I would have to change it with the DMV. I told her I had done that a week after I got married (22 months ago) but she said I would have to do it with her and I needed my title. My title! I have it, but it's in the car. Am I going to go back out to the car to come back in to stand in line to have my name changed? NOT TODAY.

I put the sticker on while I was still parked in the parking lot and headed to Fast Eddie's. I walked in all proud with my new registration sticker in my hand and told the guy (not Eddie) that I needed my oil changed and my car inspected. He looked at me and told me that they were inspecting their last car for the day. They do inspections from 7:30 am until 3:00 pm.

IT WAS 10 MINUTES UNTIL 3:00!!!!!!!!!!!

I said, "It's 10 minutes until 3:00" and he informed me I should have been there by 2:30. I was ticked!!!! It's Monday afternoon and I've had no sleep from a 24 hour 0n-call at the hospital and I'm not real personable at this point. The young man told me he would be glad to change my oil but I'd have to wait for the inspection. "Nope," I said, and walked out the door. I went to two other places and no one could do my inspection on Monday.

I went home, called Black's Tire and made arrangements to get my car inspected this morning (Tuesday). I was there at 7:30 this morning. I'M ON SPRING BREAK!!!! And I waited 2 hours as they changed my oil and inspected my car. As they pulled my car out of the bay and parked it in their parking area, I was thrilled to know the process was over. It took about 10 minutes to pay the lady and walked out to my car. The idiots left my engine running!!!!!!!

I'm now legal to ride up and down the highway, but not without spending a small fortune and burning a half tank of gas.

I'm Scared!

2008-02-20T14:13:00.003-05:00

Yes, you heard me correctly! I'm scared! That may not sound like a bold statement to you, but for me it's almost like admitting I'm really 47 years old. Admitting my age isn't really so bad except I'm older than David and he likes to say it way more than I do.

But back to the scared part. I have an exam next week that is a little too frightening to suit me. I've already had one this semester and it was ok, not great, but ok. I'm not fearful of failing Church History, or Senior Synthesis or even my Preaching class, but for some reason, I am terrified of blowing it in Theology. I don't test well with exams that consist of primarily essay questions and this being the one and only exam we will have in this class this semester, I must do well.

I have been doing a lot of reflecting this semester since we have to write this huge Senior paper and reminisce about our days growing up and more specifically, our days at Campbell. I have thought back to my very first test at CUDS. Old Testament I. Dear Dr. Jones. We had been taking quizzes throughout the beginning of the semester so I had a little hint as to how he tested. Or so I thought. He put that test paper in front of me and I about had a stroke. Everything I had studied left me. I sat for a few minutes searching my brain, hoping to be able to pull out the information needed to successfully complete this exam. After about 15 minutes, it came. Not all of it, mind you, but most of it.

From that day until now, I have feared exams. Elementary school, Junior High school, and High School were a breeze for me. Everything came so easy. Not so now. Is it because I'm older and my brain cells are dying away? Is it because I'm so wrapped up in life in general that I don't have time to study like I should? Is it because.........?

I think I just caught myself trying to come up with another excuse why I won't do well on this upcoming Harmon exam. Well, one thing is for certain. If I don't get off this computer and get to work, Tuesday will come quicker than I'm ready for it to get here and I still won't be prepared.

Say a little prayer and I'll get back to work.

Traffic Laws

2008-02-08T15:41:00.000-05:00

Long time, no see! I am so sorry for the delay in posting, but life is catching me and passing me as the days go by.

As many, if not all, of you know, I am in the midst of a CPE internship at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. I drive to NH twice a week at least and then again when I'm on call. I've been amazed at the traffic infractions I see along the way. Now, again, as most of you know, I am not above breaking a traffic law myself, but one does learn after a pink slip falls into your lap with a pricetag of $145.

However, I drive through a relatively new development on my way which has new turning lanes. It's quite interesting but also very different than what we're used to. I think they call them Michigan turning lanes. You pull into the lane and make half a U-turn then wait for the light to change. This is pretty self-explanatory, right? Well, then there is the situation of a right turn. When you leave the Wal-Mart parking lot, you much make a right turn no matter which direction you want to go. Now, here's the catch. The red light is a red arrow which means, NO TURN ON RED!!!!!

So, I'm sitting in the lane, waiting for the light to turn green and this BOZO blows his horn at me to go ahead. Well, having just given the state of NC a little funding for traffic violations, I'm not keen on doing it anytime soon, so I sit there. The longer I sit, the more he blows his horn. By this time I'm getting the giggles and the man behind me is getting red faced. Because, you see, the folks in the other lane are turning on red.

You can imagine his frustration with me, but if he knew the traffic laws in NC, then he would be very patient with me ............ or use the other lane.

CPE

2008-01-26T13:03:00.000-05:00

During this semester I am privileged to be able to participate in one of the most rewarding ministries I have ever had. CPE. CPE is an acronym for Clinical Pastoral Education.

According to the New Hanover website, "Clinical Pastoral Education is interfaith professional education for ministry, where learning is derived from the supervised practice of ministry. The foundation of CPE at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington is ministry with patients, families and staff; We, as students, function in a pastoral role providing spiritual care to persons in crisis. This ministry is then critically, yet supportively, reviewed by our supervisor and peers in the training program through a variety of focused seminars." We are given the opportunity through reflection papers to review our ministry.

