A View From The Earth

My niece, Gabby did come home this week after her trip back to the hospital last Saturday. After running a bunch of tests on her, the results were still inconclusive as to what was causing her skin reaction. Thanks to all for the prayers that went out. She is doing well and felt good enough to go to her sister's concert on Thursday evening. Hopefully she will heal and there won't be anything else to report.

I asking everyone for prayers for my 14 year old niece Gabby, who is back in the hospital today. Gabby had a rash that turned into MRSA about 10 days ago. She ended up having the skin completely removed on a 10 cm x 10 cm area on her arm. After a couple of skin graft operations, she was doing really well and was sent home yesterday. However, after being home for about 6 hours her stomach and legs started to hurt. A rash very similar to her arm was showing up on her stomach and legs. So she went back to the hospital last night and is undergoing a battery of tests to figure out exactly what is going on and how to treat it. Thanks to everyone who have already added Gabby to their prayers!

I was excited the other day when a package arrived in the mail. It was in a plain brown wrapper, no it wasn't one of THOSE packages! What it did contain was my new shaving brush. Why would I be excited about something as mundane as this? The answer lies in that I have a pretty boring life and such things are about as exciting as it gets around these parts. And also that I'm somewhat a traditionalist when it comes to shaving so the soap and brush gets preference over the foam in a can. I purchased it from a place in Ohio called Lehman's, one can find most of their catalog at www.lehmans.com As I look through their wares and purchase a thing or two I will post those mundane things on my little corner of the blogosphere.

Today at the Bishop's Committee meeting at Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa, we received some very good financial news. It seems that the total amount of pledges has risen by over 26% as compared to last year. I have heard from a number of other local Churches of all denominations with a common theme, congregations are putting less and less in the collection plate. So it is truly a Godsend to be part of a small but growing congregation that doesn't have to worry whether there will be enough money to keep the lights on and the toilet flushing.

This is a sermon that I gave on January 10, 2010 at Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa. Don’t you hate it? You are watching a great movie on T.V. The excitement is mounting. You are getting to a really good part. You are sitting on the edge of your seat. Then right in the middle before the plot is revealed or the plot takes a new and exciting twist, a commercial comes on. For the next two to three minutes you see commercials about everything imaginable. We are told that advertisers may buy at least forty time slots on a single station, for a single day, when introducing a new product. No doubt they are on to something. Classic sayings abound. “Plop. Plop. Fizz. Fizz. Oh, what a relief it is.” “Snap, Crackle , Pop.” “Don’t Leave Home With Out It.” "Finger lickin’ good." "Have a break. Have a Kit-Kat." "Just do it." “Built Ford Tough.” The very successful media people have one question in mind: Have you heard? We have heard. We reme...

A week ago I was called into the headquarters for the farm cooperative that I work for. I was told that they were "rearranging the seats on the bus" and that my position was going to change. Well my seat went from being towards the front of the bus to being somewhere by the frame and the rear tires. I was pissed to say the least, they were transferring me to a different branch and dropping my wages. All of this was due to a restructuring of the company and a run in that I had with a salesman that is the current golden boy of the company. For a few days, I felt as if the dark specter of depression might be creeping back into my life. But I did recognize it and with the help of my lovely wife and God, I can keep that monkey off my back. And I decided that I can't let those bastards get me down. But compared to what people in Haiti are dealing with, my problems are minuscule. So please pray for all of the people that are having to suffer through the aftermath of the e...

After much prayerful thought, I've finally decided to get the ball rolling vocationally for me. I've sent a letter to my Bishop to let him know that I want to officially get going on the priesthood ordination process. This isn't something that I come by lightly or something that I decided on overnight. It is the culmination of a dozen years of discernment that started in the United Methodist Church and ended up in the Episcopal Church. Along the way I was even offered a local church pastorate but I had the feeling that God wanted me to wait for something else. That something else was the Episcopal Church and specifically the Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa. It is a place where my family and I feel like we really have found a Church home. As one of the parishioners puts it, "Church of the Saviour is the home to people that don't fit in other Churches. It like the island of misfit toys where everything seems to actually fit together." As time goe...

