The meeting...

This is the view I saw before turning in to my subdivision after "the meeting".

Last night's meeting with Staff Parish went well, in spite of my super dry mouth (I should have taken in my diet dr. pepper) and me choking up on one of the questions.  I'll get to that in a moment.

I was asked to go over my "call" story, so I did.  I added a little background to what I had sent in previously..... it's hard to know sometimes what to include/exclude.

They asked some questions.  Where I see myself heading-- to which I first shared the longer Thomas Merton quote that I posted yesterday, and then explained that I feel called more to elder than deacon but that I have struggled with those and do not fully see clearly.  Why the Methodist church vs. another denomination-- to which I shared that the more I've learned about the Wesleyan tradition, the more it resonates with me on many levels.  I was more explicit than that.  Who are some Methodist women preachers that I looked up to or knew as role models-- to which I answered first the one who had been at our church most recently and I had gotten to know over the past several years, Rhonda Hobbs.  I got to know her first on a mission trip to Costa Rica and then she was my unofficial mentor with permission through the purple candidacy book.  Then our family later joined Burks and I got to know her through the Bible Study class, etc.  The second name got stuck in my head and that's when I choked up.  It hasn't been that long since she passed.  I was thinking of Linda, Rev. Linda Bird Wright.  I apologized for choking up, got the name out and explained that I had known her in capacity as her Staff Parish chair and in other capacities over the years and that she was one of those role models.  Then there is my candidacy mentor, Amy Whatley.   Though I haven't known her as long, she is definitely one of those iron sharpening iron folks and has been a tremendous blessing.  Additionally, I have been blessed to have over a handful of other clergy women through the bilingual Academy in my life..... Wow!  Hurray for role models and mentors.  There are other women clergy in my life who aren't Methodist, and they have provided me with great insight and support too. 

There were some other questions and comments.... it was a good point in the journey for me.   For me, it wasn't simply just something to check off my to-do list for candidacy.  It was and is important to know that my local church supports me and thinks I have what it takes....... so, we'll see what they decide.

Meanwhile, it's back to reading Telford so I can knock out the rest of this semester!

~Debra