All posts by Fr Tom Tirman

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Houston, we have a problem…..

The drama was almost too much to take, but sadly I had to take it. Our service in Nashville had to be cancelled today seeing as Brown County received record amounts of rainfall over the past few days……so we couldn’t even get there. The INTERSTATES were flooded and closed! Apparently it was about 10 inches of rain that fell, and that is almost unfathomable! It now joins only one other story I have heard in my lifetime about rain that I couldn’t get my brain around ….and that other story was Noah’s Ark! Praise God that everyone we talked to said they were doing okay.

Even though we had to miss the service, we will be seeing the good people of Brown County later this week to do some hands on ministry. We will sign up people at St. Patrick’s (Noblesville) and St. Anne’s (Anderson) tomorrow to head down to Brown County during the week so we can help people in need. We currently know of no one requesting our help, but Deacon Conley will be making an inquiry about where we can help this week tomorrow. If you are interested, please let us know.

Sure it would have been great to be back in worship. Sure it would have been great to have that first service behind me…..but there are plenty of things more important that hearing me preach. And helping those in Brown County with real needs is one of them!

The rain and flooding will not prevent me from being in Noblesville or Anderson tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it. But my thoughts and prayers go out to those who really need them right now…..those effected by the floods.

Keep them in your prayers, and come join us in helping them if you have the chance.

Peace!

Fr Tom+

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The final preparations…..

Well tomorrow will be the beginning of the big swing! Tomorrow I will travel down to Nashville to both preach and celebrate. It will be the first service I have done there in quite some time, and the first of three I will do this weekend.

I am really looking forward to it too. Sitting around waiting to get better has made me pretty bored, and to be honest I am one of those maladjusted people who really loves what they do. I missed being in all our missions, not just because I love being a priest, but because they are full of wonderful people too!

So tomorrow will be a big day, and then Sunday too. My sermon is almost ready, and it seems to be about what I would expect, especially considering all that I have been through. It will not be earth -shattering or have information about how you can get the mate of your dreams, make thousands without lifting a finger, or lose 25 pounds without ever exercising, but it will teach a bit about faith in Jesus Christ. The Gospel is about Jesus eating with Matthew the Tax Collector and other “sinners.” Nothing like coming back to work and starting with an IRS sermon….at least the first place I give it will be St. Matthew’s!

Anyway, they say there is no rest for the wicked, so I best be getting to bed before people start talking. But I am excited to be at this point. As they say in Florida, the shuttle is on the launch pad and all systems are go……..I am looking forward to it.

Keep me in your prayers…..this will be a lot more than I have done in months!

God Bless.

Tom+

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Of lacrosse, awards, goals, and the future……..

Tonight was a spectacular night! We were able to join a few hundred people for the Noblesville Lacrosse Awards Banquet. Both our boys’ and girls’ varsity teams received awards, as well as our boys’ JV. Next year we will add a girls’ JV as well.

The awards banquet was a big marker for me. It was a goal I had to finish this first season even before I had the stroke. And then after having it, getting to that banquet became even more important to me.

I had to speak at the banquet, and remember things without notes, and do so in front of this large crowd as we presented our part, the girls’ varsity awards. My Assistant Coach Lisa Corry had it all laid out and was there to help me fumble through what I had to say, but it was important to do because the Noblesville Lacrosse community is made up of some of the finest people I have ever met. They were there for me when I had my stroke. They stepped up for the girls during that time too. They brought the entire girls’ team into their already existing club and have helped us to develop. And all they did for Michael Treinen and his family was one of the most remarkable things I have ever been a part of. These are not just people who are good at running a lacrosse program, these are good people. And it was an honor, and important to be among them. I think I did okay, but Lord only knows….I will have to ask my wife.

We gave out the awards and celebrated a great year. It was a blast. I wish I had an award for each of them. They are all great girls and we wouldn’t have been the team we were without even one of them. Our three seniors who graduated will be missed, but college calls, and they are fine young women who will all do well. I was honored to be able to coach all of them this year. I hope that came across.

The hardest part, and a huge honor for me was to bestow the award for the Most Valuable Player which is among a few of the awards that the players vote on, not the coaches. This year it went to my daughter Stephanie, and I got pretty choked up as I read her name. She is a great player among many, and it was a big honor to be chosen by her teammates. As I talked to her about it later she said it was both a surprise and an honor, but then she started to talk about next year. As a matter of fact, most of the girls I talked to did. They are great kids, but they have become athletes and their focus is strong. It is awesome to see them develop as a team.

