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

As a card carrying member of the pasty white girl club there have been some important things I have learned about skincare.

How to use self tanner has not been one of them.

It all started when I was a teenager…with the invention of the the self tanning lotion.  THAT was the biggest disaster ever.  I never could get it right.  I can follow the directions exactly and every time I looked like an orange stripped zebra. 

 Following these failures (that’s plural because I kept trying it expecting different results) I returned to the tanning bed.  (I know, bad…)   And… after having kids and my money had more important places to go than my skin tone…I settled for ghostly whiteness.

Until last week. While stocking up on sunscreen…I noticed a tanning product I had never tried.

Micro mist airbrush sunless tan.

And, it was expensive so it must work..right?

This is what I ended up with…

Orange Feet. (that’s a new one for me.)

Apparently I didn’t consider washing the bottoms of my feet after using the micro mist spray that apparently had coated the wood floor in my bathroom causing me to have horribly discolored feet as I walked across it.

So, what goofy thing have you done lately?

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

(another music confession)

ska+ the 90’s+ christian music= You Are the Devil and The Devil is Bad

once again…no judgement allowed… but back in the day I loved this song.

and

(and some other people I might talk about later…)

Also enjoyed a little swing dancing…

I know I’m still making fun..

I though this was cute in it’s time.

(and still good for puppet skits in kids church.)

I do think everything has it’s time though. 

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 really sure why this is…

but

Candy that comes from other countries tastes  better than regular old candy from home…

(especially when you think the person that brought it back to you is way cool) 

thanks Bethany.