Thursday, December 6, 2007

A Friendly Church Family

We went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving this year to see Nate's Grandparents. We had a Blast! It was a lot of fun to see all of his family and his Grandparents were more and more relaxed with the kids this year. That makes it so much easier. We ended up staying for church on Sunday morning and I always love visiting thier church.....the reason? They are SOO SOO friendly! You walk in the door and those that recognize you from past visits are upon you right away telling you how wonderful it is to see you. You get farther in and those that don't know you each stop to ask you who you are and make sure you know to come back that evening. HOW WONDERFUL! In my lifetime I've visited many many church congregations either through travel or through living so many different places and it seems to me that one sign of a healthy congregation always is whether they are friendly. In my short time on this earth and having been raised in the church, it's become apparent to me that you can't have a church grow in numbers unless that church is a healthy church. I've been to so many small congregations that pray daily about increasing thier numbers. This concerns me on so many different levels. Here's why:

I think if you walk into a congregation and they aren't friendly...you are seeing the true nature of that church. Friendliness leads to many other things as it shows that the members are comfortable enough with themselves and with their fellow brothers and sisters to invite someone back to worship with them. If a church isn't friendly this automatically suggests to me that there are problems within the congregation and if I'm visiting to find somewhere to worship this means that I move on and look again.

Here's an example. Dying congregations usually have some of these characteristics: members that don't show up more than half the time to services, when you can go an entire week (or even month) and only see your church family three times a week during services, or go an entire week without corresponding with each other in any way, when you have members that consider themselves either too tired, too old or too "above" tasks of teaching, leading prayers, leading singing......the list can go on and on. But, you want to know the main characteristic of a congregation that's dying? NO LOVE. They have lost their love for one another and in many cases have even lost their love/zeal for God.

Losing your love for your fellow brothers and sisters can cause any number of problems. They usually crop up by being annoyed about small things at first and they can grow until they fester into such a dislike that you can't come to church services without them dominating your mind. This ends up being disruptive to the spiritual family of the congregation. In my opinion you can't have a healthy congregation until the church family starts BEING a church family. Divides, arguments, past grudges, hurt feelings....have NO place in a spiritual family. Actually they really have no place in a blood/physical family, either, but that is not what we are talking about. There is no way a congregation can grow until it can start being a family with each other.

One of the main problems I have seen is that congregations who don't love each other don't share with each other. One of the things I heard Richard Foster talk about while he was here in Norwich for our congregation's Gospel Meeting was that you can't come to services and get together as a congregation and ask someone how they are, get a generic reply in return and be happy with that. If you want to be a sharing, caring family......then you have to learn to SHARE those things and you have to learn how to RECIEVE those things and then know what to do about it in return. When a church family doesn't share it can be hurtful in so many ways. Many church families share pysical hurts. I do believe that is important We should be praying for physical wellness so that we can go out and do God's work. BUT, what about spiritual wellness? Do brothers and sisters in an unhealty congregation ask or talk about that? Nope. There is something wrong with that.

When you don't share spiritual hurts with each other there is a loss of cohesivness and then there is a feeling of disconnectedness with your brothers and sisters. This is reflected in many ways but none so obvious, in my opinion, as when you have small intimate classe settings where no one is willing to speak up and share. When you have no sharing with eachother and hardly any participation in the fact that no one studies their lesson in advance to be ready for class those should be large red warning signs that something is wrong. When there is NO interest in a class where you have to dig deep into the word and get "real" with eachother and share problems and hurts that's a problem, as again in my opinion, isn't this supposed to be one of the church's main functions? To provide a spiritual family that you can share with and then one that can hold you accountable to change when you need to? Not getting involved in class stems mostly from the fact that the congregation doesn't want to be sharing those private, sometimes hurtful, things with other brothers and sisters that they have "issues" with. This is hurtful in many many ways. And, becuase the they are afraid of sharing with each other they appear distant, cold and uncaring even if they really aren't. Congregations lose members because of this. They can even DRIVE members away because of this. When you have this kind of problem in a congregation you honestly can't expect the members to start caring for other people coming in when they aren't even caring for their own members that are there already.

