Beginnings and Endings

The first week of 2005 has been marked by many firsts and lasts, a fitting way to mark the passage of time that is the New Year celebration...

I just finished watching the last game of the college football season- the Orange Bowl national championship game. USC blew Oklahoma out of the water, 55-19. As the announcers said, there won't be any disputes this year about who should be the national champion after that game. Good job guys!

Sunday was my first day serving as deacon in my field ed parish, and today was my first full day of field ed. It was an incredibly busy day - a funeral in the morning (where I served as deacon and sang a hymn- pray for the repose of Jim's soul), staff meeting in the afternoon, and evening Eucharist. Its going to be great working with them!

This is also the first week of classes at Seabury. I'm not really taking any classes this term, because of field ed, and that is strange to me. I guess it won't be the last time for that, but its definitely an adjustment.

Last weekend was also our last New Year's in Chicago - at least for a while. By this time next year, I expect I will be working somewhere else and living somewhere else. You never know for sure what the future holds, I suppose, but I'm glad we had such a good New Year's - a play and a party with people we love, and lots and lots of friends over to watch football on New Years Day... and yeah, I'm *almost* over Michigan's last game. Ouch.

This is the first year in a while that I'm not making any specific New Year's resolutions. There is enough change in my life at the moment - and in the coming months - that dealing with all that is enough, thank you very much. However, after spending some quality time with some good friends over the weekend, I would like less conversations with close friends that go "I told you about this thing, right?" "Well, no... we haven't really talked for a few weeks" "Oh.. well..." Life is crazy busy, but I would like the conversations like that from the last few days to be the last conversations I have like that for a while.

This weekend, I'm going home for the first people-in-ordination-process retreat for my diocese. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I'll get to see some friends from Michigan that I didn't get to see much over the holiday. I'm pretty sure we'll make it fun. Do pray for our diocese - I think they are really making an effort to figure out how this whole ordination process could be better, and I'm glad they're trying.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Christmas season. All my friends taking GOEs will be on their break, so we're having a little 12th day Christmas party at school. They are working very hard, and they deserve the break. Keep them in your prayers too!

Finally, a song from my children's choir days about beginnings and endings. It may have been the first song I learned by heart!

You are Alpha and Omega
The beginning and the end
You're behind me, you're before me
You're ever my friend
Whatever I do, wherever I go
Jesus, you're my source and my goal