Melting Pot

ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMY!

Amazing Birthday!

I had an AMAZING birthday!
1. I was surprised at work with a beautiful delivery of flowers!
2. What was to be a birthday dinner with my parents turned out to be a surprise as well: with John, Linda, and Chuck showing up.

There were lots of other highlights from the day....quite possibly one of the best birthdays I have ever had!

:) I love my family!!!!!

forgot:

Ok, so I have never been one to flip out about my birthday. The whole 'getting older' thing never really struck a chord. It was just another day.......

Until:

I fully comprehended that in just more than 48 hours I will be closer to 40 than to 16. 16 seems like yesterday......so that makes 40 tomorrow. hmmmm. So, as I work on embracing the big, bold....(just around the corner from "30") big, fantasic, and wonderful 29.......i rationalize the occasion as follows:

1. Mark is still way older.
2. Chuck is still way older.
3. The parents are way way older.
4. Buffett is still older.....thanks to dog years.
5. That special dog Oscar is older......and at a ripe 49 in dog years he is finally using the restroom outside.....the majority of the time! Granted he pukes all them time and smells AWFUL...... but

I must concede that things do get better with time. People get better with time. I would rather spend 1 day "old" and loving Jesus than a lifetime denying Him.

And, so, I will wake up on Thursday morning...on alert for fine lines. And should they appear....well.......we will cross that bridge when we get there.

What is normal?

Here are a couple pics from yesterday's service.


They brought all the kids out on stage for two songs. The great part? They did not sing.......instead they did some dancing......that appeared to be choreographed. The little little little kids looked like deer in headlights......it was priceless! The best part? These kids will think this is a 'normal' church. (Perry said that we are spending more on the new youth areas than they did to build our main building/sanctuary). What rocks? Resources are being poured into children's ministry!!!!!!


Here is what the tree and presents looked like (with one service to go!). It is amazing that SO MANY kids will have SOMETHING under their tree.

(pics courtesy of Greenville News).

So as I was sitting waiting for the service to start I noticed mr. telephoto lens walking around....snapping away. He took a hundred pics during the service (11:15).

Yet again Perry was on point. My favorite? "There is usually temporary pain for longterm gain".

P.S. How awesome is it to consider your church of over 9,000 normal?

Happy Friday!

So here is a funny:

The other night Buff had a poo accident in the house. I didn't see it- nor smell it....and stepped RIGHT IN IT on my way out the door as Chuck was waiting in the car for me. As we drive down then road we kept getting 'whiffs' of what smelled like Oscar.......LOL!! He attributed the off and on bad smell to me having just held and played with special Oscar. Fast forward about 30 minutes......and it becomes quite clear that I have poo all over one of my Nike's. Nice huh? My shoes were then not allowed in the car- we rode around with them in the trunk. CLASSY!

Lessons that can be learned:
1. Aiming heat at you feet when riding in the car helps bring forth the lovely aroma.
2. Sometimes you don't see the poo you are in until its too late.
3. Its easier for others to recognize the poo.
4. Sometimes we have to walk through poo to cherish the days we don't!
5. The poo we carry around leaves tiny imprints everywhere we go.

Draw your own conclusions.

:)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

....saw "Fireproof" last night.......it is GREAT!!!!!!!