There are members who I've seen in those situations that still believe in putting your all into a congregation and giving it your best. But sometimes there comes a time when giving your best is not enough if there isn't anyone else giving their best too. Then you get discouraged, tired, apathetic. I think apathetic is a good word for a congregation that doesn't share. They have no FIRE for their church family or for God.

If a church family is to grow in numbers......they will first need to get their FIRE back for God and for caring for their own spiritual family.

Now, saying all of that, Nate and I know that we are not perfect and that we've caused problems and had our share of disagreements with others in the past. Sadly our life right now has not been too condusive to being the best spiritual examples to others that we can be (at least to our church family in Norwich) but we are trying to be the best spiritual examples to the others that we spend time with outside of church services. We all go through times of "drought" in our lives (as Richard talked about too...with empty buckets of fruit) but those droughts should not be for very long. You should be able to recognize the drought and immediately start working on those things that will feed and water the drought to make it disappear. This not only goes with your own spiritual life but also applies to the spiritual life of a church congregation.

Some of these problems can arise when you don't have a strong spiritual leadership example in a congregation. Small congregations, especially, struggle with this problem. When there just aren't enough men (or maybe even enough "qualified" men) to have deacons and elders then the lines of who is leading spiritually become fuzzy. Or, even when you have enough "qualified" men to have a deacon and elder leadership you can still have problems if they men aren't putting the needs of the spiritual family first in their decisions. In my short time here on this earth I've seen congregations fall apart, divide and have knock-down drag-out fights over such things as what color carpet to put in the fellowship hall, whether to even HAVE a fellowship hall attached to the auditorium, when communion should be served during the services and which missionary the church should be giving their money to. I find this disturbing. Where did that congregation go wrong? Don't they know better than to fight about such things? These are the kinds of things that the devil uses as tools to destroy congregations. JUST LIKE he uses hurt feelings, arguments, hurtful words, misunderstandings and such like to destroy a loving, caring congregation.

Are you walking around with hurt feelings or a grudge against someone in your church family? Ask yourself why. WHY was that past hurt, disagreement or misunderstanding so MUCH more important than the work God has planned for you and your church family? Because that's what inevitably happens. We end up putting new signs, carpet, order of services and other things before the love of our brothers and sisters and our love for God. Isn't that what Satan wants? Think about it.

Is your church a friendly church? Friendly towards visitors, but more importantly friendly with each other? Do they truely LOVE to spend time with each other and find excuses to be together rather than act like it's a hardship on themselvs to fellowship together? IF they don't, WHY? I truely believe that you can detect a healthy church by just walking in and seeing if they welcome you into their church home. If they don't, think long and hard about aligning yourself with an empty basket of fruit as they will take from your basket without giving anything in return and you will soon be left empty too.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

As my kids grow and are more able to express themselves with words, I'm finding it more and more impressive they way they are able to communicate with others. Of course, many things about the kids I find impressive and would love to be able to imitate....their never-ending energy, for one. But I think the one thing that I've noticed about them that really really gets to me is their abitlity to communicate. They don't get shy (except for karissa around some new people), they aren't afraid to say what they are thinking at that very moment, they aren't afraid of expressing their feelings about something....good or bad, and they are honest to the core....sometimes painfully honest....but so honest that you don't have to wonder about them.

When does that change?

I've been thinking about that a lot. Wondering when that changed for me.....and I think I can actually remember when I started changing from innocent child to the hard, sometimes bitter, sometimes uncaring, and most of the time painfully shy adult that I am today.

The answer? I believe that happens when we start to realize that we can no longer trust everyone in our lives. Trust. That's a big issue. You tell someone a "secret" for example. Either something that is bothering you, a problem, a hope, a dream, and if you tell that someone to keep it to themselves you trust them to do that. People, however, are people. We are by no means perfect and we tend to screw up from time to time. So, when we learn that first painful lesson of not being able to trust someone with something precious to us.....we lose a piece of that innocent open communication, that ability to be able to tell someone how you feel without having it thrown back at you in some way.

