Grace: 11 of 365

1. new bible study class
2. praise for a job well done
3. I didn't faint in front of the church!
4. new hair styles (see picture!)
5. flat irons that make the new hair style possible

Yesterday I was Worship Leader at church....

Here are the parts that I got to do:
==========================

Call to Worship:

Leader: In this season, we bear in mind the trials and suffering of Jesus Christ.

People: Lent is a time of reflection; it is a time of tears.

Leader: But out of tears, hope is born anew, and life can be restored.

All: We worship the Lord, giver of life, who comes to us day by day and restores our souls.

Opening Prayer:

Spirit God, May your light guide us in new directions. May your spirit breathe new life into us. May we have strength and energy to understand Your plan for us. We seek to be reborn, restored, and renewed by You, so that we can be used by You to transform the world through your son, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Scripture:

Today’s scripture can be found in the pew bibles page 492, and large print page 502

Psalm 25: 1-25

I am reading from the New International Version.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.


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Stewardship Thought:

In Ephesians 4:11-12 it says: Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong.

So, has Christ chosen YOU yet? Are you doing what you can to serve God? Here in this building? Here in this community? Here in this world? Do you even know what your gifts are?

Among us I know of singers, musicians, child care providers, greeters, diaconate, elders, storytellers, preachers, teachers and sound board operators. Many of you serve God through nursing, mentoring, knitting and crocheting and sewing layettes, building homes for Habitat, working at museums and libraries, coaching little league or soccer… Any time you help at the food bank, or write a check for Week of Compassion, Heifer International, or the Red Cross … Any time you give blood, send a card to a friend who is feeling low, give a hug or offer your hand; when you listen in love and kindness, even when you hold a door for someone else …. YOU ARE SERVING GOD.

This church is truly blessed with abundance. Many of us share our gifts in more than one way. Wouldn’t life be boring if we held fast to our gifts and didn’t share them with others?

The diaconate will now Serve God and take your offerings.


Offertory Prayer:

God of abundance, you have blessed us not only with the opportunity to give, but with the gifts that we are to bring. Might our gifts we bring this day represent the fullness of our belief in You as our Creator, our Provider, and our Sustainer. Find us faithful in our sharing.

In the name of Jesus, we bring our gifts and seek your blessing. Amen.

Church Frustrations

I just have to write a note about my former church. I moved away just as trouble was brewing. There was a fall out over a few different issues regarding our denomination and our region and it has torn the church apart.

They had a meeting last week and have decided to split from our denomination and continue on; but as what???

My dad is board chair and this has torn him to pieces. He went to this church with his grandmother as a boy. It is HIS church. He does not want to have to go to another church, but with the church splitting apart he does not know what to do. I have tried to talk him into coming to the church that I go to, but it would be over 30 minutes drive to and from, and it would not be HIS church. He loves his church, but he does not love what it has become. It is toxic.

At the meeting he advised those members who were there that he would be board chair until the end of January. He reminded them that they need to fill positions in the church: elders, diaconate, board chair, vice chair, etc. No one offered to step up and fill those positions.

The church now needs a new constitution, bylaws, mission statement. It has NOTHING, except a bunch of unhappy members, on both sides of the fence. The thing that gets me is that no one wants to DO ANYTHING. It has been like pulling teeth over there for years. The same 5 people do EVERYTHING. No one else will do mission work, outreach, teach, preach, bulletins, go to regional functions. But, they certainly want things to be their way or the highway.

I feel sorry for those people who were active in years past. Those who support the denomination and region in their views. Those who have benefited by the church at large. Those children who went to camp. The women and men who went to retreat and annual meetings. But again it was only a handful of people who did anything OTHER than attend church on Sunday morning. It was difficult to even get them to stay after church for SCHEDULED meetings.

My dad told me that people who were very vocal about the way the church should be were not even there for the day of the vote. There were about 35 people who voted, but some of the main players, both FOR and AGAINST the split WERE NOT THERE.

