Real life. Real sermonating

My average week has plenty to keep me busy, thankyouverymuch.

This week -- one of the two times a year that I preach? Is packed and more stressful than usual.

Hammering out an agreement for a part-time ministry position. (Make an offer, blast it! MUST we do all of the legwork?)

Helping Reedy Girl get ready for a band trip -- her first major trip out-of-state with school. She was so excited and anxious that NO prep work on my sermon happened last night. It was OK. It was just that I thought I would have a couple of hours.

Talking options for senior year with the Harpist, whose academic stress level is off the charts. It's OK. She's a junior with 2 AP classes and 2 hard academic classes (for her) that are NOT AP but are killing her (Algebra 2 and Honors Chem.) It's just that what's ideal and what's reality may be two different things and her self-imposed expectations are high. Trying to encourage and walk through that mess is just not easy.

Listening to my beloved bearded spouse and some issues which truly suck. Truly. And having no answers because of the Machiavellian nature of it all... And having no time to listen because I have work to do.... but listening anyway because I love him.

And then there's extended family prayer concerns... an ill brother-in-law, a healing sister or two... inlaws and outlaws stuff. Yikes. My brain is full.

SOooo.. I prayed. Listened to Pray-as-you-go for some peace and refocusing and Jesus time.... And it's time to blog and then work...

JUST as the house finally gets quiet, the cat horks, the phone rings (telemarketer I can ignore), and there's a day laborer at the door wanting work (I don't answer). And I need to set all this aside to finish up my sermon outline.

Because, though it ain't gettin' preached until Sunday, the outline MUST be done for tomorrow so that the slides and program can be finished.

AH. real life. real sermonating.

Just mildly stretched, thanks. You can call me...

...ElastiDeb!