I took today to get my Oakfield UMC office in order. I had stacks of paper everywhere. Some were papers that were already in the office. Some I've inherited at conferences over the last few months...and the rest has been from mailings I've gotten through the mail.
My goodness! I did not realize how much mail I would get as a pastor. I get a lot of catalogs. I get a lot of mailings for various charitable organizations and groups. I also get a lot of mail from the Wisconsin Annual Conference. I also get all the bills mailed to the church. If you let it sit for a few days, or...for a few weeks, it is amazing how much it accumulates.
It is a testament to my ability to get focused on other areas of the job and lose focus on paperwork. But, it is also a testament to the amount of junk that gets mailed. I sadly recycle a great deal of the stuff that I get in the mail. It seems like such a waste. Hopefully over time I can get ourselves off some of the mailing lists that we are on. Needless to say, the recycling bin is full, but the office is clean.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Buried in Snow
It's been many years since I've been in the middle of a snow storm like the one that we had on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. We ended up getting around 10-12 inches of snow in Oakfield with a lot of snow blowing throughout as well.
Thankfully, we took the opportunity on Monday to purchase a couple of shovels for the house. When you come from apartment living, you get used to not needing a shovel. In an emergency, we could grab a shovel from the custodian's closet. We definitely needed them...in fact, I think the snow levels were almost too much for the shovels.
It seems a little futile to have office hours for the remainder of this week. I can't see the weather being conducive to visits with the snow and wind. But, work continues!
Thankfully, we took the opportunity on Monday to purchase a couple of shovels for the house. When you come from apartment living, you get used to not needing a shovel. In an emergency, we could grab a shovel from the custodian's closet. We definitely needed them...in fact, I think the snow levels were almost too much for the shovels.
It seems a little futile to have office hours for the remainder of this week. I can't see the weather being conducive to visits with the snow and wind. But, work continues!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Emotions on the Field
I know, I know...another sports headline on here. Last Saturday, two college football teams faced off in what would be the biggest match-up of the college football season thus far. Florida (#1 in the BCS rankings) and Alabama (#2 in the rankings) faced off in a big game. The winner would solidify their spot in the championship game; the loser would be out of the running for the championship. Most people thought Florida would win. Their quarterback was Tim Tebow, someone who has created some buzz during his time at the University of Florida.
Tebow has a lot of accolades. He has won a national title. He has won the Heisman trophy. He has a long list of awards in many different areas. He may come out of college football the most decorated player ever to play. He is also known for having bible verses on his face using eye black. He is also famous for making an impassioned speech to the media after an early loss in their football season, only to come back and play great the rest of the year.
Tebow got a lot of press after the game between Florida and Alabama. Alabama beat up on Florida and Alabama won the game. After the game was over, cameras caught Tebow crying when the game ended. Many folks in the media have commented on his showing of emotion. Some have said that he shouldn't have cried...
...really? Do we need to make such a big deal of this? Can't we let people share a little emotion? Since when did it become taboo for someone to cry at an emotional moment? Are men not allowed to show emotion? Does it make them less of a man?
Ok...that was a lot of questions at once. I do think that the media can be a little hard on athletes, especially college athletes. Sometimes we need to allow human beings to have human emotions. We can't expect people who put a lot of effort and a lot of emotion into something and see strong emotions come out at the end. We need to lighten up and let people be people!
Tebow has a lot of accolades. He has won a national title. He has won the Heisman trophy. He has a long list of awards in many different areas. He may come out of college football the most decorated player ever to play. He is also known for having bible verses on his face using eye black. He is also famous for making an impassioned speech to the media after an early loss in their football season, only to come back and play great the rest of the year.
Tebow got a lot of press after the game between Florida and Alabama. Alabama beat up on Florida and Alabama won the game. After the game was over, cameras caught Tebow crying when the game ended. Many folks in the media have commented on his showing of emotion. Some have said that he shouldn't have cried...
...really? Do we need to make such a big deal of this? Can't we let people share a little emotion? Since when did it become taboo for someone to cry at an emotional moment? Are men not allowed to show emotion? Does it make them less of a man?
Ok...that was a lot of questions at once. I do think that the media can be a little hard on athletes, especially college athletes. Sometimes we need to allow human beings to have human emotions. We can't expect people who put a lot of effort and a lot of emotion into something and see strong emotions come out at the end. We need to lighten up and let people be people!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sports News
On my way back from the Eden Church, I was listening to Fox News on XM Radio. Please don't judge me for listening to Fox News! ;) Coming back from a commercial break, the radio host went into a tirade about how obsessive people can be when it comes to sports news. He proceeded to read the headlines from an "unnamed" sports web page. Based on the headlines, I could tell he was reading from espn.com. He made light of each headline, mockingly stating how "important" these stories were. When I heard one of the headlines, I thought about how I needed to check the website to get details. D'oh! I fell right into his trap.
