I was beginning to feel we were living near the sea with this exceptionally damp southern breeze we were getting all day. The moisture was so thick that the grass wasn’t even completely dried out when I started mowing at two o’clock this afternoon.
Speaking of mowing, I’m in utter shock by the number of people who’re not mowing like they should this year. The foxtail and crabgrass is visibly going to seed at the curbsides. What is going on? I’ve never seen so many yards visibly lacking attention in all my life. I mentioned that fact to several friends of mine today, and they were in complete agreement. They certainly can’t use the rain we’ve been getting as an excuse because we have not been getting rain every day. I become internally angry when I find our residents growing all the more lazy. For sure it’s not a financial issue, but more like upside-down priorities.
My first job of the day was to go over to St. Paul Lutheran Church and play their piano and organ for them. I didn’t realize until I arrived that starting today, St. Paul Lutheran and Our Savior’s Lutheran will be sharing Reverend Matthew Muters as their pastor. Previously, he was pastoring only Our Savior’s Lutheran Church here in Mason City.
After hearing him sing and listening to his homily, I’m convinced he’s going to be a great addition to their community of faith. I was so tuned into his sermon that I didn’t take his cue to begin the next hymn. Today he spoke of the Holy Spirit which I believe many of us take for granted in our daily lives. I was more than a little disappointed with my playing this morning, and I’m blaming it ALL on myself because I didn’t practice this past week. Next time I’ll know better and for sure go over to their church during a lunch hour and re-familiar myself with their key and pedalboard. Not to worry, I’ll keep at it until it’s hard-coded.
Another thing he mentioned was how we should truly work at being inspirations for others who’ve distanced themselves from any form of organized religion. There’s always those excuses aren’t there? The most common ones are, “Oh, we’ve been too busy with the kids.”, or “We’ve had so much going on in our lives.”, or even, “So and so said something to me, and after that, I stopped going.”
I’ve always said that if I can get one kernel of spiritual direction and/or inspiration each time I attend a church service, then it was well worth my time and energy. Personally, I’ve never had the mindset of a church being a place where I needed to be entertained with all the visuals and hoopla, but rather a place where my heart and soul is opened for re-rejuvenation. I’ve always been of the belief that true and lasting faith grows from within and subsequently radiates outwards to others. We can walk the walk, and talk the talk, but if we don’t live our faith 24/7, then it isn’t alive within.
Somehow I got pulled into doing more real estate work at the office which I’d expected to be working on tomorrow, but as always, when buyers or sellers need something from me and if available, I do what I can to accommodate them.
I’m in hopes this coming week will be as productive for me as last, because the days are getting shorter which will likely trigger more tire-kicking buyers to get settled in their new homes before winter arrives.
Here’s wishing you all a great end of August!
Tonight’s one-line is: Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.
