Out of the box...

Now, don't get me wrong...I love my church and the organization that is behind it. But, I don't care too much for denominational boxes. My attitude has always been that I'm a Christian that happens to go to a Baptist church. Down deep in my DNA, I'm a Catholic. Now, let me explain myself...we're all Catholics if we were to trace our roots back to who knows when. At some point in the past we were ONE church, right? It's my opinion that God's kids couldn't get along and some of 'em took their toys and went home refusing to play with the others anymore. I'm NOT saying this is a bad thing...it's just a thing. I've been through a church split and I actually do know how it feels to agreeably disagree and be better off with occasional family get-togethers rather than have every Sunday meal together. I am all for structure!

As Kent and I watched a documentary on the Jonestown tragedy, we realized that they didn't seem to start out as a cult. The problem? It was a religious movement without denominational accountability. In my opinion, without a plum line they got way off track. Another reason I embrace my denomination is because my Aunt and her family recently moved to Idaho and choosing a church in that area has been difficult. They have learned they can trust what doctrines are taught inside, based on the buildings with various denominational signs on the outside. So you see, I am thankful for the lines in the sand, the boundaries, the edges. I don't do well with them, but I'm thankful for them.

For example, my bank asked that I use only black ink on my deposit slips. Ouch, that was hard for me. Even more difficult was when they asked me to keep my writing inside the little boxes. Without knowing a good 'why', I was enraged! They finally told me a 'why'...it was to enable the computer to read them when scanned. After resolving what were almost irreconcilable differences, I am still a customer of their bank.

So in a nutshell, I don't do well with boxes of any sort. And those watermelons are weird!

My Heroes...

Volunteers

don't get paid,

because they're

PRICELESS.

~Sherry Anderson

Total eclipse of the~

Oh sorry, I was lost in an '80's song. While walking the other morning, my friend and I witnessed a total eclipse for about twelve minutes. It was cool. Now my friend had to remind me of the 'mechanics' to an eclipse. The earth blocking the sun's reflection on the moon and all that yada yada.

The thing that amazes me is this... I have three enemies...Satan, the world and me, myself and I. Well, I guess that's five, but you get the drift. The download to my brain went something like this...I live on earth (this world), Satan is prince of this world and all three of us block the SON from shining out to others if we are allowed to get in the way.

America's Got Talent!

Well, I must admit that last night was the FIRST and ONLY episode of this show that I've seen. But, the BEST. I am sooooo amazed that a puppeteer won this contest. I stand amazed at several christian performers that minister to children with puppets like Dennis Lee with Nana Puddin. I'd love to have them perform in our area by the way. And now this honor for a fellow puppeteer. I've have a few puppets myself ya know, but I don't ventriliquize. Kacy does, tho.

Anywaze...it's cool, if you wanna watch.

http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/#mea=146372

Log me in...

"I am the vine, you are the branches..." This verse was the key verse for the children's sermon this morning. I tried to explain to the kids that staying connected to God is like the branches, us, being connected to the vine, Jesus. The life giving sap that flows from the vine to the branches is the Holy Spirit. If we stay connected then here comes the fruit!

Now, in my thirty seven years I've never heard of such a concept that I am about to describe to you. But, Kacy my techno buddy is teaching me a new computer program. She said that I could go to http://www.logmein.com/ and sign up for a freebie. She claims that I can log on to my computer and she can log onto her computer and for a period of time she can control my mouse from her computer. If I get stuck or have problems then all I have to do is call Kacy to fix it. Isn't that amazing? THIS is the latter object lesson that I used with the kids...

Just like the day when Jesus passed by a grapevine and used it for a teaching moment, I used logmein.com to teach how the Holy Spirit can help us out of a jam. If we will get 'connected' or logged in to Him then He will take control and fix our problem. I started the day getting logged into Him during a quiet-time then He showed up and showed off with the logmein illustration. It came from Him...I'm not smart enough to come up with that. I took fake grapes from my kitchen to teach about the vine. He said, "These kids have never seen a grapevine, Tammie. Get real (or relevant, if you can't imagine the Father saying get real)!" He lives in me and He, in me, walked by a computer this week and turned around and used it for a teaching moment.


He still moves, speaks and teaches!!!

In one accord...

At church this a.m. our message centered around the move of the Holy Spirit at pentecost when a group of people gathered and were in one accord with awesome results. A chord? I love nothing more than to hear three part harmony in a song like Beulah Land and others.

Well, this has been my vision for the children's ministry 4-ever. A group of people in one accord, working for the benefit of the kids. We are stronger together than we are apart. Ministry in a small town (and I mean small), had become frustrating because of lack of resources and volunteer support. This problem caused me to venture out and get help from sister churches and communities. Thus...the birth of a community-wide children's program. We still don't have an official name, though. On Goree's website I've called it Chickabiddy. Why, I don't know? That word is a synonym for child in the thesaurus. I needed something fast, the community-wide youth program is called Power One. Soooo, we needed a name, too.

All that to say this, today I went to a county-wide meeting where the theme was of one accord. Knox County STRONG is a project that will be implemented in the near future by the Knox County Visioning Group. The KCVG plans to hire a County-wide Economic Development Coordinator. This person's job will be to unite us, the towns in Knox County, to be stronger together than we are apart. I witnessed an awesome thing today!

Lord, let a county-wide-across-denomination move of the Holy Spirit happen in the spiritual relm like it did today in the social. The two obstacles: friday night lights and denominational differences. I curse it to the roots!

We will be blessed. We will move forward. And God will be glorified!

Take A Walk~

This is 'Dog'. He's really my neighbor's dog that keeps comin' round. He's been walking with me and my friends every morning. That is a cage that I've been baiting with food to catch some stray cats so that I can take to them to my friend Dara for her barn. The cats are oblivious to the fact that it is a cage and that someday I will slam the door shut on 'em. And today 'Dog' was trying it out.I'm pretty oblivious, too.

There is a trap that the enemy continues to dangle in front of me and I waltz in and out as I please. But, someday that trap door may come crashing down and I'll be caught. Why do I flirt with it. Today I want to steer clear of the hazard. Today I want to walk in the Spirit not the flesh.

In His Presence

In a devo, I was reminded that I have the Holy Spirit in me longing to be about the Father's business just as Jesus, a baby, a boy and a man, longed to be in His Father's house. He was birthed in me, I'm His bethlehem, on July 4th 2002. At times I have been lost to the world while sitting in His throne room. And now it's stolen moments and glances of His presence...I need more, I want more.

One Night With The King

This movie is one that moved me, remember? November '06 post. I bought the movie. It's about time to watch it again.

Hmmm...Jesus, my King.

The lights are on~

~but nobody's home!

“Proverbs is a collection of lamps. Lamps that do for the heart what the lamps in your house do for your eyes. They chase away the darkness. Reading Proverbs turns on the lamps in the dark corners of life.” By Max Lucado

It’s a little dark in the corner where I keep my telephone. I could turn on the gossip lamp. Oh, it’s hard to see over by my computer…let’s turn on the prudence lamp. And the area around that mirror’s a little dim; better turn on the insecurity lamp there. I need to turn on that lust lamp by the T.V. Well, since we are at it, there are some others…laziness, anger, worry, fear, pride and greed lamps that need tending to as well.

"These commands are like a lamp," wrote Solomon. "This teaching is like a light. And the correction that comes from them will help you have life." Prov. 6:23