When I left California to attend Southern Seminary, I had no intention of returning to the field of hospital finance and work in decision support systems.  After finishing seminary, however, the Lord called Helen and I to a small church in Beaver, Pennsylvania.  Our congregation gives generously, but it hasn’t been enough to support us.  Last year I made the decision to become bivocational.  I count it a blessing that I found work as a decision support analyst at Magee Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh.  Between the job and the time it takes to commute, it does put pressure on the time I can devote to ministry.  But the folks at Beaver Baptist Church are understanding and now personal finances won’t determine whether or not we can stay at BBC.  We intend to stay for the long haul.

One thing that strikes me about my work is how nice a workplace it is.  Everyone I work with is pleasant, curteous, and professional.  I was reminded of this by an article in the New York Times: “Desk Rage Spoils Workplace for Many Americans.”  It looks like it’s pretty rough out there

Nearly half of U.S. workers in America report yelling and verbal abuse on the job, with roughly a quarter saying it has driven them to tears, research has shown.

Other research showed one-sixth of workers reported anger at work has led to property damage, while a tenth reported physical violence and fear their workplace might not be safe.

It is a blessing that I can leave my work at the end of the day and not be stressed-out by my work situation.

Rod Dreher’s book, Crunchy Cons, has changed my attitude toward supporting the local economy and sustainable agriculture.  I think it is a good witness to act responsibly and to work toward the common good.  Recently my wife and I made the decision to participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm by subscribing to a season of produce.  Beginning in early June, and running through late November, we will travel once each week to local pickup point and receive a box of organically grown vegetables and fruits, which will vary according to what is in season.  This means that we are choosing to forego, or at least reduce, our use of many fruits and vegetables that are available year-round.   The cost works out to about $20 per week for a “small” box, which is supposed to suffice for two adults and one or two children.  Hopefully that will leave us enough to share with others.  Will we miss blueberries in January?  Sure.  But will we enjoy sun-ripened, organic, locally-grown heirloom tomatoes in July?  I think we will enjoy that very much.