Tag Archives: hope

Uncategorized

The slow progress of negotiation…………

Leave a comment

God willing, tomorrow we will hear from the contractor about getting our house back together. They have been going back and forth with the insurance company, not about what need to be done to repair the damage from our busted pipes a few days before Christmas, but instead how much it will cost. The sad reality in all of that is that we still do not have use of a large portion of our house, and that is pretty frustrating! Hopefully tomorrow will see things get moving forward again.

In the meantime, we continue to adapt. All our bathrooms are now upstairs, and that is only inconvenient when we have company. Not everyone does stairs well, so it will be nice to have the downstairs bathroom back. We do a lot at our home, gatherings, meetings, Bible studies, etc. Not having it completely functional is a real pain.

The big problem is that all the kids music stuff is in the basement, which is total disarray. Both Stephanie and Scott are musicians, so they love to play. But with Ben having an early bedtime, they need the basement……and so do we! Wandering minstrels make doing lots of things pretty challenging!

So please keep our house in your prayers! Hopefully all this will be settled soon!

Keeping the faith here!!! God Bless you!

Tom+

Uncategorized

Of Blessings Eternal………

Leave a comment

Today we went down to Nashville to attend the interment of Jim Morrison, a parishioner from St. Matthew’s in Nashville. It was the last part of Jim’s funeral, the first part being held in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. The celebrant for the first part was Jean Denton, who is a fine priest and friend. The second part, was conducted by our own Deacon Dan Conley who did a great job at what was his first funeral.

As I said, I only attended, but what was so comforting were Deacon Dan’s words to us all. It really makes me feel good when I see one of our clergy do such a wonderful job. I couldn’t help but think of how comforting his words must have been to the family and to those gathered there. Jim certainly had a lot of family and friends, and I know they all are saddened by his death, but Dan reminded us all that he was with the Lord, and not just that, but that one day we would see him again. There was a lot to be thankful for in the truth of his words!

We will see Jim again, and all those who we love but we see no longer. We serve a great God, greater than we could ever ask for or imagine! It has been a great day, and I am thankful for all He has given us!

God Bless!

Fr. Tom+

Uncategorized

Of illness, of rain, and of future hopes and dreams…..

Leave a comment

Today was still rainy and wet, but we held practice just the same. I had a Men’s Bible Study scheduled to start tonight, but postponed it one week because some of the guys could not make it, plus Amanda was home sick today. She has not felt good all week, but right after making the calls and telling the people who could make it not to come tonight, suddenly she appears up and smiling, seemingly feeling better. I guess even at 47 I can confess that I do not understand the fairer sex. All I know is that my heart was in the right place, and with the information I had at the time, I made the right decision. But, I am disappointed about the delay. We are going to meet next week instead.

Beyond that, I am working hard to find a permanent facility for St. Patrick’s here in Noblesville. We are having a “Wine and Cheese Party” here at the house on Friday night for all its parishioners and some others, and I had hoped to have the location locked in by then. It is not looking like that will happen….BUT, IT WILL HAPPEN! The goal is to be in a new facility by Thanksgiving! Keep us in your prayers!

Anyway, I am glad Amanda is doing better, and even thankful for the rain. Time will tell about this facility search, but I have faith that I will be thankful for that too! So keep the faith my friends, it is worth it! I hope you have had a blessed day!

Goodnight and God Bless!

Fr. Tom+

Uncategorized

Of the hope for a better tomorrow………

Leave a comment
It has been an unusual day for me for a lot of reasons. Today I not only was able to attend the visitation for Michael Treinen at our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, but I was also able to meet his parents and one of his sisters for the first time. They are remarkable people. It was a hard time for everyone, and I just wish my mind could have kept up with all that was happening around me. The effects of the stroke often manifest themselves in hard places, and this was one of them.
I do have some things to say about what I am witnessing, but I just can’t get my thoughts lined up correctly….at least I can’t today. It is not some type of writer’s block, it is clearly a stroke-thing. After the funeral tomorrow I believe (and hope) that I will be able to express myself better.
Today was also my wife Amanda’s birthday. The events of her birthday bookended work and the visitation. We started the day with a coffee cake with candles and ended it with a DQ cake and high blood sugar I am sure. But celebrations are an important part of life, and today was one of her celebration days.
Tomorrow will be one of Michael’s. Funerals are to be a reflection and celebration of one’s life, and I am confident his will be just that. As a priest, I find comfort in them. And as a brother who lost two sisters to cancer as well, Steph (who my daughter is named for and who died in 2001), and Sarah (who died in 2004) I need them. Believe me, there is enough pain to last 100’s of years in any of this…..what funerals provide is the hope, peace and assurance that those of us who are left need to live on. They hold up death for what it is, just a transition, a gate that we too will one day pass through. And when we do, we will see those who went before us again. You see, there is a lot to celebrate…..death is not the end of the story!
Please keep the Treinens in your prayers and all those who are struggling with Michael’s death…..particularly the young people. Tomorrow will be a trying day for many. Pray that the Lord’s Hand may rest upon them all, and that His funeral will celebrate his life, and provide the comfort, the hope, the peace, and the assurance that everyone will need.
God bless you my friends.
Fr. Tom+