It's being viewed as many different types of events, one of them is a mission trip that requires no travel or money for accommodations. It has no official title but unofficial but descriptively it's called the Polk Community Interfaith Hospitality Network Pilot Project or something like that. It's an experiment, it's the first of many such events, it's a inspiration for future events. It is a week of providing housing and meals for three families who otherwise would not have a place to stay or an guarantee of the next meal.
While the planning and preparation has been going on for months, yesterday morning the first actual activity started when two pickup trucks delivered 18 mattresses to Christ's Church. After worship service scatter rugs were placed in several rooms followed by tables, lamps, easy chairs and the mattresses. Later in the afternoon food and volunteers started arrived and the bustle elevated.
Around 5:15 with high five and random introductions three families piled out of in two vans. Sergio and Maria, whose Spanish is more fluent than their English, with their six children aging from two to 14 moving into the room upstairs. An eight year-old girl exclaimed to her mother as they stepped into their space, "We each have our lamps. This is mine and the big one is yours." Mom turned to a volunteer, "This is the best. It's so nice to have our own room.
James claimed the third room. He was alone in his adjoining room with three mattresses because his partner was in the hospital with a kidney infection and the three year-old son was in a Safe House for Children. She'll probably join the group today and their son the next day.
Orientation which was routine for this veteran of this form of living was followed by meatloaf, baked potatoes, green salad and cookies hustled up by a half dozen volunteer cooks. The designated host for the evening offered thanks for the the day, the fellowship and the food. Guests and hosts chatted as they ate and ran back and forth from the counter of food. The children quickly ended up on the braided rug in the corner stacking and bumping over towers. The routine is not new to these families, so they soon moved to quiet time in their rooms knowing that the wake-up call would come at 6:00AM.
Not knowing what to expect, although with eight children one might expect some expression of high energy and possible misunderstanding, it was a bit out of the ordinary to find the building quiet by 8:00PM. With all the counters wiped down, lights dimmed and doors secure, we started the night on uncomfortable camping cots. Just before locking the doors the Susan, the food coordinator, came by with her husband and daughter to see how the evening, walking in the door said "There's a sweet smell of the Spirit through the building." Yes, thirteen persons including toddlers and teens were sleeping in a warm dry place with full stomaches. God graciously works through our neighbors.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Schedule for next weekend
Good afternoon, Debbie,
The DPNC met after church today to define a schedule for your visit to Monmouth/Independence and Falls City. They decided that they would like to have more time with you and are asking if you could meet they at Christ's Church (412 W Clay St, Monmouth) at 2:00PM Saturday, March 1. The Seventh Day Adventists use the building that day but there is a recess during which you can tour the church. They will collaborate with you for a visit of the manse and the Falls City area and church.
They are inviting you to a dinner at the home of Carol Brown at 6:00PM that evening after which you will be able to retire to your hotel room which they are booking for you in Salem, I believe. Sunday morning we will meet you at the church in Woodburn. After the worship service we would like to share lunch with you in Keiser. Eileen will be arranging a meeting between you and the COM probably for that afternoon probably in Keiser.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Another Snow Day
It's not that there's nothing that I can do without electricity, it's just that when you have a power outage, the routine is upset. Shoveling, walking, cooking, eating, reading, writing, sleeping, stoking the fire; none these require electricity, but not having electricity means that if I want to check the weather forecast on either the Internet or television, or the news for that matter, I can't. Of course, today that means I can't watch the Olympics.
I didn't even know the electricity went out. I was letting my fingers do the work on my computer while I listened to some music. The music seemed to come to the end of the CD, the room was bright from the subtle outside light of a outcast day, and everything was fine until I tried to check on the Internet for some information. But I continued my writing as if nothing had happened; while start a new CD when I get up.
Then it hit me that the refrigerator would start turning bad after several days. Gail called the neighbors down the road who reported that they did have electricity. That probably means that it's a minor problem and easy to fix but probably a low priority. So, dig out the candles and flashlights and create a new what will I do with myself this evening. By tomorrow, if things go as forecasted and projected, the snow will have abated so that we can drive to town to recharge computer batteries, watch the rescheduled basketball games and attend the PNC meeting. The driveway which I cleared this morning is down to gravel and so driving to the mailbox is a snap.
