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Winter is back!!!

I am glad to finally see all the snow and the cold weather! And though all our cars are iced up and the roads are treacherous, it just feels right to have all of it in the month of December. Certainly I could do without the bad roads, but with all the leaves gone the snow makes everything look so wonderful.

As breeders of Golden Retrievers I love getting them out in the new snow. There are no bigger idiots than our four, who romp and play and have so much fun chasing each other and rolling around in it. It makes me so happy to watch them. In a way it just makes all the hustle and bustle of life seem very small. Watching them is watching pure enjoyment and love for the moment. I only wish I could capture some of their exuberance!

Winter is kind of my thing. I know I am an anomaly rather than the norm, but I really don’t care. I feel blessed to enjoy it, and thank God for the opportunity to do so each day it is with us. Snow is God’s way of covering up the muck, and the cold reminds us that our hearts are what’s warm. And for those of you who do not believe it, that’s why He made hot chocolate. Pour yourself a cup and sit it out. Spring is just over 3 months away!

Stay warm! Goodnight and God Bless!

Tom+

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A day of great distraction…….

Sometimes it is just hard for me to write. It’s not that I don’t have a lot running through my mind, it is just the distractions. I can say that since my stroke, it takes very little to distract me. I always thought that if I were ever tested for ADD they would make me the ADD King, but since the stroke I am even more proficient at being distracted.

Case in point, I have sat down to type this blog numerous times tonight. It is too cold now for the porch, so I am in the kitchen at the table. Everything tears my attention away…..Amanda, Ben, the phone, the TV, and now even the dishwasher. And every good thought that comes seems to leave me as I concentrate upon something else. I envy those with the ability to not be distracted, and I am pretty certain I will never be asked to join them!

Sadly, one of the problems with my problem is in trying to concentrate, I often appear rude. I don’t mean to be, but pre-stroke I could at least recover. Now when a thought leaves me it is just gone forever. I have to try really had to stay focused, and as you can imagine with all the writing I do, that is a big task.

I don’t think the Lord wants me to give up doing what I do, but He has led me to make major adjustments. Being on the porch with the cat to write these blog entries was one of them, but now that she is hibernating for the winter, I am left to fend for myself. Cats are loyal mostly to themselves…..a lot like toddlers!

Anyway, me and my fuzzy mind will head off to bed. I have outlasted all my distractions but the dishwasher and want to finish before it expects me to unload it. And I hope and pray that your day was productive and distraction free.

Until tomorrow goodnight and God Bless.

Tom+

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Of joy, of work, and of rest……..

We finally held our first service at the new St. Patrick’s today and it was a joyous event. I wish I was not so tired, but the people and the cake made it well worthwhile. We still have a lot to do to the facility and most of that will take place this week. I will be much more prepared to be there too, having slept after doing our Riverwalk service with Amanda (and Ben) in the early afternoon. I was exhausted!

And of course, as you may imagine, I still am! I notice very few problems from my stroke anymore, but if I am tired or stressed they float right to the surface. Today those problems were everywhere, but I can laugh them off. I can banish them quickly with just a little more sleep.

So of course that’s where I am going…..to bed. I hope to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (as my grandma would say) and the best way to get there is to turn in.

So goodnight my friends and God Bless you! It has been a busy, but great day. I hope and pray that yours was wonderful as well.

Tom+

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Sleepy, my role model dwarf……….

Today has been one of the longest days in my memory. While workers put the “temporary carpet” and finishing touches on our new facility in Westfield, I spent time with a few others gathering the things we needed, such the tables, chairs, and liturgical items to move in after they were done. We actually were able to move most everything in by 9 pm, but still had a lot to do. Most left by midnight, and I finally left at 1:30 am with a sermon and bulletins awaiting me to prepare here at home. It will not be my best work, but all things considered, it was worth it.

This is to say, my post tonight or this morning, however you wish to define it, must be short and a few hours pre-dated to get it to post on Saturday. I am excited for the people of St. Patrick’s, but particularly for the members of all our missions who continue to contribute in their support of the ministry of St. Michael the Archangel. Tomorrow is just another marker of the Lord’s deep blessings upon us…….and for it, tired or not, I am truly thankful.

Goodnight or good morning I can’t tell which…….and God Bless!

Tom+

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Go Lady Millers Go Go Go!!

Tonight the Noblesville Lady Millers, of which I am the coach, took the field for the final game of the indoor season. Both our boys teams finished the season last night, and tonight was our turn. The stands were full, and I am happy to say that we did not disappoint….at all.

Before the game I told them that if we played “our game” there would be no beating us, and that’s exactly what they did. The girl’s played better than they ever have, just like they practice, and their flawless performance led to a remarkable victory. You see, this team beat us twice last year, and one of those times in the finals. In the indoor season we split, but the last time they beat us badly. It was very good for the girl’s to play so well.

Anyway, I am off to bed while the day is going so well! Congrats Lady Millers! I am so proud of you. We are on our way to a great season this year!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless. Thanks for checking in!

Tom+

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Go Millers Go!

Tonight was the playoffs for the men’s indoor lacrosse league. There are two divisions, and Scott plays for the high school in one of them. They played great. They won their first game, knocked off the top seed in the second, but lost in the last two seconds of the championship. That was a heart-breaker, but they played great all night.

