Anniversary

Today is the sixth anniversary of my ordination. It is kind of interesting that at this point in my ministry, I am leaving the ELCA. I remember the excitement that went into that day. I remember the ideals that I had. I don't think the ideals are gone. I do think the ideals may have morphed, though. I realize that not eveyone will love me and that I will not have people sitting at my feet totally enthralled by my great theological insights. But I do hope to challenge people to move beyond where they are now. To leave people where they are, they become complacent. But if you push people too hard, they become defensive and cold. I guess I am just moving on to a new place in ministry. I never thought six years ago that I would be in this place now, but can we ever predict where our lives will be?

"Out in the Son"

I though this would be a great rallying cry for all of us LGBT Christians in the world. I have had people ask me how it is possible to be gay and Christian. I don't see that as a problem. Just like the other things about me, I hope to be able to us my sexuality as a way of glorifying God and a way of leading people to Christ. I find it sad that people in the LGBT population feel that "Christian" is equated with "Hateful Bigot." I see me being out to the people of the world and also being a Christian as a great way to help people to learn about Christ's loving ways. So "Out in the Son" just seemed like a natural.

I think some Christians are so closed to LGBT folks because they never take the time to get to know them. They stand around and tell them that they are damned to hell, but never take the time to understand the hell that is here on earth for us. They never have to worry about losing their jobs because of their sexuality. They never have to send out over three hundrend letters informing people about their sexuality. They never know what it means to have to leave a job just because of someone you love. The "god" some Christians present is so small and hateful. The God I know is so large and loving. We need to help the world to see.

Nick's Birthday Recap

I would write about Nick's birthday, but he does a great job of it! Check here and here. It was a great time! I am so lucky to have met him.

Nick's Birthday!

I'm heading to Nick's to celebrate his birthday. I have some plans but I can't post them as he is a regular reader of my blog! ;) It is raining right now and I hope that clears up, but if not, rain is not that bad either!

Sunday service went well. Many people were very supportive and specifically searched me out to give me a hug and their support. Considering how much I will sweat with all the ecclesiastical garb on, hugging me is quite the sign of support!

So it looks like the blue pews are definitely winning out! This is so affirming!

Ok...So I steal the covers...

What Your Sleeping Position Says

You have a passion for everything - including sleeping. Outgoing and brash, you tend to still shock those who know you well. You tend to be selfish. You are the most likely type to hog the covers. You gravitate toward comfort and don't like extreme situations.

What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

I am such a dork!

I was feeling kind of bummed when I got the letter from the IRS yesterday. So I gave Nick a call and he agreed to meet me about half-way for dinner. We had met at the Big Boy before so Nick chose the restaurant, knowing I was not in a mood to make a choice.

While traveling there, I saw a billboard for the Ionia Free Fair, THE LARGEST FREE FAIR IN THE WORLD!
We had a great time. I love whole "fair" thing. It was fun being yelled at by carneys, checking out the exhibits (and the exhibitors!), and even going to the freak show! Nick didn't seem as into the freak show as I was. I loved the whole theatre of the thing! It was great.

Well, it was getting late and I had a long drive ahead of me to get back home so I could be up for the men's Bible study this morning. So I dropped Nick off at his car and headed home myself. I got home and went to bed.

My alarm went off at 6:30 am and I roused myself out of bed. Went to the church and got ready for the Bible study. And waited. And waited. No one was showing. I panicked a little, maybe people were not coming because of the letter. But then it dawned on me: the Bible study is on the first and third Saturdays of the month. THIS WAS THE FIFTH SATURDAY OF THE MONTH! I didn't need to be rushing all around. I could have tucked Nick in last night! What a dork!

Oh well, I will be finding a cool place to work on paperwork today.

Hope your day is less dorkey!

God made it so!

Here is a great argument concerning the gay marriage. Here is another viewpoint.

Curiouser and Curiouser

Well, heaven forbid things get a little relaxed. I just got a letter from the IRS, no, not an audit, but an addition of almost $2000 in taxes. Yeah, right. Like I have that kind of money.

Oh, I went to Monster House. I was highly underwhelmed.

