Communion

I was doing a hospital visit a short time back and had planned on taking communion to the person. One of the rules about hospital visits is that clergy should check in. This is so that not only is the staff aware that a visit has been made, but so that the parking stub can be validated. As I was checking in the woman at the desk noticed the communion kit, and inquired as to what it was. I replied that it was a communion kit and that I was taking it up to the person I was visiting. She replied, "Oh you are transporting Jesus". What?! "You have Jesus with you" Gee, I had never though of it that way before. "Well, doesn't the church teach that Jesus is present in the bread and the wine?" Yes they do. "Well, you carry Jesus around with you." What a unique perspective on the offering of communion to those who cannot make it to church. And although I do make light of having Jesus in the back seat of the car, it is more profound. I am only an ambassador. It is Jesus that is really there, present in the elements, present in the words "given for you". isn't God amazing that he can reshape our reality in such a way that truth becomes even more evident?

Election

Was it just Deb and I or did anyone else think that the election was a reprise of "The West Wing" seasons 6 and 7?

Funeral

I walked into the office yesterday, looking like Johnny Cash (all black w/the exception of the boots), and Pastor Wayne asked, "You look like you're going to a funeral." As a matter of fact I was. Not only going, but presiding over my first ever. Although I have assisted with PW on two others (the latest being last week), this was to be a solo effort. I was informed of this on Tuesday when the funeral director for the town of Dresser called the church to see if he could "rent-a-pastor". PW then said in effect, "OK It's all yours. Have fun!" Yow!

I went down and met with the family, 8 of 9 children of the woman who had passed away. Although there was some sadness, they were gracious and as they reminisced, there were times of humor. They all said that they would not give personal eulogies and left it to me to "flesh out" their mother. One of the tools they had to assist in that was a book that their mom had filled out that asked questions about her life from parents and siblings through the early years and on into her later life.

Armed with my own notes and the book, I had for all intent and purposes one day to write a sermon. Which happened, amazingly enough! (Posted at sermonseminarian.blogspot; there is a link to the right>>>>)The other great thing is that PW has laid out the funeral service on a Lotus spreadsheet, which allows the presider to tailor the funeral. Arriving at the funeral home a half hour before the service, I felt strangely calm. I greeted the individual children and then went to work giving Jesus to the 40-50 people in attendance. At the cemetery afterward one of the children asked if I did this often. I confessed that this was my first time, which surprised him. He thanked me for the nice job, for which he was welcomed, and then it was back to the office.

Someone asked me later if it was difficult to conduct a service , when i didn't know the family. I replied that a) I had no basis to make such an evaluation, it being my first funeral, and b) I barely knew anyone in the congregation as it was. I am sure that in the future there will be more difficult funerals, but at present, I am thankful that there was an element of beginner's luck and that the Holy Spirit was alongside guiding. God truly is good!

Autumn

Some random thoughts:

Took what will more than likely be my last walk around the University Golf Course this afternoon. it is a beautiful sunny day with the temp around 60. The wind is a warm and blustery, attempting to tear the dead leaves away from their anchors. When it is successful clumps of brown debris dive bomb unsuspecting victims below. The wind pushes stray leaves around amassing some into tightly woven clumps, until the wind again snares those on the outside edges, pushing them further along. The wind reminds me of the Holy Spirit (Ruah, Pnuema) stripping away the old to make way for the new.

Found two more golf balls bringing the total for the season to 48.

Game three of the World Serious is tonight. I am rooting for the old guy, Jamie Moyer, age 45, pitching in his first ever Fall Classic. It's not so much that it is his first time, but I think he represents all of us old guys in that age does not have to be a factor. There are a lot of things we can do when we get older and that it doesn't always have to be left to the next generation and that sometimes age can be a plus when it comes to these kinds of things (Of course he got bombed in his last two starts, so we will wait and see).

Tomorrow will be another painful reminder that winter is closing in on us (snow flurries forecast), so the windows will stay open late tonight, soaking in the last remnants of summer.

Confimania

One of the privileges I have of being an intern is to help out with the Wednesday night confirmation program at Peace. There are over 50 young (and I do mean young, 7th and 8th graders) adults that are participating in this program. In addition there are 10-12 mentors, two worship leaders and a bevy of adults who prepare dinner prior to the start of activities. (This dinner is also provided for the 20 -25 high schoolers that also show up each week). The program is structured similar to Melheim's Faith Inkubators, but Pastor Wayne (PW) has tailored it for Peace (and by the way it IS called "Confirmania").

