Photos from the Conference, etc.

This pastor ordered from his Mystery Dinner menu a spoon, knife, and a slice of ham. No fork...probably had to bribe one of us for the fork, or used his hands!

Pastor Kuske got the special treatment (joke) of getting the ham bone on his plate. A side order of ham came later but he had failed to order a fork. He might have been one of those who tore a section of his plate off to scoop his food.... 

 One poor guy actually ordered wisely, getting all his cutlery, however, no food to use them for! As part of the Mystery Dinner theme, the courses are entirely cleared away before the next one is served, so he either had to bribe us for the silverware or improvised. If a pastor did not buy a fork, sometimes another pastor would kick in the buck for them, to avoid watching them eat with their hands!

The class is in session, listening to a presentation from a mission counselor, speaking about outreach and evangelism

On Saturday before the Conference, you couldn't swing a cat without hitting someone named Mike!! These two Mike's were busily painting the fellowship hall exterior, and inside this same building, two more Mike's were preparing food for the event. 

My busy boy

Justin is not doing lawns today in order to work alongside his buddy, Jesse. Together they are in the process of sorting household items garnered from a house listed with the real estate company with which Jesse is associated. In order to properly show and sell the house, it needed to be cleaned out. The owner of the home had passed away and his family removed what they wanted. Now, the two guys are busily setting up for a yard sale in order to get rid of what's left.

Justin carried up a couple boxes of stuff that needs to be washed in order to present nicely. He has some crystal-looking cruets and wine decanters, just the kind of stuff his mom would like. But, no, I am going to let him sell these things to someone else's home. My tipping point has been met, in this instance. I have not seen the entire box's contents so this is subject to change without notice!

He did score a full-sized bed frame and box spring to replace the platform bed I bought him when he moved into the condo his freshman year. His mattress is in his father's storage unit, but has to move it out of there by the end of the month. 

Likely he will put up the bed in his room and relocate the daybed (Day bed!!!) to the other room---somewhere, somehow. He has wildly overflowed his room the way it is and now, a full-sized bed added to it. His friend's closing was postponed, some paperwork needing to be redone with the lender who owns this home. 

If it were me, I likely would have walked away from this deal months ago, but it's exactly what Ron was looking for. The boys will all be living together again, with Jesse taking the third bedroom. Those St. Johns kids never get tired of each other's company---I hope! Oh, how I hope!

Justin had a dental appointment at 3:00 yesterday. Just after 5:00 I sent him a text message to see how he was doing. He was still in the chair!!!! Oh my! It seems he was having two more of the bigger cavities taken care of and she (Peggy) couldn't get him frozen enough. Like mother, like son! 

I felt so badly for him, having been in his place many times. When he did come home, his back ached from lying back so long, and his jaws were sore from being open. He took some Tylenol and retreated to his room to rest. I had to leave for Bible study but was concerned about how his mouth would feel once the freezing was gone.

We both had chuckled about how funny he was talking, reminding us of a "Seinfeld" episode where Kramer was mistaken for being 'special' after having dental work done. Even got to sing with The Velvet Fog at a fund-raiser. I kept singing to Justin, "...when you're smiling, when you're smiling..." Everything is Seinfeld!

                                  

When I came back from Victory, I parked and got out of my car. From above me, I heard someone going, "Pssst, pssst..." It was Justin, peering over the railing upstairs. He said, "I sensed when you came home!" At the door he told me how he came out of his room and realized I wasn't home yet, but "sensed" that I had just pulled in. Ta-da! There I was! 

He had eaten dinner already (it WAS 9:30, after all) and was feeling alright with his new fillings. Whew! I am so relieved! Next week he gets the rest finished up and then it's on him to take care of them. He has such a lovely smile, I would hate to have anything preventable happen to them. 

It's getting cold out there!

I know I shouldn't complain about the temperatures we are experiencing here in north FL when my people in WI have it  terribly cold. So cold that it hurts, according to a couple of my friends up there. The young pastor who went from Jax to MN posted on Facebook that his lungs ached from breathing the cold air when he arrived. Ouch!

