Church

Our response at the end of Friday and Saturday?  Best summed up in our Saturday supper prayer — Jill asked that we have enthusiasm and excitement in the Sunday coming.  That is based on faith!  In reality we have both stretched ourselves physically.  Let’s see how God does (of course, I expect he expects us to get a good sleep!).

Friday we headed to our church sponsored children’s camp to help with cooking.  We returned over 12 hours later.  I am not a cook, although I am a Baker.  So, simple instructions about simple kitchen tasks!  I was asked to boil some eggs — and the head cook thought I would know exactly what to do.  Well, I made my way through that one.  I found life a little easier when I was asked to haul the garbage out to the garbage pit!  Meanwhile, the head cook is whipping up a recipe from her head.  I find that hard to fathom — but I know my wife does it all the time.  So, in faith I watched the food evolve to where I could gladly partake!

Camp fare?  Morning breakfast had home-made cinnamon buns, cereals, fruit, milk, and other goodies.  Lunch was lasagna with salad and dessert baked goods.  Supper we feasted on stew, mashed potatoes, salad , home-made biscuits and ice-cream sandwiches.  Now, I’m usually one who can’t remember what I’ve eaten.  And camp has often implied simple and non-nutritious.  Not here — try Luseland Bible Camp next time you’re looking for a camp for friends, your own kids or grandkids!

At home finally, we turned to a DVD that had been recommended to us — Shattered Glass.  A story of a reporter who "cooked" his stories.  What an eye opener about lying.  Based on a true story (which I remember hearing about in the late ’90s) I could not believe the portrayal of someone who was a pure "con" man.  Well done acting – scary story!  Great sermon illutrations!

Saturday morning I went to the church to work on my sermon.  Standing in front of the chairs, speaking out loud, always makes me evaluate what I say and how I say it.  For the rest of the day, and even into my sleep, I’m thinking about how to tweak the sermon — an illustration here, a change of phrase there — whatever might help.

Afternoon and evening we worked on putting in flooring in the basement.  It’s basically done (we have linoleum in one closet and some risers at doors to complete). This is where I have fun. I love wood, power machines and picturing how things look.  Over the years you learn a few tricks to make things easier.  In the end the floor looks good, the rooms take on a new shine and we will be glad to have relatives out in the next few weeks!

When I get into a task, I’m all there.  We quit around 9:30 or so — then we had supper! 

So endeth two full  days!!

Some people think that highlights are all about hair.

Not me!  Tonight we were at table with some friends.  We were asked to give one highlight of the day.  The comments were about pretty ordinary happenings — made important by situation, personality and timing.

For years I’ve watched people.  For the very least thing they can be glad. Thanksgiving is just a part of their lives.  Highlights can appear from all over the place.  A lack of money can highlight an opportunity to be creative.  A criticism results in growth.  A broken toy is a new invention pieced together with other broken toys!

I wish I could say my life is lived that way.  There are days that are less than ordinary — in fact they verge on being plain ugly.  Those days I need to recall some highlight of the day.  And be thankful to God for all that I have, all that  I am, and all the God wants me to be.

So, tomorrow, sit at table and ask those across from you — "What was one highlight of your day?"  Sit back and join the ranks of the "Grateful Living".

My Uncle Mar(shall) had an 80th birthday recently.  The activities were recorded on a VCR tape.  The tape wound its way out to my father a week or so ago.  I was asked to make a copy.

I thought 45 minutes would be good.  Then I looked at the written program that accompanied the tape.  The program suggested exact times (I’ve worked with programs and theatre productions — seldom are the times exact although you try hard).  Total time:  3 hours. 

I continued my musings.  "3 hours is a long time to sit through a program."  I didn’t see any intermissions — that makes it even longer.

The recorder was turned on and the tape set to "super long play!"  After three hours I checked.  The program went a little longer than expected.

On to the next tape — a wedding anniversary that was to be copied.  In a small corner to the tape was transcribed — "5 hours, 50 minutes."  The tapes were set to record 6 hours.  This tape was actually to be two events recorded back to back.  If you had to sit through them, you would be wondering about your back!!  I began the tapes at 2:00 pm and they completed at 8:00 pm. 

Well, Dad and Mom should have some good watching!  Always good to hear tributes to old friends.  May this prove to be an encouraging stroll down memory lane!

Just as I’m about to blog! 

Now, I believe in being electrified.  I like to be around people who have an electric personality.  But, when electric storms look like they could electrify me?  I’m out of there!

Last night hailstones rained down.  Lightening thundered (or is that thunder lighteninged?).  And the sky let loose!

I was about to write about warm weather (scorching would be a better descriptor), a scattering of the ashes ceremony at Anglin lake, and sitting at Tim Horton’s in Prince Albert (where five people just showed up to say "Hi" without knowing I would be there).

Instead, I shut down the computer and went to bed!

A picture of the evening (with the light meter up high — this was actually taken when it was quite dark!).  We got about 8/10 of an inch of rain in 15 minutes or so!