So today was a great day of both accomplishment and joy. I am glad however that it is over. I will need the night to rest and recover. Few days in my life have been better. I have great kids, I am surrounded by remarkable people, and life is getting better each day!

I best go to bed before something goes wrong!

Night and God bless!

Tom+

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Of carrying my assistant, and other ramblings…..

I spent much of the day in meetings today, and as it turned out, so did Ben. He is very used to hanging out with me, yet the stroke, the heat, and the fact that he is getting a lot heavier and can’t walk on his own all are contributing factors to the upcoming heart attack I appear to be heading for! Hopefully in a few more weeks I will be in better shape and my energy will be back. (or he will be able to run at a brisk pace….I will not hold out for that miracle) But in truth, I do not handle the tired-thing too well.

One of my wife’s coworkers bought me a book to read that ironically I almost bought for myself last week. It is called “My Stroke of Insight” (my apologies to my librarian mother-in-law but you cannot underline in this blogging program) by Jill Bolte Tayor who is a brain scientist who had a stroke herself and wrote about it. Finally someone as fascinated as me with all that is going on inside my brain! I will begin reading it tomorrow in between writing a sermon for the weekend. I will let you know if I glean anything spectacular from reading it. But just from what I read as I looked at it, I was very drawn in.

I am excited about it, because I still need some help and to put my feet firmly on the ground. I will admit that I still struggle a lot. I know that I am blessed in that I have no real physical impairments from all of this, but I really am trying to get a grip on my mind. People talk to me and they see me. I look fine, I act fine, but I do act. On Sunday, though it went well, I was scared to death. And tonight when Amanda came home I just could not get a normal conversation out of my mouth. I had to just head to the other room and keep my mouth shut. I was not capable of anything helpful! I know what I want and what I should be doing, it just sometimes doesn’t come….I am told however to add the word “yet.” I need to be more patient, and though it is hard, I need the world to be more patient with me. I will get there….when however, is the question of every hour.

Keep praying for me and my family. We are still working hard, and I know it will all turn out fine in the end.

God bless…

Tom+

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Of birthdays, family, and of course cake……..

Today is my dad’s birthday, and as always, I made it a point to call him. My dad is 25 years older than me, and though that makes him just 72 this year, (Lord I wish it were just 50) I always pretend it is about 172. He never fails to get me back though, after all my birthday is June 19th. Even at his advanced age he can remember that long! He and I jab back and forth at each other every year, but it is always in good fun. I am just thankful we can.

June is always a big month in our family. After we get Amanda’s birthday out of the way on May 28th (it is our warm up), we celebrate my dad’s, Scotty’s (June 16th), Father’s Day (I am not sure when), my birthday, and then now Ben’s birthday (June 30th)! And we all put on about 15 pounds in 30 days……and most of it comes from cake! I am not a big fan of sweets (unless it is cake) and I can think of no better way to spend the month than laughing, joking, and choking down my favorite poison….cake, with the real buttercream icing!

I suppose if I finally have to come off of medical leave and show everyone how far I have progressed, it may not be the best plan to do so in a semi-diabetic comatose state. But please understand, old habits and family traditions are the hardest to break…..plus, all the graduation parties make it almost impossible. In truth I will take what I can, after all, I am just happy to be back.

And back I am! I am now again working full-time and excited to be doing so. It is not always easy, not always pretty, and sometimes quite a challenge, but I see each day as a gift and as an opportunity. In time, I should be fine, but I do not want to take any of it for granted. God has blessed me, and the future is looking bright. And I thank Him daily for it….and of course for the month of June and all that cake!

I am preaching and celebrating at all three missions this weekend! I hope you and come on out and worship with us!

God Bless and I hope to see you soon!

Fr. Tom+

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Of hay, shots, and headaches……..

As I sit here typing, I am reminded of the story about a traveling evangelist who went about place to place preaching and teaching. He went to one particular place to preach, a ranch, and instead of finding a whole bunch of cowboys, he instead found just one way out by a campfire on the plain. Even though the evangelist was disappointed there was only one cowboy there to preach to, he decided to share his entire sermon which it went over 45 minutes. After he was done, the cowboy looked completely overwhelmed. When he asked him why the cowboy said, “No offense sir, but sometimes I come out here with some hay to feed the cattle, but if I find only one cow I don’t make it eat an entire bale.”

