Tuesday, June 28, 2011

returning from vacation . . . what to do first

i've always thought that there should be some formula that one attaches to the computer screen that gives retiring vacationers a 'step by step' plan for what to do when returning to the office. i didn't get the memo for what to do first. so, i start trying to do everything first . . . try and remember the alarm code for my office . . . switch the air pump to a/c rather than heat, and turn it on . . . turn on the fan . . . turn on the computer to start the 'techie' stuff . . . pull out the pitcher to water the plants that are dying of thirst . . . check in with the office and pick up my mail, check the prayer board, and chat with staff . . . return to my cooler office and open up the e-mail; wait for the incoming mail; close the computer because there are too many e-mails to deal with -- ok, i didn't do that . . . start reading e-mails.

now, my latest/best discovery is to find the last responder to an e-mail 'chain', and scroll down and end up reading all the responses in one setting! that way, you can start deleting all the rest....great idea, except for the folks who do not 'reply all', and then you miss some responses.

delete the adds/junk mail. i've got that one down pat!

after checking my calendar to see if i've already missed a meeting or two, and taking a walk around the campus to see where we are on the remodel, i return to the office to 'reply all' to the chain of e-mails.

funny enough, i have somehow gotten on 'incredimail', and so in the middle of something, a man, dressed like a butler, walks across my screen and says, 'you have mail, sir'. who invited him into my office? i guess, somehow, i did! now, how do i invite him off of my computer screen...the first time shocked me; the second time (i was watering) he scared me -- honestly, i thought someone had come in through my other door! what's worse is he stays on my screen until i figure a way to excuse him -- he makes funny faces, stares at the silver platter with mail on it and says 'hum' and honestly, i sense he is about ready to clear his throat and speak again, until i acknowledge him in some way. so i 'left click on his faces (seems rude, i know) to which he makes a face, turns and walks away.

so, it is nearly lunchtime, and i have to restart my computer to do a software upgrade. after lunch i have centering prayer (yea!) and then i prepare for a meeting tonight, do some worship planning, finally get to my snail mail, and by that time, i'll have a whole new list of e-mails to respond to -- and my 'butler' will have walked across my desktop several times.

how does anyone get anything done when they return from vacation? maybe god is trying to tell me something .... 'go back home! finish that book you were reading! put your feet up' .... oh, i guess some people might call that 'wishful thinking'. i know i would!!!

so, what have i learned after a week of vacation? maybe i need to plan to include an 'ease on back into work day' when i return from vacation. the aim of such a day is simply 'catch-up'. that's the memo i need to publish! do you think it will catch on?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

day 2 of my vacation . . .

for those who are wondering, no, i didn't post 'day 1 of my vacation' yesterday. as the a/c in the house wasn't working properly, i went to see "pirates" yesterday with 14 other people. nice and cool...and a great movie!

so, today, i waited for the a/c repair to be done, and it is a nice 80 degrees here...which beats the 107 degrees that are expected here in merced today. i don't mind the heat so much during the day if it cools down at night. but it was 85 in the house when i attempted to go to sleep last night.

and for those that wondered why i am staying home during my vacation, i am happy to report that i spent my vacation money fixing my breaks...but, you know, i feel safe, now, and thankful that i had the money for the repairs....

so, what does one do on vacation in merced? review last year's trip to europe! you may recall that this blog started because i was going on my wesley trip to england and a side trip to paris! well, i decided to review my photos this year. and, i've spent most of the morning laughing, with the recurring phrase, "I have no idea where (and sometimes what) that is!" ok, you can laugh too, because it seems "everyone" has photo stories to tell about their vacation trips.

all that to say, I'm going to take a short trip into 'the city' -- and if you have to ask 'which city', you didn't grow up in san francisco! now that the a/c is fixed, i'm heading to cooler sidewalks! i'm not sure if i'll go today, or another day, but, i'm having a nice vacation -- wish you were here!

isn't that why people send postcards -- just to say that phrase? i'm being "green" and having you read it here! hope you are finding coolness for the heat, and a change of pace for your summer...and if you have any helpful hints on how to speed up putting your vacation photos in folders, let me know....what a hoot....

Monday, June 13, 2011

heading to annual conference

united methodists make a yearly pilgrimage to annual conference. annnual conference is our 'annual meeting', and this year, once again, we head to the convention center in Sacramento. our 'conference hotel' is the hyatt, just in case you need to make contact, and we'll be doing such exiting things as electing representatives to general conference -- a meeting that happens for the entire church every four years. we'll also eat regularly, and listen to reports, pray and worship, renew friendships and do other assorted business. the last thing we do our service to ordain and commission people who will serve professionally in ministry.

so, my usual thing to do before i leave is to, of course read my reports, but more importantly, get my house ready. i hate returning to a messy house...so i clean, refresh the bed and towels, move the plants, which are not on automatic sprinklers, to a place where they will get watered. i've watered the indoor plants and paid the bills. ironically, i don't have to go into the office today -- a first for me. but some time, i have to do laundry and pack.

aren't you glad you checked my blog today? where else would you get all this information?!

i hope and trust that you will have a good day. and when i get back home, it will be just in time to plan worship and get ready for vacation....do i have vacation plans??? you'll need to tune in next week to find the answer to that question! but in the mean time, relax and enjoy.

oh, by the way...we received 15 members on sunday through confirmation...a very spirited pentecost service....lots of people wore various 'fire colors' -- reds, oranges, blues and greens, yellow. A powerful experience!

and, on top of everything else, we have a new website...check us out by going to your search engine and looking for united methodist church of merced.

blessings....

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

centering prayer . . . .

i've just returned from 'centering' with my centering prayer group. daily meditation is such a helpful way to remind me what is important in life. do you know centering? 'simply' let yourself be with god; try it for twenty minutes in the morning...and why not try it for twenty minutes at night?! create a word that will bring you back to your center (god) whenever your mind wanders -- and your mind will wonder! mine is 'shalom'. our minds are generally so full of chatter, it is difficult to focus; it takes practice. meditating allows us to simply try to be with god, and listen for that still small voice.

our group gets together on tuesdays at 1 pm. we check in for twenty minutes, center for twenty minutes (we use a song bowl to begin and end our centering time), and then we reflect on a reading from a book -- in this case, everything belongs; the gift of contemplative prayer, by richard rohr. if nothing else, i can just be for 20 minutes; i even turn off my phone! amine!!

we have been reading and discussion rohr's book for quite some time now. we've found his writings rich with thought-provoking things. the chapter we are currently on, don't push the river', has many sub-parts. but rohr says (p. 143), 'faith does not need to push the river precisely because it is able to trust that there is a river. the river is flowing; we are in it. the river is god's providential love -- so do not be afraid. we have been given the spirit. . . . the fears that assault us are mostly simple anxieties about social skills, about intimacy, about likeableness, or about performance. we need not give emotional food or charge to these fears or become attached to them.'

sometimes i can get focused on "pushing the river". i miss out on all the other 'stuff' around me, and i neglect to simply be in this moment, and not "make" the river be anything other than what rivers are; my trying to change the flow of things is like trying to get a river to change direction.

i can get so focused on completing the task that i miss out on enjoying the moment. completing the task may be glorious, but if one does not feel good about the process, than it's just a task that got done. what's so good about that?! other than the fact that i can now go onto the next task. and believe me, there is always another task that waits my attention. is that true for you?

so, why not spend a little time every day with god?! this 20 minute slice of heaven is, if nothing else, an opportunity to focus on nothing! and yet, it is not a waste of time. and besides all that, there are no calories involved! Now THAT is even a better reason to stay centered, don't you think?