I wonder how different things would be in the world if we could express ourselves the exact way we were feeling? To be able to tell your spouse that you are needing something more, to be able to tell your best friend that she's hurt your feelings, or to tell your boss at work that you are feeling over-burdened or un-appreciated?

Now, some people, I've noticed, still are able to express themselves just they way they want. They say what they feel and they mean what they say and they have no problems with what others think about them. The problem I've seen is that because not all of us in this world have kept this trait....we find them abrasive, overbearing and just down right difficult people to be around. Still, I think there's something to be admired about them though. I would love to still be able to express myself the way I'm feeling. To be able to walk up to someone I see having a bad day, give them a hug and tell them it's going to be ok. I can't do that anymore. I'm too afraid of invading their personal space, finding out a problem about someone that I might not have wanted to know, looking like a freak if they reject my attempt at sympathy and, mainly, just too afraid of being an open book.

The kids, I believe, will be able to be open books as long as they feel they can trust the people in their lives. The first time someone betrays that trust they will lose some open-bookness. (is that a word?) And the more they are betrayed, the more they will retreat back into themselves and the person they would really truly like to be is hidden somewhere behind a protective wall. Because we want to keep that part of ourselves...that "real" part safe and sound. That's the real person inside and we want to keep them safe. We don't want them to get hurt, rejected, or laughed at. SO, we conform, become synical and bitter people who see the worst in others and that's what we expect so that's what we get.

The point of all this rambling? I truely truely wish that I hadn't lost my "innocent person" in grade school. I wish that even through all the hateful laughter, lies, betrayals and hurtful words that I could have still stayed the same innocent, trusting, caring, interesting person that I am somewhere inside. I want so badly to be able to express myself the way I would like, but have hidden that person away for so long that it might be impossible to do now.

I love watching the kids be who they truely are. It's fun to see their personalities and their quirks that will some day be hidden away. I will miss that about them when it happens to be that they hide themselves away. But, for now, I'm going to enjoy watching them be little people who love, hate, get scared, get angry, care, and be honest without the fear of what others think.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Another Questionnaire....but I liked this one.

Introduce yourself: Mommy, Apryl Christina, Mrs. Partridge

It’s Thursday at noon, where are you usually? getting the kids some lunch or hurridly making hubbies lunch so he can run out the door to work

Who was the last person to send you a text message? i don't have a cell phone....i know, i'm behind

What brand of shampoo is in your shower right now? sauve strawberry flavor

What are you listening to right now? Karissa singing a made-up song....bored because brother is not here....

Do you watch MTV anymore? Never did.

You need a new pair of jeans, what store do you go first? Target

How do you feel about your hair? well it's falling out faster than it's growing now....how would you feel?

What time do you wake up in the morning? 7:00am....sometimes earlier if the kids wake up before that

What movie is in your DVD player? there are several: lion king, deep space nine season 1, last of the dogmen and north avenue irregulars....guess which movie is the one i watched last? :)

Last two numbers in your phone number? 74

Who’s in your house? Right now, me, hubby and karissa....mitchell is still at school for another hour

What side of the bed do you sleep on? either side...we aren't picky and we switch

Do you like roller coasters? Hate them....i get so sick that i can't enjoy whatever else we are doing that day

What magazine(s) do you buy regularly or subscribe to? my grandma subscribes me to Country Home

What kind of car do you drive? 2004 Chrysler Pacifica

What do you think about gay marriage? What I think doesn’t matter, it’s what God thinks that matters.

What do your pants look like? lol....well...........just got out of the shower after walking on the treadmill and am in a robe!!!

Do you own an iPod? No, and again, i know i'm behind

What kind of cologne/perfume do you wear? i don't...just good old deodarant as i tend to sneeze when i wear perfume of any kind

What are your plans for Saturday? i think i have to take mitchell to his first birthday party and i want to take nate out for his birthday but don't know if he wants to go anywhere or if we can find a babysitter.

