A couple of Sunday's ago the children went to church withme. Noticehow tall they are now!. Enjoyed having them, and they enjoyed being there.

Tonight,

I watched as my youngest granddaughter won first in the bio-chemical (I think-) area of the district competition and won second overall. So she has two tickets to the state competition. Whoop! We are proud of Mally! These kids were divided into juniors and seniors and Mally is just barely in the juniors. Her project was priceless.....

February 19, 2010 - Friday Five: Happy Lent!

1. Did you celebrate Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday this year? Any memories of memorable celebrations past?

I attended a pancake supper at our church. This one is prepared and served by the vestry and clergy. One of my happiest memories is from St. John's in Tallahassee, where I was christened and confirmed. The youth group there did the cooking and serving, making quite a mess. But it was glorious fun to do this service and to be thanked and praised for doing so. We did have an outstanding youth group.

The following is lifted from Mary Beth's pancake supper story.
"Looking back, one of my earliest memories is of a pancake supper at the church we attended when I was a LITTLE girl - maybe 3 or 4? Old enough to be picked up and held. My mother was talking to someone and I brightly pointed out,"Mommy, there's the Paster's wife!" Pronounced as if the woman's husband used paste for a living. What I wonder now is, where in the WORLD did I ssee the word "Pastor" since we never, ever referred to our Rector as that? It sas "Rector, Reverend, or Father (this was before women's ordination!) Reading, I'm sure; I still have a great number of words in my head that I know from reading and context but am not sure how to pronoun e properly. But Pastor? At four? A church geek from the start, I guess."

Here is your answer, MB:
for a few years, you and Nancy attended Bible School at the local Lutheran church with Christina and Bert Johnson. The sign out front listed both the pastor and the pastor's wife. Reading sounds, as you do, you came up with paster. Once I heard you and saw the sign, I got it, explained it to you and you had it right - but it became a source of family amusement. Once, at about 8 years old, I found a book at my grandad's house, titled The Four Horsement of the Apocalypse. I read anything I could find, so I read it, but I pronounced apocalypse with the emphasis on the third syllable. I'd never heard any0ne say that word. You are so very much my daughter! If we don't know how to say something, we just make it up! )

2. How about Ash Wednesday, past and or present?
I have always attended Ash Wednesday service, and was even permitted to leave high school to go to the noonday service, but my understanding of this service has changed and deepened. This year's was very serious and mindful of our mission in the world and of our own growth as Christians. There was no music for the noon service and somehow that made it more stark and realistic.

3. Does your church practice this joyful season? Are there emphases or practices to share? and
4. Do you have a personal plan of give-ups, take-ons, special ministries, and/or a special focus for your own spiritual growth between now and Easter?
As children we always "gave up' something for Lent, and hadn't a clue why we were doing it. For now, I add a discipline to my life in order to deepen my walk. I have several this year, and part of this is leading the group which will meet weekly at our home to study the message in the sermon the previous Sunday. For Anglicans, Lent is not a joyful time, but a time for introspection and preparing for the greater joy of Easter.

5. What is your dream for the image of Christ coming to perfection in you, the church, the world? How can we support you in prayer?
I don't see Christ coming to perfection in my imperfect self - not in this world, but I keep trying. I daily work toward a deeper relationship with Christ and His Father. Evangelizing by leading and teaching Bible studies is part of this. I seem to learn best by teaching.
Please pray for the unity of the church of Christ in this world, as this seems so difficult for most of us. Pray for Janet and Sarah, that their several illnesses may be healed. Pray for us all as we all live in bodies which are older today than they were yesterday. Ask that we use our time in a way pleasing to our Father.

Bonus: Forgive us Father, for we have sinned in wanting (passive) you rather than by willing (active) and in needing you and not asking. You have told us "ask and it will be given" and instead of asking, we tend to sit and whine. Stir us up so that it will be impossible for us to sit and whine, but will impel us to proclaim your gospel to all who will even listen.

