Timely sickness, turkey, target, thanksgiving

Jessica, Elizabeth, and I are in Miami, Fl. right now as is custom for Thanksgiving and it started out as just another ordinary trip until halfway across “Alligator Alley”, that’s when my stomach started doing something funny (I’ll leave the details out). We spent the first night in Sunrise, Fl. at Jessica’s brother John and his wife Cindy’s house and after supper, I started feeling woosey, and I was freezing with chills. I went to bed and fell right asleep, yet had the most awful dreams. My dreams weren’t scary,just intense and fast-paced that I woke up in a beading sweat and that’s when I realized that I had just broke a fever. I woke up around 1:30am and could not go back to sleep that night. At dawn’s first light I went to Dunkin Donuts to kill time before leaving to Miami.

Upon arrival, Grammy and Granddad were delighted to see Elizabeth and had a play area already set up for her which she immediately took to. Thanksgiving is always a holiday I enjoy because I love turkey and all the associated goodness. An hour before lunch was to be ready it hit me…I was in the bedroom and started losing my color and strength and the next thing I remember I was calling for Jessica as I passed out (luckily on the bed) I came to pretty quickly and as soon as I did I rushed to the bathroom for a round of…well, just imagine…actually it is probably best you don’t.

Sick and weak, I was upset that I may not get to enjoy the feast this year. Turkey must have healing properties in it because when lunch was set, my body got real hungry!

It’s now 3:15 am on “Black Friday” and I am up writing because I can’t sleep again and Jessica and I are going to Target in an hour to join the crazy mobs trying to save a few bucks on some things…we also are very low on formula too, and even that is on sale.

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving…mine was eventful to say the least.

Ed Stetzer and Mike Harland discuss the “Worship War”

Came across this rather interesting blog post with video interview. It deals with the Relevance -vs- Reverance issue. If you’ve got about an hour to listen and read…then click here.

The Office

It seemed dumb in my opinion for the last 2.5 years I have been complacent with walking through the office lounge to get to the choir room and music library. For the past few days I have been turning the office lounge into my new office which leads to both rooms I use regularly. My old office I offered to our new discipleship coordinator and Senior Adult Director. I am happy now, but man it’s a lot of work moving books and furniture and then rearranging them because of where the phone jack is…stupid phones! Whenever I move anywhere I realize how many more books I accumulate by being in the ministry. I also realize that I have yet to open some of the ones I promised myself I’d read.

Spurgeon on Trials and lack of faith

I read this today from Morning and Evening Devotions by C.H. Spurgeon and it’s right on the money. It states:

Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is true faith which holds by the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, when the bosy is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, “The He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,” is heaven-born faith. The Lord afflicts His servants to glorify himself, for He is greatly glorified in the graces of His people, which are His own handiwork. When tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience; and experience, hope, the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the wine-press; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which His vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.

think you can’t beat your enemy?

So…you think you are weaker than your competition? Think you can’t win? Be encouraged by clicking here.