Personal

As a pastor, sometimes I forget about long weekends.

Particularly this time of year.  Your head is geared to fall program startups.  Your heart is with those who have returned from a summer away.  And your spirit is refreshed (well, usually).

So I almost missed this coming weekend. 

My wife has had to remind me – more than once – that we are headed up to see our daughter in Waskesiu.  So Sunday after church we pop into the car (with $1.19 per liter gas in the tank) and venture out.  We hope to be back Monday evening. 

Short, but we expect to have a good time.  Our daughter is pregnant and this is the first time we will see her in a few months.  My sister visited her last week and said she is looking “pretty”.   I’ve always believed that, but at seven months pregnant I seldom hear that term used!  Looking forward to seeing her.

Yesterday I met with a few but visited hundreds.

The first contact was a home town boy.  He was in town on a courtesy call – part of his job.  On the way to Luseland, just an hour up the road.  We began to talk of connections he had in Kindersley.  The high school class that had reunions and cruise ship trips.  The church friends from years ago.  Gone in 1966 he has never really left.

The second contact brought a story of a relationship from our recent past.  A network of people rearranged by infidelity.  He came to talk because of my intersection over the past few years with some of these people.  He was new to the network – placed there in part because of his job.

The third contact was a family.  About to leave town.  Here for supper.  In the morning, a rental moving truck had been brought from Saskatoon.  Now, we provided a meal on their last night here.  Friends would meet with them tomorrow to load.  And new friends would become a part of their lives in a new part of the world tomorrow.

Someone has said that when you know six people in an extended network, you know the world.  I guess I’m halfway there! 

I have an academic degree (or two or three)!

One of them is in Library Science and Archives.  So when I look at the side bar of this blog, I’m always interested by the word archives.  If you press the August 2005 archive line, you will see the blog writings from August.

So, where’s that old stuff?  Stuffed away somewhere in the bowels of a computer, just waiting for you to press that little old line.

         Yesterday’s entry got me thinking!

I guess all is not leaving Saskatchewan (although I watched some dust headed to Manitoba today!).

So, “come on down!”

We have a Tim Horton’s on the way.  Expected by October.  So, if you’re going to be in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, email me (use the contact me section of the blog).  I’d love to have a “coffee” (I don’t drink coffee, but don’t mind hot chocolate!). 

But not before October.  Or we’ll be sitting with construction workers drinking hot chocolate from a thermos.