If you, Ms.Layperson (or Mr. or Dr., etc.) redesigned the sanctuary of your church, what would you add?

Here's what I think:

1. Have DVD players in each pew on the hymn book rack.
2. Put foot warmers w/massage on the kneeler.
3. Have a cup holder for coffee, water bottle or soda can.
4. Have a micro-chip sound of applause when your quarter hits the offering plate.
5. Have signal buttons in front of each worshipper to let the preacher know to slow down, speed up or just quit.
6. Put Sharper Image type massagers in each seat. Hard to listen when your back is sore...
7. Have a beautiful person in Armani give the announcements.
8. Have the Sunday newspaper in each pew.
9. Give each worshipper a Big Gold Star as they leave so they can let other less righteous people know that They Went to Church.
10. If the kid sitting behind you kicks the pew where you are sitting, push a button and eject him out of the sanctuary.

What can be added to this list?

St. C
"Ready for Passion Sunday. Ready for Palm Sunday. Ready for Holy Week".

Dear Pals,
I'm busy with many things as we move to Holy Week and Easter. I'm finishing sermons, planning worship, designing bulletins and sneaking outside to putter in the garden. I'm using "garden" in the overseas manner so don't be thinking I'm planting collards and squash. The garden is a mess mostly, still rumpled from the Storm but life goes on. I see sermon illustrations everywhere I look from the flower seeds moved twenty feet over by wind and rain; azaleas blooming with broken branches and a charming yellow flower I've never seen before popping up near the brick sidewalk. Life goes on in nature and in us.
I thought Advent and Christmas were special this year because of the situation here. I was correct. Lent presents different blessings this year because the putting aside of distractions (chocolate, alcohol, not picking cuticles, etc.) are not artificial or habitual. Turning our faces from what doesn't matter toward the Big One Who Matters comes easily this year. This is a good thing.
Everything changes. I'm encouraged by this maxim. Change means a different pivot to adapt and I'm all for learning to adapt. C.S. Lewis wrote that the only things we can count on are death, taxes and unrequited love. He's correct that those things are inevitable and rather than thinking he is cynical in his comment, I think he is reassuring.
I think about the constancy of change with politics, usually. Like ol' DeLay and some of the local stinkers we call "Sir" here in the Pine Grove who will be moving on (God willing and heavy voter turnout) come election time.
So, as I said, I'm busy. I have much to do for which I am grateful. My energy has returned and the Spring mornings encourage my spirit.
Always glad to see you,
St. Casserole

Spring Forward; Fall Back

Fun With Time

Actual conversation at Session meeting:
Rev.St.Casserole: "Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday. I hope people remember because I forgot to put it in the bulletin"
Session Member: "It starts Sunday???"
All Session Members: "I forgot!"

How long does it take for a new rug to be "baptized" by a pet? 16 hours after putting down the new runner, either Whistle or Fish lost breakfast in the center of the rug.

How long does it take a teen to get ready to go out the door? It varies.
for school? endlessly
for friends? instantly

How much time do you wait for your mother to take you somewhere? endlessly

How long does it take the clothes dryer to finish a pair of jeans?
If you are in a hurry: forever
If you don't care when the jeans dry: no time at all

When does "in 45 minutes" mean 45 minutes?
only by watching a clock otherwise 45 minutes translates into several hours or an entire day....

Wondering,

St. Casserole

Welcome to the Pavilion Online Store

Welcome to the Pavilion Online Store

Here are two examples of the Emily Ray "Circle of Faith" RGBP's Alpha and Omega symbol. I guess they don't have the bracelet with the single AO charm.

Full service jewelry searcher,

St. C

I'm grateful reporter Jill Carroll is free.

My eBay rug came today and is better than I hoped it would be. Beautiful colors, great 100% wool runner with regular cost shipping and even better price for the rug itself. I put it in the long hallway and put the Karastan I Grew Up With Which Retains To This Day A Tad of Duncan Black Lab Fur in the hallway to our bedroom.

Yours,
St. Casserole

Not a Bit Quirky. Nope, Not me!

Your Quirk Factor: 44%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it. Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

How Quirky Are You?

Commenter Nightwoodkitty, in response to my post about manners, wished people would say "you're welcome" when thanked rather than "no problem".
The local paper has a phone-in comment line and this appeared today:

• I'm calling about the watering down of our manners. Whatever happened to "you're welcome?" Now the clichéd language is "Not a problem." What's that? What happened to "you're welcome?" It's being dumbed down to these soundbytes. The only problem I have is people saying "not a problem."

Ok, all together, in unison, "You're welcome".

Channeling our Mothers,

St. Casserole

Things I like

See this London Underground plastic pass pack? I found this at a charity shop for .46. I hereby establish that I own the best bidness card case in the entire Presbytery and beyond.






This Alpha and Omega sterling bracelet is by Emily Ray. I think she's a Texan. Grace will know. The flip side of the disc features a cross.
It's not easy to find an Alpha and Omega symbol unless it's in a frat/sorority pin.
I declare this bracelet to be the Official RevGalBlogPal bracelet. I wear this one and a spectacular RGBP wears one, too. For men and women.

I guess you can get one of the bracelets by 'net search. The local emporium sold out of these back in January.

Love,
St. C

RevGalBlogPals Friday Five "Planet St. Casserole"

Songbird invites us to create our own Planet Us RevGalBlogPals for the Friday Five. What would be in my Planet St. Casserole shop?:

1. Dark Chocolate cake, cookies, candy, fudge and cocoa but no chocolate-y fragrances or body lotions. "Chocolate is sacred. Eat it; don't wear it." (from St. Casserole, GUIDE TO LIFE, page 13)

2. Sterling silver flatware, holloware, antique monogrammed, trophies, luggage tags and bracelets. Lots of vintage and antique sterling. Lots!

3. Books! No self-help except devotional lit but lots of biographies, murder mysteries, novels and coffee table art books all around the shop.

4. Comfortable chairs for people under 5' 5". No chairs where short people sit with their legs stuck out straight. Comfortable pillows, probably vintage needlepoint but no down-stuffed pillows.

5. You. What would Planet St. Casserole be without you??

Thanks, Songbird

Love,
St. C

Circumstances turned this blog into a Katrina blog. I don't apologize for this but do feel a bit miserable talking about the storm endlessly. So, for the next seven days, I'm not mentioning the hurricane.

Before I begin not talking about the storm, I want to mention:

*A group of Church women came to the Coast to offer a "Spa Night" to Baptist Church women. The Baptist women came to their Church and received manicures, pedicures, facials and neck/shoulder massages. I thought this was a clever offering of relief from hurricane stress.

*Another group sent tuxes and evening gowns for Prom to high school students.

*Robin from somewhere called me Tuesday to ask if there was anything she could do for me. She's staying at a local Presbyterian Church for the week. She's offering pastoral skills while others in her group are roofing and tearing out damaged walls around town.

*A local pastor came by to get donated books I've received. He was all smiles as he left with his haul.

*The Humane Society is in the new building!

Yours,

St. Casserole

Outlawed, Now and Forever

Public whistling

Cleaning one's nose in public

Using hand or wrist as kleenex

Smacking noises whilst chewing gum

Any noise whilst chewing gum

Playing "see food"

Eating with elbows, forearms or chest on the table

Saying, "to be honest with you" (reveals that person lies anytime this is not said)

Leaving residual toothpaste smears in lavatory bowl

Public whistling

Hereby declared by Manners Patrol, March 22, 2006

St. C, Recording Secretary

People Who Blog About Cats or Have Cats As Guest Bloggers
	Have too much time on their paws
	Might want to consider "getting a life"
	Love Cat a bit "too much"
	Are Creative, Likable Persons Who Know Cats
	Show Sound Judgement, Good Character and Deserve A Prize
	Feel Guilty About Not Buying More Cat Toys
	Have Never Been to Paris and It Shows
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Guest Blogger: Fish the Kitten

Now that I'm more than 6 months old, I can tell you things. I know things because I'm old now.

1. If your brother, Whistle, is eating, put your paw into the dish and pull it away from him. You get the bowl. He doesn't do it back to you.

2. If your Mom calls, "Kitty, kitty, kitty, CAT COOKIES!" wait to see if Whistle runs to get a cookie first. Then, you can run. That way, you don't have a false alarm "Cat Cookie" waste of your time.

