Success!

Update: Tooth is gone.  Hallelujah.  Hubby had a wonderful BD dinner at his folks house with all the family.  Hallelujah.  And as one- tooth-less- Strawberry couldn't eat anything hot or of substance that first day, she enjoyed watching everyone eat Cornish hens and wild rice and salad and rolls while she licked her yogurt off the spoon.  I have to admit my Special K vanilla breakfast shake hit the spot while they ate devil's food chocolate cake with the gooey icing (Hubby's favorite).  I think my body went into starvation mode because I got on Kaaaa (that slithery bathroom scale) and didn't lose a pound!!!!  I told you that bastard lies.  I'd kick him out of the house if I didn't love him so.

Today I have 2 huge papers to write for Worship and Sacraments and Education class.  I put it off till the last minute.  I was hoping being doped up on codeine yesterday would give me some sort of "aha" moment to write.  Nope, didn't happen.

This was my journal entry to my supervised ministry professor:  

This past week I enjoyed the cool mountain air and being unplugged in West Texas (that’s West Texas as in “go west, young man”…not West, Texas as in the central Texas town where the devastation occurred.).  It was relaxing but in the back of my head I knew I had papers to write and journals to read.  I spent the majority of that Monday road trip reading.  We were traveling in a super nice RV so I sprawled out on the bed in the back and tried very hard to concentrate on Piaget’s human development theories and not the exciting conversation happening in the front of the rig.  Once I succumbed to the traveling talk and a mean game of Skip-Bo, there was no turning back. I was out of cell phone and wi-fi range and Worship and Sacraments/ Human Growth and Development/ (and yes) FBL range too!

Walking the haunting trails in old Fort Davis or standing atop Mount Locke peering through a telescope looking at Saturn and Jupiter and marveling at God’s beautiful creation up above in the stars and down below in the valley of the mountain makes one very aware that we are mere specks of dust in a grand scheme.  Are we damaging the ozone layer?  Is it possible to overpopulate to the point that we send ourselves spiraling out into a space abyss?  If the sun is really going to implode at some time, should we just go ahead and eat, drink, and be merry?  The Bible makes it clear that we are to be good stewards of all that God has given to us.

My college daughter has a pet rat, Trevor.  Since Trevor is living with us till college daughter graduates in May (thank you, God!), Trevor accompanied us on our West Texas adventure.  I have mixed feelings about treating a rat so royally while there are starving children in this world.  I am conflicted that our pet rat gets to travel outside our city walls when bright beautiful children because of their situation in life will never experience life outside of Mission, TX.  I am keenly aware that our pet rat has traveled in a rolling house (complete with all the comforts of home) when others in my community do not have the luxury of running water.  Yet, I am a good steward to that rat.  I promised my college daughter that I would take care of her precious possession.  Sometimes I feel like that rat.  I am a rat in the bigger scheme of things.  I am privileged where others are scrounging around for their next meal.

Reflecting on my vacation this past week, I have to say I am a grateful rat.  God is good.  So how will I express this gratitude to God?  To my neighbor?

Part of my professor's reply: 
 
So you have just provided me with the most poignantly hysterical image in my career at UPSem: a rat riding in a luxury RV. Talk about an ethical conundrum. 

Strawberry's thought: I'm so glad to entertain!