Springing into Summer?

Okay, is it summer or spring? :) The last few days have been outright HOT. I mowed the yard yesterday, planted some grass, and am thinking of planting flowers. Wait a minute though...it's only MARCH 30!!! Do you have the urge to plant something? I think the five of us are going fishing after supper tonight. Supper, by the way, is hamburgers on the GRILL! :) Maybe there's no spring for us this year? I may be eating major crow next week if the temps dip into the 50's. Oh well, enjoy it for now. :)

My agenda for the night includes the movie "Happy Feet." Go see that movie..actually, go rent it. It's out on DVD and I can't wait to see it again tonight. Mumble is sooo cute. He steals my heart. All of us have seen it but Jim. He's in for a treat.

I'm going to a bridal shower for my niece tomorrow. A June wedding is in the works for Elizabeth and my sweet Tori is the flower girl. Exciting time no doubt.

Okay, enjoy your friday evening and weekend! Go to church on sunday and celebrate Jesus making his entry into Jerusalem!

Marcy

Palm Sunday Question

Okay. I'm doing some research for this sunday's class lesson and need your help. First, I'd like to know the church denomination you grew up in, and secondly, how your church celebrated what we've come to know as "Palm Sunday." Hurry with responses...tomorrow's friday. :)

Marcy

New Perspectives....again

The apostle Paul wrote, "Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

These words Paul wrote to Titus rang loud and clear to me this morning. I attended my first WMU (Womens' Missionary Union) meeting and am so glad I did. I spent 2 hours listening to a wonderful speaker from Southern Seminary, sat in on the "meeting/business" aspect, and enjoyed a nice lunch. Any ideas I had held previously about WMU were shattered. These women are actively involved in missions. They are quick to respond either by giving their money or bending their knee.

I had a the opportunity to sit by a wonderful, Godly, 83 yr.0ld woman. (She told me her age...I didn't ask it.) :) Mrs. Judd shared with me how she began a WMU at a former church years ago. She was very involved in leadership and devoted to the missions emphasis then, and still is, but age and limitations have hindered her from being more involved now. As we sat in the beautiful atrium area of our church, overlooking the water with the sunshine beaming off of it, she had tears in her eyes as she told me this would be her last WMU event. She said she just couldn't go places on her own anymore...even when others drive her to and from things. I didn't quite know what to say. I listened and my heart was full of mixed emotions. Stupidly I said, "I can imagine what that would be like." Mrs. Judd shot me a quick look sideways and said, "No, you can't."

She's right...I can't imagine. I looked at her through a different set of lenses at that moment. I saw a young woman busy with being a wife, raising kids, and serving at her church. Changing the lenses back to the present time represented the passing of the last 50 years to her. In what seemed like the blinking of an eye, seasons passed, children grew, and age played itself out. The beauty of it and the positive side is that women like Mrs. Judd pass on the baton....the baton of faith...of wisdom...of hope.

Thank you, Mrs. Judd. May I and others carry the baton proudly.

Marcy

Signs of Life

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful. Today is supposed to be as well. Spring has sprung and old man winter has packed his bags and left town. :)

Yesterday I was cleaning out some old, dead leaves from the landscaping. As I did so I began thinking of grand plans for beautiful plants/flowers to adorn my yard and house this summer. (I've never been much into flowers and plants, but I'm thinking of testing my gardening skills soon.) I had a chance to check on a butterfly bush I planted last fall that sits on the side of the house. It looks rather bleak. To be honest, it looks dead. However, as I began moving branches around and pulling out dead, brown leaves, I saw 2 tiny sprouts of green shooting out from one of the twigs. Green is good this time of year. It tells me the butterfly bush isn't dead and that I will enjoy it's blooms. It also reminds me that the harshness of winter didn't overcome it. The brutal temperatures weren't too much for it. The tiny, green buds signifiy that something is going on...even if at first glance nothing appears to be happening. What reassurance that is. I think believers in Christ have a name for that....Hope.

What hope we have as we approach this coming Easter season. Yes, hats and dresses are on the list of "to buy", but what is the excitement really for? As believers, we know there's something more to this life. Past the bunnies, candy, eggs, and yes, even new clothes, lies the heart of the excitement. Newness. Renewal. Change. Those 3 things don't stand a chance of happening without the hope of The Source. We have a God who gave us His Son so that He can make all things new. Now, that is something to be excited about.

Have a blessed weekend!

