I’ve been creeping toward writing this for a week or so. Then I read John’s blip about Beth Quick’s post on transparency at General Conference. Here’s a bit of Beth’s:

As I think about the approaching General Conference for the UMC, one of the things I wish we would see more of is transparency in our actions. Cozying up to certain delegates in order to win their votes? Just say so. Offering a breakfast or lunch or dinner because you want to push a certain agenda? Please be clear about it. Attending mostly because you’ll later be running for the episcopacy? Out with it! In the end, are you going to vote based on what’s best for you personally, even if it conflicts with your stated ideals and theology? Just say so.

Here’s my related stuff. There has never been a bishop elected from the Central Texas Conference (CTC). Dr. Tim Bruster, pastor of FUMC Fort Worth, is our conference’s candidate for bishop this year.

In the CTC, the first clergy elected to the General Conference delegation is the presumptive episcopal candidate. Dr. Bruster was our first clergy elected, on either the first or the second ballot.

Don’t get me wrong; I like Tim (Dr. Bruster). We’ve known each other for almost 20 years.  I think he is an excellent episcopal candidate.  I did (and would again) vote for him.

However, he wasn’t even elected to our GC delegation 4 years ago.  Now, he leads the delegation.  I think somebody did some meeting behind closed doors and burned up some phone lines on this one.

Is there anything wrong with that?  Well, yes there is.  Officially, as we are reminded by our bishop, clergy do not and are not to politic.  We are not supposed to “run” for GC delegate.

Does it happen? Of course!  Am I merely expressing sour grapes over not being involved?  I don’t think so.  I am not opposed to deals being made and people politicking for themselves or others.  I am opposed to this all happening while we say it doesn’t and isn’t supposed to.

“In a way winter is the real spring, the time when the inner thing happens, the resurge of nature.” -Edna O’Brien, “Clara.” Mrs. Reinhardt (1978)

We have been having random spurts of spring, throughout February and March. The weather has tricked the daffodils and other bulb plants to coming up early. Or maybe now is the time when they normally come up. I am not one to be up on the things of green thumbery.

Dave and I have moved to this haus, for several reasons. The lush vegetation that this picture would suggest is not one of them. With family no longer in Nashville, we knew that it was important to be logistically closer to friends. Even 15-25 minutes can seem like miles and thoughts away. Once the decision to move was accepted, a couple of days later a house behind our friends (the Barbers) went on the market. We had the mindset of simplifying and downsizing. We went from 1800 square feet to less than 900 square feet. Our surroundings changed from manicured, white middle class neighborhoods & retirees, to a neighborhood that spoke multiple languages and verges on worn down.

In the four years that we have been married, we have accumulated much. A wise friend, Reed Arvin pointed out that if you collect/purchase/receive as a gift…even 10 things a year, it adds up quickly. If you include both dave and I, that’s a minimum of 20 things a year. Since 2003, we have achieved the status of amassing over 80 things a year, and I’m sure that’s no where near accurate to what we really have. With this haus, we wanted to cling to the idea of intentionally downsizing. We wanted to remain mobile and or have the ability to not be held down by the sheer quantities of our belongings.

In a way, this haus forced me to evaluate what should be a priority, and the reality of what I am holding as priority. I am constantly challenged to not be held captive by the sentimental attachments that I hold onto physical things. And I have many things. I hope this time continues to be a time of refinement and joy. I hope this teaches me to be grateful for all that has been given and moves me towards generosity.

A friend passed a decorating tip along to me. She said that it is a good idea to have something that’s alive in each room of your house. That got me thinking . . .

A fresh flower arrangement would look lovely in my dining room. I normally try to keep a pretty bowl filled with fruit in my kitchen.

There’s the aquarium in the living room . . . at last check we still had some fish that were alive. Oh yea, algae! Algae is alive! That should count!

What’s next . . . the bedrooms. Well, there is a beautiful plant in the master bedroom but what about the kids’ rooms . . . i ignored saw a cobweb in my 3-yr-old’s bedroom yesterday and we all know what makes cobwebs!!!! Spiders! To be sure there is a lovely, live spider in my daughter’s room at this moment. Now for the baby’s room. I did drop a bottle in her room that rolled under the crib this morning. I didn’t pick it up since I was in a hurry to leave for work. Surely there will be something alive in the fermenting milk if I leave it there long enough.

The bathrooms. Since I can never seem to get into one of my bathrooms when I need to because they are always OCCUPIED I will just count the permanent occupants as my live items for the bathrooms.

But seriously, what I wanted to tell my friend was that I have a hard enough time keeping the alive things OUT of my house (you know, the things that aren’t supposed to live there) not to mention the occasional dead item. I do not have any plans to add anything to my home in the near future that I have to feed, water, pick up behind or wipe it’s butt.

I sure hope that none of my crowd brings home a puppy tonight so that I don’t have to eat my words.