I have a follower. Sorry, Follower.

Sorry, Follower. I didn't know anyone was curious enough to listen in. I haven't even tried to find out who you are. I didn't blog a thing during the month of June. It was my birthday on June 30th. I preached a sermon on June 14th in Socorro. I led a couple of Bible studies with the women in Edgewood - let's see... What the heck did we study? The 3rd Thursday in June I led us through Psalm 23. The first Thursday (7/2) we looked at Psalm 139. Next time (7/16) will be a study of Psalm 136 (I think?). Obviously, just so my follower understands, my blogs generally don't evolve from preparedness. They are a litte closer to James Joycian stuff (except more confusing). Gosh, I have a follower now. Perhaps there will be more.

I had nice birthday. I got an Amazon e-certificate from my brother and his family, which I added to another one I got through taking surveys at www.valuedopinions.com (mention my name if you go there), and it totalled $50.00. I got both volumes of The Apostolic Fathers and the Reverend Horton Heat's album called "Smoke'em if you Got'em". Okay, so the Amazon stockers will enjoy wondering what sort of person I am. But I live in Texas long enough to appreciate them and I have many nostalgic attachments to that band. Once I saw them play at Artists' Square in Dallas, opening for the Butthole Surfers. The Toadies also played. I'll bet that place is covered with skyscrapers now. It was a nice big rectangular green open area right down there off of Ross Avenue and Central Expressway. I think I saw them with T.Mo and Scott both, I think. It was a crazy night that definitely involved Foster's Lager. I saw the 'Surfers another night at Liberty Lunch in Austin, opened by Cibo Matto.

The first time I heard the Reverend Horton Heat, I didn't exactly know what to think. I liked them, but they were so fast and raucous. My preference at the time was the fast and raucous ska music, not fast and raucous honky tonk rock. When T.Mo and I were going out, I found out that Jim Heat had a lot of connections to Dallas and knew his sister from the Theater Gallery days. I met Jim once in front of that yummy Italian place down on lower Greenville once. Flip's! That's the name of that place. They had wacky sculpted orbs on sticks towering over the corner of the street and the tables inside were some sort of clear plastic stuff with odd art out of found objects encased inside of it. I loved Flips because Mondays were half-price and it was funky. But then one day they closed - there was talk about drug abuse and staff not receiving their earnings. I don't know what really happened.

I am still thinking about T.Mo. Ever since news of his death, I keep doing and seeing and saying things that cause me to realize how much he influenced my life. He influenced my musical taste. He influenced the kinds of bath soaps I use, the fact I make fruit smoothies the way Whole Foods does/did, the fact I like Nag Champa Agarbhatti incense. It's certain things that I say and foods I like, such as chilaquiles, which I still haven't found as good as the ones at Las Brisas in Dallas off of Harry Hines Blvd. So, I am finding myself reminded of him every day. I am thankful for the things that he did to enrich my life.

So I have been busy with the Bible lately! I think I will save that for a different posting, where I can get more into it. I have a sermon coming up this Sunday in Socorro, where I will be preaching from Mark's account of the beheading of John the Baptist. I have been coming from the angle of viewing this pericope as something like a Greek tragedy in which we see examples of "what not to do" - to not be just like Herod and let himself be swayed by what everyone thinks of him - and to be bolder in his own convictions that murdering a "righteous and holy man" is wrong. I find it remarkable that Mark spends so much time describing Herod's feelings and actions, in comparison to the other Synoptics, that we cannot avoid being touched by his situation. At least, I feel that way. I see that he was fascinated at times and even "glad" to listen to what John tells him, even though John declared him an adulterer (according to Penteteuchal Law). I believe there was hope for Herod to repent, because he is saddened by the way events have led him to behead John the Baptizer. It appears however, that a tragedy took place because he didn't take seriously his own sense of right and wrong. So I think my sermon is going to have something to do with the phrase "Christ is Lord of the conscience," which comes right out of our Book of Order. It seems fitting, during a time of great unrest throughout the world, and during a time in which we celebrate our freedom.

Well, my computer is having trouble so I am signing off for now so I can restart it. Have a peaceful evening. Maybe, follower, you will one day read something else from me.

Amy