Come and Worship

It's not a new subject. We've been seeing this sort of thing for many years. Yes, I know musicians need to eat and need to get paid. Yes, we know lights and microphones and publicity cost quite a lot... All this is true.

However. That's such a transition, isn't it? However...receiving an e-mail today from a large church on the other side of Sunny, I felt my skin start crawling. We were invited to a night of worship with a great musical group. They're wonderful. I clicked on the button for more information.

I found a layout of the church's seating chart, color coded to show the price of tickets which ranged from $19.50 to $50.

Do you remember reading about Sister Knizek here at Grace Today? http://grace-gracetoday.blogspot.com/2008/06/loadin-up.html (I couldn't get the link button to work.) The post was titled Loadin' Up...

Time's Up

Today I heard a story that is just too good not to share with you. As you know, or may not until right now...we have a preschool at the church where I work. The children are just adorable. There's not a better way to brighten your day than watching them for a few minutes here and there.

One of our pastors told me about seeing a little guy (age 2) at the end of his recess one morning. The teacher ~ a tall young man ~ had been supervising the children as they 'drove' their cars. Now, obviously, the cars were self propelled by their little legs and feet. It was time for lunch and they needed to go inside. "OK, everybody park your cars now." All the kids put their cars in the parking lot on the side of the courtyard except for one little guy who drove it right to the teacher's feet. He got out and was scampering away. The teacher reminded him, "Hey, buddy, you need to park your car!"

"Aren't you the valet?" he asked in total sincerity.


Happy Tuesday!

So Fun...

It really was the most fun you could have on a trip ever...

We went out west last Thanksgiving and I was able to surprise my dear friend, CCR, live and in person. Her very good son recently posted this video of the big day on You Tube. So now we must be on our way to celebrity status. At least in our little worlds...

Enjoy the fun!

I Promise, I Won't

It seems about once a week I arrive at the merging spot going into the village and find myself behind a school bus at the light. This area takes a few minutes of our time for us to get on our various ways. Yesterday I noticed a warning on the back of the bus. It was in white paint posted on the bumper right below the emergency exit door:

Do Not Lift By Bumper

***

OK, I promise, I will not do this. Ever.

Nope, I Wasn't Kidding

Nope, Sister Sheri...in response to your comment on my last post...I wasn't joking! This will take you to the site and you can play Christmas music all day!



I think I'll start organizing Santa's workshop in the back room tonight.

Oh for Goodness' Sake!

At 6:15 this morning, I heard an amazing statement on the local radio station here in Sunny. I thought it was the host sharing that unique early-morning humor. But no ~ it's true.

Today, October 20th, they are going 24/7 Christmas. Can you imagine! Now, don't misunderstand, I adore Christmas music. I think it's wonderful that the halls, malls, and stalls are brimming with messages of Good Cheer and praise for the birth of our Savior and recalling other holiday memories such as the Grinch growing a heart, Grandma and that silly reindeer, Charlie Brown finding the perfect tree and such...

But on October 20th? Amazing.

A Prop I Tell You...

We've just finished a lovely week-end here with some new friends in Sunny. It was the annual Women's Retreat and we certainly did just that. The sunshine was beautiful, the food was quite tasty and only one friend got stung by a bee.

I was asked to help with a portrayal of great biblical truth at one event. We shared some wonderful views of Christianity as seen through children's eyes. Yes, you've probably read those in one e-mail or another. Kids' statements and confusions over what they hear in church make me chuckle, too ~ but then I usually find myself a bit sad as it shouldn't be so humorous to us. But that's the grown-up in me who wants kids to know just how much God loves them and not see the Bible or Church as such a mystery... I will, however, save that sermon for another day.

I'd brought my prop along and didn't realize I'd be sharing a room at first. Imagine what my roommate must have thought when she walked in and saw this on my bed:

When it was time to go "Night-Night" I did put it over on top of the suitcase...

My New Spot

I've found it.

This is it.

My new spot.

Every Tuesday (pending rain, of course) I plan on taking a little sandwich along with me to the office and walking to the surprisingly comfortable concrete bench here to have lunch. If I see a dolphin, I'll say hi.

Really, It's What They Said

We were at the game yesterday over at the big stadium near Sunny. It's always fun to be there in person and see what happens on the field before it starts. There were balloon people figuring out where to put their balloon sculptures. A group of men came in wearing blue shirts that I assumed must have been a choir ~ but no. They don't have choirs at football games I was told.

And then I heard it. No one else was really listening. After I heard it I laughed really loudly and then the announcer repeated it. Perhaps he heard me laughing and wanted to clarify things...

"Please choose a Designated Driver. Come to elevators 1, 2 or 4 or see us in area B. You'll receive a coupon for a free water."