Today

Dad and I served at the altar for the noontime Ash Wednesday service. It was a stark, lovely service. i read from Joel. No music, just words, some of them bleak. But then, Lent is bleak. I think I prefer this one to the evening one in which music is sung, so I'm glad we did this.

Lenten disciplines now begin.....

On Sunday,

Iwas all ready to go to church when I fell on my face in the corner by the bed. Not so bad, but I whacked my cheekbone on the corner of the table. This hurt a lot, so I announced it loudly. Dad brought me ice, and I went to church with an ice bag and kept it on there the whole time. Today it is growing purple and swelling. Just charming. I know it could have been worse, but darn it, did it just have to happen? I seem to be one of the folks who have visual-spatial problems, and you'd thing it would get better but no...no...no...

Today the stitchers group met here. Our reular meeting place was not available. So I cleaned some more and now the front part of the l-d room is nice. I have until next Thursday (of next week) before I begin leading a discussion of the sermon from the Sunday before. Between now and then, the table and bar have to be emptied. It would be helpful if these things went somewhere 'right' but there is no where 'right' so they are in the back, piled up. Maybe I need a small backyard fire. ????? A large one? How large is legal?

Getting more ice for face. Agggh

I am happy

to finally be getting well. Only today I did three things, and it was two too many. I nearly wiped out.

This will be a busy week. We are beginning small group meetings and an afternoon one will be at our house. I am getting the shovel out tomorrow. MB was supposed to come for the weekend, but was snowed in. That is such a weird concept for me. We do live in the south, after all. And after all the misery the snow has caused wouldn't you think we might get an inch or so? But no.....We did get rain, however, and it's always welcome.

I need a pattern for socks which uses a lace replacement for the ribbing. Anyone have one?

Tired, going to bed. Love to all.

I put

my mother's dna back it its place and did not go to the store today. I stayed home and rested. It isn't as if we might starve - there is enough food here for an army - I just wanted to make soup. Tomorrow I will experiment with making soup with what I have. I may even look for a parsnip. This could get interesting.

No, no, no...

I am not better. I have been to doctor and have lots of meds. Now I will load up on these and go off to Walmart for groceries. I know, I know, I could send dad, who is better off that I am, but he won't do it right. No martyrs here, but I definitely know exactly what I want. How hard could it be, when I ride a cart, anyway? Then I will crawl in bed and listen to Harry Potter. I can quote along with the reader, you know. Very soothing, this - if I miss a few lines, I know what they are, anyway.

I sent my 7" DVD player to Scooter to see why I can't get a picture. He says I'm not likely to get one with a CD. I knew that - I really did!. Just thought I had a DVD in there. Now, if he will lay his hands on the DVD player connected to TV and make it work, I will be very happy. He's really a grand person. We are lucky to
have him in the family.

nuf....

Nahhhh.....

No church today. Dad is recovering and I am definitely not. Nancy (she hides her wings but she is an angel) brought soup. meds. etc. to us today. She even fixed them and put them in our hands. I know this will just take time,and I am ok with waiting till it passes. Itis nothing awful, just a cold, but it's been years since I had one like this one. A belated birthday happy to Scooter. I sent him a little someting by Nancy - a chuckle.

Blessings, and good night (it the dayime)

The miseries....

We both have them. You know the kind - colds, stopped up heads, coughs, need I say more? But we managed to get out today and see Saxon play basketball (and he did well!) and then lunch and home to nap till it was time to see Spencer play here in Angelo. He also did well. It was really good to see all the children and the parents too. And the people in Mertzon who were at the games. We all have a common cause - we want to see our children do well and do it honestly and fairly. We see some teams that do not have this as a cause, but we are proud of our children for learning the values we(community, teachers, parents, grands's etc.) have taught them. Life is good, even with the miseries.

Church tomorrow? We'll see then. For now, bed.