The evening lighting is settling in so only gross activities are now an option; fine detailed projects like painting and sewing cross stitching are out. Playing piano remains on the list.
Statistically, the snow measured about 16 inches this morning before the drips started coming off the roof and an hour ago that same site was about 9 inches. The sidewalk is bare but wet where shoveled. Until the electricity returns this post will sit quietly in my computer.
I didn't even know the electricity went out. I was letting my fingers do the work on my computer while I listened to some music. The music seemed to come to the end of the CD, the room was bright from the subtle outside light of a outcast day, and everything was fine until I tried to check on the Internet for some information. But I continued my writing as if nothing had happened; while start a new CD when I get up.
Then it hit me that the refrigerator would start turning bad after several days. Gail called the neighbors down the road who reported that they did have electricity. That probably means that it's a minor problem and easy to fix but probably a low priority. So, dig out the candles and flashlights and create a new what will I do with myself this evening. By tomorrow, if things go as forecasted and projected, the snow will have abated so that we can drive to town to recharge computer batteries, watch the rescheduled basketball games and attend the PNC meeting. The driveway which I cleared this morning is down to gravel and so driving to the mailbox is a snap.
The evening lighting is settling in so only gross activities are now an option; fine detailed projects like painting and sewing cross stitching are out. Playing piano remains on the list.
Statistically, the snow measured about 16 inches this morning before the drips started coming off the roof and an hour ago that same site was about 9 inches. The sidewalk is bare but wet where shoveled. Until the electricity returns this post will sit quietly in my computer.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Snow Day
Snow days are very common this year as the Midwest and eastern half of the United States have had a record number of recording setting winter storms, dropping snow and temperatures beyond what many have seen in their lifetimes. So titling this blog snow day is not novel or unique unless you live in the Northwest where the weather has been springlike and abnormally dry this winter. Until this week.
The weather forecast was for some snow starting about midweek which it did. There were two fingers of snow coming in from the Pacific, one north of us and one south of us. We watched TV and both wondered what all the fuss was about and why we were so blessed. Thursday we went to a couple university basketball games (WOU won both the women's and men's games) with just a inch of snow on the ground. Coming out of the game we drove through about three inches of fresh powder with some concern about getting up the hill to our place. We made it.
Friday only I drove to Monmouth for some Skype interviews for our new pastor at the church. After watching it snow throughout the interviews by the time I drove home there were a couple more inches. Conditions were essentially white-out except for the weeds in the ditches. Again we held our breaths until I slowly with a steady pedal made it up the hill. It snowed through the evening so when I shoveled out the walkway this morning, I put a tape in the snow. It measured a bit over 13 inches, the most we have seen in Oregon in our 19 years here.
Thinking there would still be a funeral at 2:00 this afternoon, I got out the tractor and pushed some snow aside. After a half hour and viewing the main roadway, I decided it was impractical to try to get to town for any reason. That was moments before Gail walked up behind me and said that everything was cancelled. With the tractor back in the barn and me in the house, we have resolved to join the rest of northwestern Oregon and just stay home. There is a time to acknowledge defeat or at least when one should choose not to fight the weather.
Now the snow continues outside the window before me as I let my fingers do the walking and thinking and my hope is that the weatherman who is forecasting rain and warmer weather is a couple days is correct. There are things to do beyond the end of the driveway, but for now it's time to rewarm the hot chocolate.
The weather forecast was for some snow starting about midweek which it did. There were two fingers of snow coming in from the Pacific, one north of us and one south of us. We watched TV and both wondered what all the fuss was about and why we were so blessed. Thursday we went to a couple university basketball games (WOU won both the women's and men's games) with just a inch of snow on the ground. Coming out of the game we drove through about three inches of fresh powder with some concern about getting up the hill to our place. We made it.
Friday only I drove to Monmouth for some Skype interviews for our new pastor at the church. After watching it snow throughout the interviews by the time I drove home there were a couple more inches. Conditions were essentially white-out except for the weeds in the ditches. Again we held our breaths until I slowly with a steady pedal made it up the hill. It snowed through the evening so when I shoveled out the walkway this morning, I put a tape in the snow. It measured a bit over 13 inches, the most we have seen in Oregon in our 19 years here.