I didn’t post at all this weekend because I indeed fed myself an entire bale, although that may huge UNDER-estimation on my part. This weekend our Bishop came to ordain a deacon (way to go Tony!) (the service was on Sunday) and he and a priest stayed at our house. It was great having them both here, but with so much going on, I just wondered how I did with everyone. It was more than I had done in months, and I really had to struggle hard to maintain concentration on all I was needing to concentrate on. I just don’t have a good sense of self-awareness right now! I just don’t want to insult anyone. Thank God they are both friends too, have a deep sense of concern for me and understanding.

We (our family) also had three open houses to stop in at for graduations this weekend. So there was even more going on than the church-stuff! But despite all the busyness, I knew I would make it, and I did! Yee ha!

Sure enough however, my long run is not quite over……this morning Amanda got very sick with a migraine and this afternoon I had to take her to get a shot. She of course has it A LOT worse than anyone else here in terms of condition. I know that for sure. It’s just that I am well past when I thought I would get some rest. And to make things worse, sadly, Mr. Ben is not being very helpful either. It amazes me that at almost 1 year old you never want to take a nap, while at 46 you want one all the time. And he and I just cannot seem to reach a happy medium. The important part though, and the blessing is, is that Amanda is unconscious and probably will remain that way until tomorrow due to the shot. It will take her a few days, but the shots do work, and she will get better….and we all thank God for that!

But the reality is that there will be no shot for me!! And I will be awake for quite some time. The bale this weekend and today already seemed pretty big, but clearly Ben thinks we need a little more hay.

No worries though, I intend to get through it and live a long and productive life………long enough for sure to make certain he gets what I know he needs…..a dad he can take care of! After all, what goes around comes around. And if I can’t give him that kind of hay, I am sure one day he will have a boy of his own!

Update: It looks like the graham cracker and bottle is working! Praise God!

Tom+

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My apologies…..the product of a mushy mind…….

I didn’t post last night because there was just so much spinning through my mind. Michael’s funeral was wonderful. The clergy at Our Lady of Grace did a great job of helping us to celebrate his life. Michael was such a great guy, and I even missed Michael when he couldn’t make practice……I know it’s going to be a lot harder now.

I sat at the funeral with most of the girls on our team and with Coach Corry. Michael touched everyone of them, and his influence upon them clearly was indelible. I know we were all blessed to know him, and it frustrates me very much to suddenly not be able to put what I want and NEED to say into words about him. Perhaps tomorrow will provide me the opportunity.

I work hard to keep myself together when this happens to me. As for a reason, (of course I have had a stroke) I think the happenings of the week, and the ones coming up this weekend, just trip some sort of “limit switch” in my head and my ability to move ahead just stalls. It is hard to deal with, but in time I will get there…. In the meantime, please be patient. I still do have a lot to say about this week, Michael, his funeral, and all that has happened….I just have the need and desire to say it well/right.

Okay, I am giving up for the day! Pray for clarity for me tomorrow…Lord knows I need it!

Peace!

Fr. Tom+

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Of the hope for a better tomorrow………

It has been an unusual day for me for a lot of reasons. Today I not only was able to attend the visitation for Michael Treinen at our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, but I was also able to meet his parents and one of his sisters for the first time. They are remarkable people. It was a hard time for everyone, and I just wish my mind could have kept up with all that was happening around me. The effects of the stroke often manifest themselves in hard places, and this was one of them.
I do have some things to say about what I am witnessing, but I just can’t get my thoughts lined up correctly….at least I can’t today. It is not some type of writer’s block, it is clearly a stroke-thing. After the funeral tomorrow I believe (and hope) that I will be able to express myself better.
Today was also my wife Amanda’s birthday. The events of her birthday bookended work and the visitation. We started the day with a coffee cake with candles and ended it with a DQ cake and high blood sugar I am sure. But celebrations are an important part of life, and today was one of her celebration days.
Tomorrow will be one of Michael’s. Funerals are to be a reflection and celebration of one’s life, and I am confident his will be just that. As a priest, I find comfort in them. And as a brother who lost two sisters to cancer as well, Steph (who my daughter is named for and who died in 2001), and Sarah (who died in 2004) I need them. Believe me, there is enough pain to last 100’s of years in any of this…..what funerals provide is the hope, peace and assurance that those of us who are left need to live on. They hold up death for what it is, just a transition, a gate that we too will one day pass through. And when we do, we will see those who went before us again. You see, there is a lot to celebrate…..death is not the end of the story!
Please keep the Treinens in your prayers and all those who are struggling with Michael’s death…..particularly the young people. Tomorrow will be a trying day for many. Pray that the Lord’s Hand may rest upon them all, and that His funeral will celebrate his life, and provide the comfort, the hope, the peace, and the assurance that everyone will need.
God bless you my friends.
Fr. Tom+
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A short post before the end of the day…….

