What's behind the "luck of the Irish?'

The new year is suppose to bring a change of fortune

Dear Gentle reader,

I am surprised to find you hear this morning. I see you made the coffee your self yes I have a cup. With the electric out I didn't know if I was going to find anything working or not.

We have a custom, though I'm not sure if its an Irish custom or just a O'Callaghan tradition. We put a bit of money out side the house on the 31st of this month and it is supposed to bring you money for the coming year. Last year I didn't have and "real" money so I put out my check book (I don;t know if that counts or not this year I'll put out ten Shillings (about 25 cents in American money) [ I told you I was a poor preacher , Oh you heard that one have you?]

Well since I am in the United States now I need to find a place to teach/preach so many churches but they are looking for the "perfect' pastor/teacher. Me? Well I like to find a group that is not so dead that they aren't willing to show up once in a while and help me open the Book and read a bit, maybe even want to share with those who need a little bit of help. I bet I've sent out more resumes that there are web sites on Google/MSN/Yahoo/and Bravenet combined. I quit counting resumes after we hit 2000. Makes one wonder if the churches seeking a pastor really want one called by God or just someone till fill up a Sunday sermon with nonsense.

Would I be willing to move? Duh yes, not many people can fit in the little mobile home that we in now! Where do I want to go? Some place where the people have an interest in improving their lot. I mean. for example.

In my last church I told them that unless all agreed that I should come I would not! And that was the same church in which I stood up one morning as they were about to take up the collection and said " If you can't afford to put anything in the collection, then take something out!" The treasurer had to receive CPR. No one ever did that before. You can count me to do the unexpected.

There was a movie called "The shoes of the Fisherman" staring Anthony Quinn as the Roman Catholic Pope when faced with a world wide famine sold all of the Catholic Church's possessions and used the money to help the poor. I guess that's what I was thinking.

Not that this church was rich they couldn't afford to pay me half the time. But they were dear people and I loved them very much. I guess you would call me a Grace Believer. That is I believe that God has things under control and He wants me to jump in once in a while a teach a bit. Which I do when He lets me.

Here are some jokes I shared with my last church. Hope you like them as much as they did!

An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"
The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Jimmy, come in or stay out!'"

~~~~~

Finding one of her students making faces at others on the playground, Ms. Smith stopped to gently reprove the child. Smiling sweetly, the Sunday School teacher said, "Bobby, when I was a child, I was told that if I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that."
Bobby looked up and replied, "Well, Ms. Smith, you can't say you weren't warned."

~~~~~

A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"

~~~~~

A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon. "How do you know what to say?" he asked.
"Why, God tells me."
"Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

Smile God loves you and so do I,

Denis