Monthly Archives: May 2015

I’m working on culling out my “papers” – which currently take up at least two filing cabinets!

That’s when you hit the treasures of life.  Below is a note found in a Christmas card – apparently around 1991.

There is this piece of string, you see.  He drifts into a donut shop and says, “Could I have a Coke, please?” 

“Sorry,” the attendant says, “We don’t serve strings.” 

So he goes to another shop and asks, “Could I have a Coke, please?”

“Sorry, we don’t serve strings.”

Dejected, he sits down on a curb outside the store.  A guy walks up and says, “What’s the matter?” to the string.

“Well,” the string says, “could you tie me into knots?”

“Sure,” the guy says and proceeds to tie him into knots.

“Could you also fray my ends?”, he asks.  The man nods and frays his ends.

String gets up and goes into the store and asks for a Coke.

“You are a string, aren’t you?” the attendant asks.

“Uh, no,” the string relies, “I’m a frayed knot.”

Thanks, Phil and Laurie!

I have been accused of writing checklists in my dreams.

May be true.  I certainly write them throughout a day.  Probably one of the signs of strong mental health for me over the years has been how many checklists I can generate.

Sounds weird.

There is both good and bad to lists.

You can become a slave to the lists and miss great opportunities.  On the other hand, you are current enough to be able to step away from the normal of life and enter into those great opportunities.

Yesterday was checklist time for preparations to move to a new house.  We had begun the list a few days ago.  Formalizing it on the computer makes the move very real in my eyes. 

Everything from carpet to electrical to windows to walls.  They all got on the list.  We have a month to complete the basic preparation – then we will actually take possession of the house.  Or as our son says – when do we actually sleep over night?

Now, where is my pen?  I’ve got another item to put on the list!!

We laugh at the impossible.

Yesterday we had belly laughs.  We, as a couple, were wallpapering together.

We don’t rush as we wallpaper.  We don’t yell at each other.  We even admit when something didn’t quite work right – and then try to remedy it.

The residence where we were working has a child who is around six.  She has a friend of the same age who accompanied her home after school yesterday.

They snuck into the room to explore for something missing or exciting – not sure which.

I had a small brush in hand, making sure all edges were glued down properly.  As the two children entered the room, they marvelled at how amazing I was at painting.  The wallpaper pattern had intrigued them and they thought I had been the master painter.  I tried to take credit but that was dashed quickly by my wife who pointed out that it was merely wallpaper and not an artistic endevour!

Then, one of them turned to us and commented on our working together, merely saying the following:  “You make a good team.”

Out of the mouths of babes!

We often call the place we worship, “our church”.

Shared experiences have made it so.  The life of a church is embodied in life within the church.  We call this history.

Yesterday, as we examined rural churches, there was quite a discussion about how history affects effectiveness in a church.  Knowing the past can help us connect with those who have poured their lives into a church.  Knowing the past can help us sidestep hornet’s nests that have been stirred once too often.  History can even give us clues as to new ways of ministry.

I have a unique history with the church I currently attend.  I was “born into” this church.  I was carried to services shortly after my birth.  Although our family moved away at a young age, I returned in my early twenties for four years.  Twenty five years later, I returned once again.  My current stint here has been for 10 years.

I am both a recent citizen, while also being born here – with roots going back to my grandfather, who homesteaded here.

I have history and yet I am new.  A peculiar situation which lets me speak to different generations of inhabitants of this church.

What an awesome privilege.  And responsibility.