snapshot: eight twenty-three

What did I do today?

A friend from seminary left after visiting for a couple days. He preached at this morning's parish Mass. I visited the kids at the grade school before classes then celebrated Mass at a local nursing home, ate lunch and went to the store. I needed something more formal than a backpack and less formal than a suitcase to take to the high school. When I got back in the car, I felt the earthquake everyone's talking about, though I didn't know it until my sister called me. Following that drama, I visited some people in the hospital and came back to the rectory. Now on to bingo.

Any meaningful moments?

I love visiting people in the hospital, thought it's not always comfortable. Today was a perfect example of what could happen. I saw one woman in good spirits who hoped to go home tomorrow; then I saw a woman who just had a baby; finally, I anointed an elderly woman who was in pain and not very coherent. It's powerful for me to represent Christ in all these situations.

In my free time ...

I've been enjoying the comedy of 30 Rock on Hulu. I've also been reading some sci-fi books for fun. I'm hoping to do some biking in the near future. The White Stripes have been a popular music choice for me during the last few days. I'm remembering that I got all of their albums for a reason.

What's going on?

I am on the edge of almost a new beginning here in the parish, with the start of the school year. That means spending time at the elementary school at the parish and two days a week at the high school where I'm chaplain. It's intimidating to add all of these new things to my schedule, but it's also nice to fill the week with things to do. I'd rather have a full day than sit around and not know what to do with myself.

Also, the weather right now is beautiful.

Thought for the moment

I need to slow down. I find myself rushing when I don't really need to. I think it's just a habit, but it takes away from intentionally doing the things that I do. It's better to take a deep breath and do something with purpose than to just get it done.