"Gardens are not made by singing, 'Oh how beautiful' and sitting in the shade." - Rudyard Kipling

When dogs party.

I started this blog in May of 2010 when we still lived in AZ and I was pastor at Pathway. I thought, "Some day, when I'm not a pastor anymore, I'll write what I want. Until then I have to be careful lest I harm my ministry or my church."
Here I am three years out of ministry and I still feel constrained. Not by my part time gig at UFC, because I don't think anyone there even knows about my blog much less wastes time reading it. But I've come to realize I still worry about the negative consequences a criticism or (perceived) negative assessment might have on people and institutions I care about.
So despite what my family thinks I do indeed restrain myself here.
(And I still wish I didn't feel the need to.)

As I do my own reading for the Bible Project and prepare my lessons for the Sunday morning class I'm a little surprised how much I remember from teaching this at GBC back in the 90s. Yesterday I got a look at the reading schedule for the upcoming months (I've been getting it a few weeks at a time) and was...shocked at the way this plan arranges things. We go from 2 Kings to Isaiah. What??? And the Chronicles come at the end of the OT readings. Why??? Jonah doesn't show up until after Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah. All wrong.
As I thought about the correct dating for those books my mind asked, "Was Jonah a prophet from the northern kingdom or Judah?" And my brain came back with, "He was from Gath Hepher which is in the north."
That little detail is from a verse in 2 Kings 14 (I had to look that part up). Odd that a fairly obscure detail like that stuck in my brain.
One of this week's projects just added to the list is a complete reworking of the reading schedule for the next four months pending official approval, something I hope happens tomorrow morning.

I got an email from my undergrad alma mater asking for a year-end gift. On the list of things they would use the money for: "Adding more talented professors...."
Does that mean they think the current group isn't talented enough?
"We're going to get rid of these schmucks and get some faculty who are genuinely talented."

It's New Year's Eve and lots of people are going to parties where they'll play table games, eat a lot of food, listen to music, and kiss their spouses or SO's at the stroke of midnight.
I'll kiss Pam before I go to bed sometime between 8:30 and 9:00. Before then I'll have a cup of coffee and some snickerdoodles while we watch Live PD or Shark Tank.
Just 'cause we're old doesn't mean we can't rock it right into 2019.

Sometimes - OK pretty often - I wish I was 20 years younger and knew what I know now.
I s'pose that's pretty normal, huh?

I took some of my snickerdoodles into the office this morning and stopped on my way home to take some into the Benchmark PT crew. They're office is just around the corner from the church offices so I stop in to see them every couple of weeks. I really like them, they helped me a LOT when I could barely walk because of back and hip pain, and it's fun to see their faces light up when I come through the door. Our feelings are mutual. (Plus, I bring them freshly baked desserts.)
Today we talked about goals for 2019. I told them I don't do resolutions because those never last, but goals for the year seem much more realistic.
Standard: goals should be realistic, and measurable.
Becca, the receptionist, decided her goal is to put $500 each month into her IRA. She took funds out of it when her dad died last year and wants to repay that money.
The tech said her goal is to get her passport so she can visit her friend in Mexico.
Melissa, the PT, said she wants to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Me? I want to learn to make petit fours, which involves several steps that will be totally new to me. I think I also want to learn to bake bread.
Funds permitting I also want to finish the Mustang's interior.
Here we go!