Thankfully is not in my foot! But in my computer and is very frustrating! I've just learned that outgoing emails are not going out... or are not being received. After 2 hours on a live chat and the phone.. NO help yet... It's amazing how dependant on email we are!
So, if you are emailing me and don't get a response in a timely manner... call! However, I did figure out a way to bypass the comcast webmail and use outlook express for now! The issue seems to be with Comcast.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Super Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, FAT Tuesday...
All these things rolled up in one day... TODAY! Can't vote today, because the Maryland Primary is next Tuesday! Don't particularly like pancakes, so, Shrove Tuesday is out... it is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (tomorrow) where you eat pancakes. BUT I love the FAT Tuesday concept that we latched onto when we pastored two churches in Pennsylvania. It is also called Fasnacht Day. Or more affectionately, Fat Tuesday... because on the tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Dutch make these delicious homemade donuts (fasnacht). Just got back from keeping the tradition... took Sharon to Donut Connection to have some donuts on Fat Tuesday. Sharon says that Fat Tuesday was just the excuse I was looking for to get some donuts! She may well be right!
They sure were good!
They sure were good!
Monday, February 4, 2008
A FUN Night!
Even if the Patriots didn't win... we had a FUN night last night! The crowd was loud and rowdy... espcially the "Fat Lady Choir" that sang at the end to torment Glen and me. The food was fabulous as always... Thanks, Walt, Karen, Tracey, Tri and Daryl! We had wings to go!
The BIG disappointment of the night was the LACK of chocolate desserts! Only one that I saw/ate!
The sign out front even brought a neighbor in to watch the game with us! He said he'd be back on Sunday... great time was had by all!
The BIG disappointment of the night was the LACK of chocolate desserts! Only one that I saw/ate!
The sign out front even brought a neighbor in to watch the game with us! He said he'd be back on Sunday... great time was had by all!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
History in the making...
That's what tonight's game will be! AND it will be a real good time for all! I heard that we have 40 lbs of perdue chicken wings being prepared! Can't wait to taste them! And then there is pulled pork and Louise's coleslaw. And besides all that there are ALL the DESSERTS! Death by chocolate I am sure! What a great time we will be having shortly!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Oh What a Relief it is....
.... to finally have some medication that is working on the gout! Thank God for the new meds! I am finding such relief! It was so good to sleep most of last night and to be able to walk almost normally now! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The pain of persistence....
I know that I was a real pain for the docs office today! And I am SORRY! BUT I was in tremendous pain -- the kind of pain that I have never felt before. It was so bad that I was tempted to go to the ER because I thought that would be QUICKER than the doc responding to my calls! I am dead tired, but can't sleep when I lay down due to the pain. Now that gout has been confirmed and the appropriate meds have been prescribed, maybe I can sleep tonight!
The persistent pain caused me to be persistent! And I know I was a persistent pain! Isn't that a real twist on persistence!
The persistent pain caused me to be persistent! And I know I was a persistent pain! Isn't that a real twist on persistence!
The pain of pain of pain....
The pain saga continues... the new med, vicodin is NOT working either! Don't know what is the deal here... but will be talking to the doc this a.m. Was awakened at 2 a.m. with shooting pain in my foot and could not get back to sleep, even after taking a pain med and hour early. No effect except to make me sleepy, but the pain is so intense that I can't sleep. WOW!!!!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Pain of Pain...
Since Sunday night, I have been having some pain issues... Now I have a really high pain tolerance level (after all, when I get a cavity filled... I like to skip the novacane and just clench my fists). But this pain got the best of me yesterday a.m... after a sleepLESS night on Monday night, I called off a trip to Assateague to hunt Sika deer in the early a.m. and opted for the docs place instead. Told them that if they couldn't get me in before noon, I was going to the ER!
