Late Night/Early Morning Ramblings

If it's fair/accurate to say that there are times in our Christian life/walk in which the spiritual aspect of things(that happen in our life) is more apparent than others, the recent past has been(and, hopefully, will continue to be) one of those times for me. Even things that aren't necessarilly "spiritual" seem to have a relatively apparent spiritual significance and/or dimension(or lesson?) to them.

Admittedly, I've been making a definite, conscious, and relatively constant effort to prioritize the spiritual aspect of my life of late. Somewhat unfortunately, as is usually the case with me, most of the forms this effort has taken have been of a more public than private or personal nature. But even something public is better than nothing at all, and nothing at all had been my norm for far too long prior to this.

Some of what follows is pretty standard, "garden variety" spiritual stuff, some of it isn't. But all of it's had a more prominent spiritual "perspective" for me than had been the case in my life for a long while before this.

Last Saturday was the men's prayer meeting/Bible study. It was the 3rd one I made it to, 2nd one in a row. Besides me, Chris, Brian, Stu, & Ken were there.

During the meeting, Stu told me that he thinks I have some spiritual abilities that he suggests/hopes I'll get further schooling to develop more. I forget exactly what he said or how he described what he sees in me, but(I think?) most of why I forget the specific nature of what he said is that, after the meeting, Chris seconded what Stu'd said earlier, and said that he thinks I have the gift of teaching, saying "You're good at getting things across to people; at communicating things/points.". The distinction/differentiation was made between the gift of teaching and that of pastor(ing), but it was still a very encouraging experience.

Especially since I have no reason to doubt that they're right and much reason to affirm and "validate" and "confirm" and generally agree with what they said. And - as would perhaps be expected, but is no less encouraging - Kat agrees with them as well.

After the meeting, I also got the chance to talk with Chris some about the background behind their imminent departure from CBC. It was mostly, tho not entirely, brought about by their desire for more socio-spiritual opportunities for Jared, much as our recent "wanderlust" has been largely prompted by concerns related to the same opportunities for Rebekah.

This past Sunday was my week in nursery. Rebekah & Amber were there. Amber wasn't anywhere near as much trouble or "bother" as she usually is. I'm not sure if she was in a good mood, or it was just that it was only the 2 of them, or if it was that Jeff Schriber was there with me and it wasn't just me with her(and whomever else) or what, but it went rather well and rather pleasantly.

Sunday afternoon, Katrina told me that she'd been praying about our church situation and potential "steeplechase" a lot(which I knew) and has been definitely sensing the Lord saying to her that CBC is what and where He has for us, at least for now, and asking her/us to trust Him to provide for us(including Rebekah). Although I had definitely been sensing some "resistence/reluctance" from Kat about leaving CBC and resuming our "steeplehase" in our earlier discussions of it, the exact nature, degree, scope, and significance of it was "new to me".

It would be very unfair of me if I didn't add here that she also said/affirmed that "You're my husband and we'll go where you decide". But I really don't want this to be _my_ decision that she submits to, I want this to be _our_ decision that we make and agree upon together. Even so, I appreciated her saying this, along with the stuff about what she's been sensing God saying to her about our "church uncertainties".

So, we discussed things about our church situation some more at that point. What it would mean if we stayed @CBC, how long(or how much longer) we might stay and see what happens(or doesn't) before moving on, how and where else we might find socialization opportunities for Rebekah, etc. Believe it or not, even tho I'd been thinking(or more) that our season @CBC would be ending in or around January before this, we're still largely in agreement.

At this point, I think we'll be staying @CBC(at least) thru the end of June or so. Let's see what happens; nurserysize-wise, among other ways/areas.

We're both committed to not sticking around indefinitely, if things don't improve. Soon/shortly and not by just 1 kid either. We couldn't do that to Rebekah, especially since the longer we wait to leave there, the harder it'll be for/on her.

I think this is mostly just a case of us wanting to be SURE that the length of our season @CBC - as well as when/if we leave there - is 100% in GOD's hands, at HIS direction, discretion, etc. At times like this, it's just far too easy to weigh the pros and cons of staying vs going, reason it all out, and "lean on (y)our own understanding(Pv 3:5)"! NOT GOOD! :(

It also now seems that either Katrina or the 2 of us will(at least volunteer to) take over the "coordination" of the nursery at the end of the year, when Kim Marie's "term" ends. At least for the Spring, I don't know beyond that. I'm also pretty sure that I'll decline becoming a deacon(if Randy and/or anyone else nominates me) at the Annual Meeting in January, since that's a full calendar-year term, and we might not be staying that long. Not that we definitely won't be, but it's not definite that we are either.

We also talked about finding another church to attend on Wednesday nights. Partly/mostly so that Rebekah gets to be in an active and fuller nursery at least weekly, but also for the additional spiritual food and fellowship for us.

I've been thinking about going to the Wednesday night services @CCDC for awhile now. But I think we'll prolly check out the midweek service @First Baptist of Collingdale and/or the local AG church first. If for no other reason(s) than they're closer, and within walking distance if need be.

