2008 Year in Review

So, here's my first ever, "Year In Review"....Let's see how it goes.

January -- was mostly about the primaries for me. I was disliking Obama and preferring Edwards (oops!) or Dodd (oops again!). And I was looking for a way to be tolerant towards the people I disagree with. This battle with "tolerance" wasn't resolved until October or so.

February -- Dean and I and the rest of the family went on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. And that's where I fell in love with Cabo San Lucas. It's also the month I first encountered the Celtic poet John O'Donohue and ranted and raved about immigration. We also moved into our new church building at the beginning of February and have the first of at least 3 "consecration" services.

March -- March is the month where I first started really listening to This American Life regularly, and it became my favorite radio show. Ginger got sick and was in the hospital for 2 days with a life-threatening disease. Thankfully she made it through and hasn't really been sick since. Dean quit his job at the law office and becomes the church secretary, which drastically cuts his commute at a time when gas prices are through the roof. Everybody is happy.

April -- I went on our annual oblate retreat, a powerful experience of the desert ammas and abbas. I also discovered Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and began discovering the interplay between Christian and Zen monasticism. I also find out that Great-West has been purchased by CIGNA. Much stress over whether or not I will have a job. My coworker and fellow tele-commuter gets laid off without notice.

May -- was the month that I started working as the church's Worship Chairman. And all my extra time went away. It's also the month that I really started getting really bad allergies. This year was by far the worst year for my allergies. I also deliver a 4-week class at our house on spiritual literacy that takes a lot of time to prepare, and is rather poorly attended. I get a bit bummed out about that. Dean and I attend the Kansas Sampler Festival in Concordia. It's an okay experience.

June -- I started my second year of Souljourners. Now our class is the "experienced" ones helping out the newbies. It certainly didn't feel that way.

July -- was the month I started taking pottery classes at the Lawrence Arts Center. It was a ton of fun! I didn't get as many things made as I had originally hoped (the instructor makes things look so easy), but it was still a great experience. I took another pottery class in the fall, but had to stop going because it didn't really fit into my schedule any more. I also preached a sermon at church in July called Friendship With God as a way to introduce people to the idea of spiritual direction. CIGNA completes the purchase of Great-West Healthcare and I become a CIGNA employee.

August -- this is the month we are introduced to Sarah Palin. Yikes! And I begin my fondness of Legos. Dean and I and Teri and Ellen have a long weekend at the Omaha Zoo and botanical garden. Our 3rd or 4th trip there. Still my favorite zoo.

September -- the economy goes straight to hell as fast as possible. I begin my pre-practicum for Souljourners and begin doing real Spiritual Direction. Our church begins The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations -- a 5-week series that completely sucks up every moment of my time to prepare and execute. I hated it. Every moment of it. We also have the last of our consecration services. Dean and I are totally stressed out as we feel we are spending every moment either at church or preparing for something at church. We need a break so bad. This is probably my least-favorite month of the year.

October -- work gets a bit stressful as we try to convert systems from Great-West to CIGNA, retire some systems, and in general work through what the plan is. Dean and I celebrate our 2nd anniversary.

November -- Dean and I go on a trip to Southern CA. We hit 5 major sites in 5 days -- SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, San Juan Capistrano Mission, Disney Land, and Universal Studios. It's a ton of fun and I get to see my brother and my 2 neices (whom I have not seen in 10+ years). We celebrate both our birthdays. Obama gets elected and I no longer have to buy one-way tickets to Canada. The church catches fire and we have to go back to worshipping at Warren-McElwain Chapel. Despite the fire, this is probably my favorite month of the year.

December -- work has lots of highs and lows as people scramble to get work done by the end of the year, and also go on vacation. I preach at church again on the 28th. I surprise Dean with an HDTV for Christmas. It goes over well.