3. Hide if you see P.P. Puppy. Only Whistle plays with the P.

4. Jump up on as much stuff as you can. Try to climb the bookcases. Jump on top of your Mom's dresser and knock stuff off. Hide when she comes to see what made the noise.

5. Go sit on the Man's lap. He likes it. Purr and look at him. You can see up his nose. Weird, but entertaining.

6. Run to use the litter box if you hear Her cleaning it out.

7. Get on the bathroom counter and dig out all the Q-tips. Roll them off the counter and make a pattern on the floor. Pretty!

8. If She is reading, go sit on her book.

9. Follow Andy around and sniff him endlessly. He smells like OUTSIDE!
Continue sniffing him until he hisses and raises his paw.

10. Sleep on your Mom's legs. I don't know why but this is good.

11. If Whistle has anything, take it away from him.

12. Want some of what your Mom is drinking? No problem! Put your head into the glass and she won't touch it again! Works very time!

Your friend,
Fish the Kitten

P.S. I have to go read the Bible. Mom says I need to review the story of Cain and Abel.

My text is John 2:13-22, Jesus throwing out the money-changers to cleanse the Temple.

Everyone and everything has a price. God does not have a price. You can't put monetary value on God so don't even bother.

The value of God is beyond everything and all things. Nothing and no one is of more value to God who cares for both the sparrow who falls and the greatest among us.

Amen.

Long day yesterday touring the Coast with denominational officials. I liked all of the visitors; bright, smart and immeasurably kind.

The day was difficult for me beginning with the drive to East Biloxi on Highway 90. The roads are clear. Parts of the beach are free of debris but the devastation is everywhere. Our meeting-up place was a casino.

I find it insufferable that the casino is up and running looking like a brand-new place while the rest of the area is a blasted out misery. Money talks and everyone else will re-build as they are able. Early in the morning the casino bustled and the noise of slot machines got on my nerves. The dissonance between outside the building and indoors felt painful.

We toured PDA sites along as well as damaged churches. The visitors got a good look at what the hurricane did to the area.

Every church showed improvement either in clean-up or re-building. I'm pleased about this because I saw clear differences from two months ago.

I had a meltdown at one church where we stood in the empty sanctuary watching workers doing carpentry. I'm not sure what happened to me but the pressure of damaged churches, sympathetic visitors and hearing the church member say that 98% of the church members had housing damages brought me to tears. Folks, it's just tough down here.

I'm tough. I'm doing well. I'm dealing with it all.

Rats. Double Rats! Hearing the suffering in people's voices, seeing their devastation and knowing my own losses and fears is just a bit much for a tough gal like me.

The visitors talked about programs to help us. One is sending me a copy of Brueggman's Psalms just because. Another is going to help with loans for churches needing repairs and all of them were kind. The programs being offered are creative and will help us.

I left the meeting later in the afternoon. I'd had enough and just wanted to be alone.

Love,

St. Casserole

Pastoral Advice

Suffering is pain without meaning. Anyone with sense avoids suffering. The old religious idea of searching for suffering is for wimps and nutcases.

Pain with meaning comes our way whether we are believers or not.

I have advice for those in pain.

Read the Psalms. Get a translation of the Psalms which makes sense to you. If King James English reads clearly to you, go with that translation. Otherwise, I suggest looking for a contemporary translation.

The Psalms are full of people whose physical and emotional pain will resonate with yours. When I am physically sick, the Psalms reassure me that my human pain is not unusual. When I am in emotional distress, the Psalms discuss being threatened, harmed, assailed by evil doers (great language, huh?) and feeling lower than a snake's belly in a wheel rut. I don't feel alone when I read the Psalms.

I have a family member who is suffering. There is no meaning to this pain. It is hideous. No way to avoid the pain. No escape or end in sight to what this person has to deal with in a rotten, painful situation. None of it is his fault. He is not responsible for it but suffers all the same.

This family member's pain is tied up with a community's anguish and there is no escape.

Read the Psalms. Look for God's help. There is no one on earth who can transform our misery, hold it, listen to us and offer comfort the way God does.

I'm standing close to this family member. I love him. I would fight all the armies in the world and take on the Dark One himself for this person. He is coping with family issues I can't even imagine knowing about outside the pages of a novel.

Life is tough. God is available. Love heals. Hope is what we hold onto. Just keep moving forward.

St. Casserole (who loves you)

It's Thursday night which means the Casserole Kitchen is closed so that the thundering hordes may rush to the neighborhood Mexican Restaurant.

I don't believe in cooking on Thursday nights. It's a Presbyterian thang.

St. Casserole (cool but still approachable)

Considering the entire scope and meaning of human existence, bad hair means nothing.

Thank goodness, because yesterday I noticed rampant bad hair everywhere I went, especially bangs. "Bangs" means the hair falling over your forehead for our international readers.

The twist of planets and the ocean tides provided hair follicles a break from behaving.

I never saw such bad hair as I did yesterday.

I wish I'd had time to ask you to look in the mirror yesterday to confirm my suspicions about BAD HAIR.

Taylor Hicks, on American Idol, did not have bad bangs or hair. He was an exception. Even the cats looked cow-licked and disheveled.

This may not be my best post, but it's whats on my mind.

Yours,
St. Casserole

It's great the RevGals want to send me to Paris.

I can't go because my life is here. Everyone gets the itch to run away from the disaster zone but few of us up and go. I'm not going anywhere but will pray and muddle through.

I wonder what it is like for people who grab a credit card and a passport and leave when the world presses in? Do they call home when they arrive at the Hotel D'ieu on the Rive Gauche to let the home folks know they are ok?

As a child, I could run away by hiding under the dining room table, going to my playhouse in the backyard or just not answering if someone called for me. Maybe I could get on my bike to speed down the fast turn at the far corner sailing around the block. Best yet, I found a book and jumped into the pages to escape far, far away.

Most of the time, I like being an adult. I'd rather be an adult than a child because I don't want anyone telling me to turn off the light, stop reading and go to bed. I like being married, having a schedule of my choosing and being part of the larger community.

You don't run away when you are an adult.
You answer the phone. You straighten the house. You deal with whatever comes your way with as much grace and faith as you can muster.

If I get under the dining room table, I better have a vacuum in my hand to explain why I am there. If I go to the greenhouse, which before-the-storm had a "playhouse" feel, I have to watch out for the 'possums and other wild life who live there now in the ruin. My bike was stolen, so no riding down the hill of Sharon Road. As for losing myself reading, I do that still.

I will muddle through and things will get better and I'll be fine, by God's grace.
I've been through stuff before so I have experience. I'll lean on God's good care vigorously and see what happens.

Looking at Monday,

St. Casserole

Why I Need Spring Break More than These People

1. I am tired of living in the Hurricane Disaster Relief Area.

2. I need a pedicure.

3. I had surgery and have pushed myself ever since.

4. I am tired of loading the dishwasher, daily chores and cleaning cat litter.

5. I am tired of returning phone calls and making phone calls.

6. I've never been to Paris.

7. My attitude is sour.

8. I'm sick of injustice here and around the world.

9. The fire ants are busy and on my nerves.

10. These kids haven't done anything but read good books, listen to lectures by educated teachers and stayed up late doing God-Knows-What. They don't need Spring Break, I do.

Wound pretty tight,

St. Casserole

One step forward, two steps back.

Bay St. Louis, hard hit by Katrina, is making progress. I saw the damage there early last October and was depressed for days. The town is cleaner, more houses look repaired or beginning to be repaired and business are re-opening. I'm happy when I see progress.

I visited in BSL with Little S. twice. Love talking with her! She could be a RevGal except that she is Luddite and proud of it.

On the other hand, the trip to BSL was miserable. I followed trucks blowing black smoke, dodged dangerous debris falling off trucks onto the interstate while fighting to stay on the highway with the big trucks and pick-ups.

I don't know how the town stands all the dust blowing and dirty air. It's discouraging

My BSL preacher pal's repaired home is beautiful. He and his wife redesigned the interior of their damaged home into better space for their family. The new kitchen is great and they picked out beautiful furniture. I'm happy for them.