Most recent Wednesday nights, I've been watching the CCOB service online. They videowebcast all their services, so I've been watching the Wednesday night services, as well as the Saturday night "version" of the Sunday service.

I've really been enjoying it, looking forward to it, and getting a lot out of it. I definitely think it's much better to actually GO to church tho, so I won't mind missing the CCOB midweek services when we go to a service around here then too much, tho I hope to continue to watch on Saturdays.

We've also been talking about signing Rebekah up for swimming and/or dance/tumbling classes @the Y next Spring. For the socialization, as well as the skill(s) involved.

If we do this, we'll prolly join the Y at the same time. Partly cuz the classes are cheaper for members, but also cuz Kat gets a discount on Y membership thru her job.

Of course, at that point, adult classes are also cheaper. I doubt they'd have an adult "learn to swim(better)" class(?), but I'm sure we can each/both find something interesting.

Steeple Chase, Round 3?

Believe it or not, we might be facing yet another "chapter" in our seemingly-endless search for the "right" church for us. Yes, we both LOVE CBC and yes, we did just JOIN there this past August. But it's really beginning to look like CBC isn't going to be(come) the type of church that we - particularly Rebekah - need it to be(come).

For several weeks now, Rebekah's been the ONLY child in nursery. I found out tonight that the family who's son is the ONLY other nursery-aged kid who's even quasi-consistently there is looking for another church(that better meets THEIR family's needs), so that leaves Rebekah as the ONLY kid in nursery for the forseeable future.

To further complicate things, the wife/mom of this family has been the "coordinator" of the nursery till she just recently resigned, effective at the end of the year. Who knows who will take over that position, especially since I'm not at all interested in it, for several reasons. But, even if I took it over, all that would do would be stabilize/establish the fact that there _will_ continue to be a nursery during Sunday morning church. It wouldn't do anything to change the fact that Rebekah'll be the ONLY kid in said nursery most weeks.

If Rebekah were in daycare, this would still be important, tho far less so. But, since she's not, it's very important.

There are, of course, other issues here. And many of them would still be there even if we didn't have any kids yet. But this is the biggie, and it's very important. Not only cuz it is(important anyway, especially since Rebekah's not in daycare and isn't going to be either), but also cuz it's Rebekah; we feel a particular need to prioritize/emphasize what's best for her at or above the priority or importance of our own personal or corporate "needs". So, while we still need much more discussion and much prayer about this, it looks like we're "steeplechasing" yet again.

If that ends up to be the case, I don't expect this "chapter" of our steeplechase to be anywhere near as long as the others were. For several reasons, the main one being that there are only about 4, maybe 5, churches under consideration for our next church. There are other reasons, including the fact that we're both considerably more unwilling to let weeks/months go by without us visiting or checking out or attending ANY church(es), which happened more than once in between our other long-term stops, but the short length of the list of churches we might "move" to next is the chief reason I think we'll be somewhere else relatively shortly after we leave CBC, if we do, in fact, move on.

CCDC is the main "other" church under consideration. It really helps our chances of ending up there that they've recently relocated their Sunday morning services to a location that's IN Media and, thus, far more Septa-accessible. The fact that they're a large-enough church to meet all of our various ministry/outreach/socio-spiritual needs(and then some) as well as present us with numerous service and/or ministry opportunities - without being such a large "mega-church" that things become depersonal(ized) doesn't "hurt" either. Nor does the fact that they've got a homeschooer's ministry/outreach. Nor the fact that we're more doctrinally alligned with them than with CBC. Nor many other quite-positive factors. All of which add up to be the reason(s) they're #1 on our short list.

There are 3, maybe 4, other churches under consideration. One is Aldan Union, tho we face the same main doctrinal difference there as at CBC. One is a Baptist church in Collingdale that we became familiar with from some of the other folks at the Marriage Conference we recently attended. And the other is the church where that conference was held. I think the Baptist church would be #2, Aldan Union would be #3, and the host church of the conference would be #4. The closer location of the Baptist church than CCDC might make it "1-A", I don't know.

In other news, while I should have realized/correlated this before, I just "figured out" tonight that Kat's seizure last month means that she can't renew/reinstate her driver's license till at least a year from now. Which means that we've got to prioritize me getting mine asap. Yes, we can't do anything till the finances ease up some, but it still looks like I'll be getting my license a bit(if not a lot) sooner than earlier expected.

3 Weeks Worth Of Catch-Up(Ketchup?)

Once again, it's been about 3 weeks since my last entry. The reasons are the same; lack of a title, lack of comments from others on recent entries, etc.

As everyone knows by now, "my" Red Sox WON THE WORLD SERIES! No, that's not a typo, a misprint, a fantasy, or a hallucination, it REALLY HAPPENED! And, they gave the Yankees the WORST COLLAPSE IN MLB POSTSEASON HISTORY en route to the Series, where they SWEPT THE HEAVILY FAVORED CARDINALS and, thus, avenged '67 & '46 as well.

