From Woody: Exciting news!

Hi folks. This is Woody. You know, the REAL firsborn child. So I'm furry, nonverbal, and have four legs; I still have feelings too! Anyway, I snuck onto Mommy's computer to tell you something very important:

PetsMart is opening in Danville on July 14.

Yes, that's right. In less than a month, my favorite store will be a mere eight (8) miles away, instead of 50 miles! I love PetsMart, mostly because they let me come inside the store with my parents. They carry everything I could ever need or want, and have a great grooming salon.

Poor Simon has never been to PetsMart. Maybe we can take him since it will be so close.

Love,

Woody

Kylee and Brent's wedding

I performed my first wedding a few weeks ago. It was for my friends Kylee and Brent. I went to E&H with Kylee, who is my Little-Big (She's my Little Sister for Delta Pi, she's my Big Sister for Alpha Psi). It was a lovely wedding, and I was really honored that they asked me to officiate!

I've put up a few pics. The first one was taken at the beginning of the ceremony. Don't you love Kylee's turquoise sash?

The second is of the happy couple, the bridesmaids, and groomsmen.

I did get a picture of the three of us for posterity, but it's not very good, so I won't post it.

I am back from Annual Conference, obviously. It was fun, I learned a lot, I am now officially a probationary elder, and I am EXHAUSTED. Three days of waking up at 5:00 a.m. (early Minutes Committee meetings) will do that to you. I will post a report later. Unfortunately, I was a dork and forgot our camera at home. So, I have no pictures whatsoever.

Off to Annual Conference!!!

Tomorrow afternoon, James and I head to Roanoke for the 225th Virginia Annual Conference. It's the annual gathering of all the United Methodist clergy in (most of) Virginia and an equal number of lay delegates. Last year I was a "rookie", so this year I know more of what to expect. On Monday night, I (along with 20 or so other clergy) will be commissioned as a probationary elder. I get to have one clergy representative (an ordained elder-my friend Amanda) and one family representative (my beloved husband) up there with me when I'm commissioned. My mom is also coming up to see the big event. Dad and Bart are saving their energy for my ordination in three (or so) years.

This year, I'm also looking forward to serving as an "Assistant Secretary" for the whole event. Basically, myself and one other guy take turns being on the stage and helping the Conference Secretary (a clergy person who gets elected/appointed for several years) accurately write down the daily proceedings, catching names, and verifying data. I was honored to be asked, and I'm looking forward to the experience. I think I'll learn a lot. A nice perk of the job: I got a free hotel room for four nights!

It will be nice to see some clergy friends whom I haven't seen in a few months and catch up with them. I'm also hoping to get some good ideas about evangelism projects to bring back to my church. The theme this year is, "Let's Get Growing: All for Jesus!" There's going to be an Evangelism Expo on Tuesday and Wednesday, so hopefully that will provide some "food for action."

Susanna is doing well; she likes to kick her mommy and perform somersaults. On June 18 I have my test for Gestational Diabetes, which I'm praying I "pass". I go for a third ultrasound on June 25; my placenta was sort of low (close to my cervix) at my 19-week ultrasound, so they want to see where it is now. There's an excellent chance it might have moved up (and away from the cervix), but my doctor wants to make sure. Fine by me...if it's low enough, they'll diagnose placenta previa, and that would place all sorts of restrictions on me...

Welcome to the third trimester!

I love Susanna...I am blessed to be pregnant...I can't wait to be a mom...How much longer?

I am now in my third trimester of pregnancy and am "enjoying" everything that goes with it. The symptoms began showing up around week 25. Apparently I am doomed to be uncomfortable (at best) or miserable (at worse) for the next 10-13 weeks. I hit "term" on August 11, even though my due date isn't until September 1. Maybe she can be an early birthday present for her Uncle Bart? Now, on to my recital of symptoms...

First, I began getting Braxton Hicks contractions. At first, they were no big deal. I simply felt my uterus tighten for 20-30 seconds, and then it went away. This happened maybe five times a day. On Pentecost Sunday, I began to feel them fairly strongly while I was serving Communion to my beloved flock. My back hurt/felt stiff, too. They stopped that afternoon, but began again on Monday. I called the doc on Tuesday morning, and they said if they became regular and intense, to head to Labor & Delivery so I could be monitored. Well...Tuesday night they came back, and really seemed intense and were fairly regular. Being the paranoid first-time mom that I am, I made James take me to L&D. Keep in mind that right before this I had consumed about 40 oz of water and lain on my side for 30 mins, to no avail. The nurses at L&D were very nice; they hooked me up to a contraction monitor and a fetal monitor and gave me a shot to stop the contractions. One of them gave me a cervical exam to verify that I was still "corked" and hadn't begun dilating. Of course, my contractions stopped almost as soon as I set foot on the unit (I guess the water and rest did their job). I'm sure they were having a good laugh at my expense. After two hours, they released me and told me to come back if my water broke, regular contractions began, or I had any vaginal bleeding. On Thursday, the contractions came back. They were still irregular, but more severe and slightly painful. I even felt some of them in my back. More of the same on Friday. Saturday and Sunday weren't as bad, and I've had hardly any today or Monday. Apparently part of the trick is to drink lots of water. I've been doing that, and it's helped. So does sitting with my feet propped up every few hours.

Second, I have back pain/stiffness if I stand or move around for more than 15-20 minutes. This is only helped by me sitting/lying down with my feet propped up. Warm baths help, too. If I ignore the warning signs, I start to feel aches and cramping. I may need to invest in a maternity belt before too long. I've already forsaken fashionable shoes for sneakers and Birkenstocks. Of course, most of my shoes are tight because my feet/ankles are swollen...especially my left foot/ankle. I'm thinking that from now on, I'll stand to preach and preside over Communion, and have lay people do everything else. Otherwise, I may find myself needing to be carried out on a stretcher by 12pm.

I'm also short of breath a lot, which is highly annoying, yet normal. It takes me awhile to get to sleep, because I'm supposed to sleep on my left side, which I find uncomfortable. Most of the time I just flop over to my right side, because I figure that's better than sleeping on my back. Of course, it takes a minute for me to change positions, since I'm slightly awkward right now. I think James may kill me one of these days...or knock me out with a sledgehammer. Lack of sleep doesn't help my slight fatigue...I hope it doesn't get as bad as it was during the first trimester.

The good, reassuring news is that I feel Susanna moving a lot, so I know she's doing well. Seeing her at the end of this journey will make it all worth it...hopefully the weeks will fly by!

Deep cleansing breaths...

James is teaching a summer class on Monday-Thursday evenings, which means he has Fridays off. So, for the next few weeks, guess what my day off will be? Anyway, on Friday we headed up to Lynchburg to a shop called Mother Goose to order nursery furniture. We had picked out the collection (Young America by Stanley) and finish (Serenity) that we wanted and knew what the prices were going to be. We decided to get the "Built to Grow" crib and a four-drawer dresser that can double as a changing table. Of course when we added the crib mattress (Colgate Classica I foam) and toddler/full bed conversion rails, it was a little bit more than we were expecting. But, as we keep telling ourselves, this is high-quality stuff that should last for years.

After a brief break at home to nap and let "the boys" out, we headed to Greensboro to Babies R Us to look for a glider (Lynchburg doesn't have a Babies R Us, and the shop we got the furniture from doesn't sell them). The good news: we found a comfy glider that we both like (important since James is 14" taller than me) and they're having a big sale (20% off). The bad news: the glider is "a little bit more" than expected and we'd have to special order it in order to get one in a matching finish. And of course, the sale price doesn't extend to special orders. Nor does it apply to ottomans. I'm debating between going ahead, saving the money, and getting the glider in a "sale" finish OR going for broke and special ordering the glider in a finish and fabric that will match the nursery. The sale ends tomorrow, so I need to decide soon.

This baby thing is expensive...and we haven't bought any "gear" (car seat, Pack n Play, bathtub, changing pad, diaper bag) yet. My cousin Lieu gave me some stuff (stroller, breast pump, exersaucer, etc) which definitely helps. And of course, some things we won't need right away...we can wait several months to buy a high chair, baby gate, solid feeding stuff, etc. I'm currently scouring yard sales and secondhand shops in the hopes of finding gently-used items. However, it's amazing what people will charge for clothes with stains on them, filthy/ancient bassinets or high chairs, etc.

