#238 The Top 7 Reasons Why I Give Blood

About a week and a half ago I was giving blood, something that has become a pretty regular occurence for me while I've lived in Iowa thanks to the folks at LifeServe and their reminders. Now that I've moved to Le Mars, I was giving in a different location than before, so things felt pretty fresh. That got me thinking about why I give blood. So, without further ado, here are my top seven reasons why I give blood:

7. I'm not afraid of needles.

6. My veins are always easy to find. (Seriously. Sometimes I wonder why the workers even draw over my veins. They're practically popping out of my arm.)

5. It gets me out of the study.

4. My job gives the flexibility to easily make an appointment.

3. It gives me an opportunity to talk with some people I might not otherwise meet.

2. It's a pretty effective way to help others.

1. I get Smartfood white cheddar popcorn when I've finished donating. (You might think that I'm joking, but there's some truth behind every joke, and let me assure you, I am very serious about this popcorn. Have you ever had it? It is scrumptious.)

Grace and peace,

BMH

#237 Coloring

One of my favorite things to do with my daughters is coloring pictures. We have a whole stack of coloring books at our house, and there's several options for coloring tools: gel pens, markers, colored pencils, and a mountain of crayons. I'm a crayon guy. They don't need to be sharpened so often, and they don't make the mess that markers and pens sometimes do. Plus, we have more color options with our crayons, and I like to mix up my shades and color combos.

Anyway, the nice thing about coloring is that it's something I'm able to do with both Lanie and Mia at once. Having coloring books keeps us from needing to draw and worrying about our artistic ability. Coloring is simple and quiet—no complicated rules, no huge messes, no getting the tar beaten out of me by a wild toddler. I'm always interested in what colors the girls will pick. It's a lot of fun to watch them get better and better with age and practice. And honestly, I enjoy coloring, too. Nearly five years into parenting, I think I'm getting pretty decent at it. Now if I could just keep my kids from breaking all the crayons I want to use….

Grace and peace,

BMH

#236 Inside Info

I've been working on getting to know the members of Calvin CRC as I settle into my new job. I've been on quite a few visits and have been doing my best to catch different people and learn more about them after our Sunday worship services. As you'd expect, I've picked up quite a few things about the people I've had conversations with. But when I talk to church members I sometimes also end up learning things about other church members.

Before anybody gets the wrong idea, I wouldn't say my church members are gossiping about each other to me. I'm not getting comments like, "Did you hear what X did?" Nobody's airing somebody else's dirty laundry. But sometimes these conversations touch on topics that make one church member think about somebody else. So I learn things like "Oh, X has a daughter that lives there" or "X used to do that kind of work" or "X has this talent, but X is too modest to bring it up." I think it's a pretty fascinating way to get to know a community. I learn the things I ask about. I learn the things that each person wants to tell me about himself or herself. And I also learn the things that everybody else thinks of when think of a particular person. I certainly don't know everything yet, but little by little everybody's become a little more real and a little more three-dimensional in my mind.

Grace and peace,

BMH

P.S. I've got a few more pics of Lanie with ice cream cone sculptures:

#235 Appreciation

We've reached the month of November, which means I'll start breathing a little bit easier. See, October is pastors' appreciation month, and every year October makes me a little uncomfortable. Now don't get me wrong: the people in the churches I've served have been wonderful to me overall. I've received nice cards with thoughtful notes and even gifts. It feels good to be appreciated. I don't want anyone to get the impression that I'm complaining about these acts of love. They are fantastic, and I'm very grateful for them.

But despite my gratitude, there's a few things that make me uncomfortable. For one thing, being a pastor is my job. I get paid to do this. It feels strange to me that I get this special honor once a year, but I doubt that my mail carrier or my auto mechanic or my dentist do. (At least I'm not aware of a special time of year when I should send them a card.) I don't think my line of work is better than anybody else's.

For another thing, I am far from the only person who does things at my local church. There are plenty of others who serve, and almost none of them get paid. I feel guilty that I get attention for doing my job while so many others get far less recognition for volunteering. I try to thank others for the things that they do, but the whole thing still doesn't seem quite fair to me. (I suppose I'm the person who should do something about that.)

Finally, I feel a little uneasy about pastors' appreciation month being this set and public thing. I really am touched that other members of my church appreciate my work and want to let me know, but I worry that some might feel sort of pressured to let me know that. Plus, the moment of "Hey, everyone, let's look at and talk about Brian" leaves me feeling uncomfortable. I understand that my job requires a fair amount of being in the public eye, but I think that if I'm doing things right the focus should not be on me.

I don't think we need to get rid of pastor appreciation completely. Again, I really am thankful for the affirmation and love I receive. But let's not forget to appreciate others, too. And please understand if the pastor feels just a little uncomfortable.

Grace and peace,

BMH