PW doing what he does best, MBWA

This is the fellowship hall where Confimania is held each week. As you can see there is plenty of activity happening. And, the energy level is always on the high end.

A view from the other end. This was "servant night" and the participants were putting together Christmas shoe boxes for children in Africa. Each shoe box was individually wrapped, and then filled with various gifts, including some toiletries, beany babies, school supplies, and a card from the student who put the box together. There are also 3 instruction nights, a test night (where the mentors also debrief), and a fellowship night (where last Wed we went to a corn maze [try doing that fast in the dark!]). PW leads the first two 6 week units and I will get to lead the 3rd unit prior to Lent. Updates will be forthcoming.

commute

I realize this may be a more whimsical post, but I thought you would like to see what portions of my 50 mile commute looks like. If you are following by map, I take I-35 West from Falcon Heights, up through Lino Lakes to Forest Lake. Hanging a right I follow TH 97 east to TH 95. I follow this north to TH 243, take that across the ST Croix river, which separates MN from WI, through Osceola and up Th 35 to Dresser. (TH stands for Trunk Highway. This is one phrase that prior to moving here had never heard of, so I get to add to the list of colloquialisms I've accumulated).

Heading north on 35W

Leaving Forest Lake on TH97

Coming to the end of 97. This looks across the St Croix River Valley.

Heading north on 95

Yes, watch out for those deer!

Crossing the bridge on 243 looking north up river.

The booming metropolis of Osceola.

Apples

Deb and I have this ongoing conversation about what our plans are for our days off? You know, checking in to see if there is anything pressing that needs to be done. This can range from getting the hair done, to shopping, to taking the cat to the vet. So, when our schedule became free last Friday, the question became: What to do on a gorgeous autumn day? Let's go to that same place we went to last year (Nelsons Apple Farm, Webster MN [by the way this is not some shameless plug!]) and pick some apples. However, there are practical questions to be asked: Why do we need these apples?; What will we do with them?; Do we have to drive so far when there are closer places? And then there are the not so practical answers: I don't know; I don't know, make some baked goods?, and hey we know this place and it will be good to go someplace away from work. So we did, and ended up with 18 pounds of Red Harelson and Fireside apples, and a recipe for apple oatmeal raisin cookies. Yum!

A tree of Red Harelsons. Most of the trees were this laden with fruit.

Don't these look tasty?

The picker and cook of the operation.

Quick Fact: Red Harelsons are very tart and are good for eating, pie, salad, and sauce; while the Firesides are good for eating pie and salad, although we were advised to find the largest as they were the sweetest.

Clothesline Project

As I was visiting a parishioner at Regions Hospital a couple of days ago I noticed a bunch of t-shirts hanging up on a clothes line struck along one of the hall ways. Upon closer inspection, each t-shirt had a story to tell. These stories were not cute stories, but rather common stories of abuse, murder, and death. The size of the t-shirts ranged in size from new-born to XX large. This is the clothesline project. You can view their web site at,
http://www.clotheslineproject.org
It has gotten me thinking about how the church can help out in these situation, although I have not come up with any definitive answer.

Attack Ads

In case you haven't noticed, we are now into the extremely silly season of the political campaigns. Here in MN it seems to be especially virulent. not only are there the presidential ads, but we also have a very acrimonious Senate race between Norm Coleman, the incumbent (by the way has anyone noticed he talks just like Denzel Washington?) and Al "Mr Saturday Night Live" Franken. The third race is between two newbies vying for the vacant seat in the 6th district. All of these ads by both the candidates and their surrogates characterize the opponent as the devil complete with horns and pitchfork, while they themselves could not be more angelic. With one month to go, I am already beyond sick and tired of all of it. I can even predict the order of the ads on the local newscasts; attack ad #1,car ad #1, attack ad #2 (by the opposition), car ad #2 (different mfr.) attack ad #3(different race), furniture ad (no interest until 2025!), attack ad #4, car ad #3, attack ad #5 (3rd different race), furniture ad #2 (buy one piece get three pieces free!), Attack ad #6 (same as 2nd race), Car Ad #4, back to the weather. Enough already!

