Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Scenes from HERE....

A friend grabbed me outside of Mom's Night Out last night and asked me if I'd like this (see below). Wow! This makes my sneaky "strewing of books" so much easier. The little ones have been grabbing books all day. I was able to eliminate one basket of books. Thanks friend, am I allowed to say your name on the blog? S....friend S....
The boys think that I've brought them stairs... "just like the pyramids" and I begin to wonder if I'll have to make a giant plywood pyramid before this is over.
Filled with our butterfly and jungle books
Apple Mummies at 2 weeks....one on the right has been exposed to air...
Tuesday

Before you all think I've gone bonkers, before friends and daughters begin to call and email me holding me accountable to "staying home and getting my home in order"....may I say that this is the FOURTH WEEK OF THE MONTH!??!! I've blogged about this several times. I am NO LONGER out of control. I'm very careful about what I agree to do outside of our home. I even shared tonight at Bible Study how Lynn helped me to gain control and focus when I lost it heartily in AK (teaching so often, etc). This is simply the fourth week of the month on a military base, in a military chapel. EVERYONE knows that all monthly activities and meetings must be planned for the 4th week of the month. ::snort:: THAT is why we have PWOC Project nights on the SECOND week of the month!

Today we had school.

I had a PAC meeting.

We had more school.

I had Bible Study.

Now I'm going to sleep.....the rest of the week is also going to be busy!
Sermon Thoughts

I have been mulling over some thoughts from my favorite's preacher's Sunday sermon. ::wink::

Michael spoke on Luke 19:1-10 - Zaccheus

He gave some great background on Jericho...we are finding our Bible reading is coming alive in new ways now that we are studying ancient Civs again..... I'm just going to share the points. You can probably read the passage and fill in the blanks for yourself if so led. Mike gave two titles for each point. I'll put the one I liked first and the alternate second. LOL

1. When you can't see - CLIMB A TREE or When Obstacles Abound Seek Higher Ground
~Ok I can't give points alone - what really stuck with me here were the questions "What keeps you from seeing Jesus?" and "What do people see when they see me coming? Forgiveness or judgement? Jesus or a Pharisee?"

2. When You See a Sinner Invite Him to Dinner or When Jesus Came He Knew My Name

~Wow - that Jesus KNOWS us and that he dines with sinners.....
~I never see Jesus shunning a repentant or seeking sinner, but I've seen Christians and whole Protestant Evangelical churches shun "sinners" and say they are treating them like "sinners and publicans" - this HIT me....Jesus knew Zaccheus was a sinner - He invited him to dinner...not a lot of shunning going on. (Note - I mention Protestant Evangelical because that is what I am and my objective is not to be pointing fingers at any denominations - but the personal way we treat "sinners" - like we aren't sinners.)

3. Where there's Grace there's an About Face - can't remember the other title....things began to pick up intensity in the service here and I was otherwise focused. LOL

~Who was looking for whom?
~Jesus came to seek the lost -

LOST - destroyed, devastated by something that occurred in the past and has ongoing results - THIS is what this Greek word means. Jesus CAME to SEEK those who are walking through current devastation because of past occurrences in their lives. Grace was unasked for, it was unearned....Jesus wanted fellowship with a sinner and it led to repentance.....

In conclusion, Mike shared about our experience with Stacia in the pool. He shared how he was desperately trying to reach her and yelling "get the baby" and how everyone was simply watching him try to reach her....the fear, the desperate longing, the striving....and how that night he couldn't sleep. God spoke quietly to him as he prayed, "Mike, I feel the same feelings you did when you were trying to reach the baby, for the lost around you. Get the baby!"

It was powerful.