Busy Week

I didn't realize I hadn't blogged since Tuesday-- it's been busy, to say the least. This has been a week of hearing stories. I am always honored when people share their stories with me, especially the painful ones. It helps me understand them a bit better and builds a connection between us. I heard two stories of abandonment by parents, and one of betrayal by a spouse.

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I spent an evening with two elderly couples getting to know them and eating raspberry pie and drinking tea (all on china, quite elegant). I spent an evening meeting with a board member to make some plans regarding a tricky pastoral situation with a mentally ill member, and working with another board member to finalize plans for our board retreat tomorrow.

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I'm really excited about our plans for the retreat tomorrow. We will spend the morning on education and team building, and the afternoon we will set priorities and make plans for how we're going to do our ministry together this year. Today I realized what my focus has become: equipping the boards and committees to be effective in their ministry.

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Daughter has been frustrated by my busyness, and working overtime on creating drama to get my attention. It hasn't been working, so she keeps escalating. As we drove home tonight I explained that when I have busy weeks, she will get more if she cooperates, and her current strategy just stresses me and pushes me away. Will our conversation make a difference? Hopefully it will for a few days, at least.

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We are in a deep freeze right now. I ordered pizza for supper, and I'm sitting in front of the fireplace relaxing. I struggled with my sermon this afternoon, and am not happy with what I have. I may do a little more work on it, or I may surrender to the thought that it isn't supposed to be written until after our board retreat tomorrow. I need to go to bed early tonight. It's going to be a long day tomorrow, and I'm exhausted. Daughter gets to hang with one of the saints tomorrow-- her husband is going to be at our board retreat, so Daughter will have fun watching chick flicks with her.