Where am I now? First, with work...

There's one thing I've always admired about my mother: she is busy. (Not a busy-body, mind you. In fact, she's not a gossip in the least...Nor is she overcommitted to a hundred different volunteer commitees.) She is always on-task. She was a home-maker for my whole childhood, and there was never a day when she didn't have a to-do list on the table, including housework, bills, and groceries, but also friends to write, favors for friends, missionaries to pray for, on and on. It was amazing to me that for someone who (from my perspective) had very little to do, she always had somthing to do.

Somehow, I got that gene. Even if there is nothing to do (for that matter, even when there are things that must be done), I can always find dozens of different tasks that seem worthwhile. I mean, I could read to the kids, pull weeds, organize my bookshelf, write a letter to my legislators, plan for my upcoming meeting with the local mormon missionary, clean my closet, call my sister, drywall my basement, fix the lawnmower, take a walk. And my to-do list gets longer (rather than shorter) as I work through each task.

This is my Achilles' heel (how many heels can a guy have?)...and at my workplace, it's beginning to make me feel overwhelmed. I've been thinking a good deal recently about some aspects of leadership. Perhaps I'll ramble about them some more...

For now, I'll just be thankful that I'm not inclinde to boredom. I can deal with the problems it causes later.

We're back in business -- whoever was providing the free wireless channel for us last year has reappeared after several months of dial-up. We're spoiled rotten.

Kids are good. Wife is good. Everybody asks. Doing fine, thanks. Here is a picture (from winter) since it has been a while:

Last night, my son asked from the other room, "Dad, why is it that as you grow up, your finger is always the size of the hole in your nose?"

I didn't have a good answer.

Introducing the newest addition to our clan:

Happy Easter!

If you go downstairs at our house, you'll find dozens of my unfinished projects...I'm trying to get some of them done before I start any new ones. So, in the past week, I've got three finished. Pictures of one (because it makes me proud):

Before and After

This will be making its way to our next yard sale. Perhaps $25?

I was challenged this morning by the man in the pulpit. He related two stories from driving the church van, which are not very terrific in themselves, but to which everyone can easily relate:

Once while driving the van in a rainstorm, he was passed by a large truck whose splash completely muddied the windshield, while the van simultaneously began to hydroplane on the same wetspot.

Another time, while he was driving a group of middle-school students, one of the students reached from behind his seat to cover his eyes with their hands.

Needless to say, both of these situations would make me frantic enough in my own car...add to that the stress of having a church van full of kids who have my nerves on edge anyway -- and I just might drive into a ditch on purpose!

But, the point of his stories: Have there been times when the only thing on your mind has been the need to see? When the only one thing you absolutely must do, you cannot? Similar sensations -- when you want to breathe, but the breath won't come. When you feel as though you are strangling, choking, falling, skidding, breaking, drowning -- yet the only thing that you could do to save yourself, you can't do?

It's the terrifying sensation that nightmares are made of. And when you do break through to see, breathe, stop, move, or whatever it is, the relief and deliverance you feel -- and you breathe more deeply, see more fully, and stretch your cramp as though you might never get the chance again.

Then, the man in the pulpit did a mean thing...he pulled a window on stage. A window pane that was covered with decades of dust. It hadn't been wiped for ages -- because nobody ever cared to see through it clearly...And that was the parable. That window is my heart.

I know the horror of blindness when my car is hydroplaning toward a semi; yet on a daily basis, do I ever take the time to wash my windshield? (Answer is no.) So it is with my heart; so it is with my life. What a challenge for me to weigh this week.

I'm supposed to be working on a project for work tonight...but I'm trying to stall for time, so I thought I'd take a moment...

I attend a small Bible study of about 4 couples. We've been working on I Corinthians over the past few months -- and we began on Chapter 11 last week. Wouldn't you know it, it's my turn to lead for the next month or so. Go figure.

So, I've been thinking about that chapter for over a week, and I think I've reached some sort of milestone (though I hesitate to call it a conclusion). It seems that Paul is answering questions that were posed by the Corinthian church, specifically focused on head coverings and the Lord's Supper. Yet, I find myself thinking that these topics are just the vehicle for a deeper message. And I see what I would call a metamessage hiding beneath.

Verses 1-17 deal with head coverings, but begin with a topical (and seemingly unrelated statement) about Christ being the head, and God the head of Christ. Then, several verses about men and women honoring their heads.

Verses 18-34 go on to deal with the Lord's Supper, but begin with a topical (and seemingly unrelated statement) about divisions in the body. Then, several verses talking about how Christ - even on the night he was betrayed - lay down his life for us, and asked us to memorialize his actions in our own. And finally a warning that we should not pretend to participate in the body and blood of Christ if we do not first recognize the body (which is the church).

So, I see a literal answer to the Corinthians' questions about headcoverings and communion. But beneath it, Paul seems to be saying, "It's not about head coverings or ritual meals -- its about the head (loving God, the greatest command) and the body (loving one another, the second command).

What a challenging realization this has been for me. I wonder what we'll talk about next week.

I've now been at my present job for about 18 months. Overall, I am really pleased with the opportunities I have there to serve, teach, encourage, and learn. With the exception of one difficult situation that I inherited when I took the job, everything has gone without a hitch...of course, there have been some bumps in the road, but nothing too serious. Until the past week. I tell you, I was about ready to quit because of some of the garbage I was having to deal with. But my school board is very supportive, and they were behind me all the way with prayer and encouragement...and I was able to get some closure on the difficult situation. It was miraculous, in fact, a real testimony to God's faithfulness and answer to prayer.

Well, tomorrow is my first big evaluation by my boss. Of course, we had the cursory 90-day review. ("Well, we decided not to fire you after the first three months. Keep up the good work.") But this is the first time we'll sit down and really talk about where things stand and where they need to go. And perhaps I feel a little nervous. But isn't this what I should be excited about? When once a year I get to hear how my bosses really feel about me and the work I've been doing? Maybe I'd rather not know...Honestly, I'm hoping for a snow day.

On a much less dreadful note, we have finished the first room of our remodel! Yippee!

Before (pink) and after (green)...

It's taken so much more patience than either of us ever expected... 'cause when I get home in the evenings, I'm not in the mood to work. And when I am in the mood to work, the kids are either napping (it is their bedroom, of course) or wanting my attention...But we got it done!
New ceiling, doors, windows, baseboard, paint, carpet - everything! Merry Christmas, honey!

Now we're on to the living room, and let me tell you, you won't believe it when we get that job done. (We won't believe it either.)