One last note: watched the vice-presidential debates last night. In my opinion, nobody won last night, including the voting public. There was so much obfuscation the answers looked like a scenic road through the mountains (you know curvy with no apparent direction to it). I was so disgusted I flipped it to the Cubs-Dodgers game after a half hour. Unfortunately there was no relief there either, with the Cubs losing 10-3.

Unblocked

The sermon is finished. it has been written, given and posted. (see the link to the right>>>) Although some people said it as ok I thought it to be too didactic. Deb said that was OK as that is my gift, to teach. I hope this doesn't turn off too many people!

Writer's Block

2nd sermon in and already I have writer's block. I am finding it hard to organize my thoughts into something cohesive, or at least intelligible. Although this doesn't seem to be one of those "difficult" texts (Matt 21:23-32) it is still maddening to be frustrating. See the blog on Monday for the results.

Kyrie

One of the more unusual aspects of my intern site is the lack of a sung kyrie or great thanksgiving in the liturgy. At least the pastor and most of the interns preceding me have not done this. However, the congregation does sing the response to the spoken (supposed to be sung) parts. Having had this as part of my home congregation at Pilgrim Lutheran in Puyallup I thought it would be only fitting to cantor the parts. Never having done this before (except once, which is a whole 'nother story) I was apprehensive about doing this. I even woke up this morning with the tune running through my head. With the help of the pianist, Ronda, I managed to do OK with it today. At least I didn't murder it. But, this leads me to a question(and I will leave you with this): If a person murders a part does that mean it is now dead and is of no use?

Waiting in Line

Well, I did something that I never thought I would do: stand in line for hockey tickets. Single ticket sales opened this morning at 9 o'clock at the Exel Energy arena (home to the Minnesota Wild NHL hockey team). This is a yearly thing and people start forming a line usually 3-4 days in advance of when the sales begin. This year was no exception. So why would I do something like this? After all my thinking has always been, what a bunch of fools. And, they're just hockey tickets. Heck you can watch most games on television. Besides, I am not a Wild fan, I follow the Detroit Red Wings. Do you see where this is going?
Our son Will and daughter-in-law, Crystal are coming to visit over the holidays. The Red Wings will be playing the Wild on Jan 3rd while they are here. What a great time to enjoy both at the same time! Knowing that tickets would be going fast (the Wild consistently sellout all of their games) there could only be one answer; Get the tickets the day they go on sale.
Having arose at 6:05 this morning, the sun still below the horizon, armed with 2 books, the newspaper, a thermos of coffee, and a collapsible chair, I headed out to the "X" (as it is known locally) to wait my turn. At 6:50 I took my place at the end of the ribbon of people, becoming the 172nd person in line or #488922 according to my wrist band (used to prevent people from cutting in line).
The crowd seemed to be eclectic, with folks from all walks of life, all focused on the same goal. Some were sitting on the ground, others standing, still others reclining on blankets or sitting in chairs. There was a smattering of tents, sleeping bags, coolers, and radios towards the head of the line. There were Wild and arena staff handing out newspapers, coffee, muffins, and decals (I do not think the one person appreciated my asking if they had any Red Wing material). The woman who tagged my wrist with my identification number had been there since 8 the previous evening.
Getting to know my neighbors (after all this was community) was fun. To my right was a former staff person from the seminary. Yes he knew who my intern supervisor was, as both had served together in Montana parishes years ago. Behind him was a mom getting tickets for her family, including her 14 year old son who had had a kidney transplant last year. Behind her was a woman and her brother. The woman had had twins 16 months ago. One of the twins was born with a hole in her heart. To my left was a women in a motorized wheelchair with MS. she had been a lawyer by trade but couldn't function in that capacity with her MS. She is now a tour guide and researcher for the Minneapolis Institute of Art. She recounted her story of how she embraced the Christian faith 5 years ago after being raised "atheist" her whole life.
By 8:45 the line began to "slinky" up, and by 10:00 I was at the ticket window purchasing the precious ducats. 10 minutes later I was back in my car on the way home. Never did get to do any reading. Didn't even finish all of my coffee. but we're set. Come Jan 3, 7PM we'll be in the "X waiting for the puck to drop, hoping like crazy that the Red Wings will prevail over the Wild.

