Retreat aftermath...

Usually when the working mom comes back from a weekend away where she has worked 14 hour days and been too busy to get her eyeliner on straight, she knows what waits her at home.

Stuff like the following usually happens: there are piles of laundry, dirty dishes lined up along the sink, unfed & unbathed kid and pet, pizza and cereal boxes stacked on the full trash can along with dirt and grime in bathrooms and along floors throughout the house.

Not so for me this year. Nope.

The kitchen sparkled and glistened. The house hummed with the noise of a busy washing machine and dishwasher. The child and pet were clean and fed (nothing but hot dogs, but they were fed). The beds were made with clean freshly smelling linens!

I thought I was in the wrong house, but then my husband (aka the Prince and Mr. Mom) walked into a greet me with a big hug and kiss!

"Wow", I said, "Thank you. This is marvelous! Why has this never happend before when I've left for a weekend retreat?"

As he swooped me into his arms and tucked me into my bed (for I was tired, very tired) he said, "Because I've never been home before while you were gone."

Sweet dreams! :)

(Best homecoming ever!)

Retreating, We Go!

After fifteen years or so of retreat leadership, you'd think I wouldn't get nervous anymore? Ha! Still do and still am as I prepare to leave this afternoon for a wonderful retreat center in Tipton, Indiana.

Maybe the nerves are more of the adreline rush of preparation and excitement. Or maybe the butterflies in my stomach are just nerves because there is much to oversee and help facilitate especially with a larger group like thirty seven women, with a third of them as new participants.

In either case now it the time to launch this experience! Trusting that the Spirit has been with us in preparations, will meet us as we go, and will aid us in our worship and understanding of our lives yoked with God. I am confident in all of the leaders, musicians, presenters, small group table leaders, dancers, and dramatists. That confidence makes all the other jobs of leading easier and more joyful!

Now, I gotta go fill my husband's SUV with stuff! See you after Sunday!

Pooch Update

In the wee hours of the morning on the Labor Day just past (2:30am to be precise), our three year old yellow labrador retriever awoke my husband and I with a thud and a crash.

We rushed into the kitchen where all the noise came from to find him running into the kitchen cabinets and trying to get outside. Before we could open the door our 93 pound pup fell to the floor on his side and began to convulse. I have seen human beings had seizures, but I have never witnessed such a large domestic animal be in such physical trama.

Duke pup's grand mal seizure lasted less than 30 seconds, but was horribly long for me. He lost bladder control, bowel control and his anal glands released... my linenolum was covered in all sorts of bodily fluids. (We later found his vomit in another corner of the kitchen.)

As soon as it began it was done and then my dog went into a primal state of aggression. He growled at us... and stumbled & backed himself into a corner of the kitchen were he could observe anyone coming toward him.

Slowly his pupils came back to normal... and soon enough as we spoke quietly (while cleaning up the mess) he became calm and clear headed again. Moments later he wanted a treat from our hand...was thirsty for a drink and was eager for a middle-of-the-night bath.

Eric and I then spent the rest of the night or what was left of it trying to make sense of what happened, calm down, and watch him carefully for signs of another seizure.

Our labor and effort that night gave me a new appreciation for how we work on behalf of all those we love... including our pets and domestic animals. Needless to say, the remainder of the
labor day was spent resting from our labor of love.

The things we do for our dogs...

Exhaustion

At our weekly staffing meeting we had all the usual suspects. The baker. The birthday gal. The jokester. You know the usual folks including the new guy, Mike. But there was an addition to our table discussion on Wednesday morning.

In between the dark circles, yawns, sighs, and slap-happy jokes the presence of Fatigue became known. Usually Fatigue doesn't appear at our staffing meetings until the 2nd week of Advent or the sixth week of Lent. Every now and then he arrives when I am finishing up the Confirmation class with Andrew.

For some reason or another he showed up this week. Everyone around the table looked and talked about being wiped out, tired, exhausted and way to busy both in their ministry and in their personal lives.

Made me wish for summer break.

sigh.

This isn't good, I thought. We haven't even gotten to the Women's Retreat or the Fish Fry or even Charge Conference...and the staff are propping up their heads on their hands.

Do you think if we spike our Holy Communion juice with some Red Bull we can make it until Fall Break?

Wanted: Lost Stuff

Getting ready for this week's sermon I wrote this for our church's Mid Week Blog:

Some of us want to lose weight while the rest of us just lose our car keys. Lost stuff happens. It happens often.

Our culture seems preoccupied with ‘lost’ things. Television dramas and comedies have been made about lost folks like Gilligan’s Island, Lost, and Land of the Lost. Wonder why we’re fascinated about being lost? When I got lost as a kid I was scared out of my wits!

Sunday in worship we will be sharing a bit more about how lost stuff matters to God–well, maybe your car keys are not on the same priority list as losing your mind–but nonetheless God seems interested, especially from the 15th chapter of Luke, in lost stuff.

Come and join us for worship as we discover we’re found by God’s great love!

Difference a Year Makes

A year ago the lady on the left in the floral dress was diagnosed with a re-occurrence of her breast cancer. The situation of her health was grave and we were not sure what days or weeks would bring. God's healing touch, her tenacity for life, and several innovative doctors later- we are at a different place this year.

One of the inner promises I made to myself a year ago was to take time, create space, and opportunity for memory-making. I wanted to do something that would be special and include several generations of my daughter's extended family. The photo above is now evidence of a very special Knight ladies luncheon and tea at the LS Ayers Tea Room at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis.

The Knight ladies had tea with hats, gloves, and all the frills of girlie-girls! Heads snapped our way. Smiles and nods touched us.

My gratitude looms larger than the brim of my hat that we had the opportunity to make this memory... what a hard learned lesson to make every moment count!

Signs of September

You know you're in September when...

• your hubby saves gas money by refusing to mow the lawn because it's brown and crunchy like the chicken strips at Chick fil A.
• your kid starts her count down until her birthday.
• bright yellow Fish Fry signs for our church's annual fundraiser start popping up on lawns all over Hendricks County.
• football takes over the TV remote.
• summer flowers are pulled up and you cannot wait to plant the green mums with the tiny buds.
• charge conference forms appear in your email inbox from the District Office.
• people in the pew re-appear after taking the summer 'off' from church because of their travel, sports, and recreation hobbies.
• the garden wanes in captivating the interest of anyone in the house.
• my To Do list for the summer still has not crossed off the goal of exercise and weight loss.

How do you know September is here?