Giving Things Up

I have no discernible Lenten discipline. I have joked that I will be giving up church for part of Lent. I've also not so jokingly said that having the kiddo is more than enough of a project for anyone. Despite my lack of initiative, I think a Lenten discipline has been thrust upon me: giving stuff up.

Warning: whining ahead.

• The Louisville Pastoral People invited me to a cool sounding leadership conference that met last weekend (Karaoke Rev was able to go in my place, so that was good). People that pregnant can't fly.
  
• My uncle died yesterday. The funeral will be were he lived, about six or so hours away, which is, again, too far when one is this pregnant. We weren't close at all, but I do wish I could be there for my dad. This was his younger brother.
• The MDG team of the diocese where I serve is going to the Dominican Republic at the end of April to start to establish a companion relationship. The trip was originally in October, which I could have gone on. It was moved before I was public with the pregnancy. That was fun.
• I was just invited to be a panelist at my div school alumni about younger clergy and leadership in late April.

And that's that. Granted, I could not have done all these things even if I would have been not pregnant; I do have to do some stuff on occasion with my parish, after all. Still. I'm feeling cranky.

I'm beginning not to wonder why younger women "fall behind" in ministry, since in the space of two months alone, I've had to miss out on some significant networking opportunities.