Well once again i find myself not writing anything for awhile. Since i lost wrote anything I have graduated from seminary, become a reverend in the PCUSA, and found a home near Lebanon. That's Lebanon TN. For those who don't know Lebanon is the home of Cracker Barrell. It also has roads called Tater Peeler Rd and Chicken Rd (they intersect each other). I have enjoyed my time here but miss Decatur, GA. To go from a place where more artsy, possibly homosexual couples walked the streets to where bulls and cows block the road has been quite the transition. I am the associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon. It's a good job, but were still trying to figure out how to do things.
I do miss my friends alot, they all have found jobs as well. Its been hard because were trying to stay in touch but none of us can make it to each others ordination. A few of my friends made it to mine, and i was so appreicative. It was such a neat service and to see my friends and family there meant alot to me. Well hopefully I'll keep up with this.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
It's Been awhile
Well it's been awhile since I last posted...let me rephrase that, it's been 1 year and 5 months since I last posted. Yet sadly not alot has happened to me. Well probably not sadly. The biggest thing that has happened to me in the last year and 5 months is I did CPE. CPE was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. It was a great experience. I have grown so much as a pastor in the last six months. I experience many a things that I hope I never have to experience again, but I am glad for the experience.
One thing that I seemed to experience the most was death. I have never been around so many deaths such a short period of time. From premature babies to elderly men who died alone I saw alot. I think the biggest thing I took away from this experience is that death is apart of life. Death is something that just happens. Yet it sucks. To lose a loved one is just an awful thing.
What helped me through this time of death were those words of Romans. Nothing in life nor death can separate us from the love of God. I did feel God's presence at all the deaths I was around, yes even the baby who died. Not to say I wasn't confused or angry at God, but I did feel God's presence. There was comfort found in prayer and scripture at the times of death.
Any way those were just some thoughts that I was thinking about as I finish up my pastoral care class.
One thing that I seemed to experience the most was death. I have never been around so many deaths such a short period of time. From premature babies to elderly men who died alone I saw alot. I think the biggest thing I took away from this experience is that death is apart of life. Death is something that just happens. Yet it sucks. To lose a loved one is just an awful thing.
What helped me through this time of death were those words of Romans. Nothing in life nor death can separate us from the love of God. I did feel God's presence at all the deaths I was around, yes even the baby who died. Not to say I wasn't confused or angry at God, but I did feel God's presence. There was comfort found in prayer and scripture at the times of death.
Any way those were just some thoughts that I was thinking about as I finish up my pastoral care class.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
What a Week, Weekend, I need a DRINK!
Well, finally i have posted another blog thing. it has been awhile. well since i have last made an entry many things have happened. i preached a sermon, my sister moved to Orlando, my dad got married, and oh yea there was that hurricane known as dennis that hit where my internship is. well let me first just say that i am exhuasted. it was a long weekend or at least a long week.
last week before i was going to leave to go to birmingham, i found out about this storm that might hit pensacola. i didn't know what to do. i have never felt so much helplessness in my life. this whole city was anxious because it had only been ten months since ivan. and this city was still pretty wounded. so on thursday, I started to gather my things to take back with me, because i didn't know what was going to happen to the house i was staying at (more on that later). i also boarded up my first house, it was Randy my supervisors house, who by the way was on vacation and came back for one afternoon to board up his house from dennis the menace. after we boarded up the house, i had to go to the church for a last minute (that afternoon) called session meeting. at this meeting my nerves were beginning to become a little shot. we talked about who to call if the storm happens, if we are going to have church service since the storm was predicted to come sunday morning, other things to prepare.
well after the meeting i went home to birmingham that night. to begin the weekend i have been not looking forward to very much. on saturday my dad was going to get married. i had some family in town so that always makes a stressful weekend more interesting. on friday morning while dennis was churring for pensacola, i played golf with my future step-brothers (wow that's weird to type or say). that was fun. on friday night i wanted to hang around my house, since it was the last real night that my dad would be living in it, but i did not get my wish. instead my dad forgot to mention to me that we were going over to susan's (my dad's new wife (wow that's really weird to type or say)). needless to say i was not real happy about this. i almost didn't go, i really did not want to go. but this weekend was about my dad. so i held my anger some what in, and vented to others outside my family about how pissed off i was about not being able to enjoy the last night in the house i have grown up in for the last 15 years. as you can tell i am still a little bitter.
Saturday came, and it was just weird. i honestly never would have thought i would ever see my dad get married. it something you just don't think about. and it was odd. but i was and still am getting more use to it. but that day was a long day. i needed a drink by the end of that day. luckily i was surrounded by family that like to drink. so we got back that night and it was some what relaxing to have a few or 7 beers.
