We are Blessed... and that's Spectacular!: Random Thoughts

I had another busy week, as I am sure all of you did too. "Busy" seems to be the word used a lot to describe our lives, our society. I worked a few extra hours at my part time job/ministry getting ready for our first Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) activity and my first class with my new batch of 8th graders. I am always amazed at how many hours it takes to get ready for an hour and a half program. We had a great turn out and everyone seemed to have a good time!

Thursday, I left the rental at 4:15 a.m. to get to Wichita in time to take my dad (and mom) to Kansas Medical Center (a physician owned hospital) for his outpatient procedure. His urologist was attempting to blast his kidney stone so he could pass the pieces and be done with the thing. After the procedure, the doctor reported that the stone was "very big" and in a "very bad place". He blasted it at the highest power and as many times as was safe but wasn't sure it was going to do the trick. Dad is to set an appointment in two weeks time to have it x-rayed to see if this procedure was successful.

While I was sitting in the waiting room I wrote a list of ten random thoughts.

1. Here are a few things I am looking forward to at the new house: a garage door opener, an ice machine, a deck to sit on, a refrigerator with a light, a washer and dryer*, a bedroom big enough that I can open my nightstand drawer, being done with the building of the house. Boy, do I sound spoiled or what?

*We gave our washer and dryer to Kayla and Lucas because we are getting new ones for the new house. I couldn't stand to watch Kayla drag her laundry here every week during the last month of her pregnancy. This was the first week since the first year of our marriage that I had to haul the laundry out.

2. Holding a sleeping baby has got to be one of the simplest pleasures in life.

3. God knew what he was doing when he created pineapple and bacon.

4. What is the deal with all the big screen tvs in public places, restaurant, lobbies, hospital waiting rooms. They are never on a station I want to watch. Am I allowed to change the channel? What is the proper etiquette? You always come into the middle of a show/movie. What is going on? Can I ask someone who is in the room? If there are two shows on two different tvs, which one do I watch? The volume is usually just too low to hear it but two high so as to be distracting to conversation or an attempt at reading. Really, can't we all go a few hours without that visual stimulation in our life? Just asking?

5. Why do people post.... "that moment when..." Did I miss a secret message some where?

6. That moment when you first know you are getting a cold...

7. At the risk of offending someone, I am going to ask, "Why would we have an exception to the abortion law for rape?" Is that child not a child? Should that child be punished for the sins of his/her father? Does committing the violent act of abortion heal the woman of the violent act of rape? Granted, it would take an enormous amount of courage and grace from our God to carry a baby conceived in the act of rape to full term and give him/her up for adoption. I heard a speaker once who was adopted. She never met her birth mom but knows that her mom was raped. It was an amazing story that kind of got me thinking.

8. Here are a few undeniable truths: No one likes to be crabbed at. Everyone likes to be appreciated. No one wants to be inconvenienced.

9. The favorite part of my job/ministry is working with all the wonderful catechists and youth ministry volunteers. They are a great, fun-loving and flexible group of people. Each of them inspires me in my faith.

10. A rumbling thunderstorm is one of my favorite sounds. Vanilla is one of my favorite smells.

An update on the house: The trim carpenter has left the building! The painter is finished staining and varnishing the woodwork. (The fumes are so bad right now I get a head ache just walking in the door.) WGO and Tyler finished the steps to the deck. WGO and Mr. Lackey have begun laying the wood floor.