"How are you doing?"

I feel a little ashamed to say that I am becoming tired of this question. But I also remind myself that every person who asks is asking out of love and concern.

What is interesting is that I am actually doing quite well. Many of the difficult moments are over. Many of the painful times have passed in the writing of the letter and in making all the choices of leaving the ELCA and people to come out to. I have struggled, often with just Nick to keep me sane. So at this point, I am very content with my station in life. However, for other people, this is something new.

In some cases, this may really be the first time these people have really known someone who was gay. I think in some cases, stereotypes need to change. I don't mind being the element of change.

I just hope people feel open enough to me to ask the questions they need to ask. I hope people will be able to ask the questions that they have wondered and didn't know where to go. If I can do that, then I will be pleased. Also, answering questions solidifies my self-understanding as being a gay man.

THE LETTER

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Three years ago, I was called to be your pastor. I came among you both excited and scared. I was excited because I saw in this congregation a commitment to God and a commitment to serve. I was excited to be beginning a new ministry in a setting where God seemed to be so present. I also was scared because of my previous experiences in the congregation. My previous call had left me wounded and cautious. I am pleased to say that I did in fact find a Spirit filled, nurturing congregation where my wounds could heal.

With all of you, I also found a congregation that challenged me to become more than I could ever hope. I found a congregation that pushed me to learn more about myself and pushed me to learn more about my theology. Many insightful and probing questions moved me to take a look at myself and my ministry. This push to growth has opened doors for me that I never knew existed. However, it is because of this growth that I am informing you of my resignation from you as a congregation and from the roster of the ELCA. This resignation will become effective August 14th, 2006.

I am not leaving the ministry, but I am moving from the ELCA to the Episcopal Church USA. The reason for this move is that through growth and personal insight, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot live in acceptance of some aspects of ELCA theology and politics. I especially have difficulty with "Section III: Sexual Conduct" of the document entitled Visions and Expectations. (The part that is especially difficult is the sentence that reads, "Ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.)

When I arrived among you three years ago, this letter was the last thing I ever though I would be writing. However, in the process of healing from my previous call, the wound of my "aloneness" come to the fore. Even as the ELCA has been publicly wrestling with the issue of sexual orientation, I have been on a private journey of my own. It has been scary and confusing, but it has also been filled with joy and contentment. Where in the past I have felt like a shattered and fragmented person living a lie, I now feel whole, healthy, and truthful.

It makes me sad that finding such wholeness and happiness in my life means that I will no longer be able to serve you as your pastor. But as the policy of the ELCA currently stands, there is no other option. For me to remain truthful to myself and to serve the Church, I will be transferring my credentials to the Episcopal Church.

I am deeply sorry for any difficulty or hurt this may cause. To hurt you was never my intent. I have deep love and respect for all of you. The timing of my leaving was chosen so as to cause as little disruption of congregational life as possible.

It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit strengthen and guide you during this time of transition. I also ask you to keep me in your prayers as I face a future that is unclear. Storms may for in our lives, but we can trust in our Savior!

Anniversary

Actually, the anniversary was last week but I didn't really think much about it. I had been thinking too much about "THE LETTER." (I will post the letter as soon as I have the file and the computer in the same place!)

I have been gay for a year.

A year before, I was not gay, I was a straight guy who just like looking at gay porn. Really, I was into women! YES I WAS! REALLY! I only looked at gay porn because I wanted to know if my penis was as big as others. REALLY! I liked straight porn as long as there was a well hung guy in it. But I was REALLY paying attention to the woman. (yeah, right.)

Yes, a year ago I realized that I wasn't fooling anyone so why should I be trying to fool myself. I finally came to the point of looking into the mirror and saying, "Ben, you are gay. You want to have sex with men. You really do not want to be with women."

At this point, I was not a virgin, but I was not overly sexually experienced. And I had never had sex with a man. I had never kissed a man nor touched a man in a sexual way. I had thought about it, but it never happened. I thought, as long as I didn't do anything like that, I was not gay.

