seven years ... and a summer with confetti ....

july marks the start of my seventh year in ministry with the united methodist church of merced.  and i'm not itching to leave by any means.  while the economy continues to play havoc, particularly in california and merced in particular, our congregation continues to be invested in ministry, and generous in service.

we are in the midst of a heat wave...and, ya know, you just have to get through it.  i entered into a program with pg&e that cycles my electrical power during the summer.  usually i don't notice, but i did yesterday ... it probably would have been a good time to do something elsewhere, but, alas, i wasn't thinking! 

so, instead, i went outside (ok, you can see how i wasn't thinking) and took pictures -- of my home; seven years old to me, and i still like it!  perhaps not the wisest decision i've ever made in my life, but who knew the year i purchased my first home would have been the year the we began an economy crisis?!

alas, all i can say is that i am in better shape than many people, and things are going well.  in fact, i am delighted to return home each time to a reception from my crape myrtle ... and how many people can say that?!  besides being in full bloom in the heat of the summer, this beauty drops little 'peddles' that look like confetti to me, so i get 'rained upon' when i drive into my drive way...sometimes i even take my top down (from my convertible, that is) and pretend i'm in a parade...  ok, i'm really not that crazy, but ya know, after a long day, it's fun to just enjoy and relax.  and, one of the things i've never done since i've lived here is sweep up that 'confetti'...it blows into my grass and flowerbeds, and i figure, 'it's natural, and it must work like good compost'.  in other words, i don't worry about it; one less issue of stress!

when i was growing up, we had a palm tree in front of the house, and it was forever dropping palm frowns; daily, it seemed like.  it was my job to always keep the grass neat and tidy.  now, i figure my job is not to stress out, and i'm more than happy to follow 'the doctor's orders'!

and so here is the full, front view of the house; a nice place to come home to!

speaking of doctor's orders, i do what to share two events coming up in my life.  i'll be away next week to attend jurisdictional conference in san diego; this event happens every four years, usually including the election of a bishop (aka a united methodist ceo).  but this year, as the denomination begins to cut down on expenses, we will only be celebrating the retirement of one of our bishops. 

i'll be able to witness the strategy that western united methodist churches will take as we explore over the years ahead what it means to have open hearts, open minds, and open doors.

this california native will also explore a part of the state i've never been to before, as well as take a tour of the california-mexican border and hear the latest on immigration.  i'll also take a few days to enjoy the sights of southern california before returning home to do 'what the doctor ordered'. 

now that i've reached the ripe old age of 'past 50', i get to experience my first colonoscopy!  so, i may not return to my blog for a couple of weeks.  and that is something that has changed in my life...i've always made sure i've gotten all of my work done.  and doing a 'blog' became another 'got to have it done on tuesday or else' event.  i'm taking some of the pressure off of me; a good thing, i believe, and i highly recommend it!  it is not that i'm letting things slide; just being more intentional in making decisions that are beneficial and wholesome.  now, if i neglect to put a sermon together . . . . you might want to remind me of my priorities!  but for now, i'll just relish a bit more confetti, if you please!