that's CHAPLAIN to you

I guess it's ok to brag on myself a little bit.....

A few months ago I started the application process to be a chaplain within my agency (the Oklahoma Department of Human Services). We are the only state agency that has chaplain's for it's employees and their families. It's a long process (and should be) and last week I was called and offered a spot! Woo hoo! Being a chaplain is an entirely voluntary position and is considered above and beyond my regular duties. I have been assigned to visit DHS employees/families who are in the hospital and in long term care facilities. This is such a great opportunity for ministry! I am very excited. In fact, when I was called and told I was accepted, they gave me my first assignment so I hit the ground running.

I'll still answer to "Rachel," but if you really want my attention you may address me as "Chaplain Morse" or "Chaplain Rachel." Wow. Weird.

McAffrey wins!

Democrat Al McAffrey won the Democratic primary in Oklahoma House District 88 last night! The incumbent, Debbie Blackburn, was term limited and it was a three way race to fill her seat. Besides being the best candidate, Al makes history because he is the first openly gay person to be elected to statewide office. Woo hoo! I am proud to call him a friend.

duck and cover

Ah well, it turns out that the guy arrested the other night--had a loaded gun on him. great. makes me feel SOOO much better.

late night in da 'hood

My cell phones rings at 10:50pm tonight (Sunday) and it's my next door neighbor, Kirk. They only call late when it's important. He tells me not to panic, but there are 5 police cars out in front of our houses. Great. Seems that there is some young guy passed out in our median, the little grassy strip that divides our driveways. Kirk's partner was heading out to his car and hit the unlock button on his keychain. When the car headlights came on, it illumined the passed out dude who was on the grass between our garages. Our driveway's are very long so a person has to be intentional about coming up in them. The fact that this guy was in front of the garage is a little un-nerving.
John & Kirk called the police who responded very quickly. Then, they called me so I wouldn't be scared when I saw the patrol cars pull up. The police arrested the guy, looked to be about 20 years old and obviously drunk and/or high. I watched them pat him down and he didn't have any weapons on him (good) but still......He didn't fight them or anything, the guy could barely stand up. However, there were 6 police cars, all with lights flashing, that arrived. Must be a slow crime night in OKC.
There's a seedy house two doors east of me and ever since they moved in we've had more crime/problems in the neighborhood. I don't know if this guy was from there, but I wouldn't be surprised. What a way to end a Sunday..........

Have I mentioned I'm delicate?

I'm sitting in my 90+ degree house, waiting on the A/C repair people to call. Yup, it's hot. I don't do well in this hot, humid weather. I feel like my flowers outside---I'm wilting! I often say to people that I'm just too delicate for this weather, AND THEY LAUGH! Um, why do they laugh? I'm completely serious. I AM delicate. It's my dream to move to Alaska and live in the mountains. Every year I ask myself why I stay in Oklahoma because I hate the weather here. Last night I finally broke down and went and stayed in a hotel. I couldn't take one more night of the heat. Let's hope the A/C people can fix it today. Blah.........so YES, I am delicate. Now where did I leave my power sander?

Everything that can go wrong...

I wonder if my house has gremlins? First, my washer pump goes out. Then, my microwave gets psycho. Refrigerator died, and now my A/C is just not cooling the place. I am freakin roasting in my house right now!! I can't get the temperature below 80, sometimes it's as high as 90 in the house. I can't sleep in this!

In other news........I got the cat shaved today. She just sheds so much and she kept having hairballs so my vet said "shave her!" She looks a little funny, like a sheep that's just been buzzed, but I don't think she's traumatized.

I'm tempted to sleep in the bathtub tonight because the porcelin is cool. If I can't get someone out to look at the AC unit by Friday I'm going to have to find somewhere to stay or get a motel room. Hey....party at Rachel's Motel 6 room!! :-)

Sack o potatos

I'm having a Dan Quayle moment...I can't remember if it's potatoes or potatos. Ask me if I care......

