Welcome to Blogsville, Melissa

Melissa and Dave Hendricks now have a blog, and we're so excited to welcome them to the community. Now we can read all about their exciting life in Montana and their kids and how all our friends and church family are up in their neck of the woods. www.daveandmelissa4.blogspot.com

Jehovah Rapha--The Lord that Heals

Got the call from the doctor's office. Everything is benign. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Almighty God, for your healing touch. I praise your Holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good [things; so that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
~from Psalm 103

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ....

. . . . Christmas

Well, here's our tree and you can see part of our table decorated. We're not quite finished with either one. The table needs a few finishing touches. It's a new one and there are a few things I want to add to complete the look. Then there's the tree. I'm sure you noticed it's missing a topper. I've been looking for a topper for a few months now to no avail. I even went to a HUGE arts and crafts show a couple weeks ago with a Christmas tree topper my only mission, but only a few of the booths had tree toppers, and the ones that did only had a few each. I didn't like any of them either. It's got to be just right, you know. If anyone is considering starting a career in arts and crafts, I think a booth with Christmas tree toppers would sell like hot cakes, and it's apparently something no one does because this show was spread out in five different convention center-type buildings; I mean, it was huge. There were vendors there from all over the country and I looked at probably 70% of the booths. I was really shocked that no one sold tree toppers.

As for the Jackson-with-the-Amish-hat pictures, I've been trying to transfer them from the camera onto the computer, but something keeps goofing it up. I thought I had the problem solved, but I think Becky's evil computer dwarf decided to pay our place a visit. I tell ya, the little twerp better watch it because I'm probably not as nice as Becky is. :-)

Back in the Saddle Again

Well, I'm officially recouperated and back in the saddle!!! The surgery went well and we're awaiting lab results, but I'm not worried because I just feel God's everloving protection and care.

The light at the end of this cave I've been thrust in to is just beginning to twinkle and I am sooo ready for Christmas break. My house is almost back in order after my few days of repose and I'm working on getting caught up with my school work. It'll happen soon. I can feel it.

Despite my pleas with the Lord not to allow this day to come and my attempts to shut myself up in denial about the fact that my baby's growing up, Jackson turns two today. He's such a "corker," as our pastor calls him. He's the happiest child and such a little ham, well, show-off might be a better descriptor. Any time we're out in public, be it store, restaurant, or park, he always finds someone who will give him his full attention and he goes all out to put on a no-holds-barred entertainment session for as long as he can keep an audience. It's really embarrassing, and we do try to keep it to a minimum, but he just has this magnetic personality people are drawn to. We're scared he might want to be a politician when he grows up or, worse, some kind of showman on Broadway here in Branson or something. Tonight we went out to eat (had a long workday; didn't get home until quarter to six) and he had this elderly couple in stitches. He would turn his head slightly and slowly roll his eyes to look at them and then just giggle, and then he'd spend time "talking" to them with such expressive chatter and gestures with not just his hands, but his entire little body. They were eating it up and egging him on. I tell ya', we've got quite a challenge on our hands for the next sixteen years.

We're having his birthday party this Saturday. That's why I've got to get my house back in order. But like I said, it's coming along ... slowly, but surely. He loves Mickey Mouse, so that's going to be the theme decorations and cake. We're looking forward to that; he'll get to play with his cousins, so that'll be fun.

Our church was supposed to have a revival last week, but it was cancelled because of the snow storm. We need a revival desperately, so please pray for us that it'll come soon. It's not been rescheduled yet because the evangelist didn't know when he'd be able to come, but hopefully it won't be too much longer. I'm trying to plan a time for the ABM service; Anthony's the ABM leader. We're going to try to have one at our house soon, which is another reason I've got to get this house ship-shape fast. Oh, pray for me, ladies. Between work and regular chores at home, it's hard to get to those "back-burner" jobs. It'll happen, though. I'm optimistic.

Well, I guess I'd better get off here and go to bed. I have an evaluation tomorrow by my principal in one of my classes and need to do well on it. Take care, all. Good night and God bless.

By the way, I do have pictures of our tree and of Jackson in his Amish hat; I'm just having a little trouble right now with our camera uploading onto the computer. I'll try to get Anthony on it soon--he's the techie at our house--and try to get those pics on here. :-)

Well, it looks as though a minor surgery will be able to clear this problem up AND the doctor is fairly certain we'll be able to have another baby after this. :-)

I go in the 29th early in the morning. It's an outpatient surgery, so nothing major, but surgery is always a little nerve-wracking. However, I know the Lord's got it all under control. Thanks to all for the encouraging words on my blog here and, most of all, for praying. I really appreciate it. Please remember me that Wednesday.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. God bless.

Still Aren't Sure

The doctor will be running more tests next Monday to see which of his theories, if any, are correct. I send those emails after that. Until then please keep praying. Thanks to all who have been praying. I really appreciate it. :-)

Please Pray

I have a doctor's appointment Friday and while I can't divulge on the blog due to the possibility of mixed company, I am a little nervous about it. Anthony and I are trusting Jesus. He's in control of the situation, we know. Just please be in prayer.

World Series Champions

There are only two sports that I like. One is basketball, and I like it moderately, but I really do love baseball, and I have always been a Cardinals fan. They're just really good AND they're Missouri's winning team. Well, we won the World Series tonight in just five games. Whoooo hoooo!!!! And I'm proud to say that we have fans who are dignified. Remember last year when Boston won? They started rioting and trashed their stadium and stuff. Well, Cardinals fans just cheered and expressed how excited they were. It's so exciting. The last time we won was in 1982. I remember my mom was in labor with my little brother and was watching the World Series in her hospital room. We've been in the World Series, I think, three or four times since then but haven't won until now, so this is really awesome.