That makes me mad. If you are in there stirring up shit, then why were you not there to at least VOTE??? WHY??? I just don't understand that logic. It makes me mad to see what it has done to my dad. It makes me mad to see what it has done to my best friend and my former pastor. It makes me mad to think what it has done to the saint's of the church, most who are over 65, and what will they do now? It makes me mad that the "church" (those members who voted FOR the split) basically has told me that they don't want me there. Not in so many words, but in actions. This church has been in our denomination for well over 50 years. No one seems to know if it was affiliated with a denomination before the 1950's. Now it is not. So, where does that leave those members who voted to stay in the denomination?? Where do they go?? This is still THEIR church.

It makes me SAD to think of all the children we have put through summer camp, especially in the past few years, who were looked down upon by the haters of the church. Those children have no one and no where to turn, and their only example of "church" were people who "hate us" (their words)... Granted they did get great examples from our region and they got a good summer camp experience, but their "home church" did not support them.

Where is the Christianity in that??? Where is the love, compassion, attitude of gratitude?? It is not and has not been in that church for the past couple years and that makes me sad.

I can only offer encouragement and prayers that the church members will be able to pull through, that things will work out...

In His Loving Arms...

Not a Baby Anymore

Well, Charlie is not a baby anymore... At least age-wise.

He is 18 now. Yesterday was his birthday. I think this was harder for me to handle than when I turned 40. He is not ready to be an "adult" even though he thinks he is.

For the weekend he went on a Men's Spiritual Challenge with a group of men from church. There were about 13 men (two in their teens) and they had a really good time. Charlie came back really excited about his time away.

They went white water rafting, and rock climbing. They camped out overnight and he helped with breakfast. He was exhausted and sunburned.

I worried the whole time he was gone. I kept imagining him falling: into the river, off the rock wall, on a hiking trail. I worried for no reason, other than that I could. He was fine and thrived.

He was protected and...

In His Loving Arms

Rummage Sale

I helped out at my church's rummage sale this past Saturday. We, Charlie and I, were encouraged to be there, as the proceeds will help with summer camp scholarship and this is Charlie's last summer. We got up and left the house around 7am to get the 714am bus downtown. Then we took light rail to 39th street, then walked the few blocks to the church. We stopped at Starbucks on the between the bus and train to get fuel.

It was a beautiful day, too prety to be inside, but the doors were open to let in the day.

When we walked in there was a huge crowd of the early morning shoppers. Or so I thought. Most of the people, once I started glancing around, were actually church members there to help. They were all out of their Sunday clothes, hair pulled back, sneakers on, no make up! It was nice. There were some shoppers there too. I mostly spent the first hour or so wandering around looking to see what there was that I should NOT buy. There were some cool vinyl records (i have no player) that Charlie and I laughed about. There were some great VHS tapes, I don't have a VHS player any more. And there was a lot of electronics, speakers and raidos, that caught Charlie's attention.

Vickie was there and she is a great sales person. She walked among the people exclaiming over what they were looking at, asking if they needed a bag for their items. A couple ladies were guarding the door, making sure no one left without paying. Mostly the rest of us just walked amonst the shoppers and rearranged things on the tables. Charlie was my shadow.

Charlie was the only teen boy there and he got to help people out to their cars with larger items. He walked Virginia across the road with her purchases. She lives right across the street, uses a walker and moves about 2 yards a minute. Poor thing, but she is always at church and functions at church, and is a sweetheart. Charlie walked nice and slow with her and they talked all the way there. Charlie is really good with old people.

When I got bored, I took out my cross stitch and worked on it a little. I sat outside the door and greeted people with "Hi, Good Morning!" and as they left "Have a Great Day!" A couple of the other women who are about my age sat with me and we talked about crafts and other stuff. It was nice to talk with these ladies. I have not talked with them before, other than "HI". I came away feeling like I may be on the way to possible friendships, finally. I have been at this church over a year now. It was nice.

