TGIF

Thank you God for Friday. Thank you for the end of a work week. Thank you for the privilege of having a job when so many people in America are unemployed. Thank you for having a job that brings me joy and that brings honor to your name. Thank you for work that makes a difference in people's lives.
I know that there are some days, even some days this past week, when I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. I wondered if I was really making a difference. It feels like there is so much more need out there than I or Habitat are able to address. There are so many people in TriState Habitat for Humanity's service area who will sleep tonight in some deplorable conditions. It honestly overwhelms me at times God.
Remind me that I am not Superman and my job is not to rescue everyone. You already sent a Savior to the world. My job is to trust in Him and in your unending grace. My job is to use the gifts that you have given me to serve families living in poverty in the best way that I can.
Thank you also God for a week that marked a milestone in my parents' marriage. It's hard to believe that they have been married for 47 years. When half of all marriages end in divorce, their love and relationship has endured. I'm grateful for the example of the love that my parents have displayed and lived out in their lives.
God, help me to find rest and renewal this weekend. I feel like I need to recharge my batteries. I want enjoy Sabbath time and also some play time. I hope to enjoy this wonderful region to which you have led me in some way. I don't know exactly what that means yet, but I trust that you will guide me.
God, most of all, thank you for your love that remains steadfast. You have led me to this place at this time and it has blessed me beyond anything I could have imagined. I am enjoying my work. I'm a part of one of the most gifted teams with which I've ever worked. I attend a church that inspires me and serves the city in some truly amazing ways. I have a family and friends who love me. I am filled with humble gratitude for your faithfulness in the midst of my life.
Thank you God for Friday and every day that are all gifts from you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

News Blackout

Yesterday was another quiet day for me. It was probably too quiet. I ended up taking a long nap and then had trouble getting to sleep last night. I finally fell asleep around 1:30 AM. This was a huge problem for me when my alarm went off at 5:30 this morning so that I could meet my friend Karen to walk. I was a real zombie this morning.
I decided yesterday that I was not going to sit in front of the television yesterday watching all all of the ten year anniversary September 11 coverage. I watched little bit when I first got up in the morning and then listened to coverage on NPR on my drive to and from church. But besides that, I didn't watch much of it at all. I decided to put myself under a news blackout. It's not because I didn't think it was important to remember that horrible day in American history. It was more a way for me to say, as I did in my post yesterday, that life goes on.
I remember I was glued to the television back in 2001. I saw the image of the planes flying into the World Trade Center towers so many times, I felt numb. I heard all of the stories of survivors and all of the stories of family members of victims. I read everything I could in the news and online. Along with this, I was given the extra responsibility of trying to preach sermons in response to the terrorist attacks.
When I look back on those days and weeks following September 11, 2001, I realize that it was only by the grace of God that I was able to move through days. And this is also how I wanted to focus my heart on the tenth anniversary. I wanted to pause and give thanks for God's amazing grace in my life and along my journey since that time.
My pastor said it this way in his sermon on Sunday:

I like the way Julian of Norwich put it. Julian of Norwich lived in the fourteenth century during the Black Plague. Every day was 9/11 for her. But she had great hope that grew out of her faith as she faced the depths of the trials of her day. She wrote these lines: But all shall be well, And all shall be well, And all manner of things shall be well…He did not say, “You shall know no storms, no travails, no disease,” He said, “You shall not be overcome.”

Wow. What power. God did not say, “You shall have no storms.” God did not say, “You shall have no terrorists, you shall have no fires, you shall have no death.” God said, “You shall not be overcome.” All shall be well.
On this day, are the promises and protection of God enough for us? Are we able to say “All shall be well?” We may have to say it with a tear in our eyes. We may have to say it with a lump in our throats. We may have say to it with clenched fists. But in that whisper is eternity itself.
God’s faithful promises are our armor. Hope is in the enduring memory of God’s protection.
When the final 9/11 television special signs off for the evening, the last analysis has been offered, the last commentary spoken, and the last editorial written, I can think of no more beautiful eulogy than to say: But all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well…He did not say, “You shall know no storms, no travails, no disease,” He said, “You shall not be overcome.”