Am I excited about writing more papers? Not hardly, but this experience has been so wonderful. I attend the class portion of CPE on Thursdays and I do rounds on Fridays. I was given the 9th floor which is mostly surgical patients. Most patients are open to visits from student chaplains and will welcome prayer. Sometimes, you just know it's not the right thing at the moment. Learning the "whens" and "when nots" is part of the learning process, but being able to minister in so many different ways to a host of different backgrounds and cultures has proven to be so rewarding.

Next week will be interesting. I will be "On Call" for the first time..... all by myself. As part of your prayer life, please include me. I carried a beeper with me on rounds Friday so I could "shadow" one of the residents in case there was a call, but wouldn't you know it? Not one time did it go off. So, come Thursday afternoon, I will have, what the residents refer to as, the hot beeper for 16 hours throughout the afternoon and night.

The result should make for a great blog entry.

A Whole New Year

2008-01-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

It has finally come. A new semester has begun at Campbell Divinity School. The chapel was filled with returning and new students and Taylor Hall was buzzing with excitement and wonderment. Excitement for those of us who were returning as we reunited with old friends and wonderment for the new students as to what they had gotten themselves into.

As we sat in Chapel today, Dr. Barry Jones challenged us to persevere. The words he shared today were as much meant for me as anyone. It has been a long road and there have been some rare instances when I thought about going about my merry way and calling it quits.

However, I have to remind myself why I'm here to begin with. This wasn't my choice for my life, this was God's choice. So, with a new semester beginning, I will continue to seek what God has in store for me and lean on the words of this morning:

Hebrews 10:36 says "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

Christmas is Exciting

2007-12-28T15:55:00.000-05:00

Christmas is a wonderful time and I look so forward to having all the children in the house at one time and enjoying a wonderful meal together. We don't go all out with presents (see David's blog) for each other but we do have the stockings stuffed and monetary gifts for the children. But now it's over! The Christmas holidays are drawing to an end and the big celebrations are over. Our children came and went within 4 hours. Again, as at Thanksgiving, the preparations took far longer than the actual event.

My step-daughters are visiting their mother and my boys are back in Wilmington and visiting relatives respectively. So, my husband and I are home alone! Sounds pretty romantic, huh? Well, let me remind you of our occupations. He is a Baptist minister and I am a minister of music and youth, both in the same church which is synonymous with "never a dull moment".

Our respective families were begging for us to take the few days after Christmas to visit with them. One set is in Ellerbe, NC and the other in Appomattox, VA. We had considered to do just that since we didn't have services on Wednesday evening but because we had a church member in the hospital recovering from a triple by-pass and one in the hospital/rehab recovering from a serious back operation, we just didn't feel we could leave town. This didn't go over too well with the parents, but it's just the way it has to be in our professions.

The day after Christmas, David and I headed to Wilmington to visit our heart patient and the girls headed out for a day of shopping and to their mom's. On our way home we got word that one of our church member's grandfather had passed away Christmas night. Since the grandfather was not a member of a local church, David was asked to officiate the service which would require a funeral service and several visits to the home. As he was preparing this service, we did our worship planning for the upcoming Sunday which includes 3 services.... all in the morning. The phone rang, another death. This time it was the mother of a woman who had visited our church several times but had no church and they requested David do the service. Being the compassionate person he is, he couldn't turn this family down. Funeral #2 preparations are now to be made. One would be Saturday @ 3:30 and the other on Sunday at 2:00. On Sunday afternoon, I will be taking our youth to Caswell for The Edge Conference, an annual event for us but only after I sing in the Sunday funeral.

Christmas is a busy time for most folks and for many, as myself, enjoying the hustle and bustle the season brings is part of the excitement. However, I've had just about enough excitement for one Christmas. Our prayers are with the families we are currently ministering to because of the deaths of their loved ones. May God be with all the families who are experiencing grief this Christmas season.

Christmas Is 4 Giving

2007-12-18T18:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas is for giving. I like that phrase and the youth at Brunswick Islands Baptist Church, where I serve as Minister of Music and Youth, took that phrase to heart this past weekend. Since the majority of our members are retired, we have a small youth group but they do great things ... most of the time.

I picked the girls (all of the youth are girls except one and he was involved in family stuff this weekend) up at the church at 4:00 on Friday afternoon and we headed to Wal Mart. Prior to our meeting the girls had picked 3 recipes a piece from Mrs. Claus' Cookbook and sent them to me via email so I could compile the ingredients list.

I divided the ingredients and printed them onto index cards: Dairy, Baking Supplies, Grocery and Other. Each girl was given an index card, a grocery cart and sent on her way. Of course before the chore was over, they were all huddled together picking and choosing their items carefully.

After the shopping adventure, we headed to an oceanfront beach house owned by one of our members. The girls took turns making and baking their goodies until about 1 am Saturday morning. They had a great time and did a terrific job. We had gingerbread men, Rice Krispy Christmas Wreaths, Peanut Butter Kisses, Fudge that didn't turn out too well, 7 layer cookies, etc.

