today's distraction - flooding parking lots

we have had one serious storm this morning and after hurricane season is over too!  the parking lot has been flooded.  the road on the other side of the church has been flooded.  the yard is still flooded.  it's completely fascinating me today.  i cancelled my programs for this afternoon because of the weather and i have done NO other work because of watching the water rise and fall.  i got soaked to the skin when i looked out the window and noticed the water was almost up to the doors of my car!  i took off my shoes and ran to move it!  i have never experienced anything like this!

this picture is from the drain that caused all the flooding in the first place.  someone finally came and cleared it!  it made a fantastic noise too!

this one is taken from the upstairs of the church.  the water here is much lower than it was.

closer view.  see the line of pine straw and pine cones - that's how high it was!

november in review (my constant distractions)

Listening to...currently - Enter the Worship Circle - Third Circle & CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

Watching...Elf on repeat

Reading...Emily of New Moon by LM Montgomery (LOVE IT!)

Need to be reading...Stuff for ministry - Orange, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions

Eating...Christmas party food - it's that time of year!

Drinking...same ole' same ole - diet coke and water

Wearing...my slippers (the MOMENT i get home - i wish i could pull them off as real shoes)

Lusting after...Keurig coffee machine (i just can't justify it in my mind but it seems oh so fantastic)

Brainstorming on...my new craft room/exercise room

Excited about...Christmas, clearly & Children's Pastors Conference in January

Getting ready for...traveling and upcoming responsibilities and lessons

things i'm thankful for (2009 edition) version 2.0

kitty cats
my macbook
family adventures
christmas decorations
diet coke
fuzzy slippers
dominoes (the game - not the pizza)
the nice man at O'Reillys auto parts who changed the battery in my car
emmet otters jug band christmas
elf

advent

Advent packages went out to the children of FUMC today.  I enjoy giving advent gifties because it is something that is not often recognized.  I think that children should learn the importance of advent and what it actually means.  I love advent.  Advent is a season of the church that comes before Christmas.  It is a period of waiting for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.  We prepare ourselves, our hearts, and our homes for the joy that Jesus' birth bring us! 
I encourage you to spend this time of advent learning more about and growing closer to Jesus. God gave us the best gift in all of creation when He sent Jesus to us.  Let's welcome Him into our lives and homes this season and for the rest of our lives!
Blessings!

things i'm thankful for (2009 edition) version 1.0

new friends
tiny neighbors
cooler weather
catalogs
clean carpets!
babies on the way (not me - just lots of folks in my life)
netflix
movies
books
new to me furniture

October in Review

I'm a little late on this one...oops.

Listening to... b.reith & lots of randomness on the radio

Watching...All Creatures Great and Small (on Netflix)

Reading...for book club - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
                other reading - Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery

Eating...my made-up version of stir fry (i don't think this is actually how you make stir fry but it works for me!

Drinking...sweet tea

Wearing...my snazzy new brown jacket!!

Lusting after...

Laughing at...the random things you deal with when working with children! 

Brainstorming on...Christmas!!!  It's coming!!!

Excited about...putting up my Christmas tree in 13 days!  (yes, that's before Thanksgiving) there is a method to my madness!

Getting ready for...my mission trip to Louisiana next month - UMCOR Sager Brown - have i mentioned that i am the youngest person by at least 30 years going on this trip?  definitely going to be interesting...

why i love high school football...

i love high school football.  i didn't like it at all when i was in high school but over the last three or four years, it's one of the highlights of my life!  the joys of living in a small town!!

Here are the reasons why i love it so:

1. marching bands (good or bad)

2. excellent people watching

3. everyone in town is there

4. the joy of sitting with the older ladies from my church doing something that is not typically related to old ladies.

5. watching the children of the community goof about and not actually pay any attention to the game.

6. being in this town long enough to actually know some of the players on the team and the cheerleaders.

7. the fact that the concession stand sells things that you wouldn't think of as stadium food - like gumbo, chili and gator tail (welcome to florida!)

8. the announcer who says happy birthday to anyone and everyone whenever there is a lull.

9. at one of the first games i attended here, a dog got loose on the field and they had to stop the game for 15 minutes until they could catch it!

10. the actual football game itself.

enjoy your friday night lights!

GO SHARKS!