Missed another day at the Y today because all three of us overslept. We've had really good intentions of going every day this week, but for some reason, the sleep demons had other ideas for us all. Al and I talked about it this morning and we decided this week is pretty much a wash as far as working out goes. Hopefully we'll get back on track in the week between Christmas and New Year's, but it's possible that with everything going on, we won't actually hit it good until after the first of the year. We'll see how it goes.
Al left for work on time today, and I was in the shower when he departed to start his day, as I was preparing to start mine with Amy. I think we got out of the house somewhere around 12:45pm or 1:00pm. We didn't get back home again until 8:40pm, so as you can tell, we've had a busy day. We did nearly everything we'd set out to do.
First stop was the library, where I finally returned my overdue book and renewed the checkout on the pile I've still got sitting next to my bed. The librarian was kind and made some adjustments to my account, considering the lateness of the return and whatnot, and it only wound up costing me $11.40 instead of the original charges, which I shudder to even THINK what they were. This is the last time I can use the automated renewal on these books, however, so at the next due date, I have to bring them all back and check them out again if I haven't finished them. Like I was telling Amy today, sometimes I can read two books in a day, or I go on a reading jag and read eight or nine in the span of a week's time, but other times, it takes me forever to get through a book. It depends on how much is going on in my life, and what my concentration span is. Lately, my concentration hasn't been very good, I'm afraid. That makes me nervous, especially with Twelve in 12 coming up very soon. I am bound and determined to meet my goal of one book per month over the coming year. I'm going to do it, no matter what.
Anyway, after we left the library, we headed to the credit union so I could withdraw some money. One of the things I ordered didn't go through, so I had money left that I hadn't been counting on. I took it out so I'd have some cash to run with today. It was only about $18, so not like it was some earth-shattering amount.
From the credit union we drove out to Libertyville to the tattoo place where I was going to get my piercing. The guy who would do the piercing was just finishing up with a tattoo and we had to wait about 30 minutes, so Amy and I walked next door to Austin's restaurant and had some lunch while we waited. Amy paid for lunch. She said she likes spoiling me, but I still gave her money to pay for the spinach and artichoke appetizer we shared.
After we finished, we walked back to the tattoo shop, went in and filled out my paperwork, and voila. I now have a piercing on my right eyebrow. A is going to hate it, and so will the rest of my family, but I don't care. It's my body and I wanted it done. I forgot how much it stung to have done, but the feeling went away pretty quickly. The redness around my eyebrow took a little longer.
We hit Wolf Camera after that and Amy had some picture business to get sorted and have some reprints made, so after dropping that off, we headed over to Wal-Mart. Up until this point, I'd been very good with my money, but you know me and Wal-Mart. I was still good, but I did wind up buying a pair of bell earrings to match the bell necklace I was wearing and jingling all day, and I bought some candy stocking stuffers for A and I at $1 a piece. I only spent $7. I think I got out lucky.
Michael's was our next target, as we went off in search of some odd sized picture frames for Amy's pictures. They didn't have what she needed, so we got out of there without spending a cent. We walked over to The Avenue to check out the clothes, and Amy was looking for some boots to wear on Sunday to the game, but nothing struck either one of us. We got back into the car and headed for Hobby Lobby, still in search of the elusive picture frames.
Hobby Lobby didn't have what Amy needed either, but she did wind up buying a lovely larger frame and some black construction paper to make her own mat for the picture she's planning to give her dad and stepmom. While we were there, I found a really nice shadow box frame for a 5 x 7 picture of A and I from the reunion we went to a few weeks ago. It was the picture I posted on Facebook, and here in my diary. The frame says, "All of my love..." on top of the picture, and underneath ..."All of my life." I thought it fitting for us. Amy loaned me the $10 for the frame, which I will pay back to her when I get the money.
Once we left Hobby Lobby, we made a pit stop because Amy was craving a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, so she treated that and I ordered a small one. I wasn't all that hungry, but I was full after I finished it. We headed back to Wolf Camera and picked up Amy's pictures, which turned out really well, and then we finally headed for home with only one more stop to buy a bag of ice on the way home.
It was a really full day and truth be told, I'm exhausted. I haven't done so much running around in a long time.
Believe it or not, I actually had time this morning, while Amy and Al were still sleeping, to sit down and read today's chapter from A Purpose Driven Life. I liked this chapter much better than yesterday's. It's about how we all become one family of God at our Baptism, and all other believers are our brothers and sisters in Christ. The book also said that if we are believers, then we are called to be baptized and it's not something that should be put off. In biblical times, people got baptized on the day they became believers and followers of Jesus. We can't necessarily get baptized that quickly, but still, it's not something to procrastinate about.
Point to Ponder: I was formed for God's family.
Verse to Remember: Ephesians 1:5a - His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
Question to Consider: How can I start treating other believers like members of my own family?
Again, I'm not perfect by anyone's stretch of the imagination and I know I can do a better job than what I've been doing, but I have always tried to treat other believers as my family.
Remember when I worked at the church and hung out with all the folks who I went to church with and taught with? I referred to them as "My family by Blood" to distinguish them from my blood family. I still feel that way about some of them, the ones who didn't abandon me because I left that parish after Fr. Frank died and I lost my job. I know I should feel that way about all of them, but I'm just not close to the rest of them anymore. I really do feel abandoned, but if I really stop to consider how they feel, perhaps they feel I abandoned them as well. I mean, I'm the one who left the parish, after all. That was my choice and could be considered abandonment, not just by them, but by everyone at the parish who was so used to seeing me there and having me be an integral part of parish life.
I could try to repair those relationships, although to be honest, I feel that we're all at different places in our lives now. But in my new parish, I could make more of an effort to get involved, to know people there, to be a real part of parish life and let the other parishioners know that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.
It's something I've been considering for a while anyway, getting involved, but maybe this is the impetus I need to kick-start my return to active ministerial life. |
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