When I got up this morning I decided to go out to a little country church where a friend is pastor...his name is David. He used to be my pastor at Epworth. Now, he and I had our disagreements and I was in a tough spot because I was Staff/Parish Chair when he left the church. But, David is a very sweet and good guy and for some reason I felt compelled to visit his church. I think it was God nudging me down the highway.......It's a small congregation, maybe 30 in worship. I think it was old-time religion Sunday because we sang the great hymns of I Love to Tell the Story, Victory in Jesus, and We'll Understand it Better By and By. I LOVE the old hymns. This church does a lot of singing, we sang praise music for about 20 minutes.
David's sermon was about forgiveness. Yes, it's important to forgive those who wrong us, but mainly the message was about how we make ourselves accessible (or inaccessible) to granting forgiveness. He also told of an experiment where participants wrote the name of a person that needed to be forgiven, or a grudge/bad feelings were being held. Those names were written on potatoes and then placed in a bag. For a week, the folks had to carry around the heavy sack, laden with the people that needed to be forgiven. By the end of the week, the participants realized the heaviness they were feeling was not only physical but also spiritual. Thus, they learned to be more free with their forgiveness. It was a good message and one I think I needed to hear. Yes, there are people in my life I need to forgive and there are people who need to forgive me. I can't control whether I will be granted forgiveness but I need to make myself open to the possibility.
I often remind myself of a marquee I saw on a local church: He who angers you controls you. My relationship with God is strong but it will be stronger when I quit harboring thoughts and feelings that do nothing but tear me down.

It was a good day.

Way to Go Leader Pelosi!

News From House Democratic Leader Nancy PelosiH-204, The Capitol, Washington D.C. 20515
http://democraticleader.house.gov
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616
Pelosi: 'Democrats Will Not Support Increasing Congressional Salaries Until We Raise Minimum Wage'
Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Republicans' refusal once again to raise the minimum wage. A motion that would have allowed the House to vote on a bill offered by Congressman George Miller of California to increase the minimum wage was defeated by a vote of 214 to 189 along party lines.
"House Republicans have made their staunch opposition to raising the minimum wage quite clear: today they voted against it for the fifth time in less than a month. Yet House Republicans vote themselves a pay raise every year.
"The American people can't afford a Republican Congress that is so out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans. Gas prices have skyrocketed, health care costs are rising, and too many working families are living paycheck to paycheck. Democrats will not support any increase in Congressional salaries until we raise the minimum wage.
"Democrats believe in a New Direction that will bring economic opportunity to all Americans."
# # #

cursed

There's something creepy happening here in my house...seems my major appliances have all started to go ka-put. a long time ago my dishwasher started making a very loud annoying noise while washing, but i have always just ignored it and gone on. about a month ago my washer went out...i think it's the pump. then today, my refrigerator died.
i am going to have to get the house blessed or exorcised or something.

sometimes it's a real pain being an adult.

Crispy

Even though I put on sunscreen, I still burned. My back is bright and getting a little painful. Even though I was already burned, I did spend some time out in my pool this afternoon. It's funny how the little things amuse me............

Basking

Happy 4th of July! Yes, I realize I should be using a red, white & blue font but you know, I felt like orange. I enjoyed a lovely day off of work today. I spent a bit of time out in the yard, basking in my new pool. Yes, I got a pool! Ok, it's only like 4ft long and 30 inches deep, but hey.....When I was reading the instructions for setting up this thing it stresses that you MUST place it on level ground. Well, there is NO level ground anywhere in my yard. My yard slopes downward and that's just the way it is. So, when I started to fill the pool this morning I figured out really quickly that a sloping pool doesn't work very well. I put about 3 inches of water in it and called it good. Hey, it kept me cool while I worked on a tan. I planted some flowers out front and put up a hanging basket of something purple. It makes the front of the house look so much nicer. The goal is to keep these flowers alive and I do not have a green thumb. If anyone needs me, I'll be by the pool with my sunglasses, water bottle, and SPF 45.