A Complete Success!

I really liked the new church. And all the people in it.

Very friendly, with tons of kids — who had a little prayer circle at the front of the congregation, before going off to Sunday school. They were incredibly adorable.

And I chose a pew that was right next to the big stained glass window, and the sun came through it, right onto my pew, right as we started singing the opening hymn, so I’m guessing I’m always going to sit there in that pew, every Sunday. That alone was sort of cosmic.

I sat in the 3rd pew from the front, right next to the window

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Okay.

Before I forget–

If you don’t follow Simon Parkes in the UK, you can’t access his update from yesterday, but it was a really, really good one. You can follow him, and watch his monthly updates, by joining Connecting Consciousness — it’s free.

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Well, I got a lot done this morning, before church, gang!

I typed up all those notes that Sandra needed by tomorrow morning, and was able to get everything off to her a day early!

All I have left to do before our next phone call is re-read the original screenplay for “Tell My Bones: The Helen LaFrance Story” and then send that over to Sandra, as well.

So we’re sort of off and running, gang.

New year, new everything. Oh, and here’s this from yesterday:

New year, same cats!!

And, last evening, I was also able to do Lesson 2 in James Tabor’s new course, “Christianity Before Paul”. (An in depth look at John the Baptist — historical rather than theological — another incredible lecture.)

And I did wash my hair!! I also did yoga.

And I was even able to watch another episode of one of those shows Sandra wanted me to watch (“I Love LA” on HBO).

So it is sort of remarkable that I can get so much done, even though I’m still working all the caregiving jobs, once I entirely shift my focus.

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All righty.

Here’s this–

Keith and that one cigarette he had in 1979:

And a great shot of Johnny Thunders with a cigarette in Athens, Greece, in 1989:

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And–

13 more days, gang!! Before this:

So here’s this — from the private desktop stash!

Nick Cave, not smoking. Not sure why. (Oh, wait! Because he doesn’t smoke anymore…)

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And in a little while here, I head out to see the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat. And I’m sure they will be happy to learn that I’ve finally found a church I like.

They know about my ministerial training and my Degree from Ohio Christian University, etc. (The Minister’s wife studied at a different seminary in Ohio, so we have talked about it a lot.)

I have to say, gang, that it gets frustrating, having to always separate my ministry world from my professional world, keep it all private, since my professional world is so extensively “for adults only”. And just by looking at me, people assume I’m this really nice, harmless white lady. They’re usually very surprised to even find out that I lived most of my life in NYC — unless they have the great good fortune of hearing how often I use the “F” word!! And let’s not mention that FBI record I had that followed me around at international airports. Or when I was looking at possible prison time in a federal penitentiary and a huge fine, for allegedly making it too easy for children to access porn online…)

This new church — since they are “under new management”, as it were — is looking for people to get involved with things like leading group meetings in Bible studies, etc. They need help doing it all, getting it all started.

I am so trained in that stuff. My knowledge, as you can guess, is extensive. And I’m certified/trained in congregational care, and hospital visitations, and grief counseling, and marriage counseling, and home communion for the elderly.

I’m pretty sure that if I showed up at the Minister’s office and told him all that stuff, he’d jump up from his desk and say, “When can you start??” Because they need help.

But all that other stuff in my world — I really, really need my privacy. And I don’t like to intentionally mislead people about who I am. So I’m guessing I will just show up for Sunday services and go back home.

I was thinking during the service this morning that it must be a lot easier to be Nick Cave. He can show up at a church on Sunday but everybody already knows who he is.