Wow…….I am watching on radar as the rain that we so desperately need goes around us….ON BOTH SIDES, as if Moses himself is parting that storm.  It is disheartening.   We have a garden and fruit trees that need the water.  The fruit trees we will keep watering, but the garden we have given Last Rites.  Sadly too, we use a great portion of our garden to support the Christian Center here in Anderson.  It is not a good year in terms of growing anything.

The rain chance is still just 30% and the next rain chance is Thursday at the same percentage.  There was an overabundance of rain last year…you just wish you could spread it out.  I am just sad for the many farms we have around here that grow crops.  They are going to be hurt something fierce.  And many of the dairy cows will not produce milk in this kind of heat.  It is a tough year here in Indiana.

So I will continue to pray for rain.  My yard is dead, our garden is gone and our new trees are barely limping along.  But others count on the rain for their livelihood………I just hope they can all survive what comes or rather what may not come ahead.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

The first picture is how I started my day, with waking up to find my 5 year old son who SWORE he would never sneak into our bed again after he turned 5, asleep right next to me.  The second picture is how we ended our day, at the movies to see the new Spiderman movie.

Of course I had to be forced to go, because at around 6pm I was feeling like his first picture.  But my wife said “we can go if your dad will go,” which immediately sent him on the task of constant pestering  until his goal was achieved.  It didn’t take long either.  I pick and choose my battles and this was one I knew I would not win (as it was so early).  So I got into the car and off we went.

Of course I am 51 years old.  This movie I already knew was a remake of Spiderman.  I had seen other movies and read the comic as a kid.  Even if I fell asleep I knew that I would be okay.  Same hero, same story, different take……..it was still pretty good.

But now I am home and ready FINALLY for that sleep.  I am confident I will make it there too.

After all, the theatre is now closed…….

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

If your grandmother or mother ever canned, chances are good that they probably used a Ball Jar.  Ball Jars were made in Muncie, Indiana, home of my sister Stephanie’s Alma mater, Ball State University…..and now home of what will be known as St. George the Dragonslayer Anglican Church and a chapter of St. Raphael’s Campus Ministry.   Yes the name is stolen, as it was our intended name for a Church in Bloomington that we delayed planting, but we just were a “hankerin” as they say in Indiana (just ask Father Dan) to use it.  St. George should launch in August, if not before.

This Church will be our first real attempt at doing campus ministry alongside a church plant, and is a real step of faith.  We have a facility that we will move into, and it is close to campus, but a lot needs to be done to get things moving along.  We are asking for your prayers.  AND, if you would like to partner with us financially, there is a link for that on our website.  It would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.  Here is the link to the SITE St. Michael the Archangel  I would give you a direct link to the donate page, but we would really prefer you learn about us before partnering with us.  It is always important to be informed.

But we do truly appreciate all that you can do in any way, shape, or form.  Our lease will be finalized next week and the seeds have already been planted.  God’s work has begun.

Please consider being a part, and if you’d like to see us planting a church in your area (ANYWHERE IN THE US) please do not hesitate to let me know.  Our Order is for Anglicans all over North America, and our churches are too!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Optimus Prime was walking around our house tonight and it was a good thing too, as I saw a lizard of about the same height and weight walking here too a few minutes earlier.   I am just thankful for Prime, as it is he who apparently keeps us safe.

Now I want to be honest and say that the lizard was something that really surprised me.  I am not sure what movie or show he comes from, although I think I do remember a lizard on Scooby Doo.  Optimus Prime I am used to, as I am Spiderman, Batman, Captain America, Superman, pirates, a variety of policemen, firemen, soldiers, space guys and US Marines.

He has now appeared with a “grabber” kind of tool for kids, one similar to the ones they give to us old people to pick things up when we cannot bend over, except it is red and yellow (because as I said, it’s for kids) and not gray and black (for those of us closer to the nursing home).  He says he needs it because it is a robot arm as his doctor has told him not to use his regular arm anymore (because it is no good).   I would have to concur too.  He has a terrible time picking up his room, so this is explaining a lot.  Now I need to figure out how he is getting to the doctor on his own, and who is paying this bill.

There is never a dull moment at the Tirman home.  I am just glad to still be the Chief Lunatic in charge.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

It looked oh so lonely, but we stopped just so we could take this picture.  Fortunately for me, Father PT got out and stood in front of the building.  Poor Father Dan…….a dilapidated building with just one friend.   Please keep him in your prayers!  (ALSO…..it is OUT OF BUSINESS!!!!)

