Monumentally disappointed in December at the cancellation of my knee surgery, I decided that January, and the new year, and the new decade(although this is debatable) would be a good time to try and put best effort forward no matter what. My new reality is nightly insulin injections, mounting knee pain and an unexpected flare up of my RA(rheumatoid arthritis). It's been a good January, not all ups but lots less downs. There was no cruise this year like January 2019 but that's ok. Our big project around the house was starting to de-clutter, get rid of lots of physical stuff that no longer needs to be here. Some of it was thrown out, some donated to charity and some packed and stored for the garage sales of this coming spring. My big project in church/deacon world was the start of another Bible study program. This one is a very lovely study; we are following Jesus from the last supper to the Cross with all the Biblical lessons and reminders along the way. For Catholics you might recognize the name of Dr. Edward Sri, this is his project and it is wonderful.
The month brought great let-down(yep, New Orleans Saints, again) and great euphoria thanks to those world champion LSU Tigers. I stayed up practically all night on the 13th as LSU dismantled Clemson and we watched LSU put the cherry on top of the 2019 cake that saw nothing but perfection. On a personal note, we attended a beautiful party where we all learned that Elizabeth & Mark are having a boy! The baby is expected in late May and big sister Brennan is so excited. We had yet another "over-nighter" with Brennan who so makes me laugh. Last week Wendy and I attended a 50th wedding anniversary party for her cousins Trudy & Mike. These two no way look old enough to be celebrating 50 years but so they did. Trudy & Mike were big time favorites of Wendy's mom, of happy memory, and we have always been fond of them as once we spent lots of time with them and their three boys, all fine men with great families of their own now.
Everyone who knows me surely knows what great joy I receive from my diaconate. Always a deacon, those moments when you do, when you interact, when you are helping people; those are great moments. Having "missed" several deacon functions of late thanks to this bum knee, I managed to assist at 9-10 masses, preached some, presided at a baptism and offered 1st Friday Benediction. Also, there were two trips to Rayburn and ministry with these faithful Catholics inside a state prison, an important "come and see" meeting for men possibly with a call to diaconate and then the aforementioned Bible Study.
As you can see, life is good. I even noticed prayer life is better, my spiritual rhythm restored and even working hard to get along in those times and places where sometimes getting along can be a struggle.
Coming soon are plans for reconciliation, more masses and preaching, more prison ministry, more Bible study and more de-cluttering too. Can you believe February brings the Super Bowl, oh yeah, who cares, and Mardi Gras in all it's glory and soon the beautiful liturgical season of Lent and our big KC fish frys.
Come March the abitadeacon will turn 63. I really do hope we have a solution to the high A1C so I can move forward with a new knee. I also hope that this year, there is great spiritual growth, some clarity in view about things like how much longer I work, what will work look like as I grow closer to retirement and also clarity about living on such a big place; just the two of us, growing old and dealing with our own individual aches and pains. And of course what will our growing role as Pops and Nona be, a new baby boy, a soon to be 2 year old Brennan and those awesome grands who just happen to live 812.5 miles away(Calvin & Katelyn). There will be at least 2 trips north and east to spend some quality time in the Tar Heel state.
You know what, I did not mention impeachment, politics, local news, current events, all the rest. I'm not the kind that ignores all such things, but my focus clearly is more on me, us, healing, serving, enjoying more and bitching less. Will see how all this goes as time continues to flow.
Here is to January 2020 and looking forward to February 2020. And I thank you for coming along on the journey.
God Bless us everyone!
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