Seems that I am having a gout attack (my diagnosis, at present... not the docs, but after 8 vials of blood, they should know for sure soon!) Told the doc that the pain was an 11 on a 1-10 scale! She prescribed darvecet, but it didn't do a thing... So, the nurse said come back in a.m. for a different prescription and in the mean time take two darvecet. So, I did... and it knocked me out... but several times last night while still under the influence of the med, was awakened by severe pain.
This a.m. got the new prescription... a stronger med... vicodin. But the pain of it all is that this med in the past has knocked me out... so, how is a preacher supposed to get a sermon done when knocked out? Maybe I will get lucky and it won't knock me out... or maybe I can still work under the influence! The warning says, "Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities that require you to be alert or have clear vision...." Wonder what effect that will have on the message! If might be a real interesting one on Sunday!
Seems that I am having a gout attack (my diagnosis, at present... not the docs, but after 8 vials of blood, they should know for sure soon!) Told the doc that the pain was an 11 on a 1-10 scale! She prescribed darvecet, but it didn't do a thing... So, the nurse said come back in a.m. for a different prescription and in the mean time take two darvecet. So, I did... and it knocked me out... but several times last night while still under the influence of the med, was awakened by severe pain.
This a.m. got the new prescription... a stronger med... vicodin. But the pain of it all is that this med in the past has knocked me out... so, how is a preacher supposed to get a sermon done when knocked out? Maybe I will get lucky and it won't knock me out... or maybe I can still work under the influence! The warning says, "Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities that require you to be alert or have clear vision...." Wonder what effect that will have on the message! If might be a real interesting one on Sunday!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Persistence....
My office windows face out to our front yard and several pine trees. In my office, I have the computer turned so that I can face the windows and see outside (you know I am an outdoor person). Anyway, as I am working on the computer this morning, I notice some regular movement in the trees and so I start noticing what the movement is. It is a squirrel gathering pine branches and placing them in the Y of a pine tree to form a nest. However, it's work seems in vane... about 3 of every 4 of these branches falls to the ground. Quite a pile is developing at the base of the tree (I am thankful for this pile... these are branches that would have blown out of the tree in the next wind storm and they would scatter everywhere -- but now they are in ONE spot!) This is one persistent squirrel... a week or so ago, there was one doing the very same thing and the very same deal...with sticks dropping as fast as it placed them... finally it gave up. I wonder how long this squirrel will work today?
Sometimes we are a lot like this squirrel, we go through life doing things with results we aren't happy with and rather than change what we are doing, we keep doing the same things with the same results. If we find ourselves in a situation we don't like being in on a regular basis... it is time to ask... what can I change to get a different result. Or maybe we need to seek the advice of someone who might be able to help us... (I keep looking for another squirrel to get involved to help this one figure out how to build a nest that will stay!) Sometimes persistence is a good thing and sometimes it keeps us in situations that aren't good for us or aren't acheiving the results we would like!
Sometimes we are a lot like this squirrel, we go through life doing things with results we aren't happy with and rather than change what we are doing, we keep doing the same things with the same results. If we find ourselves in a situation we don't like being in on a regular basis... it is time to ask... what can I change to get a different result. Or maybe we need to seek the advice of someone who might be able to help us... (I keep looking for another squirrel to get involved to help this one figure out how to build a nest that will stay!) Sometimes persistence is a good thing and sometimes it keeps us in situations that aren't good for us or aren't acheiving the results we would like!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Another beautiful call for sale on ebay....
My friend, artist Wil Goebel has done it again... here is the beautiful turkey call that he painted and I now have for sale on ebay...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Some more thoughts on enough....
Someone sent me this "poem" today after the sermon... it is good food for thought! Thanks!
To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
Author Unknown
To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
Author Unknown
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thoughts on a snowy day!
Today as I went to the ministry center to shovel the sidewalks... something we have to do in the city within 24 hours of the snow stopping, I was prepared to shovel the walks in front of Bethany Lutheran as well.... But wouldn't you know it... someone from Bethany Lutheran had already spread salt on their walks, and I didn't want to shovel the salt off the walks.
