Some things

I have so many random thoughts in my head that I would have been blogging, but I've not been able to put together a post lately. So here are some things...

• I've been trying to read a lot lately. Far too much, actually. And I've been trying to stretch myself beyond my comfort zone and finding that God is speaking to me pretty firmly through two books I'd not considered before but am SO thankful for: For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes... in you and your kids! by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. Both are available at or through most Christian bookstores. The things I am learning about myself are just kind of shocking. I'm also trying to fit in Unbinding the Gospel by Martha Grace Reese. My Disciples clergy group is going to be discussing it in two weeks. I better get crackin'. And I'm at various stages of completion in eat. pray. love and Plan B: Some Further Thoughts on Faith. I was glad to see More Cows' Friday Five list and find I'm not the only one who reads too many books at once. (Though I'm not sure I'm very comforting company for her!)

• Church is going well. I think. I feel like sometimes I am holding my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop when things seem to be feeling pretty good. We are working on a VBS program for the first time in about 8 years. I don't know what the fruit of our labor will be, but I think it is good that we will be laboring in this way. We need to do some things beyond us. We are also forming a group to discuss and ponder and PRAY about changes to the sanctuary. It is in need of recarpeting, but if we want to make any changes, we will need to do that before the carpet goes down. That is fun, but also a potentially hazardous discussion. The "c" word causes hives in the majority of my folks.

• Dennis is almost done with this semester of his MBA program and then has the ENTIRE summer off!! We are both so excited. I am praying HARD about what we are going to do in the fall when he has three classes, three nights a week. I'm sure we will manage, but I worry about him with that schedule. Dennis gets up at 4:30 a.m. for work, school is a little over an hour away and then his classes will be from 6:45-9:15 at night. That puts him home at 10:30 and even if he gets in bed by 11, that's too little sleep three nights a week. And how we will manage church and childcare is also a mystery. If anyone wants to join me in praying for discernment about this, I'd welcome it.

• Recently, I've been working on a program to honor my college voice teacher who is finishing up her 30th year of teaching at Eureka College. Jan Wanack has been a direct agent of God in my life, offering grace when I did not know the meaning and did not understand the reason. I am excited about the event and also a little terrified because I really want it to be a success and the invites have gone out FAR too late. I hope it all comes together.

• I am trying to be disciplined about wearing my electronic bone stimulator. We saw the doc in Rockford yesterday and my ulnar bone is not reforming. Probably because I'm not being diligent about wearing the bone stimulator for 10 hours a day. I only get two more months to try to get it to grow, however, and then we have to consider bone grafts. So. Time to strap that buddy on.

• And I've started some other blogs. I've realized I need to do some discernment in my life and blogging has been a great way to do it this past year. None of them actually show up on my profile because I'm not really ready to share them with anyone else as of yet. But they are out there and I'm thankful for blogger and the use of free blog space.

And, that, umm, well, that's the end of these things. More later.