Keep it simple, stupid.

Some time ago, I remember learning the "KISS" method of doing things - K I S S meaning "Keep it simple, stupid!" It had to do with how we tend to make things harder than what they really are.
For example, when I had to do an assignment for an Ethics class, I had to answer a series of questions in regards to an incident. After I spent at least 3 hours mulling over the questions, disecting each part of each question, wondering if the instructor meant this, or that, or wanted it answered in such a way to explain a certain aspect of something in class, or maybe he meant for us to check a different idea... (and meanwhile, in my mind, I'm thinking "this guy is the head of the Relion and Philosophy Dept at Kansas Weslyan Univ, as well as teaching this Ethics Course at a Theological Institute... This just HAS TO BE a hard question!"
(Yeah, I rambled that much for 3 hours!)

I finally got up the nerve to call the Instructor. I asked him all of those questions and concerns I had.
His answer was - "That's the problem we have today. We have to try to make things so hard. Just answer the questions ONLY as it is written."

So I did the assignment, answering each question ONLY as it was written. I, with all my might, tried to not read into anything. I did ONLY what was on the paper.
And I sweated bullets until I got the grade - an "A".

The cursed calendar is trying my patience again. Do I have the time for this and that - the truely important things?
Actually, the things written on the calendar only take up a few hours at a time. Most of the items are only an hour long maybe. The only items that are "all day events" are things that involve retreats, appointments in which the time is spent driving to and from (which I love to use for reflection time), or when I have a few appts on the same day, but the timing is fine, and meals aren't even a problem (one or two of those days involve being at dinners or, my favorite, going to sporting events - there is nothing better than a hotdog or popcorn at a high school football or volleyball game!)

So relax, take it easy, and keep it simple.
It will all work out just fine.

In memory

I just left a note in a "guestbook" on a Funeral Home website for an acquaintance from the last town that I lived in who just died. He was about 5 months older than me, was on the Fire Dept with me, and his folks were on the Rescue Squad with me.

It's proof that you have to stop and reflect on life.

It's not what you can plan - it's what you make of it while you are here. The rest is up to God.

Good bye Gregg.

Things that go bump in the night

I'm just getting ready for bed, and turned on my phone app that is a "radio scanner". Right now, I'm listening to some Columbus, Ohio Police units work an assault. It makes me wonder how much of the calls I'm listening to involves my brother who works for Dublin Police as a 911 Dispatcher.

All of this makes me think back to when my brother and I were Police/Fire Explorers, and would do ride-alongs with the Pickerington Police. Back then, there were one or two officers on duty at a time. From what I understand on websites and from old friends, there is a heck of a lot more officers on duty (Pickerington Ohio has grown a lot in the last 30 years).

And just as I was eating a bowl of cherry nut ice cream, and the memories that it brought back, the memories of 25-30 years ago flash through my head.
Times with friends, people "dropping" their books on a table (an inside joke), watching a classmate's dad make fresh cider from apples from an old press,

Now the areas that were simple neighborhoods are "historic districts", but the memories are always going to be there. And whatever brings back the memories will be the same, or might be surprise me.

(By the way, as I'm typing this, the Police are still working the assault call, and caught the bad guys. Why? Because the helicopter in the area watched them with a spotlight run... followed them, and directed the road cops right to them.
Why do people think that you can hide from that big spotlight in the air?)

Maybe I've found a hobby?

I have found this AMAZING new activity...it's called "reading".
It's an enjoyable hobby, yet not something that I've totally mastered quite yet. It does require some time, which I have been able to squeeze from here and there in my days, and with the invention of the computer and phone apps, I can even bring a book to wherever I go.

Now that I'm done being a wiseguy, I have to be honest... yes, it has become a bit of a task for me, but if it's just the right kind of book, then I can kick back and relax with my kindle on the phone or on my computers in my one office or at home and read a book.
(By the way - The latest ones I'd recommend are "Jesus, Through the Eyes of Peter" by Jeff Thurman, "Imaginary Jesus" by Matt Mikaltos, and "The Anger Diet" by Brenda Shoshanna.)
(And if you can figure out which one of those I know 'personally', you win a quarter!)
What's neat is that sometimes I can download a book for free, or it only cost a few bucks.

But along the way, people MUST have a break.

Life is moving too fast, and everyone thinks that they have to do it now, and not take time to relax.
Even Pastors have to take a break. Some people might not agree, but we all need to take a sabbath at some point or another. We all have to rest and refresh ourselves if we're going to be any good to anyone.

Read the instructions

I remember when I was in the 6th or 7th grade, getting a quiz, and the teacher saying something to the affect of "read the instructions before you start. You have 5 minutes to complete it."

