Tag Archives: intention

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Okay, morning MUST BE a relative term……..

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What a goofball I am! I really thought I had accomplished so much today, and yet as I sat down tonight to type this, thinking I could complete it and go to bed early, I read the promise yesterday (of an apparent lunatic) saying he would be up early and write in the morning! What would possess him to say those things???? Probably just the same flawed gene that is responsible in my life for the lines, “sure mom, I cleaned my room,” “if we just get a puppy I will ALWAYS take care of him,” “don’t worry about those cookies, I will just have one,” and of course the famous, “I promise I’ll do it tomorrow” which is of course just a comprehensive excuse that not only gets one out of a lot of responsibilites, but which also implies a very noble intention…..a great distraction for those of us with forgetful minds!

Anyway, sorry to dissapoint you, but this post will be the only one I will ,or even can, offer today. I and my memory appear to be about as reliable as Brittany Spears in a Mother of the Year Contest.

So for tonight, I am out on the porch with the door to the house open, and the cat coming in and out, which is not just her job, but her prerogative. My body is adjusting back to the long day I had yesterday, and hopefully by morning it will be back on track. Our regular clergy meeting tomorrow will be in Muncie where our new assistant priest is moving. We will meet there at 10am (now I just heard 9am!!) to unload his furniture into the house he is going to live in. He will head back to Ohio for his final weekend at his Church there and before leaving to join our staff on August 1st. He (Father Sean) is a great guy, and we love him to death, but tonight my prayers will be for his furniture to be light!!!!

On a disconnected note, let me say, I hope you are enjoying this blog. I have to confess, it has not turned out the way I intended….anywhere near what I intended in fact! I really did think it would be more theological (which in priest’s terms means smarty-pants stuff, but in the regular world means “dull”) but I suppose it is what it is. I NEEDED to write to help myself recover from the stroke, and in truth all that I have written has been helpful. But here’s the confession…..it has also pointed out a piece that I will need to share with my doctors in September if things have not changed. I have indeed lost a big important thinking part of my brain.

But before you fret, or even panic, please remember I process most of my life through my faith. I believe this not to be a tragedy as much as a call to a new direction. Time will tell, and we will see….but I KNOW I will be a priest until the day that I die. I just think how and what I am doing is beginning to change. Please pray for me. For more than anything else right now, I both want and NEED the Lord to intervene to let me know that moving furniture tomorrow to be a bad idea.

But I am not holding my breath.

Nite my friends, and God Bless!

Fr. Tom+

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Of victories and vision……….

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Today was a spectacular day. I was able to finish a sermon, deliver it in two missions, and celebrate in both places as well. It was not very eloquent, nor was it very smooth in parts, but all things considered I was very pleased. It felt good to be back doing what I love to do.

There seems to be a lot more flow to my thoughts and my direction when I am writing, over just speaking the things that I think. The visual of writing what I would say provided me the framework I was able to walk within. It was still difficult at times, but in the end quite workable. As I said, it just felt good, and though I know people worried, it was an important step for me to take.

My sermon is now posted online for people to listen to if they would like, and other pre-stroke ones are on there too. I really do want to know if there is a big difference, but it sort of scares me to compare. You see, I can tell and I know I am not where I want to be……and though I am certainly curious, hearing myself struggle at all probably do not serve me well at all. I really do already know what I sound like, and I also already know I don’t intend to sound like that for long!

It was just so very good to be back among such good Christian people. My intention now is not just to be back, but to stay back for the rest of the time the good Lord intends for me to. I’m figuring maybe another 40 or 50 years. It gives me plenty of time to work on my thoughts and my speech….and Lord knows…..I need it!

Speaking a little clearer and straighter each and every day…….

God Bless!

Fr. Tom+

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The Road to Hell is paved with………

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It has been said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and I suppose I could use that to explain my lack of posts for the past week. Oh that it were just slacking off or forgetfulness! In fact, it was neither. Amanda and Ben, got the very nasty version of the flu early on, and though I was their caretaker and doing very well, sure enough I came down with it too mid-week. We have all been miserable and not doing much other than just surviving it. Thank God for Steph and Scott who have stepped up to help out (and have yet to get it) but really all our energy has been zapped by the illness (let alone by worrying about a 7 month old little baby with a 104 degree fever). Thank God for his recovery at least! Amanda is still fighting it off and though I did drive to Nashville tonight to do the service, it was too much! On the way home we postponed the start of the Alpha Course tomorrow. I came home and abbreviated my sermon and though I will do both services tomorrow, I will be home much earlier than I was planning and hope to be asleep much earlier than I was planning too!

I did manage to sneak out of the house on Valentines Day with a 103 fever to “go get myself some cough medicine.” Of course it was really for flowers and candy that she really didn’t want in her toasty-state, but I was already overwelhmed with guilt for not being well enough to have something already there! Oh that road is so very long and winds through all parts of my life!

Anyway, hopefully with a bit more rest, plenty of water, and apparently a lot more medication, we should be back to the land of the living sometime before Christmas! And this Valentines Day is just delayed for us this year.

But please accept my apologies and I hope you understand the delay. It’s easy to be a husband or wife in the “better” the “richer” and “health” parts of marriage, but sadly it doesn’t always work that way. I just thank the Lord for the opportunities He gives me, and will take them. I am a priest, but I am a husband and father too. I enjoy all three….but do please pray for me, because I am also a patient! And that is one thing my wife will tell you I do not do well!!!

So better yet, pray for her!

God bless and stay well!

Fr. Tom+