Live From Las Vegas II: Galilee, St. Jude's, and Splashing Children

This morning seems years ago. So much has gone down at Santa Fe Station. Good prayer services morning and evening. A tribute to Sr. Faith, an upbeat presentation by UNR students about Vocare. Reports on the Frensdorff School, Camp Galillee's resurgence, new evangelism training and resources, our partnership in Haiti, and more. Tonight we heard Mildred Springer's compelling personal account of the watershed General Convention in 03 and a plug for the Book of Occasional Servcies and Holy Women, Holy Men -- our new book of saints.<br /><br />The high points of the day were the report from St. Jude's Ranch where we are restoring a parntership in mission to abused and neglected children -- a partnership unnecesarily interrupted by theological differences in years past -- and the report on Latino/Hispanic ministries particularly as it is touching the lives of families, youth, and children. It was a true blessing to have Fr. Anthony Guillen with us from Latino/ Hispanic Ministries of The Episcopal Church and to see the grace, positively visible grace, in the slide show of our own people presented by Fr. Bernardo and Delores. The best pics showed the children spashing in the fountain at Christ Church, Las Vegas.<br /><br />Tomorrow, God willing and a quorum arriving, we will slog through the business of elections, canons, and one resolution; but the main theme tomorrow will be Christian formation. The Rev. Dr. Susanna Singer, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, will deliver the keynote address and faciliate large and small group discussions. Should be a good day.

Live From Las Vegas II: Galilee, St. Jude's, and Splashing Children

This morning seems years ago. So much has gone down at Santa Fe Station. Good prayer services morning and evening. A tribute to Sr. Faith, a...

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Trying to Cling to the term "Career Tiger"

I have read the book <em>Al Kaline and the Detroit Tigers </em>by Hal Butler about three times now. My father owned a copy, and I think I was bored one day and he suggested I read it. (This was before I asked him what number I should wear for softball - I told him I was playing right field and without a beat he said "six.") The book is great, and it really helped me realize how great Kaline was for the Detroit Tigers. His leadership over those seasons, from an eighteen-year-old rookie to the wizened veteran hoising the World Series trophy, was crucial for that team of amazing talents. Not to mention that he was a stellar outfielder and slugger. <br /><br />I think the thing that impressed me the most about Kaline was his committment to the Detroit Tigers themselves. They weren't giving multi-million dollar contracts at the time, but each year the Tigers offered a contract, Kaline accepted it. And now, for many of my father's generation, he is their favorite Tiger of all time. He never gave his heart to another pro franchise, and he remains a part of the organization to this very day. <br /><br />This man was a career Tiger.<br /><br />Think about Steve Yzerman. It's a different sport, yes, but I think it still applies. He came to the Red Wings as a fresh-faced rookie on a pretty terrible team people liked to call the "Dead Things." The Wings knew they had something special and made him captain at age 21. He helped create the ultimate team of the 90s (in my humble opinion) which won back-to-back titles after a 42-year drought. <br /><br />The man was committed to the team and the fans embraced him back. I loved watching him on those teams - he was never the highest scorer on the team, nor was he the hardest hitter, but you could feel his presence holding the team together for one common goal.<br /><br />This man was a career Red Wing. <br /><br />It is very rare for there to be a player who is with the same team for his whole professional career. It may be due to the team deciding he's not worth it. It could be for injuries. It may be just for more money. But the offseasons of pro franchises are filled with "This guy's going here" and "We just got this guy!" It makes me excited when we can get a player like Tracy McGrady (the injury-free one) or Mike Modano or Miguel Cabrera and they really embrace their Detroit-ness. But it's always great to have a guy that's been in the system since his first day turning pro. <br /><br />Now I'm not trying to compare Steve Yzerman or Al Kaline to Brandon Inge here, but the announcement yesterday that he had been re-signed for two more years did make me excited. In all the articles it talks about how he was drafted by Detroit in 1998, played for one of the worst teams in baseball history in 2003, and went to the World Series with that very team in 2006. <br /><br />In my years as a Tiger fan (which has grown since that 2006 season - before that I was more of a spectator to a losing team), I remembered Inge, whether he was the catcher or at third. I remember for one Spring Training the only thing people could talk about was Inge's complaints about getting paid. But I remember a few seasons after that voting for him as many times as humanly possible so he'd be the last player voted in to the All-Star game!<br /><br />Ever since he's been given the third base position outright, he has turned into a fine fielder. He led all third basemen this season with a .997 fielding percentage and only nine errors. I want to be able to trust the player in the Hot Corner with every ball hit to him, and Inge has proven himself this season. He won't be the big bat you hope for, but that can be arranged in other areas of the lineup. <br /><br />I also know that he lives in Michigan. While all the other Tiger players retreat to their warm winter homes (some to their home countries, to be fair), Inge has set up permanent residence in Michigan in a time where everyone is seemingly leaving the state. That gives me a huge sense of respect to this player. <br /><br />I hope that this is the last contract he signs, whether he plays two or three seasons with the Tigers. I want him to retire as a Tiger - and not one of those day-contract things, either. I'm still clinging to the belief that there are players that are work-hard career players who are committed to their team. <br /><br />It's more than likely that Inge will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame or anything. But when Brandon Inge does come back to Comerica Park for something, whether it's for a special event or as part of a front office, I know that I'd give him as much of an ovation as he deserves. He stuck with us through thin and thick, and I will always respect him if he sticks with us to the end. <br /><br />So how about it Brandon? You wanna be a career Tiger?

