The Pastoral Grind

(Photo cred: Pixabay via PEXELS.com) Most nights my kids’ bedtime is a bit of a battle. The biggest and most consistent issue is mom must be the one to tuck them in. I can volunteer, but, “No! Mommy!” is the usual shouted response. So, I tend to accept that Christie will take care of them. More and more, she’s been able to convince them to at least let me read a bedtime story to them. The other major part of the battle, which I’m guessing most parents can remember or identify with their own kids, is the fit that comes with not wanting to go to bed. Our 4-year old daughter sometimes throws a fit if she’s overtired, though that’s happening less and less. Our 2-year old son is another story. Even if mom’s tucked him in and spent time in his room, he tosses and turns or just won’t fall asleep. When Christie tries to leave after 10-20 minutes, he usually turns his light on and either peeks out the door, runs to the living room, or runs to our bedroom. One of us, sometimes he wil

(Photo cred: Pixabay via PEXELS.com) (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column August 2, 2019) “I didn’t know where you were going at first…” remarked one of my congregants after a recent sermon. Most people who listen to sermons have probably thought that before…and so have the pastors preaching them. I’m a “manuscript preacher,” meaning I write out my sermons every week. There are definitely times in my preparation when I have to stop and ask myself how I got to a certain thought or idea. Sometimes I trust the Holy Spirit has brought me in a direction I didn’t plan or expect to go, but other times sentences and paragraphs meet my computer’s delete button. The Bible and God’s plan can be like that at times, too. In Genesis 37, we meet a man named Joseph, the son of Jacob (a.k.a. Israel—yes, that’s where the name of the country originates, see Genesis 32).  Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons…When his brothers saw that their f