Just thinking

Please…

When walking by the bumper sticker rack at the Christian book store…

JUST Say NO!

I’m sure these were very nice people that parked next to me at Wally World this morning…

But, there is an epidemic on our hands concerning the abuse of bumper stickers. 

Come on people, these aren’t even on the bumper.

This is serious.

If you are addicted to religious stickers and cannot go cold turkey…

Please… try to use moderation.

(I do give these people credit…they support our troops and that rocks and they have nice friendly bumpers stickers…The worst is angry Christian bumper stickers on a car…ugh…stop the insanity!)

This can be filed under things that made my week…

Yesterday John got a text message from God.  I’d like to say we did realize the text’s were not actually coming from God (just in case you were concerned) but we couldn’t recognize the number and God wasn’t fessing up to his true identity.  We had it narrowed down to a few dozen people that may have been guilty…(I can’t remember it word for word, but it went something like this)

God- John.  This is God.  You need to move back to Canton and take the Youth Pastor Position that just came open at New Life Ministries.

John- Who is this???

God- God.  Where are you?

John- Can’t you see me?  Just one question God.  Why mosquitoes?

God- idk, but there are less mosquitoes in Ohio.  Move there.

 thanks God

This is going to sound like the blondest thing I have said in a while, but…

I had no Idea that the Kentucky_Derby was such a big deal down here. 

(yes, yes…I do know that I’m actuallyin Kentucky.)

I thought that the derby was just a horse race.  The Derby is actually the end of a two week festival. (and they go all out.)

 Live and learn I guess.

David’s Kindergarten class had their annual Kentucky derby today.  It was WAY too funny.  The first few groups of racers didn’t get the concept of a race track at all and ran straight  toward the door… Forrest Gump style.  There were tons of spills and chills…ESPN seriously should have broadcast this one! At the end of their race they all got roses from the “Mayor”. (or the librarian..whateva)

I would like to say that my little jockey won his race…

(and It doesn’t count that the really fast kid that should have won didn’t because he lost his little Jockey hat and had to go back for it!)

 See if you can spot him..number 30 on the inside lane.

Every summer right before school starts the church I work for has a BACK TO SCHOOL BASH.  The women’s group puts it on and has every game and fun carnival type activity a kid could want. 

The idea is for the kids to win the school supplies they need for the upcoming school year.

 (and to connect to the community…and be loved…and have lunch…and play games..and play on lots of bouncy toys…and get your face painted…and the dunking booths and so on…) 

There is a large need in our community for this type of outreach. 

 (and with the economy shifting I believe this year may be even more important for families.)  

The church is in contact with the local elementary schools who helps identify parents and children that may need help.  (I also wanted to add that is isn’t just for families in need… This is for all of the families in our community and church.)   The women also canvas the neighborhoods surrounding the church inviting all the kids. 

Alright…this is where I need the help…

This year John and I will be in charge of the ministry portion of this day. (with lots of great children’s workers to back us up.)

The Women’s group is already working hard on everything else.

I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but I’m second guessing my plan and could use some fresh ideas.  Yes…I’m praying about it as well, but I’m calling on a little help from my  friends. 

(or children’s ministry veterans…or parents…or kid’s workers…pastors…creative people in general, or pretty much anyone who has an opinion on the matter)

With a little less than 4 months to go…I need to work this out soon. (I’m not a down to the wire kinda gal)

This is what I am looking at…

-A carnival type setting…

-The women are asking for a gospel presentation …the format is open.

-Most of the children are elementary age. 1st though 5Th

-this will be a first impression our our church for a lot of families..I want it to be a good one.

-it can be one presentation or broken up through out the day.

-(personal conviction)  I want to keep what ever is done to be less “preachy” more “we care about you and Jesus Loves you.”…because we do.  I want to be careful that it doesn’t turn into something unattractive or forced. (especially for parents who might feel uncomfortable…)

Any ideas? 

Any sugestions that may have worked well in a similar event your church has had in the past?

I want anything you got! (from the games, to the outreach and the what not to do’s…)

 You can comment me here or send me a message.

Thank you guys!

You rock!

(p.s. just incase you might be worried…I never use my church’s name…location…or any ones full name in my blog…I’m just weird like that. better safe than sorry right? )

I have to say this weekends game at ignite was one of my favorites.

Not for the weak at heart….for sure.

Foot signing.

That’s right.

The team with the most legible signatures on their captain’s foot wins.

Here’s to washable markers and pedicures!

(and to the runner up that won Dr Scholls medicated shoe pads…and still smiled)

Why is it when you decide you really need to lose weight…that’s the exact time everyone brings you the things you can’t resist the most…

I give you example one. 

Old fashioned Pecan Divinity my dad dropped off this afternoon.

ingredients include…Sugar, corn syrup, Pecans, Partially hydrogenated Soybean oil, egg whites  and so on…

also know as… big fluffy sweet empty calories…

or

pure evil

Earthquakes in the Midwest are not a good thing…

(and… I’m pretty sure that California is laughing at us all right now…because atleast where I am there is little damage…no one is hurt that I’ve heard of…but everyone is freaking out… )

I haven’t slept well all week…so I wasn’t motivated to get out of my bed to survey the situation.  I was in that half awake but still mostly asleep mode…

The last thing I thought as I was being shaken awake this morning was that there was an actual earthquake taking place.