Trying to Cling to the term "Career Tiger"

I have read the book Al Kaline and the Detroit Tigers by Hal Butler about three times now. My father owned a copy, and I think I was bored o...

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The endless journey

"The Endless Journey" might have been a better choice for my blog name. There are so many twists and turns in trying to figure out the right way to lose weight or even if there is a right way, that this journey is never going to end. It's a lifelong process trying to figure out what works.  <br /><br />Some people figure out what works for them very quickly in the game, some people give up and never figure it out. Then there are people like me, learning something new every single day, that have some of the answers, but certainly not all of them. <br /><br />Geneen Roth's book Women, Food and God provides a lot of the answers on what's wrong with me. It works if you follow her guidelines. If you don't, it doesn't work. It's just like every other plan, you can't just read the book, attend a workshop and then forget about it. You have to continue to work at it.<br /><br />What I'm finding is that it's not easy to feel the pain instead of eating. In fact, it kind of hurts like hell. It's like ripping a band aid off of a wound and the scab sticks to the band aid and now you're in excruciating pain. I'm not sure how I feel about this type of introspection into my psyche. It's not pleasant and some days I'm just not up to it. <br /><br />On the other hand, I suspect it's the only way I'll ever feel okay about food. I know this is a very slow process, undoing forty plus years of using food for comfort, not facing my reality, and it isn't going to change overnight. <br /><br />I haven't posted since last Sunday, four days of silence. It was an odd week where I was extremely tired every day. Each night I came home and could barely move. I skipped the gym three days in a row due to pure exhaustion. Wednesday night I went to bed at 7:30pm and woke up at 7:30am Thursday morning, twelve hours of sleep. I guess I was tired. <br /><br />I have today off from work, for no particular reason. I just felt like I needed a day off. I weighed this morning and I'm 174.6 which is oddly almost exactly the weight in my blog profile. I think that was posted a couple of months ago. Although I'm not gaining weight and I'm eating well (probably a little too well), I'm not losing weight. <br /><br />I'll be honest, I don't like following Geneen Roth's eating guidelines. It's  a lot harder than it sounds. My least favorite guideline is #3. I find it almost impossible to just sit quietly and eat, without doing anything else. On Geneen's CD that I purchased at her workshop, she said you should try to do this once a day in the beginning, more often if possible, and at the very least a few times a week. It's not easy.<br /><br />Geneen Roth's Eating Guidelines<br /><br />1. Eat when you are hungry. (Truly hungry, body hungry not mind hungry)<br /><br />2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car. <br /><br /><strong><span style="color: red;">3.Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspaper, books, intense or anxiety producing conversation and music. </span></strong><br /><br />4. Eat only what your body wants. (Big difference from what your MIND wants!) <br /><br />5. Eat until you are satisfied. (This is different than full). <br /><br />6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others. <br /><br />7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto and pleasure. <br />I've decided on a different route to get to my goal weight. It's a hybrid of the above eating guidelines AND Weight Watchers. I realize this doesn't sound possible, but it really is possible. I can still do the above eating guidelines but also attend Weight Watcher meetings and follow their eating plan. <br />  <br />My goal is by December 31, 2010, lose ten pounds. That's not a crazy amount of weight in ten weeks, but it is the holidays which makes it a tiny bit harder than normal. I feel more at peace with this idea than just doing it on my own. I also know at my current weight that my weight loss is pretty slow, unless I starve myself. I have no intention of starving myself. Been there, done that and it doesn't work in the long run. <br />  <br />The endless journey continues...

The endless journey

"The Endless Journey" might have been a better choice for my blog name. There are so many twists and turns in trying to figure out...

