Busy- The Good Kind!

The business continues!  Corey and I spent Thanksgiving with his family in Frankfort, KY where we ate Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel (a Thanksgiving story we'll never forget!) and traveled to Lexington and had dinner with some of his friends and Karney who drove all the way from Nashville to hang out with us!  Then I preached this Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent.  I got a lot of positive comments about my sermon, although I was worried someone would think I was being a scrooge about the whole Christmas thing, but I didn't get any of that!  I was just really trying to push people to think about making Christmas meaningful again instead of the mad rush that it has become.  It should be a spiritual time of preparation, prayer, and spending time with God and family.  Instead, it has become shopping, lines, traffic, and money money money, debt debt debt.  I think it's really sad.  I'm trying to stay away from that this year...really.

Monday night was the district Christmas party and variety show.  I somehow (*cough cough* Corey) got roped into singing a song as part of it.  I sang the Michael W. Smith song, "Friends," which I happen to think is one of the cheesiest songs ever, but people seemed to enjoy it.  It was a long night to say the least...but it was ok. And we had our first snow of the season on Monday!  I always feel like a little kid when it snows- I always get excited!

Tuesday afternoon was spent with an older woman at church.  She invited me out to her house for lunch with some other women.  We spent the afternoon talking and eating soup.  It was long, but I enjoyed the fellowship.  It got me thinking about women in the church and how many of them are older and single, widowed, or divorced, and how church has really given them a place for family and friends, and to discover their gifts within ministry.  This made me even more honored that I have been asked to install the 2009 officers for the United Methodist Women at church tomorrow! Speaking of women in church, I had lunch with a 96 year old member today who lives in an assisted living place.  I've actually mentioned her here before.  She is just the nicest, sweetest little old lady- 96 and still very with it.  I learned that she lost her husband in WWII and never re-married.  It just amazes me how these women pick themselves up and manage to become such strong, independent and wonderful people, especially considering that most of them grew up during a time when women were not encouraged to work or make something else out of their lives.  I can only hope that I can learn from these women and keep forming relationships with them!

That's really all that's going on right now...one Christmas party or event after another, and I can't really complain about that.  Advent worship is going well, the praise band for the 2nd service is doing ok, and I'm still trying to add more creative things to the service.  My parents are coming up this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them.  Kole is doing well :) Life is good :)