There are several new habits I have formed over the last six weeks. One of those habits is walking for at least 30 minutes a day. Today I took my walk at 10:30 A.M. I texted Amanda and Brenda to see if they wanted to come, but Amanda fell asleep and Brenda’s back was feeling a little out of joint this morning, so I walked by myself today. Here are some pictures I took on the way.
I have slowed my life down dramatically over the course of the last six weeks. I feel like I am just hitting my stride. I know those two statements sound diametrically opposed. You may even be thinking that both of them cannot be true at the same time, but I am discovering they can. I am discovering both statements ARE becoming true of me at the same time.
I have slowed down and somehow I feel more effective than I have ever been before.
A friend and I had virtual coffee together the other day and he hit the nail on the head for me.
He said, ” I am learning to give things the time they actually take rather than trying to squeeze them into the time I have.”
THAT IS SO POWERFUL!
I think my new level of effectiveness comes from slowing down. In slowing down I am letting things take the time they take rather than trying to rush through them to get them done in the time I have. Rushing so that I can get a lot of things done poorly is not better than doing a few things well.
I have said to most of the people I have spoken with during this time, “As we walk into the future I don’t want to return to old habits. I want to build off of the things I have learned during this time.”
WHAT HABITS DO YOU WANT TO WALK WITH INTO THE FUTURE?
This week we during our “Wall Prayer Meeting”, we prayed for many needs in our church body. But we also prayed for renovation of the church and for the opening of Ancient Wells of power.
I believe prayer is something done out of time. That means prayer is not bound to a moment the power of it can be accessed at any time. So let me encourage you to put this video on and join us for an hour of prayer today. Pray for your own personal needs. Hear the devotional thoughts and pray the prayers for the universal church which God puts in your heart.
The Bridge Artistic Network has just officially been LAUNCHED as a FACEBOOK Group! It is for artist of every ilk and all ages. We all remember what it felt like starting out…and we know what it feels like being where we are…COME JOIN THE COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION…And Help each other to GROW AND…
— Read on notesfromthevicarage.com/2020/04/23/launching-in-5432/
Amanda’s Monday afternoon Facebook show is called “Without a Recipe”. In the show she makes a dish while allowing her audience to dictate the recipe. Last week was pizza. Watch and learn.
Social distancing has changed the way we do church work for sure. That said church work still needs to get done. Tuesdays is still staff meeting day and we have continued to meet using Zoom tech. While it is called Zoom that is no indicator that our meetings are any shorter. Today we met for two hours.
I know most people think that pastors only work on Sundays and Wednesday nights, but nothing could be further from the truth. Our Tuesday meetings as a staff of nine cover a lot of territory, and there just is no way to shorten up the weekly business. I have actually been to weekly staff meetings which take up to five hours. One deacon board meeting I attended recently engaged us in six hours of business, and that was with us pushing things along.
Now with Covid-19 entering the discussion we have even more to talk about as we plan for the future. Like the rest of the country, we are looking forward to reopening, and discussions are being had on the regular about just how to do that, and of course when. Here in the North East we are bracing ourselves for a long haul.
All that to say Tuesdays- Meeting Days are busy days and sometimes I don’t really realize how busy they are until I take a look back at the agenda and see all we have done. For instance: The house started stirring this morning around 6 A.M. By 9 I prayed, ate breakfast with Amanda and Mom, walked all three dogs (which is something of a process as Mercedes is in heat), got ready for the day, got Mom’s morning supplies, fed the birds, washed a load of laundry, changed out my pillow cases and folded yesterday’s laundry. At 9:30 we found out that we lost a congregant last night to the disease (she had several other health conditions as well) . At 10:30 we found out another congregant was being sent home on hospice after a long battle with a series of health issues.
Then staff meeting. While Amanda and I had staff meeting, Brenda took some time and sat with Mom and then with the dogs who were beside themselves with heat. Then she did some writing in her study.
After staff meeting Brenda and I finished up some errands Amanda had started yesterday for an elderly congregant. Then it was back home for afternoon prayers and the afternoon dog walk (in the rain).
Brenda had an on-line meeting with an artist from the South and I made dinner for the house while Amanda got herself ready for youth group.
In the midst of all of this I have even had time to write! Amazingly, I have not felt rushed at all. I’m kind of marveling at that in fact, and I am wondering how it is possible that I do not feel half out of my brain. Maybe it is just the fact that most of this did not involve me leaving the house…..hmmm. Ok it is time to walk the dogs again because one of them is beginning to howl like a six pound wolf.- See Ya Soon!
We read “His mercies are NEW every morning.” We hear “You learn something NEW every day.” We know He is doing a NEW thing and right now it is springing forth! NEW. Everything is made NEW! Today is a NEW day! We want NEW clothes, a NEW car, a NEW house, a NEW job! We…
— Read on notesfromthevicarage.com/2020/04/21/the-trouble-with-new/
I have not really been able to sing since the pneumonia. But recently I was asked by THE REACH NEW ENGLAND CHAPTER OF SPECIAL TOUCH DISABILITIES MINISTRY to put together a brief video for their virtual service coming up.
I gave it the old college try Friday. I am definitely out of practice, but at least most of the notes are right.
Just over a year ago God gave me a vision during a Sunday morning service. In this vision I saw a satanic force coming against our church. The Lord showed me that for a season we would be able to thwart this spirit power in the strength God had already given us. But the Lord told me that there would come a time when the enemy would be too powerful for us to face in our own strength. The Lord instructed that when that time came we were to call the church to pray and He would send us divine helpers to strengthen and revive the church.
I believe we have come to that time when we cannot face the enemy in our own strength…. and so we have started THE WALL prayer meetings to call the church to pray and ask God to send us the help He promised. This is our prayer meeting from last Wednesday night. Perhaps you can use it to spend some time focusing your own prayers. Please join us this Wednesday night from 7-8 to pray.
I am so proud of this lady. I would say girl but that is not what she is anymore. She has proven herself to be one of the most capable adults I know.
Today is Amanda’s birthday. If you want to know how old she is you are going to have to ask her. Because I try never to tell a lady’s age. I can be old school like that sometimes.
Amanda was supposed to be in Pennsylvania celebrating this week. Covid-19 has changed all that. It looks like none of us are going anywhere for quite a while. So instead of doing normal birthday things today like going out to eat or heading out for a movie, Amanda will be doing another episode of “Without A Recipe.”
Check in with her at 3 P.M. to wish her a happy birthday and to tell her how to make an ice cream Sundae.
Here she is making a dessert lasagna.
Notes From the Vicarage 