I do Children’s Chapel on Wednesday morning with the children in our Child Care Center.  Yesterday I took in a toy keyboard without batteries.  I told them I wanted to play it for them (well, not actually “play,” but just push randomly on the keys!) but it didn’t work.  I put a crayon in the battery compartment, but acted surprised that it still didn’t work.  They told me to try batteries but I ignored them and tried money.  I also tried holding my cell phone against it.  They continued to tell me to use batteries.  They were so relieved when I finally got smart enough to listen to them and use batteries.  I told them, then, that God was like a battery.  We might try other things to give us power–like money or gadgets–but only God in our hearts could really make us work.  I hope, during this Lenten season, that I will finally get smart enough to let God will be my battery.

Feb 18, 2010

Do you feel the stress, too?  It’s the famous “I have to do it all for Christmas” stress, isn’t it?  Do the shopping and the cleaning, the baking, wrapping and entertaining.  Try to balance the budget and get each of the kids different gifts, but still give them the same number and spend the same amount!  Isn’t that’s a trick? While you’re at at, keep up with your job (also stressful at this time of year), keep in contact with friends, and remember the reason for the season.  In the midst of all of this, every magazine I pick up will have articles telling me how to have less stress during the holidays.  I don’t know about you, but it really stresses me when someone tells me to relax.  I don’t know how. Period.  I will not relax this Christmas, I will still bake more cookies than we need, and I will still work myself to a frenzy trying to get pet odors out of my carpet.

However, I do have two goals this year that I know I can do and that will make a difference.  First, I am going to get up a little earlier and give myself a longer quiet time in the morning.  I may work for a church and I may know in my head how important that quiet time is for me, but I am fully human and I still tend to rush it.  I am also resolving to keep track of the new items that come into my house during the season, whether gifts or bargains that I find when I’m actually shopping for others.  For every item that comes into my house this season, I will trash, donate, or sell at least 3 items in return.  I truly believe that excessive stuff = excessive stress.  So this season I’ll try to remember:  the cookies will be shared, the cleaning needs to be done anyway, the gifts will show love and the friendships are essential, but “stuff” does not make me happy.

November 30, 2009

I was leaving the hospital yesterday, after visiting my brother, and found myself in an elevator discussing books with two women I had never met.  It is amazing how books can bring people together.  They were talking about the new Ted Kennedy book and said it was a “must read.”  I then mentioned that I had recently read The Help and found it to be an inspiring story and another “must read.” I have also just finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls and can’t seem to get it off of my mind. The story is about a family of four children who are raised by two abusive and dysfunctional, yet sometimes loving, parents.  The children are neglected, they do not get medical care, they are forced to eat from garbage cans and live in almost uninhabitable conditions.  The father is an alcoholic and the mother is a frustrated artist with very low emotional intelligence ( though intellectually both parents are very bright). They have a very confusing religious upbringing and are most often the objects of ridicule.  Yet they become responsible, successful adults.  It is a great story of resilience and strength, but it is confusing as all get out!  Loving, nurturing responsible parents are sometimes left wondering where they went wrong, while parents who never should have had children watch theirs go on to bigger and better things.  I struggle with all of the kids in my programs.  I want to be nurturing without babying them.  I want to be firm without being mean.  I want to let them have some freedom, yet not let them get hurt.  Still, I’m the only Nancy I know how to be, and that Nancy just may not be right for some children.  It is a dilemma, to say the least.

November 12, 2009

I had planned to use this space to beg for volunteers and keep people updated on church activities.  It is getting to be a busy time and I could use lots of help with the upcoming Fall Fun Day, Angel Tree Project, The Rescue Mission Food Drive, Thanksgiving Baskets, My Father’s Love Exhibit, Children’s Pageant, and even a lock-in.  My thoughts today, though, are not of busyness and need.  My thoughts today are of a life well lived.  I had the privilege of spending some time today with Elmer Paulson, today, and I am a better person for it.  Elmer is preparing to die and Central Church is preparing to cope with the void he will leave.  However, in this time of sadness and grief, let us take time to remember that Elmer will leave behind children who loved and respected him,  a church family who saw an example of a fine Christian man, and a community which was well served by Elmer’s generosity and love.   As God prepares to embrace Elmer, may we all rejoice in his happy ending.  I’m sure going to try!

I am being dragged into the blogosphere and I’m kicking and screaming.  However, I guarantee I will try to find a way to use it to my advantage!  For instance, I would like for everyone to know about some of our upcoming events and ways you can help.  Central has agreed to be hosts at the showing of “My Father’s Love” at Washington Square Mall.  We will be hosting on November 23rd and 24th and I will need all the help I can get.  However, even if you will not be available to help with a shift, I still hope you will make time to see the exhibit of murals created out of small pieces of wood.  The exhibit is now open and can be viewed during regular mall hours until December 23rd.

I would also like to remind the ladies that we have a great book club!  We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Kennel Club.  We don’t choose one book for everyone to read; rather, we come anxious to discuss what we have read and enjoyed.  This is a good excuse to make time to read, to treat yourself to a very nice lunch, and to enjoy the company of other ladies.  Were it not for this book club, I might have missed the opportunity to read The Help, The Secret Lives of Bees, the Stephanie Plum books (I’m not proud of those but they sure have been fun!) and probably a dozen others.  Invite a friend and plan to join us!

October 22, 2009