What is the dumbest thing you have ever done with your cellphone? don't have one remember?

Does mind over matter work for you? i have an active imagination...does that count?

Are you paranoid? absolutely

What was the last thing you were invited to? uhhhhhhh.....i think it was a jewelry party that i forgot

What item should never be shared? toilet paper, kleenex, socks, deodarant, details about your sex life

What do you usually order at Taco Bell? i haven't been there in ages....wouldn't know

Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? yes, sadly

When was the last time you were up all night? about a week ago

Where is your favorite place? where ever nate is

Do you ever think about the price of gasoline? i try not to which gets me in trouble with nate because i don't "shop around" for gas

Do you sleep with a fan on? i used to until i got married and he doesn't like the noise

What is the best thing about Winter? being able to snuggle without sweating

How often do you hold back from saying what you are thinking? not enough

How many states have you been to where all you saw was the airport? i can't think of any, i don't fly that much

Are you currently planning a trip? no thank goodness

How many plants are in your home? four

Are they fake? better question to ask would be if they are dead

Have you ever googled your name and found somebody? yes and i was sorely disappointed with my namesakes lifestyle and have never done it again

Whose number one in your top 8? what top 8?

What is your favorite possession? depends on what you consider a possession...probably my Bible (the one my parents gave me when I was baptized) or pictures of my family

What makes you feel like you are young again? playing with the kids, listening to NKOTB or watching cartoons (but they have to be real cartoons....like bugs bunny, roadrunner, smurfs, etc.)

Do you know how to play chess? i used to

What are you worrying about right now? whether i'm going to be done with this in time for me to get out of this robe to get mitchell off the bus

Are you picky? depends

You have one wish, what would it be? that my kids grow up to be faithful Christians

Where were you at 11:45p.m last night? watching a movie in bed

Ever talked to someone that was high? yes.....not a pretty sight

How tall is the person you like? depends on who we are talking about....the one i like the most is 6'3"

Last message you sent? was an e-mail to a friend about the kids

Last comment you left someone? to holly about her lovely christmas tree

Do you have a Facebook? Yes and i deleted my myspace because i liked it better

What color are your underwear? hmmmm.....robe, remember?

Last person you were in the car with besides your family? oh my....probably grace when she went with me to help get photos of the kids done

Do you own a polo? heavens, no

Are you currently frustrated with a girl? always...by the name of karissa

Are you excited for winter? not really

If it was free and it would work perfectly, would you get plastic surgery? nope....because i believe this is the way God made me and wanted me to be...i would be interfering with His plans for me if i changed myself like that

Have you ever slapped someone in the face? yes

Have you ever been called Prince or Princess? nope and don't care to be......i think that's one of the things wrong with this world is that everyone wants to think of themselves as "royalty"

What do you hear right now? didn't i already answer this question?

If you had to change your eye color, would you? nope...see above answer to plastic surgery

Last thing you wrote your name on? christmas cards

Where do you want to be right now? in bed

What do you want for Christmas? nate at home

Does it snow where you live? Yes, but not very much

Where did you get the pants you’re wearing right now? hmmmmmm...

When is the next time you will see your grandma? sadly i have no idea....

How is your hair right now? wet....shower, remember?

What is tomorrow? Friday, November 30, 2007

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Six Things

My friend Holly "tagged" me and now I am going to write six (hopefully interesting) things about myself. (Btw, Holly, SO sorry this took me so long. Your e-mail got sent to the junk mail folder and I only check it about every two weeks....there's usually nothing in there but trashy things and I just don't waste my time checking it all the time!)