We packaged everything into containers with an assortment of cookies and candies and headed to bed for a few hours. We got up, cleaned up our rooms and headed out. Now, you may wonder out to where. Our mission was to bake goodies for the shut ins. We made home visits and nursing home visits. The girls hate that sort of thing, until they get there.

One of our shut-ins lost her daughter to Cancer last week. Needless to say, this was an emotional time for the lady and the girls. We didn't quite get through delivering on Saturday so we began again on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday our lone guy joined us. We had a grand time and the young people realized it truly is better to give than to receive as was noted by the smiles and the tears from those who received.

Is God Greedy?

2007-12-12T23:48:00.000-05:00

Now that school is out for a little while I am able to expand my horizons, so to speak. Tonight was no exception. I filled in for the teacher of the 4-6 grades Bible Skills & Drills class. As it turned out, I only had one student, Elijah. One of the regulars is a heart transplant patient and was in Chapel Hill getting his regular scheduled biopsy and the other two were out of town.

Elijah and I had a nice class time playing the Books of the Bible CD game that went along with tonight's lesson and we got into a discussion of God's character. We talked about big words such as omnipresent and omniscient and omnipotent. Then out of the blue, Elijah asked me if I thought God was greedy.

Of course my first answer was, of course not, why do you think God is greedy? He preceded to tell me that God wants everything. He wants us to love him and worship him and adore him, etc. By this perception of this young boy, he decided God was greedy.

I thought about this before answering and wondered if I could come up with something that would help Elijah understand the difference. I told him that if I were a greedy person, I would want everything for myself. Since God already owns everything, the things he wants from us is for our good, not God's.

Since God doesn't need, God can't be classified as greedy. Can he?

Missing CUDS Already

2007-12-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

I must say today was filled with mixed emotions for me. I am usually so ready to be finished with a semester. Goodness knows I've seen several semester endings over the past years. This one, somehow, was different. Today was the last day of exams at Campbell Divinity School in Buies Creek, NC. That may not mean too much to some of you, but to some of us, it means a few weeks of rest and relaxation. It means no cramming for exams or pulling all-nighters to get a book read in order to write the review by daybreak. ( I didn't do that but I know who did!) :) It means being able to spend more time with our families and enjoying the little things like staying up a little longer at night to watch the entire game on Monday nights.

Even though I was finished with another semester, today was a little different. I began to ponder why this one was unlike the rest. When I tried to come up with a good reason, all I could come up with is the fact that I am in my "last" days. No, I'm not dying. Not as I know of, anyway. But you know the days ... this was the last Advent season I will celebrate with my Campbell friends. This was the last time I'll leave the Campbell campus wishing everyone to have a Merry Christmas. It was the last time I had to fill out a class request form...(previous blog).

I've tried to get Dr. Cogdill to create a position for me at the Divinity School so I can stay around. LOL. He said he wasn't sure the campus could handle that. LOL

I have had to remind myself over the last few days that even though there were challenges along the way (exams, papers, etc), there is much to be thankful for. I have met new folks every semester I've been at Campbell, but have been able to keep in touch with the old ones too. This semester seemed to be chocked full of even more new friends, and for this, I am thankful.

For the professors who have challenged us and expected the best but who have seen fit to offer grace when necessary, I am thankful. For the folks who replaced the stinky paper towels in the bathrooms, I am thankful. For Elaine's great smile and willingness to "be there for ya" and Joyce's sense of humor, I am thankful. For Irma's big smile and Kelly's sweet grin, I am thankful. For Lynn's precious disposition and Amanda's willingness to serve, I am thankful.

You see, Campbell is a great place to be. Why wouldn't I miss it when I'm gone? Yes, I'm glad the exams and papers are finished, but I look forward to January when old friendships are renewed and new friends are found.

Mother/Son Graduation

2007-12-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

College graduation is a huge milestone in the life of an individual as I well remember. I was 34 when I received my college degree and I was so excited about going to the graduation exercises at Campbell University and having my children there to see "Mom" get her degree.

Well, now the tables have turned. My oldest son will graduate from UNCW in May of next year. It has taken 5 years but isn't that the norm nowadays? I'm not sure I know too many who get a 4-year degree in 4 years anymore. He went to St. Andrews Presbyterian College on a partial baseball scholarship but decided after a couple of years he wasn't going to play baseball the rest of his life, so he wanted to transfer to UNCW. When he was first applying to colleges, UNCW was his only choice even though he had several colleges interested in him to play baseball for them. He applied at Wilmington and I remember the day so vividly. February 15, 2002 was the day he got his acceptance letter. He was thrilled. It wasn't until later in the year he decided to give St. Andrews a try so he could play baseball a little longer. Five years later he's going to graduate from the one and only school he wanted to attend. I am so proud of him and can't wait to attend his graduation ceremony.

When I entered Campbell University Divinity School, Daniel and I joked about us graduating at the same time. Of course we had no idea, then, how long it would take either one of us. Well, it's going to happen but we have a slight problem. My hooding date and his graduation date are THE SAME BLESSED DAY!!!!!!! (sorry about the exclamation points, Dr. C)

I was doing a little checking on the UNCW site the other day and came to a startling realization. If the December graduation is any indication, his ceremony will be at 9:30 in Wilmington and mine is at 3:00 in Buies Creek, 2 hours away. I think we'll make it. :)

Is Blue a Christmas Color?