So I came to the conclusion that I was gay, but then I was still stuck because I was a pastor of the ELCA. And part of being a pastor meant being subject to Visions and Expectations. Specifically, I was subject to page 13 which states

Ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.

So I was trying to find out what it was like to be gay but I was also trying to remain celebate because of what I had agreed to.

Of course, during this time, I was "abstain[ing] from homosexual sexual relationships" in the letter of the law, but not in the spirit of the law. I had been alone for 40 years. I now had given permission to myself to not only look at gay porn but to enjoy gay porn. As long as I wasn't in a "homosexual sexual relationship" I thought I was ok. But I felt angry and dirty. I felt angry that I was reduced to "one handed typing" (which if you knew my keyboard, you would understand how difficult that is)to try to take care of my needs.

Nick kept telling me that I needed to come to grips with this. I was breaking "page 13" by jacking off to internet porn just as much as if I were sleeping with men.

That was the start of my journey. Just a year ago. Wow. Now my whole congregation knows. Time changes everything.

So what now?

Steve and Warren at North Woods Guys asked me what is next now that my days are severely numbered. My smart a** answer was, "Now I head to get food stamps!" But the North Woods Guys have been good internet friends so I don't want to be a smart a**.

I am hoping to do some supply preaching either in the ELCA or the ECUSA. I also have some experience in psychology and developmental disabilities. I hope to do some temp services. The local community mental health is looking for per hour therapists. I am trusting in God on this one.

The blue pews are winning! People have been so kind and helpful. I have gotten so much support. People have been telling me that they are angry that I have to leave because of that rule and if there is anything I need, all I need to do is ask.

May I please...

Check this out!

Gay Boyfriend

Blue Pews, Red Pews

Well, the results are starting to come in. As expected, the early results are showing that the Blue Pews are out in front. One person when leaving the polls was heard to say, "Stupid rule." Others have invited Ben and Nick over for dinner.

Of course, I was not expecting to hear from the red pews, at least not this soon after THE LETTER. It will be interesting to see who shows up for worship this Sunday.

I am happy to say that not only have people been giving me their support, they also have been worried about how I have been doing and if I am ok.

I am really going to miss these people.

Oh my achin'...

I think backs are proof that we are evolved creatures instead of creatures of special creation. If we are special creations, then either we are doing something wrong in regards to our backs of God really doesn't like us. Or maybe backs are God's way or punishing us. I don't know.

If you haven't guessed, my back still hurts. I guess I will just keep on keeping on 'cause it is too nice to sit around.

"THE LETTER" should hit peoples' mailboxes today. Now the fun should begin. Le Sigh.

The Harvest is Plentiful...

There are some really great blogs out there! Check this out!

Home for a while

Well, I have time to finally write.

Camp was going ok. We went to the dunes and had a good time. We went to the local lighthouse. Things were going well. Then I woke up on Thursday morning with a raging backache. I could hardly move. I went to the local Y to soak in the hottub and then went to a friends house to float in the pool. That helped, but as soon as I got out of the pool, I was in pain again.

I then went to a kinesiologist who seemed to help somewhat but I also took some mega pain killers which helped too.

The next morning, I thought I was going to die. So I drove two pain-filled hours to go to my chiropractor. It helped!

Later that day, Nick came over and we ate dinner and watched TV. I was in too much pain for much else.

This morning, I was feeling better, so Nick and I went to the Ann Arbor Art Fair. I know, I probably shouldn't have gone, I should have rested. But the fair was great. There was a lot of art to look at but not much eye candy. As Nick said, an art fair in Ann Arbor should have brought out all the gay couples from a three state region!

Now I am in pain. I am hoping to be good enough to make it through church tomorrow. I don't have to do much except lead and do a children's sermon.

Tomorrow will also be the last "Normal Sunday" since the resignation letter was dropped in the mail box today. It should be hitting peoples' mail boxes on Monday. I am hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. One thing I am hoping is that the responses I have been getting have been good. I pray that continues.

Hope you are having a great day!

I'm Back!