Over in my neck of the woods, I took a prescription to the neighborhood pharmacy. The tech returned the script to me with the comment, "We can't fill this until tomorrow at 5." Great. A full 24 hours to wait unless I can find another pharmacy. Why? Not enough pharmacists or techs.

The neighborhood grocery store opened. The movie theater won't be re-built. My bank branch will be closed for another few months. We don't have a bookstore on the Coast.

St. Casserole

A Prayer for Those Who Go to Meetings

Gracious God, who calls us from our various tasks to look to you, we ask for your presence with all those who gather in meetings today.
Bless us as we enter, as we greet and as we begin our work.
Give us a generous spirit towards those we have difficulties.
Let this be the meeting where we are able to see and hear and know them as your vehicles of grace.
Let this be the meeting where we hold our tongues and thoughts so that others may shine.
Let this be the meeting where we see ourselves as part of a greater challenge and rise to meet the needs presented with our response of love and wisdom.
Grant us, we pray, that the time we spend together be a blessing to the group and a way of honoring you.
In Christ's name, we pray. Amen

St. Casserole

Our Pass Christian High School kids got prom dresses, accessories and tuxes from a high school in Connecticut.

The Humane Society of South Mississippi moved out of the Katrina damaged building into a great new facility. Grants, donations and labor from around the country came pouring in to help.

Our neighborhood Chinese restaurant re-opened and looks better than it did before the storm.

Little S. is on the Coast. I'll see her today.

I see church vans every where I drive. People are here to help us. I am so happy.

Ruby's landlord is taking his sweet time making repairs on her home. She's afraid to ask him about it because he may increase her rent. She's paying rent and living in a FEMA trailer. She has to buy propane tanks for the FEMA trailer to keep warm.

The neighborhood grocery stocks hydroponic lettuce. LH is fascinated with all the new stuff the grocery carries now after the storm.

I hope to see our plumber today. I hope to see the electrician. I carry this hope from week to week.

If you want to have coffee with the Preacher Group, come over at 10:30. We are meeting here this morning.

St. Casserole

Do you wear a cross?

Do you wear a cross? Most of the time.

Is there a particular time or place that you consider wearing a cross? At worship or whenever I leave home. I don't wear jewelry at home often.

Where do you were it? I wear a cross on a necklace, usually outside of my clothing.

What does the cross look like? I have several crosses. The one I wear now is silver about three inches long and has flowers engraved.

Who gave the cross to you or did you choose it? I bought this cross at a garage sale last year.

Is this your favorite cross, if so, why? The silver cross is lightweight and I like the styling but it's not my favorite. My parents gave a cross to me at my ordination even though my calling confused them. That cross is my favorite but I don't wear it often because I seldom wear gold.

What does wearing a cross mean to you? I wear a cross to remind me of Whose I am and because I'm grateful for my calling.

Wanna play? Tag yourself and tell us if, when and why you wear or don't wear a cross.

St. Casserole

Dear Uncle Pollard,
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful note. I hope you have a deep and blessed Lent yourself.

I didn’t realize how timely your comments were on the South Dakota decision until our State voted the same way yesterday. Our Governor insisted on rape and incest as exceptions. I suppose he was using compromise to get the law passed. I’d like to shake hands with all those ( how many one wonders) who pressed him for these exceptions.

You commented that being against abortion is all one has to do to be considered righteous. I suppose you are correct but I’m sorry we live in this kind of world. Righteous, as I understand it, is a deeper concept than "correct political belief" and I worry that reducing the concept to being against "homer-sexuality" and preserving all pregnancies hurts in ways we can’t imagine.
I heard a woman on the radio say that we are demeaning children born of rape and incest by allowing them to be on the "hit" list for enforced pregnancy. Then she said that the women she knew would choose to die to save their infants if only one could live through labor and delivery.

Like you, I feel that we are moving to enforced pregnancies and perhaps having a "cycle check" each month for women to make sure that they are not endangering human life.

Because I spent so many years hoping for a successful pregnancy, I feel close to the issue and have since it took over the national scene in the 1970's.
I heard another radio person say that until we declared that all life begins at conception we’d never be safe from the liberals. I'm afraid of those who want to control pregancies for others. I suggest that until we make life safe for all children, nothing we say or do about abortion will make any difference in God’s eyes. Great pre-natal and life-long health care, good nutrition, parental education, good schools, fair pay and meaningful work need to be in place for every child. Providing safe contraception to stop children having children makes sense, too.

We have so many needs down here in Mississippi that I wish our legislators spent time making education and good jobs a priority rather than passing fatuous laws. It’s election time and I suppose the "righteousness" law is a no-brainer. There was talk of removing the 7 % tax on groceries but the legislature couldn’t work out how to allow people to buy milk and bread without the tax. Makes you think...

Love to you and Aunt Cordie. Come see us.

St. Casserole

My Neighborhood

These are pictures of places in my neighborhood. I took the pictures yesterday, March 1, six months after Katrina.
The top left picture is the green space down the block from our home. It was a pine grove. Top right picture is a genuine FEMA trailer in front of a neighbor's damaged home. The third is a "blue roof" home showing the tarps used by the Army Corp of Engineers to protect homes, temporarily. I don't know why this neighbor hasn't gotten a new roof. Most likely, their insurance company is being a Big Poot.
Yesterday, when I tried to load these photos and more, I couldn't get them up on the Blogesphere.
I heard a piece on NPR yesterday about the older people who've died since the storm. The commentator made the point that these deaths are storm-related although not counted in the statistics. Older adults who've evacuated to new places and who do not have the "umph" to re-build lives in the storm area, die.
Not everyone, thank God, but one of the interviewees counted 38 deaths among her friendship group since August 29, 2005.

St. C.

I'm trapped in my study with the cats this morning. LD has a project showing a Rube Goldberg machine on the kitchen counter. Whistle and Fish express interest in everything and the project is fragile. Until I take LD and the project in the Big Car at 8 am., we are sequestered in this small room. Cats are everywhere.

The kittens 6 month birthday party was a great success with new furry mice and lots of balled up paper to chase. We did not limit the party to a specific time but told them "Happy 6th Month Birthday!!!" throughout yesterday. They seemed satisfied.














Happy March 1 to all of you. We survived my least favorite month of the year, February, and may now proceed to March. Remember that March is Wear More Jewelry month so load it on. Keep your pedicures current and buy a new pair of shoes. Oh rats! It's Lent. Forget all that and get your purple on.

Love,
St. Casserole

Editorial cartoonist Marshall Ramsey's view of this year's Mardi Gras.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Several Thoughts About Katrina

Wednesday will be the sixth month anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

*Is the EPA trustworthy with reports of the air quality and soil contamination around here. I saw a truck pumping black stuff onto the sand beach back in early October. Will we have three headed birds, odd toed dogs and bad lungs in our community? Is the EPA as political as every other branch of this Republican administration? Don't answer that, I know the answer.

*Local kids are spraying graffitti which mimics the death codes used by the military after the storm. Seeing the spray painted symbol of "dead inside" on the side of an electrical box by the roadside is upsetting.

*Will City drainage be repaired before the new '06 Hurricane Season begins in June?

*What happens when large groups of citizens are clinically depressed?

Thinking,

St. Casserole

I returned to my congregation yesterday after four Sundays away. Oh, how wonderful to see my people!

They had a lovely meal after worship along with a "Welcome Back" cake (carrot with cream cheese icing) to celebrate my return.

Thanks be to God!

St. Casserole

This is Taylor Hicks from Birmingham. I mentioned him earlier in the week and, according to my stats, many newcomers strolled through the hallowed halls of St. Casserole Bloggage.

Does anyone do that for Songbird's tv boyfriend?

Just wondering.

St. C

Miss P. wants my help writing a prayer for the Presbyterian Women's Annual Gathering in March. She's doing the memorial for PW women who died in the past year. Miss P. couldn't find anything to use so she thought she'd ask her in-house pastor for help. I'm game although I didn't find much available either.

Here are my results. The first two prayers are adapted from the Book of Common Worship, 1946 and the final prayer is mine. We've got a few more days to work on this if you want to add suggestions, etc.

