Double Dipping

I feel disgruntled.  I feel discouraged.

We spent the last 12 hours at church.  12 hours from noon to midnight.  Last night I spent 4 hours at church.  This past week we spent 2 evenings and afternoons preparing for tonight.    I'm physically exhausted and feeling spiritually spent as well.

It feels like our community has a problem of double dipping.  We ask a smaller percentage of our body to do more than their share and it burns them out.  Today for instance.  We sent individual e-mails to people to help set up and you know what?  They didn't even have the courtesy to respond.  We had people that said they would show up that didn't.  Our three helpers today rocked, one did it all with a child strapped to her.  Another helped set up even though she couldn't make it for the actual program.  Then while we were finished setting up, we were asked to help out the program for the evening because there wasn't any greeters.   Later, I was asked to come to the second hour and help with sunday school.

I would've flat out said no to anyone else, but the person who asked me gives more of his time than I do.  Say what you will about his methods, but he loves and serves the Lord whole-heartedly.  I admire that he sets an example by doing.  Nothing irks me more than a leader who divvies out responsibility and directions like it's kool-aid but keeps their hands clean from the work.

I really don't know how much other people serve.  I don't know how many other ministries people are involved in, but right now it feels like too many people are content just coming to church and tithing their "ten percent" of money and expect the church and it's programs to work.  Sometimes people will bother to support their own ministry.  A few might actually help out with their kids ministry or a ministry that affects people in their own peer-group.  But it seems like it always comes down to the same people.

*sigh*

I'm directing a youth camp this summer and I've lost count of how many e-mails have gone unresponded.  Luckily, there are one or two people that are really excited and that keeps me going.

Today was discouraging.  It was ironic that our topic was about living vs surviving because right now I feel like I'm just surviving.  I'm doing what I can to prepare for whatever hoop I have to jump through next.

Maybe we need less programs.  Maybe we need more people to volunteer.  Maybe I need a break.  My wife could use one too.

Yay!

uh.. just because this picture cracks me up.  Good timing, Siska.

I come from a land down under

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich.
              --Men at Work
 
I'm neither 6'4" nor from Brussels... however, I am full of mussels.  The family and I went to Whidbey Island for the weekend.  Whidbey Island is famous for their Penn Cove mussels, so I decided to sample a few for lunch, then a few more for dinner. 

Notice the beautiful arrangement inside the scallop platter.  I ate at least 25 mussels yesterday.

ok... now it's an upset stomach

We just ate lunch at an Indian buffet in Redmond known as Sahib. Needless to say I got my money's worth of food. I can barely focus my eyes right now I'm so stuffed. In fact, I barely made it back to the office and when I got back, I didn't even had to push, I just had to stop clenching. I am full.

It's not an upset stomach...

Something has been bothering me lately. It feels like there is a battle brewing unseen around me and I can feel it starting to bubble over. I felt the same thing a few years ago at a big church camp and I can feel it again now. The battle lines are different, but the reason is stil the same. Years ago I chose a side... Now I just don't want to see it again.

People are funny about their spirituality. Funny because we hide them. Funny because we neglect them religiously. Funny because we defend them jealously and irrationally.

Years ago I felt my 'spirituality' questioned by others. Years ago I felt that their ability to express themselves made me feel inadequate and I resented it. I hope that I've changed since years ago and will be able to talk about my spirituality in a loving rather than a combative manner.

into thin air...

On the way home from work last night, the Wife and I wound up in the U-District looking for something to gnaw on. We ended up finding quite the treasure. I don't even know the name of the place, but it serves 'Himalayan/Tibetian' cuisine.

As we were waiting for the menus, I wondered what exactly Himalayan food was because most of what I know about the Himalayas involves a movie about mountain climbing. My morbid imagination kicked in when I recalled the movie 'Alive' and wondered if freeze-dried sherpa was on the menu. Suprisingly, Himalayan food is a mix between Indian, Chinese and SE Asian cuisines. I guess it's not that surprising considering where Nepal is located.

I had the 'Nepali Thali', a sample of Himalayan food including a goat curry, spiced vegetables and a lentil soup. It was served with rice and nan bread. The wife had a similar plate with chicken curry, some pot-stickers and a roll of sweet bread. The bread was the same type that you'd find in a hom-bow or when you order peking duck. We also had chaiya, hot milk tea to drink. The food was very good overall, but the real treat was the presentation. The meals were served on metal chargers with five-six separate decorated metal bowls balanced on them filled with steaming curries and soups.

Sorry.. no camera at the time, but we plan to visit again.