Great News!!

Well, if you've kept up with my dilema, you know I recently had only one church that had contacted me so far about pursuing a call. Well, no longer!! I got contacted today by Church Much Nearer to My Family, and it's in a city where P can almost certainly find a job and not have a monster commute. I believe his company actually has an office in this city, so he could just transfer. This is so good, because the longer I have to think about it, the more I'm thinking my childhood issues with poor, small towns could be a big problem if I tried to work in an even smaller and poorer town than the ones I grew up in. I'm still open to a face-to-face interview, but, well, this new opportunity is really the kind I was hoping for all along, good for the entire family, I think.
If any of you have had an experience where you've had to choose between a job that is more certain, and waiting for a call that is less so, I'd love to hear about it and the outcome.

RGBP Friday Five: What Are You...

1. Wearing
Ok, ok. It's after noon and I'm still in PJ's. More descriptively, the PJ's consist of a navy blue Old Navy tank (or cami as they're called these days) and P's cotton flannel red/navy plaid drawstring pants.

2. Pondering
What to do with Little One today so she doesn't veg in front of TV all day. Also, how to prepare a 2 minute or less intro to me for Church Much Nearer to My Family that contacted me today!!! (see above for more info)

3. Reading
Well, I'm still working on Cahill as shown to right. I'm also reading Murder on Capital Hill, by Margaret Truman. I've been reading Green Eggs and Ham a lot to LO lately, her current fave. I also just finished Passionate Marriage by David Schnarck (great name, huh?) I really, really recommend this for anyone in a committed relationship or for pastors who do couples counseling, even just premarital.

4. Dreaming
That I'll get the call to Church Much Nearer to My Family (and in a city where P could get a job without a monster commute!)

5. Eating
Just finished a cup of coffee with Chocolate Caramel creamer (treat while P was out of town, but there's a lot left.) It's time for lunch though, so I'm thinking a half a wrap (LO gets other half) and a bowl of soup.

Guilt Trip

I let myself be guilted into playing my flute in worship this week at the church that I don't really even attend any more. I still go to handbell rehearsals and I go to the young adult group meetings, but I'm ever so not fond of the relatively new pastor, so I don't go to worship there. And the thing is, I'm not really all that good a flautist. I never practice unless someone asks me to play for worship, so my lips are really out of shape. But, I'm also free! This is my main draw. And they're in between music directors and the interim is out of town so they're having the applicants sub as guest organists, too. Good idea, really, but I felt bad for the guy since he was so excited to have a flute player when he's trying to impress the personell committee to hire him, so I agreed to play, which sucks because I forgot that this weekend is Li'l Sis's birthday (not a milestone, thank goodness) and though I hadn't planned on going to visit, she invited me about 20 minutes after I'd agreed to play on Sunday. Oh well, it's really better I don't go, so I don't have to pack up dog and toddler and cram them into small Saturn since big Jeep is broken. And for some reason, the dog always pees on my mom's carpet when we're there. Even if she's just been outside. Bad Dog! I'm sure she's just saying she doesn't like being away from home, but really, does she think it's better to be in a kennel at the vet's?!
I'm also feeling guilty that the house is not as clean as I'd like it to be for P to come home to, so I suppose I'll do a little more work before bed. However, I am very proud that not once did I let the dishes pile up in the last 11 days. So, I guess I'll get to work on the clutter... Really, I'm going... right now...

The Brighter Side

I had a conference call with my CPM on Tues. It's funny, I've been offering for the last 3 years to do the conference call thing, but this is the first time they've gotten around to it. Actually, it's the first time they've gotten around to any contact beyond the mass emails to ask if people are coming to the annual retreat for inquirers and candidates. I so don't feel like a candidate any more. I feel like now that I'm certified ready to receive a call, I don't really need someone looking over my shoulder. Well, that's just me. Anyway, I kinda got lost in the shuffle and they've pretty much left me alone for the past 3 or 4 years. It's been nice. I didn't really have the best relationship with the CPM when I was first an inquirer. There was an unusually disproportionate number of lay people on the committee. Their ideas of how to guide a pastor were to make sure s/he had read the entire Bible cover to cover (in order, like it was a novel), had memorized Robert's rules, and would disavow ordination of homosexuals. So, I really didn't get along with them so much. A couple of the pastors on the committee knew my father (yeah, I'm a PK) and didn't like his views on some things as well, so I got it hard from them too. Here's an example of a question I got at an annual review. "What's your favorite Bible verse?" Umm, I have to pick just one? There's a whole bunch to choose from and I'm not too good with decisions. The funny thing is, I had my study bible right in front of me. In it, I use yellow sticky notes to mark verses I like or that I think I would use frequently as prayers, calls, benedictions, whatever. There were dozens of them sticking out the top! And they wanted to know my favorite. That and I have never been one to memorize chapter and verse. It's just not my thing. Hence, the sticky notes. I know a few key verses (John 3:16, anyone?), but relatively few compared to the Bible-thumping evangelicals I know who have a verse for any occasion.
Anyway, this call was actually pleasant since only two of the committee members showed up for the meeting. Lucky me! They were nice and pleasant to speak with and seemed genuinely glad for me to have some possibilities for employment. Of course, somebody fell down on the job and forgot to mention (4 years ago) that they needed a final transcript from Seminary of the South. I know I forget things, but I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered if they told me that they were gonna need that to release me for a job. And especially since I did actually have a couple of possibilities that fell through right after graduation. They coulda told me then. Now I have to call up SS and get them to ready a transcript. I also need to find out where the committee wants me to mail the darn thing. (Presbytery office, committee chair's house or office, corresponding sec's home or office?) If they'd told me they needed it four years ago, I coulda just walked across the quad to the registrar's office. So much easier.
Ah, getting to that brighter side I mentioned in the title... P comes home tomorrow after an 11 day absence in the name of work. Now, I'm not complaining about the big, fat overtime check we'll get, especially since my Jeep needs a new transmission. However, 11 days straight is a dern long time to be away from home, especially for a little one who misses her Daddy's night-night kisses. Actually, I kinda miss them too. He was s'posed to be home tonight, but they were short-handed and made him stay the extra day. And he's also going away this weekend to go hiking with a college buddy who's having his first kid in June so this is kinda his last fling as a non-dad. It will be nice to have things back into a somewhat normal routine around here next week.

