On and off topic

This is a boring blog, but I've been extremely busy. I did, however, order the 1 Peter series on CDs from New Heights Church. I haven't yet listened to them again. I'm going to listen to them during my commute to and from work this week. The downside to this is that I won't be able to take notes while I'm listening, and I really wanted to do that so I could blog about it. I'll have to put some thought into that . . . It's too bad they don't come with sermon notes, but I'm not complaining--I'm happy that I'm able to get a copy at all (and I didn't have to go to the church to pick it up! Sorry, but that would have made me feel too uncomfortable . . . ).

It's funny how things turn out . . . A year or so ago, a woman that I played tennis with at the time had been encouraging me to go to a singles group at her church. She even brought me some information on the group, but I never went. You see, I'm Catholic. I was interested, but I was worried that I would be judged by this group (some protestants don't consider Catholics "saved").

So . . . my friend who originally loaned me the series on 1 Peter (yes, the friend who is no longer a friend--I really should make up names for these people!) goes to a single parents group at New Heights. And yes, New Heights is the church where my tennis friend goes. Same church, and as it turns out . . . same singles group. I was browsing the website and looked at the singles groups--he goes to the same group she was trying to get me to join.

What really stinks about all of this is that this church is within walking distance from my house, and I really like the pastor's teaching, but I can't go there.

I consider this my other friend's "safe place." He has really been through a lot, and this church is where he has gone to heal. He has deep relationships there. I don't. But before I moved here, I had a church home that was my "safe place," the place where I went to heal. Then someone started going there because I was there, and it was no longer that safe haven for me--I felt like my "safe place" had been invaded.

Anyhow, I don't want to go there because anyone else is there, but I still think he would feel like I had invaded his "safe place," and I don't want to do that. Besides, it would feel weird.

It is kind of funny though--it's too bad I didn't visit the group back when my tennis friend was encouraging me to go. Maybe the other friendship might have gone a little differently if it had begun there (with Jesus in the mix) instead . . .