Some New Opportunities

Good Morning everyone,

As I re-ignite my blog I plan to have two parts to it. The first is just about what's happening in my life. I will call this section by a Spanish phrase that is often used as a slang phrase in greeting people who are good friends, "Que tal", which roughly means, "What's up?" or "How's it goin'?" One of my Spanish-speaking friends may read this and refine this explantion for me, but that is what I understand the phrase to mean. At times, and perhaps often, I will add a second section of some thoughts that are on my mind, things I ponder. I will call that section "A FEW RANDOM THOUGHTS" at least for now or until I think of something else to call it.

QUE TAL?
Thanks to my nagging sciatic nerve last night was a very short night. I will see the pain management doc next week and I sure hope she can make some improvement. These nights with only a few hours of sleep make the days a little tough. The one thing about being a priest is that every day I get to see so many people whose problems and difficulties are far greater than anything I experience. When you see what they deal with, and the faith and courage they have, it sure puts any aches and pains I have in the proper perspective.

A few weeks ago I posted a request on my "wall" on Facebook for the names of some people who are in the business of selecting the art work (including photography) that decorates commercial buildings like doctors offices, etc. I have received about a half dozen leads to such people. I am extremely grateful to all those who sent me these leads. This is very exciting and a little scary all at the szme time. It is a little scary because now I have to go through my inventory of images and select a limited number to go into a Presentation Portfolio. Selecting thoses images is scary for a couple of reasons. First we all tend to be overly critical of our own creations and I am afraid Iwill leave out a very marketable image because I get too critical. Second, I tend to select image that I like for some reason, not ones that best fit the clients' needs. And third, trying to undersand the clients' needs is an art form all its own becasue some clients are better than others at explaing what it is they want. You have to "listen" to them very carefully and creatively. This is a new phase for me and I am sure I will learn a lot in this phase. I am fortunate in that I have a very good friend who is willing to help me make the selection of images for presentations.
Also it has been a long time since I have added any new images to my web site and I will be doing that over the weekend also.

A FEW RANDOM THOUGHTS
This weekend we will celebrate Mother's Day. For those of us whose mothers are still with us, it is a time for cards. gifts, flowers and other expressions of love and graitude. For those of us, like myself, whose mothers have passes away, we cannot send cards, etc, but we reflect and remember and recall and give thanks.

Many years ago I heard a person who was both a clinical psychologist and priest explain something that I have shared in many Mother's Day sermons. And that is this: Our experience of our mothers is our first, and perhaps one of our most profound, experiences of God. As infants we are totally dependant for eveything on our parents, but most particlarly on our mothers, especially in those first few months. In those first, most formative few months of our lives, we rest secure in the arms of a loving being who is All Powerful, All Knowing, and who sacrifices everything else willingly to care for us. It is through our mothers that we experience the connection between food and love, that later on takes many forms, including the ultimate meal of love, Holy Communion. In our mothers we experience a love that is unconditional, a Godly love. Later as adults we come to know the One True God who is the perfection of all of those godly qualities we first experienced in our Mothers.
Our Moms are far more than just a loving and caring person who raised us and to whom we owe our gratitude. They are our first sacrament, our first communion, our first, and one of our most enduring experience of God. Alleluia!! Amen!! somthing to ponder when we write that card this year.
Glenn+

A Long Time Since the Last Post

Howdy out there in "blog-land".
I have really neglected doing anything with this blog and I want to try making some posts on a regular basis for a while and see how I do. It provides a refreshing break from TV and who know, maybe someone will even read it.
Well I have been retired now for a little over three months and I must say I really love it. Some have questioned how "retired" I truly am, since I am working part time at the Church of the Holy Spirit, I am pretty busy (and getting busier) with Valley Interfaith Project, I have made a few hospital visits with a former parishioner from Good Shepherd and I am taking part in a plan to provide Eucharist on a monthly basis at a retirement home in North Scottsdale.
I remember all to well the advise given me by Margaret Walker as I was about to retire. She said that the key to a successful retirement is saying "No". She said it is so easy to let your life get busier than it was before you retired. She is right! I'm not there yet, but I think of her advice every day.
Even as full as my days are full, I don't feel pressured and the pace of what I do has a lot of personal and "kick-back time" also. For example last week Bob Doyle, with whom I shared office space for most of the years I had my law practice, and the guy who taught me everything I know about criminal defense practice, invited me to go bass fishing. Last Wednesday we went out to Sajuaro with a terrific guide, on a great boat and we had a fantastic day of fishing. Between the four of us (counting the guide) we caught about 15 bass AND, as we were just starting to fish right after dawn we saw a Bald Eagle swoop down to try to grab a fish; he missed, but we had a fantastic sight. it all happened to fast to try to take a photo, so we just marveled at the moment.

Last week I received an email from Chris Morck in Quito, Ecuador. Chris is the Assistant to Bishop Ramos and he and his wife Trish became my friends and help make my trip to Ecuador so fabulous. In his email Chris told me he will be ordained a Deacon on May 30 and invited me to his ordination. I will still be the Interim-Vicar at Holy Spirit on that date, so I can't go. but I told Chris I will plan to be there for his ordination to the Priesthood, which will most likely be in December of this year. Actually going to Ecuador then suits me much better than to try to go now. I have been hoping to go back to Ecuador next Spring anyway to teach English to the diocesan staff and clergy there. I am beginning to think that if I go in December for Chris's ordination, maybe I will just stay there instead of making two trips within a 4-6 month period.

The economics of it suggest that may be something to consider. There are a number of things that have to be arranged if that is to happen. First, their new Bishop has to invite me, or at least permit me to come to teach. Also, I need to lose a big chunk of weight. Quito is at 10,000' altitude and I can't go carrying all of the weight I have gained this last year . Actually that is a motivating factor to lose weight. I also need to see if it suits the diocese there for me to come in December and stay to teach. Another issue is I have to get some training in how to teach English as a Second Language. So, there are a lot of stars that have to line up if I am to just stay when I go for the Ordination. Also, I have to give some serious thought to issues like being there for Christmas where I know very few people and away from my family here. Also, that would put me there again during their rainy season as I was on 2008 and I had planned on returning during their dry season this time. So we shall just see what I am called to do and what seems to work out.
Also, I am beginning to work on marketing my photos. I am making contacts with interior designers, especially people who do commercial interiors. I have some excellent leads, but I can't sell anything until after the first of the year because I took early retirement and Social Security limits what you can earn until January of the year in which you become eligible for full retirement. For me that is January, 2010. But what I can do now is network and put together a Presentation Portfolio, ands that I am doing.
Well, I better quit and leave somethings to talk about tomorrow or whenever.
Abrazos a todos
Glenn+