2007-11-29T23:12:00.001-05:00

Today is Thursday which means a 12:30 class at Campbell Divinity School. I usually leave home around 10 which gives me about 15 minutes for error. Today was a little different for some reason. I left home around 9:45 and enjoyed a leisurely drive down Hwy 17 and then around Wilmington on Hwy 421. My mind was on a thousand things, none of which were too important. I was thinking about this being the last day of classes for the semester and how I would have to get busy studying for exams tonight when I got home from class.

Hwy 421 becomes 2 lane about 15 miles out of Wilmington but this time of day doesn't usually pose any problems. Most everyone is where they need to be by the time I come passing through so I don't usually have to think about my driving skills too much.

I was still ahead of my Thursday schedule and in no rush as I cruised down the road when I noticed the yards of the community I was passing through. They were all decorated for Christmas. This had happened since I went through on Tuesday. One yard had a blow-up Santa and Snowman while another had the Nativity scene outlined in various colored lights. I chuckled a little to myself when I noticed Mary was outlined in red and Joseph in green. The shepherds were outlined in some dark color and then I saw the camel. It was outlined in blue.

BLUE. Who ever heard of a blue camel? The other colors fit the traditional Christmas color scheme but a blue camel? Blue isn't a Christmas color.

Because the road isn't very busy, I set my cruise control at 61 and don't usually have to change it except in Clinton at the stop light and at Spivey's Corner at a stop light. For some reason I had come off my cruise control when I was "admiring" the colorful Nativity scene. Evidently a car had turned off the road in front of me and I had to put on brakes. I guess I never reset my cruise when all of a sudden I saw blue, again. So much for being a little ahead of schedule.

The dreaded words were drifting into my window, "Ma'am, is there a reason you were speeding?" Well, I couldn't come up with a good reason so I simply said, "probably not" even though I wanted to add, "but give me a minute and I'll think of something."

After 15 minutes of the agonizing wait and wonder, the patrolman got out of his car with the pink paper. Why couldn't it have been blue? After all, isn't blue a Christmas color?

My phone rang shortly after the incident and it was David. He asked me what I was doing. My answer ........ about 55.

10 Hours of Cooking - 15 Minutes of Eating

2007-11-22T16:26:00.000-05:00

Easy come, Easy go.

My parents came to our house and brought my 92 year old grandmother. My mom told me earlier in the week that they would be leaving around 10 which would put them here around 12:30. This was fine considering I was planning to have lunch on the table by 2 pm.

I decided I wanted to get my Thanksgiving shopping done on Tuesday night after I got home from classes at 7:45 pm. Wednesday morning I mixed up everything we were having and had it ready to go in the refrigerator by 2 pm. Roast Turkey Breast, Baked Ham, Dressing, Gravy, Broccoli Delight, Cheesy Corn Casserole, Baked Pineapple, Sweet Potatoes w/Apricots, Cranberry Salad, and Deviled Eggs. For dessert we had Butterscotch Supreme, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Pie and some Potato Roll my grandmother contributed. Everything was in the refrigerator ready to be baked on Thursday morning.

We had a great Thanksgiving Eve service on Wednesday night but I was beyond tired by the time the service was over. I was more than pleased there was no choir rehearsal after the service as is usually the case.

Anyway, my parents were early and caught me mopping the kitchen floor, which was the last thing on the list of things-to-do. My oldest son and his girlfriend came in a little later with my two grand-dogs and then my youngest son called from California where he is in the midst of desert training for the US Marines.

The dinner bell rang and we all gathered around as David said the blessing and we started the process. It was over in 30 minutes and that's only because we sat at the table and talked for a little while. Something that took 10 hours to prepare was consumed in 15 minutes. Can it possibly be worth all that?

Absolutely. To be able to spend time with my family is worth everything. I hope each of you were able to spend time with some if not all your family today.

Love One Another - The Same

2007-11-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

While David and I were away at the state convention this week, there were two deaths connected to our church family. Mike McGinnis' father died - both Mike and his wife, Pat, sing in the choir I direct. another woman in the church lost her adult son in a fire, a tragedy we learned about only upon our return from Greensboro.

The McGinnis funeral home visitation was packed. We stood in line for nearly 50 minutes before we ever reached the doorway of the room where the family was located. If Pat had not come out and seen us and insisted we come on to the front of the line, I'm not sure how long it would have taken. It was apparent this man was well loved and that his family was well loved.

David went to see the woman who lost her son on Thursday while I was in class. She was home alone.

The McGinnis funeral service on Friday was over flowing with friends and family members wishing to show their respects. The speaker was full of praise for this man and his family and their dedication to God and his plan for their lives. It was a beautiful time of worship and the crowd was a testimony to the love the McGinnis family expresses and receives.

The kitchen staff of the church was prepared and waiting for the end of the service to offer this family a bountiful feast to further show their love and respect to the man who had just been
laid to rest and for his family.

We left the funeral, stopped by Food Lion to pick up some chicken and off we headed to the home of the woman who had lost her son in the fire.

This woman, a widow, had just buried her only child who died in a house fire.