Prayer for Presbyterian Women Memorial Worship
Almighty and merciful God, We give thanks to you for all the women who have done justice, loved mercy and walked humbly with you . We remember your servants who ministered through the Presbyterian Women and have now gone to their loving reward with you.
We thank you for the high and holy ones who were shining lights in the world.
We thank you for the meek and lowly ones who held fast to their faith in times of trial.
We thank you for women who listened, hoped, worked and prayed with us through the years.
As they blessed our lives by their presence, we ask that you grant us the grace to follow in their steps and at last share with them in the inheritance of the Saints in light;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

-OR-

Eternal Lord God, who holds all souls in life;
Give to us the abiding comfort of your presence with us as we recall the lives and work of Presbyterian Women whose labors here have ended.
Receive our thanksgiving for those who loved and served you who are now at rest;
and grant us, that we, following their good example, may at the last enter with them into the fullness of Your unending joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Adapted from the Book of Common Worship 1946)

Gracious Loving God, who calls us to service through the Presbyterian Women; we give thanks today for our sisters in Faith who have died in the past year. We know you receive them with joy into their new relationship with you.
We thank you for the bold and the shy, the confident and the needy, for the laughter of shared experiences, for the tears shed in dismay.
We thank you for all that made our departed sisters dear to us.
We thank you for their encouragement and vision; for their hard work and faithfulness to the Church; for their willingness to serve you in this ministry.
We ask your blessings on us as we follow in their footsteps, carrying the fellowship and work forward of Presbyterian Women into the future. Grant that we may honor our departed sisters by your faithfulness to the tasks before us; our laughter and friendships enjoyed and our vision strengthened by knowing them.
With grateful hearts, we pray in the name of Jesus, who loves us. Amen. (st.c)

St. Casserole

This recovery stuff is on my nerves. I'm doing very well for which I am grateful.
However, I get tired too easily and this frustrates me. Going full-steam-ahead is my preferred mode.

And, I have weird dreams. My preacher group is convinced I'm working out the anesthesia remains but this theory is unproven.

This morning, I woke with a start thinking, "I'm not being a prophet! I spend too much of my time being a shepherd!"

Shocked, I got out of bed and wandered down the hall for coffee.

It's true. I shepherd the Sheep rather than prophesy to the People. Dang.

All this prophet stuff is swirling around in my head because of Sunday's lectionary texts: 2 Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-9. Elijah, Elisha, Moses and Jesus.

I'm returning to the pulpit without telling my doctor. He's busy and I'm not telling him.

A preacher can't stay away from her pulpit without consequences and the absence of preaching is impacting my healing (or so I thought I'd say to the Doctor if he suggests I'm returning a tad early).

I'm working on these texts with delight although I do feel that I JUST PREACHED ON THE TRANSFIGURATION YESTERDAY and now we are doing it again.

My mental clarity lags at times but I do feel that waking up with guilt over the lack of prophetic witness is a good God thing. The thought I had later, where I mused that maybe the Transfiguration is similar to "Extreme Makeover", shows I best stick to the text and not wander away.

If you need me Sunday at 11 am. CST, I'll be in the Pulpit,

St. Casserole

RGBP Friday Friendship Five

Songbird's Friday Meme for us is to list the five friends who are there for us no matter what.

Even though she is family, my LLS is a faithful friend. Gentle, kind, helpful, respectful and dead-on funny, she's the best.

The Preacher's group as a whole provide comfort and laughter, too.

It's difficult to single out particular women friends because I like all of my gal pals (or they wouldn't be "friends"). Each makes my life brighter in her own way.

In the new friend category, I can't express how comforting it is to know my Maine friend. Such a beautiful thing to meet, talk and be friends with such a sweet spirit.

Finally, my LH is more to me than a best friend. However, if friendship is listening, nurturing along with all the other good stuff of being a friend, then he's a remarkable pal.

I am rich in friends. What grace this is!

St. Casserole

Dear Songbird,

Taylor Hicks is my American Idol boyfriend.

St. Casserole

Whistle the Kitten here. This is the first ever St. Casserole Cat Meme but she didn't write it, I wrote this.

If you read this and you are a cat or have a cat, consider yourself tagged!

1. What's your favorite food?
Whatever is in my dish.
2. What is your favorite toy?
My best toy is the stuffed hamster. Fish loves Q-tips.
3. What is your best trick?
I don't do tricks. My humans do tricks.
3. What is your favorite human trick?
When they get all kissy and lovey just because we are so cute. Yuk!
4. What human rule do you break often?
They want us to stay off the kitchen counter. Is that stupid or what?
5. What do you wish your human knew about you?
I would like a place at the dinner table with my own napkin and plate.
6. What are you glad your human does NOT know about you?
I am studying Catechetics online late at night for my Masters.

You are tagged!

Love from Whistle the Kitten

We Are Almost Six Months Old!

Fish the Kitten here.

The picture on the bottom right is Whistle, I'm the good looking kitten on the top right. We look sour because we are cats and our affect is soooo sophisicated that you ordinary bi-peds can't tell by looking at us that we are THRILLED.

Our Mom's RGBP, Quotidian Grace, wrote about this website Birthday Celebration. We were charmed by the idea that we can ask for gifts for our birthday! And, we don't know what Prada or any of that other stuff is. And, we don't wear red evening dresses because, a)we are kittens, ginger kittens and red clashes, and, b) we are boys for gosh sakes!

Here is what we like for gifts: cotton q-tips, furry mice, tiny soft toys and paper bags.

If you want, you can just push a button on the computer and the U.S. Post Office brings packages to our house. Our Mom sits and pushes buttons and gets packages so we know this works.

Easy, huh?

Fish (almost 6 month's old) and my brother, Whistle who was born the same day

Biloxi Compared to "Deadwood" Yikes!

Casinos Rise Out of Katrina's Wreckage - New York Times

The New York Times keeps an eye on Mississippi's disaster relief almost every day. This article uses "Biloxi" and "Deadwood" in the same sentence. For those of you without HBO or DVD, "Deadwood" is the sharply profane and riveting series about a lawless old West town. I live next door to Biloxi.

St. Casserole

Little S. Comes to Mississippi!!!

I've got the sweetest news! A childhood friend is coming to see me! Little S. will come with a load of college students and church members to help in Bay St. Louis in a few weeks. I can't tell you how rare it is for me to see a friend from childhood! Little S. and I grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same elementary school, junior high and high school. We parted ways in college but both ended up enrolled in Seminary. She went to Duke, I went to Union. I've seen her only a very few times since High School and our main contact is Christmas cards through the years.

Little S. and I plan an all-nighter gab fest while she is here. I am going to corral my strength so I can do this.

I don't know why I haven't done better keeping up with childhood, etc. friends through the years. I sure remember the friends of the different ages of my life but I think I'm one of those who faces the future and runs into it. The drawback is moving to a new place and making new friends without keeping up with the friends of the previous time. After many years in one place, I regret not doing a better job of maintaining old friends.

My LLS does the best job of keeping up friends. She has the gift of friendship.

I'm feeling better!

St. Casserole

"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person: having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them out. Just as they are—chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away." George Eliot, 1819-1880

My LH says I am spinning plates here at the blog.

I’m not writing about my life but throwing out chaff to you, my bloggy buddies.

He’s correct.

I had surgery on January 26. I’m doing well and expect to recover fully. I’m healthy and feel pretty durn good.

I’m too shy to write about surgery so I didn’t. I just disappeared then re-appeared with empty stuff to throw up on the screen. I haven’t had surgery in years so I wasn’t sure what to expect What I couldn’t anticipate scared me. I didn’t want to hear of anyone else’s bad experience with removing a fibroid tumor.

I behaved like one of your parishoners who doesn’t tell you about their ordeals until aferward.

I’m sorry.

You have been with me through the Storm and other storms. You prove yourselves to be good company on the journey.

Pouring out words,

St. Cassserole

From the local newspaper

The Sun Herald 02/17/2006 KATRINA'S DEAD
I've noticed that you, my dear bloggy pals, do not read postings like this one where I refer to our local newspaper. You may want to read this series about Katrina's casualties. The reporter, Joshua Norman, writes gently about our losses.

St. C

Ok, may February IS a good idea.

Sunny and in the 70's here today.

My azaleas are beginning to bloom.

