Well as I wrote yesterday, I was in Akron, Ohio for an ordination and a Chrism Mass.  AND, since we were right by a Berean, and since it was so close to Easter, I thought I would stop in and see if I could buy a clergy shirt to wear on Easter.  Sure enough they had one, but what I discovered is the topic of tonight’s blog.

The picture tonight is supposed to be of JESUS, and it was displayed prominently on a table just as you came in, (along with $70.00 REAL crowns of thorns for those who wish to inflict personal pain during Holy Week).  I however, could not stop laughing because I thought it was David Copperfield.   AND, I made sure I took a picture of it for my blog.  (I think it is my reflection that makes it look like his is getting his hair cut).  Father PT and I was laughing too, and we were both in our clerical collars.  And I couldn’t help but think that we were upsetting some of the staff, but in truth, how were we to know they were big fans of David Copperfield.

You know, I am a big fan of inspirational stuff, and was in no way trying to be irreverent.  BUT, I do believe that if you are going to sell pictures of the Lord you might want to look for someone who looks a lot less like David Copperfield.  It is just a distraction….really.

On a more positive note, tomorrow is Maundy Thursday and I will have the blessing of delivering the sermon tomorrow night at six at St. Patrick’s in Noblesville.   (It will be a pretty straightforward sermon about our mandate to serve, and no, I will not make anything disappear).  I will then be in Nashville for Good Friday, and split between three different services on Sunday.

It is however, HOLY WEEK, and we priests tend to be doing a lot during these times.  I however would not want it any other way.  I love what I do, and I am blessed to be able to do it.   Jesus is calling you to join me at Church over these next few days and I hope you do!  And I mean the REAL Jesus!    The seats are free……and nothing you will take part in will be an illusion.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I have been running 20 hour straight, but I am pleased to confess that I am typing this from my own home and in my own bed (in case I do not make it).  Ben has apparently “weaseled” his way into my bed, obviously convinced of my demise, and my follow up visit with the surgeon is just 9 short hours away.

Today however, I have been to Akron and back, where we attended an ordination, meeting and a Chrism Mass.  We brought back blessed oils for use in all our churches, and all of them will be in their proper places by Friday evening.  And I say Friday, as that will be the day I am in Nashville for a service there.  I will deliver it to father Dan then!

But for now I need to apologize that I just cannot go any further.  I have a great picture that I will be posting tomorrow, but my cord is in my car and it will just have to wait.  The day is done and if I do not get to sleep getting to my follow up appointment will be the least of my worries!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Although something serious generally happens during Holy Week, what I am seeing now is clearly unexpected.  In many years of ministry, I have had people die, funerals, family crisis, and a myriad of other things, so much so in fact that I have come to expect it.  But this week, despite leaving for Akron early in the morning for a Chrism Mass, thus far, things seem much less chaotic.

Oh sure, Amanda has a migraine and a trash can next to our bed.  She also has jury duty, but will not need to go in tomorrow according to the recorder on the court-line.  Scott is doing his very best to help out and is torturing himself by trying to get Ben to stay in his bed.  Scott has to work at five and is about dead to the world.  Ben is just waiting him out.  It will not be a surprise to see who will win.

As for me, I will be up at 4 to put my clothes in the dryer and then out of the house about 45 minutes later.    Oh sure, it all seems too staged at this point, and like always, I am anticipating a crisis.  Somehow, one always seems to come, but at least I am prepared for it.

Sadly, I have not ever had an uneventful Holy Week either.  I suppose I would not know what to do if I had one.  But in the big picture, I still have it pretty good.  Sure I will be driving 12 hours tomorrow for about 4 hours of meetings, but things could certainly be a lot worse.  I will count my blessings and continue to make my way through this week.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

The picture is a couple of days old but I thought I would use it, as it reflected “happier times.”  Steph is now back at school and Ben and I are home.  And although it is Palm Sunday and I have worked all day, Ben and I find ourselves in MY BED (as there is a thunderstorm) and we are apparently BOTH in trouble for interfering with the sleep of the queen….which is indeed a felony in our home (as we have been warned).

It is certainly not the night I had envisioned, but this is a pop-up storm and a pretty good one too.  Amanda was already in bed, and Ben used the storm to exit his room.  Of course even bombing would not wake up his mom, at least not enough to be anything other than grouchy, so he found his way downstairs to let me know that he was so hungry that he was in danger of dying (and no, I am not kidding.)  So I gave him some cookies, which seemed to save him, although I was not quite sure of the proper treatment as my doctoral degree is not in medicine.  He seemed however to respond well, so perhaps I am not as poor of a doctor as you might think.   What I can say is that it was a pretty fun, and pretty cool adventure, that has led to even more trouble for he and I tonight in bed.

Of course I really do not care, as I enjoy my role……but the bottom line is that I did not marry me, and I suppose in the great scheme of things there needs to be punishment for that at least.  Perhaps it is me and my little minion, I do not know.  I just know that he and I are in bed, and in trouble.

It is just always good to go with what you know……

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Well I am ready for Palm Sunday, although I am clearly not on top of my game.  I am still out of sorts, and I am still in pain.  It will not stop me from working tomorrow, but it will at this point, influence a bit of how I do.  My hope and prayer is to be far better in the morning.

