the crazies.

27 Dec
I have the crazies. I’m going a bit insane, being snowed into my tiny apartment alone. I was stuck here on Christmas day and the day following. I tried to entertain myself, to keep busy, and to maintain sanity for as long as I could. I cleaned. I quilted. I talked on the phone. I watched (a lot of) Friends. Lord of the Rings. I did laundry. And it was okay. On Friday and Saturday, things were okay. I didn’t go crazy.
But now it’s Sunday and I’m stuck here again. The crazies have attacked me.
I got out for church. We only had one service this morning and it was all me. Pastor Kendall is on vacation so I did it all. Sermon. Liturgy. Announcements. I did everything but turn my microphone on properly. Opps. Luckily a few members ran back to the sound board to make sure things were working so only the announcements were missed. The church service went well and then I stuck around with coffee and congregation members for an hour.
But now I’m back at my apartment. I glimpsed the outside world but now I’ve returned to my shell and I can’t handle it.
I was going to drive to Watertown, SD to meet up with a friend and visit the glories that are Starbucks and Target but the roads don’t advise such travel. So close to getting out and yet, it’s a no go. I could drive 20 minutes to the next larger town, Montevideo, but the only thing I could do there is walk around Walmart and I’m just not sure that is appealing either.
Here I am. I will survive but as I told my mom when I called her, I just needed to complain a bit first.

quilting continues.

26 Dec

Being snowed in gave me the perfect opportunity to pull out the fabric and the quilt squares again. I still have ten quilt squares left to cut and create but I’m getting bored with connecting my three inch squares in patches of nine. I want to start putting it all together … thus I began to lay out the squares. Add some white borders and a little less carpet, a preview of what my quilt might look like …
26 Dec

snow crazy.

26 Dec

(Above: Bicycles outside of my apartment building on Thursday morning.) Beginning on Wednesday, western Minnesota has had constant snow falling from the sky and it has yet to really stop. Add a little wind and the blizzard conditions begin.
We were one of the few churches who held services on Christmas Eve. We had two services, 4pm and 6pm. It was a delightful service with lots of special music, readings, and candle lighting. I was involved in much of the service but my main part was doing the children’s sermon. I called the kids forward and we talked about Jesus being our flashlight. It was fun.
After services, I went to the Stelter’s home (my supervisor and his family) for dinner, gift opening, and a fun game of CatchPhrase. We had meatballs and potatoes, wine and coffee, gifts and games. It was a lot of fun. I wasn’t able to be with my own family but I was thankful to be with another family and a bunch of church ladies. The four older women from church who were there stuck around until midnight, through a long game of CatchPhrase. Hilarious.
I made it back to my apartment after midnight but barely through the snow drifts – I nearly got stuck at one point. Further proof that the next time I’m in a bigger city, I must buy a snow shovel to carry in my trunk. Because the snow was still falling and the wind was blowing, we cancelled our Christmas day service at Grace. My Christmas day plans were also put on hold due to the snow and thus I stayed in my pajamas all day long, watched a lot of Friends, and quilted.
Bicycles on Saturday afternoon
Today, Saturday, was another day in my pajamas, sticking to my apartment as it continued to snow and blow outside. Estimations would lead me to guess that we’ve had over 15 inches fall in the last three days, if not a few more. The old man with no teeth who probably shouldn’t still be driving but parks his maroon van next to my Corolla at the apartment building told me that we have gotten over thirty inches; we only talk when we both happen to be at our vehicles at the same time. I don’t even know his name so whether or not he is a reliable source is still questionable …

Christmas approaches.

20 Dec
It has arrived – Christmas week. In these next three days of work, I have two sermons to write, a children’s sermon to prepare, visits to do, Bible study, and a women’s group potluck. (The last one is optional but I’m strongly encouraged to attend. It is a potluck. With church ladies. My favorite.)
At Grace Lutheran, we hold two services on Christmas Eve (4pm and 6pm) and one on Christmas day (10am). Following the Christmas Eve service, I am invited to my supervisor’s home to celebrate with his family and on Christmas day, Pastor Lori invited me over for a leftover lunch and a movie in our pajamas. (Sounds perfect to me.) The Saturday following I will be traveling to Willmar to party with the Gieseke family and then I preach the next day, Sunday. Phew.
Despite the Christmas carols, the tree in my living room, and my mad rush to send out Christmas cards, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas. Eight hours away from home and the holiday seems lacking. I am appreciative to the people of Grace and coworkers here who are trying to make me feel as at home as can be and thankful that I will be busy. Turns out the Christmas season is about home and family and friends. Makes one love and appreciate the time at home, the time with loved ones much more.