Thought number 2... we need to get a snow shoveling team together...
Thought number 3... when we were planning our ramp... we didn't give thought to the fact that the building will provide shade and therefore, keep the sun from melting the snow and ice.
Thought number 4... I am thankful that God didn't make trees to have leaves year around. If they did, the sun would be blocked from melting snow in lots of places! Isn't God incredible the way he designed things?!!!!
Thought number 2... we need to get a snow shoveling team together...
Thought number 3... when we were planning our ramp... we didn't give thought to the fact that the building will provide shade and therefore, keep the sun from melting the snow and ice.
Thought number 4... I am thankful that God didn't make trees to have leaves year around. If they did, the sun would be blocked from melting snow in lots of places! Isn't God incredible the way he designed things?!!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
How far is far enough...
I've been working on a sermon for this week on the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46 where he says that when we feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner, we do that to him. And the question that I keep wrestling with is how far is far enough?
I remember hearing a sermon once where the preacher asked... when raking leaves in my yard, how far into the neighbor's yard should I go? Or when shoveling snow on the sidewalk... where do you stop? Same basic question here... when helping someone in need, how much help do we provide? Is there ever a time when you say, I've done all I can? Is there ever a time when you say -- No way!
And what about if the person truly is hungry... but you know for a fact that they are hungry because of unwise choices regarding money or job? And this is complicated by time spent helping the person with budgeting and counsel on wise choices.
Right now, I am dealing with this issue exactly... I've spent several years helping someone in many ways including financial and the need is huge, but the decisions of late are very unwise. At what point does the help become enabling for the person to live in the dysfunction?
Tough questions!
I remember hearing a sermon once where the preacher asked... when raking leaves in my yard, how far into the neighbor's yard should I go? Or when shoveling snow on the sidewalk... where do you stop? Same basic question here... when helping someone in need, how much help do we provide? Is there ever a time when you say, I've done all I can? Is there ever a time when you say -- No way!
And what about if the person truly is hungry... but you know for a fact that they are hungry because of unwise choices regarding money or job? And this is complicated by time spent helping the person with budgeting and counsel on wise choices.
Right now, I am dealing with this issue exactly... I've spent several years helping someone in many ways including financial and the need is huge, but the decisions of late are very unwise. At what point does the help become enabling for the person to live in the dysfunction?
Tough questions!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
For all you hunters....
Well known, Whitetailed Deer photographer and writer, Charlie Alsheimer is coming to Bridgville, De on February 9. Dinner and the program is $15 and will be at 6 p.m. at the Cannon Mennonite Church. I am definitely going to this one and excited to be so!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Ship Sunk....
Last night was the LAST meeting of the Eastern Shore Chapter of the NWTF. It is such a shame... it was the first chapter in the state of Maryland and was responsible for helping the Wild Turkey return to the shore. But due to politics from the national level and the opening of a new chapter last year in Delmar, just 6 miles away, the chapter was unable to find leadership for the future. I agreed to be president two years ago, with the hopes that we could chart a new course... but politics wins!
It's is sad to me that the ship sank on my watch, but then I have to remind myself that it had holes in the bow and stern when I took the wheel. It's a shame... something so good... ended... in large part due to greed.
We agreed last night to continue to work, though not through the NWTF, to host educational events for kids, introducing them to the great outdoors. Not sure when our first event will be but sure that it will be at Dick and Pat Hazel's farm in Eden... a farm that has been enhanced in great ways to educate children and expose children to the beauty of nature.
It's is sad to me that the ship sank on my watch, but then I have to remind myself that it had holes in the bow and stern when I took the wheel. It's a shame... something so good... ended... in large part due to greed.
We agreed last night to continue to work, though not through the NWTF, to host educational events for kids, introducing them to the great outdoors. Not sure when our first event will be but sure that it will be at Dick and Pat Hazel's farm in Eden... a farm that has been enhanced in great ways to educate children and expose children to the beauty of nature.
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