It's been an altogether odd week. There've been good moments, and even days, but there's something going on ... i suspect it's just the change of the seasons, and the accompanying funk, but ... who knows ... could have something to do with the business meeting we had at church on wednesday and the pastoral evaluation forms, which are trickling in ...

The kids got their report cards this past thursday. Hannah and Caleb got all A's. Judson got all E's and S's ... the equivalent, i suppose, for 1st graders.

Not sure .... glad its saturday ... looking forward to tomorrow's encuentro ... the folks who come are going to do a lot of the cooking ... they're actually looking for someone to slaughter a goat ... THAT'S gonna be interesting ...

more later ... who knows, i MAY get the sermon done before midnight ... but then ... the monkeys would scare me pretty bad...

We went to Farnham Manor today, as we usually do on the third Sunday of the month, for an afternoon worship/devotional time. There were only a few residents there, but we had a sweet time with them. It is a special time to be able to share with them, sing and pray with them.

This was the during the 'free time' at the beginning of the afternoon. Leslie started giving ESL classes (that's her - lower right - in the blue).

We held an Encuentro (Gathering) at Kilmarnock Church yesterday afternoon/evening. There were a little more than 30 people there. Served communion (you can just see the elements between the boom for the piano light and the sheet music), and that is always a moving time. It went a little longer, I think, than usual ... although the devotional time seems to be getting longer as the weeks go by. We just enjoy BEING together.

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All of the extended Park clan who was able to attend Mom & Dad's 50th anniversary reception at the beginning of July in Louisville. From Left to right, going strictly by location -- nobody is DIRECTLY beneath someone else, so here goes: Judson Park, Caleb Park, Leslie Park, Benjamin Martin, Hannah Park, me, James Kenneth Park, Laura Park, Emma Martin, Divina Park, Becky Martin, Elizabeth Kapuscinski, Bill Martin, Jacques Kapuscinski, Aaron Kapuscinski, Karen Park, Johnathan Martin. Not present: Jimmy Park (a long commute - he lives in Osorno, Chile, so he's only MOSTLY excused) :-)

On a separate note: regarding the backpack distribution in August and the beginning of September, we distributed 191 backpacks altogether.

" … we were driving by the church and the cemetery this morning and noticed the black cat and the pumpkin on a grave, and we’re, really, am- ... you know, upset that in a Christian graveyard we would have these things that represent the goblins and the ghosts and the evil things that are out before all saint’s day on November the 1st, it’s none of my business at all, but it really, it really struck a bad note in our mind, and I just wanted to make a comment that uh, I know that the graveyard is connected with the church, and as Christians, I feel real bad about us playing up things that are of the devil. I just wanted, I don’t mean to be ugly or anything like that, but I just did want to make that statement. Thank you very much."

The message was left on our voice mail yesterday afternoon. The woman may have identified herself at the beginning of her message, but had already started speaking before the message began recording, so there were no identifying remarks on the message. We do have callerID. They are not members of our congregation, but do live nearby.

It struck something. While I can, on one level, understand where she's coming from, by the same token, it needs to be noted that the person doing the decorating is a woman who has lost the love of her life, and is alone, and is in the habit of decorating her husband's grave whatever the season or holiday. She spends time at the grave also. I don't go out there when she's there, but it does appear that she is talking to her husband.

The long and short of it is, people deal with grief in their own way. I think we should allow as much room and grace as possible for her to do that.

Grace & peace