Here is the sermon that I gave at Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa today, January 3, 2010. Even though today is still in the Christmas season the Gospel lesson tells us the story of the Wise Men. Epiphany is the time when we celebrate the coming to the three Wise Men to meet Jesus and their encounter with King Herod But have you ever stopped to think what would have happened if it had been the three Wise Women instead of three Wise Men? They would have asked directions in Bethlehem rather than feeling that they needed to stop off at the Palace in Jerusalem, They would have arrived on time, They would have helped deliver the baby; they would have cleaned the stable and given practical gifts – like bringing a casserole and There would be Peace on Earth. But who were these wise men – the Magi? Very little is known about the Magi. Matthew doesn’t even record how many of them there were. All the Bible tells us is that they came from the East to Jeru...

A view to the north. Tonight the low temperatures are supposed to be a bit on the cold side, the forecast is calling for air temperatures to be -17 F (-27 C) and the wind chill forecast is a balmy -26 F (-32 C). Right now it is -2 F (-19 C) and actually it doesn't feel bad at all outside. I took the above photo while I was out doing chores this afternoon. Even though I had problems with watering the livestock due to the cold, the chores went well. So to everyone, stay warm and safe tonight. God Bless.

The restroom at Church of the Saviour in Clermont. What are the things that I'm thankful for during the past year? Well there are many things.... Such as being thankful for my family, the kids have grown in many ways, physically, emotionally, spiritually. It is hard to believe that all of them are now in school. I'm thankful for getting a different job, one that pays much better and allows me to work in agriculture and actually get paid for it. I'm thankful for being a part of a growing congregation at Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa, where after 142 years there is finally indoor plumbing! I'm thankful for my lovely wife, Marcia, who has put up with me for over 21 years. And the thing that sums it all up best is this: I'm thankful to God for all that I have and all that I am.

Believe it or not, it is Saturday and I'm not at work! This is the first Saturday that I've been off since October and I will be having Sunday off also. I knew that there were going to be some weekend work when I took this job but I didn't think that there was going to be quite this long of a stretch. But we did get a whole bunch of acres of dry fertilizer applied this fall, in total it was about 30,000 acres. That isn't too bad for a single coop location.

Our front yard after the snow had fallen. Starting yesterday, Tuesday, December 8th, snow started falling and didn't stop until this afternoon, I would say that we ended up with about a foot of snow. The wind picked up and we got a bunch of blowing snow which has made the roads impassable. As a result I didn't make it into work today but I stayed home and worked here. Maybe tomorrow sometime I will make it into work.

My car after the tire encounter. Last Thursday night, September 3rd, I was driving home with my 16 year old daughter and my 10 year old son from the Iowa State football game in Ames, Iowa. While I was cruising down US highway 20, a pickup truck passed me, which in itself isn't unusual because I tend to drive at or slightly above the posted speed instead of 10 miles per hour over it. What was unusual is that the pickup had it's tailgate down and was loaded down with wooden posts which were tied down with a rope, the spare tire was also tied with a rope. Unfortunately, the tire was hanging down over the passenger side edge of the pickup box. As it went by I thought to myself, "There is an accident waiting to happen." A couple of miles later there was suddenly this tire bouncing in my lane. At first I thought it was going to land on the car but I ran into it just as it hit the ground. This caused my car to ramp up onto the tire, then turn over on it's side and ...

The addition at Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa is progressing nicely. The photo above shows the flooring that was salvaged out of an old house in Decorah, Iowa. It matches the flooring in the Church and is of approximately the same age (about a 140 years old). The flooring is leaning against the former exterior stone wall which will remain uncovered when the addition is finished. As one can see, the ceiling is not completed as of yet since the carpenter is now finishing up the outside of the building. In about a month or so, the much anticipated toilet will be installed and flushable, so there won't be any running to the park or the gas station for personal needs.

