Not much to say

I can't stand to write any more about the election. Right now I'm just praying.

Actually, I'm praying lots, because I got my Treasury of Daily Prayer, yesterday and I've spent quite a bit of time geeting familiar with it. This is going to be a very good thing!

I've ironed more cloth napkins. And listened to more Issues, etc.

I've filled two recycling bins and a black garbage bag with junk from my office.

We're getting pirate costumes together for tomorrow night.

Strangely satisfying

I have tons to do. I have another half-bushel of apples to sauce. My house is about 1/3 clean, (Yes, the rooms commonly seen by visitors are relatively clean.) There's a pile of laundry. I have done absolutely nothing with my business in over three weeks.

But I spent an hour this morning ironing kitchen towels and cloth napkins.

I know. They go into a drawer, then they are used, then they go back to the dirty clothes. But they are more pleasant to use when they have been ironed. They fit in the drawer better. And maybe it's just a little tiny bit of order in what seems to be an increasingly insane world.

Besides, I got to listen to on-demand Issues, etc.

This and that

The kids and I are going to see Governor Palin Saturday when she visits Fort Wayne. We don't normally get many national candidates here, so I'm excited that my kids are going to have this experience.

The closer the election gets, the more worried I get about the results of an Obama presidency. When we talk about nominating Supreme Court justices the focus tends to be on abortion, and Obama does have an abortion "litmus test" for potential justices, but there are many ways an activist liberal Obama court could change America.

By the way, in the last debate Obama said that no one is pro-abortion. I beg to differ. If anyone can be said to be pro-abortion, and I believe some can, Obama is.

Great political post

My friend RPW has said many of the things I've been thinking but have just been too tired and fried to write.

I will very likely have a political post bubble up in the next couple of days. But for now, go read hers.

Fall in northern Indiana

Yesterday was my niece Gabby's fifth birthday. She wanted to do something with Bethany and her family, so we met them at a farm about an hour northwest of here. The main feature of this particular farm is the corn maze. As we started walking through the maze my sister-in-law asked if any of us get claustrophobic.

Uh, yeah. Me. And by the way, I hate cornfields. Well, I love looking at them. I just don't like being in them.

Really, though, it wasn't bad. We were led around by a five year old and all had a good time throwing corn at each other, which we discovered later was against the rules. I even hid in the corn.

Fall

I LOVE fall. It has always been my favorite season.

I love the warm sun on the cool-ish days and I love the crisp nights. I love sitting by a warm fire with a cup of hot cider or tea, looking up at the stars in the clear sky. I love the reds and golds of the leaves and the crunch that they make underfoot.

I love the spicy, woodsy, smoky smell of burning leaves. I love sleeping with the windows open and waking up culed up under my down comforter. I love sweaters and boots and fleece and trousers. I love squash and chili and warm creamy comfort food.

I love baking and the warmth and good smells it sends through the house. I love All Saints and the end of the church year. I love Redeemer's Sauerkraut Supper.

I'm not looking forward to winter, but I love fall.

Multi-tasking

Okay. It's the final presidential debate. It's painful to watch, but I can't miss it.

It's also the season finale of Project Runway. I'm not going to miss this! For the first time ever my three favorites are in the final.

Our DVR isn't capable of recording what's on another channel while we watch one.

Internet to the rescue! I am live-streaming the debate and watching PR.

Birthday party, sort of

Friday night we had a great family get together at Mounds Park in Anderson. My mom and Wicked throw a thirteenth birthday for each of their grandchildren, and this year we have two turning thirteen. Because of busy lives and the fact that the grandparents are leaving for Florida for five weeks, the party was held a little early. Andrew won't be 13 until November and Kate's birthday is in December.

I don't think anyone's complaining. A gorgeous evening at the park in October beats a December afternoon crammed into the condo anytime! We had a gorgeous fire, walked in the woods, and cooked hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire.


Roasting wienies!