So, yesterday I napped and rested trusting that all shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Quiet Day

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11:28-30, NIV

Today has been a very quiet day. The biggest thing I accomplished was doing laundry.
I really like quiet days like this. I guess it comes with being an introvert. Some folks might think I'm a hermit but it's really more than that for me. Days like today help me to recharge my batteries. These are days to rest, relax, and renew. They are days to catch up on my Netflix, read, and sneak in a nap.
I am grateful quiet days like today that help to restore my soul and body.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Lots of Meetings

Last week and this week have been filled with lots of meetings for me in my work with Habitat for Humanity. Several of these meetings have been really good and exciting for me to attending. I especially enjoy the meetings I have with our Partner Families. I had one of those today and it was a delight to spend time with this Partner Family and to get to know them better. While I do wish that the church where we met for today's meeting would have had air conditioning, I was still grateful for the opportunity to be with this Partner Family.
At the same time, all of these meetings in and out of the office have meant that the stack of paperwork on my desk is a mile high. I have some new applications to process. I also have some other applications to review to see if they will move forward in the process. In addition, I need to work on some family recruitment things that really need to get done. So, I stayed late tonight at the office to try to get some paperwork done but didn't seem to get very far.
I know. I'm whining. I guess I'm just tired and need to go to bed. I am grateful for all of these meetings and all of the applications that are coming in. I am also grateful to have a job that I love that allows me to make a difference in the lives of families living in poverty. So, I guess I am tired and feel overwhelmed but deep down I am know that I am blessed to have this wonderful opportunity to serve God and people.
Thanks for listening to my whining and thanks for being a part of my journey!

Back to Work Tomorrow

Tomorrow I head back to work after an extended weekend. I'm grateful that it will be a short week. I don't know if I could handle a full week of work after being off for so many days.
While I know that there will be a lot of work waiting for me when I get back to the office, I am looking forward to getting back to work. I have enjoyed a relaxing time off but I am also anxious to get some stuff done especially in the area of family recruitment. I also am orienting a new volunteer Family Advocate tomorrow. July looks like it will be a busy month with two wall raisings as we start new homes and one house dedication. We also have a closing scheduled next week for a family. My guess is that July is going to be a blur of activity.
Well, I'd better get to bed. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Glee Rewind

I just discovered that the first season of Glee is now on streaming Netflix. I've watched several episodes today while doing laundry and some cleaning around my apartment. I have really enjoyed revisiting the early episodes of the show. It reminded me again of why I like the show so much. I've been singing along and enjoying my quiet day at home.
I am grateful for a day to rest and recharge. I am grateful for the gift of wonderful music and entertainment.
Thank you for being a part of my journey!

No Plans

I am really looking forward to a quiet weekend. I have absolutely no plans beyond getting my laundry done and going to church on Sunday. I hope that napping will be a part of my weekend as well. I feel the need just to be quiet and draw away. While I've have reclusive tendencies, I really just want to read, relax, recharge, and watch Netflix.
It was busy week at work and the coming weeks look like they are going to be busy as well. We will be starting two new Habitat houses in July and celebrating the completion of another house. It also looks like we will be starting at least two more houses in August. I think it's going to get a little crazy. So, I am going to try to take big gulps of this down time because I know that I am going to be spending several of my Saturday mornings this summer doing Habitat stuff.
I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

