<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xml:lang="en"><title>Shades of Gray</title><rights>Copyright 2009 shadesofgray.blog-city.com</rights><subtitle>Theological musings of a woman preacher in Oklahoma</subtitle><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2009-08-13T19:48:00Z</updated><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/"/><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/index.rss"/><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2009:1</id><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2009-06-19:links.412174632</id><title>Depression and Suicide-- Random Thoughts</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/depression_and_suicide_random_thoughts.htm"><![CDATA[In my job I regularly talk to people who have lost all hope.&nbsp; Sometimes they have really set themselves up for the very situation they are in.&nbsp; Sometimes just enough random events happen that the straw breaks and the person gives up. I wish]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/depression_and_suicide_random_thoughts.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2009-06-19T14:49:00Z</updated><published>2009-06-19T14:49:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2009-03-24:links.412159863</id><title>Interesting blog posting from USA Today about women in religious leadership</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/interesting_blog_posting_from_usa_today_about_women_in_relig.htm"><![CDATA[As I have posted previously, the job market is slim for women in religious professions, at least in leadership.http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/03/do-women-have-a.html Do women have a prayer?Men have been the driving force behind the world&rsquo;s]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/interesting_blog_posting_from_usa_today_about_women_in_relig.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2009-03-24T01:45:00Z</updated><published>2009-03-24T01:45:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2009-01-30:links.412150857</id><title>Favorite Quotes from today&apos;s news 1-29-09</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/favorite_quotes_from_todays_news_12909.htm"><![CDATA[Heroes are hard to come by, he said, especially when the lot you have to choose from is the human race.From this articlehttp://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/the-great-gay-hope/?th&amp;emc=th&nbsp; &ldquo;He looked around,&rdquo; said one of his g]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/favorite_quotes_from_todays_news_12909.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2009-01-30T03:15:00Z</updated><published>2009-01-30T03:15:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-12-08:links.412142540</id><title>The TACO of love.... or what love is not....</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/the_taco_of_love_or_what_love_is_not.htm"><![CDATA[So, I have discussed the subject of LOVE and what is may be (or maybe not).&nbsp; Another friend of mine told me that I sound bitter and cynical.&nbsp; Well, I am not 16&hellip;.. However, I can say what love is not.&nbsp; This weekend I watched a do]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/the_taco_of_love_or_what_love_is_not.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-12-08T01:49:00Z</updated><published>2008-12-08T01:49:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-11-24:links.412140563</id><title>More Love Please-- Movie Anyone?</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/more_love_please_movie_anyone.htm"><![CDATA[I don&#39;t know why talking about LOVE is so sensitive. I mean, I have had plenty of feedback but people are shy to comment publically.&nbsp; So far, here is the conclusion of the feedback I have gotten.Love is intangible, we can see and feel the re]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/more_love_please_movie_anyone.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-11-24T14:52:00Z</updated><published>2008-11-24T14:52:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-11-24:links.412140557</id><title>Church attendance today... Up or Down?</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_attendance_today_up_or_down.htm"><![CDATA[Todd Rhodes publised an article today with these statistics about today&#39;s church attendance in the context of history.Is the American Church Really in Decline? Orginally published on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 10:10 PMby Todd Rhoades&quot;The p]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_attendance_today_up_or_down.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-11-24T14:08:00Z</updated><published>2008-11-24T14:08:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-11-22:links.412140328</id><title>Speaking of Love- Article about Love in India in the Washington Post today</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/speaking_of_love_article_about_love_in_india_in_the_washing.htm"><![CDATA[Can Love Conquer Caste?Indian Government Supports Mixed Unions, But Couples Who Defy System Face ViolenceBy Emily WaxWashington Post Foreign ServiceSaturday, November 22, 2008; A01&nbsp;NEW DELHI -- She was a gutsy student leader known for hunger str]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/speaking_of_love_article_about_love_in_india_in_the_washing.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-11-22T12:42:00Z</updated><published>2008-11-22T12:42:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-11-21:links.412140239</id><title>Bludgeoned to death with a sermon about Love</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/bludgeoned_to_death_with_a_sermon_about_love.htm"><![CDATA[Have you ever felt bludgeoned to death with a sermon?&nbsp; I experienced that the other day.