Random Thoughts on Internship

Two weeks into internship , some observations:

Deb and I are continually amazed at the amount of young families there are in this church. I could never imagine 50 plus students int he confirmation program (7th and 8th grade).

Deb has found a niche in the life of this community, already putting in a stint singing in the "2nd Sunday" praise band. As she says, it felt good to do that as it was something missing in her worship life.

Witnessed my first deer/auto accident last week. This reminds me that I need to be more vigilant in my driving to and from the cities, especially at night!

Pastor Wayne has a very dry sense of humor.

I had forgotten how antsy 6th grade boys can be. I am teaching a 6 week course on Baptism to the 6th graders and golly, these guys are all over the board. I appreciate the more mellow girls in the group!

I am still getting used to worship protocol. For example the preacher for the week sits on the left side of the sanctuary and the worship assistant sits on the right side. The first week I sat with the preacher, causing some confusion for the preacher as well as the congregation. In addition there are also the politics (for lack of a better word) of choosing hymns. the pianist and the organist trade off every other week, and each has their own favorites of preferences in what can or cannot be played. I was also taken aback when PW spoke the Kyrie and the Great Thanksgiving and the congregation replied by singing. To me it was an aural disconnect. Pastor also has a tendency to remove verses from the last hymn if he feels the service has run too long. This will take some getting used to!

The children expect treats after the children's sermon. PW has dibs on handing out Oreo cookies. I am thinking of something more like Tootsie Rolls, although I wonder what parents would say if Pop Rocks were given out instead?

Working Sunday to Thurs is definitely different. The hardest part is getting up at 6AM (to some this is considered "Oh-Dot-Thirty") on Sunday to go to work. This will take some getting used to!

Dresser

Internship has started. I am now officially serving at Peace Lutheran church in Dresser WI. Dresser is a small community sandwiched between the larger (relatively speaking) communities of Osceola and St Croix Falls and is located along the St Croix river which separates WI from MN. It is approx 50 miles from St Paul and since Deb and I have not moved I make this commute 5 days a week. Although the community is rural, our church has only 2 farmers in it. The rest of the community is made up of professional people who work in the community or commute to the Cities. There is one other tidbit of info about Dresser. It has a sister city in Illinois, Armoire.

I have a new identity as well. I am no longer Bob, but am now referred to as "Intern Bob". In a way it feels weird to have lost my surname and picked up this other moniker. Of course I also have to dress the part as you can see by the picture below.

Pastor Wayne Deloach and "Intern Bob"

Pastor Wayne has been a part of this church for the last 33 years. I am the 20th intern that he has supervised. He is knowledgeable about the church , the community, and the impact that an intern can have on a faith community. Although you see only the building, this church has an average worship attendance of 270 in two services. The 1st service is the larger of the two, with both services following a standard liturgy.

The entrance to the building. The tower houses the two bells from the previous churches when they merged in 1978

The Sanctuary

The fellowship hall

My office. I think that it is obscenely large!

I am sorry that I do not have pictures of the staff. Suffice it to say, They are great! Pat the secretary has been here for 6 years and knows everything! There is a parish nurse, Diane who many things to assist in the healthy living for the community. She even trims toenails for many of the seniors. That is servant hood! Rhonda the education director, also does duty as the pianist every other weekend. And Sonja the youth director is a blessing to the young people of this community.

The one challenge will be learning names and faces! I am continually referring to the pictorial directory, but still have a hard time. And although I feel like I have been preparing for this time my whole life, I still feel unprepared. As my friend Pastor Sue said, "Welcome to the club!"

WIYGW (The Finale)

Today was my last day of work at Pilkington, the glass distributor. It is kinda weird knowing that I will not be doing this kind of work anymore. Leaving also was weird in that I was jusyt getting to know my fellow co-workers developing at least a working relationship with these fellows. I can thank Brian and Dave for their help and wisdom in navigating a new experience.

