Tag Archive - Friday Five

Friday Five

September 12, 2008 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Even though I have not made the time to blog all that is going on the Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals keeps me going from week to week- here’s this week’s edition:

It’s time for a Back-To-School Friday Five!
1. Is anyone going back to school, as a student or teacher, at your house? How’s it going so far?
Well the boy is going to school for the first time.  We enrolled him in a preschool program.  He is really enjoying it so far.  Next week however he is taking the bus (about a 1/2 an hour drive).  We are praying for him.  
This year is the first year that I will not be starting or continuing in a degree program.   I will not start another program for at least 3 years, but there is always continuing education!

2. Were you glad or sad when back-to-school time came as a kid?
I was always excited for the new school year.  I enjoyed getting new clothes and books and pens and pencils.  I think that lasted about a week in the school year and then I could not wait for the next break in the school year.  

3. Did your family of origin have any rituals to mark this time of year? How about now?
We always took that first day of school picture — but that’s about it.  We are starting the same with “the boy.”  Next year when he starts Kindergarten we might do more but who knows what will be going on then.  

4. Favorite memories of back-to-school outfits, lunchboxes, etc? 
Nike Air Jordan basketball shoes were the in thing when I was younger.  I remember those were the shoes that EVERYONE was getting and I wanted a pair of my own.  I eventually got a pair and always thought I was the coolest kid every time I pumped them up.
5. What was your best year of school?
I have two great years — the first is my senior year in high school.  I finally broke through the shy phase of my life (thanks in a big part to my time at Calumet).  I was doing the things I wanted to do – I had a great group of friends and I knew where I was going and what I wanted to do with my life (or so I thought).  

The next is my senior year of seminary.  Even though I was somewhat disconnected from the seminary campus (because we lived about 45 min from campus).  I was (an still am) confident in my call to ministry – I was doing well academically (better than any year before) and I was really enjoying myself in school.  Don’t get me wrong I wanted to get out of school, I wanted to be out in the world doing ministry– but it was not until my last semester did I even entertain doing a Doctorate in Ministry (and I have an idea of what I might do).

Friday Five

August 16, 2008 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I would like to get on a more regular blogging schedule.  I realize that doing that is a part of my ministry.  One of the things I have been meaning to do is to participate in the Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals. Even though this is Saturday here is my Friday Five….

For this Friday’s Five, share with us five transformations that the coming fall will bring your way.
Bonus: Give us your favorite activity that is made possible by the arrival of fall.

1)  Becoming recently ordained one of the transformations is my Pastoral Identity.  I have recently come to a congregation in Upstate NY and I absolutely love it.  However it is a new life for me.  Not only am I learning about a new community, a new church, new friends, a new assembly.  But I am learning how to be a solo Pastor.  I am finding a balance between how things “have always been done” and moving the church forward into the community.

2)  Another tranformation is for myself personally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  As I settle into a new role as pastor, new community, and a new chapter in my life. I am finding balance in these roles while I still develop my role as a father, husband and friend.

3)  The third transformation is from becoming a student to a professional.  I feel like I have been in school for the last 30 years in one way or another.  That is in fact a reality.  Now I am taking what I have learned for the last 30 years and I am going to apply it to my ministry for the next 30 + years.  I can’t say that I am as enthusiastic as others in learning, but I do enjoy to learn.  I don’t think that will ever end but I will be happy to not take another graduate course for a few years.

4)  Living in a house will be the next tranformation.  My family (wife and kids) have always lived in apartments.  But not we are in a nice townhouse.  We are renting (for now) and that is fine but we have space and we are going to be settled for awhile and that makes us happy.  But it is something to get use too.

5)  Getting rid of stuff will be the final transformation.  We have tons of baby clothes for boys and girls that we are storing or getting rid of.  I tend to be the one who wants to keep stuff while my wife is able to let things go. During this move I realized that I do not need to keep as much as I want to keep.  So I am really going to work on getting rid of more stuff so the next move won’t be as painful.

BONUS:  All I can say is that I know Fall is coming when the NFL preseason starts!! I LOVE football season.

Friday Five: Moving Time

April 11, 2008 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

With thoughts of Youth and Stewardship, Pre-marital counseling and the Catechisms, and the book American Jesus swirling around in my head.  Added with the fact that I think I am getting sick and it looks like my first call interview might be in the next week or so…..I decided to answer questions to the Friday Five that I found on Lutheran Zephyr’s blog.

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time?

During College I moved back and forth between college, Calumet and Home.  So not counting every time I did that I have about 10 moves under my belt.  I hope that the next move will be my last for a long time.

2. What do you love and hate about moving?

I love the feeling of complete organization when things are packed up. I actually know where everything is and I am amazed by what I find when I do pack things up.

I hate the actual moving part. I do not like carrying the boxes, straining my back and how fast hours turn into days, which turn into weeks.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers?

I have never hired movers but I heard they rock and I hope that might be an option this next move.  But there are lots of the bigger stuff we are going to throw away.  Including the couch, desk and dining room table that we paid a total of $100.00 about four years ago. I think we got our money’s worth

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move?

Start early because you always run out of time and you will find yourself throwing stuff in boxes when you could of thrown it away.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones?

I am moving all over the place.  We will be moving to my first call site in a few months (I hope) and I feel like I am always learning and growing as a person and individual internally.  So yea we are pretty busy moving wise.

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what moving means to you.

Ever since I read what Lutheran Zephyr wrote “on the road again” I can’t get that out of my head.  I think that is appropriate but if I think of something more meaningful I will put it here.