All I can say is GO CARDS, and to the "experts" who said the odds were in Detriot's favor, check your stats again 'cause you were WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!

Taguchi is my favorite player. Isn't his son adorable?

What a Fun Weekend!

Terry and Shaye Ammons graced our home with a visit this weekend. It was so nice being able to fellowship with some folks our age. It doesn't happen very often for us out here, so we were just thrilled. They are so much fun to be around.

They got here Friday afternoon and we took them out to Amish country (Seymour, MO) that night. We ate at the Amish Country Bed 'n Breakfast there. It was soooo good. They serve smoked meats (ham, brisket, chicken, pork, etc.) with homestyle vegetables and homebaked bread, freshly churned butter, and an Amish-made barbecue sauce that is out of this world. We took a drive out into the country and found that Amish-run general store. The people are so friendly and I really love just being there. Shaye said she'd never seen anything like it and thought it was really neat to see their primitive dwelling and their buggies. She ended up borrowing some of my Beverly Lewis books to take home to read so she can learn a little more about them. We bought Jackson a little hat they sold at the store just like the ones the Amish boys wear. He looks adorable in it.

The next day we went to Branson and just drove around. We went shopping for a little while at the outlet malls where I found some great deals on some fall/winter clothes for Jackson, which he DESPARATELY needed. I even found one new outfit for my self, actually Shaye found it for me. It's really pretty-a brown wool skirt and a pretty lighter brown sweater to go with it. I love it and can't wait until it gets cold enough to wear it. Actually, yes, I can wait until it gets cold ...

We ate at Panera (mmmm.... the new Lemon Chicken Artichoke Pannini is delicious) and looked in some of the novelty shops. None of us bought anything in those, but it was fun just looking around. We spent the most time in the little Christmas shopping village. I love looking at Christmas stuff, but, again, I was good. No purchases, just a lot of dreaming and oohs and aahs. :P Then we took the scenic route home. It was very pretty with the fall colors just beginning to show in the Ozark mountains. Very enjoyable weekend.

Well, gotta' go. :-)

They Grow Up Way Too Fast

I simply don't know if there'd be any entertainment in this house if it weren't for our little Jackson. Oh, my, he's so funny. He's truly got the gift of gab already, and we don't even know what he's saying. He does, though. He just jabbers and gestures and giggles like he's telling a story. And I'm sure he is; I just wish I could speak his language. It's soooo cute. He is starting to say more words now, too. He can say mama, dada, baby, nana (that's what we're calling my mom), apple, bubbles, ball, uh-oh, bye-bye, and a few others. One of our favorite things to do is I'll say "one" and he says "tyu--ree" (that's two and three mixed together, I think). Then I say "four" and he holds out his hand with all five fingers extended and YELLS "yiiiiiiiiiiibe" (for five). It's so funny.

The other day I was talking to him and telling him that we ought to go tickle Daddy and he laughs and then gets serious all of a sudden and says, "Ball?" I took it that he wanted to play with his ball, so we went and got it. That was so funny.

We visited a Japanese garden the other day. It just thrilled him to get to feed the carp that were in the pond there. We bought some of the fish food from the dispenser and let him throw it into the pond. He would just squeal when he saw the fish come up to eat HIS food. Ha. It was great, although he was making me nervous by getting way too close to the edge of that pond. I was able to keep hold of him well enough so that he didn't fall in, though.

Sometimes I can't wait until we can actually have a conversation with him--a real one, you know, and sometimes I know it'll happen all too soon and hope that day never does come. Ahhh, it's truly amazing being a mommy. I love it.

I do know that he understands a great deal of what we tell him, though. Yesterday his babysitter told me that he wasn't sharing with the other little boy she keeps. I had a very stern talk with him last night about being nice to Parker and sharing the toys, and today Linda (the babysitter) told me she didn't know what we did, but he was 100 times better. This time is was Parker that was being ornery. Amazing, isn't it? I mean, I have 11th graders who act like they don't understand my directions sometimes, but my 22-month-old son understands a lecture on sharing. It just befuddles me.

Well, I better get to bed. Terry and Shaye Ammons are coming to visit this weekend. They'll be here tomorrow. We're taking them to see the Amish country here and maybe go to Laura Ingalls Wilders's house in Mansfield, MO, (where she and Almanzo lived shortly after having Rose until they died--it's only about 35 minutes from here), and then we're going to Branson to shop and stuff. Should be lots of fun; we haven't seen them in a while.

Take care, all. Good night.

Fundraising Advice Requested

I am working a fundraiser tomorrow for school. It's going to be at our town's fall festival. We are selling frito pies, nachos, chili, and caramel apples. What would be your advice on how much to charge for each? This is a very small town (pop. around 2,000) so it can't be too high. Most people don't have much money around here.

It's a Miracle

Some of you may have read a recent post where I made a reference to a boy on my newspaper staff who lost a $600 camera at a football game weekend before last. It was pretty traumatic because, well, it was a $600 camera. I prayed really hard, but by this time was convinced that it was probably a lost cause. I was actually getting ready to start calling area pawn shops with the serial numbers, assuming it'd been stolen.

Well, this morning the secretaries showed up at my classroom door with huge smiles on their faces. Springfield Central High, where the camera was lost, called and said they'd found the camera and the principal was holding it for safekeeping. It just so happened that our principal was in Springfield today (almost two hours away) and was able to swing by and pick it up.