The temps are expected to be at or around freezing overnight making for the yard at The Club to look like it has giant ghosts. The landscape lady spent a good portion of the day draping the delicate the shrubs and then has to pull the tarps off again when it gets warm. Justin said that having the plants being tricked into blooming a couple weeks ago with the 80 degree days and now being nipped will result in a good deal of plant loss when spring comes. It is a blessing as well as a curse for the landscape folks.

                            

Somehow I misplaced my McDonald's coupons and decided to just come on home after Bible study tonight. Instead of a Big Mac or Double Cheeseburger, which the coupon was for, I had a leftover hot dog purchased Monday on the way to the conference. Sonic had the foot long hot dog on special so I took one, with my Route 44 soda. A foot long is twice as much than I could consume in one sitting, especially the distance between Sonic and church. Talk about a pathetic but delicious dinner---aw, poor Kim!

Class was just marvelous, once we got started. I was on the phone with Mom at 5 minutes before class, and no one was in the parking lot yet. This concerned me, made me wonder if class was cancelled or something. After a couple minutes, Stephanie and Jean came, and Pastor zoomed onto the lot, being dropped off by his friend, Brian. The young couple taking the class came right after we got inside, and about 10 minutes later, Brent came in. The cold must have delayed everyone!

At the end of the class, Joey apologized to us all for his sniffling and throat clearing. He is quite bothered by the pollen and other allergens released in the air. He wants some rain to wash the pollen away once and for all, to give him relief. I wouldn't mind some rain to wash it off my car. It looks a sight!

Connie was washing some of the walkways today and the water puddling in the parking lot was a horrible yellow color. Looked so gross! I wonder if the winds from a week ago spread the pollen and also wonder if that's it for the season now. That would be great, unless one is in the car wash business!

She's been coming up here to use the bathroom today as the sidewalk leading to the cabana bathroom has been torn out. Connie is certainly welcome to use mine anytime instead of using the more public one at the pool. It is not heated in there and my house is a bit more temperate than the cabana bathroom. 

                                                 

I went to the post office today to get the appropriately sized boxes needed for sending off the Care Packages. Also bought a roll of stamps before the cost goes up this coming weekend. First we had not enough snacks to send, then there was too much for the boxes I had planned for shipping. Using the pre-paid boxes then, I got them packed up, minus the bags of Chex mix which simply would not fit. Perhaps I will take them back to church and use them for a fellowship event. 

I am thankful for the generosity of those who donated the snacks and gift cards to McDonald's for the kids. They will know they are loved and missed! And be very popular in their dorms!

NOT a funky day!!!

Awesome! This word sums it up nicely, the service tonight was awesome. No particular fanfare, no guitars and drums or tambourines, but marvelous male voices joined in hymn singing. We are blessed to be hosting the area pastor's conference at GS, and they like to sing! They even sang a song for us servers after the Mystery Dinner, a German song wishing us high life, or something like that. Three stanzas! It seems to be customary for them to do this after being served a meal. I like it!

A couple of us ladies were able to sit in on the conference and hear a presentation this afternoon about evangelism and outreach. It was interesting to hear, sort of helps a lay person figure out where these concepts originate. Needless to say my papers had considerable notes written on them, plus Carol and Judy were scratching notes as well. 

At a certain point, we ladies had to leave to help get things ready for the Mystery Dinner, plus Carol had to go home and change her clothes for church. Judy, Terri T., Betty, and I were the servers for the dinner and we ran our legs off. Not really but I worked up a sweat. It's hot in the kitchen! The two chefs named Mike did a magnificent job with the meals and are going to receive a note from confirming such. They are just the best!

We ladies had a couple mixed up plates, which I will blame on our not knowing the people's names---NOT on our ages! The fellows were very patient and good about it, but not wild about having to bribe for silverware, if they ordered incorrectly. Shhh....sometimes I slipped the guys a fork so they wouldn't tear up their cups and plates to make scoops! Oh, yes they did!

