I'm still here...

Well, sort of.

This Christmas program is consuming all of my time.

I finished writing the last part about 2 weeks ago. There's nothing like waiting until the last minute. So the "heavy duty" practices started - and so did the costuming. I was ok until I saw these. They're so beautiful. I had to make my own pair. (I'll post pics of the program next week.)

Needless to say, I've been attached to my hot glue gun for the last few days. It's been interesting. I bought the feathers from these wonderful people, and have been gluing feathers to the "skeleton" for the angel wings. They should be done tonight. Mom said she would bring her van over so that I don't have to try to fit them into the back end of my car. Then, it's on to everything else that needs finished.

It's hard to tell someone how to help you when you have a picture of what you want in your head (and need to try to figure out how to complete that picture in real life), so I've not had much help. That's ok, but it's starting to wear me out. I finally gave some stuff to my Aunt, BA. She's on the crafty side of things. She's helping me with turning a clear glass jar/boxy-thingy into an "Alabaster Box". That should be some fun.

Has anybody out there used acrylic glass paint?

Anyway, I ony have a few other things to finish, but I had a kink thrown in the plan. Tuesday night, long after the costumes had been picked out, I remembered that there were 2 more people to outfit with costumes that weren't there for Sunday's rehersal. Here's the problem: someone has done something to all of the costumes. We only found 11 regular costumes. There were about 20 angel costumes that would fit all of the little kids, but no other adult costumes. So, BA is helping me with those as well. I bought a pattern and fabric yesterday and she's going to whip those together for me. I will check a couple of other hiding spots tonight after choir practice, but I'm not sure that I'm going to find anything. So I'm covering my back-side.

I'll probably be swamped between now and Christmas, so y'all have yourselves a very merry Christmas. And remember the reason for the season is Jesus.

Thank you, Father, for my interweb friends. I ask that You would be close to each of them. Help us to keep our focus on You. That You would be praised from each of us and from the bottom of our hearts. Help us to see what we already have, without all of the presents, because it's just stuff. Help us to remember those who don't have, and help us to be generous to them, because that could be us. May we truly be thankful for You sending the most precious gift ever given - Your Son, Jesus. May we praise You more through the coming year. May we never fail to take the opportunity to witness to someone about You - and when necessary, use words. Thank You for all that You do for us - even when we don't see it or feel it. Help us when we fail You. Keep us sweet in our souls. In Jesus name, Amen.

Nothing like a short break...

...to clear your head.

I had hit a writing "brick wall". I just couldn't write anything else. I still had one monologue to finish and connect the last person with the finale - and I just couldn't do it.

So, I "got the heck out of Dodge" and went on a mini-vacation. Mind you that every "vacation" we take, we end up doing some kind of work. This one was no different.

We went to Charlotte, NC to work in the Operation Christmas Child processing center. This is the third year that we've gone down to work. The first 2 years, we worked directly with the shoeboxes. I liked working in the "pre-sort" area. This is where volunteers go through each shoebox and take out the money for shipping. (Note: There are locked trunks that the money is inserted into and police on site to make sure that everyone stays honest.)

This year, we decided to do something a bit different. There are wonderful companies like Crest, McDonald's, and Star-Light candies that donate stuff to help fill the boxes - just in case someone only puts in a barbie doll. Guidepost magazine also gets into the act. They ask their readers that knit or crochet to go to their website, print the pattern, and knit or crochet sweaters. Then, you send the sweaters to Guidepost and they send the sweaters on to the OCC processing centers. Martha Stewart would say that "it's a very good thing".

On Friday (day after Turkey Day), I folded the knitted or crocheted sweaters that had been made by the Guidepost readers. I made a VERY small dent in the amount of cartons left to be sorted and folded - even though I folded and sorted about 14 cartons of sweaters. On Saturday, C & I started with the Crest Spiderman Spinbrushes. We took out 3 pallets of these things. Two of the pallets had about 1,000 or more toothbrushes on them. Then, I started in on the Happy Meal toys along with some rather large "Larry the Cucumber" stuffed animals (I know, he's a vegetable not an animal. It's a descriptive thing.) Anyway, I think there were about 5 pallets (5 foot tall) gone by the time I left. C made a nice dent in the pencil-head erasers while I took out those Barbie Happy Meal toys.

On a side note, C said that if anyone at The Plant asked what he did over the weekend, he was going to tell them that he played Barbie's with his wife. I think he might have been Skipper. cause I'm not going to be anybody but Barbie herself.

Well, 2 days of physical work can do wonders for your mental/creative constipation. I think I might be able to finish the part I got stuck on last week and finish the end of the program. (Nothing like waiting till the last minute.)

Please continue to pray for me that I'll write what God wants me to write and keep the program focused on worship. (That's been the theme for the whole thing and I had been wavering with this last part.)

See y'all later...

Moving on...

I'm surprised that I didn't have any response to the last post, but oh, well.

Moving right along...

I didn't get any real good pics from Family Week, although there are a few good shots of S.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we had Randy Skeens up to preach. He's just sooooooo good. The Lord confirmed a few things through his sermons on those 3 nights. Thursday night was Movie Night. We watched "Facing the Giants". Excellent movie - and it went along with the sermons that Randy preached earlier in the week. Isn't that just like God. Friday night was bowling. We rented the whole bowling alley - and it was full! I was impressed. Saturday night was Thanksgiving dinner.

This week brings a whole new set of plans. IT'S OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD COLLECTION WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please check out the link. Get involved. It's a wonderful thing.