God is so good. I was beginning to feel responsible for the incident and ready to tell the principal that I'd pay for half of the reimbursement cost--in several payments, anyway. I am so grateful for this answered prayer. Our God is awesome!!!! :-)

Prospects Galore!!!

In southern Missouri, there is a highway (Hwy. 60) that has often been called "COGOP Alley". Seriously, there is a Church of God of Prophecy in just about every town on this highway for approximately 300 miles. And I used to preach to, visit, and fellowship with many of those churches and know that, unless people have changed, they would not go along with the new "changes" that have taken place in the church.

Because of a recent incident, I am becoming more and more convinced as to the one of the reasons God has placed us in this area. The other day, I had an incident with one of my staff members (for the school newspaper) losing one of our very expensive cameras at a football game last week. After questioning some of the kids, I found out that a boy who wasn't on my staff was taking pictures for the irresponsible staff member who'd been allowed to check the camera out from me. I checked with the office and found out that this kid was working at his internship in a local body shop/auto mechanic place. I went out there to question him and no one was in the office. I stepped inside the garage and yelled out a hello and heard one of the men who was under the dashboard of a car yell out, "We don't wanna' talk to you" (jokingly, of course.)

He stepped out of the car and said, "You do remember me, don't you?" It took me a minute to realize that it was Stacey Prewett, one of the local pastors in COGOP. He'd had me preach at his church back when I was in high school on a few different occasions.

We sat down and chatted for several minutes and he told me he'd moved into Willow Springs (where I teach) and was getting ready to take over a church in Summersville (another town really close). I feel I may have a shot at getting him to come over. I remember he believed very much in the old-time way. Ya'll pray that God will help me do and say the right things to him and some of the others out here that I know because, for the most part, they do believe the way we do and I KNOW that some of the people out here aren't going to go along with the junk COGOP's preaching now.

Autumn is Here

The one turned out really good, but in the other one, he sort of has his eyes half-closed. I didn't buy any of that one. We got our big 10X13 of the first one.

Oh, by the way ....

Sears has a really cool thing where you can buy the CD for $20 and they actually sell you the copyright to the pics. So I am not doing this illegally.


We tried the mirror thing. I wanted him to lay down on it and look into the mirror so she could get a shot from above, but ... um ... well, no, it was not an option! He wasn't buying into that.

Beep! Beep!

Easy Does It

I figure just a couple at a time is best so that the computer doesn't get overloaded and something blows up on me.

The rocky horse was cute. The lady tried to get him to lay his head on it for a sweet picture. NO WAY was he going that route!!!!

As you can probably tell, my husband and I love fall. Here he's in a cartoony-looking fall scene. We thought it was just adorable.

Here he is ...

We tried so hard to get him to wear a little yellow raincoat, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it.

Oh, well. It's cute anyway.

He got really tickeled about something when he was in the big red car.

Baby Pictures To Be Posted Soon

Well, we're off in a couple of hours to get Jackson's pictures made. I love getting his pictures made. It is lots o' fun ... that is, if he cooperates with the photographer. We've not had many problems with him doing that yet, so I'm hoping he behaves himself today.

Megan, do you think you could "show" me how to change my blog template. I've tried soooo many times and I'm still doing SOMETHING wrong. AHHHHHHH!!!!! IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!! I've got this really pretty one I want to use and it just won't work.

Talk to ya'll later.

Update on the Trip

It's all planned out. Itinerary, financial analysis, transportation details, etc. It's all done and turned in as of Monday afternoon. My principal was impressed with the details. She said she's already got her bags packed. (jokingly, of course) Here's a condensed version of what's on the schedule:
Monday, Mar. 12--we'll get in DC around 12:30, so we'll check in the hotel and have a group meeting, then hit the National Gallery of Art and a few hours at the Smithsonian (Natual History) , and the Pentagon Mall
Tuesday, Mar. 13--Arlington National Cemetery where we'll see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns *chillbumps just thinking about it*, Holocaust Museum, Library of Congress, and Moonlight Memorial Tour, which includes walking tours of the following memorials: Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Vietnam, WWII, Roosevelt Park, White House, Capitol Building, Iwo Jima
Wednesday, Mar. 14--Ford Theatre and Petersen House, Supreme Court, National Archives (I told the kids to bring lots of lemon juice and q-tips *tee hee*), several more hours at the Smithsonian (American History & Air and Space), dinner theatre (still not sure which play we'll see because most theatres don't have schedules out yet for March)
Thursday, Mar. 15--a few more hours at the Smithsonian (American History) and fly back home

I can't wait. Anybody wanna' meet us there? :-)

Just got some really sad news ...

My cousin called me today. She told me that a girl I used to go to church with in COGOP was in a car accident yesterday and passed away. Ach! She was only, like, 20 or 21. They said she crossed the middle line and hit a car head-on. I'm not sure if she was sleepy or what, but it just breaks my heart. I was pretty close with her family at one time. I'd go to their house after church and we'd play games until pretty late. I even went on a couple of dates with her older brother. WAY BEFORE I GOT MARRIED, BTW. Anyway, they said Kathy (her mom) is not doing well. She died at 2 in the afternoon and she wouldn't leave the hospital room until around 7 o'clock yesterday. They were a very close-knit family. She home-schooled her girls and all. She has another daughter, Deborah, 17. Sarah (the girl who passed away) had just been married for about two years. No children yet, so that's one thing. But, oh, she'll be missed. She could sing and play the guitar. She was a really pretty girl. It's hard to believe. I need to find out the arrangements because I'll definitely need to go. They live close.

Anyway, I guess I'm rambling a bit, but it seems like people do that when they get news like this. Ya'll take care. Good night.

