Tonight was a great end to a difficult day, and it was just what I needed in the end.

Earlier in the day we transferred our youngest mission, St. Paul’s in Greenfield, from a Parochial Mission (under our direct care) to a District Mission (under the Bishop directly). One of our priests, Father Conover who is 80, has resigned from our staff and became their vicar today also. And though all of it worried me a great deal, I still showed up with Deacon Dan (their former vicar) to make the transfer. Father Chuck was not there much to my surprise. He had apparently been in the Heart Hospital for a few days, which I was notified in an email I had received when I returned home last night, but the email said he would be there on Sunday for the 1pm service. I was notified right before the service by a parishioner there that he would not be there. My uneasiness of course has gone up considerably.

I often tell people to give back to God things that trouble them, and today I have taken that advice. Sometimes people just want things their own way, and despite what you do to guide them sometimes you just have to let go. Please keep Fr. Chuck and the remaining people of St. Paul’s in your prayers.

After I returned home and took a short nap, I had the great privilege of watching Ben and Scott play in an inflatable pool that Scott had bought as an early birthday present for his brother. The water from the hose was freezing but it didn’t bother those two. They just played and laughed and kept pushing each other in the water.

I needed that. Life will have its ups and downs, its joys and sorrows, and its victories and challenges, but there is so much more to my life than all the back and forth. I have a great life filled with many blessings, and I thank God for reminding me of that on a hard day. I wish the best for the people we let go their way this afternoon and for Father Chuck as he leads them. And I hope Chuck is restored to full health.

As for me, I am going to make sure that older blessing of mine has his homework done. He is taking English 11 (composition) early in summer school to get it out of the way. And with this composition out of my way, I am just going to relax out here on the porch.

Thanks for checking in!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+