Well, I am back from camp but my back is not. I should explain: I am at home but my back got messed up by sleeping on the ground and now I can't really move. I just kind of hobbled around and then went to some new-age kind of healer because he was near. He really didn't do anything because the next morning I couldn't move. So I drove back home to see my chiropractor before he went on vacation.

I love the new Sonic Drive-In ad. They are talking about their brownie sundae. The mental giants talk about "warm hot fudge." If it is "hot fudge" shouldn't it be hot? If it is warm, shouldn't it be "warm fudge?" That is "somewhat unique."

I was thinking about how we people seem to be the sum of our stories. When we gather, we tell our stories. We share what has happened to us. Blogs are similar only we are not face to face.

The resignation letter is going out today. I guess that means this will be the last "normal" Sunday where I am right now. I hope things go well. People have been great in the past, I hope that continues into the future.

Another day at camp

Hi everyone. Still at camp but doing better. The storms have passed and the weather has cooled and it is really gotten magnificent. We are going to the dunes today and that is usually a good time. The problem is when you climb a dune and then realize that you have to climb back because a storm is coming. Oh well. A little abbreviated this morning because I have to greet the kids for breakfast.

Check out this from the North Woods Guys! 

A Strange and Perverse Pleasure...

No! Not that. It is the feeling of flushing a bunch of bugs to a watery grave as they innocently sit in the sink at camp. I don't know why I like it, but I do! I should be all about "live and let live" but banishing all those bugs to the septic tank is kind of uplifting.

Yes, I am at camp and it actually has been pretty good. Although it has been hot, there has been a breeze (actually a wind) off the lake that has kept things cool. Last night a storm blew through and knocked trees over and blew screens off the house. I was sleeping in a tent, but all my stuff got damp from the aerosol water in the high winds. So I slept (?) in the house until about 1:30 am when I went down stairs and slept on a couch to escape the snoring. I think I may have been better off chancing the elements!;-)

Haven't really though too much about the resignation letter going out on Monday. If I do it tends to bog me down so I have tried to just shove it to the back of my mind.

Today we are going climbing dunes and doing high-ropes. It should be fun!

This post is brought to you by the letter "Q" and the number 9 from the porch of the camp office, just off Lake Michigan.

Hope you are all having a great day!

Problems of Technology

I really like the blog format. I think it is cool that we can read peoples' thoughts and we can comment if we choose. I also appreciate on-line forums. (I know, the plural of forum is fora but that just sounds weird.) I like being able to exchange ideas with others around the globe.

But what I have found out about on-line things: I need to be more careful of what I type. We don't get voice inflection when we type so sometimes things and we can't see the person's face. So we often attribute the wrong thing to what is typed.

What I wonder is why we seem to place the worst spin on what the person typed? Wouldn't it just be easier to assume that the person was being nice?

But also, I think we may feel more liberty to be mean to people on-line. We don't know the person, we can't see the person, we don't see the effect of our comments. So maybe we feel more freedom to be snide. I don't know.

I do know that I need to be more explicit when I write something. I need to be sure that I am saying what I want and not make too big of an assumption about what I type.

Back out again

I will be at camp this week. This is the last of the "being gone" things this summer. I will be with seven kids but mostly they are with their counselors so I just get to hang out. Unfortunately, it is supposed to be in the 90's all week. Oh well.

I met with the president of the congregation, the chair of the council, and the chair of the mutual ministry committee. We discussed my leaving and they were all very supportive. They have also decided to give me two weeks of "vacation" so I will get a paycheck through the end of August. That was kind of them. I have just been so blessed with people who are helpful and understanding. I hope this continues. The letter to the congregation will be going out a week from Monday.

Nick knows someone who will let us use a cabin up north for a week. That sounds so good!

What is it with the shorts?

Now I could be considered a rather casual person. I had to go out and buy a suit before I did a wedding. I love to wear Birkenstocks and even wear them into the office. I like shorts as much as then next one, but there is one thing I would never do: I WOULD NEVER WEAR SHORTS TO A FUNERAL! Especially if I were one of the pallbearers.

We had a funeral today and two of the men there were in shorts. (They weren't even cute!) Granted it was hot today, but I think you should be able to bear wearing pants for the time of a funeral. I don't know, maybe I am just old fashioned but it would seem like the respectful thing to do.