1. I live by lists. This is to say that I make lots (LOTS) of lists. Lists about anything and everything. Things to do, things to buy, people to see, people to write cards to, people to call, stores to go to.......you get the idea. Everything in my life (well, most) can be put down in a list. For some reason, seeing my life in lists makes things easier for me to manage. That's not to say that the lists ever get all the way done......actually, hardly ever. BUT, somehow seeing what I need to do, written out, makes me be able to breathe easier. I think this comes from my school days as I had a really hard time (even then) keeping track of things that needed to be done. I have never had the best memory and if I didn't write things down (like homework) in a list of what needed to be done and when, I would get home at night and have panic attacks that I was forgetting something important and then wouldn't be able to get anything accomplished because I was so focused on what I was forgetting (or thought I was forgetting). The best thing that ever happened to me in school was the invention of the School Planner. I kept EVERYTHING in there. I always knew right where it was and when things were due and to whom. Sadly, I don't think I had a planner except for maybe my last couple of years of highschool (maybe even just my senior year......faulty memory). Anyway. I like lists. And if I'm going to remember something, I HAVE to write it down. And, even now, if I'm going to get things done at home...I have to make a chore list for myself to follow. Sadly, a busy life and sickness and trips always seem to mess me up and get me out of my groove....but if I can follow my list....then I do great.

2. I sing...........all the time. I go through my day singing. What I sing changes maybe dayly, hourly or minute by minute depending on my mood. I think songs keep me going and keep me in a stable frame of mind. Usually they are songs I've learned at church (see an earlier post for my favorite one). But I always have a song on my mind. Yes, sometimes I get stuck on one and can't get it out of my head. And, sadly, they are usually ones I don't really care for. I just make myself start singing something else and I can most of the time get it to go away. I have always loved to sing. I don't have the best voice (I was cheated in the voice "gene" as my sister and brother have beautiful voices), but I can sing reasonably well.....at least the kids don't mind.....YET! :)

3. I eat for comfort. It wasn't always like this. In fact, I remember in school.....all they way through college even, going all day without feeling hungry and really eating. I remember, in fact, getting into trouble with my parents alot when I was younger for not eating lunch at school. It wasn't really the fact that I wasn't eating that was so terrible...it was the fact that I was trying to hide it from Mom and Dad. There are days that I wish I could skip a meal now! It seems like, now, that food controls my life......or a good portion of it anyway. This is the first time in my life that I've ever had to worry about my weight. And it seems like everytime I get to a point where I could do something about it......a situation slaps me in the face and turns me down. In fact, to give you a little idea......Since I was pregnant with Mitchell it seems like I've been sick for the past 4 years. Here's a little run-down: Sick with Mitchell when pregnant, then after Mitchell was born two months later I got pregnant with Karissa and was sick with her (although not as badly). Since Karissa has been born (and she's only two at the moment) I've had mono twice (I just started my second round of it this month) and I've had two surgeries. There's been only about a three month period since Karissa was born that I was feeling relatively "normal". And, just so I can say that I CAN do it...during that period of time I lost 17lbs. Anyway....the point of all of this was...I've become a comfort eater....and I hate it.....and I hate being overweight.....but how do you lose weight when you aren't allowed to excersise? (for anyone that's not had mono...you aren't allowed to do any exercising until you are given a clean bill of health). So...........................I feel sad. I eat. I feel happy. I reward myself. And I get fatter.

4. I feel guilty. About everything. EVERYTHING. And I over-analyze my life and everything in it. I'm a people-pleaser (which goes along with feeling guilty) and if there is someone in my "world" that is unhappy......so am I. I work everyday to make sure that the people in my life are happy and happy with me. If I do or say something that I think was hurtful or inappropriate (or even just stupid) I stress over it.........and stress over it. Until it finally bothers me SO much that I go back to that person and apologize. The amusing thing? Ususally that person has no idea what I'm talking about, doesn't remember the situation or why I'm apologizing. BUT, I DO. And, even though it might not have affected them....it affected me because I wasn't being the loving, caring, sensitive, insightful person that I try on a daily basis to be. And I'm getting worse at it. I have a family curse that when women in my family get older....they get more and more outspoken. This isn't necessarily a bad thing.....except that what they are outspoken about can be hurtful if not said in the right way. I'm trying desperately to not be that way...but I find myself leaning that way more and more everyday!