I still have 10-14 weeks! At least Susanna has someplace to sleep, a place for her clothes, and (soon) a glider to be rocked in.

Surgeon General Nominee: Jim Holsinger

OK, this is kinda cool. An ATS graduate has been nominated by President Bush to be the new Surgeon General!! Dr. James Holsinger received a master's degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. He has also served on our Board of Trustees, is president of the Judicial Council (the Supreme Court of United Methodism), and has been a delegate to the World Methodist Council. Naturally, he's a medical doctor with degrees from Duke and was the Chancellor at University of Kentucky Medical Center for years. His wife is in charge of the Supervised Ministry program on Asbury's Kentucky campus.

Woohoo! Yay for Dr. Holsinger! Another person putting ATS on the map!

Here's the link to the story in today's Lexington Herald-Leader:
http://www.kentucky.com/454/story/79500.html

Oh, the joys of pregnancy...

Not much to blog about these days, but I didn't want to keep seeing Bill's obituary as the most recent blog entry. So I thought I'd share about some of the good and bad aspects of pregnancy. For those of you who have "been there, done that", you can remember your days as the Goodyear blimp. For those of you who haven't, this will give you a good idea of what happens to some of us.

First, the good stuff:

• I usually get first preference for the bathroom if there's a line.
• I had a great excuse to buy a whole new wardrobe.
• I can blame mood swings, food cravings, and voracious hunger on the baby.
• I'm constantly amazed at what God is doing and has done in creating this child.
• I got to register for gifts again...even though almost none of them are for me. :)
• People are very solicitous and concerned about whether I'm getting enough rest, how swollen my ankles are, how stressed I am, etc.
• Feeling Susanna (the baby) move inside me is INCREDIBLE.
• We made our mothers and my maternal grandmother happy.

Next is the not-so-good stuff. Before I get to this list, all0w me to say that I know several people who, for one reason or another, have not been able to conceive a child. I am very aware how blessed I am to be able to get pregnant, and to do so fairly quickly (five months after ending birth control). I know there are many women who would give all their limbs to be in my position. I also believe that Susanna is worth all the following symptoms/drawbacks and more. Having said that, there are some drawbacks to pregnancy:

• It's hard to find maternity clothes, especially if you're not a size S (small) or M (medium). I'm currently trying to find a dress for Brent & Kylee's wedding, but not having much luck. There's literally nothing in my size...
• People are just plain inconsiderate/rude sometimes. They think they have the right to make comments like, "You're due in September? Is it twins?"
• My boobs have gotten ENORMOUS. James, of course, loves it. I don't. I was perfectly happy with my pre-pregnancy chest size; I've now gone up TWO cup sizes. By the time I give birth, I'm afraid that I'll be wearing a ZZ cup or something...
• Stretch marks. 'Nuff said.
• Braxton-Hicks (aka "practice") contractions. They began about three weeks ago, and are sometimes downright uncomfortable. Not painful, just uncomfortable.
• My sheer bulk...and it will get worse. I can no longer squat down without needing help to get up and rolling over in bed is tough.
• I find myself constantly worrying over every little symptom and what it could mean. At first, I was scared of miscarriage. Now that she's viable (barely), I'm scared of premature labor, stillbirth, or other complications. Of course, once she's born I'll be worrying about her for the rest of my life. No relief on that front...
• I feel like an invalid sometimes. I used to be able to run around all day and not feel really tired for eight hours or so. Now, if I'm active for more than a couple hours, I get winded. I also can't stand up for more than 30 minutes before I feel the need to sit down.
• HORMONES. I find myself crying or getting mad at the drop of a hat sometimes.
• No roller coasters for me this summer. :(
• No trip to Zurich, Switzerland this year. James was going to present a paper at a conference, and I was going to tag along. Maybe in a couple of years...

After Saturday, just 14 more weeks to go! Hopefully this weekend we'll be able to go up to Lynchburg and order our nursery furniture. It can take up to ten weeks to arrive, so we want to order it soon. Our plan is to use a Pack 'n' Play with bassinet for the first few months, so she can sleep in our room. But I would like to have the nursery set up before she arrives.

Bill's Obituary

From the May 14 edition of the Indianapolis Star:

William E. Elick 83, Indianapolis, died May 12th at his home. He was born in South Bend, IN the son of Victor H. and Bernice E. (Scheuerman) Elick. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1972 after 29 years of service; he was a Sergeant Major. After retirement, he worked as a supervisor of the Overpayment Benefits Division at the Indiana Employment Security Division for 16 years, retiring in 1993. He was a member of American Legion Post # 276, Beech Grove, IN. Survivors: wife, Nina (Ladd) Elick; daughters, Kaye (Jackson) Sturgis, Patricia (Ronald) Danforth, and Diana (Kevin) Yutmeyer; sons, William (Judith) Elick Jr. and Victor (Marilyn) Elick; step-daughter, Diann Fulton; step-son, James (Patricia) Money; sister, Roberta Wray; 21 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruth, in 1992; brother, Floyd Elick; brother-in-law, Ernest "Buddy" Wray; step-son-in-law, William Fulton; and granddaughter, Autum Danforth. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 16 at Flanner & Buchanan Washington Park East Community Life Center. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 15 at the community life center. Entombment will be in Washington Park East Cemetery. Contributions may be made to AMVETS.

Grief and Surrealism

Bill died this morning at 8:50. He had a couple spurts of alertness last night and early this morning. Apparently, around 7am, he became so still and his breathing so shallow that everyone was positive that he had died. However, when the hospice nurse arrived to pronounce death, she heard his heart still beating...very faintly and slowly. That continued for another hour or so, before she stopped hearing a heartbeat and pronounced him dead.

Nina was present when Bill died, as were many other family members. He died in bed, knowing that he was surrounded by people who loved him. Now our focus has turned to Nina and supporting her as much as possible in the next few days. Please keep her in your prayers, as well as the rest of the family.

I'm discovering that there is a surreal element to grief. There are times when it just seems like nothing's changed and then all of a sudden it hits me that Bill will never poke fun at me again or make us pancakes in the morning. I went into the bedroom and saw his body, and instantly knew that Bill was no longer there. All that was left was a shell, and I really had no attachment to the shell. I took a peek and ducked out of the room. But when the folks came from the funeral home (they came in a minivan with the seats folded down, btw) and took him out on the gurney, suddenly it hit me what that shell meant; that I'd never see Bill again. I desperately wanted to see him alive again, just once more. At that point, I broke down and sobbed in James' arms.

I'm trying to view my grief in the proper perspective; I've known Bill as a daughter-in-law for six years. Nina has known him since she was four years old; first as a sister-in-law/friend, and later as a wife (long story there---it's kosher, though). James has known him all his life, first as an uncle by marriage and later as a stepfather. Bill's five children, 20-some grandchildren, and 15 or so great-grandchildren haven't known a life without him. In other words, I haven't known Bill for very long at all. If my grief is so painful at times, what must they be feeling?

In short, this is teaching me what an absolute novice I am to the intricacies of dying and grief.

Bill Update

Right after I posted the previous entry, I got a call from James. Bill is not just declining, he's NOSEDIVING right now. The hospice nurse has highly advised the family to get to his bedside ASAP. After contemplating my options, I decided that it would be better if I bought a one-way ticket from Raleigh to Indianapolis, since James is already out there and I didn't want to have to drive through the night. I'm leaving at 6:00 a.m. and arriving at 9:30 a.m. Please continue to pray for Bill and Nina and the rest of the family. Especially pray that I, along with all of Bill's children and in-laws, will have a chance to say good-bye to him. He is a very loved man.

I'm thanking God for my church leaders...everyone has been so supportive, loving, and accepting of the fact that I'm having to leave town on such short notice, especially on a Friday. I was able to get everything covered within an hour. The only thing left is the bulletin, which I'll do once I finish packing.

I still haven't done a funeral...but I think that's going to change very soon.