Thinking there would still be a funeral at 2:00 this afternoon, I got out the tractor and pushed some snow aside. After a half hour and viewing the main roadway, I decided it was impractical to try to get to town for any reason. That was moments before Gail walked up behind me and said that everything was cancelled. With the tractor back in the barn and me in the house, we have resolved to join the rest of northwestern Oregon and just stay home. There is a time to acknowledge defeat or at least when one should choose not to fight the weather.
Now the snow continues outside the window before me as I let my fingers do the walking and thinking and my hope is that the weatherman who is forecasting rain and warmer weather is a couple days is correct. There are things to do beyond the end of the driveway, but for now it's time to rewarm the hot chocolate.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
What a Retired Denvy Does
So what does a retired person do throughout a day? More specifically what does Denvy do in a day this week?
"I'm up to watch the sunrise," I state, which around Ground Hogs Day allows me to sleep, or at least lay around in bed, until the summary of the local news just before the "Today" show comes on. During the warmer months of the year one has to roll out before the 5:33AM Stateman's Journal electronic news is delivered.
There's the early morning routine answer to the call of nature integrated with the awaking the computer and checking the overnight spam interspersed with some meaningful emails. It's these good emails that dictate what happens for the next couple hours, well, these emails and the ones on the to-do list which were formulated during the evening transition to sleep and the morning's awakening time.
There are responses to Wendy, a recent college grad, who is creating a new non-profit organization to help educate orphans in Africa, and specifically a new website on a new server. And the responses to Kirk, a former student, who is updating a website for the community baseball team he coaches.
Depending on the time of year and month, emails are exchanged with Katie for programming for the Western Compass campus ministry, with members of the pastor nominating committee regarding the status of candidates, with people helping setting up a pilot project to house and provide meals for homeless families, with church members for the Peace Justice and Mission business, with supporters of the Relay for Life fight against cancer and with those dealing with the computers at the Polk Community Free Clinic. The good news is that I really like what these groups are doing.
Then there's time to open the iPad and play a game of solitaire or check the weather or read parts of a book. That's my quiet time.
Did I mention starting the wood stove, bringing in firewood, preparing and eating breakfast, washing the dishes, feeding the dog, cat and chickens. Some days washing clothes, watering plants and cleaning house split into the agenda.
Then there's an opportunity to write policies and job descriptions, create rosters and contact lists, and contact people about volunteering for the homeless project. We received a letter yesterday indicating that our request for a $500 grant for this project was granted. Laying out plans and agendas for the pastor nominating committee are a part of this time in the day, and this can extend throughout the day.
This week Monday only had a weekly PNC meeting in the evening and Tuesday had a PJM meeting with a presentation on a proposal to introduce a health system similar to the Canadian system into Oregon. Wednesday had a 2-hour meeting with Wendy and the weekly bell and vocal choir practices. Thursday was full with a meeting with some interns in the morning, WC meeting at one, meeting with Kirk at four, dinner with WC at SingFay at five, and college basketball games at 5:15 and 7:30. However, it's snowing and everything is cancelled (waiting for word on the basketball games) and so there's time to write this blog entry.
Continuing on with words about the remainder of the week, there are four Skype interviews with pastoral candidates between 9:30AM and 3:00PM on Friday. Saturday has a funeral at two, a Valentine Day dinner at Falls City at five, and two basketball games that evening. Sunday seems routine except for Dr Lace apple cider making event about the same time as church and so we will miss that.
It's nice to catch some lunch about midday and nicer still if it's at 1:00 so we can manifest some silliness by watching the archived Zorro show. Today the show interrupts an ongoing news broadcast following the snow storm which has closed schools, businesses and highways.
For variety in the day there are opportunities like pruning trees, mowing lawns - even in the winter, cutting firewood, working in the wood shop, pulling weeds and the like. During colder days there's organizing pictures, writing the family history, painting on the paint-by-number project - for color blind non-artists, or stoking the fire.
