I can see clearly now...

I have three more sessions of my "Great Preaching" class. It has been interesting, and the fellowship time with my colleagues has been the best - in my opinion, this is a great way to glean from one another, as well as simply learn without a stressors that we pastors deal with in our common days. It's a nice "change of pace" for a couple of days.

With that being said, I have to say that my nerves are a little on edge as I prepare for the next session.
Each session, a few people from each group (there are about half a dozen group across the Conference) will have submitted a video recording of a sermon - and not just "any" sermon, but one that is focused on  the material that we're covering in the upcoming class. For example, we're learning about preaching through story telling (I may not be saying that totally correctly, but that's my best interpretation), and so the sermon is to use a story.

That may seem simple enough, but the book we're covering for the next session is written by one of our instructors - a professor who teaches preachers how to teach preachers to preach. So she must know something of the craft. For me, her book is written in a very simple, conversational manner, so as I read it, I have to stay with it, or turn way back in the book every time I'm drawn away. So while catching up with an old friend who writes fiction, I thought I would try to enlist her insight (how to notice things, remember things, write/talk about things, etc).
At the same time, I am back to wearing contact lenses after a couple of weeks of some issues between my new vision insurance and the eye clinic corporation I went to. So that means using eye drops at the proper time and having reading glasses. (I have a condition that requires that I wear contacts, but one eye is so bad that my vision can not be completely corrected with contact lenses)  But as I was trying to read, I couldn't seem to focus on the page well. Did I lose a contact? Did I miss my eye with the drops? Are the contacts the wrong prescription? I finally took off my reading glasses and thought "Boy, those look dirty".
Um, yeah.

Opening up to someone with a better skill when we're were stumped, instead of struggling along?
Taking another look things, making sure all things are clear, instead of trying to push through the fog of  uncertainties?
Taking the time to enjoy the fellowship with one another, not only to socialize but to learn?

Live a lot, laugh even more.