Claimed, gathered and sent

sinusitis and bronchitis. What started out as allergies and asthma has crossed the line to sinusitis and bronchitis. I saw the doctor today because I was feeling worse, coughing more, and this morning my voice was like a basso profundo. LTSGers would know the kind of voice I had as sounding like Jack Delk's. I know when I get to that marker, that I need to be seen. At this point I sound worse than I feel. The doctor has me on Prednisone and an antibiotic. So...that's the news from internship in Petersburg, where the vicar is sick, the vicar's spouse is coughing, and everything is blooming. A full week lay ahead, so I appreciate your prayers for wisdom when to rest and when to keep pressing on. Thank you. Google Images

Last week felt like fall. It was in the air with the cooler days. We had to wear sweaters to enjoy our patio on those mornings. This week however is quite another story. It's been in the 90s nearly every day. Today it reached 97 degrees. As the seasons and the weather change, so do the seasons of our lives. For the past couple of weeks I have been struggling with fatigue--even when I've had a quiet and peaceful day off and plenty of sleep. I couldn't tell if I was coming down with something or what was going on. I'd make a few calls, do a little visitation and my energy was sapped. I knew it couldn't be my thyroid because I was taking my thyroid medicine. Well, it seems that thyroid levels ebb and flow also and now I'm on a higher dose of medicine. This all leads up to the time I had with my spiritual director this week. I was frustrated that during the times of extreme fatigue, I seemed to accomplish very little. My spiritual director reminded me that those...

Merriam-Webster defines transition as,  " a: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change b : a movement , development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another." Basically, I've finished the semester's projects, traveled to New England for Synod Assembly, and returned from visiting with friends and family in Rochester  in time to...move the very next day. We are living in that time called transition. Mon. the movers came and took our stuff off to storage for a month.. After that, we moved across the quad to a furnished efficiency apartment.The critters, Abby, Amity, and Pokey are enjoying their vacation with us at the Baughman Hall Motel (seminary housing). We will be here until internship begins next month. We were unsure size-wise how things would work out for 2 dogs, a cat, and 2 adults in an efficiency, but all is well. Pokey, the cat, especially loves the large second floor windowsill which offers him a better vie...

We had a great visit this weekend to Petersburg, WV. That is where I'll be doing internship for a year starting in August. Here are some pictures of the area around the motel we stayed at, the church, and the parsonage. It's going to be a good year.

This weekend, Sat. & Sun., we have the opportunity to visit Petersburg, WV, where I begin internship in August. The picture at the left is from Google Earth. Because of the way God brought this about, I have not yet met my supervisor. We have only spoken over the phone and I have heard wonderful things about him. So, this weekend, we will meet. These are a few pictures I got from online sources. I will take plenty while we're there. Ray, being a train geek, buff, or whatever you want to call a train aficionado, is very happy about the nearness of a rail line. Perhaps he and a couple other train friends can connect and take advantage of the setting. In the meantime, because of being sick, I had to get extensions for some coursework. Prayers are appreciated as I begin to feel better, get the work done, and check out what will be our home for a year.

This morning I thought I'd be on my way to Deep Creek Lake, MD to preach tomorrow. At least that was the plan. I was very excited about having Ray with me so I could show him around Garrett County where I spent the Jan. term. That was my plan. However, I got sick and I am just beginning to feel better. So, a classmate will be spending the time at Deep Creek Lake. Our plans and God's are not always the same. Proverbs says this so well, "The human mind may devise many plans,but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established" (Prov 19:21). I think I'm beginning to get the idea. Thursday I had my final interview for next year's internship. Prior to the beginning of the whole interview process, I was quite nervous. I knew where I wanted to go and hoped I would go there. I had eight interviews. Of the eight, I would be happy to go to six of the eight sites and can see how God could both use me and work on me in those circumstances. The great thing about th...

After two back to back snowstorms and the campus not being completely dug out, we wondered what would be happening with the Internship Matching Workshop, aka Speed Dating. It is a time for prospective interns to interview with numerous pastors and lay people over a day and a half. Well, that's normally the way it works. But with the weather and many flights canceled, we are having an extended version of internship matching interviews for those that were unable to make it. When all the results are in from pastors and students, it is then worked out who will go where next year for internship. Pastors and students each have input, but neither makes the match. That's up to the wisdom of the Field Education Office and the Holy Spirit. So please keep all of us prospective interns in your prayers as well as the folks that will be collating all the info and finally making the decisions. LTSG pictures http://www.ltsg.edu/campus/blizzardsof2010.htm