5. The word "NO" is not in my vocabulary. Ask me to define the word "no" and unless you are talking about my children.....I coudn't give you an asnwer. I can say no to my children because I know it's good for them for me to say no. Like, NO! don't touch the stove, it's hot! I can do that. But when it comes to others asking me to do things.....I can't say no. It doesn't matter how disruptive it will be to me or my family, how big, how small, whatever the request I will ALWAYS say yes. This has gotten me into more trouble than I can count. But I just can't bear to say no to anyone. Even if it means putting a hardship on me or my family.....I will do whatever it takes to make whatever I said "yes" to, happen. I've gotten myself roped into SO many things that I should have said no to.....but, I just can't. I think it goes back to being the people pleaser. If I say no......they might think bad of me, or they might think I don't care for them or their needs......and so I say yes.

6. Finally, the last one. And if you are a brave soul and have read this far into the blog....WOW! Thanks! :) Anyway. For my last one.....I'm VERY VERY sentimental. Very. I come by this naturally. My mom is the same way. The bad thing is that I can make anything and everything have a sentimental meaning. This leads to being a pack rat because I can't throw anything away, remembering things that aren't even important and that no one else remembers, feeling attached to people when there's really no attachment there and getting my feelings hurt rather easily. I am very loyal. If you consider me as a friend, then I'll do anything for you. Even if someone considers me a friend and treats me badly, I'll do anything for them because there is that sentimental attachement there. This gets me into trouble on many levels. The most disturbing thing about being sentimental...............................I cry at everything. I could be the worlds best crying actress. You want me to cry? Just tell me something sad, tell me something sweet and I'll burst into tears. For no reason of course. I've almost stopped watching TV because I can't handle all the crying that I do. I see a commercial about the poor kids in Africa. I cry. I see a commercial about someone needing money for cancer treatment. I cry. I see a show that has a special moment in it. I cry. I can even cry at cartoons. Not joking. *Sigh*

Well, those are six things about me. Not, necessarily the best things or the biggest things, but six things nonetheless that maybe some of you didn't know.

Thanks for reading! And If you've gotten this far and haven't been tagged yet, Then consider yourself tagged! :) (I'm not officially tagging anyone because I can't bear to make someone feel pressured to do something they don't want to do).

Saturday, November 10, 2007

I hate passwords. Does anyone else?

For one....I hate them because it's something else that I have to stick into my brain under the file "Remember This" and that file is so jam-packed full things are starting to leak out and I'm forgetting the important things to remember. Like the password for this blog. I've had to re-set it twice now in the past two days because the password that I use for everything else is too short!

That takes me to my next complaint. Who gets to say whether a password is too short, too long, too dumb or too ______ (you fill in the blank)? I really want to know because I want to STRANGLE that person. Each thing, of course, that you have to set a password for is different. Just like the gas station pumps or the card readers at a store or even the gift registries at stores (which is another subject that I won't harp on here).....but WHY can't they all be the same? I'm tired of looking and feeling stupid because someone somewhere has to put their own spin on something that already worked in the first place. Everything has to be Individualized. I understand the importance of feeling different and being your own person. BUT passwords and card readers and gas pumps are NOT people....therefore their feelings WILL NOT get hurt if we keep everything the same and make a Universal way of doing things. That way my pea brain can focus on something more important than trying to remember which gas station I'm at and which way I have to press the buttons and in what order. (and whether or not I have to lift the handle, press a button or just sing to the gas pump and look pretty!)

You want another reason I hate passwords so much? (too bad I'm going to tell you anyway).....because it means that I can't TRUST fellow human beings to do the right thing, keep their nose out of my business and be just honest, kind, and not self-seeking. Because that's what it comes right down to doesn't it? We can't trust people. And I think that's the saddest thing........EVER. It has always boggled my mind what people find to do that they think is fun. Hacking (into everything and anything to either steal or gain the upper hand over someone else), making and sending viruses to destroy people's computers, stealing someone's identity because they've already screwed up thier own. I really can't imagine what must possess those people to do such things. Really I can't. Now, that's not to say that I've never done something wrong, never put myself first when I should have thought of others or even taken something for myself knowing full well someone else might need that. BUT, I haven't, as of yet, purposefully went out, mind set, to destroy someone else's life. And, so, that's where passwords come in.