The Hunger Site

This is a good thing! Just click here once a day. They really do give to the poor and hungry.

More whining...

I give a lot of credit to those of you who have stuck by and waded through all the whining and self-pity. I just find that in the course of one day, I can go from the heights of sunshine to the depths of gloom.

I wonder how this process compares to the Kubler-Ross model of grief? I now seem to find myself floundering between Anger and Depression. Bargaining doesn't seem to enter the picture. Actually, right now, I am really angry. I am angry that the world seems to have it's collective head up it's collective ($%&#()# and is not willing to take it out long enough to see the amount of pain and damage it is causing.

It is frustrating that those who claim to be loving seem to be anything but.

I so want to disappear right now.

Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me

Music Artist: Tism Flash Artist: Bernard Derriman This was a flash video created in a music video contest for the song "Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me" [a bit long of a name huh?...]

...If only his followers were more like him.

The title of this is part of a quote from Ghandi, "I like this Jesus, if only his followers were more like him."

How does love and forgiveness get twisted into judgment and hatred? I so often feel embarrassed to call myself a Christian because of what I see people do in the name of Christ. Jesus ate with the tax collectors, he didn't bang them over the head with the Torah. Jesus lived with the people who were down and out, he didn't just look upon them and say that they got what they deserved.

So many people claim to be Christian and then go out and act in totally unchristian ways.

Back to the Grind

Well, I came back to the office and got thrown into the currents of life. One person had died during the night, another was having a heart procedure, mid-week worship needs to be planned. And in the midst of all of this, my impending departure lurks in the background.

I keep putting off doing the paperwork for the Episcopal Church. I think I feel that if I put it off, I will not have to leave the Lutherans. But as I read The Lutheran (the magazine of the ELCA), I get the feeling that the Lutheran church is never going to change.

Will I ever find a denomination that I can be an adherent of? I am a universalist and that is not accepted by the Lutherans. But I could not love and follow a God that was not a universal God.

Sometimes I will just sit in my office and have to fight back the tears. I hear people say that the Lutherans are so accepting but I am proof that they are just as judgmental as all the others. It gets despressing.

Look what Nick got for me when got home last night. Got to love it! Roses and beer! He really knows the way into a guys heart! 

Home again, Home again, Jiggity jig.

Well, I am home. I didn't die in some flaming fireball of an airplane crash.

I am glad the gathering is over. But I am also glad that I have gone. In some ways, I think I may have gotten more out of the trip than the kids did. (Although this is a bit presumptuous.) I did get a lot out of it. I am sure I will be processing this for some time to come.

Now I am off to the process of ending my ministry where I am and looking to what is going to happen.

Going Home

Sometimes I get frustrated at the kids of today. Maybe I have forgotten what it is like to be a teen, but I don't think I have ever been so callous as to think that I don't have to try to help the poor. It makes me sad.

Have we created a generation that feels so entitled that they don't have to even try to make the life of others any better? Is the thinking, "As long as I am comfortable, who cares about what anyone else" going to be the mantra of our teens? Maybe it is just the kids that I have encountered.

I am definitely not sad to see this Gathering end. It has been a pain from the get go. I know God has moved in me and I hope God has planted seeds in the kids, but the whole thing could have ended about 4 days ago.

Actually, it could have ended a day sooner and I don't think anything would have been lost.

It will be good to be home. I am a bit leery of the flight but that is just me.

Hug someone you care for and help someone you see in need.

Ok, God, already!

If you have read any of this, you know that I will be leaving my call in about a month. I have to admit that it is bothering me. So I am here, in San Antonio, dealing with the National Youth Gathering. Almost all of the speakers are talking about letting go of what is comfortable and venturing out into the world that God has in store. Leave what is safe and travel into the adventure. Now I am feeling tears welling in my eyes and am anxious about what is going to happen when someone behind me puts a clothes pin on my shirt that says, "Peace, Jesus Loves You." Again, it was nothing big, but the timing was uncanny.

Well, things are getting better.