When we've had these dinners in the past, the young people were our servers and didn't have so much trouble keeping things straight. I credit them knowing our names as well as being young and having fresh minds. The money collected for the needed silverware was put in the collection plate during the service. I wonder if the guests know that...

Sunday the ladies rehearsed the stripping of the altar to make sure all things would go well.

The highlight of the evening was the worship, Maundy Thursday-themed. The Altar Guild ladies did the ceremonial stripping of the altar while Pastor Huebner chanted a psalm. He was also the accompanist for the service which was also quite well done. I told him afterwards how I liked looking at his face while he played, so intent and focused. He has to fly to MN in the morning, and thanked me for reporting the below zero temps he will face upon his arrival there.

For the service, I sat with Dawn O. who came up from St. Augustine for the service. She attends the Thursday Bible study at Victory as well. Her hubby didn't want to come so I sat with her. We shared the enjoyment of the singing and took the Lord's Supper together. 

I am so very glad that I passed up attending the Owners' Meeting for the condo for this good day. But I am also sad to not see one of my favorite pastors (who lives in Palm Coast!) in attendance. Perhaps he will be there tomorrow and I won't be. Unless I change my mind after a good night's sleep. My feet and legs are smokin' but my heart is so happy!

A sort of funky day

Just came back upstairs from my neighbors house, seeing Tracy and Jeff. Tracy has agreed to serve as my proxy voter at the Annual Owners Meeting tomorrow night. Last Wednesday night at the member's meeting at The Club, Nancy asked me to help her with registration for Monday's meeting. Only then did it occur to me that I had a schedule conflict. Nuts! Monday and Tuesday are the pastor's conference days at our church which I wished to attend. What to do? What to do?

I chose the pastor conference but have not decided just how much to attend. A previous opportunity to be part of a conference was missed a couple years ago when I thought my car was acting up. It was at Aamco all that day and they found nothing amiss. And I missed hearing Prof. Deutschlander speak!!! Shoot! I have a copy of the day's planned events and can make my decision based on that. I will be helping to serve the Mystery Dinner tomorrow night and then be part of the worship, a Maundy Thursday service. The altar will be stripped which adds much to the 'attitude' of the worship.

For our service today we used Divine 1 and sang the majority of the hymns from the Supplement. We had three hymns for communion distribution but had almost sung through the first one before everyone had gotten to the Lord's table. Fortunately, we were able to sing the second hymn, "In Christ Alone", which Robbie played in its entirety, even after communion was completed. I made it nearly through before getting choked up. Terri T. was in front of me, dabbing her tears, and my boy was wiping his eyes as well. "From life's first cry to final breath
 Jesus commands my destiny...
"

It was great to see and hug Robbie again, having been weeks since I've seen him. Actually it was last year!! After the service, Justin and he were having a intent conversation, and in fact, Justin arrived late to Chili's because of it. He texted me his order which arrived at the table just as he did!

It was good to have Amber back in church, her first time in several months. She is moved out of her house again, and trying to find a place to live. Right now she is staying between family and friends. Judy C. treated her to lunch, as Amber reported not eating much lately, not good when one has diabetes. 

At the close of the service today, waiting to be ushered out, Ellen, seated behind us, was telling Twila and Jean how she thinks of Timothy every time we sing "Alleluia" in the liturgy. That started the water works over again, but I assured her they were good tears, most comforting knowing others still think about him after all this time. The altar flowers for his birthday remembrance were lovely, with three tall spikes sticking up above the others. Twila said they were the Trinity! 

Normally I take the flowers to the cemetery but Ethel suggested I not, because it's expected to freeze Monday night and they would be toast. Justin went to the site Saturday where his father left a bouquet and balloon. I was going to wait a couple days, then, before taking mine over, but now might just keep them here where they won't freeze. 