OOOOOHHHHHH.... I am SO excited

Yes, I know I have probably gone absolutely bazerk, (Is that how you spell that? Is it even a word?) but I have just asked permission at school to take my junior college prep class on a week-long tour of Washington, D.C., for Spring break. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME? I mean, I really want to do it, but it is sooo much work to plan a trip for that many kids for that many days. But I am dedicated to my job, and I believe the kids in this area need more experiences than they get. I mean, most of them haven't been outside of the southern Missouri region. And if my job is to teach them about things that will help in life, then learning about our country's history and polity is such a big part of that. Besides that, I am a writing teacher and if these kids have no experiences then they have nothing about which to write, right?

Anyway, I have my itinerary nearly done. I'm turning it in Monday morning along with a complete financial report and a few fundraising ideas. I am working on transportation costs while in D.C. I need to find out how we're going to do the illuminated tour of the monuments and how we're going to get to Monticello (Jefferson's home) and/or Mount Vernon (Washington's home). Really, I'm trying to decide which one we should do. I also have to decide which dinner theatre we're going to go to. I'm trying to find one that has either a Shakespearean play or some other classic. I'm not much on a lot of the contemporary plays.

The most exciting thing that I found today was my airfare. We can fly from Memphis, TN, to Washington for ... are you ready for this? ... $138. $138!!!!!!! That's just unreal. I called my principal on her cell phone the minute I found that. She said, "Wow! I can tell you're really excited, Amy." She thinks I'm crazy. But she's excited too; she told me so. She wants my trip to be approved because she believes in the whole giving the kids experiences thing, too. Anyway, it'll happen. I really think it will. I'm hoping it will, anyway.

Well, I gotta' go to bed. My eyes are a little droopy ...

Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

~exuent

Ever Feel Like Ya Wanna' Throw the Computer Out a Window?

Well, I've been trying to change the template (or is it skin?) on my blog and I've gotten really close several times, but I'm still doing something wrong. I found the website where some of you got your templates (or is it skin?) and followed the directions and it even said it had uploaded successfully but when I viewed my blog, everything looked just white and there was a square at the top that said photobucket had removed the image!!!!! Who does photobucket think he is, anyway? I tell ya'. If there are any adept bloggers out there who have a few minutes who could give me an idea of what I might be goofing up, I'd be very grateful for some advice.

Well, I hear we have a new General Overseer. I thank God for that. And I couldn't think of a finer man. I've always held high respect for Bro. Smith and his family. I feel safe knowing he's been chosen because he's definitely an anointed man of God and has a humble heart like Brother Pruitt. My mother-in-law said she felt God's approval very strongly. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to His Church. I also heard of what the Church is going to do for the Pruitts. I think it's wonderful; what a neat way to honor a man whose done so much for the Church.

I also hear there was a new denomination organized this weekend. I don't quite know what to say about that except that I had hoped that situation would have turned out a different way with repentance and reconciliation. Maybe all's not lost with all of them.

On a lighter note, let me tell you what my little angel did Friday when we got home. I set the diaper bag and my purse and my lunch bag and my school bag down in my bedroom, closed the door, put him in his room and ran to use the restroom because I couldn't wait. While I was in there, Jackson walked out of his room, through the living room to my door, opened my door, went into my room, got into his diaper bag, pulled out his Tylenol Cough and Cold medicine which has a childproof lid, opened the lid, and dumped almost the entire bottle on the carpet IN MY BEDROOM. Well, when I was finished I went to get all my bags to put them away, and Jackson was standing there with his arms straight out in front of him and the bottle turned upside down in both of his little bitty hands watching the pretty red stream of medicine ooze out of the bottle. As soon as he saw me, his face went sullen (and quite ashen) and he dropped the bottle and just stood there with his eyes wide. Oh, my, if spankings were rated on a scale of 1 to 10, ... (Note: He did the same thing with shampoo the other day only THAT was in the living room.) WE HAVE GOT TO GET SOME OF THOSE DOORKNOB THINGIES.

Anyway, after I calmed down and got most of it up, I took a look at the lid and, unless the babysitter didn't screw it back on tightly, (which is unlikely; she's a very conscientious person) I don't have a clue how he got the thing open. I sometimes have a little trouble getting it open. Of course, this is the same kid who at 10 months old took a nightlight from the outlet and COMPLETELY UNSCREWED THE LIGHT BULB. AT 10 MONTHS OLD!!!!!

Anyone out there have any magic housekeeping tricks to get a bright pink stain out of our LANDLORD'S cream-colored carpet? (Yeah, we rent.) I've tried carpet cleaner stuff. Didn't work completely. My sister suggested a very diluted mixture of bleach water. I'll do that if I have to but I'd rather not have a white spot right there if I can get by without doing that. So I'll wait and hopefully somebody can give me an idea.

Anticipating great things from you more experienced housekeepers out there,

Amy ; \

A Little Sad Again Today

I really, really, really wish we could've been at the Assembly. I'm praying for everything to go according to God's will. I've not had many update calls, so I'm assuming that means sessions are lasting really long.

Anthony and I went and saw the stone for my Grandpa's grave last night. They'd just finished it. He died just a few months ago. He and I were VERY close. He considered me his kid and I thought of him as a dad. He was only 64 years old when he died--he would have turned 65 this July. Anyway, it hurts for him to be gone; I miss him so much. I found some old pictures of him and me today. That was rough and precious at the same time.

Brother James, I checked out your blog last night when we got home and heard the beautiful song you have on there sung by Sis. Janet. Thank you; I feel like that was for me last night and tonight. I needed it. I listened to it over and over and over and cried and prayed.

Love ya'll.

