Getting acquainted

First off, I apologize in advance... there may be some typos and such in this blog... My wrists have been actingup so I have to wear these hand braces, I guess y ou could call them, which makes it difficult to type. So, bear with me and tame your inner copy editor!

I've been wanting to blog for several days now and turned on the computer with every intention of loggoing on and then midnight would come and I'd mosey on in here and just turn the computer off. It's just been a busy time of unpacking, buying stuff I need, setting things up and trying to meet pe ople here and there. The good news is, I have met a few pe ople; I visited an Episcopal church on Sunday which was pretty cool. It's a step and a half below All Saints on the "liturgical/high church"scale. Basically, they use the Book of Common Prayer for the order of worship, but there aren't any actual books or Bibles -- it's all on a screen in the front (power point and what not). No choir or hymns; just a praise band. No pews or altar; just folding chairs and a churchy table in front for the Eucharist. The church meets in what was once a mental hospital; y ou just gotta love that somehow. Anyhow, the lack of books and such didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. The focus was on Jesus Christ and the priest invited people to walk through "the door" (referencing the Gospel that morning) that God has provided for us out of our sinful lives and into eternal life with him. There was even something kinda like an altar call where people could meet with a prayer team in a "chapel" (small room with religious icons) off the sanctuary. I was impressed.

There's a handful of seminarians as well as Asbury faculty who attend this church although many of them are not Episcopalian. Got to chat with many of them. Good times.

The pile of unpacked boxes is becoming significantly smaller. My parents are encouraging me to get through them as quickly as possible. It seems they fear I will begin the school year with stuff still unpacked. Well, I wouldn't put it past me, but with them hounding me, it probably won't happen, which is a good thing.

Beginning to notice that I'm not in California anymore and that I'm in small town Kentucky...

I' m walking down the street and someone in a car makes eye contact and says "Hi" -- not to flirt, but just to be friendly.

I'm in Walmart in Nicholasville (I know, I know, I hate Walmart too, but unfortunately the options are limited around here) and on the PA system I hear, "Please do not smoke in Walmart. Smoking is permitted in the front, outside of the store. Please extinguish all cigarettes. Thank you for shopping at your Nicholasville Walmart."

Five minutes it came on again, saying the same thing.

When I tell people which street I live on, they either reply, "Oh, where? I live on that street too." or "Where?" If I can tell them the name of one my neighbors, they know exactly where I am.

The lady across the street brought me over home-baked chocolate chip cookies and introduced herself on Sunday afternoon.

You get the picture.

So, yeah, I guess each day it gets easier in my transition from Bakersfield to Wilmore. God is taking care of me and I trust He will continue to put good people in my path.

Have a good week, friends!