Motivational Monday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

My sister just called to confirm when she should come up on the Easter weekend.

What was I thinking about wanting her there to hear my Easter Sunrise service?! She asked what music would be sung. I've been playing around with the idea of "Shall we gather at the river" as a call to worship since we have the service beside the river but haven't had time to look up the words to see if it will work. She immediately shot me down saying 1) she hates that hymn and 2) the words don't work. Sigh.... She was pushing for other hymns instead (but since I haven't done any work on my message or the prayers I'm not about to consider which hymns will work or not work) completely ignoring that most of the ones she mentioned are not in our hymn books so people won't know them. "But they are much better hymns" was her response.

I finally had to say that it was my service and I would do it my way and if she wanted to arrive later on Sunday, that would be fine. She then turned that into me not wanting her there. I do want her there, but with her mouth shut and not criticizing. She'll come on Saturday and we'll see what happens. She is leaving on Wednesday, first thing, so I shall survive, God willing.

[Indiana]

Dee I think I have missed something. Why can't you go home when your Dh goes home?

[Harriet]

Kathryn, I think "This Is My Father's World" speaks to the service you are planning. So add that to the rapidly filling suggestion box, .

Not having a very easy day here. Changing all the time, though. Dd is home, but she tends to evaporate if things get tense.

[Nancy]

It's great weather for fish and ducks and any one or any thing else now. I'm back from my walk it quit raining and the sun came out yea! Harriet your dd sounds very wise!

H. is running the shredder. I've cleaned up the kitchen staying on top of it seems to help me not feel so over whelmed!

[Indiana]

((Harriet))

[Kally]

((Harriet)) Hope your day gets better. I laughed when I read about Tobias' (love his name, btw) adventure with the plastic sack. My Colby did exactly the same thing once. He somehow got the sack over his head and the faster he ran, the more noise the sack made! He actually broke a window trying to get away. It was a long time before he didn't high-tail it to the other end of the house whenever he heard the rustling of plastic sacks.

Indiana, all's right in this world when you are posting!

((Kathryn)) Family dynamics can be challenging at times, can't they?

All this talk about taxes reminds me to get off my duff & get mine done. Every year I vow to do prep monthly, and every year I don't do it.

[Elizabeth]

Almost done with my Russian visa. They ask for as much information as prospective employers. I think that all I have left to do is determine who issued my passport and print out the reams of data. At payroll, I have finally figured out the minimal set of script instructions to use a set of RTF style sheets I need. Monday I have designated errand/shopping day. I will get groceries, weed killer, buttons, bathmat. Of course, all these require different stores! This will necessitate updating Quicken too. I will probably have cereal for dinner, not very original am I? Depending on daylight, I may spray some weeds. I should put another 15 minutes on the bathtub project too. I need to set up a new crochet project for tomorrow's Girls' Night Out, too. It should be a busy night. This is good, I tend to get mopey when I have nothing to do and am all alone. And pick up DCat18's meds.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm working on my biography for the available lay preacher guide. I've been through a half dozen variants. It is 100 words or less and the organizer made it clear that she didn't want a litany of what we have done and to especially not mention grandchildren! I came up with a draft and sent it to dh who read the bios of current lay preachers and then said that mine read more passive and descriptive than active so suggested making it more active and leading the reader to think more about action with me. That's a tall order in under 100 words but I've been struggling with that for that last 90 minutes.

Edited to add:

Egads! I went over the guidelines once I had a perfect 83 word bio and discovered the limit is 60 words. So deleted the whole 'I'll preach wherever I'm needed' sentence to get it down to 67 and left out my home church (because the Pastoral Charge claims me, the answer to my home church isn't simple, and becomes 9 words - this gets really complicated when I'm actually licensed since I'll be licensed out my actual church, not the charge even though it was the charge that recommended me for licensing.)

Given that some of the current bios are 140 words, I'm hoping she is shortening everyone's for this upcoming directory. On the off chance she isn't, then I included the 83 word bio as an alternate (even though it doesn't mention my home church either.)

[DeeClutter]

Well, Indiana, it's like this. DH goes home (flying out of Orlando early Thursday morning) at least a month early to do all the things to get the campground ready to open the 1st of May. It's too cold (generally) and there's no water for the first few weeks. He dumps 5 gallon jugs into our holding tank so he has some water to wash up with, flush the toilet. He takes showers wherever he can. I'm going home (driving the car) later than usual because dd is driving up with me. (of course they don't want me going alone -except I did last year to make it home before baby Zoe was born). We're planning to leave here around May 9th. That late because dd had to get time off from school and because she wants to hold a baby shower for DDIL & DS-A. Had thought of going before end of April but it's really too early for a shower. Although I must say tonight I'm having all I can do to keep from packing up and driving up NOW.

There's noone at the campground till near the end of April and lots of days we're unable to drive in and out. Does that make everything clear as mud?

I'm doing the 2nd LOL right now and then I can start packing for dh. Hoping I won't have to send a lot home with him. Sent some things with another couple (neighbors across the street from us).

Have a church meeting tomorrow morning. DH is going back over to help his DB finish up a porch & patio for neighbors. Dropping him off then going to church. Hoping he'll be ready to come back home shortly after I'm done.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dee, it sounds like you need to pray for some more compassion and understanding regarding dgd. I fully understand your developing an attitude but you are right, you need to keep it in check in case dgd starts to change but it is still tarred by her former (well-deserved) reputation. If she is moved to change, she'll need all the rewards for changed behaviour that she can get in order for the changes to 'stick.' (Not sure that last thought is coherent but I'm done trying to be coherent tonight!)

With the bio written, I can cross an item off my to-do list for the day. I need to get my rear in gear now and freeze the meat and do up the dishes.