I feel like I can barely keep up, and yet, I find myself with time on my hands ... a sure sign that I'm not managing my time well ... I'm not a good steward of either my time or my energy.

OK. That's the tearing-down part of me speaking.

I'm overextended. I'm doing too much. I'm stretched taught, and don't have much more "give".

Last Friday, Leslie and the kids and I were at Wal-Mart (please, I know I'd rather be somewhere else, but it's the only show in town -- literally for 45 miles -- before there is a viable alternative!) and Armando, one of the workers at one of the local plant nurseries, recognized Leslie and struck up a conversation with her. I came into it after they'd already begun talking. It was good to see him. I'd not been by that worksite for a couple of weeks, and one of his first questions to me was "when are you going to bring church back to us"?

Bring church back to us???

Theological implications and the understanding of what Church IS aside, his phraseology struck me something terrible. I'd love to be able to sit down with a bunch of these guys and hash out what it means to be church to each other. That it doesn't reside in the presence or absence of a single person (other than the Holy Spirit, of course), that ... where two or more are gathered ... you know the drill.

I have to find a way to meet with them, to get to know them outside of the work environment. The owners graciously allow me to take whatever time I need to have a devotional time with them after their lunch time is done (usually no more than 15 minutes), effectively eating into the workday, and for that I am grateful. The problem with setting something up outside of the workday is that they are scattered all over, none living in close proximity to each other, so transportation immediately becomes an issue. I will try to get there at the end of a workday and perhaps ask to follow a group home, just to see where they are, and maybe find a place to start.

The friday night mini-gatherings here at the parsonage have gone well. the group that i go and pick up and bring from White Stone have developed into a relaxed, easy-going group of guys. We have a lot of fun on the drive back and forth (about 45 minutes either way), as well as while we are here.

It should be interesting to see how the choir does on the 19th in Richmond.