The Blessings of Family

I keep getting emails from people whose names I heard all growing up but can never quite put faces with. Turns out Dad is contacting everyone he knows in the PC(USA) to tell them his little girl is looking for a call. It's really nice to know I have that many people looking out for me. Kinda flattering really, though I know it's really more for love of him than me. Still, I have even gotten a couple of good leads that way.
My MIL was here over the weekend. She was so much help just entertaining L, that I actually got some time to myself. We all went to the opening weekend of the Renaissance Festival which was a great time. It was nice to go do something together as a family that we all actually enjoy doing. L is just old enough now to like the little petting zoo they have and some of the brightly colored costumes and the music. We'll go back at least once, probably on Highlands weekend so P can wear his kilt. MIL bought me a beautiful blown glass vase from a man who we've seen do demonstrations on several occasions. I'm excited to actually have a piece of his work.
On a totally different note, L read her first word today. "Zoo." She didn't actually sound out the letters, but she recognized it after reading it over and over and over and.... well, if you've ever read to a two year old, you know. That was pretty exciting and I had to tell all the grandparents. They were all suitably impressed and very proud. Me too.
P is gone all this week and part of next to Albany, GA, on a job. I really hate these long trips, especially when they encompass a weekend. He hasn't had one in a long time, so I guess I won't complain too much. At least not yet; I'll save that for closer to the weekend.

Beautiful Words

...they're just not mine. I read the blogs of friends and colleagues and people I don't even know, but respect through their wise words, beautifully written. I yearn to write words that flow like that, not quite poetry, but still with a rhythm and beauty that I just can't seem to manage. Sure, I can use nice words once in a while, but not the way some of you do. I can't quite manage the lyric quality that some of you posses. And I *want* to, I really do.
Only mostly off topic: So, I sent some sermon recordings to the PNC of the church that asked for them. They did get back to me for a phone interview. They say, "So, we were wondering if you were an English major. Your pronunciation is so good!" Argg! My pronunciation?! Ok, I wasn't an English major, in case you were wondering. I majored in Theology. That's right, not religion, Theology. Anyway, I was, however, on my high school's speech team for four years. But that was a looong time ago. We didn't do debate, we did monologues, dialogues, impromptu, there were all kinds of events. My AP English teacher believed that good diction was really important for those of us interested in higher education. He actually had the entire class practicing good pronunciation. It was kind of like the Professor and Eliza Dolittle in "My Fair Lady." Kinda funny now that I'm recalling it. Anyway, in the mid-west, where I was for h.s., they had several funny ways of saying things incorrectly. People often left out verbs. "It needs doin'," was one of my favorites. That thing with sirens to take sick people to the hospital? "Amblance" Doing the dishes? They're "warshed and rinched." (That's "washed and rinsed.")
Anyway, I'm going through all of this to say, yeah, I speak more clearly and confidently than a lot of people, but- they complimented my speaking, not my sermons!! Eesh! DH did help some when he told me that speaking clearly was actually something really important for PNCs since so many pastors don't. (He was on the PNC for the church we most recently attended.) And, as he put it, the best sermon in the world doesn't do anybody any good if no one can understand it.
Ok, but still... Eesh. Even pastors are allowed to have a little ego crisis, right? :)

So many projects, so little time.

I know most of my RGBP friends are working on Holy Week, pulling things together for Maundy Thurs, Good Fri, and maybe even an Easter Vigil before the big day of resurrection. While I don't envy them, I do miss preparing services and letting my creativity be used for God's purposes.
So, instead, I let my creativity be used for knitting purposes. I finished Sheldon last night and now I need to get back to the socks I was knitting for P that were interupted when DOF had her baby. Of course, that's not the only project I have going. Oh, no, not hardly. What else, you ask? Well, I'm also working on a lovely wool sweater for P-I shrank a store-bought one of his a while ago when he neglected to tell me he'd thrown it in with the regular laundry. Lesson learned: always re-sort hubby's laundry, even if he says he already has. I also have another pair of socks, okay, actually only one of a pair that needs a mate. Those are for me. I can't remember the last time I knit something for me. I wonder if that second sock will even get done. Someday, maybe. My sister asked for a pair of socks, but I don't even have the yarn for that yet. But it's always nice to know I have a project waiting. I also have a baby blanket that is perpetually in progress. I'm also working on a project to felt (shrink) that will become a needle case for all of my loose knitting needles. I'll have to start another Sheldon again here in a couple of months for a friend due towards the end of June. But until then, the socks are probably the way to go since it's getting quite warm down here in GA and an all wool sweater might be a bit uncomfy to sit under. And at some point, I really want to knit an adorable little wrap dress I saw for my Little One. So... let's get knitting!