Southern Porch Extension

[Verna]

I almost forgot to add that I have a give-away (free to enter) until December 30 at http://www.goodreads.com/ for my book of poetry DON'T FRIGHTEN THE PANSIES. This is a really fun free website with lots to explore about books. I just recently joined the site and have won a give-away of another book.

[Allison]

Prayers for your family Rebecky--

What a cute nephew, Edy!

Way to go to ALLISON who continues to light up the EC list! Today's win was a delightful walk down Memory Lane for mothers!

Thanks! It's been an amazing quarter for me. Two 1st place finishes, one 6th place, and now with this week, one 2nd place. And I didn't come up with anything for "game" so my quarter is over.

And don't worry about posting the thing about the charities. I just wanted to make sure you heard something about Goodwill from the "other" side. I'm actually planning going to the Goodwill employees Christmas party tomorrow night. They always invite VR employees also, so I think I"m going to go this year.

[Green Leaves]

Unbelievable news today. My mind is totally overwhelmed by this tragedy. My heart goes out to those families, teachers and children who will live with this memory. Instead of excluding Christian Christmas displays, excluding prayer from schools, and turning our nation against God and His values, what will it take for our nation to understand that we must turn to God in repentance, rebuild our families, and return to believing in the value of human life. We desperately need God's hand on all our hearts and lives.

[Edy]

So, so true, GreenLeaves!

[deejay]

Who was it on here that posted about the answer to why God allows things like Hurricane Katrina to happen, and Billy Graham's daughter answered it's because we've told God He's not welcome in our schools, etc., and He's such a gentleman He doesn't stay where He's not wanted, but when He leaves, He takes His protection with Him?

You could also look up on YouTube or GodTube the music videos of Carman, titled "Our Turn Now" and "God in America Again".

[Edy]

We're facing another Sunday with bad weather in the forecast. This just came by email from our pastor - so I thought I'd share for anyone here that might be unable to venture out as well:

Richard just passed this Internet link to me- in case of freezing rain tomorrow, this will allow outlying folks to see the service and the Christmas concert tomorrow morning at 9:15. Please pass this out via the prayer chain. (To use, click on the link, below, and follow the instructions-) -rjw

Begin forwarded message:

From: Richard Bopp
Subject: Fwd: Broadcast Link

Here is the web stream for tomorrow......

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/st-pauls

Richard is our volunteer sound technician - another gift from Heaven when he married a daughter of the congregation!

[deejay]

Last night, I took two of my roomies, C.J. and Diane, to church with me for our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. We had a wonderful dinner--red and green totilla chips, deviled eggs that were even better than C.J.'s, and jalapeno poppers--no heat, but great flavor--for appetizers, the most amazing chili--homemade, of course--and a delicious corn muffin, and dessert was a choice of either cheesecake-stuffed strawberries or a lemon tart with cookie crust, and water and lemonade to drink, with cocoa and coffee afterwards. You could taste the love with which everything was made in every bite!
The day before, I had eaten some garlic shrimp with a olive oil, chili pepper and garlic sauce, and dipped up the sauce with bread. I had a "bubbly" stomach that night, into the next day, and it didn't go away until this morning. It felt like I had a layer of foam in my stomach, and I was doing alot of burping. I guess all I needed was a meal made with love for the cure! We have very talented and creative people in our church! C.J. even got in on one of the games! And of course while waiting for it to start, I took C.J. and Diane on a tour of the church--they were quite impressed.

[Laurie]

I found out that it will cost over 500.00 to fix my car. Then this morning I remembered that my car insurance is due this week. And a muscle in my neck has been tightening up - the one that had such bad spasms in the past that I landed in the ER and had to take muscle relaxants (which my stomach can't tolerate for long enough to really get better), and then I had some massages to get over it - but initially I couldn't have stood anyone touching it. Anyway, so I made an appointment to see a massage therapist this week. So extra expenses abound. I worked on some creative accounting this afternoon.

I found out something interesting this week. I've been told for years that I have carpal tunnel. But a chiropractor once told me he thought it was tendinitis. It doesn't get numb, but it's painful and my hand is weak. I saw an RN I'm acquainted with when I was at the car dealership last week, and she said that sometimes ganglion cysts form inside the wrist and aggravate the tendon. Maybe that's what's going on. I don't know. But I do know that it's worse lately, and SOMETHING has to be done. I'll discuss it when I go into the clinic in Feb.

[Edy]

This is precious. A lot of information for little ones to sort out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ki8EcnVbd-Q


The weatherman was wrong about today's weather - early rain, but above freezing (thank the Lord)! So, no problem getting to church this Sunday. The choir concert was beautiful, but unfortunately wasn't recorded as part of the streaming link (posted above), only the Scripture readings and message.

Being an inner-city congregation, we sometimes have "interesting" worship services. I felt sorry for the choir, choir director and pastors, today. We had a rather intoxicated young woman come in and sit just behind the front row (she told Howard before the service began that she slept under the bridge last night - true or not, her attire didn't look like she was a derelict; unlike a local drug-addicted prostitute who regularly shows up for food, sweet as she can be, but somebody whose story you'd one day like to hear on "Unshackled!") Today's "interruption" was loud, shouting out, clapping, "directing" throughout the choir numbers, and interjecting comments at the beginning of the sermon until Pr. Wells told her he couldn't preach (a couple ushers sat with her and tried more or less successfully to keep her quiet, although I heard her respond once to their whispers with a "Shut up!").

Another of our fellow workers with a background working with such folks took her to HCMC after the service. Which reminds me of another Advent Sunday interruption we had...but that story I will save for another day! Stay tuned!

[BeachGrandma]

Can you believe this?

http://vimeo.com/52711779

[BeachGrandma]

Did you know this:

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_vids/open_ban ... monkey.htm

[Edy]

Did you know this:

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_vids/open_ban ... monkey.htm

That is hilarious, BeachGrandma! To think monkeys could teach us something. I've done it wrong my whole life, too - it's how Mama did it, after all!

[Edy]

Can you believe this?

http://vimeo.com/52711779

Forgot to mention - thanks for this inspiring video. I posted it on facebook, yesterday.

[Edy]

I just submitted my first Salt & Light Report writing assignment (for our church Messenger) for 2013! Where has 2012 gone! Like a vapor, it is evaporating rapidly. And so, the years fly and we watch ourselves age in the mirror, but not in our hearts (which are still younger than Springtime!)

Anyway, if someone would like to read what I wrote, here it is, posted on my faithwriter page:
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-det ... ?id=154984

[deejay]

My take on opening a banana that won't come open from the top is to either leave it for a few days until it gets brown speckles on it, or use a knife to cut the top off. Where's the monkey, by the way? Or did I miss something by not having a headset on?