It feels like slow progress, if at all. Things just seem...off. I spend mornings in the office, and I get work done, but it feels more difficult to do it. I get a sermon written, but it doesn’t feel like I’ve said everything that needs to be said. I find myself questioning if I’m doing what I normally do, what is part of my normal routine. Well, such was this week...

Sunday – Trinity XI...Bible Study, Divine Service, catechesis, catechesis. It’s the usual for the day, and I mustered through it.

Monday – My day off. I was going to stack the trimmed limbs neatly today, but some other stuff came up.

Tuesday – Office time was spent looking at the texts for Sunday. There’s a common theme about right proclamation and unblocked ears and loosed tongues. So, I start forming some ideas on which to preach. When I got home, I got around to stacking those pieces of wood. I did recruit the two older kids to help; Robert did, and he finished before Mikaela finished her lunch. I was going to use them to help me with the older wood in the back yard, but there were nails and screws through some of them, weird insects crawling around it, and some pink mold growing on some of the wood, so I handled that myself. It was exhausting work, but good to get it done.

Wednesday – Back in the office again for more studying and preparing for class tonight. We’re going to be reading through the Catalogue of Testimonies, sources by which we back up what we believe, teach, and confess in Article VIII of the Formula of Concord. Back home for a short while. While home, I set some glue board traps for the mouse or mice that have found their way into our house. In short order, it was time to go back to church for class. It was a good discussion, especially as we side-tracked to the number of ecumenical councils, and which ones are recognized by the Lutherans, the Romans, and the Orthodox.

Thursday – An early morning to go to Bible Study. No earlier wake-up than usual this time. I check the glue boards downstairs, and we caught one. Nothing upstairs. I had my usual for breakfast as we continued to study 1 Thessalonians. To the office, then, and time to develop those sermon ideas some more. A colleague wrote an article about a recent video starring Victoria Osteen; some of what he wrote could come in handy.

Friday – So, it’s come time to write the sermon. I think I’ve got the ideas in good order, but something still feels missing. Sermon written, then it was time to go home so that the family can go out to help a friend move. Not so fast, as Molly was feeling really ill. So, I stay home with the two little girls as Genevieve and the big kids go to help. Molly felt miserable, but did a lot of resting on the couch while watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. The rest of the family came back home as the three of us were sleeping on the couch. Depending on how Molly felt, all of us would go back to help tomorrow.

Saturday – I was able to watch qualifying for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix (Formula 1). Molly got up, and she felt better; I guess some chicken noodle soup and rest go a long way with this cold. After noon, we all head to Denver to help do some unpacking. I was tasked with setting up the entertainment center. We brought dinner, and not long after eating, it was time for us to go home. It was a late arrival and bed time before church. In the night, though, Tirzah came down with the cold.