“I just blogged to say I love you…”

“…I just blogged to say how much I care.”

Hi friends.

Just stepping in to say hello. Things are busy at the moment, but I am doing okay. Keeping my head above water, with the occasional salty slosh and gasping breath. Not the best state of affairs, but not the worst.

My hope for this year was to cross-post my Sunday School notes on Mondays, but I think I’ll hold off on that. They need some refinement and I just don’t have time to do that. Someday, sure. Maybe I’ll write them, revise them, and post them next year as a weekly feature to support folks who may be doing a chronological Bible reading plan.

In the meantime, there’s just too much on my plate for me to produce any other good writing lately. (At this very moment, I have two toddlers jabbering at me, and my wife is calling me to come out for dinner.)

But I wanted to stop in and say hi. Hope your January is going well. I hope to come back in a week or so with something worth reading.

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In case you don’t get the musical reference in the title:

#ThirtyThankfuls Day 27: A good, full day.

I’m tired, friends. Been a good day. I preached this morning, made a pastoral visit this afternoon, and then came home to my family for the evening. Closed out the night watching a really sweet movie with my wife.

Tomorrow, I go back to work. Honestly, not super jazzed about that, but I’m thankful for the week off I just had.

Good night, gang.

#ThirtyThankfuls Day 15: A smelly “barn.”

“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” (Prov. 14:4 ESV)

It’s a busy day, a tiring day. There is much to do. I’m working late tonight, mainly because every night until Sunday is booked with something or other.

My office is dirty. My mind is cluttered. I want to get away and leave all of this behind, escaping with my books and my wife to a far-off place without dinging email alerts and ringing phone alarms.

On these days when the responsibilities are stacked and I need to stay on my grind, I remind myself of the verse above.

Because the easiest way to have a clean barn is to shoot your oxen–but that’s also the quickest path to an empty belly. A productive life is usually a messy life. That isn’t meant simply to glorify “hustle culture,” which can become quite unhealthy and unbalanced. Rather, it is to say that making things happen and taking care of my family means there will often be busy days and late nights.

So instead of being grumpy about my stacked to-do list, I’ll thank God for my fruitful (if cluttered) desk and keep at my task.

Goodnight, friends.

Pause.

Hey fam.

Today’s been a slog, and I don’t have a post ready. Ironically, today’s post was gonna be about work. However, I have more work to do today than time to do it.

I’ll be back tomorrow with two thankful posts.

Thankful for your understanding and your prayer support.

See you tomorrow.

—d.

#Septemblog Day 27: Cutting it close.

You didn’t think I’d make it today, did you? Yeah, me neither. I guess the pull of the unbroken streak is too strong.

Time for a #TIWIARN (“This is Where I’m At Right Now”) update!

I’m up working and will be for a few more hours. This used to be the norm, but since getting a helping hand on some things from my team, I’ve been able to take more evenings off (as it should be). You’d think that would make the occasional late-night editing session more tolerable, but it just makes it harder. I’ve gotten a taste of the fewer-than-60-hours work week, and I just like that too much.

BUT. I also am trying really hard to amend some old work habits regarding turnaround times, so when there’s a sudden flood of email responses and tasks in the late afternoon, one does what one must. Plus, if I can wrangle all these wayward ducks into something resembling a row, I may be able to take an honest-to-goodness mid-week day-off without having to make up the hours on the other side of it. (Yes, yes, I’m front-loading the hours right now, but you know what I mean.) So, the midnight oil is getting burned tonight.

I’m also not telling my wife I’m taking a day off so I can just surprise her with the ol’ “I don’t feel like working today” routine. It’s the little things, ya know?

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There’s other stuff going on, church stuff involving my pastoral responsibilities that I can’t get into here. It’s just sad and frustrating, and there are people I just want to shake really hard by the shoulders and yell, “Cut it out, you idiot! What are you thinking?!?” Which may sound harsh or unkind, but it isn’t. It’s about the kindest thing you can do to someone who seems full-bent on destroying themselves.

[I was going to continue but I’ll stop there. It doesn’t do you or me any good to grumble.]

I love my church family. I love being one of their shepherds. But sometimes the sheep you love and care for are the ones who kick and bite. When that happens, you push through and keep loving. That’s not easy. But that’s part of the job. You love your brothers and sisters with the same compassion and mercy that you yourself received from Jesus.

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My birthday’s in a few weeks. I’m…ambivalent about it this year. It just doesn’t seem to matter compared to whatever else is going on. Guess that means I’m well and truly middle-aged now.

[Ugh, what a bummer. Lighten up, Dave! Yikes.]

See? This is what happens when I stop mid-work to try to write a status update. I get all grumpy-bear and introspective.

Okay, gang, here’s where we try some audience participation to lighten the mood: What’s your favorite birthday cake/treat/dessert? Tell me in the comments. Go!

My wife is making me chocolate-peanut-butter whoopie pies, and I’m pretty hype about that, actually. See? I’m looking forward to my birthday after all! Everything is awesome!

See you, space cowboys.

#Septemblog Day 24: Not enough hours.

I’m frustrated as I type this and the hour turns over to midnight. I’ve worked hard to get things done this week but it seems like there’s just not enough time.

If I am to maintain a restful Lord’s Day without work demands creeping in, tomorrow will need to be one of those home-run days where I have the strength and capacity to get all the things done that were not finished this week. A handful of focused hours of work logged. A raised-bed garden constructed. A Sunday School lesson completed and outlined. Focused and present time with my wife and daughters. Maybe banging out a blog post or two in the spaces between.

I would need about 12 extra hours to check those items off my list, and the strength of multiple Daves to match the extra time. I have neither.

I am finite, friends. And it stinks. It really, really does. Because something is getting bumped when the time and energy runs out. Too often over the last year, it has been my family. It won’t be my family this weekend.

My eyes are tired. I’m squinting at the blurry screen in front of me. I’m tapping out tonight.

May your Saturday be filled with energy and few necessary tasks, dear readers. May God bless your with an undemanding day, or else grace you with the strength of body and will to best a demanding one.

#Blogtober2021 Day 19: When your heart’s not in it, maybe then you stop.

This may be my last post of the week. This “daily blogging” thing was a fun idea, but I just don’t know if I can keep up with the demand. There’s just too much clamoring for my mind and heart right now. I don’t have anyting of value to give you, and I already feel like I’ve been wasting your time.

I lost another extended family member this morning. Again, Covid plus chronic health issues. Still hurts.

I’m also feeling overwhelmed with a lot of little life details right now, unrelated to that. So the added weight of that just makes the rest of it a bit harder.

I’m going to be fine. I just need to take care of some other things right now. Blogging must wait.

When I have something to say, I promise I’ll be back to say it. And hey, just making it this far into the month, I’ve already posted more than I have the previous 6 months or so combined. So we can call that a success.

Talk to you later, friends.