Matthew 7:1-5

So...
here's the graphic I used for my sermon assignment for school... I'm either really tired or it's funny.


Or both...

ack ack ack ack

ACK ACK ACK

That's not the sound of a hairball.. that's the sound of a student preacher in a mild state of panic.

Sermon is written but is TOOOOOOooo long. WAYYYyyyy too long!!!

Dang it.

I know why. I wrote it and then took everyone's suggestions and added them.

I know all good movies leave half the film on the cutting room floor.

snip. snip. snip... here I go!!!

deb

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!

Nerves

YIKES!

I'm preaching on Sunday. Mother's Day. On Hannah. And struggling with competing ideas, suggestions and lots and LOTS and LOOOOTTTTTSSSSS of advice.

Ack.
And yes.
Nerves.

Typing away... praying a lot... revising... editing...
Getting it together...
One step at a time...

Deb

Too tired to sleep

Too tired to sleep?
Yes. That describes me perfectly.

I tried to go to bed twice. Used the warm milk, dark room, purring cat therapy. Went to bed. Nope. Tried the ear plugs and fan method. Nope.

I'm wide awake. The questions are a mile long and a yard deep. The answers are... missing.

I hate not knowing. I hate unanswered questions. I don't know what God is saying. Does it mean, "NO" or "NOT YET" ...or something else???? Like... "DOH! You didn't listen!"

But, as a friend of mine reminded me, "I loathe the unknown, but God seems to really like it a lot."

I suppose I can file this little experience under "sermon prep" and pretend like it's a spiritual experience. But at the moment, it just plain stinks.

sigh...
Deb