Wyoming in springtime

Well, my trip to Montana was great - met lots of great people, including some who are thinking about applying to my volunteer program, and saw some really beautiful countryside. Then yesterday my friend/travel partner and I left Billings to drive back to Denver... and made it 120 miles to Sheridan, Wyoming before God/Mother Nature/WYDOT conspired to keep us here a couple extra days. Seems there was a fuel spill on I-90 that turned into a multi-vehicle accident (serious but no fatalities), so they closed the interstate yesterday morning for that - and the blizzard we're in has kept it closed ever since. I think we're at about 2 feet of snow here now, with up to another foot still falling.

We're hoping things will turn sunnier tomorrow, but for the moment we're pretty well set up in a motel with cable, internet, fridge and microwave; we made it into town for lunch and got some groceries to improve on our leftovers for dinner; and the breakfast buffet here has a wafflemaker! :) So all in all, things could be a lot worse.

But I've been on the road for 9 days now, and tomorrow will be day 10 of 8, and I'm pretty eager to be back in my own bed soon. Sunny prayers are appreciated...

Travels in the wild, wild west

I've been traveling a lot this month - more than I prefer, really, but the trips have gone well so far. I participated in a Residency in Ministry retreat for probationary clergy that was informative, restful, and fun as I connected with others going through "the process" toward ordination.

I drove to Kemmerer, Green River, and Rock Springs, Wyoming, to talk about GraceWorks Community, the volunteer program I run. In addition to spending time with some wonderful people, I got to see the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area south of Rock Springs/Green River (into Utah), including some young bighorn sheep butting heads! (I'll try to get a picture up next week.)

I led the winter retreat for GraceWorks at Templed Hills Camp near Woodland Park, Colorado, and felt like we did pretty well at re-connecting, re-newing, and re-framing how things are going - as well as getting some good feedback from the volunteers on how to improve the program.

And on Wednesday I leave for an 8-day trip to Montana, where I'll be talking about GraceWorks with young people in colleges and with folks of all ages in churches in Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, and Billings.

I can't really remember what my apartment looks like (which is maybe just as well, since I don't have time to clean it either), but other than that, life in the west is pretty darn good.

Here I am!

In case you were wondering where I've been for six months... I'm still here! Trying to keep my head above water, but life is good if very full.

Thanks to Mike, Donna, and Alwen for your comments on my last post. Sorry I've been so tardy in responding. I really enjoy hearing from others with similar interests and passions, especially those who happen to be authors of poems I post...!

I encourage all of you to check out First Freedom First if you have an interest in preserving religious liberty in the U.S.

In this Lenten season, I also invite reflection on how your daily choices are connected to the well-being of others around the world and to the earth itself, from the labor rights of textile workers in China to the pesticides used for non-organic farming in Iowa (and every other state). To learn more about how you can be involved in change, visit Bread for the World, which sponsors an "Offering of Letters" to political leaders each year. This year's theme, Seeds of Change, addresses the need for a farm bill that takes strategic steps to reduce hunger and poverty in this country and in developing countries. Bread for the World sees personal involvement in legislative advocacy as "a sacred act of citizenship" when you communicate how your beliefs and values relate to the issues facing our leaders and communities today.

I can't promise I'm back to posting regularly, but I'll try not to let six months go by in silence again!

Blessings to you all.