Tomorrow night is the finals for the girl’s team. We are in the championship game already, so I hope everyone is rested and ready…..particularly since I am the coach! All our high school teams have fared pretty well regardless.

We will be taking a few weeks off until Winter ball which begins in January, and then it all starts up again. It is a great sport, and I am glad Stephanie and Scott play it. We have lots of fun.

I want to think about just that tonight, in that I was by St. Patrick’s tonight and it is still not even painted. We need to take possession of it in no later than 48 hours because we have no other place to go! Please keep it in your prayers. But for now I am off to bed savoring a great lacrosse evening!

Goodnight and God Bless.

Tom+

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Of deadlines, celebrations and new challenges…….

It is getting down to the wire for our move of St. Patrick’s Mission to Westfield. I stopped by there today and it had yet to be painted, let alone carpeted or the “Animal Hospital” sign taken down from above the door (it’s big!). But too much has happened to lead us to this point, and I am certain that by Sunday morning at 9 we will be up and ready to go. (Okay, hopefully by Saturday night because we need to move in our furniture!)

My life is often like this though, high stress and deadlines. And though it often makes things a bit intense, it is also exciting in that it always seems to work out. Living in a way that counts on God to do His part takes a lot of faith, but I can tell you it works time and time again!

On Sunday we will rejoice heartily at what He has done, and then we will set our sights on something new. We have lots to do and there is never a dull moment…..but that’s the way we like it.

God’s call to us is new every morning…..we can only imagine what He calls us to in the next new day!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tom+

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Of rolling my fat self over the hump………

Just when I thought the world was getting back to normal, I awoke to all this rain. It is December, and though I am from just a couple of hours north of where I currently live, there is SNOW there and there has been for most of November and December. Sure, rain is easier to shovel and a lot easier to drive in, but I really do think it should snow in December, not rain.

Of course if the Lord really was interested in my opinion my beloved Chicago Bears would be doing a lot better, so I guess I should just accept it and carry an umbrella instead of gloves and a hat. It’s not the first thing in my life I had trouble understanding, and I am certain it will not be the last. I am just glad I am not a kid anymore……this whole thing would make backyard/neighborhood ice rinks a little hard to maintain!

Today, overall, has been a good day. I got a lot accomplished, including a visit to my regular doctor. He is a great guy and a real Godsend to me through all I have gone through. No big changes for me other than an adjustment in some medications. The good news is that I look to have survived and am good for another 100,000 miles. Amanda and the kids will just need to save for a vacation…..there will be no inheritance!!

Oh I kid, I kid…. I am just happy to say I feel like I am on the other side of all of this, and that I only anticipate getting stronger. My weight is back up, but tonight is the end of it…..I am going back down. And we are getting rid of the gym in our garage and have decided to park, get this, cars there. Imagine that! So I will be finding a gym close to the house to visit soon.

Time has been good to me, and the Lord has blessed me deeply. I will not take that for granted. I am committed to living a long and healthy life, and hope to be a burden to all three kids someday. But for now I will just enjoy life and live it day by day.

Off to bed early for me tonight. I hope and pray your day has been every bit as blessed as mine.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

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Blessings of an unexpected kind……

On my way to the hospital this afternoon to do a call, I happened to be the first person to come upon a head-on collision that must have occurred just minutes before. It was between an SUV and a full-sized pick-up and it was bad. Both were off the road and the pick-up had sheered off part of a telephone pole. It was a surprise someone wasn’t killed. The man in the SUV was out and walking, but the man in the pick-up, an elderly gentleman was still pinned in by his steering wheel. I was able to lean over him and undo his seat belt that he said was hurting him, but other than that, I was able to do very little. Another passer-by, a woman, stayed there with me talking to him until the EMS arrived.

I would bet that neither of these men imagined this would be their afternoon. The young man was on his way to pick up his daughter, and I know was thankful that she was not with him at the time.

But in looking at it, there was a lot to be thankful for. Both men were alive. Though both vehicles were totaled, hitting the telephone pole the way it happened AND just missing the cables, he actually went between them with just inches to spare, made it an accident and not a fatality. As I left and went to the hospital, I said a prayer and remembered how blessed we all are. After all, things can change in an instant. Everyone I saw today, I am happy to report, will return to their homes again. Praise God!

I am off to hang out with Scotty and Ben! Have a great night and God Bless!

Tom+

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I’m Just Two Tents…………

Tonight I built a tent in our living room for Ben while Amanda and Scott went to Steph’s work to get a few things and take her something to eat. Ben and I had a great time in the tent too. It was made with 4 TV trays and some blankets. We spent much of our time watching the Doodlebops in it and throwing balls at each other. But all good things come to an end. Amanda and Scott got home and soon I was booted from the tent and they replaced me.

Ben soon had to go to bed, and the tent is still up. Ironically, I still see feet sticking out of the bottom…..Scott’s. As everyone else left, Scott stayed. It is not a new thing though. When he was Ben’s age we used to make tents together and he used to fall asleep in them too. He and I will no longer fit in one together….but it sure was moving to see he and Ben in there together.

Anyway, Ben is in bed, Amanda is watching House MD, and Scott is just about 20 minutes from having to abandon his tent and drive me to pick up Steph. Life sure is exciting at the Tirman home, but I would not want it any other way.

Good night my friends and God Bless.

Tom+