There are several other things that is worth noting from my 10 weeks of observing driving behavior in the metro area. There is no such thing as "Minnesota Nice" when it comes to driving the roads around here. The favorite form of passive-aggression seems to be tailgating. To me this is not ordinary or garden variety tailgating, but full blown "sit on your tail until you move" tailgating. I swear there have been times when I have been able to see the fillings in the teeth of the drivers behind me. Although this is not gender specific the vehicles are predominantly large pickups or SUVs. Another oddity is the lack of turn-signal use. I am not sure if the vehicles in question were not equipped with the devices or if the drivers never looked at the owner's manual. My pet theory is that these particular drivers are afraid of committing to anything until the last minute (Do you think they might be Lutheran?). Finally, driving while talking on a cell-phone seems to be a very popular pastime with the drivers here. Any comments from you all out there?

So that's it. No more "haulin' glass" around the Twin Cities. It has been fun. It has been real. But it's time to move on to what I've been called to do.

Tom and Patti

This is Tom and Patti Harris. Patti is Deb's cousin (no, they are not identical) on her father's side and they live in Three Rivers WI. This is a shout out to them for inviting us up to their place last weekend.

Aren't they a cute couple?

Their home overlooking Little Fork Lake on the Chain of Lakes in upper WI. Tom and Patti retired to this abode 6 years ago from the Chicagoland region. Although they had another cabin near Tomahawk they found this place which is a year-round residence

The boat house. Beats having to pay moorage fees!

The view of Little Fork Lake from the end of the dock. The Chain of Lakes are 20 lakes linked together by the Elk River which begins about 20 miles to the east.

At the end of the chain is a dam which helps to form the Chain of Lakes. However it is possible to continue to boat downriver, into the Wisconsin River, all the way to New Orleans. In order to do this the boat needs to get over the dam. Hence, this boat lift which allows watercraft to move from the lakes into the river channel downstream.

Our weekend was short but we had a great time. Thanks Tom and Patti.

Trees

Deb and I had the opportunity to visit the University of Minnesota Arboretum in the western suburbs two weekends ago. In addition to many trees, grouped according type, there were also many different flower gardens, a prarie, and an interactive center (which included the obligatory gift shop [where you could be a tree seed for only a quarter]).

The green stuff on the lake is algae which bloom when it gets hot here on all of the lakes

This tree has a wispy type of bloom, unlike most trees. Almost like cotton candy.

More unusual fauna.

This here is Don and Anna, two friend from the seminary. They are the ones who suggested to visit the arboretum (which was a great way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon). Don and Anna are also from the Puget Sound area. We have recently begun to get to know them better (Don and I took part in the rural cross-cultural class last January). Don (and Anna) will be heading back to western Minnesota to do his internship there.

Date

Gee, there are only 5 shopping months left till Christmas!

Saints Alive!

Take a look at this picture. The logo on the uniforms proclaim this team as the "Saints". But aren't they really sinners in disguise? What's going on here? The men in the picture are part of the St Paul Saints baseball team of the northern Independent league. We witnessed them in action late in the day on July 4th. What a fun time. Packed in with 9000 other people we saw a nice baseball game (although the home team lost to the Lincoln Saltdogs) and a fireworks show afterwards. I find it ironic that a we could root on the Saints, knowing full well that they are in turn sinners. Maybe this is what Martin Luther was referring to as "simul justus et peccator" (simultaneously saints and sinners).

This is the entrance to Midway Stadium, home to the saints. When we arrived we found the parking lot full of folks tailgating prior to the game. Festive, eh?
The "official" mascot of the Saints organization. Don't know why, other than they some times run pig races around the base baths as part of their promotions. Here, was the porcine fellow inquiring to a past call made by the umpire?
Wacky promotions indeed. This fellow was being suspended from the billboard in an effort to win some sort of prize. He ended up staying out there from the first inning to the seventh. In the fifth, he nearly caught a home run ball (which would have netted him $10K)
One of my favorites. Different colored life size eyeballs racing form the outfield to home plate with the winner winning something or other. This beats CG boat races on the Jumbotron any day!
Cheap entertainment! That's what we're about here in the Upper Midwest. Mike Veeck and his crew definitely helped make our day!

Everybody Loves a Parade

Yes, that is right, everyone loves a parade. Especially if it is in your neighborhood. Deb and I had the opportunity to attend the annual St Anthony Park 4th of July parade. It is one of the few neighborhood parades in the state (St Anthony Park is one of many neighborhoods within the city of St Paul and is where Luther Seminary is located).

Waiting for the start.

One view of the crowds lining Como Avenue.