St. Casserole

You Should Get a MD (Doctor of Medicine)

You're both compassionate and brilliant - a rare combination. You were born to be a doctor.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Gosh, the only things holding me back from Med School are my squeamishness around blood and guts, lack of ability with math and science and gee....not wanting to wear a white jacket after Labor Day or before Memorial Day. The. Only. Things.

St. C

More Katrina Humor

People are provoked. This is an example. My neighbor sent this photo to me but didn't say where he found it. This pile of debris could be anywhere in Mississippi or Louisiana.

St. C

Maybe February just isn't a good idea.

"Blogging is for those who believe their every thought is of interest to others"
---Mrs. Harpoon D. Crabbledabble, III

Let's don't invite Mrs. Crabbledabble to our party, ok?

St. Casserole

Your Inner Child Is Surprised

You see many things through the eyes of a child.Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded.You cherish all of the details in life.Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things.

How Is Your Inner Child?

Friday RevGal Five Saying Goodbye

1. How do you say goodbye to someone you will see again soon?
If it's a gal pal or family member, I'll say, "love ya". If it's anyone else, as simple "goodbye" will do.
2. What is your favorite foreign word for "goodbye?" North Carolina venacular is "we gonna run" which translates into "Goodbye". I don't say this often as it is confusing to Mississppians and makes me sound as if I live with goobers.
3. Have you ever planned a special farewell for someone, or had one planned for you? When I leave a church and they give me a reception, I feel awkward. I know saying "goodbye" is important but by the time I leave, I've said all the personal goodbyes I need to say and having people fawn over me gets on my nerves. Wait a minute? Turn down a fawn? Oh yeah, feels too odd.
4. What is the hardest goodbye you have had to say? Saying good bye to my childhood home was very difficult. My mother's death ended that relationship as the home was cleared out and ready to be sold. Saying goodbye was a symbol of the end of my childhood (gosh! I was in my forties) and acknowledging that I had no "home" to return to. Of course, I had my home with my family but you know what I mean.
5. What is the most romantic goodbye you have seen in a movie? I can't recall. Maybe with another cup of coffee I'll remember which one touched me.

This is Songbird's meme. She's saying goodbye to Pure Luck who'll be working away for two months. I hope the time passes quickly for her. I don't do well without my sweet LH nearby.

St. Casserole

Dear Readers,

Don't you hate when rock stars sing about how difficult their lives are? Don't you hate when politicians complain about the demands of the public? Well, get ready for another M.C.* kind of moment: what about bloggers who don't have anything to say and whine about their lack of inspiration?

eh....well....uh....I'm in the last category. Not that I'm complaining. It's just that I enjoy blogging and my bloggy buddies (that's you) but I'm witless, wordless and goofy this week and have nothing to say.

I hope you'll stay with me until I recover. I'd stay with you... Pretend I am Quotidian Grace at a conference, or PPB at camp or Songbird walking her dogs instead of just me being empty-headed.

Blank Brained,

St. Casserole

*Inside joke. Will explain when I decide how to do it.

LLS, This One is For You...

Don't even ask me to explain this one. Not gonna.

Over Christmas, a Baptist Church in California heard that my young friend, Miss B, lost her movies and t.v. in the hurricane. They sent a new t.v. and bunches of movies to her.

Ruby got a new pair of diabetic shoes from a donor in Georgia.

An older friend and her husband received home repairs, a new handicap-accessible bathroom and new furniture from a church in Mississippi.

A preacher buddy received help repairing her home and an offer for new furniture from another church in Mississippi.

Our new animal shelter is moving to completion with donations from all over the U.S.

Eddie Hartwell's church is feeding people to this day. He sent a plate to me Saturday night which I ate happily. His church remains a center of re-building in Gulfport. God bless him and all his donors!

Americans are supposed to be the most generous of the world's people. Per capita, Mississippians are the most generous of Americans but, believe me, we couldn't survive all the tragedies without your help.

Gratefully,

St. Casserole

Whistle the Kitten

You may think our lives are all sweetness and light here at Casa Casserole. As true as that is most of the time, I'm worried today about Whistle the Kitten. Wish I had a photo of Fish with his arm around Whistle's shoulders last night as they snuggled on my prayer shawl.

Whistle got into something. My worry is that the large Hershey's bar, (you know that big kind kids bring you when they're in trouble and want you to over look their behavior? Yeah, that kind.) , the LH found Whistle happily dragging across the bedroom floor may have had a bite or two out of it. I didn't see this so I didn't check Whistle for chocolate breath or tell-tale crumbs.

Whistle looks ill. He's eating, drinking, littering. All good. He looks kind low so I'm keeping an eye on him.

Why a kitten would eat chocolate is a mystery in my universe.

Keeping an eye on Whistle the Kitten today.
Call me if you need me.

St. Casserole

Pastoral Prayer for Sunday

On Sunday, August 28, 2005, I didn't go to Little Church. The night before I got a call from an elder suggesting that the weather didn't look good and that I would have a difficult time going home after worship. I agreed to stay home knowing that I'd be busy packing up, corralling animals to carriers and watching our home and office get boarded up.

What I didn't know, although I was glued to the Weather Channel and local updates, was that the waters were rising Sunday morning. National Guard Chaplain says the water behind his home, hundreds of feet away from his house, rose up and came into his yard that morning.

What I didn't know was that my neighborhood, county and state would be damaged beyond imagination in 24 hours.

What I didn't know was that I wouldn't see my LH and LS for almost a month after the storm. I knew where they were but without good phone service, every time the cell rang, I careened into it hoping for the best. Dire reports of death, disease and disaster poured out of the phone.

What I didn't know was our country cannot protect citizens in a disaster. And, won't, because cronies ran the system and didn't give a rats patootie about us.

In your pastoral prayer tomorrow, the prayer where you intercede on behalf of your people for help, courage and mercy, please remember us.

Remember your human relatives in Mississippi and Louisiana. Many are displaced, homeless, broke, tired and miserable. Look around your own world and think to yourself, how soon would my world look "normal" if the infrastructure became useless? If the majority of homes and businesses were damaged beyond repair? If your home, your car, your Mamma's home and car, and your job were gone, how long would it take you to feel "normal"?

Please pray for us. Please keep our suffering before you so that your compassion flows.

Many of our old people moved away to be with their children. We miss them. Many of our old people died after the storm, just couldn't take it anymore. Too tired, too old, too stressed.

The "Katrina Zone" is hard on everyone. Tempers flare, attitudes soar; we are worn out.

Pray for us.

St. Casserole

After several months of receiving The Presbyterian Outlook clumped in two issues or not at all, I received the Feb. 6 issue on time today.

The theme is the ordination of women. The first deacon was ordained in 1906 in the UPCNA; then the PCUSA ordained a ruling elder in 1930; then we trailed into the flow in 1956 (PCUS). One hundred years of recognizing the call of women to ordained ministry in the Church. As many of the ladies said, back in '06, "it's about time!"

Editor Jack Haberer writes about the possible schism of the PC U.S.A. and how this would effect this might have on women "whose role in leadership is new, less secure and easily withdrawn..." Yikes!

Did I forget to worry about this?

I guess I did. I've been worrying how I might explain to God that I participated in a schism when we've been told to hold onto the Body of Christ.

Haberer ends the editorial with these words: "More than anything, we will urge the church to stay together. Voices long silenced, having found a place to call home, should not have to wonder where to go." (p.8 TPO, Feb 6,2006)

Yes, indeed.

My feet are under the Table,
St. Casserole

I'm on page 452 of Phil Rickman's THE CURE OF SOULS. Rickman's mystery series featuring The Rev. Mrs. Merrily Watkins entertain the dickens out of me.
I began with the first book, MIDWINTER OF THE SPIRIT, then to A CROWN OF LIGHTS and now CURE.

Rickman says he isn't a horror writer but I do get a bit squeamy with his stories. I may be a baby about scary stuff so don't let this stop you from reading about a fully realized character of an Anglican clergywoman who serves as the Deliverance Counselor for the Hereford Diocese. Merrily Watkins is someone who we'd enjoy having in the RGBP(copywrite) Group.

Mr. Rickman, thanks for entertaining me through these books. You do a good job.

Sincerely,
St. Casserole

The spirit of Churches

I've been thinking about a colleague who serves a disturbed church. That's right, disturbed. She's been pastor there for several years, much longer than most of the preachers before her. When she prepared the congregations's history for a recent anniversary, she realized that's she'd outlasted most of her predecessors. Her tenure will be less than ten years.

