On not losing heart...

I can see from the "Live Traffic Feed" below that my friend Heather in Peoria doesn't lose heart too easily. The whole box, as of this writing, is full with her checking to see if I've come up with anything interesting to say. Or anything to say at all, for that matter. Heather: you are an inspiration! My lack of postings for the last two months has little to do with my having nothing to say, and much to do with a completely unreliable internet connection at home. Hopefully that will be changing soon, as we're under contract on a house, plan to close next week, and will be all moved in (and all moved out of our current abode) by the end of March. Wahoo!! I can't wait to actually have people over! In the meantime, life keeps trucking right along, busy as ever. Funny how even only working "half-time" we manage to stay as busy as we do. Husband/colleague and I have just embarked on a new schedule, one that will hopefully prevent us from overworking every single week: now we're each going to be in the office for three days a week, plus Sundays. Today's my day to be in the office solo. We'll both be here tomorrow and Thursday. Then I get this Friday off and the man will be in the office on his own. I think I could get to like this schedule. I also, am working on not losing heart. I joined the big local gym 13 days ago, after a physical and corresponding lab reports that didn't really hold any surprises. Needless to say, I'm sore in places I forgot I had! I signed up for "8 weeks to fitness," joining in the fun and pain half-way through the 8 weeks of group training (at 6am twice a week, I really am crazy!) So while my new workout buddies are lifting way more weight than I am, I just keep reminding myself that I'm healthier today than I was yesterday, and tomorrow will be even better. And walking, climbing stairs, and lifting your arms above your head are really overrated. :)

Birth in the middle of things

I received a much-anticipated email this morning. My "longest friend" (sounds better to me than "oldest friend") had a baby girl yesterday morning, just before 5am. After two days of contractions she finally had a c-section. Lord have mercy. But momma and baby are healthy, and I am thrilled. I've known Jeannette my entire life. She is 25 whole days older than I am, and our families were next-door neighbors until we were about 4 years old. She truly is a lifetime friend and one of the people I treasure. I remember when I was about 9 or 10 years old my Grandma mentioned that she and her best friend had been friends for 55-odd years, or something like that. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be friends with someone for so long. Yet here we are, 35 years and counting. Even though it's been ages since we lived in the same state, or time zone, Jeannette is one of those amazing friends I can pick up with like no time has passed at all. We have a friendship that somehow rests on a grace bigger than either of us, keeping us connected even when keeping in touch proves illusive. Today I rejoice with my friend, and give thanks to God for the birth of Kainoa Isabelle.

Beginning in the middle

Welcome to what will likely be "random thoughts along one servant's path." We'll see... I set this blog up a month and a half ago, fully planning to get into a writing pattern before Grant (my husband) and I began our new call as co-pastors of Christ the King Lutheran Church. So much for a good idea. We did manage to get a congregational blog up and running while we work on getting the church's website completely overhauled. You can find that blog at Rooted. We're using it to post events and reminders as well as some thoughts from the pastors' seats. In the middle of this crazy economy, we are feeling the pinch. Having left two full-time calls in Phoenix (and hence 2 full-time Phoenix incomes) to take a shared call in Montana, we have cut our income by more than half. It would be an adventure in simple (okay, frugal) living if we'd sold our house in Phoenix before we left. But we didn't. So now we have college-town sized rent plus a mortgage. We are "working members" at the very groovy Bozeman Community Food Co-Op. And I am selling shoes at the mall. It is an interesting thing to be back in the world of retail. I covered part of a shift this morning because someone called in sick, and the mall is S..L..O..W... Granted, it's a weekday, but still. And most of the employees are college students. It feels strange to be low person on the totem pole. I am accustomed to knowing what's going on and how things should happen. I am used to having questions asked of me and having most of the answers. Now I am learning, again, (still?) to ask a lot of questions. I also have renewed appreciation for all the folks for whom hourly wages are the only wages, and who work much harder than I do. This blog is beginning in the middle of what has already become a very busy pattern of life. I pray for the wisdom and gumption to give it the structure I thrive on and the rest I need.