November 27th, 2017; a year ago today I officially retired as pastor of the two United Church of Christ churches in Ft. Branch, IN. At that time I wrote in a Facebook post that I hoped that my retirement would “stick”. It was, after all, my second time to retire. Well, in all honesty, I guess I wasn’t as retirement ready as I thought I was. I simply needed a good break. I was tired, I felt my messages were becoming tired and ineffective and I wasn’t serving God or my two congregations as well as they deserved. So, I sit here in the sunporch refreshed and ready to serve God in what ever capacity God might have in store for me. My daughter Heather probably said it best when she said “I guess God wasn’t done with you yet.” I certainly hope not. I have had a couple of opportunities to give the message at my home church and have fully enjoyed the opportunity. I’m not ready to take on a full time ministry of a church but —- well, we’ll see what happens.

It is a forty two degree morning and is going up to the mid-sixties today. Ms. Kate and I have some running around to do today before I get outside and do some work. Today is what they are calling “cyber-Monday” so hopefully people will be shopping from their computers instead of being out in the stores. What I need I could probably pick up at a Dollar General store, but Ms. Kate said something about going to Hellmart, I meanWalmart. I’ll need a second cup of coffee before I can tackle that.

Today we want to get the wreaths put up at the windows and a couple of other Christmas decorations for the outside too. I also want to run the John Deere over the leaves one more time in the fron yard and then neighbor Dan and I plan to take the mower deck off and put on the snow blade. December will be here in less than a week and winter weather is going to hit us one of these days.

I also have all of the bird feeders to fill today. Except for a few suet cakes, they have eaten most everything. The sunflower seed feeders are all empty and the bark butter feeders are empty and I need to fill the bird baths again. I have had a yard full of cardinals, junkos, and finches all cleaning up the last of the sunflower seeds and other residuals. There has been four downy woodpeckers here cleaning out the bark butter feeders too.

With all of that to do, I best get my bagel toasted and another cup of coffee downed before I begin my day, —- but not before I take time to give thanks to God for another marvelous day and express my gratitude for blessings received. The saying may be trite but is always true; God is Good, All the Time! Peace.