                               

On Facebook this a.m. I had changed my backdrop to a scene from Mykonos and got many comments on it. Tracy, my neighbor, said they are thinking of going there for a vacation so I took my scrapbook down with me this afternoon. She loved it and now wants to go to Italy or Greece! 

What is making me feel funky? I guess it's having some disarray in my house, plus the upset in Amber's life, excitement over the salads (oh, the things we fret about!), and likely the entire week I just put behind me. My friends kept me busy each day, whether they knew it or not, and I love that! Looking at my trip photos also fills me with longing for those days gone by. As I told Tracy, I can take my trips now by revisiting my scrapbooks, and not have to pack a bag!

Once I get the goodies packed off to the students' away, my dining room table will return to order, and I will feel better about it. The boxes I intended to use were too small. I will have to get larger pre-paid boxes from the Post Office so I can pack all the stuff into them. First, we did not collect enough to send, so after extending the collecting by a week, a bounty has been gathered. I can't get the boxes until Tuesday as the PO is closed on Monday for MLK Day.

                   

My funk will be cleared up with some Pledge and Windex, and the dusting wand, to be sure. Oh, and my file basket! I hope I can endure the freeze but I managed in WI just fine. As long as the house is warm, I will be okay.

My niece wrote this 4 years ago....

Monday, January 19, 2009

Where were you...

Just a warning to all of you...this is a tear jerker.

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Where were you eight years ago today?

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"Why eight years ago," you ask? It's not an easy number to remember such as 5, 10, or even 20 years. How would you remember what went on or where you were on such an odd year? Well, for me eight years ago today was a very sad emotional day. Never in my life did I think I'd feel so many different emotions.

*
Eight years ago today my entire family and I were in Florida to say good-bye to a very dear loved one. It was eight years ago today that we laid to rest the one person who we didn't think would pass at such an early age. We were all at the funeral of my five-year old cousin, Timothy Charles Day. What made the whole event even more trying was that today would have been his birthday. We buried a five year old little boy. I have a five year old, and I can't even imagine what it's like. Every year it's the same sad feeling I get when I think of how awful it was the night I received the horrible call. "We lost Timmy tonight." Yes, we may have lost Timmy, but on the happy side of things, look what heaven gained! The bright eyed smiley little boy with the lowest voice I ever heard from a little fella.*

I can remember walking into the house the night we arrived in Florida. It was very hard for me to look out at the pool. I collapsed into Roger's arms and just sobbed. Then Kim said something to me that I will never forget. "Timmy's sitting on Jesus' lap, probably pulling on His beard." Yeah, he's sitting on Jesus' lap. What a perfect vision. Kim always knows just the right thing to say at just the right time. The Lord may have taken Timmy from her, but He blessed her with the gift to comfort others in times of sorrow. I feel that to be a bitter sweet blessing.

*

A year or so later, when Vickie and I took our girl's vacation, we stopped to visit Timmy's resting place. Vickie's mother had just passed away a few weeks prior to our trip. All of us were standing by Timmy's grave crying for different people. Kim knew just what to say then too. "Mom" passed away while sitting at the dining room table getting ready to eat a meatloaf sandwich. Kim put her arm around Vickie and said, "Your mom prayed, "Come, Lord Jesus" and this time he came." Oh how true. Vickie told me later that night, "I never thought of it that way. That makes me feel better."

*

Kim wrote in her blog today about people saying, "Get over it." or "You need to move on." What kind of words are these??? To me, they are a slap in the face. You never fully get over losing a loved one. They are always in your heart and memories. I remember the Friday before Timmy passed, I talked with him on the phone, and he sang to me. He sang "Who Let the Dogs Out". I used to think it was a stupid song. Now it's a treasure I'll never (get over) or forget. There are just things that you can't move on from. Yeah, it's been a whole eight years, but it's going to take forever and back to GET OVER IT. Never once has anyone said that to me, instead, only words of encouragement.

