Not Good

My car is smoking. I started it this morning (or at least tried to). It made funny sounds and almost got going. I turned it off, looked in the rear-view mirror, and there was the cloud. Shit.I guess I'm not going into work today. Unfortunately, I don't know where to take it here in Belvidere. I'll have to wait till Ang gets back. Then she can take me to wherever it is that I need to go. Hopefully, whoever is going to fix it can do it soon, because I have to move my stuff up here. Finances are limited, so it better not cost too mu...

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Natural Disasters and God

Downtown New Orleans, 30 Aug 2005“Why?”One minute the world seems to make sense, and then something terrible happens. This time it is Hurricane Katrina. When the power of nature rises up and brings such destruction, we humans (yes, we who have conquered the skies and landed on the moon) find that we are powerless to stop it. We who were once masters of our world, suddenly find ourselves feeling very tiny and vulnerable. Our world has not only...

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For All the Cubs Fans Out There

While cleaning and packing, I rediscovered a book by Robert J. Morgan entitled Real Stories for the Soul. Please note that this is in no way a plug for this book; it's terrible. Generally speaking it's shallow and the veracity of the stories is questionable. But, there is this really cool one that I would like to share (most of it anyway). ***************The 1908 World Series (p 135-36)The 1908 National League season saw a fierce struggle between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants. When they met with thet Pennant on the line, there was...

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Long Day

My first day alone on the job. I already have sooo much to do. Of course, since it is only the begining of my solo week, I don't really know if it is a lot or a little. I'll have to see how much I get through by Thurs. Didn't leave the office till 7pm. That's okay though, I really enjoyed today. Something I really like about the pastor position is the diversity of things to do. I could have left earlier if I wanted, but I chose to stay. Yeah, I know, it's odd. But I like what I do that mu...

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Big Day

Tomorrow (Sunday) will be a big day. I'll be in worship for the first time at my new church. Then, after the service, there is a picnic. What are the odds of me getting lost on the way there?Hopefully, I will be looking at a house tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunatly, due to this I will not be able to make it to the Gorilla Art Thing (which will meet outside the Octane from 1ish to 5ish). Sorry all, but I need to find a roof. It makes living a lot easier when you have one, ya know. I'm not quite sure how much I'll be in and out of my appt in...

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First Week

So far, not a bad first week. I started Monday, and while there have been some interesting twists, nothing disasterous has happened. I've been really busy, so I haven't had a chance to contact Tim or anybody else (imagine links here to various MySpace pages that I don't have the addresses to right off hand) and say "hi." I'll have to give everybody a tour. The outside of the building is like a castle, and there's this awesome tower. I made sure to go up there on the first day. I'm off on Fri and Sat, so I'll be hitting the housing ads pretty...

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The Word is In

I've got the position! I will be the New Interim Associate Pastor at Second Congregational. From what I understand, I will be filling some really big shoes, so it's a bit intimidating. I received notice yesterday and will start tomorrow. The plan is to be in the Rockford area early and begin looking for appts. Then, I will meet the current Associate Pastor in the afternoon. Employment: here I come!Elsewhere in life...This weekend I went to see Christina. It was good to get away and relax. Since her 9-yr old son wasn't there, we talked about...

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For Those Who Didn't Already Know This...

...the only thing worse than moving is moving when you don't know whether you're actually moving. Boxes, boxes everywhere. Tonight, I'm trying to get the group up to go to the labyrinth. So far, it has rained every time we've tried. Today, it looks dark, but if it isn't too bad, I'm still going (I don't know about the rest of 'em). Aegis Studios is putting out their Contagion Anthology soon enough. The release should be around Halloween. I have a written piece in there. Come to think of it, I need to finish a pic for it. Shh...don't tell...

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Still Waiting

The word is that the results on the interview are still "inconclusive." It has been a bit of a strange drama thusfar, but I hope to hear something back in the next couple of days. But, the job still starts on Monday, so my appt is a wreck as it is filled with boxes. Ugh!Meanwhile, If I don't hear something by mid-afternoon, I'll be setting up another interview elsewhere. If the Rockford possibility doesn't come through, here's hoping that this new one will move quickly.Yes, the employment roller coaster takes yet another sharp tu...

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Stomach...Churning...

Okay, I'm nervous now. Oddly enough, when I went into the first meeting regarding this new call opportunity, I was barely nervous. Now, it's hitting pretty hard. I went to Open Prarie NCD (UCC) in Princeton today for worship. Oddly enough, I've been there three times and have yet to hear the pastors preach. I hear they're awesome, but every day I've been there they've had a guest preacher. Today, that was a real blessing. The college student (I believe her name is Dawn, but I forgot to bring home a bulletin) who preached gave a kick-ass...

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The News

Tonight, the church called me regarding their open position and offered me the job. I very quickly said "yes," of course. The start date: Aug. 15th. That's pretty quick. Now, I have to find an appt that will rent month to month. The hiring is not yet official. The committee that presented the call to me is not the group that hires. I have to go before their Provincial Council for that. We will meet Sunday evening. But still, this is all quite the relief. Woo hooo!MissionBound dropped in last night and left today. She had training in...

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