She's planning to leave as soon as her conference allows.

The congregation is demanding, difficult-t0-impossible to satisfy, passive aggressive, verbally abusive and secretive. Not everyone, of course. She's attracted numerous new members who stay until the rot begins to show, then leave. Her ministry wears her down. I've seen her when she had no eye sparkle left.

I think congregations have "spirits". Some congregations are loving, welcoming and gracious. Others are hard-hearted, stingy and perilous to serve. Some are rigid with their lives and others, careless.

I'm fortunate to serve a gracious congregation. I've served a stinker or two in my years as a pastor.

A great deal more can be said about this topic. Can you add to these remarks?

Slowly but Surely,
St. Casserole

This is my 400th post.

I'm going to the Festival of Homiletics in May. You going too?

St.Casserole

No Comment Department

eBay: Religious Pastor's Wife Boutique Tote Bag - Valentines (item 6843488506 end time Feb-01-06 17:12:34 PST)

Ever felt like this? I'll be taking a break for a few days. I'll ask Mr. C to guest blog for me to keep you company. Blessings to each of you.

St. Casserole

The LH commented, about my previous post, that you'd think I looked like the gal in the blue raincoat. Here is another picture of me, handing off a latte at the coffee bar I built in our carport. Nothing like a mini "CoffeeBucks" in one's own domicile. I brewed the latte with a coffemaker I found at a garage sale. I got the cash register (lower left) at a garage sale, too. I look great in green. Everyone tells me so.

St. C.

Dishwashing

Here I am showing off our new dishwasher. Not everyone has an industrial dishwasher in a residential kitchen but we Casseroles felt this attractive machine added to our ambiance. My blue raincoat, short but foxy, helps me as I use that spray thing on the dishes.

Seriously, Folks, the dishwasher centers a home. Even if your dishwasher is you and your hands, where you stand to clean up glasses, knives, forks, cups, plates and pans is the epicenter of homelife. I should know as I spend time each day loading and unloading our dishwasher (a smaller under-the- counter model than pictured). Out come the clean, in go the dirty. I remove kittens from the lower basket, add the soap tablet and turn that baby on!

What was dirty become clean. What was unusable because of germs returns as sanitary. Life together means cups, more cups, glasses, more glasses and lots of large pans. Ordinary life is messy. The glory of life together is mess and order, meals shared then departure to places where one's life is spent until returning home.

Even philosophers do dishes.

St. Casserole

When He Knew

White House Was Told Hurricane Posed Danger - New York Times
The NYT gets big smoochie kisses for keeping the story of Katrina going.

Monday Morning

Much doing, being and coping scheduled for this week. At the end of the week, I'll take a blog break for several days. Mr. C. will guest blog if he has time about whatever he thinks is blogworthy.

I'm considering packing the blog with multiple posts each day to entertain myself but don't know if time will allow this.

According to an article I read somewhere....today is the worst day of the year for seasonal affect disorder, post-holiday debt blues and general all around yukkiness.

Let's sing Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" as loudly as we can, ok?

St. C.

Cat Homework

Fish the Kitten here. We are naughty kittens. We have to write an essay about our behavior. Whistle, my brother the kitten, said he didn't bring a pencil. Then, he said the dog ate his essay. He is sleeping on the striped chair in the family room. I'm in the study using Her computer. Here is my essay:

I am almost five months old. I am curious about everything. I like to get into the shower with my people. I like to climb on chairs, tables and walk on the kitchen counter. I like to get into kitchen cabinets. I like to eat Your pecan raisin bread even if I have to chew through the bag to get it. I leave my cat toys around. I do not flush.
Everything I like to do I am not supposed to do. I do those things I ought not to do. I did snuggle with you really nicely the other day. I want to go outside when the kitchen door opens.
I am in big trouble for being myself. May I have another cat cookie? I can't think of anything else to write. Your kitten, Fish D'Wayne Cat 1-22-06

If I were a Human, I'd just be glad to have opposable thumbs so I could use a can opener, pull open the refrigerator door. If my kitten mis-behaved, I'd think, "Kittens have good fur so I'll recognize that kittens are superior and not fuss."

For St. Casserole, I remain,

Your Fish

Molly Ivins Calls the Dems to Lead or Hush

Did you read this Molly Ivin's article several days ago? It just arrived at our Backwater Gazette this morning.

Y'all don't comment when I lift articles from newspapers so I risk your ire here but rats-a-tooney (!), read this one.

The Sun Herald 01/22/2006 Dear Democrats: Put up, or shut up

I'd visit with you more but I'm going uppada Church,

St. Casserole

The RevGal Five: Pleasures

What are five pleasures for you?

1. Eating Ginger Snap cookies.

2. Being quiet for at least a little time each day.

3. Making something out of something else.

4. Listening to Bonnie Raitt and the Dixie Chicks.

5. Looking at the LH.


St. Casserole

Sometime after Katrina, Biloxi Mayor A. J. Holloway got a visit from singer songwriter Paul Simon. Mayor Holloway is pictured on the left. The Mayor has served a number of terms in Biloxi and is known for his candor and energy. Never rude or careless with his remarks, the Mayor speaks as a person rather than as a spinning politician. People like him and his staff. This photo, from the City's web site, may have been taken by Vincent Creel, the Mayor's spokesman and all-around-great-guy.

Whatever Mayor Holloway accomplishes in his public life (his gifts are considerable), he is best known in the Casserole family for this incident: one Sunday afternoon when our LS was a small child (3-4) he announced that he wanted to go hug the Mayor. LS knew the Mayor from my attendance at City Council Meetings and from seeing Mayor Holloway around the city. I drove to Holloway's home, knocked on the door and when Mrs. Holloway answered the door, I told her of LS's request to hug the Mayor. She said the Mayor was taking a nap (how can you not like a Mayor who knows that Sunday afternoon is for snoozing?). She pointed to a sofa, the Mayor woke up, LS ran over to him and gave him a hug. Satisfied, LS was ready to leave. Mrs. Holloway laughed and thanked us for coming over.

Tell me life in a small down isn't good.

We moved one town over about ten years ago. We consider ourselves Biloxians still even though we love our current city, too.

I'm glad Paul Simon, who lives where you can't go hug the Mayor, got to meet our Mayor.

The Mechanical Contrivium: Trivia about Saint Casserole

The Mechanical Contrivium: Trivia about Saint Casserole: "

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Saint Casserole!

1. Saint Casserole can give birth ten days after being born, and is born pregnant!
2. If you lace Saint Casserole from the inside to the outside, the fit will be snugger around your big toe.
3. In Eastern Africa you can buy beer brewed from Saint Casserole!
4. Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are Saint Casserole.
5. Saint Casserole cannot jump.
6. The first Saint Casserole was made in 1853, and had no pedals.
7. Saint Casserole can live for up to a week without a head!
8. Long ago, the people of Nicaragua believed that if they threw Saint Casserole into a volcano it would stop erupting.
9. It takes a lobster approximately 7 years to grow to be Saint Casserole.
10. Saint Casserole was the first Tsar of Russia!

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhim"

Hat tip to so many bloggers, I can't recall which one pushed me over the edge to follow their lead.

Your Own Tsar of Russia,

St. Casserole

Garage Sales

I miss garage sales! People lost so much stuff there isn't any for sale on Saturday mornings!

Everyone has a story...

Everyone has a story down here on the Coast. August 29, 2005 changed our lives.

I bought a vacuum cleaner for the church today. At the Oreck store, I asked how the owner was doing, "How's it going?" He began to tell his story.

On Sunday, the 28th, he evacuated in his RV with his three dogs, photo albums, his father's childhood rocking chair and a few other essentials like food and water. He waited out the storm in Theodore, Alabama (near Mobile).

Before he left home, he saw his neighbor who he'd known for 17 years. His neighbor planned to stay through the storm with his wife and two young children. He asked Oreck man if it really made sense to leave when their neighborhood hadn't been damaged during Camille (1969 landmark hurricane here). Oreck replied that if it were only the neighbor and his wife, maybe they could risk it but making two children remain when the predictions were grim for a Cat 5 storm seemed irresponsible. The neighbor puffed over this.

