They have been exhausting. I was begging for this weekend. Thankfully, I do get four days off, then I work for two days, then I have four more days off. So it's like a mini-vacation. And I do get three weeks off next year, too. So I feel like I'm climbing the ladder a little. But it's only going to get harder. Seeing as how it's my office manager that's getting married on Friday. I know i'm going to get stuck doing numerous things that I don't know how to do. I'll have to spend extra time in the office, doing reports and things. Not that I mind. But it will involve a lot of time. I pray for stamina.
The biggest news from last week is that I dyed my hair bleach blonde. I've wanted to do something crazy with it. I finally got up the nerve. It was quite yellow last week at this time. Now it's settling in more red-orange. Not bad. I've only gotten one negative comment, from a patient whose sanity I question to begin with. I like it. I think I'm going to keep it this way. I'm looking to post a new picture when I get a chance.
Carissa and Rachel are definitely heading into music. Both have solos tomorrow night at church. Rachel, age 5, did a knock-out "Away in a Manger" and earned herself a spot in the Christmas Eve service. I'm doing a reading as well.
I'm also finishing a first draft of a Christmas play, possibly to be done (in one form or another) next year. It's similar to other plays I've done - a lonely diner becomes a refuge for an odd cast of characters who are stranded during a snow storm. They learn about themselves and God on a strange Christmas Eve. It's funny and touching, with some wierd people. Like the odd ball who wrote it.
Well, I want to write a longer piece on my Christmas reflections. Christmas has always been an odd time for me. I never really seem to "get it". So many I read are captivated by the Christ Child this time of year - the manger, the star, the wise men, etc. - and I am grateful for that first Christmas morning. But I don't think I've ever had that sense of wonder. Maybe it's my lack of religious upbringing as a child. Christmas always just a gift-getting time. Or now that i'm in the church, I've always been up to my nose hairs in cantatas, plays, Christmas Eve services and the like to really ever focus on the manger and all the like. I'm always just filled with such a sense of...exhaustion. Tomorrow is a rare day - Christmas Eve on a Sunday. We basically will spend all day in church. It doesn't have to be a chore. Going to church never is for us anyway. But tomorrow could be a golden opportunity to shut the world out and just worship. Focus on all that Jesus is and what He came to give us. Now that all the running around is done, we can get down to business. If there's any energy left within us.
Merry Christmas. May He find you ready this year for the radical invasion to overtake you, the way I hope it overtakes me.
12.11.2006
When the questions change...
Well, the Christmas play is over. What a great experience! Three shows, three packed houses. The message of Christmas, and how this little baby calls us "home for the holidays" was powerful. We had several people give their hearts to the Lord, numerous re-commitments, and lots of folks challenged about their relationships to the earthly father and their Heavenly Father. What a privilege to serve and minister in a place where the arts are so freely expressed. There is no sense of "you can't do that...we're in a church!" at all. It's great to know there are no boundries for creativity; simply holding our work up to the Light of Truth for our Daddy to touch with His hand.
When you live in your passion, it's amazing what you'll do and the lengths you'll go to see God glorified. Tricia and I have been unsure about several things in the last couple of years. Where are we to live? Should we move? Should I look for a better job? Should we stay put? There have been many unsure days. After this weekend, many of those questions have been put to rest, at least for me. We're are here. We're not going anywhere. We're planting at CalTab and we're going to see things through to follow the "wild goose" as Eldredge calls the Holy Spirit. For anyone from CalTab who might read this, it's not like we were thinking of leaving the church or anything. We love the leadership and all God is doing. But I think we have always had a "we're here until..." mindset. We didn't "100%/burn the ships/no doubt" commit. You know, there may always be a greener pasture somewhere else. Forget the greener pastures. They may exist. But the one we're in is pretty green. We like it. Why change?
My job is the same way. Sure, it's not perfect. Name me a job that is! But I do well, I'm good at it, my boss is a Christian. My main office is 1.2 miles from my house (more on that in a second). My other office is in the town of my birth. I know lots of people there. My mom is still there. I make good money. It's not like I'm digging ditches or anything. I'll stay.
Now, the house is the thing. We bought our house in 1999, thinking it was a temporary thing. Again, we weren't necessarily staying in the area, let alone Schenectady, too long. So now, we're here. Committed to the city. OK. Now our house is too small. It needs a lot of work, which we've ignored because, again, who cares? We'll make our NEXT house nice. But this may be our next house. And our only house. We're staying in the city. But do we sell our current house for a bigger, nicer one? Or do we work on the one we have? We could add on and fix up. Tricia's brother does that sort of thing and there's a grant program with the city.
Our questions seem to have a little more permanance these days. That's cool, but scary in a new way.
What else is scary is my older daughter being 9 years old next week. She had such a great time in the play. I kissed Carissa good night last night and told her I was proud of her and she said, "Yeah, I guess acting runs in the family, huh?" Oh, boy...and Rachel's even more of a ham than her sister. Well, Rachel gets a pink guitar for Christmas, Carissa gets the keyboard.
It's about planning for the future. And the future doesn't just revolve around me. There are three little destinies under my roof (where ever that roof is!) and it's my job to refine and nurture them. Crying out loud! I'm just getting mine under control!
Well, that's life for now. I'm waiting for an evaluation, who's supposed to be coming in 30 minutes. We'll see. After yesterday and the play and church, I'm ready to go back to bed!