We drove in the yard of the grieving mother to find ...... NO ONE. There were NO visitors to help console this lady, NO ONE bringing food, NO ONE there to wrap their arms around her to tell her how sorry they were for her loss, NO ONE. I was heart-broken. Not only because there was no one there to support here but because I didn't want to go either.

After following David up the broken steps and down the wooden walkway covered by some resemblance of AstroTurf that obviously was there to cover the rotten boards, we entered this home.

She lives in a single-wide mobile home with a floor that feels like it will give away any minute. Her furnishings are far less than anything you would find in a thrift store. The inside is dirty and scattered from here to yonder. There are cats climbing all over the counters, the stove, over dishes, etc. And, it stinks. Get the picture? It's terrible.

She was sitting alone, in this place she calls home, surrounded only by her animals. The "mother" in me wanted so badly to start picking up and straightening and washing and wiping, but my heart said to stop and listen to this heart-broken mother who had just lost her son.

Is there a difference in these two church members who had lost close family members? Then why was one family so surrounded and the other not?

A van full of church members drove 40 miles to a funeral home to visit and show respect to one family. I did not hear of a van full of folks going to the home to visit the other. There were church members who drove 40 miles again to attend an elaborate military funeral for one family, but I would be interested to know how many church members drove 5 miles to attend the small and simple graveside service for the other.

I don't know who went to the other because I was not one of them. I could try and justify my actions in that the son and daughter-in-law who lost their father are members of the choir and the other lady is a member who shows up once in a blue moon, but that doesn't make it right and it certainly doesn't make me feel better.

I hear the words ringing in my ears, "...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" and "...whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (Matt. 25:40 & 45).

The McGinnis family will move forward and survive. They are a close knit family and will be able to lean on each other. The woman who lost her son will survive, too, but maybe she will need someone to help her through it and someone to be there to lean on. Maybe that someone is me.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, all.

My Obituary

2007-11-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

I had the strangest feeling this afternoon. I got home from school around 7:30 PM and decided to go ahead and get a head start on next week's assignments. I will be at the Baptist State Convention in Greensboro on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and I know my study time is going to be limited those days.

Our assignment in Ministry of Writing for next Thursday is to write our own obituary. I thought this should be pretty easy since I check our hometown paper every single day and the obituaries are the second section I look at.

I was moving along pretty well until I got to my death date. Do you know how hard it was to "predict" your date of death? I put a date WAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY in the future. It would feel pretty weird for the date to get here and then have to wonder all day if I was going to die.

I decided to "die" at the age of 98. My husband told me if I didn't take better care of myself I'd never make it to 98 so I figured it was a safe date.

However, after he smarted off, he preceded me in death.

Rules ... Do they exist anymore?

2007-11-04T21:20:00.000-05:00

I grew up in a small family, Mama, Daddy and one pestering younger brother. I guess we were happy. I don't remember too much turmoil at least until my brother and I got older. He was and is a pain in the patootie and he's 45 years old. LOL.

What I do remember, and quite vividly, was my parents' intentions for us to follow the rules. I grew up knowing that if I didn't follow the rules, a spanking was the next step. I didn't get many. Actually, I don't remember but two. I'm sure I deserved more, but I did try to behave most of the time back then. :)

What is so different? Do parents think they are going to spoil their "buddy buddy" relationships with their children if they discipline them? The word "No" is not such a hard word to say.

I think it's time we made our young people responsible for their actions. Consequences are going to face us as long as we live. I think we would do our young people a great service by holding them accountable for inappropriate behavior now before they head into the big world and find some that are not so forgiving.

Are teen-agers too old to learn the rules? No! See that wasn't so hard, was it?

I Love My CUDS Mailbox

2007-10-31T23:33:00.000-04:00

There have been times over the last 4 years that I wondered if this day would ever come, but at last, it's here.

When I arrive on campus on Tuesdays I always stop on the first floor to check my mailbox before heading up two more floors to my first class of the day. I'm a little on the short side but because of the alphabetical arrangement of names my mailbox is the 2nd from the top. Needless to say I can't see in the box so I reach my hand up there and pray I can reach anything that has happened my way. There's always an Update with news from the Div School and once in awhile another piece of paper with some information I may or may not need.

Tuesday was no exception. I reached in, pulled out my Update and there was another piece of paper in there. This one was one I definitely needed and had long awaited.

MY LAST CLASS SCHEDULE.

Yes, you heard me correctly. The class schedule for next semester was in our boxes. This will be the last time I will fill out a class request for the next semester. My first reaction was a resounding YES YES YES but then it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was my LAST class schedule. I'm not sure I'm ready for this. This is not the feeling you get in your Junior year when selecting your classes for your Senior year. That is an exciting time for sure. You get to leave high school and head into new adventures.

In a way, this is sort of my last adventure. I do not plan to get my DMin so this is my last big educational stop. Oh, I'm sure there will be seminars here and there and training classes now and again I will attend but nothing will compare to Campbell.

I think I have enjoyed these past 4 years as much as anything in my life but with the last semester ahead of me, I am going to try to soak in all I can in the next 193 days left (yes I'm counting).

So, I ask you, God, please help me make the most of the days ahead.

