What's upsetting you today?

[fargon]

Last night at the church communication team meeting, we got a new member. The Pastor's son-in-law, he is only 21 or so and a christian for almost a year. I asked him to be an usher 4 weeks ago and he has served twice. He tells our Pastor that he wants to be a preacher, and is taking seminary classes on-line. That does not qualify him to be a deacon in any church I have ever been any part of. I am on the verge of turning in my key and quitting the church.

There was a lot of silence from the other team members during the meeting, so I doubt I am not the only one that feels this way. I have been born again for over 30 years and it is only just now I have become a deacon (I should explain that the communication team is what would be the equivalent of deacons in another church). This kid is not even a declared member of the church. I have been a member of the church (which has been in existence for 4 years) for 2 years, and I am Lead Usher.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[infinite monkey]

I know a woman, an old boss, who became some sort of clergy online. She married a young couple, and I went to that wedding. The whole thing was odd to me. Well, they were all pretty odd in their own rights.

I'm not religious, but I see what you mean, fargon.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by BigV

All clear now.

Reports say it was a student carrying an umbrella "with a samurai sword handle". That's why the original report said "rifle". I *guess so*.

Better safe than sorry. Funny note (NOW it's funny, before it was frustrating). No answer at first from ElderSon, not text, not email, not f*book, etc. Why? Cause he was asleep. We all woke him up. Extra funny points, he's three time zones earlier than me.

Duh. Everyone knows rifles are carried in guitar cases.

[ZenGum]

Whu? A gunman on campus? Da-a-ad, you woke me up for that?

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

I know a woman...

I knew a woman,
Lovely in her bones.
When small birds sighed
She would sigh back at them.

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

She married a young couple, and I went to that wedding. ...

Isn't that bigamy? Or bigaher? Or something?

[infinite monkey]

She officiated the wedding. I might have been less uncomfortable had it been a freaky deaky three way wedding!

[footfootfoot]

Where's that Kathleen Madigan bit about attending a wedding where the woman is marrying a goat?

[Sundae]

My 17 yo neice is 4 months pregnant.
With twins.
She's keeping them.

I'm not directly affected, but the family is in mourning.
They'll all come round of course, but it's wailing and gnashing of teeth today.
I think she's ill-prepared and foolish, but once they're born she'll have babies she couldn't imagine living without.

I'm trying to be the voice of reason, but it's not going down well (I don't understand apparently, because I don't have children). So I've come up to log on as my bro has fixed the router. Forgive me if I immediately log off again and just go hibernate.

[Clodfobble]

Dang, Sundae, that sucks, but like you say, not really anything you can do but make the best of it. Is the dad gonna stay around, or is he gone already?

[DanaC]

Is the dad that older bloke she was with?

[classicman]

uhhhh. sorry for all involved - especially the kids.

[Aliantha]

Sometimes young Mums make fantastic Mums, even if they don't seem like they would be.

With a bit of support from her family and lots of love, she will prevail. So will the kids. She's chosen a hard road for herself, but she must feel that she can do it, so the best thing for the family to do is get on with the job of helping her as much as they can.

[Blueflare]

Give her this pamphlet:

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Sometimes young Mums make fantastic Mums, even if they don't seem like they would be.

With a bit of support from her family and lots of love, she will prevail. So will the kids. She's chosen a hard road for herself, but she must feel that she can do it, so the best thing for the family to do is get on with the job of helping her as much as they can.

Agreeing here. Important not to sell her short. Often people rise (or sink) to our expectations of them. Point her in the right direction, surround her with good role models for how to mother, and the instinct should kick in.

[DanaC]

I suspect that's Sundae's position on it too. Trouble is there's nowt quite like a family for ramping things up into a crisis if at all possible. Which is one of the key reasons I stay the fuck off facebook. Lot of my extended family on there.

@ Sundae: things will calm down soon enough. Something else will quietly become the thing everybody's getting heated over.


@ fargon: that's really horrible. Try not to let it devalue your own achievements within the organisation though. You earned it, he got handed it. But that means you did earn it and that matters way more than the fact he didn't.