Catching Up

I haven’t posted in a while, mostly because time has flown by since my last post.  So, I’m taking today to play “catch up”. 

Okay, something unexpected happened after Christmas.  ILLNESS!!!  Of course we’d all get sick!  Marty shook several hundred hands at the Christmas Eve service.  He then became very ill with influenza over New Years.  This is unusual because Marty NEVER gets sick.  And as often happens, his illness spread to our children in early January. Our son became ill with pneumonia and missed almost the whole month of school.  However, we had great support from our church community, and Hans is back up on his feet and back to school.  We were even blessed by his wonderful school teacher.  She came over to the Black Cloister after school to teach him, so he wouldn’t get too far behind in his studies.  God bless her!

Not much is happening right now.  I’m in the throes of preparing for the Lenten season.  As always, I’m looking forward to this time of reflection and rebirth.  Many people find Lent to be a dreary season and a burden of a tradition, but I have always found comfort in this practice.   

I’m beginning to feel more settled in our new home and community.  I finally put pictures up on the walls.  I guess this means that I am “home”.  Now, I’m beginning to feel the itch to meet people and make friends.  There is a book club in town that meets monthly at the local coffee shop.  I love to read (ask my family, they probably wished I read less)!  I might try this club out and see what unfolds. 

While accompanying Marty on a hospital visit, I noticed the receptionist looked very similar to a woman who recently left the church.  She was one of many that left due to a huge church conflict that resulted in the previous pastor being kick out of his call.  This all happened a year before Marty interviewed.  I only recognized her from her picture in the church directory.  So while Marty was making his visit, I went up to her and asked her if she was who I thought she was.  It turns out I was correct.  I decided to engage her in conversation and invited her back to church.  It turns out she is going through a very difficult time right now.  She has a son who is mentally disabled and her husband recently became very ill.  I told her if she didn’t feel like she could come back, at least know that she can call Marty and he will pray with her any time.  When Marty and I left, he informed me that I am officially a Pastor’s Wife now!  LOL!

So, that is January in a nutshell!  We learned one really valuable lesson… keep hand sanitizer hidden somewhere usable during big services!  LOL!