Refreshing Sunday Morning

Just got home from church much refreshed. It doesn't always work that way. And it's not church's fault, or God's, it's mine. Years ago a man I really respected, Clayton Steep, wrote an essay on sabbath refreshment. He told about one day when he was coming home from work in a rush and drove up his driveway too fast and crashed right into his garage door, ending up in the garage where he wanted to be, only with a wrecked garage AND a wrecked car. He wrote that sometimes that's how he goes into the Sabbath too: Roaring in full speed and crashing. I know exactly how that feels. Many times I'm up too late on Saturday night, or others in the family are, and we have a hard time getting up, clean and presentable in time for 9:00 a.m. church. Sometimes I don't even have the excuse of being up late. I'm just disorganized and cranky. Church is not long enough to get out of one of those moods!

Well, this morning we were tired, but I still got a good night's sleep. The service was beautiful. We sang several songs that I love, including Fairest Lord Jesus. And then we witnessed the confirmation of our friends Barry and Lisa Fruechte's youngest child, S. They have seen 4 children now through the age of confirmation. They done good! S. was our only confirmand this year, which somehow made it seem more special. She stood tall in the front of church in her white robe and professed her faith. A beautiful event in her life, her parents' lives, and the life of our congregation.

I was raised in more of a Baptist tradition, so infant baptism and confirmation are still fairly new to me. That thing in red up there is the insert in the bulletin in which Pastor explained what he believes confirmation is all about. I thought you would find it interesting. I appreciated it as an excellent explanation.

On another note, Britta is away on her senior trip this week. We are appreciating the respite between graduation festivities. She graduates on Mother's Day and afterward we are having open house. We thought it was going to be a small intimate group of mostly family and neighbors, but then Britta invited pretty much everybody who has ever joined Facebook, so I am cooking. And cooking. I have been cooking beef brisket all weekend. Briskets #1, #2, and #3 are cooked, cut up and in the freezer, #4 is cooling down and #5 is in the oven. I am using Pioneer Woman's recipe only with a drastic reduction in the soy sauce; I thought it was wayyy too salty. The menu is brisket on a bun, mashed potatoes, gravy, cooked veggies (green beans, sweet corn) and rootbeer floats. Notice how I cleverly combined beverage with dessert? We got the back porch set up yesterday and having that and the brisket out of the way, I feel much better about how things are going.

Both sets of Britta's grandparents hope to be here for her graduation.