I was looking like the day was going to go down the tubes again, but then I decided to follow my own advice. I didn't try to change the people around me and just tried to love them as they were. It seems to have worked.

I have been seriously thinking about what will be happening in the future. I am getting more the feeling that I need to let go and let God. I keep looking at a future that seems uncertain. If it is going to be uncertain, I might as well go full force.

More to come...

Thought while in the shower

NO! Not that kind of thought!

What if we went through life appreciating people for who they were and not trying to change them?

Today, then Tomorrow, then Home.

Passive aggressiveness is interesting.

We are having a problem with walking. Not that we can't do it, it is that some people in our group walk at a different pace than others. It would seem that the ones who walk fast, walk faster so as to keep the slower ones at a "reasonable" pace. The ones who walk slow, walk slower to slow down the fast ones. In the end, what we end up with is two groups of people, each thinking the other is terrible because of how inconsiderate they are.

I should back up a bit for some information about the last post. The person I am with started off by telling me when I first got to the church I am serving that she did not vote to call me. Really makes someone want to be cooperative. Well, now whenever I do something, I immediately assume that she is looking down on me thinking how right she was. I know that this is my problem, but it flows over into other situations. In retrospect, I would have done things differently, but in retrospect, wouldn't most of us?

Today is off to the Alamo and maybe to the Tower of the Americas. Hope things go better. Although, after some sleep, yesterday was not all that bad.

Why do people expect us old routine-oriented people to do this silly stuff?

Oh well, it is for the kids, right?

Hell Continues

I don't know what it is with people.

Maybe people would say the same thing about me.

I am constantly confounded by the assumptions that we (yes, I will include myself in here) about other people and other peoples' motives.

We seem to always assume the worst of people. We seem to assume that people do things because they are mean, lazy, stupid, or obstinate. When we do something, we do it because we forget, are tired, are tense, or some other reason. We give ourselves the luxury of an excuse while we assume the other person is just an idiot.

Why do we have so much trouble extending to others the same luxury we give to ourselves? Why do we assume of others the same things we would not like others to assume of us?

It is just so much easier to assume that someone else is a jerk. But assuming that someone else is a jerk does nothing to help the situation. All it does is create hard feelings.

Enough of the philosophy part of it.

Don't ever take a group of kids to Texas with someone who thinks you are a lazy jerk. No matter what you do, it will never be ok. The filter the person has set up will always spin your actions in the least flattering way possible. When taking kids on trips, have another chaperone that at least thinks you are pretty good. It makes it so much better.

The thing is about half-over. If there is a God (and I believe there is)the rest of this thing will go better. If not, there better be a couple of stiff drinks waiting when I get home.

The Innermost Circle of Hell

Yes, I have found it, The Innermost circle of hell is in San Antonio. No offense to anyone out there who may be from San Antonio, the city is very nice. But there seems to be some kind of convergence of fate, karma, and luck that is hovering over the city just waiting to strike me dead!

Yesterday I just couldn't catch a break. As any will know who have read my blog, I am not a details kind of guy. My would is painted in broad strokes. IMO, big picture people should not be in charge of things that need attention to detail. Detail just kind of doesn't even make it onto my radar screen.

Case in point: Everything else is happening at the Alamodome, why wouldn't registration? And where did it say to bring a check? Everybody accepts credit cards now days. Having six hot kids and one "I told you so" adult waiting does not make for clear thinking.

But after that, we did make it to Schlitterbahn for a few (read 3) hours. Now what kind of park is it where there are two parts that are not connected? We didn't find the really good part until we had an hour left and then it was almost too late.

Also, one adult leader, along with about 3 kids, who wants to be at the mass events really early to be up close and one (me) who really hates large crowds and four kids who really don't want to be clapping along with everything. Maybe the death that I was dreading a couple of weeks back was not the death of crash and burn but the death of a fractured community.

We seem to have split along gender line. My way of functioning seems to work for the guys. They (not necessarily because they are guys) seem to be able to deal with the lassez-faire style that I use. The girls seem to be a bit more uptight.

Oh well, I keep telling people that this is the reason I don't volunteer to do stuff like this. But do they believe me?