One of Those Days

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

-John 13:34-35, NRSV

Today was one of those days. I kind of wish I would have stayed in bed. I think I would have done less damage to the world.
It started off when I got several phone calls at the office and they were all challenging in their own way. With each phone call, I found myself becoming more and more agitated. I felt myself becoming defensive and had a hard time holding my tongue. At one point, I let my sarcastic nature get the best of me and I said things I should not have said.
After one particularly difficult phone call, I began venting to my co-workers about the bad morning I was having and how much some of the people on the other end of the phone were irritating me. Then one of my co-workers reminded me that we are called to love all people including our enemies and those who frustrate us. Then another one of my co-workers said that her observation of me is that I love people whom I feel are being oppressed but not I have little use for those who are the oppressors. While I had to to agree with this statement, I really didn't want to hear this.
However, if I am really honest with myself, I simply stink at truly loving people - especially those whom I find challenging or difficult. I find it very easy to agree with the bumper sticker that I've seen several times: "Mean people suck." I don't have much use for mean people and my experience has been that most mean people don't even know that they are mean. If they do know, they don't really care.
I know that hurt people hurt people and that many of the people with whom I work make it difficult for anyone to love them. Yet, I am called to do just that. I don't want to do it but I am commanded to do it. Today I had several opportunities to show love and I failed miserably. I hate to admit this, but it's true.
Of course, the good news is that God is a God of unlimited mercy and grace. God forgives me and allows me to move forward in life in faith and hope. In many ways, I was a mean person today and failed to even try to love my enemies yet God loves me anyway.
It's this Good News that will sustain me as I put my head down on the pillow tonight. I will rest in the arms of love and forgiveness. And, if God sees fit to allow me to do so, I will awaken in the morning and begin a new day with the opportunity to love both the people I like and the people I don't like. Hopefully, I will not repeat the same mistakes tomorrow.
I hope you have a good night. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Walking Again

My friend Karen and I have started walking again. We took the month of May off and now are trying to walk three mornings a week. We meet at Wal-Mart and if it's hot like it was last week, we walk inside in the air conditioning. If it's cooler like it was this morning, we walk out in the parking lot. Today we walked around Wal-Mart's parking lot and then headed down past Kohl's and then went further on and walked around Menard's parking lot. It was a beautiful morning and I was grateful to be back getting some more exercise in my life.
I have also found that walking is kind of like therapy for me. While I'm not much of a morning person and really don't like to exercise, however, I like having a walking partner because Karen and I can share what's going on in our lives. Sometimes we talk about a movie we saw the night before on Netflix or about something at work. Sometimes we share what's going on in our families. We never seem to run out of things to talk about.
I do feel better when I walk. I feel better from getting the blood flowing through my body a little faster. I also think it helps me to feel better about myself when I get up and moving in the morning. I think it also helps me to have a better day at work. I am not sure why, but it feels like days that start with walking are days on which I have a better attitude and more energy. While today was a typical Monday with all of the craziness that is Habitat, I found myself feeling grateful for starting the day out walking. While I still sometimes grumble about it, I know it's good for me and I know that it helps prepare me for the day.
So, tonight, I'm grateful for the gift that is walking in my life. I'm grateful for my friend Karen who chooses to get out of bed and be my walking partner. I am grateful for cool mornings to walk.
I am also thankful that tomorrow morning is a non-walking day for me and I will get to sleep in. I cherish these mornings as well and the rest that I experience that helps me get through the day.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Lessons Learned

I'm really tired and sore today but it's a good tired. I also know that I am sore because I accomplished a huge thing in my life. Yesterday I walked the Flying Pig Half-Marathon. I still can't believe it but I really did it.
As I've been reflecting on my experience, I have been thinking about the lessons that I learned throughout this entire process. So, I thought I would share with out some of the things that I learned.

Every Journey Begins with the First Step - This journey for me began last December. My sister Stacey sent out an email encouraging me to sign up to walk in the Flying Pig Half-Marathon. At first, I thought she was crazy. I think I just let the email sit in my inbox for a few weeks. However, I kept thinking about it. On the last day of the early bird registration fee, I decided to go ahead and do it. I had no idea really what I was doing but I decided this is something I wanted to do and really needed to do. It was going to be good for me. So, I took the first step and it forever changed the last four months of my life. Every important thing that I have done in my life began with a first step.