My brother taught the girls his all-city airband championship dance to 1999. (Warning: The link is to a Prince video.)

Saturday Photo Hunt: Lazy

Jonathan relaxing with the cat. As you can see in the background, there's work to be done!

On the campaign trail

This is very interesting reading.

Apparently traveling with McCain is more pleassant than traveling with Obama.

Books

I have been neglecting my reading list, both reading the books on it and making note of what I read. I tried to get it up to date today, but I have read several books in the past couple of months that aren't coming to mind. If they do, I'll get them added.

I also have a couple of new must-reads that I'm going to have to fit in.

Even though I have deviated from it substantially, I still think that having the list has been worthwhile and I am going to do it again next year.

Photo Hunt: Sad

I have missed taking part in the Saturday Photo Hunt and have decided it's time to rejoin the hunt!

Today's theme is sad.

This is a cannoli from Buca di Beppo, swimming in a lovely sea of sambuca-laced chocolate. It is a sad picture because this particular cannolo is almost gone. It is doubly sad because Buca no longer serves the cannoli, so this was my last one. Wish I'd know in at the time. I might have eaten it a bit more slowly!




PhotoHunt

An American Carol

I know one thing I'm doing this weekend.

St. Michael Conference

Monday morning I got another of those little glimpses of Heaven. The sound of the voices of a goodly number of pastors singing hymns has to be very close to what we'll hear there!

I was privileged, once again, to feed the attendees at the St. Michael Conference. There is a bit of effort involved, but I enjoy feeding people, and the blessings far outweigh the work. The worship services were wonderful. The full-throated singing of "Praise My Soul the King of Heaven" by mostly male voices led on the organ by the Rev. Dr. Daniel Reuning was amazing. Kantor Reuning has the gift of playing in a way that makes the singing better and I am fortunate to be blessed by it every Sunday.

It was unusally great to hear my own pastor preach, because he has been on sabatical for two months, and will not be back until All Saints.. One of the things that I heard the Rev. Dr. Karl Fabrizius say in his presentation--I got to hear snippets of a couple--was that people learn the vocabulary, phrasing, etc., of their pastor. We learn what to expect. Listening to pastors we are accustomed to is easier for us, and it makes it harder for new pastors, or those filling in. This is so true. We, as listeners, owe it to those who are preaching to really listen and to realize that some effort may be required on our part when we are listening to someone new to us preach.

I always feel like I am getting a little bit of a privileged peek into the world of pastors when I help out at these events. I have come to appreciate more and more over the past couple of years the vast array of struggles that faithful pastors can be facing. It makes me so sad when I see and hear of faithful pastors who are being mistreated in ways small and large. And as I get to meet more and more of these men, I feel privileged to pray for them as individuals instead of just as an amorphous cloud of pastors.

We, as laypeople, need to encourage our pastors. We need to tell them when we get some new insight from a sermon. We need to pay them a living wage, and preferably more. We need to recognize that they have a huge responsibility--the care and feeding of souls--and support them in that. We need to encourage our pastors to take advantage of opportunities to be in the company of other faithful pastors. If there is a financial impediment to this happening, maybe we could forgo a night out and allow our pastor this oasis. We should also support our pastors by studying and learning, reading our Bibles, knowing our Confessions, and being Lutheran. And, it should go without saying, we should pray for them and their families.

Praise, My soul, the King of Heaven
By: Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1874

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
To his feet your tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing;
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise Him for His grace and favor
To His people in distress;
Praise Him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness.

Father like He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows;
In His hand He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows.

Angels, help us to adore Him;
You behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
All who dwell in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

Now for some fun

Don't go to this site if you like Trivia and don't want to get hooked.

Kleptocracy?

Ben Stein just described our government as a kleptocracy. Sounds about right to me.

Of course the bailout bill that our Senate is voting on tonight has become bloated with all kinds of enticements to various senators, making it far more expensive that the original $700 Billion I am hoping that people actually remember this when they cast their votes.

I liked Dave's plan.