New Things Happening!

Wow -- what a year so far! We started out 2008 with a brand new baby! Now don't worry if you thought you missed me being pregnant, cause I wasn't. We have a brand new foster baby girl names Jazlen or "Jazzy" for short. She is now 16 months old and giving Hannah all kinds of big sister problems. For the most part, Hannah loves her and loves being the big sis and we hope to keep Jazzy, but time will tell.

Ursa Chruch is going strong as always -- I am in my 8th year and loving every minute of it. Our church is in it's anniversary year -- 175 years old in 2008! and we are celebrating all year long. Especially in September and October. For more information about the celebration, head over to my church's website -- www.ursacc.org for more details.

My life is keeping my pulled in muliple directions. I am the vice-moderator for the region and in charge of plannin our IL/WI regional assembly in November of 2008! Lots of hard work and planning meetings, but overall a great process to work with.

I continue to work in my community with the area churches and as a board member on our local community daycare center that the girls attend. We are in a little slump at the daycare becuase our last director just quit. But we are still hanging in there and I am proud of the board for stepping up and really helping out.

I am also continuing to study and read about emergent worship. Our regional minister's just had a superb spring workshop that had three great speakers: O. Wesley Allen from LTS, Dan Mosely from CTS and pastor Doug Pfeiffer from Omaha, NE. They spoke on post modernity and shared specific preaching ideas. Doug's was all about the new experiences in his congregaiton in Omaha. I really connected with his presentation and we had some awesome discussion throughout the event. I would love to learn and speak more with Doug -- hard to imagine I had him as a professor at Culver back in the 90's. I wished we had talked about this stuff than!!!

Well, it was because of that conversation that made me come to creat another blog -- Creative Disciple Worship at www.disciplesworship.blogspot.com
A place to discuss and share ideas about the ways we Disciples worship: traditional, contempoary, and emergent. I hope that this is something that we can grow into maybe a website. But that is putting the cart before the horse. I am trying to stay small for now and generate some good discussions.

Look forward to hearing from some of you about all the neat things happening in my life! God Bless! Linda

Home Sick

Well today Miss Hannah woke up with a fever of around 99 or 100 and went to bed with at 101 degree temp. I can't figure out if she is still being affected by her Hepatitis A shot that she received on Friday when she saw Dr. Minnick for her 3 year old check up or she has the flu. A three year old still can't quite tell you what's wrong. Even though she will tell you it is the place on her arm where her cat scratched her. We spent the day watching the Disney channel and we watched for the 3rd time "Ice Princess". Hannah thinks the ice skating girls are dancing. I was sad she had to miss her dance class, but when I called her teacher she told me she was ill. We will wait it out and see.

I have now added a funeral to my list of things to do this week. A church members grandma passed away this morning. And my thoughts and prayers turn to her family as well as I think about my grandparents.

Well I shall turn it so that I do not get ill and think about being Home Sick tomorrow.

Happy 1st Day of Autumn!

Happy Autumn! Well my friends, it has been a long time since I have been here. It has been a long, but good summer. With all the camps, vacation, and trip to G.A. in Texas all of my time has been spent running in circles. But now that it is official that today is the first day of Fall, I am sitting at home and deciding to work on my blog again. I guess it is that getting back into a routine that helps us get more centered and focus. I have always loved the fall season, going back to school and getting my school supplies. After a busy summer of running around, it is good to get back into a routine So I have decided that maybe if I can use the blog to get my thoughts down, it my help me get through the week and record some of my busy life.

Hannah just turned 3 this September 6 and it is hard to believe that she can be such a big girl!
So I thought I would share a few pictures of my baby girl!

Just Plain Silly

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Reverend Countess Linda the Fortunate of Throcking in the Hole Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I was searching the other blogs tonight and I caught this cute post on April's. This just cracked me up and made me laugh. Sometimes sillyness is just what we need.

I Saw my Shadow

Happy Groundhog's Day! I think that it is quite humorous that I am beginning my new blog on the day when we take our weather cues from a rodent. What does a groundhog care if he sees his shadow or not, if it is gloomy or sunny? All I know is that I could use six more weeks of climbing into my bed and not coming out.
This has been a long month for me and my congregation. I have just presided at my fifth funeral on the last day of January. Our church lost three dear souls: Henry, Thora, and Pauline. And after trying to take care of all these wonderful people and my two year old daughter Hannah who was home sick for a week with double pnemonia -- I just feel like I saw my shadow and I want to climb back into my hole. I don't feel stressed or frustrated by my life -- just that I am tired and I need to recharge my batteries.

That is when I went online this past evening and decided to start a blog.

Now I know that sounds like the goofiest thing on the face of the earth -- for me at least it is. Why would I start a blog. I usually don't do journals -- even though I have tried over and over again. And I don't feel like I am a great theologizer or a extremely spiritual person who has some enlightened words from God to share. I think I am just a person who is trying the best that she can and needs to try something new.

I hope in this blog I can use it to put down my thoughts, share my pastoral and personal expereinces, and give an opportunity for conversation to anyone who is willing to stop by.

My hope is to share something everyday -- a prayer, a poem, a question to ponder, a word or thought, some scripture, and probably a picture or two. And next time, I will share the meaning of Blog Title: Praying in Her Heart.

But for now I am reading the next scripture everyday for a week -- to help pull myself out of my gloomy whole and back into the sunlight. Enjoy!

Psalm 143 -- 1 O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. 4 So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. 5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. 12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.