I will have some pics from collection week. Yesterday, we had a group visiting from Budapest, Hungary. They've helped with the distribution of OCC shoeboxes in previous years. They've never seen what happens on this end. It was really cool! They got to pack individual boxes, pack those boxes into cartons and load the cartons onto the Roadway trailer that's sitting in the church parking lot. They also held a concert last night. It was beautiful! I'll have some pics from that, too.

I'm also still working on writing the Christmas program for our teens. I'm almost done. It's been something that I've had to "labor" over. Creatively giving birth to something can make life miserable, but this has just been such a rich experience. I can't wait until the program. We might even do it again next year. =)

I'll be back with some pics from OCC Collection Week.

BTW, leave me a comment. Let me know where you're reading from.

Welcome-fest

I've never had one of these before, but there's a first time for everything.

Even if you just pop in for a brief visit, leave me a comment and let me know where you're from.
This should be fun! I'll start us off.

"Hi! My name is AuntieB, and I'm from Thundering Herd Country, WV!"

What's your name and where are you from?

The rest of the story...

We absolutely had a blast keeping S last weekend. Sister and Boyfriend went to see a movie Sunday afternoon, but I told her that I'd need to leave early that day. C & I were taking the youth group to see Judgement House. (Sorry. The link for that promo is gone. So I'll just have to tell you about it.)

Judgement House is a drama put on at Halloween at Christ Temple Church. They do a fantastic job!

Anyway, what happens is you travel in a group from room to room and see different scenes acted out. The first 6 rooms are background to the last 2 rooms. In the first 6 scenes, you see the decisions that are made, dynamics between different people and what happens in this life as a result of some of those decisions. The last 2 rooms are where the real spiritual impact happens.

The first depicts hell. There isn't anything you can dramatize that would actually portray what it will be like, but this room is eye opening. You get to see the ultimate consequence for the decisions (or lack of a decision) that were made before death. It's rather blunt in its portrayal, but there's no other way to be. Sometimes, people need a "good dose of reality" about what will happen if they make poor choices or no choice at all. There's a chain-link fence to seperate the audience from the action, but there's one point where "Satan" addresses the audience directly. If someone were under conviction while in this room, I don't think there would be any question about what decision would be made about eternity. The choice would be clear.

The second room depicts heaven. Yet again, nothing will compare. This room is really neat. Not only do you get to experience a taste of what will be, but each person gets a hug and an "I love you" from Jesus. It can be quite emotional for those who've lost someone close to them recently. And sometimes, it's just good to get a reminder of what's waiting after this struggle is over.

The staff sets up a room at the end where an "altar call" is given. They have trained counselors that assist those who need to talk, need a word, or just need to pray for someone else. It wouldn't be complete if this opportunity wasn't given to each group that goes through.

We didn't have anyone go to counseling rooms, although we have in years past. And that's ok. A decision might be made at a later date. I just pray that when it's made, it's not too late.

We've got "Family Week" at church coming up (I'll post some pics later), and then it's Operation Christmas Child Showbox Collection Week.

If you don't know about this program, please visit the link and get some info! It's worth it! If you already participate, "Thank You!" from the kids who get boxes. If you've never packed a shoebox, visit the site. Get the info. Pack a box. Find a collection center. There's a directory on the website. Drop off your box, but stay a while and see others bring their boxes too! You can change lives with the power of one shoebox!

What are you still doing here? Go to the OCC web site. Go shopping. Get out of here!!! But please come back later (after you've gone to the dollar store). I'm sure there's another story lurking around in my brain somewhere. See you later!!!

A Funny

moarfunny pictures


Just thought y'all would enjoy a little Halloween humor. Too funny.

I've been to the land of Oz...

I'm kidding......sorta.



Well, I knew we (me, Mom, & Bop) were going out of town for a conference meeting. You know, where there are a few churches that get together every quarter and discuss items of business that pertain to that particular bunch of people in that particular area of the state.

So, we made a 2 hour drive on Friday evening. We were still about an hour away, but we figured getting 2 hours of it out of the way made much more sense. Since we were about to go into the middle of nowhere for this thing.

Anyway, we did ok finding the place, but it was an adventure getting there. We started on a 4-lane split highway. We turned off that onto a 2-lane road - not bad. We turned off that road onto a 1-3/4 lane road - getting a bit nervous. You stay on that road for 4.2 miles. 4.2 MILES?!?!?! WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT IN THE STICKS!!!!!!!!! (nothing against country folks, but I'm a city girl) Well, after 4.2 MILES, it said you'd see "Cokely's barn" on the right and then make a left at the "Y" intersection and go another 2-something miles.

Cokely's barn? We'd already passed 892,375 barns since we turned off the 2-lane road! None of the other barns were labeled with the owner's name. Were we supposed to know these people?!?! Well, much to my amusement, this one was labeled. =) So, we made the left at the "Y". Then the road went from 1-3/4 lane down to 1-1/4 lane. In the curves, it was only 3/4 of a lane. I was afraid - VERY AFRAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told Mom that if anybody showed up in bibbed overalls, I was out of there. And in a hurry!!!

We had a good time at the conference (and to my relief no one showed up in bibs). Then, we made our way home. 3 hours later, we pull into Mom's driveway. Now, it's on to doing Sister's hair for a Halloween party she was going to.

I finished Sister's hair at 9:30. They were going to be up very late, I'm sure.

To complete the evening, we piled S into the carseat and made a break for the nearest Wendy's, hit the interstate (quickest route) and down the road to the Pumpkin House. You can see pics here and here. It's really cool in person. S had a blast and we had a blast watching her.

I'll be back with the rest of the story. Until then, you can just call me Paul Harvey.