Pain Is a Part of Life - I have experienced new levels of pain in my training and in walking the marathon. My back hurt. My legs hurt. My head hurt. My knees hurt. My feet hurt. Today I'm nursing a blister on the bottom of my foot. The wet weather yesterday didn't help matters. However, what I learned is that you can push past the pain. It's still there. It reminds you of your humanness. However, it doesn't have to defeat you. I nearly had an anxiety attack on Saturday night thinking about the painful big blisters that were going to form on my feet. I also wondered if I was ever going to walk again after I stopped and tried to get out of my parents' truck after the ride home. I was so stiff and in a lot of pain. However, I rested and it is better. What I'm left with in spite of the pain is a huge sense of accomplishment. We all walk around with some kind of pain - emotional, physical, psychological. What we do with that pain makes all the difference in our journey of life and faith.

It's Better If You Don't Have to Make the Journey Alone - I thank God for my friend Karen's willingness to walk with me. Through our training, she held me accountable and helped me to stay motivated. When we were walking and we didn't know if we were going to make it, we lifted one another up. I don't know if I would have been able to do this on my own. The same is true in my life. I am an introvert and I need a lot of alone time to recharge my batteries; however, I cannot mistake my need for alone time as a license to be a social hermit. I need other people to encourage me, love me when I'm not very lovable, and laugh with me. While sometimes you need to walk alone to have time to reflect, having companions can really make a huge difference.

It's Vital to Have Encouragement Along the Way - One of the best things about walking in the Flying Pig Marathon are the different groups who encourage you along the way. There were high school cheerleaders, barber shop quartet groups, Gospel groups, rock bands, and even an Elvis impersonator. I think I most enjoyed the groups of people who just stood in a group and cheered for us and shouted words of encouragement. They told us that we could do it. They told us we were doing a good job. They clapped and whooped and hollered. Then at the end of the marathon, my parents, my nephew Cameron, and my sister Stacey were cheering us on to the finish line while they held up posters with our names on them. It was what I hope heaven will be like. I imagine all of the saints and those who have gone before me in the faith cheering me into the presence of God. Each cheer, each word of encouragement helped me to keep moving forward just as in all of life.

What You Wear Can Make a Huge Difference - I heard on the new last night that a man tried to run in the marathon completely nude. The reporter said that he ran the first mile before he was arrested. Thankfully for everyone involved, I didn't try this. However, I did get some new walking clothes. I got a new shirt that wouldn't soak up the water and keep me cool. I also got a new part of athletic pants. They were were also helpful at keeping me dry. I even got a new pair of special underwear for athletes. I didn't know there was such a thing but they seemed to make a difference. Life can be like this as well. If I would have worn my usual cotton T-shirt and sweat pants they would have been soaked and heavy I would not have been comfortable. My new sports outfit helped me to finish the race and keep me as comfortable as possible.

It's Okay to Take a Break and Rest - I took a vacation day today from work just to rest. I relaxed and rested. I knew that I would need time to recover. I've got a ton of work to do but I knew that I needed time to rest. While I sometimes feel guilty about taking time for myself, it's really important to do. In fact, when I don't take time to rest and relax, I get really grouchy and can't really give my best to the other parts of my life. God rested on the seventh day and gave us the Sabbath to rest and renew. In our 24/7 world, this is hard to remember. However, rest allows us to have the energy to work and produce and make a difference in the world.

Well, I'm sure there are many other lessons I learned; however, I'm not long from bed. I am still tired and it's going to be a long week of work.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Quiet Day

Today has been a quiet vacation day for me at home. I watched some movies. I also finished a book that I have been reading for a while. I've got a short work week again this week. I am taking Friday off. We are going downtown Cincinnati to register for the half-marathon. I have a feeling that my desk has even bigger piles on it than it did when I left last Wednesday. Hopefully I can make a dent in them in the next three days.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