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I've had a few downer days this last week, and there are several quotes I'd like to share from people who tried to comfort me. Each quote shows that yeah, it's bitter sweet that we lost a loved one, but look where he is now...PARADISE!

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"It comforts me to know that the last 8 years have been much better for Timmy than it has for us. It's sad we didn't get to see him grow up but we will see him again. I wonder if he will be the same age or if you age in heaven?"

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"Chin up, he's in heaven smiling down. We should all be so lucky."

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Some day we will be so lucky! I'm so looking forward to being up there and seeing what it looks like sitting on Jesus' lap. Of course, I have the manners to not tug on His beard!

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Because Timmy was called home at such an early age, Kim has had the opportunity to "counsel" other families who have lost children. The Lord has blessed her with the gift to console. She went through the pain and sorrow of losing a child, but she can feel the joy of helping others to overcome their sadness in times of grief. What a blessing that is for all those she consoles. And my family and I are blessed that we have such a strong caring individual who shares her story to help others.

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We don't keep stories of Timmy to ourselves in the Ellison household. We talk about our cousin quite a bit. We want our boys to know what kind of a loving and happy child Timmy was. Gabe asks questions about him once in awhile. "Is Timmy the boy by Jesus?" "Timmy is in heaven with Jesus, right mom?" I only wish they could have met the boisterous little guy we were able to love and adore for five years. I also have the poppyseed donut in the face to remember him by! For those of you who were there you know the laugh we had.

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Good night to you all and God bless you!

Standing in the light

This morning began as a lovely, sun-filled day as I headed over to meet my friends for The Breakfast Club gathering at The Club. It was a bit windy but nothing unusual for along for the river. As Randy, Carol, and I, the only breakfasters, enjoyed our time together, the skies clouded and the winds picked up. In amazement we watched the loose branches falling or breaking off, and the Spanish moss rolling like tumble weeds along the walk ways. It was wildly crazy and I was so glad I wasn't wearing a dress when I walked home! Carol offered to drive me but I knew it would be fine. The temperatures have dropped from the 80's and with the wind, the coldness cut like a knife. 

Once home, I got busy at my desk, searching through files to find the name of the paint color for the Fellowship Hall. There is a group of fellows going to paint the exterior of the building Saturday which had been 'repaired' last spring and into summer. Since we have company coming, it's time to finish the job! The pastors' conference is being hosted at GS starting Monday, so not a moment too soon is the building being finished. Likely a deep cleaning of the sanctuary would have been in order, too, but it's too late now.

Anyway, the paint color being used is the one from the classroom building. I had the color selections on my computer but I was not sure if they were the final ones. We had actually done color selections more than once, varying shades of off-white, so it was hard to tell from my worksheet if this was the right one. I called Lonnie who is the maintenance chairman and told him I had a name but not certain it was the final choice. Lonnie said that Cliff had the paint already and had reported that Monday at a meeting. So, no more searching!

When I was on the phone with Lonnie, Connie was calling me. I let her call go past me until I was done with Lonnie, then called her back. She said Phil, the mail man, found a stack of letters to go out in the outgoing box with no postage. Since she couldn't reach me, he took them along. Ah!!!! I had dropped the non-enveloped mailings in with no stamps! Because he left already, while I was on the phone, she jumped in her car and chased him around the corner, his next stop, and rescued my unstamped outreach mailings. God bless her! Imagine sending mailings to prospects with postage due....That would be a huge no-no in outreach world! The other mailings were stamped, the enveloped ones, but somehow I grabbed up the whole stack in my excitement of getting them out the door.

The winds continue and it was interesting to watch the birds try to fly against it. Or are they making use of it and not having to flap so much? The clouds moved off and the sky is a pale blue, which looks cold. 

                               

Justin called me when I was at breakfast. He was working at house in Mandarin this a.m. and he asked if I was at my desk. I explained where I was, and he asked, "Can you see the beam of light coming down from the clouds from where you are sitting?" I said I could see it (I really could!) and he said, "I am standing in that light!!!" Yes, you are, my dear, yes you are!