Around 2pm, we all helped clean up, boxing the left over items for charity and cleaning the room. We set up the fellowship hall for church the next day. A couple people swept the floors. The tween girls cleaned the kitchen. Pastor Ted counted the money. It was a very good day, money-wise. $1140 made for church camp scholarship!!

Afterwards, instead of walking to the train Charlie and I got a ride from Ted and Vicki. I asked them if they could take me to Ikea. They did. Charliel and I had dinner at Ikea, and he made me walk out without even looking at anything. Pat myself on the back for that because I can get caught up in the Ikea experience. We took the bus home.

It was a very long day, getting home finally a little after 6:30pm. Charlie and I both took showers and went to bed. He wanted me to wake him up around 8pm. I didn't. He slept thru his alarm going off and I figured he needed to sleep. I played my PSP for a while and fell asleep around 930pm.

It was a really great Saturday.

In His Loving Arms...

Sometimes life just sucks...

Suck #1 --
Yesterday I rode the bus to work because I attend Taize prayer services at St Francis Catholic Church (26th & K) and I didnt want to ride home then quickly get to the bus to get to the church on time... I was able to get a friend to drive me from work to 4th and J where I was meeting Charlie and taking the next bus to the church. We got home around 830 and I found that my bike had a flat tire and would not hold air... again... so, today I again rode the bus.

Suck #2 -- I was told last week that my car (broken and dead) in the parking lot of my work since October, needs to be moved within this week. I haven't contacted any one about it yet and when I went to the car found that it would not turn over, battery is DEAD.

Suck #3 -- While opening the car found a couple of wasp/hornet/yellow-jacket nests in 1. the frame of the drivers door, and 2. the engine area.

Suck #4 -- BEING DUMB and trying to remove the nests with a twig, a very very short and flimsy twig.

Suck #5 -- Being stung by one of the little buggers on my wrist, not once as I originally thought, but twice; looks a little like a vampire attacked my wrists.

Good #1 -- Not allergic to said bites !!! like my father and brother are... can I say an AMEN?!? Yes, I can.. AMEN!!!

Suck #6 -- Being passed over for a new work group at my job. I am on an attendance warning, and tho 5-6 people who were chosen are also on warning, I have more seniority than any of them, and I have not gotten a good excuse why I was not chosen. If they can explain it to me, I would accept it but they are hemming and hawwing and not answering the question... other than that they had their CRITERIA and I didnt fit it. So, I say let me know the criteria so that I can IMPROVE myself.. no answer to that yet either.

Good #2 -- Charlie turns 17 !!!! TOMORROW I am going to surprise him with a great birthday trip. We are going to be up and on a Bus by 6a.m, then Amtrak to Santa Clara and we are going to GREAT AMERICA!

PLEASE GOD PROVIDE ME WITH STRENGTH, PATIENCE AND CALM, I am really in need of these right now...

IN HIS LOVING ARMS ALWAYS, EVEN WHEN LIFE SUCKS!!!

Sitting on a Bus Bench....

Remeber the old Jethro Tull song Aqualung?...

Sitting on a park bench --
eyeing little girls with bad intent.
Snot running down his nose --
greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes.
Drying in the cold sun --
Watching as the frilly panties run.
Feeling like a dead duck --
spitting out pieces of his broken luck.

Well, I have that first line going thru my head when I am SITTING ON THE BUS BENCH...

Last week I went to the store down the road, I take the bus there and then home again loaded down with my purchases.

While sitting there last week, it was dark already, and I was playing my cell phone.. you know like video games on the phone? and this car slows down as it passes by. This is nothing strange in and of itself because there is the turn into the grocery center right there, but this one stopped before the turn off.

I didn't pay much attention, figured they needed directions or a job flyer that was in the boxes by the bench. Two women approached me saying "Hi, my name is Sister So-And-So, and this is Sister Whats-Her-Name. We are missionaries with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Have you heard about our church, we would like to share with you."