If saturday was not stressful enough, sunday would be so much more stressful. on sunday, good ole dennis was coming towards Pensacola. i woke up and watch tv in bham, and was listening to the weather person tell me that the dennis was a cat. 4 hurricane and was heading straight or to the west of Pensacola. West of Pensacola not good. b/c all the hard winds are on the east side of the storm. I was uneasy all morning. i was so worried about all the people in Pensacola who were still trying to fix there problems from Ivan. I was worried about all the poorer people of the county who only had little weak houses to protect them from the 135 mph winds. it was crazy. then the storm weakened to a cat. 3. the weather person said, not to take this likely b/c the difference between the two storms was the difference b/w getting hit by a train or a 18 wheeler, no matter what you don't want to get hit. well around 2:00 the eye of the storm made landfall. i watched it all, like many of you did on tv. all the anchor people were standing in places that i have been just recently around the city. the weather channel guy was standing two blocks south of the church i was working at, and it was unreal to watch the wind and the rain that was blowing. On cnn the seen of the Ramada Inn sign blowing over next to Anderson Cooper was a mile downt the road from the Randy my supervisors house, he lives off the same road on the other side of I-10. the eye went about three miles east of where i live. i did not know what to expect when i got back.
I finally was able to get back yesterday (tuesday) morning. On my way down I-65 there where trees down along the road. As i got closer to the AL/FL border there were businesses with missing roofs and down trees and power lines. I drove into Century, FL which is one of the poorest cities in FL, and one of the hardest hit by Ivan, i was hit pretty hard by Dennis. there were trees down and power lines down. I saw three kids probably 8 or 9 raking up braches and leaves around there beat up trailor. I was thinking they don't need to have to go through this experience again, there life was probably hard enough before the storm. One of the kids had a hard hat on, and saw me and started to pretend he was a construction worker and was waiving me on past his house. i stopped and gave him and his companions some bottled water. I felt so sad.
Then i finally got to Pensacola. Lights were out and trees were down everywhere. I seemed alot of the trees that fell just missed the houses around them, which was a good thing. I noticed this the most when i got home to the house where i was staying. my house was fine, i only had a few small trees down in the backyard with some big branches down. the house next door, not so good. the house was still in place. but it was now surrounded by three large trees (two oaks and one pine). the trees in its yard luckily all fell parallel with the house. two trees fell in the front and one fell in the back over thier pool. The large oak tree in the front, the base of the tree is six feet from their house. i have pictures, for those who would like to see this unreal site.
well the power was off, and is still off. hopefully it will be back on today. it is so hot without a/c. i don't know how our ancestors lived in the south in the summer without a/c. you just sweat in you sleep. it's awful.
well as you can see, it has been a crazy last week. it's only going to get crazier, because i have to preach a sermon this sunday to a congregation that thinks God is personally trying to hurt them with hurricanes. hopefully this will be the last and only time a preach to a church after a natural disaster strikes. well from pensacola, where the beach is no more for a while, i am signing off. hopefully i will keep up better with this blog. Peace.
last week before i was going to leave to go to birmingham, i found out about this storm that might hit pensacola. i didn't know what to do. i have never felt so much helplessness in my life. this whole city was anxious because it had only been ten months since ivan. and this city was still pretty wounded. so on thursday, I started to gather my things to take back with me, because i didn't know what was going to happen to the house i was staying at (more on that later). i also boarded up my first house, it was Randy my supervisors house, who by the way was on vacation and came back for one afternoon to board up his house from dennis the menace. after we boarded up the house, i had to go to the church for a last minute (that afternoon) called session meeting. at this meeting my nerves were beginning to become a little shot. we talked about who to call if the storm happens, if we are going to have church service since the storm was predicted to come sunday morning, other things to prepare.
well after the meeting i went home to birmingham that night. to begin the weekend i have been not looking forward to very much. on saturday my dad was going to get married. i had some family in town so that always makes a stressful weekend more interesting. on friday morning while dennis was churring for pensacola, i played golf with my future step-brothers (wow that's weird to type or say). that was fun. on friday night i wanted to hang around my house, since it was the last real night that my dad would be living in it, but i did not get my wish. instead my dad forgot to mention to me that we were going over to susan's (my dad's new wife (wow that's really weird to type or say)). needless to say i was not real happy about this. i almost didn't go, i really did not want to go. but this weekend was about my dad. so i held my anger some what in, and vented to others outside my family about how pissed off i was about not being able to enjoy the last night in the house i have grown up in for the last 15 years. as you can tell i am still a little bitter.
Saturday came, and it was just weird. i honestly never would have thought i would ever see my dad get married. it something you just don't think about. and it was odd. but i was and still am getting more use to it. but that day was a long day. i needed a drink by the end of that day. luckily i was surrounded by family that like to drink. so we got back that night and it was some what relaxing to have a few or 7 beers.