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Les métiers en 2009

<BR><br />Une publication conjointe du Centre d'analyse stratégique, de la Dares et de Pôle emploi sur l'évolution des métiers en 2009 vient d'être publiée.<br /><br />Cette étude met en avant la forte baisse de l'emploi en 2009 dans de nombreux secteurs provoquée par la crise économique ce qui n'est une surprise pour personne. <br /><br />Il semble cependant que quelques métiers aient bien résisté, essentiellement des métiers de service.<br /><br />Parmi les domaines professionnels qui ont le moins souffert de la crise, on retrouve essentiellement des métiers du tertiaire : métiers de la santé, de l’action sociale, culturelle et sportive et des métiers de services aux particuliers et aux collectivités.<br /><br />Les métiers de l’aide à la personne sont un exemple de ces professions peu touchées par la récession et font l'objet d'un focus particulier dans cette publication.<br /><br />Les domaines du commerce et de l’administration et la gestion des entreprises ont également été moins touchés par la crise que la moyenne. Dans ces domaines, certains métiers ont vu plus que d'autres leur situation se dégrader sur le marché du travail, tels les cadres et professions intermédiaires du commerce ou les secrétaires de direction.<br /><br />Ces évolutions conjoncturelles ne remettent pas en cause les tendances mises en avant notamment dans le rapport de prospective publié en 2007, Les Métiers en 2015, même si la crise a pu les amplifier ou les atténuer temporairement.<br /><br />Pour en savoir plus : <ul><li><a href="http://www.travail-solidarite.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/2010-069-2.pdf">Les métiers en 2009</a><br /><li><a href="http://www.strategie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Rapp6_DF_complet.pdf">Les métiers en 2015</a></ul><br /><BR>

Les métiers en 2009

Une publication conjointe du Centre d'analyse stratégique, de la Dares et de Pôle emploi sur l'évolution des métiers en 2009 vient d...

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Happy Birthday to my Pops!