Prayer Request and Reflections

Please keep Bill (James' stepdad) and Nina (James' mom) in your prayers...fervently. Bill has been fighting cancer for over eight years now. Over the past week, we (meaning the family) have had to accept the fact that the battle is nearing it's end. In other words, Bill is dying. He is receiving Hospice care and from my conversations with him over the years, he's ready to die whenever it's his time. Our prayers at this point are focused more on him "dying well" (meaning peacefully, with little pain, and surrounded by love) than on any hope of healing. Of course, James and I are worried about Nina and her grieving process. James is actually in Indiana right now and will drive home tomorrow. Please pray that Nina will receive strength and comfort from God in this time...whether that comfort comes supernaturally or from fellow humans.

We've known this was going to happen for years...and God has granted Bill (and us) several extensions on time. The best one...and the true miracle...began in fall 2003. The doctors found a cancerous spot on Bill's lung and gave him 18-24 months. While we were up for Thanksgiving that year, we went to a worship service and people laid hands on Bill and prayed for him. We also began talking about Bill's wishes for the funeral, and his desire to see James get his PhD. The cancer didn't spread. In fact, the doctors couldn't detect it...although they knew it was in there somewhere. It lay dormant for over three years...until this winter, when it began to rear its ugly head again. A round of radiation did nothing to stop it...and Bill and Nina deciding to stop fighting and focus on the time he has left. He's starting declining so rapidly; just two weeks ago we were wondering if he'd still be alive when Susanna arrived. Now we're wondering if he'll be alive for the planned family reunion over Father's Day weekend. Only God knows; we're just staying ready to dash to Indiana when the time comes.

The awesome thing is...that three-year "reprieive" has allowed Bill to see so many things happen in his family. Two weddings have taken place, three babies have been born, and one (Susanna) is on the way. James defended his dissertation and received his PhD. Children have grown older and been impacted greatly by "Uncle Bill/Grandpa". Most importantly, Bill has been able to see God working in powerful ways in his life, and gives Him all the credit.

So, please pray...for Bill, for Nina, and for the rest of his family, including me and James.

Those Goats Aren't So Bad After All...

My younger brother, Bart, is involved in a ministry for individuals with disabilities called Capernaum. It's under the "umbrella" of Young Life, and Bart absolutely loves it. Anyway, the leader of the Capernaum Hampton Roads group (that Bart's involved in) wrote a cool story about Bart on his blog. Check it out:

http://koehlerville.blogspot.com/2007/05/bart-goats-milk.html

The title of this blog will make more sense when you read the story. :)

I'm Biblically Literate...

...which is a good thing for a pastor to be!

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
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And Baby Girl Money will be named....

Susanna Patricia

We decided on this name about a week ago, but "sat" on it for a few days before telling anyone just to be on the safe side. But we've definitely decided on naming her Susanna, after one of Jesus' early female followers and the mother of John Wesley. We chose "Patricia" as her middle name because that's my "real" first name.

It's amazing how extremely REAL she seems now that she has a name. Adding to that is the fact that in a mere four weeks, she will be "viable", able to survive outside the womb (albeit in an NICU).

I have begun the task of "stocking up" on things for Susanna. Stuff like diapers, wipes, baby powder, etc. Apparently I should have about 600 diapers on hand when she comes home, because she'll go through about 100 diapers a week at first. I bought some yesterday, so that's 40 diapers down with 560 to go...

And the winner is...

So, here it is...the nursery theme that we have decided to go with. It's called Alphabet Soup and it's by a company called Cocalo. I think it's adorable, and I really like that it has bright colors and lots of images to stimulate Baby Girl. I'm currently watching eBay and scouring other websites to see if I can score a "deal" on at least the crib set (bumper, sheet, quilt, dust ruffle), which is the most expensive part.

I also bought a baby book, an archival-quality pen (so she can read what I wrote 90 years from now), and some photo corners. I've filled about as much as I can, although I still need to add some photos.

Oh, and she has a name now. However, I'm going to have to keep you in suspense for another few days. James hasn't told his parents yet. :) But I will tell you that her first name is shared by two women in history...one in the New Testament and one in the 1700's. Wanna guess? :)

Stupid Indianapolis hotels!!!

OK, so James has a family reunion-thingy in Indianapolis that's scheduled for Father's Day weekend (June 15-17). Since Bill (his stepdad's) health isn't that fantastic, we figure we need to go, even though I'll be 28 weeks pregnant.

So tonight, James got on the computer to reserve a hotel room. Keep in mind, this is six weeks in advance. There are virtually NO available hotel rooms in the Indy area that weekend. The hotel that we normally stay in (Quality Inn) only had smoking rooms available, at $150/night. The Holiday Inn Express had rooms available for $150+/night, but it wouldn't guarantee our smoking preference AND they wanted the whole thing prepaid. So we finally "settled" on one of their suites. We're paying an exorbitant rate, but we didn't have to put down a deposit/prepay and we're guaranteed a non-smoking room.

After some searching, I found out that the US Grand Prix is being held that weekend at the Speedway. That's probably why hotel rates are SO high and why there are so few rooms. Sigh. If this doesn't prove our love to Bill, I don't think anything will. :)

Nursery theme: a probable winner!!!

OK, so I think we've decided on a nursery theme: outer space/rockets. It's something that's traditionally "male", but this is 2007, and we don't want to place too many gender sterotypes onto Baby Girl. She can be into astronomy if she wants to be. Plus, so many of the crib sets out there are BORING...unoriginal, very light in color and they don't provide a lot of stimulation for baby. This one is kind of bright and fun. It's by California Kids and is called "Rockets". We're going to bring out the yellow and other colors in the rest of the decorating, so there's not too much blue. What do you think?

Which Early Church Father Are You?

You’re St. Melito of Sardis! You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers!

Pics of Baby Girl!

As promised, here are two pictures of Baby Girl from our ultrasound a week ago. One is a regular 3D photo, and the other is a 4D photo. Isn't she beautiful? Slightly alien-looking right now, but beautiful nonetheless.

Now we have to come up with a name that we BOTH like.

Greetings from Sunny Florida!

I'm here in sunny, hot, and slightly humid Florida, having a great time with Nani and Piet. I've been to the beach and the outlet mall. Tomorrow we're going to the movies and out to dinner. Fun!

Now, I'm sure that some of you have been waiting with baited breath to find out the results of our ultrasound on Tuesday. So, here you go. Baby Money is a...

GIRL!!!!!!

Yes, that's right, folks. The ultrasound tech was absolutely positive that Baby is a girl. So now both our mothers are ecstatic, because they were secretly wishing for a girl. However, James and I would have been equally happy with a boy. Maybe I'll have a boy next time. :) The ultrasound lasted about 1 1/2 hours, and they measured EVERYTHING--heart, brain, legs, arms, liver, kidney, etc. We listened to the heartbeat (140 bpm). The perinatalogist proclaimed her to be "perfect". She does have one concern; the placenta is a little low for her comfort. It's not covering my cervix, so it's not placenta previa. And she says that most likely, the situation will correct itself within a few weeks. However, just to be on the safe side, I'm having another ultrasound in 6-8 weeks to check on things. Please pray that the placenta does move in the right way, because I really don't want placenta previa. Not only are there lots of potential complications, I would definitely need to have a C-section, and I'd really prefer to deliver her vaginally.

Now that I know the baby is a girl, I can really begin preparing for her. I hit a great sale at the Children's Place outlet store today. Three cute dresses for a grand total of $13!! Yes, I know people will buy her clothes and I should wait to see what she gets. However, I just thought I'd buy her a few things...especially for when she's older (6+ months). It makes it all seem very real, somehow. Of course, it's becoming more real by the day as I get bigger and bigger...

Vacation time...

My Annual Conference grants all full-time clergy four weeks of vacation leave a year. It's "use-it-or-lose-it" leave, because they want us to take vacation for rest and renewal. It's nice that we get that much, since a lot of conferences only give two weeks a year. I used a week in August, four days in November, and am now taking six days to drive to Florida and visit my maternal grandmother (whom I call, "Nani"). I haven't seen Nani in three years, so it will be nice to visit with her and her friend, Piet. She's anxious to "meet" her great-grandchild. I'm leaving tomorrow night and returning Monday afternoon. I plan on spending lots of time at the pool and beach, relaxing after some crazy times in the last couple weeks. And of course, there's shopping...Nani has an outlet center very close to her that apparently has a Motherhood Maternity outlet AND a Carter's Childrenswear outlet. Fun, fun, fun!! James and "the boys" will be staying here, since he has to teach.

