Rogue Reverend

Mentor-Friend

I had a mentor once. Actually, she was more than a mentor. She was a friend, just a few years older than me, with a lot of life experience.

Her name was Jan. She sang in an a capella band, with radical feminist roots, which I didn’t even understand. She taught me about money, making a living wage, listening to myself, and the scourge of waitresses. She was smart, funny, fiercely protective and used to make me laugh.

Most of all, she was kind. Thank you, Jan. I needed you and you were there.

I’d like to tell her that, but I don’t know where to find her. She worked with me in a sports bar in Hillsboro Village, back in the day. She has a pretty common name, so finding her in the white pages and on facebook seems to elude me.

Life Beckons

For the last year, I’ve been working during the week in Washington, DC, and living weekends in Richmond, VA. I worked 40 hours a week and was on call 24-hours-a-day. The commute was about 16 hours a week. In addition, I was pastoring a church in Richmond.

And trying to have a life.

The downside to the life was that I didn’t have enough time for myself. And I’m not talking about alone time, or time to get my hair done, or time to get all the errands of normal life done. I had that.

But I didn’t have enough time for my self.

My self requires spending time alone. My self requires spending time with the people who I love. My self requires that I have time to think through my principles, time to act as I believe is right, and time to build caring relationships.

I am regaining that time now.

We had a guest preacher at church yesterday. He shared this with us:

St. Teresa’s Prayer:

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that
has been given to you….
May you be content knowing you are a child of God….
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

May it ever be.

Writing, Blogging, Preaching, and Being Busy

I miss writing. Well, more specifically, I miss blogging.

I’m still writing sermons, although they feel more raw, more private, and even more confidential than before. So I’m not posting them anymore.

But I haven’t written here since I really got going on my new job. Maybe it’s because I’m learning so much new stuff. Maybe it’s because I’m spending 15-18 hours a week on the road. Maybe it’s because I thought my head would implode with all this new information.

Whatever it is, I’d like it to stop. I want to write.

I want to write about the interesting (read that batty) person who told me last week that the meaning of life is TIME.

I want to write about seeing the elderly woman who had been arrested for solicitation face 90 days in jail for a $10 sex act.

I want to write about the amazement of learning that you are HIV+ when you see that information as an empowering choice to get care.

But for now, I’m just going to say, “Hi.” I’ve missed you.

Happy New Job

It’s been a while since I wrote on my blog, but tons of stuff has happened.

I interviewed with HIPS (Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive) in Washington, D.C. back in October for a position that wasn’t right for me. In late November, they asked me to interview for a different position. This one fit. And stuck.

January 4 was my first day as the Client Advocacy Program Manager at HIPS. HIPS’ mission is to assist female, male, and transgender individuals engaging in sex work in Washington, DC in leading healthy lives. Utilizing a harm reduction model, HIPS’ programs strive to address the impact that HIV/AIDS, STIs, discrimination, poverty, violence and drug use have on the lives of individuals engaging in sex work.

I’m so excited about the job. The people I’ve met have been warm and welcoming. I feel so grateful, first just to have a job, but especially to have a job I care about. Happy New Year!

Hooty-Hoo!

A dear friend of mine tells me all the time that I have a youthfulness about me. Of course, I always think, “Oh, great! He thinks I’m childish!” He says that I’m youthful because I really like to do some things he thinks are goofy. I sew. I make collages (he says, “coll-awww-geeees”). I drive to the store for only a magazine. I like to cook.

His point is that I do creative things, things he wouldn’t be able to do because of all of his grown-up responsibilities. He has a “real” job. He has familial obligations. He just doesn’t have time to do creative stuff. But even when I’m busy, I try to make time for creative activities.

I made this owl for the brand-new-baby, Lucy, the first child of my friend Caroline. It’s a goofy owl, but I do like it and had a great time doing it. A little shout out to my friend Jenny who helped!