Marcy

When the Laundry's down, everybody's down. :)

My dryer is broken. What's worse is that my dryer is broken and no one is authorized to fix it. With 5 people in the house, I don't have to tell you that a dryer is an essential staple around here. :)

I'm thankful for modern day appliances. I'm not with those who say that want the "good 'ole days back." Those days didn't include washers, dryers, air conditioning, etc.

Anyway, not having a way to dry my 20 loads of (waiting) laundry has thrown a kink in the household. Really, it's thrown a kink in me. :) Thanks to Rosie....I'll be able to dry lots of clothes today at her house. Her dog may flip out, but my clothes will be dry. :)

So much for prediction on American Idol. I think the conspiracy to get Simon off may be working. Why did Stephanie go home? She can sing better than Sanjaya (sp?).

Have a great day! And, don't take your dryer for granted. :)

Marcy

Just For Fun Post

Okay, how many "American Idol" viewers out there? Who gets the boot this week? And why?

Marcy

No more training wheels

This afternoon, Tori, my 5-yr.old, asked me to take her training wheels off. I decided to pacify her and take them off, and then I expected her to ask me to put them back on after a fall or two. A skinned knee perhaps? Hmmmm. Didn't happen quite like I thought it would. She didn't ask me to put them back on...because she took off on two wheels and doesn't even have a skinned knee to show for it. She did great. :)

This was one of those "lasts" that I went through. A good friend bought me a book for Christmas that was about all the "lasts" we experience as parents. This was one of those. Tori's my third child..the last child. No more training wheels again. This afternoon, I watched her reach a new level of independence and it made me smile. For a brief second, I was sentimental. Then, I was excited for her. She's doing a new thing. She feels like a big girl. My solace is the fact that she's still a little girl...a little girl doing big things. I got to tell her the story about when my dad took my training wheels off in the mid 1970's. I thought I was the cat's meow. Today is her day. Tori is now the cat's meow. :)

Here's to the days we do something new. The days when we reach a new level of achievement.

Have a great week. To God...YOU ARE THE CAT'S MEOW EVERYDAY. :)

Marcy

Ahhh...a future chiropractor in the house!

Okay, as I write this, my sweet 10-yr. old son is massaging my neck. Ahhhh. He says he may go to chiropractic college one day. I say that's fine on two conditions....first, he has to take care of momma...and second, he has to move back to E-town and practice. (Granny will have to see those grandbaby's!) :)

This week has been soooo long. My neck feels like the last 5 days are living inside it. For some reason, my neck and shoulders hold stress. Is that even possible? :) Anyway, if you ever see my son around church get him to rub your neck. He's good. :)

Gotta run. The five of us are getting ready to watch a movie. According to Rosie, the days of watching a movie together as a family will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Have a great weekend...see you sunday!

Marcy

God's in the Small Things

My son, Jay, is in the 5th grade. Tonight, the middle school he will attend next year held a "band camp" of sorts to see what instruments work for the kids who have an interest. Anyway, I went into this thinking Jay would go the percussion route since he's been taking drum lessons for the past couple of years. Silly me for thinking that because lo' and behold when Jay placed his lips on the Baritone the search for the right instrument was over. (Reminds me of a song from the 80's about the search being over....Asia perhaps? Or Night Ranger?) Nonetheless, a Baritone it is. His daddy played the trombone all through middle school and high school. I played the alto sax and couldn't play a warm-up scale now if you dared me to. It was a good experience to be in the band and learn an instrument though, and now I can read music when I sing (or make a joyful noise) in the praise choir. :)

Anyway, back to the story. We found out quickly that renting a baritone is super expensive....more so than a trumpet or even a sax. Jim was reluctant because of the obvious. What if we pay all this money and Jay doesn't like it? Well, we talked and then "Mr. Conrad" (of Conrad of Corydon) came over and said that T.K. Stone has a "school baritone" Jay can use. We talked to the band director and he said that would be great. It's much cheaper and if Jay takes to this lovely sounding instrument, then we'll get him one of his own down the road. Before we even left the building, I reminded Jay that this was a blessing from God. We so wanted Jay to get to do something different, etc., but the price was really, really high. Jay just happened to be in the right place at the right time...and get the instrument he soooo wanted. God is in the small things. He cares about Jay and his involvement in the band, just as He cares about you and me in whatever we are involved in. Small things. Big things. God's in all things and is working them out for our good. (Rom. 8:28)

Have a great wed.!