Today was really my first full day back working, and I made the most of it in usual Tom Tirman style…..I packed in about 30 hours of work into 12 hours. No, I am not working on a second, more spectacular stroke, but I am in the process of relearning how to manage my life with a brain that doesn’t quite get it yet. (nor can it tell time) I was slap-happy in the late morning, yet far from done. It will be interesting to see what I feel like tomorrow.

What I can say is that I am emotionally and physically wiped out from the day, and from the happenings of life all around me. I do know I am way past my limit, and will forgo writing too much tonight…it would only be rambling.

But if you read this, I ask that you please pray for the family of Michael Treinen and for our community. His visitation is tomorrow and his funeral is on Thursday. Your prayers will mean a lot to everyone.

Goodnight my friends, and God Bless.

Tom+

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A tragic day………….good-bye my friend…….

I wish I had the heart to post yesterday, but it was a pretty sad day. Our dear friend Michael Treinen went home to be with the Lord at around 6:30 in the morning. Michael was a remarkable young man, who our entire community will miss.

Many of you may have heard of Michael or have been following his story. He was diagnosed with cancer just before his graduation from high school last year. He had to set aside his plans to go to Arizona State in order to go through treatment, and that decision led to remission in January of this year.

Sadly, his remission did not last long. A month later Michael was again fighting for his life…..a battle he would fight until yesterday morning.

Michael however was not like a lot of people I know who have cancer…….he was very different. Michael, though he had a terrible disease, and though he had no misconceptions of what he was to endure or what could happen to him, chose each and every day to live. And live he did. He took each day as an opportunity to make his mark upon the world. And in all my days, not just as a pastor, but as a person, I have met few like him. He inspired everyone around him, including me. And I have to say that my time with him, though short, was one of the most incredible blessings I have ever been given.

Last night around the high school flag pole, hundreds of people, students and adults alike, gathered to share what Michael meant to them. Michael was the Assistant Coach for the boy’s high school lacrosse team. He had been awarded the night before he died the “2008 Assistant Coach of the Year” for boy’s lacrosse, though he could not be present to receive it. It was quite an honor. Yet Michael really didn’t seem to be about all attention, he just was about making that mark on those he met.

I only met Michael in person on April 19th, the day after I was released from the hospital following my stroke. Oh I knew who he was, because everyone knows him here in Noblesville, but I went out to shake his hand very close to the big “N” on the high school stadium field where we were playing that day. You may remember I am the head coach of the high school girl’s lacrosse team, and my stroke occurred on the week of our first game. When it was clear I would need to be hospitalized and not able to practice or coach, my Assistant Coach Lisa Corry put a call out to our boy’s team for help….and help we got! But guess who was one of the coaches to show up? That’s right, Michael Treinen! And not only did he show up, he showed up every day…even after I returned! He showed up in between chemo and transfusions, never complaining, never calling attention to himself, only working to live his life and to make his mark. He inspired me, and he inspired our team as well.

Last night, our girl’s team was there too, and many of them spoke of how he had inspired them and made them a team, and how important he was in their lives. He walked with them only a little over a month, first to cover for me when I was out, and then at our invitation as an Assistant Coach for us too (after all he was there every day!). And though we have no such award as Assistant Coach of the Year in girl’s lacrosse, I am certain both Lisa and I would be comfortable just conferring on him Girl’s Coach of the Year for Noblesville Lacrosse. God knows he deserves it, for his mark on us all will be ever-lasting.

I will miss Michael, though I know he is in a far better place. I have two sisters there who like him left this earth far too early from battling the same terrible disease, and I rejoice that none of them shall suffer any further. But I can see his mark all around me, in the people he touched, the faces of the girl’s, and even in my own heart. Thanks Michael for showing us all the importance of living each day.

Few people ever live so fully. I thank the Lord for the opportunity we have all had to walk with him, and look forward to being reunited with him again, one day, in heaven.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the tender mercy of God, rest in peace.

Fr. Tom+