When you live in your passion, it's amazing what you'll do and the lengths you'll go to see God glorified. Tricia and I have been unsure about several things in the last couple of years. Where are we to live? Should we move? Should I look for a better job? Should we stay put? There have been many unsure days. After this weekend, many of those questions have been put to rest, at least for me. We're are here. We're not going anywhere. We're planting at CalTab and we're going to see things through to follow the "wild goose" as Eldredge calls the Holy Spirit. For anyone from CalTab who might read this, it's not like we were thinking of leaving the church or anything. We love the leadership and all God is doing. But I think we have always had a "we're here until..." mindset. We didn't "100%/burn the ships/no doubt" commit. You know, there may always be a greener pasture somewhere else. Forget the greener pastures. They may exist. But the one we're in is pretty green. We like it. Why change?
My job is the same way. Sure, it's not perfect. Name me a job that is! But I do well, I'm good at it, my boss is a Christian. My main office is 1.2 miles from my house (more on that in a second). My other office is in the town of my birth. I know lots of people there. My mom is still there. I make good money. It's not like I'm digging ditches or anything. I'll stay.
Now, the house is the thing. We bought our house in 1999, thinking it was a temporary thing. Again, we weren't necessarily staying in the area, let alone Schenectady, too long. So now, we're here. Committed to the city. OK. Now our house is too small. It needs a lot of work, which we've ignored because, again, who cares? We'll make our NEXT house nice. But this may be our next house. And our only house. We're staying in the city. But do we sell our current house for a bigger, nicer one? Or do we work on the one we have? We could add on and fix up. Tricia's brother does that sort of thing and there's a grant program with the city.
Our questions seem to have a little more permanance these days. That's cool, but scary in a new way.
What else is scary is my older daughter being 9 years old next week. She had such a great time in the play. I kissed Carissa good night last night and told her I was proud of her and she said, "Yeah, I guess acting runs in the family, huh?" Oh, boy...and Rachel's even more of a ham than her sister. Well, Rachel gets a pink guitar for Christmas, Carissa gets the keyboard.
It's about planning for the future. And the future doesn't just revolve around me. There are three little destinies under my roof (where ever that roof is!) and it's my job to refine and nurture them. Crying out loud! I'm just getting mine under control!
Well, that's life for now. I'm waiting for an evaluation, who's supposed to be coming in 30 minutes. We'll see. After yesterday and the play and church, I'm ready to go back to bed!
12.07.2006
Uh, oh! He's gone into shut-down mode again...
Not so, my friend, not so! I did, however, realize last night that it had been a couple of weeks since i've logged anything here, and longer since I've gone into any great detail. So, since I have brief break in my work day, I thought I'd put a brief catch-up post together.
If you are near the Schenectady/Albany, NY area, and would like to hear yours truly in his first singing solo in roughly 17 years, please attend "Come Home For Christmas" this weekend. It is our church's annual Christmas production and it's pretty cool. It has a strong message of salvation, music, dancing, amazing pyrotechnics...ok, I made the last one up. But it's fantastic. Our worship leader, Delray, wrote the script (with some initial brainstorming from yours truly), most of the music, and directed! And it's coming together very nicely. Also, you'll see Carissa and Rachel, my two oldest, make their stage debuts as angels! You'll be blessed! Bring a friend. Hey, you even get a free Christmas cookie during the show! That's a bargain!
I've been continuing with my Berean studies through the book of Acts. Work has, thankfully, been very busy as well. So there has been precious little time to devote to extra things. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my book is basically shelved. I just can't seem to get the direction I need to make it what I feel it should be. I may still try the screenplay route at some point. But otherwise, "On the Fritz" is on the scrap heap.
But I have been putting a little more time into songwriting. When I get a free moment, I've been jotting down lyrics and little musical ideas. They've been coming out as country songs. Sorry to all of you who hate it. But I feel like my singing and musical voice comes out country. Now, I will not wear a cowboy hat or put a gun rack in the back of my Camry. I hate NASCAR! But the way the songs flow and my vocal range limitations, country songs are pretty easy for me. Mom will be proud.
I will try to blog about the play and how it goes. If you want some challenging reading in the meantime, please check out my friend Denes' blog site under the links to the right of the page (Under the Crimson Line). He's started a well-documented study of the Word-Faith (name it and claim it, prosperity doctrine) movement. Good stuff to focus our minds on sound doctrine, which is always important.
God bless for now...
If you are near the Schenectady/Albany, NY area, and would like to hear yours truly in his first singing solo in roughly 17 years, please attend "Come Home For Christmas" this weekend. It is our church's annual Christmas production and it's pretty cool. It has a strong message of salvation, music, dancing, amazing pyrotechnics...ok, I made the last one up. But it's fantastic. Our worship leader, Delray, wrote the script (with some initial brainstorming from yours truly), most of the music, and directed! And it's coming together very nicely. Also, you'll see Carissa and Rachel, my two oldest, make their stage debuts as angels! You'll be blessed! Bring a friend. Hey, you even get a free Christmas cookie during the show! That's a bargain!
I've been continuing with my Berean studies through the book of Acts. Work has, thankfully, been very busy as well. So there has been precious little time to devote to extra things. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my book is basically shelved. I just can't seem to get the direction I need to make it what I feel it should be. I may still try the screenplay route at some point. But otherwise, "On the Fritz" is on the scrap heap.
But I have been putting a little more time into songwriting. When I get a free moment, I've been jotting down lyrics and little musical ideas. They've been coming out as country songs. Sorry to all of you who hate it. But I feel like my singing and musical voice comes out country. Now, I will not wear a cowboy hat or put a gun rack in the back of my Camry. I hate NASCAR! But the way the songs flow and my vocal range limitations, country songs are pretty easy for me. Mom will be proud.
I will try to blog about the play and how it goes. If you want some challenging reading in the meantime, please check out my friend Denes' blog site under the links to the right of the page (Under the Crimson Line). He's started a well-documented study of the Word-Faith (name it and claim it, prosperity doctrine) movement. Good stuff to focus our minds on sound doctrine, which is always important.
God bless for now...
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