The view in the opposite direction

Three of many children on hand to view the parade.
(Notice the hand made "fireworks" hats they are wearing!)

Although the parade only lasted 35 minutes it was packed with the usual political dignitaries, "floats" or entries promoted by local businesses (including the seminary) and/or causes ("Vote YES for clean water!"), several small bands, two fire engines, and bringing up the rear a Scottish bagpipe corps. all in all a fun diversion to start the weekend with out spending a lot of money.

WIYGW (Part 4)

After one week on the job, I had this sense of Johnny Cash's tune "I've been everywhere" (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnnycash/ivebeeneverywhere.html) (Which incidentally has been co-opted by Comfort Inns for their ad campaign). Let me tell you where I've been: New Brighton, Fridley, Blaine, Ham Lake, Isanti, Coon Rapids, Anoka, Ramsey, Maple Grove, Rogers, Crystal, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Plymouth, Golden Valley, St Louis Park, Hopkins, Wyoming and Zimmerman. These are places that I've delivered to, not just passed through. And I've discovered that there are times and places where the traffic is almost as bad as Seattle! But theses are for only brief periods of time and there are ways of getting around a tie-up. After these next nine weeks I should be able to tell you how to get around the Twin Cities with no problem.

WIYGW (part 3)

Well, the rumors are true, I finally am earning a paycheck. I started work today for the Pilkington Company, a firm that distributes auto glass to dealers and glass installers. my primary responsibility will be the delivery side, but I will also help out in picking orders from the warehouse to be loaded on trucks later. The trucks we use are equivalent to GMC Savannahs or Chevy 2500s (large vans). They have racks inside with enough room to handle up top 30 panes of glass. I load my vehicle at least twice daily before I make my runs. Again I am amazed at the scope of American business. Do you know how many different types of auto glass there is? Neither do I, but judging by the size of the warehouse, there must be at least 5000 distinct styles. Anyway it should be an interesting 10 weeks.

Food on Two Different Planets

The first planet we'll travel to is the planet Coney's (pronounced "cone-ees"). This is where Deb and I have mini-dates every Friday night. A small neighborhood establishment, they serve up some really fine and inexpensive soft-serve treats. What they are most famous for is their ability serve 24 different soft-serve flavors. Being a traditionalist I prefer straight vanilla (no psychological jokes please!). Before Deb went on her diet she favored a coffee or lemon waffle cone.
(A slight biblical aside: Coneys are mentioned in Psalm 104: "The rocks are a refuge for the coneys"! I think though that Coney's is a refuge for us.)

Perched at the corner of Dale and Maryland in beautiful St Paul

The menu which includes more traditional lunch or dinner fare.

If you can see the bottom of the menu, You will notice that there are two items not familier to many of us. The first is cheese curds, which are pretty famous around here. The second item, at the bottom, "mac&cheese wedges" I have never heard of. I have not asked how these are made, or even if they are any good. I do think that it is a strange item to carry though.
This leads us to the second planet: the Minnesota state fair, where their motto is "everything on a stick". I kid you not any and all types of food, on a stick, are available to the fair-goer. I refer to an article in today's St Paul Pioneer Press ("still only a quarter") about the latest fare that will be available this year:
http://www.twincities.com/ci_9652399
The article is entitled "Chocolate Dipped Bacon? Now that's Fair Food!" I can tell you I have never seen the likes of this at the Puyallup fair, and I am not sure they would allow it. This is definitely an alien planet!

Movies

One of the delights of not having gainful employment is the ability to watch movies in the afternoon. Going through the traditional rental sources (Blockbuster, Hollywood) can be cost prohibitive though when there is no income. However, the St Paul public library system has a wonderful collection of DVDs at their various branches. So far I've seen the "Longest Day" (3hrs long and in B&W); American Grafitti (Harrison Ford as a cowboy dragracer!); Stalag 17; and the wonderfully whimsical "Jeeves and Wooster" British TV series from 15 years ago based on P.G. Wodehouse's characters (can you imagine Hugh Laurie ["House"] as a slightly daft British aristocrat?).



By the way "the Bear" can be thanked for that bit of amusement. The best part of this system is that there are no "R" rated flics, which makes selection that much easier.