James and I are also going for our second ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. It's the BIG ONE, so expect a post in the next few days about Baby Money's gender, as well as more pictures.

Holy Week, etc.

For those of you whose lives don't revolve around the Christian liturgical calendar, today is Palm Sunday, the day we Christians remember Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We have just begun Holy Week, during which we remember and celebrate (in a minor-key sort of way) Christ's institution of the sacrament of communion, His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, and subsequent trial, suffering, and death. Of course, the best part comes on Saturday evening/Sunday morning, when we begin the Easter season, celebrating Christ's resurrection and victory over death. I LOVE this time of the year...even the gloominess of Good Friday. These are really the "high holy days" of the Christian faith---and they should take precedence over Christmas in terms of importance.

Because I believe so strongly in the importance of observing Holy Week, I've really "pulled out all the stops" in planning for this week. I may regret it later, but I'm having fun right now! Today, we passed out palm branches, heard the Gospel reading outside, and then processed in, waving our palm branches. I've planned services on Holy Thursday AND Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, we'll have our usual 11 am service, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt. Please pray that word gets out about that, and we have a decent number of children present! Our congregation doesn't currently have any children, but we're trying to change that and attract some young families.

I've begun to feel much more comfortable in my role as "Pastor Patti" now that I'm nine months into my tenure, and I know that I'll be here until at least June 2008. I'm much more comfortable with expressing my opinion and vision and trying out new avenues of ministry. My congregation has helped with this, too. They're very willing to try new things so they don't get "stuck in a rut." My newest project has been learning new songs. Today we began learning "And Can It Be" by Charles Wesley. We'll sing it every Sunday in April, and by the end of the month we should know it well enough to add it to our repertoire. Hopefully by the end of 2007 we'll have learned four or five new hymns. In 2008 I'll begin trying to teach them some more contemporary songs.

Everything is going well on the pregnancy front. One of these days I'll get around to posting "belly pictures" for your viewing enjoyment. James and I have begun searching for nursery furniture in earnest. We've decided on getting a "convertible crib" that can transition into a toddler bed and then a full-size bed. This is the one we're seriously thinking about getting. The picture shows it being used as a toddler bed. It's made by Stanley Furniture, and is mostly solid wood. It's a little pricey, but we've seen other cribs that cost the same and aren't nearly as sturdy and high-quality. Hopefully this will last Baby Money many years:

We'll probably get a glider with matching finish at Babies R Us or Target, because they have the lowest prices and decent quality. We'll get a dresser than can double as a changing table, but it may be cheaper to buy one unfinished (maybe from GoodWood or someplace like that) and finish it ourselves. We shall see. The baby's room isn't that big (10' x 12'), so a crib, dresser, and glider should fill it up fairly well.
The church has graciously agreed to let us paint the baby's room to match the decor. We're waiting to find out if Baby is a girl or boy before we make the final decision on the bedding theme. I'm excited about decorating the room; it should be fun!
OK, I've rambled on enough. Time to get the laundry out of the dryer and do some folding! Have a wonderful Holy Week!

Look Who's Growing!!

It's been a while since I posted a pic of Simon. He's still growing, although not as fast as he was at first. We had him weighed about two weeks ago, and he weighed 37.5 lbs. He's still quite a bit smaller than Woody, but catching up fast! Woody weighs 58.7 lbs, so Simon only has 20 lbs to go! Here's a pic of our growing boy:

Simon's Dietary Regimen...

...is not limited to Purina One Large Breed Puppy Formula. Nor is it limited to his brother's food, Purina One Lifelong Health. No, Simon enjoys a wide range of gastrointestinal delights, such as: leather shoes (two pairs so far), bonded leather hymnals, library books, Annual Conference Journals, and yarn (he chewed a hole in an afghan).

Can you tell that he's teething? The sad thing is, we've been very careful about "supervising" him so he doesn't chew everything in sight. We've also provided him with tons of rawhide treats and bones so he has "approved chewing material." However, he goes through his approved material like it's going out of style, and then moves onto contraband material.

Anyone want a cute, adorable, black Lab puppy? Five months old, with all his shots and neutered to boot!

Babies "R" Us

So, I spent my day off today in Durham. James had to drop his truck off at the Line-X dealer (in Durham) to get his bedliner sprayed on, so I dropped him off and picked him up at work. I also got a yummy BBQ lunch out of the deal. I took the opportunity of being in the "big city" to stop by Babies "R" Us and look at nursery furniture and other baby stuff.

This was only the second time I had been in a BRU. The other time, I was shopping for a gift and spent a whopping 10 minutes inside the store. Today I had more time, so I wandered around and looked at everything. Oh my gosh, the place is HUGE. It's kind of scary how big it is, and how much baby stuff you can get. I have a feeling that whenever we go to register (which may be soon, since James is dying to use the "zappy gun"), it will take several hours, and maybe even several trips.

I do not, however, think we will be buying our nursery furniture at BRU. I wasn't impressed with their variety or quality. We'll check out several other places, like USA Baby or the Bassett factory showroom, before making a decision. I may also see if there are any good children's consignment shops in Greensboro or Durham. We're buying a new crib for safety reasons (everything I've read STRONGLY suggests that), but I have no trouble buying good-quality secondhand "case pieces" like the changing table, dresser, glider, etc.

So...question for my readers with children: any good crib recommendations? I've heard that Bassett, ChildCraft/Legacy, Munire, and Ragazzi are good buys based on "bang for your buck." But I'd love to hear your opinion. Either leave a comment or e-mail me at patti.money@gmail.com

Selecting a nursery theme

First of all, I want to give a big SHOUT OUT to my friends Tamara and Michael, who will OFFICIALLY adopt their little girl, Mia Elizabeth, this afternoon. They attend our former church in Lexington, and were part of our small group. They're adopting through the foster care system, and it's been amazing to watch their journey and see how God has worked in their lives and in Mia's life to bring about this event. I am SO SO happy for them and Mia. She just doesn't know how good she has it!

In other news, now that I'm nearing the 14-week mark of pregnancy, James and I have begun talking about baby stuff. Specifically, we have begun discussing what we want the nursery to look like. We want to go with a gender-neutral theme, even though we're planning on finding out if Baby Money is a boy or a girl. I initially suggested an "under the sea" theme, which was rejected because we've done that before for our bathrooms. James wants an "outer space" theme with planets and such, but we can't find one that we like...they're all very light-colored. So then I suggested a penguin theme, and James liked that. Slight problem; we can't find ANY crib sets with that theme. I've Googled and I've tried Ebay, with no success. Grr...my other idea was a rainforest theme....same result.

Yes, I know that I could, technically, buy fabric and make Baby a crib set. However, I can't sew to save my life (I'm not just being modest; I really can't sew). And paying someone to sew something like that would probably be really, really expensive. We shall see...I think we'll head to Greensboro next weekend to look for nursery furniture, so maybe we'll find something then. Who knows??

God is good! All the time!

And all the time...GOD IS GOOD! I just spoke with Harry, my team leader for the Board of Ordained Ministry. He informed me that I have been approved to be commissioned as a probationary elder at Annual Conference in June. I am SO thankful to hear this, because I was really unsure about how my Theology interview went. Obviously, they saw enough growth in my paper and my interview to indicate that I am "ready for ministry." I believe that God's grace had something to do with this happy outcome, too.

So...in June I will begin a three-year period of mentoring, covenant groups, continuing education, etc that will hopefully increase my effectiveness in ministry. At the end of that three year period, I will go before the Board AGAIN, but this time I will be seeking ordination as an elder. If all goes well, I will be ordained in 2010.

For those of you who prayed, thanks! My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving to God!

Here we go again...

If you've been a faithful reader of my blog over the past year, you remember that about this time last year, I went before the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry with the hopes of being commissioned as a probationary elder. And as you may remember, they said "not yet", and asked me to re-submit two papers (Practice of Ministry and Theology) and re-do the interviews this year.