(If I knew I might have been more concerned…and then again …maybe not)

As I laid there I did think of some other possible scenarios for what was actually happening…

*  Fort Knox has gone wild … (and then I thought It would be nice if Fort Knox wait till after breakfast to practice heavy artillery fire.)

*The train that runs behind our house must have derailed.

*Is this another tornado?

*The possibility I might have given myself brain damage trimming the hedges yesterday with the ancient power tools/crazy vibrating hedge trimmers…The Vibrations are all in my head…

* Meth Lab explosion? (not that there are any Meth labs near my house…that I know of…but sounds more probable than an earthquake in Kentucky.)

* I shouldn’t have stayed up and watched Eli_Stone  Finale.  That’s what I get for watching t.v.  Now I’m dreaming I’m in the show… (f.y.i.  Eli has visions of a earthquake…that no one else sees or feels…I don’t watch TV much anymore…but I like this show.)

* If something is blowing up or crashing into my house… I’m gonna have to get out of bed. I sill have 30 minutes to sleep…If I hear sirens I’ll check it out…maybe.

* Maybe it’s not as real as I think it is…my husband isn’t waking up…Is the bed really shaking?  Certainly he would be up if this was serious… (and then I remembered that John can sleep through anything… Like the time there was a major car accident in our FRONT YARD… 2 ambulances and a Fire truck sirens blaring…I was on my way home and I though our house was burning down because of all the police cars and traffic back up…and he was asleep on the couch in the front room and had missed the whole thing.) And now…I can say he can sleep through an earthquake and really mean it.

Anyway…I went back to sleep.

( on a side note I grew up very close to where the fault line in Southern Illinois  where the earthquake originated…)

I’m getting good at this natural disaster stuff…

Since February…Tornadoes,

A Flood (that I didn’t think was that bad, but schools closed), 

Largest snow storm in recent history

and now a Earthquake.

Take_this_survey  if you felt the quake.

I’m not much of a commentator on the state if our economy…

But the prices at the grocery store are getting crazy…

and…

I have started to fill up my gas tank $10 at a time so I don’t cry…

There is a possibility that I may never have a full gas tank again.

This morning I put my ten bucks in my car  at $3.45 a gallon.

The news says to expect a ten cent jump for the weekend and prices at $4 a gallon by early summer.

Sheesh.

Instead of complaining… (more than I already am)

(or taking it out on the poor gas station attendant… like the crazy old guy I saw… making a huge scene and calling them robbers…and telling the nice lady she was murdering him… even though the poor attendant  is probably making peanuts herself…and obviously is not setting the gas prices…she is just working the morning shift at the Shell station…but whatever makes you feel better old angry guy… I personally think we should be nicer to the gas station attendants before they become the next “postal workers”…)

anyway

I’ve decided to dwell on all the things I’d rater be doing with my $4.

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Today, I had a very unhealthy breakfast at MC Donald’s for $4…

I do not condone in anyway shape or form eating at MC Donald’s…

I’m not sure what came over me…

but…FYI

you can have a Vanilla Iced Coffee

and

a biscuit with sausage gravy

for just under the 4 dollar mark.

…even though I picked out all the sausage in the gravy…

because I’m not comfortable with what it might be made of…

and scraped off most of the gravy because…well..the same reason…

On further examination I should have just gotten a plain biscuit….because apparently that’s what I really wanted.

But….anyway

I’d rather spend my 4 bucks on that…  (and about a dozen other things)

What would you spend your $4 on if it wasn’t going in the tank?

I think I am having an early mid life crisis…very early. 

There is a great possiblity that all four members of my family will be in school come this fall…

1 in Kindergarten

1 in First Grade

and

2 in College… (that would be my husband and I)

lets see…

Getting married at 20…

Having 2 kids litterally in the first 2 years of marriage…

being a stay at home mom for 5 years…

Well, it hasn’t give me much time to consider the future…

So, that leaves me with the Question…now what do I want to do?

I had this all figured out when I got married. I had a perfect plan mapped out for us.

Thank God He sometimes saves us from our own plans…

We both have good Jobs…

I’m pretty sure we won’t be doing them forever though. (Ministry for sure, buy maybe not in the current format)

I like where we live…

But, I don’t want to stay here forever… (I need to live closer to a Chipotle)

I’ve discovered a so many things that I can do recently that I never even thought I could do.

So, now what?

Is this when you are patient and wait for God to open doors?

Is this when you activly seek  and discover where you should be going and make a plan of attack?

Any Suggestions?

Job Suggestions?

 (I’m not saying I’m quitting my current job, but maybe I just need a couple more…)

(I’ll take any job suggestions except my husband saying I should be tech support or the resident sarcasm adviser)

If you have a petting zoo at your Easter Egg Hunt what would be the first thing the little baby lamb does upon arriving to said egg hunt?

If you guessed poop EVERYWHERE…you would be correct.

Shew!

He was so stinkin’ cute though!

(no pun intended)