In loving memory of Beth Patterson Beth is the oldest daughter of a dear friend. She was a light to all that knew her. I am positive that Beth is now listening to the choirs of angels in heaven. Below is her obituary. Beth Marie Patterson, 24, of Elkader, died Sunday, April 26, 2009, at Central Community Hospital in Elkader following a sudden illness. She was born October 4, 1984, at the Delaware County Hospital in Manchester to Brien and Brenda (Rosburg) Patterson. Beth was baptized March 27, 1986, at the Wadena Presbyterian Church and confirmed at the United Methodist Church. She was raised in Wadena (from 1984 through 1996) and Strawberry Point (1997 through 2003); attended Valley and Starmont Schools and graduated from Starmont Community Schools in 2003. Beth was in 4-H for nine years and served on county council for three years and Area Council two years. She was a member of Valley Superiors 4-H Club in Wadena. In 2002, Beth received senior 4-H Volunteer Award. She was a de...

My son Thomas, who has been known to doubt on occasion. This was a sermon that I gave at Jimmy's Cafe in Elgin, Iowa to the congregation of The Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa on April 19, 2009. The service was moved due to construction at the Church. The scripture basis for this message is John 20:19-20:31 Thomas must have felt that he had a bit of a raw deal. For he really missed out on that first Easter Sunday. Thomas must be the definitive everyman, for there is a little bit of him in each of us, and what he missed has much to teach us. Firstly, Peace. “Peace” Jesus said to the disciples in the locked room. What a relief for them, a frightened, persecuted, and bewildered group, hidden away in a locked room “for fear of the Jews”. It could conceivably have been the same upper room that was the site of Christ’s final, most significant teaching: triumph become disaster within only a few days. His first words were “Shalom” – “Peace”. He could have spoken first of his ...

Modeling a hat stolen from one of my daughters. Yep today is my birthday. I'm now a whopping 41 years old and feel like the best years of my life are ahead of me. Of course, my foresight is normally as bad as my eyeballs without glasses but that is besides the point. Anyway, I hope that all have a reflective Ash Wednesday and keep thinking about the important things in life as we move towards Easter.

Steeple at St. Sebald Lutheran Church, rural Strawberry Point, Iowa Here is the sermon that I gave at Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa on November 30, 2008. The scripture that formed the basis of this message is Mark 13:24-37 On 13th September 1759, one of the most significant battles of the 18th Century was fought – the Battle of the Heights of Abraham. You haven't heard of it? Well let me tell you a bit about it. The Heights of Abraham are the cliffs above the St. Lawrence river in front of the city of Quebec. Louis, the Marquis de Montcalm - who was in charge of the French defenders of the city of Quebec - felt secure because of the natural protection against a river side attack afforded by the Heights of Abraham. And so he sent only a small detachment of French soldiers to watch the cliffs and repel anyone foolish enough to try and scale the Heights and attack However, the British General Wolfe found a route up the cliffs, that led to the top. When he got to the t...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY OF YOUR 29th BIRTHDAY! Today is my lovely wife, Marcia's anniversary of her 29th birthday. I won't say how many anniversaries it is, that would be inconsiderate. But I can tell you that is more than what I've had. So for those who look at this humble little blog, pop on over to her new blog at http://wdmapowell.blogspot.com/ and say "hi". By the way in the photo above Marcia is being her typical self by multitasking, here she is talking on the phone and preparing to make the bulletin for Church with a Bible and a Book of Common Prayer.

The bell tower at Church of the Saviour, Clermont, Iowa This is a sermon that I gave on November 23, 2008 at Church of the Saviour in Clermont, Iowa. The scripture basis for this is Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:11-24, and Ephesians 1:15-23. The following is a brief meditation based on writings by Claudia Burney: "Jesus' family lives next door. He’s got an eight-year-old niece and her three-year-old brother. The Son of Man is the uncle of those starving Ethiopian children. They only gets breakfast and lunch at school, when they make it. His sister is a crack addict. His aunts are illegal immigrants, and the processing plant is closing. Poor King of Kings. Jesus' brother is two houses down and has six children. and his sister-in-law’s pregnant with the seventh. I don’t know if they haven’t figured out what birth control is, or what, but how can his brother feed all those babies on that salary? That means hardworking taxpayers’ money has to go for the Christ’s...