This all happened about 10 days ago, and I still don't know what to make of, or how to feel about, it. Yes, I'm definitely very happy, especially after having lived thru '78, '86, & '03. But it's also very true that what "they" write about the hardluck nature of the "cursed" Red Sox and all their infamously Sisyphean postseason failures is a BIG part of the identity of that team - and of it's fans. Finally being able to exhale, celebrate, and let our hair grow back in is quite an adjustment.

I kinda wish Rebekah were old enough to understand what was happening when they won. But, then again, even if she were old enough to understand it, she could never begin to comprehend the significance of it. I mean, none of the "baggage" that makes this so significant is in her memory, something similar to the second MLB game she was AT being a no-hitter(also true).

But we'll still get her a Bosox '04 WORLD CHAMPS T-shirt. Even tho we'll have to get her a Youth Small, cuz they don't make them in anything smaller. I really wish they did, especially since I think a Bosox '04 World Champs onezie would just be SOOO CUUUTE. But they don't.

And, yes, the buying of the Bosox '04 World Champs Ts _is_ still in future tense. We haven't yet bought any '04 MLB postseason Ts. Not for the Bosox ALWC, nor the AL Champs, nor the World Champs. Not even the NLWest Champs Dodgers Ts that we want to get for Tim & Jen as "gag" Christmas gifts. And that's cuz we haven't had the money, and still don't.

Between being out of work for her thumb cut and then for her seizure, Kat worked less than 3 days in October. Yes, we'll get disability and accident insurance for both, but things are still verytight moneywise.

Looking back at it, I prolly should have tried to work at least some shifts @Vanguard in October, especially with Kat's being home to watch Rebekah(which was the main "roadblock" initially). But we'll be ok "anyway"; live and learn.

I may still do a medical study, if I can find one that'll fit around our schedule and isn't too "risky". I'll have to look into that and see what's out there.

We're not complaining(or fighting), and we're getting by ok. Aldi's has been a major blessing, and most of what we've bought or spent money on in the past 2-3 weeks has been food; almost all of it. Kat won't get anything close to a full paycheck for another 10 days, and that's already "claimed" by rent and various other bills, so we've still a ways to go. No complaints, this is just how it is and where we're "at" right now.

In another baseball note, we found out about a month or so ago that "our" Wilmington Blue Rocks will be a Red Sox affiliate next season(and in '06 too)! This has me very excited and looking forward to going to their games next season even more than I already was, and that's going some.

I'm getting more involved at church. The first Game Night, this past Friday night, went very well. So well that we're going to have them twice a month, rather than the origional plan of monthly. We decided to make it a church activity, rather than a community outreach, and I definitely think it was the right move.

I've also started a Yahoo group for the church. I talked with Randy about it yesterday, and he ok'd it. He said that he eventually wants to get a website going for the church, and I think that's a very good idea. But, between the links, calendar, photos, files, and database sections, a Yahoo group is something like a "website for dummies" anyway.

I've been watching the CCOB services online lately and really getting a lot out of them. I still have my doubts as to whether I'd want us to be going there(or if I'd be comfortable there) if we lived in that area, but that's pretty much a moot and/or irrelevant question anyway, since we don't and I doubt we ever will. But, whether or not we'd go there if we lived there, I'm still getting a lot out of the messages I've been watching online from there.

Billy Graham's got a crusade planned for Madison Square Garden in June '05. I doubt that we'll be able to go to any of it, and I also doubt that CBC will be able to take an active part in supporting it(aside from prayer and maybe a contribution), but it'd still be neat to go up for a day or so of it if we could.

It's almost hard to believe that both of the Billy Graham crusades I've been to and been involved with were over a decade ago! As usually seems to be the case with distant memories, they seem more recent than that in some ways, yet longer ago than that in others.

Rebekah continues to grow and change so quickly! We''ve already got so many pictures of her that hardly look like her now.

I really want to get dates on all our pictures asap, cuz it's already hard to remember exact dates for some of them(or even close to exact, in some cases). I also want to get all the pictures we've got on our puter backed up with copies of those pix on disks.

Mom & Dad came down to visit last Saturday. Overall, it went fairly well, and I was even able to speak up when I disagreed with what Dad was saying without getting overly loud or causing a "stir" any of the(few, but multiple) times it was appropriate.

Kat has Christmas weekend off from work, and Mom's not expecting the Brattins in NJ for Christmas, so we plan to go up to EB for Christmas this year. It'll be Rebekah's 2nd Christmas, her 1st in NJ, and our first one up there in quite a few years. I'm not even sure when our last NJ Christmas was, it's been so long.

Of course, 2 weeks after Christmas is Rebekah's(2nd) birthday. I checked with Randy yesterday, and he ok'd us using the church(basement/auditorium & kitchen) for her birthday party. Fortunately, January 8th is a Saturday this year, so we'll get to have her party ON her birthday!

We're not doing much of anything for Thanksgiving tho. Kat's got Thanksgiving off, but just THE DAY of it, so we're not going anywhere. I'm sure we'll still have a nice relaxing day tho.