&nbsp; Someone took a sermon, utilizing the passages that talk about love in the New Testament and proceeded to order us to love. For twenty very long minute]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/bludgeoned_to_death_with_a_sermon_about_love.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-11-21T18:21:00Z</updated><published>2008-11-21T18:21:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-11-10:links.412138257</id><title>Church #3</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_3.htm"><![CDATA[Well, today was a lovely day. I drove up to Hill Country Christian Church, just north of San Antonio. I had been told that their church was nice but far away. Frankly, from my house it was only 20 minutes, so I didn&#39;t find that far at all.&nbsp;]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_3.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-11-10T02:19:00Z</updated><published>2008-11-10T02:19:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-11-04:links.412137112</id><title>Church #2</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_2.htm"><![CDATA[First impression.... a full parking lot, usually a good sign.&nbsp; This time I visited a church with my boss.&nbsp; She is a member of the church. In the foyer, her picture was still hanging on the new member board although she joined 18 months ago]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_2.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-11-04T02:07:00Z</updated><published>2008-11-04T02:07:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-10-26:links.412135606</id><title>Church #1</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_1.htm"><![CDATA[Last week I visited a church here in San Antonio.&nbsp; I chose the church from a directory because it has a contemporary service.&nbsp; Now, contemporary services are a special torn in the flesh because they are usually NOT contemporary, but rather]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_1.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-10-26T12:18:00Z</updated><published>2008-10-26T12:18:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-10-15:links.412133662</id><title>Secret Church Shopper</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/secret_church_shopper.htm"><![CDATA[I read an article this morning the the Oklahoman about a man who is a secret shopper for churches . I have often thought it would be fun to visit churches and review them for a local newspaper.&nbsp; Ok, it might be fun if I am feeling masochistic.&n]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/secret_church_shopper.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-10-15T11:35:00Z</updated><published>2008-10-15T11:35:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-09-13:links.412128173</id><title>Ironies of the day..........</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/ironies_of_the_day.htm"><![CDATA[&nbsp;Irony #1On the bumper of an SUV in downtown Oklahoma City...a bumper sticker that says&nbsp; &quot;No Jesus, No Peace, Know Jesus, Know Peace&quot;&nbsp; on the same bumper was an Elect Bush sticker.&nbsp;Irony #2Driving through Norman, OK I sp]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/ironies_of_the_day.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-09-13T05:02:00Z</updated><published>2008-09-13T05:02:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-09-02:links.412126153</id><title>Pick a woman, any woman for Vice-President, How stupid do they think we are?</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/pick_a_woman_any_woman_for_vicepresident_how_stupid_do_th.htm"><![CDATA[How stupid does the McCain bunch think American Women are?]]></content><dc:subject>joan</dc:subject><dc:subject>chittister</dc:subject><dc:subject>osb</dc:subject><dc:subject>sarah</dc:subject><dc:subject>palin</dc:subject><dc:subject>republican</dc:subject><dc:subject>democrat</dc:subject><dc:subject>politics</dc:subject><dc:subject>convention</dc:subject><dc:subject>presidency</dc:subject><dc:subject>election</dc:subject><dc:subject>prolife</dc:subject><dc:subject>prochoice</dc:subject><dc:subject>big</dc:subject><dc:subject>oil</dc:subject><dc:subject>rush</dc:subject><dc:subject>limbaugh</dc:subject><dc:subject>feminist</dc:subject><dc:subject>women</dc:subject><dc:subject>nuclear</dc:subject><dc:subject>war</dc:subject><dc:subject>mccain</dc:subject><dc:subject>hurrican</dc:subject><dc:subject>gustav</dc:subject><dc:subject>meteorologist</dc:subject><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/pick_a_woman_any_woman_for_vicepresident_how_stupid_do_th.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-09-02T14:28:00Z</updated><published>2008-09-02T14:28:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-08-23:links.412124161</id><title>Why bother having sex if you don&apos;t remember?</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/why_bother_having_sex_if_you_dont_remember.htm"><![CDATA[According to this article on Web MD&nbsp; Brief Amnesia After Taking Levitra?Erectile Dysfunction Drug Levitra to Get Label Change Noting Rare Reports of Transient Global AmnesiaBy Miranda HittiWebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDMay 29, 200]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/why_bother_having_sex_if_you_dont_remember.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-08-23T01:46:00Z</updated><published>2008-08-23T01:46:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-08-23:links.412124159</id><title>No Parking! No wonder churches don&apos;t grow!</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/no_parking_no_wonder_churches_dont_grow.htm"><![CDATA[I always think that a church looks unwelcoming with a gate across it&#39;s driveway.&nbsp; Most churches do now it seems.&nbsp; Or at the very least, a heavy chain blocking the entrance.&nbsp; Now, I am not without sympathy because parking lots are e]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/no_parking_no_wonder_churches_dont_grow.