This happened a few weeks ago, but I continue to wrestle with his little tirade. I understand what he was getting at. There are certainly issues in the world more important than sports. There are many local, state, national and world events going on in our world that should command our attention. There are people filled with lots of inane sports trivia, but couldn't tell you anything related to the health care debate or the situations in Afghanistan or Iraq. But, this also has to do something setting limits.
For me, sports is a hobby. It is certainly something that is important to me. I appreciate the camaraderie that comes with talking with fellow fans of the hometown team. I appreciate watching history as records are broken and rivalries unfold. I appreciate the excitement of a big play at a key moment. I sometimes think people that are not into sports are really missing out. I do, however, try to set a limit on it. I have to put sports in perspective to other things that are important to me: God, my family, my responsibilities as a pastor, my responsibilities to our home, hobbies, etc.
Some people do take sports to an excess. Everyone takes something to excess. We all have hobbies and interest that can easily take up a lot of our time. They're fun for us. We lose track of time while doing them. It's more fun than work or life responsibilities. But, we need to learn control. We need to learn boundaries when it comes to these things.
I want to tell the Fox News gentlemen to relax a little bit. I think sports can be an easy scapegoat, especially with tons of website and 24 hour TV channels that constantly feed us with sports. But, he does make a point that transcends the realm of sports. We need to realize the role that hobbies play in our life. They should take a proper place behind those things that truly matter to us. They should take a proper place in what life is really about.
Sports are fun, but they are not our lives.
This happened a few weeks ago, but I continue to wrestle with his little tirade. I understand what he was getting at. There are certainly issues in the world more important than sports. There are many local, state, national and world events going on in our world that should command our attention. There are people filled with lots of inane sports trivia, but couldn't tell you anything related to the health care debate or the situations in Afghanistan or Iraq. But, this also has to do something setting limits.
For me, sports is a hobby. It is certainly something that is important to me. I appreciate the camaraderie that comes with talking with fellow fans of the hometown team. I appreciate watching history as records are broken and rivalries unfold. I appreciate the excitement of a big play at a key moment. I sometimes think people that are not into sports are really missing out. I do, however, try to set a limit on it. I have to put sports in perspective to other things that are important to me: God, my family, my responsibilities as a pastor, my responsibilities to our home, hobbies, etc.
Some people do take sports to an excess. Everyone takes something to excess. We all have hobbies and interest that can easily take up a lot of our time. They're fun for us. We lose track of time while doing them. It's more fun than work or life responsibilities. But, we need to learn control. We need to learn boundaries when it comes to these things.
I want to tell the Fox News gentlemen to relax a little bit. I think sports can be an easy scapegoat, especially with tons of website and 24 hour TV channels that constantly feed us with sports. But, he does make a point that transcends the realm of sports. We need to realize the role that hobbies play in our life. They should take a proper place behind those things that truly matter to us. They should take a proper place in what life is really about.
Sports are fun, but they are not our lives.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Prayer for All
I'm not sure how much you been keeping up to date with the Tiger Woods controversy, but it has gotten to the point where I wanted to offer a few thoughts on this situation. I talked with Christa about it a little last night, but an article that I found on the Drudge Report really put me over the edge.
Last week, there was a report that Tiger was in a car accident. Rumors flew immediately about what happened. Perhaps Tiger was drunk. His wife came at him with a golf club. He got into the accident to get away from his crazy wife. On the accident front, he was issued a citation for the accident and that was done.
On his website, Tiger has admitted to transgressions in his life. We can't be sure what that exactly has to do with the accident, but the media has assumed that he has been involved in some kind of an affair. I would say that is probably a good assumption to make. Now there women coming out saying they were involved in affairs with Tiger Woods. They have some evidence to prove it. It's an ugly situation.
Tiger is arguably the best golfer we have ever seen. He has dominated the sport, has been involved with various endorsements and has accrued a fortune. He does a great deal for charity and is considered a role model. In a time when heroes in our culture are hard to find anymore, this story hits deep. Sure, I have heard that Tiger is a little arrogant and full of himself...but, I sometimes wonder if you need to be like that to be the golfer that he is. His alleged "transgressions" really hurt when you think of what he means to people around the world.
On his website, he says that this is a situation that he would like to work out with his family. Despite his celebrity status, he would like some privacy to be able to work this out.
We don't know for sure if he has had an extra-marital affair, but it would seem that this is the case. If this is the case, I am glad to read that is going to try to work things out with his family. His wife will ultimately decide whether or not to stay with him or not. I am hopeful that they can work it out, and I would be thankful if they would be able to work it out without the media sticking their noses into every part of it. I realize that won't happen.
Being a celebrity comes with its price; you will be hounded. But celebrity or not, we are all capable of making mistakes, hurting others and engaging. I feel like our world progressively moves in a direction where sinning becomes easier and easier. There was a comment on Tiger's website saying that we shouldn't pray for Tiger because he already has plenty of money.