Of course Father Dan has LOTS of friends, like most retired State Troopers do because people need guys who can tell them how to get out of tickets.  But in all seriousness, he is a good guy.  And he will take this like a man but I will confess that PT and I are expecting to be (and will be) PAID BACK.  Most people would call that a friendly game of back and forth, but Danny will consider it revenge.  The Bible says, “Vengeance is mine says the Lord,” but Danny doesn’t like reading that part of the Bible.  He prefers to strike back “sans the guilt.”

But it is all in fun.  It is not our best joke………..but a joke it is.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Every day Stephanie, quite faithfully, gets up and hauls her littlest brother to the YMCA for swimming lessons.  The first few days she will tell you were awful as he fought going in the water, but he eventually did. (Far better than her however, as she would not let go of my leg OR get in the water!) But there are fruits of her labor!  Ben can now swim, although he is no Michael Phelps, and he even goes off the diving board!

Yes, Steph is his “Nanny” for the summer.  This is not to be confused with his “Nanny” which is what he calls Amanda’s mom either.  Steph is truly “her brother’s keeper,” and they are pretty funny to watch as she has him moving through each and every day.

Steph also conducts some academic activities for Ben as well.  She has been given a bit of direction however prior to conducting these sessions though.  It is not that we do not trust her, but Steph used to not want to play or be a kid when she was young…..she would rather stay inside and do math stuff.  She is nowhere near that weird today, but we do keep a sharp eye out on her as she does give Ben some math (and in addition to a biochemistry major in college, she adds math and Spanish minors….she could just go all “mathy” at any point).

But speaking of points, mine is that they are doing a great job together.  This summer will probably mean a lot to them both down the line, but it give great meaning to me now!  I am proud of them both and enjoy watching them each and every day!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

In my life I have had the blessing of meeting some fine people, particularly through my kids.  We have had their friends practically growing up in our home.  And many of them still stop by and are still like family.  I know that my kids too are seen the same in their homes as well.

There’s a website called “WheresGeorge.com”  It has been around for years, and it is where people register the serial number of a $1 bill and stamp it with the “WheresGeorge.com” seal, or write it on there after registration.  It is always interesting to see where dollar bills come from and go to.  It takes just a minute or two and it is a lot of fun.

Well a couple of days ago, after stopping at the Home Depot, I received a dollar with the seal on it and I took it home.  I have looked them up and posted my receiving the bill lots of times, but it was never more interesting than this one.

I apparently was the second poster of this bill.  The original poster was from Indianapolis, which is just about 20 miles away, but it said that he had received it as change from a male stripper at a dance club in Indy.  From there it went to the Home Depot where this guy probably bought something.  But from there it went into my wallet, a priest of the Church.  And tomorrow it will go into an offering plate at Church to be blessed and reconsecrated for God’s Work!

I did find it pretty funny though. And it will be interesting to see where it goes after tomorrow…..particularly after giving it to the Lord for His Work now!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Today has been an exceptional day, and one I will not soon forget.  It was not only unbelievably hot for the millionth day in a row, but I ended by doing a funeral this evening for a remarkable woman and friend whom I wish I had spent more time with……Lynn Udrasols.

The funeral however, if you can believe it, was the highlight of my day.  Three of her grandkids spoke, as well as other family, and it was filled with joy and laughter and wonder.  I last saw Lynn a few days ago when I gave her Last Rites.  Her body was broken, she could not speak, but thank God right now she is free!

The grandkids did such a great job that if I had the money (if I had any money) I would gladly have hired them all right away!  They were a gifted bunch…..something of course I would attribute to Lynn being so close to them in her life.  It was really very cool!

But now I am home.  It is still way too hot, but I so very thankful I went out in it.

I could just focus on the heat, but I won’t!  God’s blessings are all around us, and sometimes to see them we have to look at other things!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

As if we needed our home to get any weirder……. Ben’s last birthday present arrived this evening.  It’s just too bad he was not here to see it.  What, or better yet, WHO appeared was a ninja who seemed to me to be familiar.  For the life of me however, I am sure I will never figure it out.

This however, is far more realistic than the last ninja we had in our home.  It was well over a year ago, and I am pretty sure it was Ben with one of his sister’s hair bands across his face.  This ninja requires far less grace in terms of costume believability.  Plus this ninja has “authentic” foam ninja stars, whereas our former ninja just had sound effects.   My only regret is that his grandma left for home, or I mean my mother-in-law left for home (as I am not really sure of the identity of this ninja) a few hours before he appeared.

Anyway I need to get into a new paradigm.  Instead of WWJD (What would Jesus do?)  I need to wonder WWCND (What would Chuck Norris do?)  I am not certain of all of it, but I am pretty sure he would think this was one cool ninja.  I think that too….I just wish we could find our son Ben.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+