A Much Needed Break

I'm taking a much needed break from work. I have today, tomorrow and Monday off work. I am grateful for some down time. I really hope to work on my writing. I also want to do some reading and maybe take in a movie. My sister Shelly and nephew Michael are headed to Cincinnati tomorrow. We will all be together for Easter dinner.
I am also in the home stretch in training for the half-marathon. I think we are supposed to walk six miles on Saturday and then just next Tuesday and Thursday and then we walk the marathon. I can't believe it's going to happen. I hope I survive.
I hope you are experiencing a blessed Holy Week. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Lots of Sleep

I wrote yesterday that I was pooped from all my walking. I must have been really, really pooped because I took a three hour nap in the afternoon and then slept about ten hours last night. I did wake up feeling rested but I'm still sore from walking.
I guess I needed all of that sleep to recover from the walking. I am grateful I took the day after the marathon off as a vacation day. I will definitely need it to recover.
I've got a short work week but two long days ahead of me. I have the last in our series of Partner Family classes tomorrow night in Clermont County, Ohio. On Wednesday I have my writing class. I still need to finish up my home work assignment for class. I guess I had better get busy doing it.
I'm taking Thursday as a vacation day and Friday is a holiday for our office. My sister Shelly and nephew Michael are coming up from Tennessee for the weekend. So, it's going to be a busy few days.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

I Guess I'll Live

While it's been touch and go for the past few days, I seemed to turn a corner today. I am feeling much better and have postponed my funeral for now.
I did a little work on my new laptop from home today. I don't understand how it works but I am actually able to connect to the server at the office and do everything that I do a work. I was able to do this before from my home computer but now I can save stuff right on my laptop. It's a miracle of technology.
I also took about a three hour nap this afternoon. It must have been what I needed because I slept really hard and felt better when I woke up.
I am planning to go into work tomorrow. I hope that I feel even better. It will be a long day. We have our first in a series of partner family classes starting tomorrow night. Also, I will have a chance to see our new Executive Director. She started today in the office.
Well, I'm watching The Sound of Music and then I'm off to bed. The Sound of Music always makes me feel better when I'm sick.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Back Home Again

I made it back home from the week in Atlanta. It was a great trip. I learned a lot. I was inspired. I was empowered. I connected with old friends and met some amazingly faithful and gifted people. I am so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful organization as Habitat for Humanity. I am ready to get back to work at TriState Habitat for Humanity recruiting more families, helping to educate families, and working to help them move from substandard conditions to safe, decent, affordable housing.
I'm tired and tomorrow is going to be a big day. My friend Karen and I are walking eleven miles tomorrow. I'm headed to bed. I have a feeling I am going to be tired again tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Ten Miles

Today my friend Karen and I walked ten miles in preparation for walking the half-marathon. I must admit that this week really was hard for me. I am really tired. I resisted taking a nap though because I want to sleep through the night and not get even more messed up in my sleep pattern due to day light savings time.
While I do feel physically exhausted, I also feel grateful that I was able to walk ten miles. I honestly didn't know if I could do this. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. I can only begin to imagine what it will feel like to complete the half-marathon.
I know that I am going to have to do something a bit different next week when we attempt to walk eleven miles. I was really wiped out at about nine miles and I could feel that my energy level and blood sugar level had dropped. I ate before we walked but it didn't help me get through the whole ten miles. The last mile was especially difficult for me. I think I am going to need to bring a sports drink or some kind of snack with me next Saturday.
I ask for your continued prayers as I go through this training period. I also ask for your prayers for better results with my weight loss. I continue to be stuck in this area. I have been gorging like a hog and I need to stop it and get control of my food intake.
Thanks for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Creative Writing Class

I had another wonderful creative writing class tonight. There's only one more session and then it will be done. This has been a very different course than the first one. I have enjoyed immensely. There is one more class in this series. The next class focuses on how to get a book published. I am very interested in that class.
I am really glad that tomorrow is Friday. I have not been feeling well this week. I seem to not have much energy and have not been sleeping well. I think it's the changing weather wreaking havoc on my sinuses.
Saturday will be another big walking day. I am hoping the weather will cooperate and we will be able to walk outside. Beyond that, I don't have much planned. I'm guessing that Netflix is in my future though.
I hope you have a great Friday. I'm headed to bed. It's been a long day.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