But it was a full page, and the instructions were long, and so we all jumped right into the questions. Problem was - if we had read the instructions, we'd have seen about halfway through the statement "ignore everything you've read, put down your pencil, and sit quietly until the teacher collects the papers. Do not write on the papers." The rest of the instructions were things like "draw here and write this and circle that and underline there"...

We let panic set in. We let the EASIEST of tasks become so hard that almost all of us fail the quiz. (yes, I was one of them that failed).

Same thing is happening right now. I'm in the majority (if not all) of the people who when it comes to the Charge Conference paperwork for the last however many years, would LOVE to see less of it.
Well, God has heard the prayers, and now there are only a few forms, and those forms aren't all so bad.
And I sat in a meeting with my District Superintendent as she explained them, and she could see my face turn different shapes and colors, and she even commented on it, until I finally asked "there's not so much to do this year? And you gave us examples to follow?"
Wow! So simple.

So I went to the people... "Here are your forms - so let's get to work, They're easier, simpler, quick, fun, less work. Just fill it out and don't worry about neatness - it all gets inputted into the computer. Yippee!!!

Now that I have sat here in my office all day and "filled in the slots", (the people did the work, I just simply accessed the forms and completed them online), I found out that the word "easy" stuck in my head a little too much.
I forgot to ask for this, and for that. And in the process, I failed to mention something else to some people.
UGH!

So now I sit, doing the catchup work, and making the apologies to the people for bothering them with the "I 'thought' we were done, but here's where I messed up..."

"...forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us...."
But I'm still going to go out into the hills somewhere and scream for a few minutes. It helps. =)

I'm back, again?

OK... What's happening?
The goal of doing the blogs was part of a discipline of Journaling, and it was helpful. It was even nice to get some encouraging words from friends and collegues... But then I've fallen into the same trap that I'm working on helping people get out of - the "not enough time in the week" trap. UGH!

So I decided to go to see my granddaughter for my birthday. It was a nice trip... spending time with her, taking pictures, battling her to see who can spit the best "rasberry" (her mom and dad think it's cute now - just wait another 10 years... hee hee hee)

And I'm also working on other issues. Planning things in my office and home life, wrapping up some issues, etc.
Then hey, I know, I'll take a vacation next month. Yeah, that sound great! And then somewhere along the way, my mind had shut down to that "sure, I'll give the Invocation and Benediction at the Veteran's Day Services here in town".
OK... maybe the next week. It's gotta be the next week.
Why? Because I planned stuff. Ugh!.

LOL

Is God trying to say something?

I once had a parishonier who would describe those "odd" moments in life as "God moments".
I thought that was pretty cool. A simple way to explain something without having to get into a long, drawn out explaination of one's faith or anything.

Last week, I was asked to do a graveside funeral service. Now for me, just those words alone can mean many things... just the commital services, a short service for the local friends and family due to the deceased person lived and once had a history here, or a complate funeral service? What also made it somewhat unusual for me was that the call was coming in from a family member, as opposed to the funeral home who was taking care of the arrangements (which in many cases would mean something in itself).

But as I did some checking in, I found out that a cousin to the deceased was a member of my church, and so in talking to them, I realized that it was expected for me to do complete funeral service at the graveside.
OK... I can do that, so I made contact with the person making the request to get the information and such, as I want to do the best job I can in paying respect for the deceased. I was then told "I'll just give you her information when I see you at the cemetary."
Huh?

So then the "investgating" part of the 'job' had to kick in. I found out which funeral home in the city an hour or so out was handling the arrangements, got the obituary from them, tried to find out what I could from the family and what Scripture or special words they would like said ("whatever is appropriate" was the answer to that -- thank goodness I was able to find out more from the cousin!).

So come Saturday, I went up and preached a Message with a thought in mind... An instructor of mine has said many times (in regards to preaching Sermons in church) that you're not necessarily preaching to please the people. You're to preach to please God.
So that was my goal.

After the Service, I stepped away so that I could start for the place for the lunch (the cousin and family had done the arrangements for the lunch and had asked that I be there to do the Blessings and such). Then, the cousin (my parishioner) came up and told me how I really did a nice of a job (which I hear often, but somehow something rang different), and then his sister walked up and said that I "preached Christ".

DING! God moment!

Sometimes when we feel low or stressed, it's amazing how those "God moments" sneak up on us... maybe subtle, maybe right there and "in your face".

If you ever find yourself having a God moment, don't blow it off... Take advantage of it. There is a reason that it is a God moment.
Maybe God is trying to tell you something.