The Cat Ate My Sermon

** Nota bene - The following is a transcription of a longhand post written on May 30, 2013 When I think about my so-called bucket list or contemplate the things I would like to do in this lifetime, traveling to the Holy Land really was never on there. That may come as a surprise coming from a pastor.  Certainly every pastor longs to trod those paths that Jesus walked.  But for me, not really.  It's not that I was not interested.  It's just that when it comes to travel, I've always enjoyed staying closer to home and avoiding the crowds.  Tourist areas don't interest me.  And the Holy Land always seemed to be the Disney World for religious people.  No thank you. I could not have been more wrong. Now, the tour is over, but I have not yet left the country.  I am resting on my little hotel balcony, bags packed, with upcoming work responsibilities threatening to penetrate my reverie.  The night-life sounds of Tel Aviv tickle my ears while t...

Today is the second anniversary of my ordination. I haven't really had a chance to give it much thought, which is surprising for me, since I tend to be sentimental about things like this. But my mind has been consumed with other things I am currently in the second week of my vacation, if you can call it that. I didn't go anywhere, which is a very good thing. Tyler, my nine year old male cat, had ear surgery right before the vacation began. He had some complications, and had to be hospitalized for a few days. His two litter mates (Mulder and Scully) have decided to shun him, though he can't seem to understand why. While on vacation, I had planned to splurge on new office furniture, since I spend so much time working at home. It was a tad pricey, but at least it was on sale. Then the vet bills kept piling up (I also took my others in for their yearly exams/vaccinations). I lost track after the bills broke a grand. Then my upstairs AC window unit decided to die, as did my DV...