Five days later, when Oreck secured gas finally in Mobile, Alabama to return to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, he found his home destroyed. A wall of water, 12 feet high, swept through his home leaving him with a tilted roof, a few walls and several feet of muck.

His neighbor ran to greet him and swooped him up in a hug. "You were right!", he said. "The water rose so fast that we had to break out the kitchen window and pull the children under water, then bring them up to the roof to escape the house. Then, the water began covering the roof so we held onto trees. After a few hours, the debris in the water kept hitting us and we got separated! All four of us went in different directions! I thought my family drowned! It was hours before we could find each other...one of the children floated on a piece of debris way over there!"

Standing in the parking lot of Oreck's store, I began to cry.
It kills me to hear stories like this. I hear at least one storm story everyday. Somedays, I hear as many as five. People are brave. They stand up tall and say with conviction "at least we are alive" or "we got a FEMA trailer" or "we are better off than most."

Oreck man began to cry, too. His neighbor's child doesn't want to go to sleep because the nightmares terrify her. The neighbor is guilt-ridden because he put his family through this.
Oreck man's home won't be liveable until March or so. He's tired of living in the RV with his three dogs.

May I quote my Aunt Betty here? "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" or as I say, "Lord, Have mercy!"

St. Casserole

From the Pastoral Notebook

The only way I survive Sunday nights begins on Sunday afternoons. I take a pastoral nap. I come home dragging from worship. I careen into our driveway, stomp through the kitchen door, scan the kitchen to see how much damage has been done in my absence, throw myself into comfortable clothing and go to sleep. I am dead to the world for two hours. After this, I can handle Sunday nights.

I missed the MLK Jr. Coast Celebration this afternoon due to sleepiness. I regret missing events like this but if I don't nap, I can't function.

"Why is this?" you ask my tired out ol' pastoral self. It's because leading worship and preaching takes it out of me. I am drained of all useful life after the worship service. I felt the same way when I preached twice each Sunday.

So, as a gift to your pastor (all you non-clergy folks) please don't ask them to do much on Sunday afternoon or evening. Leave 'em alone to re-charge.

No matter how much I love you, I don't want to go to your baby shower, church event, sports thingie or anything. Let me sleep.

Pastorally Refreshed at This Moment,

St. Casserole

The Sun Herald | 01/14/2006 | Not a day off since Aug. 29

The Sun Herald 01/14/2006 Not a day off since Aug. 29

We have many heros. Dana Black is one. Read about her here.

St.Peter,Golf, Woman and Hell

Once upon a time, St. Peter was going to play golf with God. He told his helper, "Don't call me. I mean it! Don't call me about anything!"

St. Peter's helper stood by the Pearly Gates waiting. Up came a man seeking admittance to heaven. The helper asked him, "What have you done for the poor?"

The man said, "Well, once when I was walking to my office a drunk was leaning against my building. I gave him .50 to go away."
"What else did you do for the poor?", asked the helper.
The man thought long and hard. "I gave .50 cents to a bum once", he said.

The helper thought long and hard. He picked up the heavenly cell phone and called St. Peter.
He told St. Peter the man's story and asked, "What should I do, St. Peter?"

St. Peter said, "Give the man his dollar back and tell him to go to hell!"

Tonight I got a call from a woman in another State. She sends a check to Little Church every month. She's faithful about sending us a check. I don't know how much it is because I'm Presbyterian and we don't look at who gives us what. At least, I don't.

She was enraged by the changes we plan to make at Little Church. We intend to paint the interior of the building, replace the plain glass tall windows in the sanctuary with new wood windows, get new electrical wiring and put in a small kitchen. Enraged.

It's been awhile since I've had someone speak to me as she did today. I speak civilly to adults and children and I'm used to being reponded to in kind.

She asked about the church's finances as though she had a right to know our most intimate arrangements. She didn't agree that any of our repairs and restorations were needed in our old simple wood building.

I explained to her that our repairs are paid for already. We are waiting for workers to do the work. All of the improvements we dream of at Little Church are being done with money donated to us by loving churches around the U.S. They know we've been hard hit by the Hurricane. They know we are a small church. The churches gave with an open hand.

She assumed I was an upstart, with no sense, trying to change "her" church.

(I suppose I should be thrilled that she thinks I'm an upstart!)

She doesn't attend Little Church. I've never met her after 3 plus years as pastor and four years before that as occasional supply there.

It's only because I remember every counseling skill I learned at Seminary and CPE and the fact that I control my temper that I didn't say,

"Here's your $ and go to hell!"

I just thought you should know,

St. Casserole

Cat Report

Fish here.

This isn't a picture of us. We are almost five months old and these are baby kittens. We are big kittens.

Our mid-term exam grades came yesterday. I don't think we get prizes. I made an A in Deportment as did Whistle but we both made an F in Staying Off the Kitchen Counter.

We got an A for being cute, an F for getting in trouble.

I'm going to study harder next term. Whistle says he isn't going to buckle down to the Man.
He's reading Catechetics and Dogmatics. I'm studying botany so I'm reading Cat Tails and other Plants beginning with "Cat".

Andy, the big cat, doesn't like us. No progress there. The Pee Pee Puppy loves me but Whistle won't play with him.

I think my essay will be on "Human Expectations: Why So High?" so I can research why humans want us to do this but not that. I can't make sense of it.

Gotta go. Time for Basking in the Sun. We both made an A in this!

Fish

Bush Protested in New Orleans

Howie Luvzus � Blog Archive � New Orleans Protest

Hat tip to B. Rox for this look at Howie Luvzus' photos.
I understand that Catholic school girls in plaid uniforms wore life jackets and weighters to the event.

C'mon, Y'all. It's hard work being the POTUS. He's got the entire country to handle. Hard work.

Just so you know,

St. Casserole

Yep, I'm Going

The picture is metro Birmingham, Alabama the site of the 2006 General Assembly of the P.C. (U.S.A.) where we will all meet in June. This Assembly celebrates the 300th Anniversary of the first G.A. where Francis McKemie served as Moderator. I wish he could come back for this one.

The theme is "A Mighty Cloud of Witnesses" because we need a witness and because we will be sharing time with our sisters and brothers in two Cumberland Presbyterian denominations. Or, so I understand from going to the PC (U.S.A.) website.

We need a witness because this Assembly contains a Big Elephant of An Issue which will hover over us the entire time. If the Big Issue passes, Christians plan to bolt. If the Big Issue fails, Christians plan to bolt. If the Big Issue is tabled, Christians plan to bolt.

Did I mention that I'm not up for this? I've gone through a house fire, hurricane, loss of friends through death and moving and I think I saw a wrinkle on my face when I looked through my 8x
magnifing mirror. Further, I can't be discussing schism until I've mastered the Gospel of John and Jesus' will for my life.

If you are a RevGalBlogPal and will attend this meeting, let's prepare a secret signal beforehand so we can meet up. I'll need the encouragement. Don't want to lose my privacy though because this blog is important to me and I like to think I can speak freely here.

The last Assembly I attended was in Philadelphia in '90, I think. LS was in a fold-up stroller and Mr. C. attended with me. LS gave me a black eye by bouncing back into my head while being a precious toddler. The big face bruise drew all sorts of miserable looks because domestic violence was a prime topic. Poor Mr. C. suggested I wear a sign saying, "The Baby bumped me in the face with his hard little head." I have a cracked front tooth as a souvenir of this event.

I worry that I'll return to Hurricane Backwater with more than a black eye this time.

St. Casserole

Hey! Are you lurking at me?

Walking outside this morning, the world is very quiet. No birds are singing, no cars or trucks (or nail guns on roofs) make a sound in the darkness. The little kittens woke me up to remind me that an early breakfast is a good thing. After feeding the ginger guys, I strolled in my tree-less backyard to enjoy the quiet.

The sun will rise in a few minutes to light the dark sky. My neighbor will deliver our newspaper to our kitchen door. The day will begin.

Right now, back in my study, I am filled with peace and quiet. Peace, because God's promises include a new day to come and quiet because the world is still.

Thank you, God, for this new day.

St. Casserole

People say to me, "St. Casserole, what's with your blogging? Where you at?"

