Janesjournals roving reporter is still in Fort Collins, now in search of the human side of the flood. I did not have to go far. At the breakfast bar in my hotel I met several people who were evacuated from flood areas. This is a pet friendly hotel so the evacuees are able to stay…
I had promised to do a wedding in Fort Collins, today. I would have come down yesterday, but with the continued rain and flooding I waited until today. When I left Wheatland, skies were clear and I settled in for a nice ride. Creeks that run under the Interstate were swollen since we also had…
What a difference one week can make. Seven days ago I had a stomach (stress?) flu, was exhausted, dragging, and a bit burnt out. Since, I have slowed down,checked in with my doc, amped up my spiritual life, played in my garden, visited my son in Denver, celebrated my 59th birthday, and visited the Denver…
Burn out, exhaustion, compassion fatigue: each refers to state of working hard for others while neglecting your own needs. Symptoms include the following: Difficulty concentrating Feeling mentally and physically tired Isolation from others Assortment of health issues that rear up and many others Because of my work load and personal stresses this past year, I…
What a busy but blessed week I’ve had. As I mentioned earlier, 5 young adults stayed in my home. They were counselors for our Vacation Bible School. So my days were filled with the zeal our young kids and the mornings/evenings with the banter of young adults. How lucky I am to spend time with…
I have a confirmation class right now of two youth. They will enter 9th grade in the fall. Friday night and Saturday morning is our first mini retreat, where we will stay overnight at the church and do lessons about God. How can I make a difference on the faith journey of these kids? I…
Tango and I love to have dog visitors, and this weekend I am dog-sitting a Catholic dog. After she arrived yesterday afternoon she sniffed out every nook and cranny of the house. Finally I asked if she was looking for anything special. She replied, “A rosary”. Oh my, at that moment I renamed the pious…
I love being a minister in a small town church. I am able to interact with our church family on a deeper level than I could in a large church. Our services are informal and more personal. We don’t have a huge hierarchy which means very little in the way of politics and problems. I…
I love my job and I especially love doing it in Wyoming. I had the honor of performing a wedding ceremony on a ranch at Slater, WY. A large meadow was set up with hay bales for seating (covered with colorful fabric). The bride and attendants rode into the meadow on a flat bed trailer,…