July 4th ruminations

Today is the 4th of July and it should be a good day. One of the best parts of today is that my sermon is done! Saturdays are a mixed bag for me if it isn't and today it is! Hooray.

We have the annual Northland 4th of July Parade and our church has a float in it. I will walk with them up Karl Road and hand out flyers about Vacation Bible School and family fun day. This is always fun for me!
Chuck is at the church and helping with a lemonade stand and just hanging out. Addie and Reagan will be in the float. Should be great.

This afternoon we will all go to Kacey's for a cookout and then to the Reynoldsburg fireworks.

I am really looking forward to Monday when Chuck and I are going to Hocking Hills where we have rented a cabin for 3 days. It is on a lake and we will get to just hang out and rest. Last night we were in bed at 8:30 and both of us were exhausted. I hope I can get my energy back. I wonder if I have a health issue that I am so tired - or if it is just 3 family deaths, a mission trip and the weekly work of preaching that has caught up with me.

This may be a prelude to next summer when I get my Sabbatical. I found online a place in East Tennessee which is designed for Sabbaticals. They rent the cabins for $200 a week with a MINIMUM stay of one month. Right now that sounds so appealing to me. I originally thought I would do a Sabbatical that would involve a lot of travel and learning - right now all I want to do is rest and read and write.

I have two other events that are taking up space in my head right now. The first is that Heather Bentley Hicks asked me to preach her ordination in 2 weeks. What an honor that is - but I keep thinking about what to say. About loving the church, loving the people, loving God and of course loving and caring for ourselves. Anyway, it is there on my mind.

And now, we received word of the topics for the week for Advance Conference in August. This camp for young adults is one of my favorite weeks of the year - and it is also an interesting challenge to do me "Keynote." This year I volunteered to speak about "Doubt and Faith" and already my mind is starting to ponder that. I like the process - and look forward to whatever comes.

So, today is a Holiday and always a time for the things I like best - family, food, fun, and ruminating!