Friday

Good morning! It's Friday! It's going to be a windy day, but that's OK. I enjoyed the rain yesterday, but I am ready for some sunshine. Tonight we have a football game at Perry Central. I hope the wind settles by then, because it could be a bit cool this evening. Ben is going to start at middle linebacker again tonight, and he may play a little at outside and nose tackle, depending upon how Perry Central lines up. He's glad their center only weighs 170. Me too.

We are running into all kinds of bureaucratic red tape with the ambulance. I guess we should have known this. Texas won't give us a plate until they can inspect the thing in Texas. Hey, what's a little challenge along the way? We'll figure it out, and I figure we'll see some divine activity along the way. Our 3 week time frame for departure is somewhat in jeopardy...

Some time in the spring my computer crashed and I lost everything that I had not backed up in the year previous. I had an ongoing backup system and it failed also! That event has been a life-changer for me. It really has. I think it has been for the most part a positive experience. I won't go into details, but I have simply changed the way I do a lot of things and even the way I think about a lot of things. For example, I have stopped recording every ministry thing I do each day. For the first 13+ years of work here I briefly noted who I saw or what I did. I'm not sure why I did that, but I did. Not any more. 

Lately I've really started looking at the way I take care of myself and the time given me. I told you recently a little bit about how I organize my week. I'm doing some reading now in the area of organization and disciplined thought. I am ready to make some fundamental changes. Less news intake is on the way for me, and more of a focus on spiritual formation in a more intentional manner. I guess I'm saying this old dog is learning a bunch of new tricks. Someone pointed me to this, and I think it may be helpful as well.

We are never too old or too established in a routine to change. I find it quite liberating actually. In the process of making some changes, I realize some of the plates I used to anxiously spin may fall to the ground. Crash! Shatter! Clean up on aisle 7! ha ha. Life moves on!