Sunday

Our pastor was back in our pulpit this morning, which is a good thing. He has been inactive in his profession, but attending to his wife, for over a month. As I heard him tell someone this morning, it's not necessarily a good thing to have an extended "break" like that, to be inactive. It gives too much time for thought. He rendered a soul-breaking message from Job about how we should handle trials and loss. I think he has come through many stages of handling his own troubles. It is good to see him up before God's people again.

Adam is gone this afternoon to a funeral at a nearby church where he's preached twice lately. A prematurely born baby girl, after struggling for several weeks with a weakened heart and not strong enough for the surgery she needed, died and was buried today.

Tonight is a community Thanksgiving service. This has been held for many years, and gathers our church and 4 others from various denominations. Adam will attend, but I must take Philip to Hickory for his trumpet ensemble rehearsal. They will have at least 2 performances during the Christmas season (one on Christmas Eve, late).

Only 2 days of school this week, before we have a BREAK!! I've been looking forward to this time off school for SO long. Basically, we only have 3 weeks of classes before it's all over for the semester. Sweet relief! I won't really teach again until past the middle of January, since I'm taking a student group to England.

But today, we are doing the difficult task of blending thanksgiving with grief.