I barely looked up from my phone, shook the woman's hand, and politely told her "Thanks but I have a church, have a nice night." They smiled, sort of, a little, grumbled a little, got back in their car and drove on to find the next lost person to convert.

As the women got in their car to people approached the bench and asked "what did they want?" and I told them, "They were going to tell me about their church, but I told them I have one already. I don't need a church. I NEED A CAR."

I sort of sat there the next 10-15 minutes til the bus came, chuckling to myself every few moments thinking about what I must look like sitting there for these two women to take the time and "save" this poor, pathetic women sitting there. I was dressed my usual style, which some have said resembles a bag-lady at times, jeans and shirt, I think I was actually wearing a nice new sweater that night; tennis shoes complete my outfit. I never wear make up, and my hair is very "wash and dry" friendly.

I was wondering if they stopped at every occupied bus stop, even the ones with the OBVIOUS homeless people, ones with the carts full of their possesions, multiple layers of clothing, ratty hair with the beanie pulled low, muttering to themselves. Do they stop and talk with the kind of men who are represented in the Jethro Tull song?? Or do they just stop and talk with the ones who are not quite as scary?? The maybe not homeless people but "look at that poor thing sitting on the bench" type of people.

The kids when I said the women were talking church wondered if they cared so much, maybe they should have asked me if they could give me a ride home??? I chuckled at that too.

BTW - out of the past 15 days that I could have ridden my bike to work I have done so 11 days!! Whoo-pee!! That's 66 miles in 3 weeks

I forever remain,
In His Loving Arms

Holy Attitudes

I went to a new Bible study last night, at my new church. There were about 15 women there. We were not the only group meeting in the church last night, but were one of 4 groups total. One was another church group, one was a praise team practicing their music and the other was an Al Anon. Our group was being talkative and apparently loud. One woman from another group came and shut the door, explaining that we were noisy. She was not rude or having any bad attitude.

A couple of the women in my Bible group grumbled about "we were here first" meaning "it is OUR church and you are here by our grace" ... the other woman had already shut the door, so this was not said to her face. I still felt awkward about the grumbles. The situation was repeated to others who had missed out on it.

Our regional minister a few months ago addressed "Holy Attitudes/Manners" addressing this sort of attitude. I was one of the people who was "singled out", not by name but by deed and I recognized myself in it and so I have been trying to adjust myself accordingly. I felt very awkward indeed, but kept silent. There was also a lot of other bits of tension in the group. I don't know if I will be going there again. Maybe I will give it another try next month and see if things are different.

In His Loving Arms

40th Birthday

Sunday I turned 40... this has been a traumatic year for me and I was really NOT happy to be 40... never have I felt so traumatized by a year, and I have always felt people who worry about their age to be, well, truthfully... STUPID. or at least crazy!!~

So, it was with a great deal of trepidation that I approached the dreaded day. Thursday a couple of my co-workers decorated my desk (last year it was done after my birthday) and I was pleased. Friday, two other co-workers gave me gifts... things they had in their desks, re-gifting -- but that they though to give me something almost makes me cry, even while I am writing this tears are forming... one gift was three beautiful bracelets, and the other is a Kings lapel pin...

Friday night Ginger and I went to Girls Night Out at Table of Grace church in Elk Grove and had a great night of fellowship, and meeting new people

Saturday my son fixed my bike so that I can ride it to work if I feel like it, and he had to do it twice because the first time he pumped the tires up too much and one burst. He went to Walmart twice for me... then we went riding in the dark, after he replaced the tube for the 2nd time.

My dad surprised me at church by showing up. We had arranged to go to lunch after church, he said he had to read scripture at Fairview, and I was joing FCC Sacramento. He got to FCC before church to surprise me and spend the day together. We went to Red Lobster and had lunch and he took me to the store to stock up on things that I cant buy/carry from the corner store.

I had a really good Birthday... and the sky did not fall!

In His Loving Arms