New Ministry

For the past couple of weeks, an idea for a new ministry in my hometown was brought to my mind. I say "brought" because it actually was given to me. God "Brought It". I "Got Served" by God. God is "All that and a bag of chips (or is it slice of manna?)". Ok, I'll stop now. I truly believe that with enough support from others in my hometown that this idea would be a tremendous success. Persons who I believe could be instrumental in assisting me with this ministry idea have been e-mailed. Weeks ago. Still no answer.

Now I believe that this concept being brought to small town has some risks. Residents of Madison hardly like to try a new brand of coffee, let alone participate in something new. And ESPECIALLY not something that's blatantly spiritual. But this is sickening. I have the feeling that I'm going to have to turn into the annoying lady on the phone who calls 5 times a day just to see if anyone "Got my message". Either that or submit my idea in person.

I had a vision last night that I was presenting this ministry idea to my church. Half of the congregants were for it. Unfortunately that was the half who were silent. Those completely opposed to the idea had every thought brought out into the open, every fear imagined, every risk created, every excuse aired for why this MAY not be successful. I pleaded my case and came off as sounding very "holier than thou" (Which in a church is not appropriate. There is only ONE and He is "holier than all".) and condescending. I truly do not want that to happen. I want people to embrace this ministry idea. I want this to start - SOON! I want all churches in my hometown to come together and not label this idea as a "Lutheran", "Catholic" or "Baptist" idea. And I certainly don't want my own demonination to come into play as well.

Last night I read a chapter of the great book by John Ortberg, "If You Want to Walk On Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat" (thanks, Sue). If you can read the first chapter alone and not be inspired in some way, then I don't know what to even say to you. It gave me great confidence and wonderful ideas to consider while I'm in the midst of trying to create something new for a community who (I believe) desperately needs it.

Really, I don't want to turn into Christian Van Daame and come off as forceful in this situation. But what do I have to do to get a response back from someone?

Dude

I don't know why, so please don't ask me. I love this guy -

Again, I don't really know why. He's a liberal. In fact, one of his best friends is Bill Clinton. He smokes unapologetically and tells people to stop 'nagging' him to quit. He is 23 years my senior. I normally don't care for the subject material in his movies.

BUT...In every single one of his films, he is just fascinating to watch! And if you've ever seen him on Saturday Night Live or ppearances on talk shows and other television interviews..he is so frickin' funny and charming. AND...he can sing. VERY well. In fact, I have two songs of him singing Bobby Darin on my Ipod. I could watch his impressions of other famous actors for hours. In fact, here's a direct link to it. YOU'D BETTER WATCH IT.

So please don't ask me why I love him. To be incredibly corny: the heart wants what it wants. That's all there is to it.

Get. To. The. Point.

I have an official complaint against people who talk too much. Just get to the point! I have a relative who will just not. stop. talking. I can sit in the car with her, ask one question, and she will answer that question, morph the conversation into something about her and then go on about everything from cloud shapes to bad drivers to basil growing in her mother's garden.

Is it so awful to just sit in a car, listen to the radio and just take in the scenery? Even if the scenery is just cows and grass, it doesn't make much difference to me. Just please be quiet.

Also, you don't have to repeat something three times in a row for me to understand the words that are coming from your mouth. Hand movements and banging on the table when you stress certain words is incredibly irritating, too. I get it! Can I just experience some drama when I'm only watching a movie?

If I could provide an example of this person's speech pattern:

Me: So how was your day today?

Anonymous person (speaking very quickly, bug-eyed, waving her arms in the air, and banging her hands on the table with every stressed word): OH. MY. GOD. It was so busy! You know how hot it was today? It was 99 degrees outside. 99 degrees! And I'm standing there...(pause)...working in the kitchen, air-conditioners blasting.. and it's ONE-HUNDRED AND THIRTY DEGREES INSIDE. I'm not kidding. ONE-HUNDRED AND THIRTY DEGREES. I'm working in the kitchen and sweat is LITERALLY dripping down from my forehead. My clothes are soaked in sweat because it's ONE-HUNDRED AND THIRTY DEGREES in the kitchen, and the air-conditioner is BLASTING! I tell you, I had heat stroke. I walked into the freezer just for an excuse to cool off. I said, "I'm going to clean out the freezer!" and I walked inside...(long pause)...and steam is LITERALLY coming off of my body because of how much I was sweating. I tell you, I LITERALLY had to have had heat stroke. I was sweating so much! One of the managers walked up to me today and told me he'd never seen so many sauces for food in all his life. How many kinds of sauce do they have? I've got ranch, I've got cajun ranch, I've got honey, I've got honey mustard, I've got Barbeque, I've got Honey Barbeque, THEY HAVE TWO KINDS OF BARBEQUE SAUCE! I've got EVERY. KIND. OF SAUCE. YOU. CAN THINK. OF! I've never seen anything like it! Never! Never seen anything like it! Never! So then...(talks for another 10 minutes straight about something I can't remember anyways)"

After she finished rambling, she said "Well, I've gone on forever, how was your work?"

Me: Fine.

She is the only person who can turn me off of talking in an instant. Now imagine having to converse with and listen to the above pattern of speech regarding every subject imaginable for the last 25 years.

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