My tummy issues are fading on Sunday, but I am still stressed with a feeling of bloating and endless gas. Better but not great. The rash is fading but not finished. I put some of the creams on my head, and most of the icky spots have disappeared. Something I have not experienced for years. Hmmm. I also passed my TB test (now a blood test), and that means, if insurance works or I can get a discount coupon from the manufacturer, I will get the pleasure of a weekly injection, Skyrizi. Yes, one of the many things you see in ads for meds. I meet with my Dermatologist on Friday.
I did not get started early, as my church service starts at 11. I spent the morning getting a banana and writing the blog. I did all the usual things, enjoying coffee from Dondrea (thanks!), and reading too much news about the new war and being disappointed by more attacks on the US Constitution-based rights and process. I did update my Quicken numbers. I read (mostly deleting) a pile of emails.
The blog was over 1000 words and was not done until the last moment to not be late for church, but my close attention to scrubbing in the shower and the applications of various creams had me running over. I boarded Air VW the Gray and rushed to Beaverton. Well, I would have rushed if I could. Traffic was slow even on a Sunday. It was sunny, and the view of the mountains was distracting (I even took a picture), and I arrived only a few minutes late.
I ushered and thought it a good service. Ken seemed to give three sermons, and Kathy also gave us background on the events in Selma; it was a terrible list of violence. Each of Ken’s parts was good, and I thought they were well thought out. It did repeat some of the same areas from the last few weeks, but sermons often repeat things we know (Four thousand years of history are available, and there are only so many verses).
Ken’s focus, I think, was that, despite the lessons of history and our past and current struggles with Civil Rights in the USA, we must remember (and sometimes he feels he has missed it): the center is Jesus and Salvation. But never to slip into platitudes and promises of the next life, but to call out evil and failures now. Ken called us to be like the Foot Soldiers of Selma (here if you wish to help), be ready to step up.
Recently, Jo Ann Bland, whose granddaughter I met, passed away. Jo Ann Bland, until recently, covered the history of Selma for tours like mine and lived it as a Foot Soldier in the 1960s. Her granddaughter told us her grandmother’s story and Selma’s. That blog is here if you want to remember with me that day.
The church council followed the church service. Ken had an agenda, and we covered a lot of things in just about 90 minutes. To summarize, Ken sees the new awakening at our church and a good future. He feels that we need to expand our outreach, but we must be cautious because our budget requirements remain unmet. A new group has volunteered to work on funding and messaging to our congregation and friends of First United Methodist Church of Beaverton, Oregon. An impact report on our church’s impact on the community is also needed. I am heading that up as it fits a Lay Leader.
After that, eating my Thai lunch (it was catered), managed to volunteer for two things (oops). With the meeting done, more meetings were born for later, and I headed home. I watched a few more episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I liked the season 2 stuff better than season 1.
(Yes, that is a bunny cover over the helmet)
I spoke to Deborah a few times, and we managed to connect as she went to bed. It is always good to connect at the end of her day.
I made a New York Strip with reheated couscous and a salad. It was great, and I watched the show while enjoying that. My tummy again filled with gas, but not as bad as before. I managed. I finally read more Gathering Moss and enjoyed another couple of chapters. I finally slept (painkillers and antacid being the usual fix).
Thanks for reading!
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