But, I have 4 more weeks and tons of writing to do before the end of this semester so I might better focus on today.

Just When I Need Him Most

2007-10-20T22:42:00.000-04:00

Just when I need Him, Jesus is near,
Just when I falter, just when I fear;
Ready to help me, ready to cheer,
Just when I need Him most.

That's the song that I thought of late this afternoon after I finished, what I thought was going to be, an easy task. I read an article this week about the drought and how bugs were finding refuge indoors. No sooner than I got through reading the article did I find a baby roach in the kitchen. I was sick. I hate those critters. I know God made roaches just like he made flowers, but he had to have another task for them than for crawling around in my kitchen.

David and I had to do a funeral this morning and then there was lunch at the church following the graveside service, so I decided to bomb the house. Not literally, of course, but with one of those Raid Roach Bombs. Actually, I used 3.

I yanked everything out of the cabinets and covered it up, moved my plants outside, and set off the bombs as I set out for the funeral.

When I got home, I knew the task of putting everything back in the cabinets awaited me, but what I didn't know is that it takes 4 times as long to put things back. Especially if I wash everything, sort through spices, wash down cabinets, sweep and mop the floors and throw away unnecessary "stuff".

Anyway, when I was returning the non-perishables back to the cabinet, I found a package of Batherpy ... Bathe away your sore muscles, aches and pains. Now, don't ask me why Batherapy was in the kitchen cabinet for I fear I can't answer that question, but it did come at a great time. I had reached the last task of the whole bombing adventure and I was sore and aching.

While the water was filling the tub, this song came to my mind. Just When I Need Him Most. Isn't it wonderful how Jesus is always near and just when we need him, he's right there, ready and willing to soothe away our aches and pains?

Gone To The Dogs

2007-10-17T20:13:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday and that means lots of things for those of us in the ministry. For me as the youth minister and minister of music it is an especially long day.

Since this is the 3rd Wednesday, our supper menu is Taco Salad and the youth are responsible for the meal. I went shopping, picked up one of my youth and came home to brown the hamburger meat and make the brownies. In the midst of all this, I was working on homework for class tomorrow. As the hamburger browned and the brownies were coming out of the oven with others waiting to go in, I began to clean up.

I know folks that lived during the Depression and they are as much a stickler for saving things and not wasting as I am about making sure the lights are off when you leave a room and cleaning your mess as you make it.

Everything was back in its place and you couldn't tell I had made 4 pans of brownies and browned 15 pounds of hamburger. The dishes were washed and put up and I could leave the kitchen, after turning off the lights, proud.

I left for church around 4:30 p.m. I guided the young people in getting things together for the supper: making the tea, getting the salad put out, the sauces, the cheese, the sour cream, etc. then it was time for Discipleship Training after which we had a regular scheduled quarterly business meeting. (yippee) After the business meeting, we had choir rehearsal until 9:00 p.m.

When I got home, every light in the house was on and there was no one to be found. My step-daughter was in her room and my husband was in our room. I went in to the bedroom with this question on my lips: "Why is every light in the house on with no one in the rooms that are lit?" I'm not sure I ever got my question answered because my husband began to tell me that when I left the house at 4:30 p.m. the back door didn't catch so the back door had been left ajar the entire time we were at the church.

We have 3 dogs: A Doberman, a Dachsund, and a sweet mix of ugly. While we were gone, the dogs enjoyed free rein of our home which included a trash can full of egg shells from the brownies and breakfast for the last 2 days, the hamburger wrappings, the coffee grounds from the week among other various and yucky things. The trash was scattered from one end to the other. There were coffee grounds all over the rug in the living room, CDs had been knocked over from a table beside my recliner, there was even trash that they had taken out to the back deck. My husband was not happy. They had to vacuum, sweep, mop, re-arrange, you name it. They even got into my step-daughter's room and played havoc in there. (not that you could tell....she's a teenager).

I guess it has finally gotten through the brains of those that live in this house with me that I hate messes. You couldn't prove it by me that the our house went to the dogs while we were gone, but I'm glad it was cleaned up before I got home.

They are too.

A Little Math Problem

2007-10-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

"Reading Days" divided by a take-home midterm + a 1 Samuel midterm + 2 church members in the hospital + church work + a baby shower to host + 3 church members in the nursing home =

NO FOOTBALL!!!!!!! and NO TIME FOR BLOGGING.

Timothy B. Tyson was Under My Bed

2007-10-06T15:57:00.000-04:00

I hate to clean but when I finally do get in the mood, I do it right. Today is Saturday and it was time to change the sheets on our bed. I took the sheets off, put them in the washer then decided it was time to wash the bedskirt, too. We have a king-sized bed so taking the bedskirt is no small task. But, since David was working on his sermon (it is Saturday, afterall) I decided to handle it myself.

After the skirt was off, I got on all fours to see what was hiding under our bed. Oh my goodness!

At night we let our dogs come in from outside to sleep. We have three. Earl, the Doberman, sleeps on his dog bed on the floor at the foot of our bed. Maxie, the 'I'm-not-sure' usually ends up in the bends of our knees and Pickles (I didn't pick this name), the Dachshund, sleeps under the bed. Hence, the "Oh my goodness" statement.