I have only one thing to say:

*The Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie birth announcement

*The local meat store advertising "stuft" meat

*DeWalt Tools advertising on local billboards saying they are helping us rebuild.

*Preparing for Sunday's sermon

There! You know what's going on now.

St. Casserole

P.S. MAAS is my favorite sterling silver polish. Works on all metals or so the label says.

Rats! A big millionaire bought my fantasy home! Tamir Sapir, according to the NYT yesterday, bought the Duke mansion for 40 million and will use the home to showcase his art collection.
The Duke mansion is across the street from the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. I enjoy sitting on the steps of the Museum and staring at the mansion. I've renovated it, inside and out, in my imagination for several years.

Life in the "Out" Box Monday Morning

With Songbird gone, what else is there for a kitten to do but crawl into the "Out" box. Really.
A kitten feels depressed that Songbird who rescues kittens from walking on stovetops, brings furry toy mice and says kind words (regardless of trouble a kitten may find himself in) leaves to return to her family. Until lunchtime, Fish says life has little or no meaning....

Friday Five Housewifery

Four things I love having in my kitchen/household arsenal:

1. 409 Cleaner. Works well. Be careful where you spray it as it will clean and leave spots if, for example, you spray it directly on a wall. Rinse quickly if this happens but you may have clean spots or clean lines.

2. Kitchen Aid Mixer. Does exactly what it is supposed to do. Works well every time. Is the Cooks Friend. Very heavy. Place is where you want it to stay as dragging it out of a cabinet or back and forth from the pantry is an exercise ritual, not a housewifery event. Because of heft may be used as a weapon. All attachments make sense, especially the lid cover for adding liquids as you mix.

3. Mr. Clean Miracle Sponges. I've mentioned these before. New uses are polishing old, badly tarnished silver plate or hotel plate; getting tar off my car if used lightly, cleaning wooden offering bowls you bring home to "freshen"; and cleaning wall spots.

4. Miscellany Drawer containing: rubber bands, kitchen shears, books of matches, broken pencils, paper clips, grocery store receipts, batteries and the phone book. I clean this drawer regularly but it is the repository for anything without a regular home or the "dumping drawer" for lazy kitchen cleaners.

5. What is a waste of time? tarn x (strips patina, stinks and harms sterling), most smooth surface stove cleaners, marble polish, fancy chip clips (use wooden clothes pins instead), wine glass name tags, dry carpet treatment for dust mite removal and Windex non-streak (it smears).

P.S. I suggest MAAS metal cleaner for your sterling. It is gentle, concentrated, works well and doesn't smell. Can be used to clean other metals, too. I've used it for years and do not see it damaging sterling silver. I like Clorox Clean-up for cleaning shower tile walls and bathtubs , toilets, etc. It contains enough bleach to be a dangerous product around small children and little cats so it must be used with caution. I really, really like having Half and Half in my frig for coffee.

Just So You Know,

St. Casserole

Our LS turned 18 and must register with the Selective Service within 30 days.

I have feelings about this. We will register him, of course, because we are citizens.

What are your feelings about registering young men with the Selective Service?

St. C

Whatever: Being Poor

Whatever: Being Poor

I can't recall who I should "hat tip" for this post. Read this and see if it stick with you, day after day, as it has with me.

St. Casserole

New Orleans Yesterday

I waited 'til this morning to write about our trip to New Orleans yesterday. Processing what I saw, along with deciding what was noteworthy for this blog, slowed me down. I think I'm ready.

The drive to New Orleans on 1-10 West shows the storm's devastation well. Trees on either side of the highway are twisted, bent and down on top of other trees. There is debris in the gulleys along the wetlands area. Can these wetlands be recovered? Traffic moves along at a steady clip where the lanes are open then slows to nothing when the lanes narrow along broken highway areas.

We approached N.O. over the Pontchartrain Bridge which delighted Songbird with it's length and the view of the Lake. Not much traffic here but it moves along.

Entering the City over the High Rise, we see the dark colors of damaged buildings and broken homes. The trees standing after the storm are brown. Can the trees be saved?

I am very angry that public discussion of the re-building of New Orleans has some people thinking we can just let the city die. How can that be? Is it because New Orleans has a large population of poor people and ethnic groups? Is it because the city is Southern? Can you imagine any other city in the United States being considered as negligible? If you think we can lose New Orleans, I'd like to slap you in the face and I have never slapped anyone in the face. You can be the first.

We drove to the Quarter easily on the familiar route I've used for years. No problem. We see water lines on the old buildings showing how high the flood water rose. The big public housing complex is boarded up. There aren't traffic lights so we depend on stop signs. This is terrifying as New Orleans drivers, like any big city drivers, are aggressive. Can you believe that there aren't street lights yet?

The Quarter is quiet, clean and a few stores are open. I see that Brennan's has reopened across from the newly restored Supreme Court building. Several hotels look open.

At Jackson Square, I try to determine where your President stood for his Jackson Square Address. I listened to every word he said that night and I see as I look around that his words have fallen into the Mississippi River and disappeared.

I go to shops and drop money on trinkets, calligraphy, an antique print. I am doing sympathy shopping to encourage the shop keepers. I am weirded out.

Very quiet in the Quarter. I've never seen it like this.

If I tell you that it looks weird, you won't come to the French Quarter and if you don't come and revive that area with your presence, it will die.

New Orleans appears to be waiting for it's "tipping point". Stay or go? Rebuild or walk away? Hope or despair?

New Orleans is living between the past and future. Nothing new there as it is a city of history and exuberance. These days, the living between is more poignant and painful than I've ever seen.

Considerations for Planning a RevGalBlogPal Retreat/Study Leave Event
	Place is important so let's go to St. Casserole's
	Each of us will present a paper on our understanding of ministry
	Knitters and cat lovers will receive special points.
	All morning sessions will include strong coffee. Wearing one's bathrobe is mandatory.
	This is an grown up event so only nursing babies may accompany RGBP attendees.
	I hope there will be lots of chocolate.
	Maybe a Lilly Grant will help us assemble. I'll be happy to write it.
	Rats! If we get together, I'll have to admit that I'm not 120lbs as I claimed in my blog.
	I would miss my wedding anniversary to meet all the RGBPs, sign me up!
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I'm going to New Orleans today. I've taken my sweet time returning to a city I love. I've been busy but that's no excuse to avoid the Big Easy.

My first trip to New Orleans was in 1969. I arrived wearing bell-bottomed blue jeans, a peace symbol embroidered on the back pocket. I carried a batik cloth bag over my shoulder filled with bits of paper, a few bills and lipstick (somethings never change). My hair was past my shoulders and parted in the middle. I arrived as a stereotype before the icon appeared.

I returned to N.O. over the years for visits, work, conferences, parties, to see relatives. For all kinds of reasons including buying a toddler train toy for LS and to take LH to the great folks at Oschner Hospital years ago. The city is a magnet.

Haven't been back since the Storm, though. I'll go today. I'm not sure I can stand seeing the destruction. Maybe I'll be on roads so paved with tourist tracks that I won't see any misery at all. I'm a chicken. It's like going home from college the first time and seeing your parents look old. I'm not up for that today.

I'm going in.

More later,

St. Casserole

Console (v.)

console (v.)
1693, from Fr. consoler, from L. consolari "offer solace," from com- intensive prefix + solari "to comfort" (see solace). Consolation dates to 1374.

solace (n.)
"comfort, consolation," c.1290, from O.Fr. solas, from L. solacium, from solatus, pp. of solari "to console, soothe," from PIE base *sel- "of good mood, to favor" (cf. Gk. hilaros "merry," O.E. gesælig "happy;" see silly). The verb is recorded from 1297.

A visit with Songbird consoles the spirit. Her personality offers solace to others. It is a comfort to have a listening ear and soothing friend. She sets a good mood for one's heart. We are having a happy and silly visit.

A visit with Songbird means
	talk and play, talk and play, talk and play
	discuss theological issues and concepts for co-authoring book
	discuss in detail the Casserole kittens cuteness
	go shopping for pink purses
	talk about everything
	go see the ruin of the Gulf Coast
	drink strong coffee; talk with Mr. C
	Put green food coloring on Whistle's head
	Marvel at God's goodness in the midst of misery
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What's the point of blogging when Songbird is here with us?