If saturday was not stressful enough, sunday would be so much more stressful. on sunday, good ole dennis was coming towards Pensacola. i woke up and watch tv in bham, and was listening to the weather person tell me that the dennis was a cat. 4 hurricane and was heading straight or to the west of Pensacola. West of Pensacola not good. b/c all the hard winds are on the east side of the storm. I was uneasy all morning. i was so worried about all the people in Pensacola who were still trying to fix there problems from Ivan. I was worried about all the poorer people of the county who only had little weak houses to protect them from the 135 mph winds. it was crazy. then the storm weakened to a cat. 3. the weather person said, not to take this likely b/c the difference between the two storms was the difference b/w getting hit by a train or a 18 wheeler, no matter what you don't want to get hit. well around 2:00 the eye of the storm made landfall. i watched it all, like many of you did on tv. all the anchor people were standing in places that i have been just recently around the city. the weather channel guy was standing two blocks south of the church i was working at, and it was unreal to watch the wind and the rain that was blowing. On cnn the seen of the Ramada Inn sign blowing over next to Anderson Cooper was a mile downt the road from the Randy my supervisors house, he lives off the same road on the other side of I-10. the eye went about three miles east of where i live. i did not know what to expect when i got back.
I finally was able to get back yesterday (tuesday) morning. On my way down I-65 there where trees down along the road. As i got closer to the AL/FL border there were businesses with missing roofs and down trees and power lines. I drove into Century, FL which is one of the poorest cities in FL, and one of the hardest hit by Ivan, i was hit pretty hard by Dennis. there were trees down and power lines down. I saw three kids probably 8 or 9 raking up braches and leaves around there beat up trailor. I was thinking they don't need to have to go through this experience again, there life was probably hard enough before the storm. One of the kids had a hard hat on, and saw me and started to pretend he was a construction worker and was waiving me on past his house. i stopped and gave him and his companions some bottled water. I felt so sad.
Then i finally got to Pensacola. Lights were out and trees were down everywhere. I seemed alot of the trees that fell just missed the houses around them, which was a good thing. I noticed this the most when i got home to the house where i was staying. my house was fine, i only had a few small trees down in the backyard with some big branches down. the house next door, not so good. the house was still in place. but it was now surrounded by three large trees (two oaks and one pine). the trees in its yard luckily all fell parallel with the house. two trees fell in the front and one fell in the back over thier pool. The large oak tree in the front, the base of the tree is six feet from their house. i have pictures, for those who would like to see this unreal site.
well the power was off, and is still off. hopefully it will be back on today. it is so hot without a/c. i don't know how our ancestors lived in the south in the summer without a/c. you just sweat in you sleep. it's awful.
well as you can see, it has been a crazy last week. it's only going to get crazier, because i have to preach a sermon this sunday to a congregation that thinks God is personally trying to hurt them with hurricanes. hopefully this will be the last and only time a preach to a church after a natural disaster strikes. well from pensacola, where the beach is no more for a while, i am signing off. hopefully i will keep up better with this blog. Peace.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Where We Find Comfort
Earlier this morning I found out some bad news. My old youth leader called me and told me that one of my friends that I have grown up with had passed away from a car wreck. John Holt was his name. I have only seen him once in about the last five years, so the fact that he has died has not set in for me yet. I am going to try and go to the funeral, hopefully I will be able to go, but I have to preach this weekend and I do not know if I will be able to go.
This sermon I am preaching is my first sermon here at the this Church in Pensacola and is the first sermon I will ever really preach in church. I have preached before in my class at Seminary, but this I know will be a whole new experience for me. The text is on Mt. 10:40-42 about welcoming each other. I wrote this sermon out yesterday and it was on how we forget to welcome. And I was going to make some changes this morning. Then I found out the news about John and I didn't think I could write about it anymore. I started working on the sermon, and soon I found myself writing a whole different sermon, and I was in a whole different mood. I soon realized that welcoming is not just a hard thing to do, but a very important thing to do. When we welcome some one we are helping someone into a new situation or helping them cope with a transition in their life. If find myself seeing the act of welcoming not just as a loving act, but the act of welcoming as an act of comfort. I started thinking about all the times I have felt lost, confused, or in a time of transition, and where did I find God's comfort. I found God's comfort in the act of others welcoming and loving me.
So while I was writing this sermon, and thinking about welcoming as an act of comfort and love I decided to call my friends who had all known John. I called and told them that I was there if they wanted to talk about this, and that it was great to have them around in this situation. The act of welcoming brought comfort to me, and hope it did for them.