I use the underneath part of our bed as a storage building. Our bed is sitting on eight inch risers so it gives ample space for large storage containers of winter clothes and various other 'stuff'. I put bedding ensembles in trash bags and put them under the bed as well. It's a pack rat's dream space.

I pulled all that stuff out from under the bed and began to re-arrange. As I pulled the last article out from under the bed I found a box of books. I opened the box and was reading the titles and all of a sudden I found a book I had been looking for. It's actually one of David' books, but I had started it a long time ago and "lost" it before I finished it.

I doubt I'll get to finish it at the present time because of mid-terms coming up, but I have put it in a safe place where I can see it so as to remind me to finish it soon. So far it's a great book and even though I haven't finished it I gladly recommend it. Blood Done Sign My Name by Timothy B. Tyson.

What's hiding under your bed?

Don't You Just Love Mondays?

2007-10-01T16:19:00.000-04:00

Monday mornings are pretty laid back at my house. My step-daughter leaves home around 7:30 for school and David leaves for the church office in time to be there by 9. By this time, I have gotten up, made the bed, taken a shower and fixed my usual breakfast which consists of a sausage, egg and cheese something; could be a bagel, could be a sandwich or maybe even a biscuit if I feel like waiting long enough for the biscuit to bake. (Don't get crazy, I don't make my own biscuits, but you still have to bake the frozen ones you get in a bag at Food Lion).

Then I get my book bag and class syllabi to see which books are going to be necessary to have close by to finish up the reading assignments for Tuesday and if I'm productive, for Thursday, too.

Today was a bit more hectic. David and I are attending Pastor's School at Campbell this week which required a whole new routine. We wanted to get off early enough to be in Dunn by 1, don't ask me why, and then be able to take our time registering and all that is necessary for tonight's program.

If you are on staff at a church or know folks who are, you know how impossible it is to enter the doors of the church on a Monday morning and expect to get anything done you had planned to do in a timely manner.

So, here it is 4:00 and we have just checked in to our room. David is rushing around, changing his pants and asking me why I'm on this stupid computer when I need to be getting ready. Rush, rush, rush. Don't you just love Mondays?

Studying with Notecards

2007-09-27T20:49:00.000-04:00

Did you know that 4x5 index cards will fit perfectly in the top opening of your steering wheel? I found that out today when I was on my way to Campbell. I had my first exam in Church History at 2:30 and I was still studying on the way to school. It's a 2 and a half hour drive if you make a stop through a drive-thru for breakfast or lunch, whatever the case may be.

Anyway, I leave on Thursdays at 9:45 in order to make a 12:30 class. I waited until I got on Hwy. 17 before I brought out the cards. I was trying to figure out how this was going to work so you can imagine my joy when I found out the card would sit right on top of the center section of my steering wheel. If I folded the card on the bottom two corners, it would fit on the bottom section while resting on the rim.

Usually during my trip my husband and I are on the phone talking about various and sundry things but today was different. No time for chatting. I have had my nose stuck in my notes or making note cards since Sunday afternoon. Wednesday night I was lying in bed with my arms wrapped around my pillow, my eyes closed and listing 4-liners that MIGHT be on the test. David thought I had lost my mind, but he recognized the terms coming out of my mouth, so he understood.

I don't test well. I never have. In fact, I've never learned how to study. I breezed through elementary and high school and graduated with a Beta Club stole around my neck, but not because I knew how to study.

My friend, Rita (see previous post) showed me how she studies for a test and I tried her method on a Harmon exam last semester with pretty good results. NOTECARDS. So, I resurrected the idea for today's exam. I felt pretty good when I came out of the exam an hour later.

Maybe even at my age, I can learn how to study!!! (sorry Dr. Cartledge, but the exclamation marks are very necessary here.)

Thank you, Rita

2007-09-19T21:43:00.001-04:00

This past weekend my husband and I were invited to lead a worship service in Wilson. The church was celebrating Homecoming and their 15th anniversary. We had a terrific time. We drove up to Wilson on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the rest of the day with our hosts, one of those being a great friend I met in Divinity School.

Rita and I met in Dr. Hatcher's class my first year at Campbell Divinity School. We had to participate in a "get-to-know-you" exercise at the beginning of class. The class was at 5:30 pm and I had been at Campbell since 8 a.m. which means I left home at 5 a.m. I knew I had 2 more hours to go before I left for home and I was so tired.

Rita had been there most of the day, too, and she was as tired as me. Since we were both sitting on the front row, we looked over at each other and decided to do our ice-breaker with each other so we wouldn't have to get up. Well, the rest is history. We shared several classes during the next 2 years and became very good friends. Rita graduated with her MDiv in May of '06.

I sang 2 songs for the Homecoming service on Sunday and while the sound guy was getting my second tape ready, I felt the urge to say something. I wasn't sure what, but something was begging to come out of my mouth. (If you know me, this is not an unusual happening). I acknowledged Rita as a good friend and thanked she and her husband for inviting us and then acknowledge how much she had meant to me since our first meeting.