Now, passwords are one thing. But when your password isn't even safe....what do you do then? Well, you do what our bank has done to us and they have made it so that you have to remember three different numbers and about 10 different answers to questions that are different everytime! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Now THAT really makes my brain hurt. And the result? You guessed it. I don't log into that site unless I absolutely have to. And when I do...I usually end up having to answer more questions than the smarter human being (my husband for one) because I can't remember the answers or I answer SO many of them wrong that I end up locking myself out and have to either e-mail or telephone the bank and describe to them in detail what an idiot I am that I can't remember my own password.

I hate passwords. Did I already say that?

Thursday, November 8, 2007

It has been too long since I last posted. Many many many things have happened since then. And, Sadly, too many to write about here. It's safe to say that my life has been busy and interesting. (when could it not be when raising two little ones ages 3 and 2, re-modeling a 100+ year old house, and keeping myself from going crazy because of it.)?

Many of my friends keep blogs and I've never been able to consistantly keep one...let alone a diary when I was growing up. I wanted to....very badly, but just never had the stick-to-it-ness that you need to make it work. I'd love to be able to journal and remember things that happened to me today when I'm 90 (if I make it that long) but maybe it's better to just remember the things that you want to remember and not all the dreary day-to-day routine (I just said my life was interesting, didn't I?).

Ah, well. I've been stressing for over a month about what to do for my Mom's 50th Birthday. It just seems like it's such a wonderful milestone and I'd like to recognize it somehow in a big way. I've thought of all kinds of things I could buy her...picture of the kids, hearts, butterflies, movies...all things she would enjoy, but does that really celebrate the 50 years that she's had here on earth with her family and friends? I WANTED to get everyone together and have them send cards to her and have a big card shower...BUT, my Mommy being who she is, is mostly a private person and didn't want the entire world knowing that she turns 50 this year (maybe when I'm 50 I'll understand. All I can see now is a great opportunity for a wonderful party wasted!) But we are going over to Dad and Mom's on Sunday to help her celebrate. I'm making a cake and probably something for lunch so she doesn't have to.....but that still doesn't seem like enough.

So I think what I'm going to do is buy some really great stationary and a pretty pen and sit down and write her a letter. I want to tell her everything that she's meant to me in my short 28 years (ACK! Am I really that old?) and how much I love her. Corny...but I think out of everything that I've thought of doing for her...she might like this the best. (Mommy is VERY sentimental. Is that where I get it?)

So, hopefully if I remember this coming Monday I'll sit down and write how her birthday goes. It should be a fun time celebrating the 50 years of my favorite Lady on earth!!!!!!!! :)

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Sing and Be Happy

Over the years, Sing and Be Happy has become my favorite song. You may sing it sometimes during your worship services at church...but do you really take the time to think about the words while you are singing? Here are the verses and the chorus....don't sing it in your mind....just read it. This song was written by Emory S. Peck, 1940.

If the skies above you are gray, You are feeling so blue,
If your cares and burdens seem great all the whole day through,
There's a silver lining that shines in the heavenly land,
Look by faith and see it my friend, Trust in His promises grand.

Often we are troubled and tried, Sick with sorrow and pain,
There are others living in sin blest with earthly gain,
Take new courage we cannot tell what the morrow may bring,
When the dark clouds vanish away then your heart truly can sing.

Oft we fail the see the rainbow up in heaven's fair sky,
When it seems the fortunes of earth frown and pass us by,
There are things we know that are worth more the silver and gold,
If we hope and trust Him each day, We shall have pleasure untold.

(Chorus)
Sing and you'll be happy today, Press along to the goal,
Trust in Him who leadeth the way, He is keeping your soul,
Let the world know where you belong, Look to Jesus and pray,
Lift your voice and praise Him in song, Sing and Be Happy Today!

My First Post

This is my first post...just to see how this works and what it will look like.