So, the papers were written and submitted a month ago, and I have been dutifully preparing and praying since then. Tomorrow morning, I will present myself before the Practice and Theology committees. I think that I am much more "ready" and much stronger in both areas than I was last year. I am also more confident. Hopefully, sometime this week I will receive a call from my Team Leader saying that the answer is, "yes." Only God knows.

So please pray for me as you feel led, especially tomorrow morning at 8:30 and 9:30. Pray especially that I will not be overly nervous, that I will provide coherent and concise answers, and that the Board members will see the same changes in me and in my work that I see.

There is a silver lining to this whole adventure; my friend Sarah, whom I have known for 15 years, is also going before the Board tomorrow. So we're spending today together, will drive to Blackstone together this afternoon, and will be able to provide each other moral support tomorrow. I haven't seen Sarah in AGES, so it will be nice to spend time with her again.

Congratulations, James!!

James got exciting news today--he's been re-appointed for another year at NCCU! Next year, he'll go up for a three-year contract. After those three years have passed, he'll begin the tenure process and hopefully gain tenure within a year or two. Way to go, hubby!

Now the "race" is on...for me to be ordained and James to get tenure. Then we'll both have completed major goals and will have job security!

Coming Soon: Baby Money!!!

James and I are delighted to announce that we are expecting our first baby!! We found out on
December 23, so it was a great Christmas present! My Estimated Due Date is September 1, which currently puts Baby Money at 12 weeks, 1 day gestation. We had an ultrasound on Thursday and got to see the baby and hear the heartbeat. Everything looks good so far. We just told the church today, because I wanted to wait until I was at least 12 weeks along before we told them.



Although I'm not "showing"yet, I can't fit into hardly any of my regular clothes, and have therefore started wearing some maternity clothes. I plan on doing some major shopping in the next couple of weeks for some more maternity clothes.

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment. Two are regular 2-D pics from the ultrasound, and one is a 4-D picture.

Hysterical cat video

You have to check out this video from YouTube. It features a cat getting a bath in a "PetSpa" machine-sort of like a washing machine for pets. James and I were dying of laughter while we were watching it. I wouldn't consider it animal cruelty, but it's obvious that the kitty didn't enjoy it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smwh1_XbnLo

In other news, Simon had an "orchiectomy" on Tuesday. That is, he got neutered. They sent him home with a list of admonitions for the next week or so. My favorite, "no strenuous play, running, or jumping." Great...he's a four month old puppy with a canine brother, and I'm supposed to prevent him from strenuous play? Sigh...

Good-bye, Barbaro

As someone who lived in Lexington, Kentucky, the so-called "horse captital of the world", for over five years, I've been following Barbaro's story over the past eight months. He was euthanized today, after a very long and courageous fight. I'd gotten kind of attached to the guy; he was a cute horse, and a trooper. I feel very sad for his owners, who invested so much in Barbaro, even after it became plain that his days of money-making were over. Here's a link to the Lexington Herald-Leader article on Barbaro's death:
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/16572911.htm

Happy Birthday, Mom Sufficool!

Wish my mom, Mary Jane, a happy birthday today! Let's hope her birthday present from us arrives on time...

Happy Birthday, Mom! I'm awfully glad you were born, because then I wouldn't be here! Heehee.

St. John's Enters the 21st Century!!

Thanks to one of our wonderfully talented new members (who "just happens" to be the pastor's husband), our church now has a website! James is working hard at building it, so it's a little bare for now. But check back in the weeks to come, and you should see some major progress. Here's the address: http://www.stjohnsdanville.org

Yes, I realize I have been horribly negligent in blogging recently. My grandmother sent me an e-mail reprimanding me for not updating the blog! Sorry about that. But lots has been going on in our lives what with church, work, and two dogs. Expect some more blogging activity in the next 3-4 weeks. I promise!

Harry Potter # 7...the title is finally revealed!!

I've been a huge Harry Potter fan for about five years now, ever since I went to see the movie to decide for myself whether or not the books are "bad." I own all four DVDs and all six books, which tells you what my decision was on that matter. So I've been anxiously waiting for JK Rowling to announce the title of book #7, which will be the final book in the series. The "magical" event happened today. The title for the seventh book is:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Sounds ominous, doesn't it? Now that we know the title, we have to wait for the announcement of the release date. A lot of people have suggested July 2007 as a possible release date, but the likelihood of that happening is getting slimmer and slimmer. Come on, Jo. We've been waiting for two years! The suspense is killing us.

Once I know the release date, the second thing I'm doing (after I pre-order the book from Amazon) is scheduling a couple days of vacation in order to read it...about three times!

Santa picture

Last Wednesday, our local mall had a "Paws and Claus" event. We were able to bring our dogs into the mall to meet Santa. So, of course James and I took Woody and Simon! Here's a picture.

Yes, I know Woody's eyes make him look posessed. Oh, well. But aren't they cute?

Happy Birthday, Woody!

Today is Woody's birthday! He's seven (7) years old, which (because of his size) means that he is now a "senior dog." However, he's in such great health that we're expecting him to be around for another seven years!

Happy Birthday to our "big boy." Tonight we'll have some cake (hey, any excuse) and he'll be professionally groomed either today or this weekend.

On Wednesday, the local mall had a "Claus and Paws" event, where they allowed dogs to come and see Santa. We took Woody and Simon, and it was lots of fun. I'll post a picture as soon as I get them downloaded!

Did AARP lower its age requirement???

For the record, I am 30 years old. Three decades. I was born in 1976. I have 20 years before I hit 50. Last time I checked, that was the benchmark age for AARP. So you'll understand why I was a bit disturbed with this letter I received today from AARP:
"Our records show that you haven't yet registered for the benefits of AARP membership, even though you are fully eligible..."

This included an application for membership.
What crack are they smoking?? Are they doing early recruitment or something? And why the heck didn't James get one of these...he's ten months older than me!!!

Careless teller story...

I went to the bank today to deposit two checks. I had an experience that slightly alarmed me. Let me preface this by mentioning that we haven't been too thrilled with our bank's Danville branch. Today's episode just put the icing on the cake...

I hand my two checks and deposit slip to the teller. I used one of their deposit slips because we're out of our pre-printed ones, so I had to write my account number from memory. After a minute, the teller speaks. Here's how our conversation went:

Teller: We're going to hold these checks until the 14th because of excessive overdrafts and a low daily balance.
Patti: What? They won't clear for a week?
Teller: Correct. There have been excessive overdrafts on this account and the balance has been too low.
Patti: No, that's wrong. We've never bounced a check and our balance hasn't dipped below $200 since we opened this account.
Teller: Let me double-check this. I'm going by the account number you wrote down. This is the account I have: (provides a name completely unfamiliar to me).
Patti: That's not us.
Teller: That's the account that came up when I typed in this number. Give me your SS# and I'll look it up that way.

So I give her my SS# and she brings up the RIGHT account and deposits the money into our account. I get my deposit slip and leave. Obviously, I had written down the wrong account number. That's my fault. However, I was a *tad* upset that:
-The teller did not notice that the name on the check didn't match the name on the account.
-That if I had not said anything, she would have deposited OUR money into SOMEONE ELSE'S account.
-That she didn't even bother to give me our correct account number, so I wouldn't make this mistake in the future.

Grr...I have a feeling we'll be switching banks soon.

In other news, Simon went for his second set of shots on Tuesday. He now weighs 13.5 lbs. He's growing fast, but he's still small. We found out on Wednesday that he can slip underneath the barbed wire fence separating our property from our neighbor's. That nearly gave me a heart attack...

Sniff, sniff...

I saw this today, and I got choked up while reading it. Woody could have had this ending, because the same thing happened to him. Thankfully, the shelter we got him from was virtually no-kill AND we came along, looking for a calm, well-mannered dog. And what a gem Woody is! Those of you who have met him know what I'm talking about...

How Could You?
By Jim Wallis

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. ...Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" -- but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly rub.My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a prisoner of love."As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now so infrequent -- and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for thesound of your car in the driveway.There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out thepaperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers."You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed, "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life.You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room.She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself --a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.
(Copyright) Jim Willis

Mission Accomplished!

