What About Mary?

I am one of those people who must continue to study and investigate.  My current area of study is Catholicism.  The one area I have the most problem with is, as one might expect, is the teaching on the virgin Mary.  As an Anglican,  I can accept calling her the Mother of God (Theotokos) and I will even give you that she was ever virgin.  However, when it comes to the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, and titles such as Co-Redemptrix and Queen of Heaven.....well I just cannot get past it.
I will continue my search and studies in this area.  I know I may be chastised by friends and family for saying this, but I believe the Catholic Church has a lot going for it.  There are just a few of their teachings I cannot wrap my brain around.  At this time I am leaning toward the idea that the one true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is either the Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church.  I continue, sadly, to find more problems with Protestantism as I investigate these subjects.

Early Retirement?

Following up on my last post announcing my entering the ranks of the unemployed, so much has happened over the past month and it's happened quickly.  If all goes according to plan, in less than two weeks we will load a moving truck with all our worldly possessions and begin a new life in the coastal area of our state. There is no full-time job awaiting me.  How is this possible you ask?  You "unload" most of your stuff, including the house,  and have a wonderful son who is willing to take you in to his home.  We are combining forces and assets to acquire a three story house one block from the Atlantic Ocean.  This is like a dream-come-true for me and who would have ever thought it would take dismissal from a job to initiate the entire project.  In the meantime there is much to do and I will probably not post again until after the move, but we will see what the future holds.  These are exciting and anxious times!

A New Chapter

For the first time in my life I have experienced something I thought I would never face.....being let go from a job....terminated, fired, laid off, whatever you want to call it.  Just three months short of my 60th birthday I find myself unemployed.  It's a new experience...no doubt about it.  The unemployment claim has been filed and the job search has begun.  I sure could get accustomed to not waking to an alarm clock five days a week.  That's definitely been one of the bright spots during the adventure to this point.  Will I ever return to full-time employment?  How about part-time or an unknown third possibility?  I'm trusting the Lord as best as I know how through it all.  If this is all part of a bigger plan that I cannot discern at this time, I pray I will be sensitive to and aware of His will as the days go by.  I would really like to move to the coast and be involved in some kind of ministry.  That's my desire if only the pieces would fall in place.

Pray for My Friend

I experienced one of those very difficult moments we encounter in life today.  I recently learned that an old friend of mine is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.  I visited one of the local elder care facilities where he is a resident and I was shocked by the toll this dreaded affliction has taken on him.  He is several months younger than I (59 years old) and is a shell of his former self.  He was bent over in a wheel chair and I don't know that he was even aware of my presence. My heart goes out to him and his family during this very difficult time.  He and his wife have been together since we were in high school.  They were married one week after my wife and I were married and I was an usher in their wedding.  I pray for them God's grace, mercy and love.

Get Out of Your Mind! | Glory to God for All Things

Get Out of Your Mind! | Glory to God for All Things

Another Tsk, Tsk Moment

Some things I will never understand.......

I'm browsing through Facebook this morning and come across a post from a friend who is a fellow believer in my local parish.  Their post is the daily horoscope.  Why would a Christian even read a horoscope, much less publish it on Facebook?

Some things I will never understand.....

Bump in the Road

After missing last Sunday's mass at my local parish due to a short vacation trip, I was saddened to learn today that our numbers have dwindled at our small church.  Apparently someone was offended by something said or by the way something was handled.  I am being purposely vague to avoid any airing of "dirty laundry" in front of the one or two readers who may actually stumble across this blog.  We have lost a family numbering three and this is quite unfortunate considering the already small size of our congregation.

I believe God is able to make all things work out for good and I pray this will prove to be a good thing as we move forward. For once in my life I want to be among those who persevere.   I told my wife earlier today that I intend to stay at this church until the last person is gone and the doors are closed for good.

Second Week Assessment

Two weeks into my new venture and, apparently, I still have a job.  Things are coming a little easier as I become more familiar with my surroundings and "new to me" computer programs.  If the new boss determines I can do the job, then all that waits to be seen is can I survive on the new pay and adjust my lifestyle to the new pay frequency (monthly as opposed to weekly).

One note related to my former employer, and I share this not in bitterness but just for documentation purposes:  They gypped me out of a day's pay on my final commission check.  I am sure their view of the situation is quite different from mine.  They didn't break any "rules" but it's the spirit of the action.  Just because I wasn't physically in the building working on the final Saturday of the month I received no pay for that day.  I believe as a good will gesture and saying "thanks for the work you did" they could have just as easily given me a full month's commission.  It's that mind set there that reinforces my belief that I made the right decision in leaving that place.  It is quite typical of the way they operate.  However, I will confess it probably all evens out in the long run for reasons I will share at a later time.

First Week Assessment

I have survived the first week at my new job.  By no means do I feel comfortable or "at home" yet, but my boss says I have improved "110%" over the first five days (note one of my pet peeves: using any percentage over 100...there's no such thing).  Have I made the right move by stepping down from 20 years of management and changing companies?  The jury is still out on that one.  I am definitely in a different world.  In some ways the people in this company are, what I would describe as "laid back" and more like "normal" people (in comparison to the strange world from which I recently escaped).  I am re-growing my beard whereas the previous employer allowed no such thing.  I feel like I have received my discharge from the military.  Please don't misunderstand.  My new employer is serious and all about making money...and it does get very hectic at times.  For the first time in over twenty years I have returned to an over 70 mile-a-day round trip commute, but I enjoy the solitude of the ride.  Time will tell the story of this new chapter in my sojourn through this world, and yes Dan, those hot and fresh Krispy Kremes are now within striking distance!

A Turn in the Road

So, I arrive at another milestone in my life as my 14-year tenure under two different owners in the same building comes to an end.  This one doubles any others in my life, as the longest I had ever remained in any job until this one was seven years.  But even as I quickly approach my 60th year of existence, I am not retiring, but continuing in the same business, but with a different employer in a different city.  I am not pulling up roots and moving, but I will have a longer commute each day.  I thank God I still have the strength to work, and at the same time, I have been given the opportunity to step back from the responsibility and stress of management.  I hope my experience will serve me well in this new endeavor.

Free At Last

In my last post, Saturday (yesterday) was described as a "day of reckoning".  It was such a day as I made a major decision probably concerning the remainder of my professional career.  I will refrain from too many details at this time, as the "official" announcement will not be made until tomorrow.  I will say that a tremendous weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I believe I might actually be moving to a saner work environment.  Some business owners, no matter how financially successful they may be, need to learn that a company can be profitable while treating their employees like human beings instead of machines.

No more 60+ hour work weeks, no more ridiculous rules.  The stress is gone!  The beard is back!

Things Are Happening

Time for an update to last week's "Clueless in Carolina" post:

I appear to be on the verge of a major change in my life and I must admit I am quite excited about it.  I am trying to stay reserved about this because I don't want to be set up just to be disappointed again like I have been so many times in the past four years.  The time is drawing near.  Saturday should be the day of reckoning.  Please pray that God would direct and that I will be sensitive to His direction.

I will use the word "feel" instead of "believe" in what I am about to say because I am not sure whether or not I am going off on some kind of tangent or this is all legitimate. 

 I feel I am on a collision course with a monumental decision between making money and peace of mind....remaining in the rat race to be able to pay the bills or to strike out "in faith" to explore other avenues God may have waiting for me.  And there is the rub.  Am I looking for an excuse to run from it all and avoid some unfamiliar pressure and stress, or is it time to close this chapter of my life and move on to the next one?  

I am Clueless in Carolina.