This Week in Louisville

This past week has gone by so quickly due to the intensity of this TSE (Transforming Seminary Education) class. We started Saturday and have gone full force until a break today. There are 42 in the class and we are all getting to know each other, which is very nice. The class includes a mix of degree programs and this is the only time we will all be together like this while we are here at LPTS. At present, we are working on our personal spiritual narrative papers, as well as learning to think about situations from a practical theological perspective. We are looking at examples of how others have dealt with situations from this perspective, e.g. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have Seen the Promise Land" speech in Memphis just days before he was assassinated, among others. Friday we talked a lot about developing and maintaining a spiritual life while in seminary - remembering to keep life in balance between classes, study, life in general, as well as including time for reading and studying the Bible and prayer.

Last Sunday several of us worshiped at an African-American Baptist church that belongs to the National Progressive Baptist Convention. It was an excellent worship experience, albeit 3 hours in length! We were welcomed with open arms into their worship as well as their communion and were richly blessed to be a part of their community of faith. I have worshiped in many Baptist churches over the years, but this was the first time I have been invited to participate in communion in a Baptist church, which definitely made an impression on me.

Thursday, we toured downtown Louisville and learned a lot of history about the city, its riverfront, the Ohio River Falls, the "metro" government (the city and county merged a few years ago into the "metro"), etc. Our tour guide was a man that has been very involved in the redevelopment of downtown and the riverfront area and very passionate about his city. I don't know if we have anyone in LR that does this for new residents, but it would certainly be an asset to newcomers if we did. Maybe someone from my LGLR Class XXI (the best class) reading this can check into that with the Chamber.

The weather here has been very, very hot this week with highs over 100 degrees. Today we have a one-day reprieve with low humidity and only 88 for a high - hallelujah! For my KATV buddies, the ABC station here is Belo-owned and they do a pretty good job (can't hold a candle to KATV, however!). I noticed this morning that their live shots from the fairgrounds (Kentucky State Fair) were done by a B.J. Sams look/sound-a-like! I haven't watched the others stations yet, as I naturally want to see Robin and Diane in the morning. Plus, the late news doesn't come on until 11pm and I'm already in bed reading for the next day by then. I'm always on the lookout for story ideas and will send those your way whenever I come upon a good one.

Choppy has been better behaved this week - could be that I haven't been letting him have the full run of the apartment when I'm not here! A couple of times I've sequestered him to what they deem to be the "dressing area" of this tiny apartment by laying a step ladder in the doorway and that has worked. He really enjoys getting to run and run and run when we go out for a walk and I try to do that every evening when it gets a wee bit cooler.

Tonight there is a community-wide potluck and resident meeting and tomorrow night a cook out at the President's home. Thanks for reading my blog, for leaving your comments, and for emailing me. It is great to hear from you! Blessings ... Susie