We pray for Tiger so that he might realize the magnitude of his transgression, and that the family can hopefully work things out and stay together. I pray for Tiger. Celebrities need our prayers, too. We must realize that no one is perfect. No amount of fortune or fame can hide us from the capability of sin. It's also not an excuse to sin. But regardless of one's social standing, they need prayer...prayer for healing and prayer for forgiveness.
Last week, there was a report that Tiger was in a car accident. Rumors flew immediately about what happened. Perhaps Tiger was drunk. His wife came at him with a golf club. He got into the accident to get away from his crazy wife. On the accident front, he was issued a citation for the accident and that was done.
On his website, Tiger has admitted to transgressions in his life. We can't be sure what that exactly has to do with the accident, but the media has assumed that he has been involved in some kind of an affair. I would say that is probably a good assumption to make. Now there women coming out saying they were involved in affairs with Tiger Woods. They have some evidence to prove it. It's an ugly situation.
Tiger is arguably the best golfer we have ever seen. He has dominated the sport, has been involved with various endorsements and has accrued a fortune. He does a great deal for charity and is considered a role model. In a time when heroes in our culture are hard to find anymore, this story hits deep. Sure, I have heard that Tiger is a little arrogant and full of himself...but, I sometimes wonder if you need to be like that to be the golfer that he is. His alleged "transgressions" really hurt when you think of what he means to people around the world.
On his website, he says that this is a situation that he would like to work out with his family. Despite his celebrity status, he would like some privacy to be able to work this out.
We don't know for sure if he has had an extra-marital affair, but it would seem that this is the case. If this is the case, I am glad to read that is going to try to work things out with his family. His wife will ultimately decide whether or not to stay with him or not. I am hopeful that they can work it out, and I would be thankful if they would be able to work it out without the media sticking their noses into every part of it. I realize that won't happen.
Being a celebrity comes with its price; you will be hounded. But celebrity or not, we are all capable of making mistakes, hurting others and engaging. I feel like our world progressively moves in a direction where sinning becomes easier and easier. There was a comment on Tiger's website saying that we shouldn't pray for Tiger because he already has plenty of money.
We pray for Tiger so that he might realize the magnitude of his transgression, and that the family can hopefully work things out and stay together. I pray for Tiger. Celebrities need our prayers, too. We must realize that no one is perfect. No amount of fortune or fame can hide us from the capability of sin. It's also not an excuse to sin. But regardless of one's social standing, they need prayer...prayer for healing and prayer for forgiveness.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Emma Conrad (1916-2009)
The previous pastor of the Oakfield United Methodist Church, Rev. Nancy Green, described Emma as one of the saints of the church. In my brief time of knowing her, I would definitely. She was a very sweet and caring woman who will surely be missed, but has joined the company of saints in heaven.
I have placed the obituary below:
Emma Marie Conrad, 93, formerly of Oakfield and a resident at All About Life passed away Monday November 30, 2009 at the home surrounded by her family.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Some Exciting Changes
The last week has been crazy with the Thanksgiving Holiday. It has been a week since I posted, but I do have some news:
(1) Thanksgiving - I was able to participate in my first evening service as a pastor. Members of both congregations gathered together to take Communion, greet one another and give thanks to God for all He provides. We also hosted the Droste Thanksgiving at our home. My Dad cooked the prime rib and I cooked all the fixings. My Mom got a nice break this year :-D. Weaver enjoyed her first Thanksgiving as well!
(2) Second Car - Last night, Christa and I bought a 2003 Ford Escape XLT. The Firebird is not a 12-month car, so we needed something reliable in the winter. We also wanted something that we could transport Weaver in. So, we decided on this SUV. The gas mileage is not the best, but it is in excellent condition and runs very well. We are thankful to have two vehicles that we can both use all year.
(3) Weaver Maturing - On Monday and today, our alarm clock actually woke us up! Weaver is sleeping past 6:00AM. Now we can to be the ones waking her up. This is a pleasant change. This is the next step in getting into a nice daily routine for the three of us. She has also gone almost a week without any household "accidents." Hopefully this lasts...and I didn't curse it. ;)
(1) Thanksgiving - I was able to participate in my first evening service as a pastor. Members of both congregations gathered together to take Communion, greet one another and give thanks to God for all He provides. We also hosted the Droste Thanksgiving at our home. My Dad cooked the prime rib and I cooked all the fixings. My Mom got a nice break this year :-D. Weaver enjoyed her first Thanksgiving as well!
(2) Second Car - Last night, Christa and I bought a 2003 Ford Escape XLT. The Firebird is not a 12-month car, so we needed something reliable in the winter. We also wanted something that we could transport Weaver in. So, we decided on this SUV. The gas mileage is not the best, but it is in excellent condition and runs very well. We are thankful to have two vehicles that we can both use all year.
(3) Weaver Maturing - On Monday and today, our alarm clock actually woke us up! Weaver is sleeping past 6:00AM. Now we can to be the ones waking her up. This is a pleasant change. This is the next step in getting into a nice daily routine for the three of us. She has also gone almost a week without any household "accidents." Hopefully this lasts...and I didn't curse it. ;)
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