Evening, if there's no meeting or scheduled event, may see us watching Dr Martin or a Blazer's basketball game on television while Gail does some handwork and I play at website design.
Oh, there is the final act of crawling into the waterbed and falling asleep as Jay Leno talks to himself. That is what a monologue is, isn't it?
"I'm up to watch the sunrise," I state, which around Ground Hogs Day allows me to sleep, or at least lay around in bed, until the summary of the local news just before the "Today" show comes on. During the warmer months of the year one has to roll out before the 5:33AM Stateman's Journal electronic news is delivered.
There's the early morning routine answer to the call of nature integrated with the awaking the computer and checking the overnight spam interspersed with some meaningful emails. It's these good emails that dictate what happens for the next couple hours, well, these emails and the ones on the to-do list which were formulated during the evening transition to sleep and the morning's awakening time.
There are responses to Wendy, a recent college grad, who is creating a new non-profit organization to help educate orphans in Africa, and specifically a new website on a new server. And the responses to Kirk, a former student, who is updating a website for the community baseball team he coaches.
Depending on the time of year and month, emails are exchanged with Katie for programming for the Western Compass campus ministry, with members of the pastor nominating committee regarding the status of candidates, with people helping setting up a pilot project to house and provide meals for homeless families, with church members for the Peace Justice and Mission business, with supporters of the Relay for Life fight against cancer and with those dealing with the computers at the Polk Community Free Clinic. The good news is that I really like what these groups are doing.
Then there's time to open the iPad and play a game of solitaire or check the weather or read parts of a book. That's my quiet time.
Did I mention starting the wood stove, bringing in firewood, preparing and eating breakfast, washing the dishes, feeding the dog, cat and chickens. Some days washing clothes, watering plants and cleaning house split into the agenda.
Then there's an opportunity to write policies and job descriptions, create rosters and contact lists, and contact people about volunteering for the homeless project. We received a letter yesterday indicating that our request for a $500 grant for this project was granted. Laying out plans and agendas for the pastor nominating committee are a part of this time in the day, and this can extend throughout the day.
This week Monday only had a weekly PNC meeting in the evening and Tuesday had a PJM meeting with a presentation on a proposal to introduce a health system similar to the Canadian system into Oregon. Wednesday had a 2-hour meeting with Wendy and the weekly bell and vocal choir practices. Thursday was full with a meeting with some interns in the morning, WC meeting at one, meeting with Kirk at four, dinner with WC at SingFay at five, and college basketball games at 5:15 and 7:30. However, it's snowing and everything is cancelled (waiting for word on the basketball games) and so there's time to write this blog entry.
Continuing on with words about the remainder of the week, there are four Skype interviews with pastoral candidates between 9:30AM and 3:00PM on Friday. Saturday has a funeral at two, a Valentine Day dinner at Falls City at five, and two basketball games that evening. Sunday seems routine except for Dr Lace apple cider making event about the same time as church and so we will miss that.
It's nice to catch some lunch about midday and nicer still if it's at 1:00 so we can manifest some silliness by watching the archived Zorro show. Today the show interrupts an ongoing news broadcast following the snow storm which has closed schools, businesses and highways.
For variety in the day there are opportunities like pruning trees, mowing lawns - even in the winter, cutting firewood, working in the wood shop, pulling weeds and the like. During colder days there's organizing pictures, writing the family history, painting on the paint-by-number project - for color blind non-artists, or stoking the fire.
Evening, if there's no meeting or scheduled event, may see us watching Dr Martin or a Blazer's basketball game on television while Gail does some handwork and I play at website design.
Oh, there is the final act of crawling into the waterbed and falling asleep as Jay Leno talks to himself. That is what a monologue is, isn't it?
Friday, January 3, 2014
The Start of 2014
Three days ago I witnessed the change to a new calendar for the 70th time, provided we assume that I could witness the change of a calendar at the age of seven months. In five months we will celebrate the start of another decade and our 45th wedding anniversary which is literally on the first day of summer. It's not that these numbers or dates have any more significance than any other year or any other date, but it just feels like a good time to share and celebrate life with everyone we know.
By the way, I intend, by my own declaration, to be 60 years old.
