One Day At A Time

It seems like we're in the nursing home ministry for a few days--well, we hope it is for a few days. My brother, Bobby, who is mentally handicapped, has been five days in the hospital with the flu. A few days before catching the flu, he slipped on some ice and has a small crack in his hip--the same hip he broke several years ago which is now full of metal. So, he doesn't get around very well. He was dismissed from the hospital yesterday but still suffers from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. He is too weak to get around by himself, and his insides are still "out-of-control." So, he is at our house. We're sleeping lightly; helping him to the bathroom at a moment's notice and usually cleaning him, the floor, etc. Our washing machine and dryer seem to be running constantly. I had planned to use this weekend to get ready for my two classes at the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, which begins Monday. However, I'm learning again that life is what actually happens, not what you had planned to happen. So, it is as it is. The good news is that we only have to do this one day at a time.
Shalom

A 2011 Resolution

2011 will begin with my involvement in an on-line class with the Lexington Theological Seminary. I will be teaching a course entitled, "Loss and Grief in a Congregational Setting." The class is full with twelve students from several states. I've never taught an on-line class, and it has been a steep learning curve for me and the required technology. The on-line component is far more than I had originally imagined. I'm impressed with what can be done with technology and education. I'm also discovering that I need a lot of tutoring from Ben, a young adult, who can make my old laptop do things that I didn't even know new and powerful laptops could do.

Time magazine's Person of the Year is Marc Zuckerberg. He is a 26-year old, freckle-faced young man who invented Facebook. Fackbook is the means for 550 million people from all over the world to relate with each other via technology. Judy is on Facebook for both of us, and she has connected with old friends from High School as well as keeps in regular communication with a whole host of friends.

Our God-daughter, Elizabeth, is a Ph.D. candidate in mathematics at Southern Illinois University. She is in her mid-20s. Her research is in the field of typology mathematics. This seems to have something to do with at least four dimensions of mathematics. She is becoming competent in a field that is beyond my imagination.

My 2011 resolution is to pay more attention to young adults. They obviously have a great deal to teach an older person such as myself, and I want to learn. Their 'world' is our future. I certainly bring some wisdom, maturity and perspective. However, I want to pay attention to our young adults because I want to stay close to the future.