A Very Special Occasion

It's the little, totally unexpected, things of life that make for such joy. Such was a recent event with my almost 12 year old granddaughter.

It began last Sunday afternoon when she called me. The conversation went like this: "Hi Grandma. You know a friend of mind is having a birthday celebration and you know, kinda like, we are all dressing up in formals and going, you know, kinda like, to a fancy hotel to spend the night. It's going to be such fun, you know. Well, you know we wanted to have a limo pick us up and you know, take us there. But you know, it's kinda too expensive, you know, to do that".

In case you haven't heard a tweeny talk lately this is the normal form of conversation!!!! At this point I'm thinking, "I'm about to get hit up for the cost of a limo or at least to go in on one" and of course I am prepared to say "No way". The conversation proceeds: "But, you know, we can;t afford that but we, kinda want to go in a really nice car, and I told them "My grandmother has a red Cadillac that is, you know, like a reeeeally nice car" So, you know, grandma, will you pick us all up in your Cadillac?"

To say I was thrilled would be putting it mildly. Here she is asking her "fuddy-duddy OLD Grandmother, who is TOTALLY out of it in ALL things" to drive them on their exciting sleep-over. Naturally, I was going to do it, but said "I'll talk to Grandpa and get back with you".

Friday night my 1993 (yes that's right!!!! my 14 year old) red, 2 door Cadillac Eldorado had the distinct privilege of taking 5, very excited and totally beautiful young 11-12 years old on a very special outing.

It truly was one of those very special times in a grandmother's life and I savored the joy of it for the entire 6 days from the Sunday request to the actual occasion. God is so good:)

Finding the right church

My husband and I just went through the soul searching time and decision about leaving the church we had been attending. To say it was a gut wrenching experience is putting it mildly. We had been totally committed to our church, our Pastor and our body and as we felt the Lord leading us to leave (for reasons I won't go into) we were being torn apart. Part of us wanted to stay and yet we knew God was moving us. This process went on for about 2 months until we said "okay". Then it was........now what, where in the world do we go. We were reminded of Abraham whom God told to leave and go to a place I will show you, but didn't tell him where that place was before he had to move out.

Since my husband is the "head" I waited for him to say where he wanted to visit. (We were not out of church but in services the following Sunday). When he told me where he wanted to go it really was not where I was thinking but away we went. Actually we first attended on Wednesday night. Needless to say, we knew immediately this was where we were to be and had the total peace of God about our decision. Isn't that always what you have when you are in God's will?

Yesterday I "just happened" (I don't believe in just happened I believe in God's plans and directions in our lives) to pick up a little booklet "THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY" I was so impressed with the reading for Sunday- January 21, 2007 that I am going to copy it here.

"Understanding Our Lives Together As A Church" 1 Corinthians 12:25

Finding the right church!

What should you look for when trying to find a church? The first is Christ-centered worship, the celebration of God for who He is and what He has done for us. A biblically sound church places a high priority on praising God. Second is quality Bible instruction. Does the church you are considering believe, honor, and teach God's Word in such a way that you understand the Bible and see how it applies to your life? Remember, you can't grow beyond what you know. A third characteristic of a good church is fellowship - the sharing of the life of Christ among the members. This goes far beyond Sunday morning attendance or coffee and donuts in the fellowship hall. True fellowship occurs when we are involved in each other's lives -caring, encouraging, correcting, loving and sharing with one another. The church should provide us with a meaningful sense of belonging. Fourth is the church's ministry of outreach. A church that wants to grow, cannot be ingrown. There's nothing wrong with being a small church - as long as you are not a small-minded church. The church you identify with should provide you with opportunities to use your gifts and talents to touch other lives, emphasizing the importance of sharing your faith in word and good deeds. In other words, the church's impact should extend well beyond its walls.

When you find a church where these priorities and experiences are regularly offered in an environment that's saturated in grace and charged with faith, you have found the right church. Join it! And don't ask what your church can do for you - ask what you can do for your church!"

What confirmation, again, from our dear Lord that we were in the right place for this time of our lives. Praise God!

Here I go!

I've been "leerking" for a few weeks on a blog that I was directed to. This is my very first blog. The reasons I have for joining the world of blogging are; to make contact with others with the same interests and passions that I have, and a chance to share my thoughts with others. Hopefully, to be able to share some knowledge I've been blessed to learn during my walk these many years.

As you can see from my profile my life is focused on my family and my church. I have a wonderful husband and family and a wonderful life. Has it been without challenges and problems? You've got to be kidding!!!!!! Have we weathered the storms and issues? You bet!!!!Yes, with God's help and staying true to His written word, even at times when every fiber in our being was screaming something else. I individually and we collectively have meet and dealt with a variety of challenges and issues.

I am very excited to join this new world of blogging.......good grief, I never even heard the word until about a year ago and never thought I would become a part of it until the past few weeks.
As I said, I am excited to see what new doors, thoughts, friendships, etc. the Lord opens up to me on this next step of my journey. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way Psalms 37:23

I look so forward to getting acquainted with you.