Happy Birthday Stewart

Today would have been Stewart Wesley Conger's 46th birthday. His life was cut short by cancer on November 11th, 1985. It is amazing how time tempers your memories. All the fights, all the disagreements that siblings have have vanished and all I remember is the good stuff. That is a good thing, I think.

Twenty three years later, I still miss him and wonder what the world would have been like if he had lived. My hunch is my life would have been very different, because he has given me the willingness to keep on doing what I do, despite the crap that ministry often has to deal with.

If you have not read my father's book about Stewart and his illness give me a call or drop me an e-mail, I would be glad to share it with you.

Addicted to . . . OIL!

Thomas Friedman had a great op ed piece earlier this week in the New York Times. In the article Friedman talk suggests that President Bush is our "Addict in Chief" and that the Bush energy policy is to get us to take "one more toke on the ole oil pipe."

Friedman then points out that Bush is doing his best to blame our addiction on the Democrats. I love his sarcastic sense of humor.

He challenges the president to offer the following energy plan:

“Oil is poisoning our climate and our geopolitics, and here is how we’re going to break our addiction: We’re going to set a floor price of $4.50 a gallon for gasoline and $100 a barrel for oil. And that floor price is going to trigger massive investments in renewable energy — particularly wind, solar panels and solar thermal. And we’re also going to go on a crash program to dramatically increase energy efficiency, to drive conservation to a whole new level and to build more nuclear power. And I want every Democrat and every Republican to join me in this endeavor.”

There is no doubt but that we are dependent upon oil, and the big oil companies and the Saudi's are going to do their best to keep us addicted. 30 years ago when I was in high school and gas was creeping up to --- oh my gosh --- $1 a gallon we started talking about the need for other energy sources. Unfortunately, until we hurt enough --- we are not going to give up our addiction to oil!

Transitions

A lot has been going on over the last couple of weeks. Lindsey is doing great since her surgery. I have noticed a change in her condition, she seems much more stable than she had been prior to the surgery. In a couple of weeks we will do some blood work to see if we have found the right amount of synthroid that she is taking every day.

Jeff and Heather headed back to Kansas this morning. I wish them well as they begin this new phase in their lives.

I am moving my office back into the office I started with 10 years ago. I moved when Jeff came and then had to move again (into a smaller room) because we needed the space for the Sunday School. It is a pain to move but I know I will be happier in this new room. I also am trying to get my new computer up and running, I have transferred most of the files, now I just have to re-install all of the programs. WHAT A PAIN!

At lunch today I went and holed myself up so that I could do a little reading --- I just needed to get away for a while. I finished a great novel by Laurie King. I had previously read a book in her Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series called O Jerusalem --- which I loved, because it took me back to Israel/Palestine. The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first in this series in which Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes meet. The book is slow at times, yet I wanted to finish so that I could figure out who the villain was. King does an interesting job in tying together the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with her version of an older (and "retired") Sherlock Holmes.

Sorry that it has been so long since I wrote on my blog.

Last week Lindsey had her surgery to remove her thyroid. Everything went well, but she had to spend an extra night at the hospital because she was oozing more than the doctor liked. She will go back to see the surgeon on Friday, but she is actually planning on going to work this afternoon (she works at the Munster Branch of the Library). She is doing really well, but is very tired and still not very interested in eating.

Nancy spent the two nights up at the hospital and I spent the days running back and forth. With all of the trips that I made, I am thankful for my little Honda Fit which gets 32+ MPG on the Highway. I also want to thank everyone who kept us in your thoughts and prayers. As I said Sunday, I really appreciate the love and concern that Ridge Church has shown us!

Today I am still trying to get my Palm data moved over to Outlook so that I can get my Blackberry up and running. Thus far it has been a royal pain in the butt! At least I haven't lost all of my data (yet!!!).

Sunday will be Jeff and Heather's last one with us. It will be a bittersweet day. I am excited for them, because I know that they are anxious to get home (I remember when I made the decision to leave North Carolina and head back to the heathen North, at least that is what my church people in Richfield, NC thought). But I am also sad to see them go. Jeff has been a phenomenal associate and has really grown over these last three years. I wish he was taking a church, (because that is where his gifts really are) but I know that he will do well on the staff at COR.