I will say that I am far better than I was yesterday, but still far from where I expected to be.  In my humble estimation, this surgery was really nothing, yet it seems to be more than I anticipated.  Just getting though tomorrow will be a big victory for me because then my next BIG thing will be on Thursday.  I am scheduled to attend a Chrism Mass on Tuesday in Akron, but there is very little responsibility in that other than getting there and back.  I should do fine!

But I will confess that I do believe I am making progress.  My eye is still as bad as ever, but I expect it to begin working anytime.  Until then, I will patiently wait!

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week!  Make sure you attend Church!  I hope to see you there!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Yep, the picture is of me without any primping……..but I have been having more and more pain as the day has progressed, and I am at a loss to understand why.  I do not have a fever, but my head is in a LOT of pain, and all across my body under the bottom of my ribs is in pain as well.  I am attributing it all to the surgery and the position I had to sleep in last night, but it doesn’t take away the fact that I just want to shoot myself.  It would of course be at least a minor victory if my eye would start working like it should, but I will need to wait a few more days for the swelling to subside……so I am in pain and every bit as bad currently as I was before.

The hard part for me is that today was Steph’s last full day here.  I will have some time before she leaves tomorrow and I hope to enjoy it.  I fortunately will get to see her again for a few games and a banquet in a few weeks in Missouri.  I anticipate that I will be a lot better equipped to visit then!

So with that short report I will call it a day.  I am praying for a very smooth Holy Week, so my recovery is vital.  Please keep me in your prayers as it will be a lot easier if I enter it in better shape than I feel right now!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+ 

My post tonight is not going to be long, as I am supposed to be recuperating at home.  My surgery went well and am not too terribly uncomfortable.  I have to put on my BIPAP mask soon and sleep on my back, which is not going to be easy, but I really do not have any choice.

The picture is of Ben just a little after I got home.  I made sure I gave him my eye to keep, which he is posing with and he laughs when he pokes it and I say “ouch.”  Actually my WHOLE immediate family was convinced they were taking my out to do this, which was not the case at all.  But at least it was fun having them think so.

So keep me in your prayers.  I have a meeting tomorrow here at the house and am scheduled to celebrate at two places and to deliver the sermon at one this Sunday (Palm Sunday).  I intend to make it.   I do however want to share with you how much I appreciated your prayers for today.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Well it is just a little before 10 and I am DONE.  Nothing to eat or drink until after surgery tomorrow.  I am not quite sure what time my surgery is scheduled, but I am sure that by this time tomorrow night I will be on the road to recovery!  I have requested already that my family get me an eye patch.  1) I am not supposed to read or strain my eyes for a few days, so since that is almost impossible, I might as well strain the good one…..and 2) I have been practicing talking like a pirate for the last few days (okay, years, but who is counting?)

So the gist is that my eye tears, but no longer drains.  You have passages in and passages out.  My eye no longer drains and is a mess.  The doc believes that my ducts out closed up due to an infection I had a few years ago, and tomorrow he will attempt to open it up.  If he cannot, he will “re-plumb” it which is a bit more involved.   I had wondered why you have to be put out for all of this, but I guess it is so you will not be worried when they bring out the big drill.  I am a veteran of many orthopedic surgeries though, so the tools only encourage me.  We will see, but I am hoping they can reopen and use the old ducts.

I  am unsure however of tomorrow’s post.  My intention at this point is to do it.  I just ask for your prayers and will post if I can.  If I cannot, my apologies in advance.  It will not be for lack of desire…..just lack of ability, which I find at this point, doubtful.

So here’s to tomorrow!  Let’s pray for a good day!  I know I am, and I hope to give you and update in about 24 hours!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!


Tommy+

The picture is of the work that we did this afternoon, and no, it was not our first rodeo.  But my daughter Stephanie and I put up three walls and a door frame for our downstairs bathroom we are putting in, and had I had more energy (and better joints) we probably would have done more.

But although she just vaguely remembers our last project, she is great at helping out.  And today she helped, not just because she is home on break, but because she complains about having to run upstairs to use the bathroom.  College kids hate to suffer, and she knows that she is just a couple of months away summer break.  She and her friends by that time should have a stair-less summer.

But as for me, I am really suffering.  I am in a lot of pain from all the work and my “good knee” is very swollen.  And since I am having surgery on Thursday I cannot take a thing.  Oh joy oh joy.  But I cannot complain.  I have the bathroom well on its way and good help to boot.  I am willing to call it a pretty darn good day!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Yep, just one contractor left, and it is me.  The floor guys left this evening and all that remains now is to frame in and finish the bathroom in the basement……a job I (with the help of Steph, Ben, and maybe Scott) will do myself.  Of course time is of the essence, as I have surgery scheduled on Thursday in the early afternoon.  But in all honesty, I think we can make the deadline.  I have just two more walls to frame, a door to put in, wiring and drywall…….no worries, no worries at all.

The cool part is that it is beginning to look and feel like our house again, and for that, I am thankful.  So many things have been piled on top of each other to make room for all the work.  But by next week, we should have use of all the areas again, and in all honesty I am ready.  It has been too long, and I am longing for the peace.  It will make Easter all the better I tell you.

So other than this, there is no big news.   Just two more days with an unfinished bathroom, and two more days with a non working eye.  Either way, it is a win!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+