I think we forget way too much about the power of welcoming others. It is easy to do in the church setting, but what about the times where God might be or seem the furthest from our minds. Through the act of welcoming we are able to find God's presence in this world. We are able to experience God through each other in this act that people have been practicing for centuries. Welcoming someone into the situations and parts of your life might be the most comforting thing that people will be able to find, and it might be the way that they experience the presence of God that may have seemed lost.
This sermon I am preaching is my first sermon here at the this Church in Pensacola and is the first sermon I will ever really preach in church. I have preached before in my class at Seminary, but this I know will be a whole new experience for me. The text is on Mt. 10:40-42 about welcoming each other. I wrote this sermon out yesterday and it was on how we forget to welcome. And I was going to make some changes this morning. Then I found out the news about John and I didn't think I could write about it anymore. I started working on the sermon, and soon I found myself writing a whole different sermon, and I was in a whole different mood. I soon realized that welcoming is not just a hard thing to do, but a very important thing to do. When we welcome some one we are helping someone into a new situation or helping them cope with a transition in their life. If find myself seeing the act of welcoming not just as a loving act, but the act of welcoming as an act of comfort. I started thinking about all the times I have felt lost, confused, or in a time of transition, and where did I find God's comfort. I found God's comfort in the act of others welcoming and loving me.
So while I was writing this sermon, and thinking about welcoming as an act of comfort and love I decided to call my friends who had all known John. I called and told them that I was there if they wanted to talk about this, and that it was great to have them around in this situation. The act of welcoming brought comfort to me, and hope it did for them.
I think we forget way too much about the power of welcoming others. It is easy to do in the church setting, but what about the times where God might be or seem the furthest from our minds. Through the act of welcoming we are able to find God's presence in this world. We are able to experience God through each other in this act that people have been practicing for centuries. Welcoming someone into the situations and parts of your life might be the most comforting thing that people will be able to find, and it might be the way that they experience the presence of God that may have seemed lost.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
My First Post
Man, I never thought I would be doing this. I am trying to figure out all this technology stuff. I have decided to do this because I think it will be good for me. My CPM, Committee on Preparation for Ministry tells me I need more reflection in my life. This seems like a pretty good way to do that. We will see how that goes. Alot of my friends from Seminary have blogs, so I said what the heck. We'll see how well I do at this.
Here's my story, I am currently a seminary student, whose doing an internship in Pensacola. I am 25 years old and at a point in my life where I am finally realized that I will live have to live in this world on my time. This is the first time in my life, when I go home from school or work that there is no one around to hang out with. I usually had friends in College or Seminary that I hang out with, but not this summer. It's been good for me. I now know what's its like to live alone, and I don't really want to do that. Living alone is tough, I now see how hard it is for elderly people. I find myself talking to myself all the time, its not because I'm crazy, atleast I don't think so, its because it's nice just to hear a voice, sad that it is my voice.
My family situation is getting interesting as well. My mother passed away four years ago, and that has been tough over the years. Now my dad started dating someone, and he is getting married in two weeks. Everything has moved so fast. He is going to move out of the house I grew up in and move into her house with her two 12 and 16 year old kids. Not much my house is going to make it. This has caused alot of questions on my part. First where is my sense of home now, second where do the memories of my mom fit into this new phase of my sense of family, and third where do i fit in. I don't now the answers, but I have decided that I am going to have to figure out these things on my own. I now will do the things on my time, I am not 17 where you go with the family to things. Family vacations will be my figuring out. I might not want to spend Christmas in Birmingham, maybe I want to visit my mom's family. I will figure that out myself.
Here's my story, I am currently a seminary student, whose doing an internship in Pensacola. I am 25 years old and at a point in my life where I am finally realized that I will live have to live in this world on my time. This is the first time in my life, when I go home from school or work that there is no one around to hang out with. I usually had friends in College or Seminary that I hang out with, but not this summer. It's been good for me. I now know what's its like to live alone, and I don't really want to do that. Living alone is tough, I now see how hard it is for elderly people. I find myself talking to myself all the time, its not because I'm crazy, atleast I don't think so, its because it's nice just to hear a voice, sad that it is my voice.
My family situation is getting interesting as well. My mother passed away four years ago, and that has been tough over the years. Now my dad started dating someone, and he is getting married in two weeks. Everything has moved so fast. He is going to move out of the house I grew up in and move into her house with her two 12 and 16 year old kids. Not much my house is going to make it. This has caused alot of questions on my part. First where is my sense of home now, second where do the memories of my mom fit into this new phase of my sense of family, and third where do i fit in. I don't now the answers, but I have decided that I am going to have to figure out these things on my own. I now will do the things on my time, I am not 17 where you go with the family to things. Family vacations will be my figuring out. I might not want to spend Christmas in Birmingham, maybe I want to visit my mom's family. I will figure that out myself.
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