We experience a change of lifestyle after youth and bearing our offspring. The name mid-life crisis is given to this time. I believe that 70 and even 60 years of age is either past mid-life or at least on the back end of that phase of life. But there is a change to my lifestyle now. Perhaps it needs a name. Maybe it has a name, like retirement. Maybe it should have a different name because retirement has a very specific connotation.
Each morning is better than the previous. It's a joy to be able to wake up. Each sunrise or overcast foggy morning is a piece of art greater than the previous one. Each day is open for me to fill. I have been blessed to with plenty of hair that is not gray on the top of my head and with the ability to walk and work. Each day is a gift which I wish to graciously accept and fill so that it's the happiest day of my life. A part of this effort is giving to people, mostly my time and my talents. So my days are full of the routine, cooking, cleaning, answering emails, feeding the dog and chickens, and the non-routine, meetings, planning for meetings, responding to the results of meetings, sometimes teaching.
I sit more in this phase of life, reading, writing, thinking, listening, watching. I wish to walk more to benefit my muscles and for my sensual enjoyment. I wish to read and write more to learn more and to pass on what I know.
This post-mid-life phase of life is a gem, one continuous communication with God absorbing every gifted second.
At this moment I think of Rick, a friend of a casual nature only, but now I feel so close to him. It's been over twenty years since I last saw him and then it was only once or twice a year, but after the news of his death in a car accident in Alaska before Christmas I think of him daily. At this moment I would like to think that he could give me some of his writing skills which he displayed so well in his books and articles about living in Alaska.
Rest while, Rick. I hope that I can carry forth the naiveté, and the fresh and caring view of life and nature you displayed.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
When did it start?
Often it's difficult to know when something started. Like the rain that's dominating the outside this morning. Not only don't I know when it started in our yard, but I don't know when this storm that moved in from somewhere else dropped it first drop.
I suppose I can go back, thanks to modern technology, and see when I wrote the first entry for this blog, but even then I don't know if the blog started at the time the computer reveals. There probably was a gathering of thoughts and ideas and intentions even prior to that moment.
Typically a book has a start, a first word, a first phrase. "It was the best of times..." "It's quitting time."
I've run into a theological question about beginning. It's not when did God come into existence; I'll accept the God with no beginning and no end, an eternal God. It's not when the universe came into being; I'll accept science's best theories about the big bang or whatever billions of years ago. It's not when humankind evolved from whatever hundreds of thousands of years ago. It's more like when did humankind receive a soul.
Could this be the creation story as written in the Bible? Could it be that upright walking animals already existed on earth and there was this moment when God made a special connection with one species and humankind received a soul? Science traces the evolution of the physical structure of humankind and its evolution regarding the use of tools and technology, but what about the evolution of the spiritual being?
There are an endless number of unanswered questions in science and theology and in many cases, at least in my mind, the answers are not relevant; the answers won't change things one way or another. Is this one of those questions? Probably. So enjoy the rain as it feeds the earth and its inhabitants. And be thankful for a warm dry house and great friends.
I suppose I can go back, thanks to modern technology, and see when I wrote the first entry for this blog, but even then I don't know if the blog started at the time the computer reveals. There probably was a gathering of thoughts and ideas and intentions even prior to that moment.
Typically a book has a start, a first word, a first phrase. "It was the best of times..." "It's quitting time."
I've run into a theological question about beginning. It's not when did God come into existence; I'll accept the God with no beginning and no end, an eternal God. It's not when the universe came into being; I'll accept science's best theories about the big bang or whatever billions of years ago. It's not when humankind evolved from whatever hundreds of thousands of years ago. It's more like when did humankind receive a soul.
Could this be the creation story as written in the Bible? Could it be that upright walking animals already existed on earth and there was this moment when God made a special connection with one species and humankind received a soul? Science traces the evolution of the physical structure of humankind and its evolution regarding the use of tools and technology, but what about the evolution of the spiritual being?
There are an endless number of unanswered questions in science and theology and in many cases, at least in my mind, the answers are not relevant; the answers won't change things one way or another. Is this one of those questions? Probably. So enjoy the rain as it feeds the earth and its inhabitants. And be thankful for a warm dry house and great friends.
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