What can I say!  Perfection!  My nephew is perfection.

I’m typing this with 34 minutes remaining on my laptop battery and a weak link to some wireless network in the area.  Since 7:30 am this morning, I have been without electricity as the guys from Stokes are rewiring my home, ridding her of the antiquated fuse electrical system.  (Phone call). Ok – now I have 27 minutes left so this will be brief.

There are mixed feelings as I think about my dependence on electricity. Cut off from tv/radio/HEAT!  Knowing that my laptop is in the final mintues of life before I will cut off from the outside world.  These are definite stretching things.   And the same time, there is something about the quiet, the simplicity of options that is blessing me today.  Instead of time with Matt and Katie this morning, I had more time for reflection and prayer.  Instead of another episode of "What Not to Wear" (I love that show!), I’m forced to read and to work on sermon texts.  Much more useful information (although I’ve learned quite a few fabulous tips from Stacy, Clint and Carmendy.)

24 minutes remaining . . . I’m grabbing last minute checks of emails before my time is gone. Anything important? No.  But my email fix is met.  Are you getting the sad, pitiful story here? My name is Melissa and I am an electricity junkie. 

Even lunch will be simple since I can’t cook anything. (Because of electricity issues, not skill, thank you very much.)  I’m thinking "peanut butter and jelly a la carte".  Yummy.   

19 minutes to go . . .

It is amazing to me how much filler I add to my day via tv and computers -  two mediums of escape for me from "real life" and ministry.  I sometimes feel guilty about wasting time, escaping to TLC instead of to God.  But I think it is part of my over-active self-critical spirit.  I should be doing more; I should be using every moment for service; I should be 24/7 on the things of God.  But I think it is okay and not un-Christ like to escape some times or to enjoy some of the pleasures of humanity.  I can imagine Christ doing this.  Always having the spirit of God in and through him; always communicating love and peace in all of his interactions, words and behaviors.  But still sitting around with the disciples and relaxing.  Debriefing.  Escaping from the load of daily ministry.   

Now my battery icon won’t tell me how many minutes left.  There is a warning pop-up and a red "x" over the battery icon.  That can’t be good.  So I suppose I will wrap this up with the little power that is left.

(Note to reader: My computer actually shut down on me right as I finished that last sentence.  So . . now my power is returned, several hours later, and here is the post.)  I’m going to now soak up every ounce of tv/internet that I can until I leave for volleyball.  My one-ness with simplicity was so short lived . . .

Peace – Melissa

Happy New Year to all my blog readers!  May 2006 be a year full of rich experiences, learning moments and deep blessings. May we love God and others more than we have before. May our faith increase and transform us as well as those who share space with us.

I was blessed to spend the day with Kailey as she went wedding dress shopping.  What an exciting adventure to share with her and I’m honored to be fulfilling my duties as maid of honor.  She found the dress that was made for her and she looked absolutely gorgeous.  Tonight was a fun night with some Common Ground friends as we celebrated the ending of one year and the beginning of another.  January 1st also marks the beginning of my sixth year on staff at First Baptist Church.  How the time does fly.

I leave you with my favorite prayer – the St. Francis Peace Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me show love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek to be consoled, but to console.
To be understood, as to understand.
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that  we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal life.

Shalom – Melissa

Addition to earlier post:  Although I indeed did win one game of racquetball against Dan, I failed to mentioned that I lost four – two of those with skunk scores!  So, Dan, my apologies.  Your athletic reputation is thus restored.

Today played volleyball for a long time and I’m feeling it in my right shoulder tonight from a few to many hits.  Play every week almost since October has been good for skill improvement though. I’ve learned a lot from the weekly games and from folks like Maria and Rick – master teachers with great patience.

I enjoyed a wonderful lunch today with my friend, Adele.  It was great to just enjoy a leisurely lunch where we could catch up on each other’s worlds.  Our poor waiter boy didn’t make a lot of money off of our table thought since we were there for a few hours.  It was great to talk through things with a great friend and I gathered a great deal of strength and fortitude from our time together. Thanks, Adele! Love you.

Christmas is officially over at my home.  I took down all of the Christmas decorations today and have my last gift to deliver tomorrow.  It is official as we press on to 2006 and all the exciting possibilities of a new year.  That always makes me excited.  A new slate; a whole new year of who knows what.  I did mention in my post yesterday that 2005 had been a rough year and it was for a couple of reasons.  However, I failed to also say that it also had many good moments.  I don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.  But it would be shallow of me to say that 2005 was hunky-dory when there were a few big rough patches that hurt.  I’m better for them but they still hurt.  But I had some great moments with my wonderful family; I met some great new friends; I have some awesome youth and spiritual family members in my church; I am blessed in many ways. And more than anything – I have a faithful God who is consistently there for me far more than I am for Him.  As would be expected since He is God and perfect and I am not.  I’ve learned a lot from our journeys together this year and from the many lessons God continues to teach me.

I’m sore and I’m tired so I think I’ll wrap it up tonight.
Much love and prayers for God’s peace to be known by each of you – Melissa