Yes. We heard this announcement three times while waiting for the game to begin. I wonder if there was a rush on the coupons...

Please Take Three Minutes

My good friend from over at the university has done it again. He sends me such interesting e-mail ~ I don't know whether I'll be on the floor laughing, or crying, or just plain happy after reading them. But this one ~ well ~ it is right up there with the best of his referrals.

I don't intend to promote any particular political persuasion here at Grace Today. That is not my calling. If it is your calling ~ well, good for ya'. But some things just need to be seen and heard and this video is one of them.

I'm not Catholic. My heritage is Assemblies of God which is pretty different as far as church services go. But I claim some Irish blood, I love Maria Shriver and I think potatoes are just the most amazing thing we've received from Ireland. Now that last sentence doesn't have too much to do with this video, but perhaps I've grabbed your attention.

Thank you for taking the time to watch this. (See ~ a statement of faith.) Grins.

Lots of Love

This is my good friend. Nope. Not good friend. He's much more dear than that. He's family~for sure. It's our dear Derek. He lives too far away. But a couple of years ago, he and his lovely daughter, Jayne, came to visit us and we took in a few shows at the Marine Park near Sunny. Jayne was quite concerned about someone falling in the large water tank, but not Derek...He knew all along it was a 'plant.' He's just that sort of gentleman. He gets things.

Life's been a bit difficult for our dear Derek recently and I'm hoping that my amazing friends that stop in here at Grace Today will join me in praying for his speedy recovery and ask God to be with him and bless him as he heals from a recent surgery.

And the next time we make plans to go see the fishes and tour the seaside, we'll have cotton candy together right after a funnel cake with strawberries ~ because we'll just be that incredibly happy. I'll be sure to tell you all about it next Spring. Promise.

This is your hug from all of us, Derek!

How About This

Sometimes, especially on Mondays, you need a little heart-brightener. I received one today from my good friend Carol. Yes, I'm using her actual name and not making up a bloggy acronym like Friend-From-The-West-Moochie-Baby-Gal... It's Carol. And I have a few friends named Carol, so if you know me and have been to my house in Sunny, you'll just have to wonder which Carol it is that I'm mentioning here. (A little mystery is always more fun, eh.)

This is a photo of Carol's cat. Honestly ~ it is really her cat and not just some photo I found on the internet or somebody sent me in a collection of darling cat photos that you just love but really annoy you, because you don't have time to look at all 56 of them...

Do you see it? Is that not the most adorable heart ever on a cat?? awww....

Sunshine

Oh...it is so very beautiful here in Sunny today. To those of you in foreign spots with rain, clouds or thunder...I'm sorry. There's just something amazing about bright sunshine and the crispness of autumn. It makes you want to turn on college football to listen to the band for team's you've never even heard of or intend to watch them play again. And apples ~ you want to buy apples even if you're more of a chocolate pie person.

For me, this season takes me back to childhood days and the Oklahoma State Fair. The Oklahoma City State Fair always happened the last two weeks of September. The Tulsa State Fair was always just a week or so later. And yes ~ even when I was a little girl I would snicker to think about the situation of having two entirely separate State Fairs. Is it the State Fair or not?

1965 at the real State Fair

Old, So Old

Yes, the festivities are over. Now it's just going on with life with one more crinkle (those little baby wrinkles that one doesn't like to acknowledge). My friends took me to a delightful spot for lunch to celebrate the big day. We all had burgers ~ but there were signs all about stating the quality of the grass on which the burgers had well, come from...I really struggle with speaking of these issues. Just let me eat the burger and pretend it just came from the store wrapped nicely in the plastic.

Recently I was reading through information on the Passover. I will never be able to read about that time or the Passion of Christ without complete amazement about the Lamb. Now, of course, Christ was the sacrificial Lamb, but that isn't what I'm referring to precisely. The history of the lambs used for Passover were brought into the homes for at least one year prior to the sacrificial offering for each family. How could you have a little lamb in your home and not fall completely in love with it? How could you then take it out back...or whatever the procedure was...and, well, you know, do what God required?

Seriously, I don't mean to be morbid, but how could you do that? But they knew it was what God required. And we struggle with having to attend Church and Sunday School...

A Beautiful Day

Thank you, thank you! I have received so many really sweet birthday wishes this week. My goodness, that facebook site is certainly changing our lives! Boom, bam in three seconds we can do what it used to take a week to achieve between Hallmark and the Post Office....

JJ & Honey sent me a really fun gift and DJ and I have plans for later in the week with Gramma & Grandpa. Today the crew at church is going to lunch somewhere by the sea and tonight I get to have lots of fun with our 4th and 5th graders. All in all, this is shaping up to be a very nice celebration of one more candle on my cake...