pastoral-care-a-lot

20 Dec
The introvert in me has been going a bit haywire in the last few weeks and – not blaming, just saying – that the duties and joys of a pastor are wearing on me a bit. I need a break. A release. Time with friends, family, and people I know well. That time seems a bit far off for the time being and so the pastoral-care-a-lot continues. Here is what has been stressing me out –
– Three funerals in two weeks. (Four actually for the church of Grace but I was only involved in three.) In my first three months of internship, I had to assist in no funerals and suddenly, in the fourth month, we have four in two weeks. Phew. I had to lead prayer services the night before the services and then I have an assisting role in the funerals. (Poor Kendall has had to write four funeral services in two weeks.)
– Before Christmas, we try and visit all of the shut-ins at Grace. Between scheduled visits with shut-ins and hospital visits, my last Thursday consisted of only pastoral care visits of sorts, four in total. They were all lovely conversations and wonderful people to chat with but the introvert in me was killing.
– Listening to others, caring for others, and being there for others seems to be high on the pastor’s plate of priorities. I’ve known this all along and being a number two on the enneagram, I love to help others, to care for others BUT there comes a point. A point when I need others to listen to me, to care for me, and to be there for me. This point has arrived. Currently accepting pastoral care offers. For those of you who have been on the other end of the phone when I have called recently or been patient with my outpouring of emotions, thank you for listening. Thank you for offering the pastor some pastoral care. *wink*

Release time

20 Dec
Each of us have a unique design, created to be especially us by God. The third graders I teach on Wednesday afternoon for release time are no exception. (Here in Dawson, first through fourth graders get out of school for an hour to walk across the street to the church for religious education. Small town.) I have a class of 14 third graders, a rambunctious crew who don’t like to sit still or really listen at all but I love my time with them nonetheless.
As we talk about how each of us is special and loved by God, we decided that we would make paper replicas of ourselves which express who God has created us to be, with our talents, personality traits, and skills. Here are the beginnings of the project; some are quite hilarious and resemble alien-like creatures instead of third graders …

Luke 1:45

19 Dec


Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!



Uh oh. Yo yo.

19 Dec
I have no idea what I could or would do with such a skill but these fabric yo-yo pieces are certainly fun. Apparently a style from the 1930 and 1940s, I saw hundreds of these sewn together for a coverlet on a bed at a coworker’s house, a project by his grandmother. Creative wheels in my head began turning …

I researched, discovered a tutorial, and happened to have a bag of fun fabrics already cut into circles. (Convenient? I call it fate.) I began playing, creating a yo-yo myself. To create a yo-yo, it’s all hand-stitching; a very mobile project – something I would love to do if I were a passenger in a car for hours. (Not that I have any such trip lined up in the near future.)
For now, the idea will remain in the back of my mind, perhaps for a future project or quilt inspiration. As the yo-yo sits on top of my gospel of Luke commentary, I’m reminded that there is no time for sewing tonight or tomorrow or probably this week at all. I have a sermon to prepare for a care center service tomorrow afternoon and then two sermons plus a children’s sermon to prepare for the week ahead … a very busy most-wonderful-time-of-the-year.

small town.

14 Dec
two things –
1. I received a postcard in the mail addressed to 1277 Chestnut. My supervisor lives there; I do not. But mr. postmaster seems to know me, knows my name, and knows where I actually live because I received the postcard in my mailbox at my apartment building with no sort of forwarding stamp or wrong address. It just came here. Small town.
2. When people stop at the gas station or run into the grocery store, no sense in shutting off the car and locking the doors, right? Nope. Just leave the car running and run in to grab coffee or milk. At first it made me feel uneasy but I admit, I did it this morning. I ran into the gas station to grab coffee before work and left Sprocket on and unlocked. After living in St.Paul, it felt unnatural but hey, small town.
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