It's all good so far

What a difference a day makes.  I had last posted right before work on the 23rd and then shortly thereafter (and quite unrelated to the post), was notified that the department was changing focus and my services were no longer needed.  I spend the next couple of hours clearing the office and was home and unloaded by noon watching the company car drive away.

It was a shock, but I am working through it.  It is not the first time that I have been through this process where a change in economy or philosophy has resulted in a job change.  I know I do good work and if the skill set is not needed, then I can accept that it is a business decision.

So as I was getting things organized at the house, I started reviewing the available job boards and having to log into a couple.  I am still not sure how one of them seized my address book, but a short time later I start getting email alerts from friends that I have been hijacked.  

One of the last things I needed was to have my email address compromised.  It is an address that I have had for a number of years.  I have changed the password and set up a new email address.  I have been updating subscriptions and will let some lapse.  The process did cost me some historic email.  I have been a digital pack rat but I was probably due a clean out.

We can’t prevent outside changes from effecting us.  We can roll with them and see what happens next.  I choose to approach it as an adventure.  I will spend a couple of days in recovery mode but there are opportunities out there and I will be back in the game.

Its all good so far.  

We received word yesterday that a Church Member had passed away unexpectedly. She was a remarkable character, not one that will be the subject of many anecdotes, rather a quiet Christian.

I don’t recall exactly when we first met her, for she seems to have always been a presence at the Church. It was probably after our transition from back benches to our current pew, where she was the anchor.

She always had a smile and a warm greeting, and had soon recruited my wife and daughter onto her altar guild team. She first put the bug in my ear about running for the vestry. She supported the remodeling of the sanctuary.

She continued to serve the church quietly as she could, inspire of the many changes. Changes in the liturgy, changes in National Church policy, some things rather radical to her, but she persevered, continuing to anchor our pew as long as her health allowed. Still smiling, asking after Sandra’s mother or how our daughter was doing.

She was a mentor, an example of what a quiet, committed Christian could do. She has earned her rest.

I am now at the age where I am seeing more of my parent’s generation, the mentors that helped get me to where I am are passing. Reflecting on her passing, reminds me that it is time to step up and be a part of the next generation of mentors, to lead by example, sometimes quietly, and to try to make a difference.

The challenge today is one that I should be able to handle. I have a simple deadline for a request for information. Normally I would just shoot it back with the answers however, this needs to be a coaching moment for a last minute youth volunteer. I do need to remind myself that this is their opportunity.

So I am working on a coaching response to send to the youth, alerting him step up and letting me step out of my comfort zone.

Monday am and it is a new week. Progress made with the online book keeping getting the 2012 online balance to match the bank’s. Then spent some time entering the details to a complex buyer only to lose the edits. The system does not like shortcuts.

I should know by now that there are no shortcuts when trying to keep things in balance. There is no quick weight loss, bills don’t miraculously disappear overnight, and that if there seems to be an easy way to get the data entry done, the details will prove my undoing.

So it appears that I must slog on. On the treadmill, on the diet, on the book keeping. It’s what it takes. I will eventually accept it.