Weekend Stuff

Just a quick post about a couple of things.

First, I actually was able to go play some poker this weekend. The guys at the PPT were, I'm sure, ecstatic that I was coming to donate my money. Turned out, at least for a while, that four months off was just what I needed, as I was able to hang around and stay in the game.

The game then turned for the best when I hit a huge pot with two all-ins. Both, I believe, flipped A-K over, while I had K-J. With all those kings, I thought I had a shot and, sure enough, the jack came on the turn.

After a few more hands, it got down to four-handed action with me holding probably 70% of the chips on the table. Ken and Russell then helpfully started the mantra of "Well, he can't blow that chip lead....it's basically a lock....no way he could do it."

In life, you always look for the storylines. In this game, there were a choice of two. There was the "4-months-off and big winner" line and the "epic collapse" line. I think you know which was going to happen.

It finally came down to an all-in by Craig in front of me. I look down at pocket kings and call, which left me with $200. (Blinds at this time were $10K/$20K, so you can see the amount left was basically immaterial.) Craig flips A-x and, of course, an ace comes out.

Needless to say I wasn't excited about the outcome. All in all, though, it was a good night and it was fun to play again. I don't know if I'll get back in two weeks or not. Maybe I need to take five months off so I can finish the deal!

Sunday was the first day of our new worship schedule at Wesley. While I wrote the devotional on the site about change and how we basically have to deal with it, you'll notice I didn't say we had to like it.

Being a stick in the mud, as I am, change doesn't come easily to me. Some things I can handle, but changing up how I've gone to church for 30 years is not something that I'm necessarily going to cotton to overnight.

Take for instance, our small group. Used to be a Sunday School, now it's a small group. Anyway, when it was the Koinonia Sunday School, it was a good 20+ people strong for the most part. Obviously, it fluctuated Sunday to Sunday, but we had a good group of people in there and most of the people that we were social friends with at the church.

The problem with a class like that (younger, involved people) is that most of them took leadership roles in the new paradigm. So some are in this group, a couple lead that group, someone else runs this group, and what we were left with were five people on Sunday looking at each other.

Not to say that our leader did a bad job--Joe was great on talking about the changes and everything. And I'm sure that our number will grow. But something was lost there, even if I can't quite put my finger on it.

During the social time between the two services, that discontent, that sense of loss, seemed to grow. I really don't know what it was. It seems that it'll be possible to miss people that you didn't miss before, though maybe that's because attendance was down a little on Sunday.

The idea of the small groups is to create deeper connections. Yet, after the first day of the transition, I felt more disconnected than before. Perhaps the mud needs to loosen so this stick can go with the flow, I don't know. Meron and I are trying to figure out exactly what we want to do. The new group emphasis on sharing more deeply bothers her even more than me, and that's saying something. You'd probably be surprised (unless you've actually met me in person) but we are very shy people. We've been in our class--well, what was our class--for seven years, know all of the people very well, and Meron still has trouble speaking in front of the group about anything. I'm not quite that bad, but anything in the "touchy-feely" realm is, well, out of my expertise.

I know what some are thinking. "Give it time, you old coot." "Things will get better." And I'm guessing they may. But change is not always for the good, no matter how many times people suggest it is. Change is sometimes necessary, but that doesn't make it good.

Enough of that. Wish I had a picture of Benjamin or Sarah on this computer that you've not seen to lighten the mood up.

Softball team plays tonight. I won't be there due to Promise Keepers, but hopefully the guys can field a little better and pull out a win.

Tomorrow night is a Church Council meeting (where, I'm sure, the new setup will be roundly hailed and I'll be keeping my mouth shut in the corner), then Wednesday is my brother's birthday and we'll eat with him and my parents. Then the county fair is this week, so we have to get Benjamin out to see the animals sometime. It'll be a busy week!

BTW, if you want an e-mail when this blog is updated, leave a message in the comments. Don't have to leave your address--if I don't have it, I'll find some way of getting it from you.