It's Official--COGOP has Changed its View of Fornication

taken from cogop.org:

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The Christian church recognizes many variations of marriage throughout the world, with the
exception of polygamy, free (common law) marriages, same-sex marriages, or where other
elements of biblically lawful marriages have been violated. Where unlawful marriages have
taken place, annulments may be required to invalidate these violations of biblical standards.
2. While we recognize that with God all things are possible, we also recognize that some things
are beyond human ability to repair or reconcile. This dilemma can best be approached based on the principle in Acts 15:8–11, which states, “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare
them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us. And put no difference
between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why tempt ye God, to
put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Caution must be exercised so as not to require of people something that they are unable to do, lest we put a yoke of bondage around their neck (Matthew 23:4). This means the situation must be left to God’s sovereignty.
3. We accept the biblical principle of forgiveness of all sins by the grace of God through the
shed blood of Christ and that in every nation all those who come to God are acceptable
without respect of persons (Acts 10:34–35). Ongoing discipleship by the pastor and local
church is very important for all members (Acts 2:42–47, Ephesians 4:11–16). This will
require great wisdom and loving care by our leadership and people as we continue in the
harvest. Therefore, we further recommend that the International Offices develop a program
of extensive discipleship to help all our members mature in Christ Jesus.
4. An ordained minister must be held to a higher standard (Titus 1:6–9) than other members of
the body because of the biblical mandate and because of their high profile influence on other
believers who may be struggling with society’s concept for marriage and the family.
Therefore, we recommend that the International Presbytery use discretion in ordaining
ministers to insure that biblical standards are maintained.
The Assembly Committee for Biblical Doctrine and Polity for the Church of God of Prophecy
humbly submit this document with deep prayer for your review and consideration for 94th
General Assembly.

This is the recap from their General Assembly:

Following the worship time, the Assembly entered into a business session to again discuss the BDP Committee's "Biblical Institution of Marriage" document. This session had been called for at the counsel of the International Presbytery and accepted by the General Assembly. Brother Fisher asked for an expression by the State/National Bishops, asking them to stand if in support of the document, particularly items two through five of Section Three, the items not yet passed. After the Bishops expressed their support of the items, Bishop Fisher called for the delegates in support of the items not yet passed to stand. A large majority of delegates stood in support of passage of the items.
Bishop Fisher gave opportunity to those who disagreed to stand, followed by an opportunity for those standing to abstain or submit to the General Assembly. Ninety-seven remained standing. Bishop Fisher turned these over to the supervision/counsel of their State/National Overseer. He then expressed his authority, as given by the General Assembly, to declare the passage of items two through five of Section Three. According to the minutes of the church, when one accord cannot be reached, due to a few who will not submit or abstain, the moderator may remove the dissenting voices from the expression.
Bishop Fisher then gave an admonition to the General Presbyters and Bishops to be patient with those churches that will have difficulty accepting this new document. To the ministry he encouraged them to be patient with the membership, and to the membership he encouraged the same. Finally he reminded us "We are not a one track-minded Church." He encouraged pastors to preach salvation.
Following thee business sessions, Bishop Fisher gave a challenge to the Church to put ministry to children, youth, men, and women at the forefront of ministry. His challenge led to the appointments of ministry leadership, and gave presbyters the opportunity to make their National/State appointments. One change to be noted is the appointment of Bishop David Bryan to serve as new Global Outreach Ministries Director, replacing the office vacated by new General Overseer Randall E. Howard


May the Lord lead the true sheep who are still in this demonination back to His Church, The Church of God ... and may they follow with willing and open hearts.

Wanna' Know What's on the Inside of a Diaper?

I didn't think I really cared until the other night when I had to pick up handfuls of it. So now you're thinking that my son tore a diaper up, right? Wrong. I did it. I was about to change Jackson's diaper and was going through the normal pre-diaper-changing routine of opening the box of wipes, getting one of them unfolded, and opening the diaper up. Well, I folded open the diaper and decided to "pop" it (you know, like you do towels or shirts when you're folding laundry) to make sure it was completely undone and when I did that, this floofy, white snow flew out everywhere. My husband was sitting in his chair and just started hee-hawing at me and here I am thinking, "Arrrrgh, now I've gotta' vacuum tonight AGAIN." But then I looked at my husband, who was just having himself a great time at my expense and decided to have myself a good laugh too. Jackson thought it was great fun to play in the floofy, white snow, which he was allowed to do for, oh, five seconds until I realized there's something in that stuff that makes your skin itch a little bit. I had to swoop him up out of it just before he started to put it in his mouth. So now I know ... and you do, too ... what's on the inside of a diaper! Not that I ever really cared, but anyway.

Well, now that I've shared something funny, I'm going to switch gears. Is it alright if I have just a little pity party? I won't take too long; I promise, but, folks of The Church of God, I need a little encouragement. I guess all of this blogging has really sort of made this hit home, but I feel kind of lonely. Actually, both of us do. Did any of you know that my husband and I are the only VLBs not only in our local church, but in the entire state of Missouri? That's right ... we're the only ones. We really miss the fellowship of brothers and sisters our age. Sure, I talk to some of you on the phone and that's helped a lot, but it's just not quite the same as actually getting to see you, give ya' a hug, etc. AND, unless the Lord intervenes with a miracle, we're not going to get to go to the Assembly this year either. (not really for financial reasons ... see previous post about Anthony's grandpa for the reason.) It's not that I'm discontent; it's just that every once in a while this bout of loneliness hits and it's a little bit rough. Anyway, I'm o.k., just a little sad at times. OK, thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder a sec. Back to other things ...

