Figure Out

Routine shouldn't be despised.

Safety. Normalcy. Understanding. Comfort. These are words to be associated with routine.

This morning I'm sitting in Tempe, AZ; looking out the hotel window at rugged mountains in the far distance. And while I'm thrilled to be experiencing our General Council (which convenes every two years) I also miss my coffee cup, badly! Smile.

(The person who serviced our room forgot to replace the sugar and powered creamer stuff. Black coffee is NOT for wimps!)

Frank and I dashed to the airport right after Sunday service and arrived in Phoenix around 2:00 AM our time. Of course the hotel shuttle had just stopped running. So the game of "figuring out" began almost as soon as we landed.

"FIGURING OUT". You know, the tough part of traveling. The part that causes some people to opt for staying home.

Typically, the husband looks at the wife and says something like:
"Did you figure out where we'll eat?"
Or there's "Did you figure out what time we're leaving?"
And "Did you figure out when we'll be able to see our friends while we're here?"

Frank diligently watched for our suitcases at the luggage carousel while I tried to figure out the public transportation system at PHX. A daunting task when you're sleep deprived.

Here I am with a hundred different vignettes and at least twenty full-blown posts waiting to be told about Meagan and Nathan's wedding but no time to blog.

The conference for our fellowship (Assemblies of God) takes place every two years. We have descended on Phoenix in mass. Nearly fourteen thousand participants. And that's only those who are registered.

John and Joy worked with the youth of our church for six months raising funds to participate in the missions portion of General Council.

Each day that we're in a given city, hundreds of our youth from across the country converge on various sites offering free labor. Pre-arranged assignments vary from public park renovations to school improvements to handing out food and school supplies.

It's HUGE!

And John, Joy, Spencer and sixteen of our youth are right up in the middle of it all. (Please pray for them. Have you seen that the weather out here is hitting over 100 degrees each day? Yes, they're staying hydrated; Joy is a good mama too. Smile.)

Because Frank and I are both ordained, we feel a genuine responsibility to participate in the business portion of these conferences as well. So the schedule runs from 8 AM until after the evening service. Which was 9:30 last night.

Then there are the train ride and hike back to our hotel as we try not to think of the stories we've heard about people being attacked in large cities.

(Just realized this sounds very much like whining! It must be the black coffee talking. Smile.)

So, the up side?

We get to see friends we haven't seen in years. We're blessed to be part of the decision-making process that will affect generations to come. We hear some of the premier preachers of our fellowship. And the people-watching opportunities are off the chart! Smile.

It's almost seven and I'm supposed to meet Frank and my Dad (also an ordained minister) downstairs for breakfast in just a few minutes. Thank heavens that I missed the 4 AM call of the train whistle running by our hotel this morning. Sleeping til 5:30 never felt so good.

I promise that more consistent posts are in store. Just as soon as I "figure out" how to get back to our routine. Smile.

Hope your day is blessed!

PS - Thanks to Amanda for working on a new blog site design. I'm very excited! Keep watching.