Marcy

Monday Monday

Okay, okay. So I'm on the song theme. :) The Mamas and the Papas had that awesome song and I've found myself humming it today amidst the laundry that has taken on a life of it's own. Earlier, I could have written this blog entry in the dust that had accumulated on my furniture over the weekend. That's okay though. I've a house to collect dust. :)

Is it just me or is everyone rip roaring for spring? I'm already scoping out a place for a potential flower bed in my yard. Hmmmm. C'mon spring and 80 degree weather. I'm even looking forward to jumping on the mower. :) Tori and I ran over to Dollar General earlier and every bunny knick-knack known to man adorns the shelves. As soon as the pastels clear the stores we'll have all the picnic and patriotic things out. Before we know it, the pumpkins will be out again. And so it goes. :)

Last night was a great kick-off for G.R.O.W. at church. Bro. Billy had someone pray to receive Christ! What a praise! Rosie, Barb, and I visited 4 ladies, and found 3 of them available for a chat. Definite good visits. Not too late to come out on sunday evenings and help us visit those who visit worship and sunday school.

Okay, back to the spring/summer season approaching. Bathing suits. That's all I have to say and I bet you're mouth gets all twisted up and you think of all the imperfections under today's wardrobe. We're going to Disney in June and a big wedding in St. Louis days before that....which reminds me that I have lots of shopping to do in the coming weeks. Back to bathing suits. I look like a ghost on the beach or by the pool. We have a friend who's a dermatologist and he says that sun and cigarettes are the biggest age enhancers for women. So...it's not cool to have a tan anymore. Too bad for all the tanning bed places, huh?

Hope your monday is great, productive, and enjoyable. "Monday Monday...so good to me...."

Marcy

Gut Feelings...go with them

Do you think women have a 6th sense? I say that tongue-in-cheek, because I think having a relationship with Jesus Christ IS our 6th sense. I just had one of those times when you get that "feeling" something just isn't right. I've learned to not second guess the vibe that says "if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, chances are it's a duck."

I won't go into the situation now, but I feel certain you know what I mean. You know me....I'll have a story to tell sometime in class. :)

Just a reminder that Kim D. is having knee surgery tomorrow at 10:30 in L'ville. I'll let everyone know when she's out of surgery, etc. Keep her, Billy, and the kids in your prayers.

Marcy

An old song and the sun on my face

How many of you have ever heard the song "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. Let me rephrase that. How many of you were even born when that song was getting airplay? :) My parents had the "45" of it back in the 70's and I loved it. What's funny is that the song itself has a rather sad theme to it, and as a child I did pick up on that, but it's on days like today that I think of it.

The song reminds me that seasons pass. Time passes it. It's one thing we just can't grasp and hold onto...it slips through our hands no matter how hard we try to hold it. My point you ask? :) Winter....at least I think...is over. That's not real sad for me, but it reminds me of time and how fast it goes. I was thinking today that in 7 to 8 months I will be putting my Christmas Tree up again. Hmmm. On second thought, I am ready for spring. :)

This afternoon was beautiful. My kids and I enjoyed being outside, riding scooters, bikes, and playing hopscotch. Too fun. These are seasons I will cherish forever....they're "seasons in the sun." :)

Wed. a.m. bible study started this morning and we had close to 30 women! We're doing the study by Stormie Omartian called "The Power of a Praying Woman." It's going to be soooo good. If you, or someone you know, would like to come, it's not too late. Sign up for childcare with Marlinda in the church office. I am equally excited about women's ministry at our church and what is to come. I feel God is going to bless the efforts women make to get to know Him better through His Word. The possibilities are endless. For those of you who work outside the home, their will be opportunities in the coming weeks/months for bible study in the evenings, etc.

Have a great night and day tomorrow!!! Got to go and watch American Idol with my kiddos. More of those "seasons". :)

Marcy

p.s. I want to hear from anyone who's heard that song. :)

March....in like a Lion....

Are you ready for spring or what? One day it's snowing (sunday), and the past few days have been slightly cool, but beautiful. I'm ready for spring to roar in a big way. :)

Question for the day. What good book(s) are you reading right now?

Marcy

First Service at 1100 Ring Road!!!

Hey ladies! Wow, was today awesome or what? I can't tell you what it looked like from the choir loft to look out and see the guys going for more chairs. Unbelievable and incredible.

Sunday school went well....at least I hope it did. :) I don't know if we'll see the visitors again after the handcuff stunt. :)

I'm new at this blogging stuff as you can tell. I'll try and post something daily. Feel free to say whatever. We're just going to be the "real deal." :)

You ladies bless me so much!!

Marcy

Welcome to the Blog!

I'm excited that this blog can be a way for us to communicate during the week about what's going on in our lives. Post something and let's get started!!! :)