I have some really cool news. I have been chosen, along with three other English teachers at my school to make a presentation about a project I'm doing with my kids this year at the National Teacher's Convention in Nashville!!!! Not many teachers get to do this, so it's really an honor, and I'm thrilled at the prospect. I'm sooooo excited. OK, let me tell ya' about my project. My students have to choose an American speech (e.g. MLK's "I Have a Dream" or Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death or JFK's "We're Going to the Moon", etc. The list goes on and on). They have to read and pick apart the speech and then they have to research what was going on in American history at that time and why the speech was given and what significance/message it had for the American people. Anyway, I believe the Lord gave it to me one night because so far no one else has ever heard of a project like that. I thought it'd be a neat way to combine history with a writing/research project. Anyway, I'm excited about the conference and very nervous, too, but it'll be neat to get to do it.

Well, I need to go start dinner. Ya'll take care. Love ya'.

Promotion of a Great Product

I didn't mention this in my last post, but our pre-school inservice was wonderful this year. The school here has very heavily subscribed to Steven Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". If none of you have ever read the book or gone through the program, I highly recommend it. It's not about career success, as it may be misperceived to be, but it is about personal effectiveness. True, a part of the material can be applied to careers, but the heart of what the author is promoting deals with a person's personal life and I found that much of it can be applied to one's spiritual and church lives as well. It's very motivational and it teaches ways to put important things first in a person's life. I would even go so far as to suggest it for a ministerial retreat. Anyway, I think it's a product worth promoting, so here ya' go. Steven Covey ... check his stuff out. It is really good.

School Days, School Days

Well, it's that time again. I've hit the books and thought about hitting some of the kids with books, but refrained, but it's that of year time again. This year is my first year teaching High School (my sixth year teaching) and I LOVE IT!!! It is so refreshing not having to put up with comments like, "Mrs. Dyer, Jamie's looking at me and I told her not to" or not having to tell Bobby to please remove his feet from the desk in front of him before Sarah reaches around and pops him in the nose. It's refreshing, too, not to have to eat in the cafeteria with 300 12-year olds. I still suffer with partial hearing loss from that one. But the best thing about not having to teach middle school is that my classroom no longer smells of b.o., hormones, and ... um, flatuance (sorry for the language, but I had to deal with the smell for four years, so you can surely deal with the one word ... sorry again). Anyway, I now enjoy pleasant Bath and Body Works lotions and body sprays and hairspray from the girls instead. And the boys? Even the boys have showered and used deodorant (because they are looking at girls now). Ahhhhhh, it's just lovely.

Something else I've observed is that these kids have personalities and they're intellectual ... when you can pull that side out of them. And they have brains and minds and opinions. You do know that middle school hormones kill brain cells at an outrageous rate, right? And they're getting better with abstract concepts and they've reflected on life a little so they have something to say.

Don't get me wrong. I loved the little twerpies I taught before. They're sweet and silly and funny, and they know EVERYTHING (no, they really do). But that's the problem. They know EVERYTHING.

Ahhhhh, high school. It must be where I'm supposed to be.

God is good.

Traveling Mercies

We're leaving tomorrow around noon for GA to see PaPaw. His kidneys have shut down, so I guess it's just a matter of time unless the Lord intervenes. Please pray for traveling mercies and for comfort for the family. This will most likely cancel out our trip to the Assembly (we were going to try to come to at least part of it), but I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to my grandpa, who died about two months ago, and I still grieve over that. Pray for Anthony. Anthony is really close to PaPaw; he was the one who led Anthony to Jesus, so he's going to have a difficult time. Love to all.

Prayer Request

We just got word that Anthony's grandpa is not doing well at all. His health has been deteriorating for some time now due to diabetes. They've found an artery that's 95% blocked and they can't do anything because he wouldn't survive surgery. Please pray for Harve Jackson Millsaps and family. He loves the Lord dearly and is ready to go home should the Lord call him, but we'd sure hate to see it right now. He is a precious man. Also, we're trying to find a way to get down there so we can see him. Pray that the Lord will work it out at just the right time. Thanks, all.

Calling All Creative Thinkers!!!

I was hoping to enlist the help of some or all of you. Each year in my class I require the students to keep a journal. Well, this is my sixth year of teaching but my first year teaching high school, so I was wondering if I could get some suggestions for journal starters that are 11th-grade age-appropriate. It needs to be something that can be responded to with at least a paragraph or two. Can't wait to see the ideas. THANKS!!!!!!!!! :-)

Mommy's Little Sous Chef

Here's another one in the family who likes to, uhm, "cook" . Little Jackson just loves to help Mommy in the kitchen ... he he, well, help should be VERY broadly defined here. Actually, I was attempting to dress the little turkey and he ran away from me and tried to hide in the cabinet. I thought it'd make a cute picture so I stuck him back in there and snapped a shot real fast.

What is it about cooking?

Yesterday after church, I cooked up a storm and made lots so we'd have leftovers for our lunches for the next few days. I baked a ham, fried some squash and onions, cooked fresh green beans and corn-on-the-cob, and baked some home-made biscuits. What is it about cooking that makes ya feel good inside? I just love to cook. I guess it's the sense of accomplishment and knowing that your family's enjoying good food that doesn't have McD's name all over it; it has yours. :-) It's probably also the fact that you know you washed the dishes and the cooking utensils yourself, and they're CLEAN. I am more and more becoming an adversary of going out to eat because you're just not certain what you're getting and what hygienic measures were taken to ensure cleanliness in cooking. OK, that's rambling and I really don't have much of a point except to say that I love to cook for my family and friends.