It's FRIDAY!!!! Woo Hoo!!! (just picture me doing a little dance!!) Only a few more hours and the weekend is officially here!<br /><br />Ok, but we can't forget about Thursday! Here's a quick recap! I made <span style="font-weight:bold;">eggs & toast</span> for breakfast for<span style="font-weight:bold;"> 5 points</span>. I don't think they sat well in my tummy though, it was turning all morning. :(<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnz67zmfvKBkK3ipLMpZjxzSGxLMBsYtNdxwFIfIsqVVKTGefdajNnK8aGGircn40AxDXE6eLrzD_o65uiwNzbElfe8Gl1ELf_Kwb1Ycs3BzaeF4DgkwV_ujr1Q7hGHHG22e0523Wsue_q/s1600/DSC09079.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530857230730724738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnz67zmfvKBkK3ipLMpZjxzSGxLMBsYtNdxwFIfIsqVVKTGefdajNnK8aGGircn40AxDXE6eLrzD_o65uiwNzbElfe8Gl1ELf_Kwb1Ycs3BzaeF4DgkwV_ujr1Q7hGHHG22e0523Wsue_q/s400/DSC09079.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />I tried snacking on a <span style="font-weight:bold;">granola bar</span> for <span style="font-weight:bold;">2 points</span> to see if it would help, no such luck though. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGIPH38A78EibkzVAFtLtW2nD5B4Sb5JD-_Z-Pve2yhEBX1DnKNyTiez_fdBkRrsM6FRzmeunS3yoGBnS98bKFPomLBfJog8KFIw59EbeBDLOVgTW7FRmS_Nu9e-nX64VbPVctpR4BFwe/s1600/DSC09080.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530857221692899266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGIPH38A78EibkzVAFtLtW2nD5B4Sb5JD-_Z-Pve2yhEBX1DnKNyTiez_fdBkRrsM6FRzmeunS3yoGBnS98bKFPomLBfJog8KFIw59EbeBDLOVgTW7FRmS_Nu9e-nX64VbPVctpR4BFwe/s400/DSC09080.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />Lunch was <a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/2010/10/wonderful-weekend.html">leftovers</a>...again! But don't worry, this is the last of the <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html">creamy baked chicken</a></span>! There were 1 1/2 pieces left and I ate <span style="font-style:italic;">BOTH </span>for <span style="font-weight:bold;">6 points</span>. Thankfully lunch helped settle my stomach, not sure what the deal was.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5iDX00w000SP8X_NbpHWYcaxAUjcuuWToc6TRLrEG6gO-5So_H3zg-IRN65z2y9WcqybjY66B6zFZ7MXJSXVKjt5oqV9rHdEs1mkDOEZuNqQv1BwDbnZRFEkjqgHXTvFA8at7ga08tDM/s1600/DSC09081.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530857211611669618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5iDX00w000SP8X_NbpHWYcaxAUjcuuWToc6TRLrEG6gO-5So_H3zg-IRN65z2y9WcqybjY66B6zFZ7MXJSXVKjt5oqV9rHdEs1mkDOEZuNqQv1BwDbnZRFEkjqgHXTvFA8at7ga08tDM/s400/DSC09081.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />Remember my <a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/2010/10/soup-fail.html">soup fail from Wednesday</a>? Well I had made such a big pot last weekend and was planning on taking it to my Mom's house for my weekly Hayden visit, but since it didn't turn out the best I made a back up, <span style="font-weight:bold;">chili</span>! It's always good! ;)<br /><br />I had <span style="font-weight:bold;">1 1/2 c</span> with a sprinkle of <span style="font-weight:bold;">cheese </span>and some <span style="font-weight:bold;">corn chips</span> for a total of <span style="font-weight:bold;">10 points</span>. Mmm good! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfK3ioIA9wvKPwxot9ph1oXqiRxdZBZ5yjt2Wv3tsRANmhNX0H_tBmb-VcotMlipdauvmxbZdjc47Ouuo5GSt_lNccDW07UTi1aTL3IYju795LZYBOWTM1RxTdgu6EZKw8C7M2aB9sGHR/s1600/DSC09082.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530857207305441842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfK3ioIA9wvKPwxot9ph1oXqiRxdZBZ5yjt2Wv3tsRANmhNX0H_tBmb-VcotMlipdauvmxbZdjc47Ouuo5GSt_lNccDW07UTi1aTL3IYju795LZYBOWTM1RxTdgu6EZKw8C7M2aB9sGHR/s400/DSC09082.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />I spent the rest of the evening with this little cutie! Well actually he slept most of the time, but that's ok!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzB0LbaGiCI1Me6ZtNqKrEKlL4h8M1udp_obLtz5gnxjd4cF7Ro9Gkb3xxPDatY3PALgiIAPay12G07EvNqrhuQiXqrJKuo1myixx9jyfdUtnd_U0FKPOyXlXnb_vSqrBjSO_RY45D89Y/s1600/hayden.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530859045207116594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzB0LbaGiCI1Me6ZtNqKrEKlL4h8M1udp_obLtz5gnxjd4cF7Ro9Gkb3xxPDatY3PALgiIAPay12G07EvNqrhuQiXqrJKuo1myixx9jyfdUtnd_U0FKPOyXlXnb_vSqrBjSO_RY45D89Y/s400/hayden.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />I have to give a shout out, Thursday was my Dad's birthday!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUomnKdiYWGEZ09ui5v4fYwEBgFCkVuYk5kG9tNbY0yU9Ms-PG9p4_RKyKkCi62mv9gy2ZEuOsH-8l5jllvpajmHbe_ZVLH8buos8b-sh7QckfMMHbAxb8BJRdvWcHAyqLoWNZlZJBu9lN/s1600/4286_522229627583_210200185_30980151_5536638_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530865066137243458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUomnKdiYWGEZ09ui5v4fYwEBgFCkVuYk5kG9tNbY0yU9Ms-PG9p4_RKyKkCi62mv9gy2ZEuOsH-8l5jllvpajmHbe_ZVLH8buos8b-sh7QckfMMHbAxb8BJRdvWcHAyqLoWNZlZJBu9lN/s400/4286_522229627583_210200185_30980151_5536638_n.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />I brought a <span style="font-weight:bold;">strawberry rhubarb pie</span> down for his birthday(he's more of a "birthday pie" kind of guy!), but he's one busy farmer (it's that time of year!) so we had to have a piece w/o the birthday boy. I looked up the nutrition facts and 1 slice is about <span style="font-weight:bold;">9 points</span>!! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THURSDAY’S STATS</span><br />POINTS = 32/23<br />WEEKLY ALLOWANCE POINTS = 11 used/24 remaining<br />ACTIVITY POINTS EARNED = 0 today/1 week<br />H2O = 120 oz<br />EXERCISE = none<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">What's your preference? Birthday cake, pie, or something else?</span></span> Me - I like all of the above(plus ice cream)! ;)

Happy Birthday to my Pops!

It's FRIDAY!!!! Woo Hoo!!! (just picture me doing a little dance!!) Only a few more hours and the weekend is officially here! Ok, but we...

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