After trying on about six different robes and albs (and re-trying on about three), I finally made a decision. I ordered a robe from Women Spirit, which specializes in clergy apparel. I'm getting it in black, because I'm so clutzy that I'm bound to spill some juice while serving Communion at some point.

It will take about 8-10 weeks to arrive, so I won't receive it until late January, at the earliest. It was ridiculously expensive (almost as much as my wedding dress!) but I figure I'll be wearing it for 15-20 years, so it's a good investment. I'm very excited. It felt really comfy and I liked how it looked.

Here's a picture of it. Just imagine it in black instead of white. :)

The quest begins...

For my own clergy robe! For the past five months, I've been wearing a robe that was given to me by a retired pastor/family friend. It's nice, but I'm ready to get my own robe now. So I'm headed down to Greensboro (where the closest Cokesbury store is) and will hopefully return having ordered a custom robe. It will most likely take a few months to arrive, but that's OK. I'm so short that most ready-made robes will be too long for me. This way I can be picky. I figure this will last me a long time...or I hope so, anyway!

I'll let you know how the robe quest turns out!

Thanksgiving Report and pics

Simon gets to know his Grandpa Bill

Woody crawled underneath Bill and Nina's deck. Don't ask us how he did it!

We survived the trip to Indiana and back. Simon was fine in the car; he slept most of the drive. He had some issues in the crate that James' parents got for him (I think he was hyper after the trip) so they got up with him about three times on Wednesday night. The other two nights, Simon slept in between them and did just fine.

Simon reminds me more and more of my parents' dog, Rocky. They got Rocky when he was six weeks old, and I can see a definite resemblance. Simon is a sweet puppy and fairly good, but he's still a baby. He gets separation anxiety, occasionally has accidents in the house (thank God for pet stain remover!), and has boundless amounts of energy. He will be starting "school" soon; we're going to take him to a trainer for some initial training. Then he'll start "puppy kindergarten" after the New Year.

Oh! And Simon is growing with leaps and bounds. He weighed 7.9 lbs at his first vet visit on the 14th. We've taken him to get weighed twice since then. On the 21st, he weighed 10 lbs. Yesterday, he weighed 11.3 lbs. If he keeps this up, I won't be able to lift him by New Year's!

Over some rivers and through some woods...

...To Grandma's house we go! The four of us leave tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving in Indiana. I've never spent 10 hours in a car with an 8 week-old puppy, but there's a first time for everything. James' parents are very excited about meeting their new granddog. The "kids" will be staying with Grandma and Grandpa and James and I will be staying in a hotel. It should be a fun trip. We're especially looking forward to stopping for lunch in Lexington on the way back on Saturday. We've been craving our favorite Cajun restaurant-Joe's OK Bayou-for six months now!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

New Puppy Pics

Above picture: Simon and Woody together in our living room. Notice the size difference.

Below picture: Simon in his crate. See how little space he takes?

We took Simon to the vet on Tuesday. Everyone oohed and ahhed over how cute he was, and they told him that he was lucky to get such a great family. :) He got his first set of shots, a flea treatment, a pill to prevent heartworm, and some de-worming medicine. The vet said that he's a healthy puppy. Yay! He currently weighs 7.9 lbs, and she (our vet) expects him to be around Woody's size when he's full-grown.

Simon is sleeping better at night, and will even sleep/play in his crate during the day. This is good, because while he is adorable, I have sermons to prepare, services to plan, people to call, etc. There's only so much work you can do with a puppy in your arms/lap. Thank God for the crate!

Simon Update

Simon is still adorable and sweet. We're also noticing that he's very intelligent. He's already figured out which one of us is female (obviously he was recently weaned), where the dog/puppy food is kept, and what his name is. He grabs and holds things with his paws, which I've been told is a sign of intelligence.

Last night we got Simon a crate, collar, puppy food, and a few toys. He goes into the crate willingly, but doesn't like being alone, even if we stay in the room. When we went to bed last night, we put him in his crate (with a blanket and a few toys) in the kitchen and then went to bed. Now, the master bedroom is on the other side of the house from the kitchen. And since the bedrooms are in their own sort of "wing", we had several doors closed between us and Simon. Including the bedroom door. WE COULD STILL HEAR HIM CRYING. He cried for a while (probably 45 mins or so), then went to sleep. He woke both of us up at 3:30, so we took him out, fed him, let him drink, took him out again, and put him back to bed. Thankfully, this time we went to sleep fairly quickly. This puppy has major separation anxiety. I hope it will improve over time. Maybe it's just because he's in a new place without his doggie mother.

I am SO exhausted, since we didn't get much sleep Saturday night, either. Someone told me that placing a ticking clock in with a puppy will lull it to sleep. Apparently it mimics the mother's heartbeat. So I think I'll head to Wal-Mart and see if they still sell clocks that tick.

Ha! I knew it!

About three years ago, I took a Spiritual Formation class in seminary. As part of the class, we had to read the book Your Personality and the Spiritual Life by Reg Johnson. I soon figured out that I was an INFP. So today I took a personality test and guess what I came up with...

You Are An INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

What's" Your Personality Type?

Meet Simon!

There's a new member of the Money family. His name is Simon, he is six weeks old, and he is a black Lab mix. We have been looking for a playmate for Woody, but didn't expect to get a puppy. This happened kind of suddenly...

The St. John's Fishermen's Club held a stew today at church. Around 11:30, this woman walks in with an adorable black puppy. I gush over him and ask what his name is. She says that he doesn't have a name yet, and is free to a good home. I held him, looked into his eyes, and fell in love. She said that I could take him home to meet James and Woody and see how they liked him. So I did...and about three hours later I called her and told her we were keeping the puppy. By then we had decided to name him Simon.

Woody seems to really like Simon, and I think they'll become good friends in the next few months. Simon is very sweet, and fairly calm, given his age. He likes to be held and cuddled. The next few weeks will be spent housebreaking him and beginning his training. On Tuesday I'll take him to the vet to make sure he's healthy and get his shots.

Stay tuned to see how Simon grows. And maybe I'll get a picture of Woody and Simon together...

Simon eating

Simon eating dinner. Isn't he tiny?

Bad Mommy!

OK, I am a bad pet parent. Thanks to me, Woody has two sores on his neck where the skin has rubbed off and become raw. He has some ointment and wound sealant (some kind of spray), and he'll be just fine. I'm feeling guilty, though. Here's the story...

About six weeks ago, we installed an electric "radio fence" for Woody. There's a wire buried around the edge of our yard that's connected to a power supply in the house. Woody has a special collar that gives him (small, humane) shocks if he goes too close to the fence border. On the collar are two small prongs that deliver the shocks.

So, a few weeks ago I glanced out the front window and nearly had a heart attack. There was Woody saying "hi" to some yellow dog (Lab or Golden Retriever, maybe). That's not what made my heart stop. It was the fact that they were IN THE ROAD. Now, we live on a fairly busy road. Both the local high school and middle school are a 1/2 mile down the road from the parsonage. The traffic on the road is the main reason we installed the fence in the first place. We don't want our dog to be hit by a car and killed!

I called Woody in, and he came. I checked, and the power to the fence was on. The collar still had plenty of battery juice. So I figured that the collar wasn't tight enough against Woody's neck; he hadn't felt the shock, and was able to go through the fence. I simply tightened the collar a little, and sent Woody on his merry way.

This Saturday, I had to go to Richmond (about a 3 1/2 hour drive), so I was gone all day (left at 5:45 am and came back at 7:00 p.m.). When I got home, James showed me Woody's neck. It was gross. The fur was matted in places, and we could see at least one prong-sized sore that was oozing. I guess I put Woody's collar on a little too tight, and it rubbed his neck raw.

I'm sorry, Woody! The moral to this story: if you get an underground fence for your pet, check their neck and collar every night!

Charge Conference: I Survived It!!

I survived my first-ever Charge Conference. That's a huge praise. It's not the actual event that's so stressful; it's all the paperwork that needs to be completed. We're talking about 25 forms, most of which need to be signed by one or more people, and I needed to have three copies of each form. Not to mention committee meetings for salary, budget, and nominations. Administration is not my strongest gift (most definitely), so I was little stressed about doing everything right. Next year, I'm starting three months in advance. And I'm going to have people help me, instead of doing most of it myself. Definitely.