I thought it'd be fun for folks to post some of the meals they make for their families often. You know how sometimes you get in a rut because hubby says he loves your this and that and the other, and you seem to start making those things a lot and don't try new things. Maybe I'm the only one who has that problem, but I thought if we all shared our favorite "stand-me-by" meals, everybody'd have a chance to expand their repertoire of family meals. Then if anybody sees one you'd like to make and need a recipe, you could ask for the recipe and that person could share. So here are some of mine: sauerkraut and sausage, shrimp pasta (with a creamy sauce I make myself), chicken enchiladas, Doritos taco salad, BBQ pork steaks, chicken pot pie, Swiss steak, corn casserole (a side dish, but a favorite around here), grilled chicken breasts, Aztec chicken, meatloaf, homemade veggie soup, homemade pizza. Those are just a few. I'll post more as I think of them if this post catches on.

Does anybody else ever watch the Food Network? I have learned sooooo many great techniques that has enhanced my cooking abilities. It's also good, clean television where you're not gonna' see filfth or hear trash. I especially enjoy watching Alton Brown. He's corny, but he's very knowledgeable and shares extremely useful info.

What's on the menu for tonight? Yummy marinated, grilled chicken salad with garlic bread.

DUH!!!

I just realized that my previous post was entitled "The Passion Play" and there's nothing in there about the actual play. I'll talk about the play this time, but I didn't want to name two of my posts about the play ... hence, "DUH!!!," as in how my brain feels at this moment. Oh, hold on just a sec. Baby's crying. ... (gone for more than a second) ... Speaking of "duh," my brilliant child just closed the door and locked himself in his room ... again. This is a new game we play and he cries every time. I thank the Good Lord that my baby brother did this very thing when we were little and my mom showed me how to use a teeny flat-head screwdriver to unlock the thing. Otherwise, my son probably wouldn't have a door to his room at this point, or at least a door knob.

So, anyway, the play was really good. The set was absolutely breathtaking and HUGE. When I first saw it as we took our seats inside the outdoor amphitheatre, I wondered how spectators could know where to look or if they'd get lost in the course of action because of how large the set was. Then I remembered that it would very soon be dark and they would, of course, use the lighting to direct the audience's attention. That's why the play is shown at night, which makes sense. Well, they started with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ended with the ascension into Heaven. They chose, I felt, the most important happenings and really emphasized how it was the Jews themselves who were the ones to really push for Jesus' crucifixion. Maybe that's something we often forget, always thinking about Pontius Pilate and Herod being the ones to blame. It was His own countrymen, the very ones who were awaiting a Messiah, and the very ones who failed to recognize Him when He came. The play also emphasized that Judas really allowed himself to be deceived. He didn't realize he was handing Jesus over to His death but was told that He'd just be questioned. So sad. The resurrection scene was AWESOME. I don't know how in the world they got that light in the tomb so bright white. It was beautiful. And then when the angel was telling Mary that He wasn't there, the most amazing thing happened. Just overhead the amphitheatre was a shooting star. It was breathtaking. You could hear everyone gasp and "ooh" and "aah". Our God is so awesome.

They also had a Sacred Arts Center, which was sooooo cool. The paintings in there were amazing and our tour guide's explanations were beautifully poignant. Brought tears to my eyes. One just gave me chillbumps and brought not just tears, but streaming tears. The title was "The Bridegroom Cometh". At first glance it appears to just be a lady reading her Bible at a table, but then, with a closer look, you begin to notice certain things that really make the painting so very touching. First thing you notice is that she's actually wearing a wedding dress and then the clock on the wall shows one minute 'til midnight. Her lamp on the table is full of oil and the wick is trimmed. The most moving aspect of the picture is that you notice her eyes are slightly turned toward a door and there's a hint of a smile forming on her face. HALLELUJAH, He's coming soon.

Love ya'll.

The Passion Play

First of all, it was a lovely day. Just a little warm but with cool, gentle breezes in mid-July, which was just great with me. I thanked the Lord all day for that blessing. We arrived in Eureka Springs earlier than we'd planned, around 11:30, and were worried about what we were going to do because the play didn't start until 8:30 p.m. The worry soon vanished because we learned there was plenty to do. We first boarded a trolley to see the New Holy Land Tour. What a phenomenal teaching ministry! The trolley enters in through the "Gates of Jerusalem" and takes the passengers to five different stops. On our first stop we met Isaiah the Prophet at the Wilderness Tabernacle. He taught us about the sacrifices of the Old Testament, the roles of the priest and the people, and the spiritual significance of it all. He was amazingly deep with his explanations and brought out many spiritual analogies that were just incredible. He ended with a plea to his audience to spend time alone with God--to unplug the phone, turn the TV and the computer off, go in a quiet place where you can't even hear if someone were to knock at the door and spend time "in" Him. I think you could've heard a pin drop even on the soft dirt we were standing on. He definitely touched several people there.

Next, we arrived at Bethlehem where we met Mary. She took us through the town and showed us the job of a carpenter and the duties of the women. We saw what the well would have been and she explained the importance and the use of the well. She showed us what the inn would've looked like and why it was God's loving decision not to allow them to stay there. We ended up in the stable and learned what a manger really was as she described the shepherds and the star overhead that night and the flood of angels in the sky the shepherds described to her. We ended up singing "Amazing Grace" together, and, again, many were touched.

Our third stop was at the Sea of Galilee where we met Simon Peter. He was a perfect depiction of the beloved disciple because, just like Peter, he was full of fire and a little crazy, but you could also discern a good heart. He talked about some of his experiences with Jesus and described when Jesus was arrested and the healing of the ear he'd cut off. Then he began to tell of the time when Jesus came to him on the sea walking on the water and as he did, a man dressed as Jesus came out on the "sea" there with the illusion that he really was walking on the water. He spoke to us in Aramaic and translated it to be a blessing to the people. Wow! This time, it wasn't so quiet among our group, but more of a rejoicing spirit.