The Gathering itself is not too bad. It was interesting to see thousands (like 20,000) kids together to praise Jesus. It was also interesting to see cell phones used instead of lighters during one of the performances of the bands.

It was good to hear the speaker to challenge our kids to move beyond the pursuit of money and strive for the things that are worth more. A couple of good groups too! There was on group, Superchic[k] that really impressed me.

Well, I talked to Nick last night, just to talk to him cheers me up. He is still healing from the ankle thing just before I left and I hope he gets better soon. I don't like to see him in pain.(ok, gooey stuff is done)

Well, the kids will be up soon and we are off on another day. Today, we will be taking a boat trip down the San Antonio river. Should be fun.

Peace

I made it!

Well, I am down in San Antonio. Haven't really seen much of the place since we got here at about 11:00 pm last night.

We are staying at this great little boutique hotel. Kind of Art Deco Hollywood Glam kind of place. I certainly couldn't afford it if I were to pay for it.

Today the whole festivities start but before the whole thing kicks off, we are going to Schlitterbahn. I am looking forward to it but I hope no one (including me!) gets sunburned.

The flight in was great. It was cool being able to watch fireworks from almost hundreds of communities at once. When I looked down from the plane, you could see bright flashes of light across the ground. In some of the bigger cities, there would be some really big fireworks. In the big cities, the pattern of the fireworks was even discernible from the air.

I think flying is just a "magical" thing. Not so much magical in the Disney sense of things but in the "this really shouldn't be happening" sense. We really shouldn't be a couple of miles above the ground. But it is so cool to be looking out over the land and the clouds.

I know that the lack of control is one of the things that bothers me when I am flying. I have to trust in the pilot. And when the brakes go out in the car, you can try to save yourself, if the brakes go out in the plane, well...

But enough thinking about that. I am here and it is going to be a good day!

Peace

Happy Fourth

Heading out for a few days with the kids from the church. I hope it all goes well. It is a great group of kids so I think we will have a good time.

We are flying so we will be doing the friendly skies thing. We won't get there until about 10:30 pm. I am hoping we will see some fireworks from the air. That would be cool.

With all the stuff going on in my life, leaving for a week was the last thing I really wanted to do, but life goes on even when we would like it to slow down.

I went back to show Nick the billboard from the Episcopalians. But when we drove by, the billboard was gone! Something else had been put up in its place. But a little while later, we say one that said, "My God is Peaceful." I needed to hear that as I am a little anxious about traveling.

I feel so sorry for my kitties, I think they know I am going again. Maybe they will lock me in so I can't go! Darn!

I guess I just have to "Let Go and Let God."

Nick and I went to a park yesterday, and I have found two deer ticks on me! Yuck! I hope that is all because deer ticks can carry Lime disease. I will have to keep a look out.

Hope your fourth is going well and give a hug to those you love.

Sunday Sunday

Hey! Church went well this morning. I think I did a pretty good job preaching. For those of you who are "Pew Jockeys", preaching is not easy. There is always the worry that I will say something totally heretical or will put everyone to sleep. And just because I find something interesting, will anyone else? But, I think it went well.

Then it is off to a surprise party and then off to Nick's. We might go out to a movie or something or maybe just stay home. I bought a bunch of meat from a guy out of the back of his truck. It felt kind of "reality show crime sting" but the meat is good. So we will probably have ribeyes for dinner. It is also cherry season so there is nothing (well almost nothing) better then fresh cherries!

Unfortunately, "The Bugman Cometh" so Nick needs to be there tomorrow morning. But after the bugman does his spraying, we will come back to my place on Monday. Maybe check out some fireworks (or make some of our own!) on Monday night.

Then it is off into the "wild blue yonder." I am becoming more relaxed with flying but I will feel better when I am on the ground next Sunday.

Don't know if I will get to post much next week. I will try to share some pictures.

Another Great Picture

Another great picture!

I am finding all these great pictures after Pride month. Bummer

Stolen from HBJock

Flying Dogs ARE Funny!

A little late for pride but still cool!

Wouldn't this be great! Stolen from Joel