WIYGW (part 2)

So this whole business of finding temporary work for the summer isn't working out like I planned. At this point , resumes and applications are flying off the printer and pen, hoping that something sticks. The only promising lead so far came from a craigslist ad (You can thank my lovely bride for that idea). I spoke with the operating partner, John, for Black Tie Limos out of Bloomington. The work is for on-call limo or towncar driver during the week. Now this sounds like fun, but it is tenuous at best, because it is an on-call position. At this point it is back to the ads and other referrals to see if there is anything better. Stay tuned for part 3

Golf Balls

One of the benefits of living where we do is the amount open space around us which is unusual in an urban environment. A mile from us is the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, affectionately known as "Moo U" to the locals (although being from Michigan I always thought Michigan State University took that title). There are at least 40 to 60 acres of test plots of various plants or vegetables being grown. Then there is the U of M Golf course. Walking around the course (which is surrounded by roadways, and is slightly more than a mile square) I can on occasion find an errant ball hit by some hacker ( I use this term as opposed to "slicer" or "hooker" which can carry different meanings). Yesterday though I hit the mother lode. In the course of one 45 minute walk I found 7 balls! This bring the total of balls found in the last two years to 16.
Now, I do not golf, having given it up several years ago because I too was a hacker. So the question is what to do with the balls. One thought is to give them to somebody that belongs to GA . But then, isn't that like giving a drink to an alcoholic? We could give them to my step-dad Don who plays in a league down in Indiana. Or we could give them to nephew Iain, our recently returned Army veteran. While we puzzle this out I will continue to walk, hoping to again strike the mother lode

Osage

Deb and I had the opportunity to go see my Dad ("the Bear") and Sandy several weeks ago. They live in the resort town of Osage Beach MO. Osage is at the end of a long reservoir that makes up part of the Lakes of the Ozarks. It is a beautiful place with lots of trees and of course water. As it is a resort, it is also filled with resort type stuff, like lots of traffic (one major arterial through the area), Gifts shops galore including one of the largest "outlet" malls in the known universe, several hundred miniature golf and go-kart tracks, and 1000's of restaurants all with a faux-nautical theme. Despite my cynicism, we really like going down there as it gives us a chance to get away from the cities.

Check out the boat traffic!

It isn't the destination so much as it is visiting with family. Both Deb and I enjoy or time with the Bear and Sandy 'cos even though they are parents, they don't act like parents. Sandy has her own Jet-ski, and the Bear putts around in a pontoon boat. In addition they both enjoy photography, listening to jazz or classical music (The Bear is in the process of transferring all of his recorded music unto CD's), and watching old British comedies on the "telly".

WIYGW

OK what kind of tom-foolery is the writer playing now, you might ask? Is WIYGW some kind of acronym? Why yes is it. it comes from an old Bob and Ray radio program (of course by now the author has really dated himself!) and it spells out Write If You Get Work. Does this mean that I now have gainful employment and that is why I am writing? No. However, it does mean that I am looking for something honest to do this summer while I wait to start internship (This implies that "doing" school work is not honest, which it is, but some people might not think so). And looking for work is work in itself. The big problem is trying to find something that is temporary without it being too temporary, if you know what I mean. I've applied at the seminary, at several temp agencies, and for some driving positions. Nothing yet. There is hope though. So I plug along, but I will write even if I don't have work.

Deb

I got to thinking that in all of what has been written, nothing has been said about the one who is supporting this whole enterprise. Granted, all of you are in some way helping us out, but the one who has to deal with this first hand, day-by-day is my beautiful bride of 26 years. She is the one who goes to work faithfully at 7:10 each morning, she is the one who still does the laundry and the majority of the cleaning, she is the one who sends out the cards and keeps the lines of communication open with all of our family and friends, and she is the one who not only encourages her three children, but also gives them all a swift kick when they need it.

Visiting the north shore of Minnesota's "Arrowhead" region on the shores of Lake superior.

Visiting the museum in Hastings Neb. last October. Doesn't she look "cute"?

Keeping those lines of communication open! (with a little help from a friend)

What is truly amazing (although it really isn't) is her trust in God in all of this. After all she was not the one being "called" into ministry (at least the professional kind). And yet she perseveres and allows God to strengthen and to nourish and to provide for her throughout all of this. And she does this out of love for God, for her husband, and for her children. So this post is dedicated to you. I love you Deb.