8 Mile Day

In my preparation for walking the half-marathon, today my friend Karen and I walked 8 miles. We walked at a locale mall. It was a pretty good place in which to walk. It opens at 7:30 AM and it was pretty deserted when we got there except for a few staff people and a bunch of people waiting outside two of the athletic shoe stores. They were waiting in line to buy some kind of special Michael Jordan athletic shoe. I'm not sure if this was the first day they were available or they were on sale. Whatever it was, there was quite a crowd.
It took us about two and one-half hours to walk the 8 miles. While I was sweaty after it was over, I was not in as much pain as I was last week. I guess I'm building up a bit of endurance. Karen did feel a bit like slow pokes when we were walking. There were several old people who were walking also and they whizzed by us with lightening speed. They were power walking or something like that.
After we walked, Karen and I had brunch at IHOP. That was nice to just sit and recover and have a good meal.
I'm asking for prayers for my sister Shelly. I got word last night that she broke her arm. She is home now after surgery and spending the night in the hospital. I talked to her briefly today and she seemed in fairly good spirits. I'm sure it was quite an ordeal and she has a long road to recovery and healing ahead of her.
Thanks for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Long Day

Today was a long day. It was a long day at the end of a strange week at work. Our server had a melt down at my office. I was without a computer for about a day and a half. After the server was up and running, I spent most of the rest of the day on yesterday reconfiguring my computer. It set everything back to like the computer was brand new. All of my settings and preferences were gone and the computer kept asking me questions and messages kept popping up. It was irritating. On top of this, something happened with our email and my inbox was flooded with duplicate emails from three months ago up to the present. When it was all done, I had almost 150 emails to sort through. I got off pretty good though. One of my co-workers had over 3,000 old emails fill her inbox.
The best part of my day was meeting with one of our Habitat Partner Families to talk about his materials selection for his new house. While very limited, our families get to choose things like the color of siding, carpet, counter tops, and vinyl flooring. It's usually a fun meeting because for most of our families this the first time they have ever been able to choose any of this stuff. They are always excited and usually a bit overwhelmed.
Tomorrow, my friend Karen and I are scheduled to walk 8 miles for our half-marathon training. Winter weather has returned to the area and so we have decided to walk tomorrow morning at a local mall. The mall opens at 7:30 AM so we should be able to get our walking done before most of the stores open. I will probably follow my pattern and plop on the couch for the rest of the weekend recovering from my walking. This has not been a good week for my walking. I did fine on Tuesday but only walked about two miles on Thursday. In addition, I did not feel very well all day. I am hoping this will pass and I will be fine walking tomorrow.
Well, I'd better get to bed. I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

The Pillars of the Earth

I just finished watching the mini-series The Pillars of the Earth based on the book by the same name. The show first ran on Starz and is now on Netflix streaming. I really enjoyed the mini-series. I would highly recommend it. It has all of the elements in films that I like. It's a period piece set in Medieval times. It's about architecture - the building of a gothic cathedral. There is intrigue and mystery. There are secrets that get revealed over the course of the story. There are heroes, heorines, and lots of bad villians. There are love triangles and broken hearts. There are lots of sword fights and plenty of battle scenes. There is much debate and dialogue about faith and and Christian tradition. The story is a roller coaster that kept me wondering if the cathedral would be finished, if good would prevail, and who would have leadership and power in the end.
I think I am going to have to now read the book that the mini-series is based on. It has really intrigued me. I hope that the book is as good or even better than the television show.
Today has been a good day off from work. I managed to get some tasks done that I have been putting off for quite some time. I also was able to rest and relax.
It's back to work tomorrow. It looks like it will be a busy week. Thanks for being a part of my journey!