It's the Most Wonderful Time...

The first time that I heard the Staples' back-to-school ad playing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," I did not have my head turned to the tv. My first thought was to cringe, thinking that someone was already doing Christmas ads in the summer. When I turned towards the television, I burst out laughing at those two pitiful-looking children, drudging down the aisle, heads down, pushing the cart, getting their back to school supplies, with their dad coming behind them leaping for joy. For some parents, I think back-to-school is the most wonderful time - I watch as working friends struggle to find summer daycare for their children; as others figure out drop-off/pick-up summer camp/class schedules that some rocket scientists would have problems figuring out; as some come back more stressed from their "vacation" than they were when they left - you get the idea.

This evening, as I cleaned up after supper, I heard that song in my head and I thought, yeah, this is the most wonderful time. Supper is over, clean-up is over, a load of clothes in the washer - AND IT"S STILL LIGHT OUT!!! It's getting warmer, brighter, and today the sky was a bright blue instead of overcast.

It's a time of new life. Of new shoots, new grass, new flowers, baby birds and other baby animals. Let us reflect in these Lenten days the opportunity we have for new life, for change in direction, for repentance and the accompanying forgiveness.

What's in a Name, fini

Ah...I am now Connie Wagner Garlick, as recognized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. What can be done with the RIGHT person at a state representative's office, and a few pieces of paper (like, federal tax forms with my right name; statement from Social Security Administration with my right name, copies of drivers license and state tax forms from other states with my right name).

(with apologies to Neil Armstrong): One small step for woman; one giant blow against bureaucracy. Ok, probably not a giant blow - but it sure felt like it when I got my corrected license in the mail.

Breaking Silence

Just over 6 months...for no reason, exactly. And yet, for many reasons. Sometimes, what I want to say is too private to be said in a public forum, so I say nothing. Sometimes, I'm just too busy. Sometimes, I'm just too lazy.

On this Ash Wednesday, I am breaking the fast of words that I have held. This does not mean that the flood gates will open and that you will be reading any mush that falls out of my brain. It means that I will begin to share my voice again.

As Lent begins, so begins the call of churches to deprive one's self, to share with others, to spend one's time in studying God more...things that we should be doing, or calling each other to do, all year, not just for a period of 40 days. But we can handle 40 days, can't we? We can give up (candy, computer games, coffee, whatever) for 40 days, can't we? We can go to a Bible study once a week for 6 weeks, or an extra church service during the week for 6 weeks, can't we? We can...yeah, but why can't we the rest of the time?

Don't get me wrong. I know that we live in a post-Christian era, whether we want to admit it or not. I know that we are busy: that our kids are overscheduled and, as a result, our parents are overscheduled. I know that church is not the priority it was in the past.

For those of us who call ourselves Christian, we need to decide: Is God a priority in our lives? If we say that God is a priority in our lives, do our schedules reflect that? Do the schedules of our children reflect that? Do our lives in general - our actions, our financial decisions, the tv shows we watch and the music we listen to - reflect that?

If the answers to the questions in the above paragraph is overwhelmingly "no", then might I suggest that the days of this Lenten season be used to reflect on how those answers can be changed to "yes".