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-08-23T01:38:00Z</updated><published>2008-08-23T01:38:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-08-21:links.412123784</id><title>Overheard on a bus</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/overheard_on_a_bus.htm"><![CDATA[I ride a bus between where I park and the hospital where I work.&nbsp; I sat at the back of the bus on this day but another one of our Chaplains sat in the front of the bus where a woman was complaining because her church (UMC) got a new pastor and i]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/overheard_on_a_bus.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-08-21T13:35:00Z</updated><published>2008-08-21T13:35:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-07-06:links.412114272</id><title>Church Mission Trips--</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_mission_trips.htm"><![CDATA[&nbsp;Below is an article that appeared today in the Washington Post about church about Church mission trips and why churches are re-examining what and why they do things.&nbsp; It seems to me that the article left out the &quot;real&quot; reason par]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/church_mission_trips.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-07-06T01:06:00Z</updated><published>2008-07-06T01:06:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-07-02:links.412113600</id><title>Planting &amp; Growing Churches from the Inside-Out</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/planting__growing_churches_from_the_insideout.htm"><![CDATA[My friend Tim told me about the article Planting and Growing Churches from the Inside-Out developed at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Darnestown, MD&nbsp;by The Rev. Ken Howard.&nbsp; I found his charts to be the most interesting of all.The article]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/planting__growing_churches_from_the_insideout.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-07-02T02:06:00Z</updated><published>2008-07-02T02:06:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-06-29:links.412113072</id><title>&quot; I was hungry....&quot;</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/_i_was_hungry.htm"><![CDATA[Yesterday&nbsp; I was talking with an old friend (Hi Bobby) and we were talking about how the church often gets it wrong with social justice and ends up being just as oppressive as the oppressors.&nbsp; And (I think) we become judges of what other&#3]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/_i_was_hungry.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-06-29T12:53:00Z</updated><published>2008-06-29T12:53:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-05-17:links.412103671</id><title>Just a little Church Humor</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/just_a_little_church_humor.htm"><![CDATA[&nbsp;&nbsp;]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/just_a_little_church_humor.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-05-17T21:57:00Z</updated><published>2008-05-17T21:57:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-05-17:links.412103659</id><title>What really makes us human?</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/what_really_makes_us_human.htm"><![CDATA[I work as a Chaplain in an inpatient psychatric unit.&nbsp; Now, where I work is NOTHING like the ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO&#39;S NEST. We have a nice facility, almost always full&nbsp;and the staff really does care.&nbsp; Lately I have been working w]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/what_really_makes_us_human.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-05-17T13:13:00Z</updated><published>2008-05-17T13:13:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-05-17:links.412103656</id><title>Freedom or Crazy?  Giving it all away</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/freedom_or_crazy__giving_it_all_away.htm"><![CDATA[I belong to a email group of conservative quakers.&nbsp; Many of whom still have email but essentially live off the the grid, dress old fashion and try to be simple.&nbsp; Today there was a newspaper article that featured this family http://www.cagef]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/freedom_or_crazy__giving_it_all_away.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-05-17T12:50:00Z</updated><published>2008-05-17T12:50:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-05-07:links.412101495</id><title>OK, OK  I do have a beef</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/ok_ok__i_do_have_a_beef.htm"><![CDATA[So, we have an election with a Republican&nbsp;whose voice&nbsp;sounds like a munchkin, who is so old he might not live to be elected.Then we have the democratics pitting a woman against a black man. Both would be firsts for the presidency. At first]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/ok_ok__i_do_have_a_beef.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-05-07T03:50:00Z</updated><published>2008-05-07T03:50:00Z</published></entry><entry><id>tag:shadesofgray.blog-city.com,2008-05-07:links.412101493</id><title>Great Books............My latest reading list....</title><content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/great_booksmy_latest_reading_list.htm"><![CDATA[We had our annual Clergy Conference last week with Carrie Doehring as our speaker.&nbsp; She is a lovely and gracious person and very smart too.&nbsp; I had the privilege to have dinner with her the night before.&nbsp;&nbsp; I have read her books, 1.]]></content><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://shadesofgray.blog-city.com/great_booksmy_latest_reading_list.htm"/><dc:creator>Pat Spelling</dc:creator><author><name>Pat Spelling</name></author><updated>2008-05-07T03:34:00Z</updated><published>2008-05-07T03:34:00Z</published></entry></feed>