After that, we traveled to Golgotha and the site of the Tomb where Mary Magdelene awaited our arrival. She explained the events after the resurrection and showed us the tomb. She talked about how she knew Him the moment He spoke to her and believed He had risen as He said He would. She left us exuberant to hear once more the story of His resurrection and ascension and the promise of His soon return.

On our last stop, we met John. He took us to the Upper Room where there was laid out a replica of what the Last Supper must have looked like. He told of Jesus humbling Himself as He washed all of their feet and the impression that left on them. He became somewhat distressed as he described Judas denying that it was he who would betray the Lord and then leaving to do that very thing. I think this was the last stop for that very reason. The ministry there wanted to emphasize that it's not a difficult thing to betray the Lord and easily disregard the guilt in our hearts, and this time, you could see a few tears on the faces of some of the people as they honestly examined their hearts.

I'll tell of some of the other presentations we experienced on another post. God bless.

Fellowshipping with the Saints

Brother Phillip and Sister Annette Deitz from Collinsville, AL, were here on vacation last week. They stayed with us for a week and we had such a blessed time of friendship and fun. Megan, their 11-year-old little girl came with them, excuse me, their 11-year-old "preteen". She instists on being referred to as a preteen, not a kid, so we try to remember to do so. :-)

We toured the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, MO, which is only 45 minutes from our house. We learned a lot about the rapid changes in that time period after Laura and Almanzo moved to Missouri. The Victorian period and the pioneer age seemed to clash some between mother and her daughter, Rose. The story is that Rose went to school in New Orleans and soon after wrote several books and used some of the earnings to have built a modern home for her mother and father. They actually had electricity more than a decade before anyone else in the area did! Laura and Almanzo lived there for about seven years, but after Rose began traveling again, they both promptly moved back to the farm house. They said they appreciated the gift, and it was beautiful, but it wasn't their speed. Funny how people have changed over the years, huh? Laura, who died in '50 something never owned a TV. Said she just didn't care for one.

We then had lunch at Seymour, MO, only a few miles west of Mansfield. This is part of Missouri Amish country. Our server at the restaurant told us how to find an Amish farm with an old-timey general store. After 30 minutes and way too much very expensive gas usage :-*, we found the farm and spent a while in the store. Megan found a cute Amish doll and Brother Phillip bought an Amish-style hat. The women, of course, were more frugal and didn't spend any money. (Do any of you other ladies have the struggle of being the more frugal of the marriage partnership? It can be rough.) Anyway, back to the story. Jackson became very fussy (probably because there wasn't any air conditioning in the store, of course), so I took him out to the car to wait for the Deitzes to finish. While sitting out there in my modern luxury, I looked around and noticed several fascinating things, but there was one that almost urked me enough to make an idiot of myself with uncalled-for comment--don't worry; I resisted. Anyway, three young ladies had returned from town in a buggy. First thing I noticed is that they weren't wearing shoes, which may be their perogative. That, actually, wasn't the problem. It was the horse. They unhitched this haggard-looking, worn-down, gaunt old stallion that was just heaving for breath. Its nostrils were flaring and its ribs were very visible. It was a pitiful sight. I thought at first that maybe they couldn't afford to have a good horse and felt sorry for them. But what I saw next was just nearly nauseating. I look over in the pen and saw five or six huge, beautiful, healthy steeds and an Amish guy throwing hay to them over the fence for their supper. They were probably Tennessee Walkers and they were just gorgeous. I want to know why those girls weren't allowed to take one of those horses instead. It's not like they carry a cell phone in case the prehistoric grandpa horse gave up the ghost on their way back from town. And, of course, they live way out in the boondocks if something ever did happen. Just pushed 2 or 3 of my buttons!

Anyway, what an experience! I did enjoy the day, though.

We also went to Eureka Springs, AR, last weekend to see the Passion Play there, which none of us had ever seen before. I'll have to tell all about that in another post. It was simply amazing. I encourage anyone who hasn't been to try to go to this one. I'm still gleaning off some of the presentations we saw. I mean, there were things shared there that would PREACH. And just to put it out there, anyone who receives ministerial income can see the play and take the New Holy Land Tour for free along with his/her spouse.

Sleigh Ride

And here are our family Christmas pictures. The photographer sure earned her wages that day.

Here's our little Action Jackson. He's taking a nap right now, (whew! finally) so I thought I'd get back on here and try to figure out more about this blogging business. It's fun.

So this is his first birthday party. He didn't get so messy like most kids. I think it's because he doesn't get a lot of sugar (he doesn't need more energy, that's for certain; he has his own natural high--no sugar needed). Anyway, the cake just didn't interest him too much. But the gifts ... now there's HIS "icing on the cake". :-)

new blog--pardon the mess

I just recently discovered this intriguing world of web blogging. It's so good to see friends on here I haven't seen in such a long time. Marsha, Becki, Sis. Smith, Grayson, and others I hope to find, hello. It seems ages since I've seen or talked to you all.

After checking out several of your blogs, I thought I'd try my own. Having trouble with a few things, but I might get it straightened out after reading a little more about it. Becki, where did you get the beautiful template? Going to try to upload a photo of our family so you can all see our son, Jackson Kenley. He's a doll, but don't let looks fool you--he's a handful. Has his daddy's stubborn streak--ok, it probably comes a little from me, as well, but you all know Anthony.

God bless. Love ya'll.