Tag Archives: Nashville

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Of hammers, birthdays, and doing our part to protect the environment………

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What a day!!

I came home tonight after a full and long day in Nashville. I was out the door at 6:30am, and home at 7:30pm. We got a lot accomplished, and it looks great, but I was probably over the top with activity by 10.

The highlight of the day was that it was Deacon Dan Conley’s birthday today, and we were able to share in a little pizza and cake with him. We only put 1 candle on the cake, since we know that the number we needed was out of our price range, Dan could probably not blow out more than that, and plus we are concerned for the environment. So it was Pizza King and cake, two of my favorite things, and I sat their through lunch wondering if it were indeed my birthday!

We will move to this location in just a little over two weeks. Our service in Nashville is currently on Saturday evening at 5:00pm. On August 31st it will move to Sunday at 9:00am. We expect to grow there with the better time too.

Overall it was a great day. Dan Prather from St. Patrick’s came down to help and a few parishioners from St. Matthew’s stopped in as well. Father Sean was with us, and he’s been great! I believe all of this has been a great learning for him. Of course by this point he probably thinks he works for a construction company instead of a Church, but in truth it really is so much more than worship. In a very real way we help people build and rebuild lives. We help them lay down good foundations, repair and repaint damaged souls…..and occasionally do secular construction too! But it is all good work, and for the opportunity we are all thankful.

Nite my friends and God Bless…..I am off for some Advil and sleep!

Fr. Tom+

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Ode to St. Matthew’s in Nashville……well worth the trip!!

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Tonight Amanda, Scott, Ben and I drove down to Nashville for a meeting. It started out sunny and warm, but by the time we were south of Indianapolis, there were thunderstorm warnings, and two of them were crossing ahead of us on the highway we were on! It was one of those “grip the steering wheel tight” trips as I struggled at times to see the road. If everyone would have just cooperates, slowed down, and TURNED ON THEIR LIGHTS, the whole thing would have been a lot less stressful. Fortunately we, and everyone else we saw on the road, made it through the storm(s). And it was good for Scott to see such adverse conditions on just his 9th day of driving…..I was just thankful he was not behind the wheel (and so was he!)

Nashville is one of our favorite places in the world. We love going there! It is perhaps the most beautiful part of the state, and it is filled with some of the most hospitable people. Amanda and I got engaged there (perhaps it was the high altitude that made her say yes) and the kids love that little fudge shop in town.

Of course we planted a church there, not because we love it there, but because of its faithful people. St. Matthew’s may be the smallest of all our missions, but it always has the best attendance in terms of percentage of its membership. The people there are just highly committed, and they have a true appreciation for their Church and their faith. They are a blast to be around too!

Our meeting went well, as did our trip home. The trip home was much less eventful than the trip down. But all our trips to Nashville are well worth it! I hope you can get down there and see why. And, if you get the chance after a Saturday of shopping (and maybe even eating fudge) stop by and see the good people of St. Matthew’s. They are some of the finest people I know……….and after you meet them I am sure you will feel the same way!

I’m going back down to be with them this Saturday! Come join us!

God bless!

Fr. Tom+

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Back to Nashville, back to normalcy……

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We finally made it down to Nashville thanks to good weather and a lot of drying out of the area down there! And it was marvelous! The people seemed happy to see me, and there was even a cake! Had I even the inkling that there would have been cake I would have come from the hospital directly.

And actually, with the addition of this “surprise cake,” it will mean I will see a total of four (4), count em, 4 cakes this week. Today was 1, Father’s Day is tomorrow 2, Scotty’s birthday is Monday 3, and my birthday is Thursday 4! If I am not in some type of “cake-coma” by Friday morning then my pancreas needs to head to the Smithsonian! I know, it’s gonna be a tough week, but I am gonna take this one for the team!

In truth however, the big celebration was not the cake, but rather it was being able to return. Sure I struggled a bit, but deep down I know I am truly blessed. I love what I do and I am surrounded by people I love when I get to do it. And getting to Nashville was a BIG GOAL that I made for myself in April. It helped me stay motivated and on the path. And now that I have made it, I will set my sights on other goals.

So all and all, today has been a great day, and I am voting to quit while I am ahead. Off to bed for me!! For one service is not three, nor is it two. And I need to be rested for the two I have left tomorrow….for the weekend is not back to normalcy unless I am able to do all three!!

Keep me in your prayers! I appreciate it!

Fr. Tom+

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Houston, we have a problem…..

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The drama was almost too much to take, but sadly I had to take it. Our service in Nashville had to be cancelled today seeing as Brown County received record amounts of rainfall over the past few days……so we couldn’t even get there. The INTERSTATES were flooded and closed! Apparently it was about 10 inches of rain that fell, and that is almost unfathomable! It now joins only one other story I have heard in my lifetime about rain that I couldn’t get my brain around ….and that other story was Noah’s Ark! Praise God that everyone we talked to said they were doing okay.

Even though we had to miss the service, we will be seeing the good people of Brown County later this week to do some hands on ministry. We will sign up people at St. Patrick’s (Noblesville) and St. Anne’s (Anderson) tomorrow to head down to Brown County during the week so we can help people in need. We currently know of no one requesting our help, but Deacon Conley will be making an inquiry about where we can help this week tomorrow. If you are interested, please let us know.

Sure it would have been great to be back in worship. Sure it would have been great to have that first service behind me…..but there are plenty of things more important that hearing me preach. And helping those in Brown County with real needs is one of them!

The rain and flooding will not prevent me from being in Noblesville or Anderson tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it. But my thoughts and prayers go out to those who really need them right now…..those effected by the floods.

Keep them in your prayers, and come join us in helping them if you have the chance.

Peace!

Fr Tom+