Quote from Ellsworth Kalas

I'm the midst of preparing Sunday's sermon, which is on Revelation 21, with a focus on All Saints' Day. While hunting through resources, I came across this quote from Ellsworth Kalas, who is currenty the interim president of Asbury Theological Seminary. I took a preaching course from Dr. Kalas, and he is a wonderful man of God, a fantastic preacher and teacher, and he has a great sense of humor. He's old enough to be my grandfather, but he has the vigor of someone half his age. I wanted to share this quote with you. It's from a chapter on Revelation:

"...It’s especially exciting if you’ve been traveling with me all of this year as we’ve gone through the whole grand sweep of the biblical story. You’ve seen, as we’ve gone along, that we human beings have a remarkable penchant for getting into trouble. Give us an Eden, and we’ll find a way to be evicted; wash the world clean with a flood, and we’ll soon dirty it up again; find us a chosen people, and they will soon enough make us wonder why they were chosen; send us the Son of God, and we will crucify him. We have such ability for messing things up that it’s clear we need an absolutely new beginning."

And here's another good one, from the same chapter:
"Whatever the score today, whatever the state of our world or of our lives, Revelation tells us that in the end God will win, and all will be well. The conclusion of the story is certain. And it is good."

-Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, The Grand Sweep: Sermon Ideas for 52 Weeks

I feel appreciated

In case you didn't know, October is Clergy Appreciation Month. I knew that, but I wasn't "expecting" anything from my congregation because a) I didn't know if they usually observed it, b) I've only been there for four months, so we're still in the "getting to know you" stage, and c) I didn't enter this vocation expecting to receive any earthly rewards-only heavenly ones!

Anyway, on Sunday morning my PPR (Pastor-Parish Relations) chair stood up at the end of announcements and asked to come to the front. I was curious, but I naturally agreed. She then presented me with this GIGANTIC gift basket and card (which contained a gift certificate) on behalf of the congregation. I was very touched and wonderfully surprised.

The timing of this was perfect, because I've been slightly stressed over the past fews weeks due to the two words that strike panic in every Methodist pastor's heart: CHARGE CONFERENCE. It's this Sunday, and there is A LOT to do in preparation. Add to the fact that this is my first Charge Conference as a pastor and you can see why I've been hyperventilating a lot.

So whenever I get discouraged this week, I can go to the gift basket that sits in the living room (and is filled with all of my favorite delicacies-like Toblerone and Lindt truffles) and be reminded of how blessed I am to serve such a great congregation--especially since they've guessed the kind of foods I eat when I'm stressed!

Happy Birthday, James!

Today is my handsome, sweet, and brilliant husband's birthday. He was born 31 years ago today! I'm going to make his birthday cake this morning before heading to church. (Today is technically my day off, but I didn't have time to copy the bulletin yesterday, so I have to spend some time doing that today)

Happy Birthday to the best husband ever!

300 Million Americans!

The Census Bureau announced that as of this morning (October 17), the U.S. population passed the 300 million mark. Of course, that's an estimate, but it's probably fairly accurate.

Woohoo! Go and do something to celebrate.

Picture from Annual Conference

James and I hadn't downloaded any of the pics from our digital camera since we moved to Danville. The reason? We couldn't find the little black cord that connects the camera to the computer. James found it last week. So here's a much-overdue picture from Annual Conference in June. It was taken right before the "Service for the Ordering of Ministry", where I was licensed as a local pastor. You'll recognize James, me, and my parents. The guy on the far left is Dave Wade, who is a retired UM pastor and family friend.

Church Size: Does it really matter?

I am the pastor of a "small church" (defined as having a worship attendance of 75 or less) and grew up in a small church. While in seminary, I wound up joining two larger churches; one with a worship attendance of 500, one with a worship attendance of 250. This wasn't intentional; it just happened. However, I knew that my first several appointments (if not all my appointments) would be to small churches. With that in mind, I took a course called "Evangelism in the Small Church." By the end of that course, God had given me a heart for small churches and a desire to be a small church pastor.

I believe that many lay people, pastors, denominational executives, and church growth theorists support the concept of "bigger is better" when it comes to churches. They assume that small church = dying church and large church = growing, vibrant church. I don't believe that's true. The size of a church does not matter how effective it is.

What's most important in assessing whether or not a church is effective is its health. Is the congregation growing spiritually? Is it actively serving the community? Is the membership representative of the community? Are most, if not all, of the members involved beyond Sunday morning worship? Are people coming to faith in Christ because of the witness of the congregation (individually and collectively)? Basically, is the church fulfilling the Great Commission?

I believe that my small church (average worship attendance: 40-45) in Danville, Virginia meets the above criteria. So does our former church (average worship attendance: 250) in Lexington, Kentucky. One is small, one is medium-to-large. Both are making a difference in the kingdom of God. Naturally, there is always room for improvement. We can always be more effective in our ministry. Complacency should never be an option. However, I think that small churches deserve more credit than they receive. They're doing the work of the kingdom, too!

Apple Butter

James and I love apple butter. It's very yummy on biscuits or cinnamon raisin bagels. I've had a hard time finding apple butter here in Danville, though. The stores only have two varieties and it only comes in GIGANTIC jars. So I discovered a solution...

I can make my own apple butter!

I got some apples (fresh from the tree!) from a couple in my church, along with a recipe for homemade apple butter. I peeled, cored, and chopped about 12 apples. Then I put them in the crock pot, along with some sugar and a good measure of cinnamon and cloves. I also put in a smidgen of allspice and nutmeg, just for variety. I mixed it all up, put the crock pot on "low", and walked away. About twelve hours later I had a lovely concoction that is definitely apple butter. It's not the best apple butter I've ever tasted, but it's edible and fairly yummy. Maybe later this week I'll try to make a larger batch with the rest of the apples.

In other domestic news, I'm determined to have a garden next spring. We have an acre of land, so I might as well use some of it for a garden! I've started a compost pile in a far corner of the backyard. I'll keep adding to it, and hopefully we'll have some good fertilizer in six months or so!

Attention ATS Alumni!

If you're an alumnus, faculty or staff member, or otherwise connected to Asbury Theological Seminary, check out the following site:

Asbury Theological Seminary Petition

This is a petition in support of Jeff Greenway, our current President who is currently on involuntary leave by action of the Board of Trustees. Jeff has been on leave since September 1, and there has been very little communication from the Board of Trustees in regards to the situation. If you have access to First Class, go to "Alumni Coffeehouse" under the "LifeShare Community" icon. You will find more information there. If you do not have access to First Class, then e-mail me at patti.money@gmail.com and I will provide you with the information that I have received.

For everyone: please keep the ATS community, especially Jeff, his family, and the Board of Trustees, in your prayers. There is a special meeting of the Board on October 17 in Atlanta. Above all, we want this situation to be fully resolved in a way that pleases and gives honor to God. It's also important that whatever healing and reconciliation needs to occur, does occur.

Thank you!

Some Things About Me...

My friend Kylee sent this to me. I thought it would be fun to fill out...

4 Things About Me: Patti

Things you may not have known about me.....

A) Four jobs I have had in my life..