One of the most memorable times was on a Tuesday morning in chapel when I questioned what I was doing with my life. I didn't go back to college to finish my undergraduate work until I was 32. Ten years later, God decided I still had not fulfilled my task and called me to graduate school at 42. Now, if God calls me back to do more schooling at 52 we're going to have to have a serious chat. Anyway, I was having a difficult time with where my life was heading. I was a single mother of 2 boys with divorce as part of my history and here I was looking to go into full-time ministry. A divorced woman. What was I thinking?

Enter Rita. She and I sat beside each other in the Ensemble group. In this particular service touched me in a special way. The message was on our calling and listening to God for our instructions. At the end of the service she wrapped her arms around me and prayed with me. She didn't ask what was wrong, or why I was crying, she just prayed that God would intervene and give me a peace about whatever was bothering me. From that time forward I never questioned my call to ministry. At one service we even washed each other's feet. Now that's love.

Over the years there have been many people that have influenced my life and many that have prayed with me and for me. As I was struggling with the decision I had made to follow Christ's call God knew just what to do. He sent Rita into my life.

Thank you, Rita.

Puddles

2007-09-12T22:35:00.000-04:00

I was sitting on the couch this afternoon around 2:00 and I heard this strange noise. David had gone to make a hospital visit so it was very quiet. (If he's home, MSNBC is on TV) I thought the noise was the ceiling fan but it was coming from the bathroom in the hall. I really didn't want to get up since I had my laptop in my lap (of all places) and I had books and my notebook spread out around me.

The noise had seemingly stopped so I went back to reading. After just a few moments, there it was again. Just a bit disgusted, I moved my laptop off my lap, set my book off to the side, set my notebook on the floor and put the reclining loveseat back in its original position. I got up and walked toward the bathroom where the noise was a little more prominent. I checked the sink to see if there was a drip. No drip. I checked the bathtub to see if a pipe was dripping, but no drip. I thought...oh no...don't let there be a leak in the pipes under the sink. I simply didn't have time to tackle a project like that today. But the noise was coming from the vent overhead. Since we live in a one story home, it wasn't likely that we had pipes above our heads to burst or leak.

All of a sudden it dawned on me. IT WAS RAINING. It had been so long since I had heard that particular sound. I ran through the house to the living room window, then to the back door. It truly was raining. I even stuck my arm out the door to make sure it was water I was seeing dripping off the house. Don't ask me what else I thought it might have been if it wasn't water. I was so amazed. Even our three dogs were standing in the yard with this strange look on their faces. They, too, were shocked.

The rain had stopped for a little while when we were at church but when I took a choir member home after rehearsal, I actually ran my car through puddles on purpose. Ain't God good? (Now you see the true country girl emerge.)

Campbell Chapel

2007-09-11T13:43:00.000-04:00

I love Tuesdays. If you knew how early I had to get up to get to an 8:00 class at Campbell you would wonder if I needed my head examined. But all that aside, Tuesdays are the days we gather as a Campbell Divinity School family to enjoy a creative worship experience. Every service is different and every service touches me in a special way.

Today Rev. David Crabtree from WRAL-TV brought the morning message. Again, it touched my heart. In a different style as I have become accustomed, he reminded us that we are called individually to follow Christ. Not because our mamas told us to, or because this is what Daddy thinks is best for us but because we have had a personal experience with Christ and heard his voice in our own lives.

He used his trip to Normandy to bring forward a point of individuals who gave their lives for our freedom. At that point my thoughts were of six years ago and the thousands of people that lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy. They had no idea what the day would bring when they got up from their beds earlier that morning. Because of this terrible event, many have joined forces to fight the war on terrorism, my youngest son included.

Campbell Chapel is a wonderful place to be at 10:35 on Tuesday mornings. Not one chapel service goes by that I don't bring a message home with me. Today it will be two-fold. I have heard his voice calling me to service as I count myself blessed because I serve a God that sent his son to die for me and I am honored that my son has chosen to die, if necessary, for you.

May God Bless You and May God Bless America

Sunday Afternoons

2007-09-09T20:39:00.000-04:00

Don't you just love Sunday afternoons? I used to. I would come home from church, fix lunch and put away the dishes. Next on the agenda was nap time. I knew I had to be back at church at 6 pm for the youth meeting but for 3-4 hours I could nap at my leisure. My husband is a pastor and he gets up very early on Sunday mornings to help himself prepare for the three sermons he will deliver that day so by the time lunch time rolls around, he's give out. So we usually enjoy an hour nap in the afternoon to refresh ourselves for a Sunday night football game or some other sporting even that might happen to be on the television that night.

Well, those days are over. I am only allowed to enjoy that schedule during the summer break from Divinity School and the summer break is over. I have been a student at Campbell Divinity School since January 2004. Each semester is a little more challenging than the one before and this semester is no exception. I have 3 classes that require extensive reading and one other with minimal reading. Needless to say, my weekends are (or should be) spent reading.

This weekend proved to be less productive than others. We celebrated Homecoming at our church today and had a terrific time. In order to prepare for this special day, we held a "Clean-Up Day" on Saturday which took up a major portion of the day. Then the preparations began for what to take for the Homecoming feast that followed today's services. Reading? Well, let's just say it hasn't happened as planned. So, what am I doing right now? I'm posting my excuses on this blog instead of picking up my Justo Gonzalez book on The Story of Christianity.

I guess I better get to it. Do have a great day and enjoy some free time for me.