1. Chick-Fil-A cashier
2. Temp agency employee
3. Librarian
4. Pastor

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:

1. "Anne of Green Gables"
2. "Anne of Avonlea"
3. "Harry Potter and ____" (you name which one)
4. "Lord of the Rings" trilogy

C) Four places I have lived:

1. Villa Park, Ill
2. Memphis, TN
3. Haleiwa, HI
4. Boca Raton, FL

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:

1. "Family Guy"
2. "Desperate Housewives" (sad, I know. My dad got me hooked)
3. "Judging Amy"
4. "Everybody Loves Raymond"

E) Four places I have been on vacation:

1. Kaui, Hawaii
2. France
3. Chincoteague, Virginia
4. Heidelberg, Germany

F) Websites I visit daily/ or frequently:

1. http://www.registerbee.com/
2. http://www.gmail.com/
3. http://www.textweek.com/
4. http://www.myspace.com/

G) Four of my favorite foods:

1. Pizza (either homemade or from a good pizza place)
2. Thai
3. Indian
4. Cajun

H) 4 places I'd rather be right now:

1. Bed (what can I say? I like to sleep...)
2. Taize, France (most peaceful place I've ever been)
3. Hawaii
4. Snuggled on a sofa, reading a novel

I) Four things I¹d like to do before I die:

1. Have children
2. Go on a cruise
3. Live in one house, in one town, for at least five years (has not happened in my adult life)
4. Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary with James

Woody Update 3

Good news! Woody is back to his cheerful, energetic, and healthy self again. The vet sent us home on Monday afternoon with two medications, some anti-parasite powder to mix in his food, and six cans of prescription dog food. After three days of this regimen, I think it's safe to say that Woody is "cured." He'll be on the medications for another four days or so, and we'll slowly wean him back onto his dry Purina One food. Right now we're excited that he's eating normally (for Woody, that is) again.*

*For those of you who don't know, Woody has interesting eating patterns. We joke that he alternates between being anorexic or binge eating. Several days will pass, and Woody may eat 2 cups of food...total. Then, all of a sudden, he'll start eating anything you put in front of him. I guess it all evens out in the end. He's at a healthy weight, so we don't worry too much.

Woody Update 2

Woody is home from the vet's office. His bloodwork came back OK and they gave us some medication and a special prescription dog food. They also gave us some de-worming stuff for any parasites in his system. Now the challenge will be to make him eat!

We've had a "pet insurance" policy for him since we adopted him in 2004, but haven't had to file a claim on it. Part of the reason is that the deductible in $75/per illness. Now we're glad that we have it, and PetCare will be receiving our first claim!

Woody Update

Poor Woody is still sick. I took him to the vet, and they said he probably has colitis (they found blood in his stool), but they don't know why yet. He's there right now; they're running some tests on him. He's also somewhat dehydrated, so they may have to give him some fluids. I'm supposed to call at 3:30 p.m. to find out what's what. Hopefully I'll be able to pick him up and take him home!

The poor thing was so lethargic on Saturday night and all day yesterday. He seems to be feeling slightly better now, but he refuses to eat anything. I have confidence in this vet, though. She and the other vet in the practice have both been highly recommended by several people in my church.

Happy Birthday, Dad Sufficool!

My father, Bob Sufficool, turns the big 7-0 today! Happy Birthday, Dad!

This pic was taken at our wedding (duh). You should be able to figure out which one is my dad. :)

Sick Puppy

Poor Woody has a sick tummy. Last night we took him to Sonic, because it's his favorite restaurant (I think he just likes getting a car ride and eating with us). He always gets a corn dog and James often gives him a couple fries and a bite of hamburger. Anyway, this morning around 5am he woke me up, whimpering. I let him out for a few minutes, and then we went back to bed. Same drill again at 7am. He seemed OK after we woke up this morning, so I thought he was better. Wrong. James and I went to town to do some errands. When we came home two hours later, Woody streaked out the door before we had it halfway open. Turns out, poor boy had an accident on the kitchen floor. Guess the corn dog didn't agree with him...

Now, Woody is so well-trained that we know he must have been really miserable for an accident to have happened. I can count on one hand the number of times that's happened since we've had him. We appreciate his thoughtfulness, though. Instead of going on the beautiful hardwood floors, the lovely rugs in the living and dining rooms, or even our bargain rug in the T.V. room, he chose the vinyl floor in the kitchen. That's by far the easiest spot in clean up. Good job, boy! Thank for making Mommy's job easier.

Woody should be on the mend now. I gave him some doggie medicine and will fix him a gourmet meal of rice and cottage cheese tonight. I'll follow the same drill tomorrow. Just to be on the safe side, I'm giving him a few days off from his job as my "bodyguard." Normally he comes to the church office with me, but that's not happening until he's 100% better. No way, Jose. It's not like the Stony Mill area is high-crime, anyway. It's a very safe area; I just like having Woody with me when I'm at church alone.

25 "Accomplishments" in 12 months

I "stole" this from my friend Tamara. Thought I'd give it a shot...

1. Got job a Chick-Fil-A after realizing that no one would hire me for only ten months (and with a liberal arts education to boot!)

2. Served as a foster parent for three months to a very needy purebred Labrador Retriever named Terra.

3. Underwent a "Level 2" psychological evaluation for the UM ordination process.

4. Received approval from my District Committee on Ordained Ministry to proceed as a candidate for probationary elder.

5. Survived a Christmas season at Chick-Fil-A.

6. Submitted all my papers, videos, forms, etc for probationary membership.

7. Won an award for highest sales among full-time employees at Chick-Fil-A.

8. Lost 5 lbs in February (due to the stomach flu, but I still lost the weight...)

9. Traveled to Blackstone, Virginia for probationary interviews. Approved by two committees (Call and Personal Growth/Development) and "continued" by two others (Theology and Practice)

10. Got the flu for the first time since childhood. Spent three days in bed, went back to work, and got bronchitis. Spent month of April feeling like a 90 year-old chainsmoker.

11. Appointed to serve St. John's UMC in Danville, Virginia as a Licensed Local Pastor.

12. Listed first-ever house with realtor; had contract within three weeks.

13. Moved from Lexington, Kentucky to Morrisville, North Carolina with a scared dog and a husband recovering from food poisoning.

14. Successfully completed 10-day Licensing School, passing everything with flying colors.

15. Sold first-ever house and broke even on the sale.

16. Attended Annual Conference for the first time ever. Licensed as a Local Pastor.

17. Moved 90% of stuff from Morrisville, North Carolina to Danville, Virginia.

18. Began first full-time ministry job as the pastor of St. John's UMC.

19. Signed up for exciting benefits like Life Insurance, Retirement, Disability, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment. Our financial future is fairly secure.

20. Discovered that God was right all along; I love being a pastor, and am good at it.

21. Celebrated fifth wedding anniversary

22. Went to Chincoteague on first vacation in four years; Woody went on vacation to Lucky's Pet Resort.

23. Learned to operate a riding lawn mower

24. Made it to the age of 30 without breaking a bone, having surgery, or contracting a major illness (knock on wood)

25. Completed three full months as a pastor (as of September 28) and still love my job and my congregation!

Scratch, scratch...

What's teeny-tiny, gets under your skin and makes you miserable? C-H-I-G-G-E-R-S! That's right, folks, I have chiggers. Apparently I need to wear heavy-duty insect repellent whenever I am in the yard for any length of time, and not just at night.

It all started last night, when I took my knee-highs off and saw that my left foot was covered in red bumps. I thought that was odd, but figured I must have brushed against some poison ivy or something. I applied some calamine lotion to the area, put on cotton socks, and went to bed.

This morning, I woke up to find these bumps had spread...to the other foot, up one leg, on my back, and on my butt. I called my unofficial parish nurse, who assured me that I most likely did not have chicken pox (my fear, since I've never had it). She did, however, encourage me to get my bumps looked at by a doctor.

So I drove into downtown Danville, waited at the walk-in clinic for an hour, and emerged with a diagnosis of chiggers and a prescription for a topical cream. I have now applied this cream from head to toe, changed clothes, stripped the bed, and am preparing to wash everything in hot water.

Guess this means I'll have to postpone my plans for a pedicure...

Guess who's 30?

Well, it's finally payback day for my wife. She turned 30 today! So, be sure to congratulate/poke fun of/harrass her about this ancient age. After all, she did the same for me! Maybe at 40, we can arrange for the hearse to pick her up at home?

5 Years And Counting!!!

Five years ago today, James and I got married! I can't believe it's been that long...seems like yesterday! We're looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together...and hopefully producing a few children in the next few years. :) I'm very thankful that I have the BEST HUSBAND EVER!

To celebrate, we're going to Chincoteague (where we went for our honeymoon) for a week. It will be lots of fun to be at the beach and have some time off. Woody will be spending a week in the lap of luxury (doggie-style) at Lucky's Pet Resort in Greensboro, NC. We're hoping that he has a lot of fun, since we'll be paying out the nose for it.

See you in a week! Hopefully by then I will have found the little cord we use to download pics to the computer and can post some pics of our vacation!