Jesus is Risen!

Couldn't have happened soon enough.
I was so wiped after Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday. I'm still not totally sure how I made it to bed on Sunday night.

Anyways, here's a few bits that I caught between Thursday and Sunday with my phone. Nothing life altering, just little things.

Filling communion cups for prayer stations

Good Friday black and crown of thorns

We had prayer stations set up on Thursday and Friday, and then had a "Tenebrae" service on Friday evening.
Saturday was actually my "free" day, although I still ended up having to take mom to the Lion's Club Easter Egg Hunt down at Lake Apopka. She had fun organizing the Special Needs egg hunt which took place in the parking lot.

Resurrection Sunday started at O Dark Thirty, meaning I got up at 5:00a to walk Toby and get ready for the Sunrise Service.  I dress the cross during Holy Week, so it gets changed from purple, to black, to white.

Sunrise was followed by the 9:00a service, Sunday School, and the 11:15a service.  Then I WAS FREE.
Oh PRAISEALLEUIA!!!!

I was so tired by this point, my whole body ached.

Went home for Easter lunch with mom and dad.  Then it was off to Lake Hickory Nut to hang out with the Branom family.

Toby goes just about everywhere with me. Therein, he got to come out to the lake with me. His current favorite thing to do is "chase lizards". So he was in pure heaven hanging out on Terril and Louise's back porch.

As long as I kept an eye on him I was able to let him have fun and spend time talking with Steve, Julie, Louise, and Jesse. Julie and I stood out on the dock and watched the shell crackers and brim get chased around by huge bass. I could just hear summer coming as the cicadas began to sing in the trees.

Oh, and I thoroughly enjoyed both Julie's grape salad and Louise's REALLY GOOD banana pudding. YUM!

A few more shots, just so you can fully understand how much I'm enjoying being free of the cold of winter and the stress of Holy Week.

I can smell spring in these shots.

Any clue what kind of spider this is?

Mom's flowers are GORGEOUS right now!

Walking Toby in SHORTS!!

Green Anoles peeking out EVERYWHERE!!

Toby, lizard hunting, AGAIN!

I've got dirt under my finger nails most days now.
Happy and Warm days to you all!!

2012 Christmas

So I thought I'd share a few moments from Christmas this year.
This is a painting I did several of to be given as gifts to several lucky people. I'm still working on a few more, even now in January.

Our Christmas eve services were different this year. I found a order of worship on http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=5455155&ct=7735769 which we tweaked a little bit.
I used a nativity set that I borrowed from Louise Branom. Here's a few of the shots.

Communion served at a second altar.

Nativity on the main altar with candles

Richard lighting the Gabriel candle.

I thought the service went really well. However, Christmas Eve was the day that the creeping crud finally got me, and I was pretty miserable through both services and at Julie's After Party. As of today, January 7th, the crud is still hanging on.

These are a few of my favorite shots from the candlelight portion of the service. Love capturing these!

Let your light shine!

Santa even made it to the service!

Reilly and Kelsey

I have to share, that even though I didn't feel good, I drove mom and dad down to Bumpa and Aunt Joyce's for Christmas morning. Being with family definitely made the day. That and getting to hear my cousin Allison retell the Christmas story to Reese, Hailey, and Colton. I'm not sure I'll be able to listen to the story again and keep a straight face. Let's just say that a shepherd named Louie made an appearance, and the three kings evidently made a stop at Denny's before making it to Mary and Joseph's house. The morning was all the better because there were plenty of Jiggers and Colton received a rubber band gun (which he wasted no time shooting Megan with!)

Hope your Christmas was joyful!

Holy Week Prayer Stations

So I haven't taken any pictures. I know. . .you're saying, then why would I bother to read this. . .blogs are all about the pictures you share!
Well tough cookies. . .I don't have any. . .
Anyways, I've been having a good couple of days. . .had Youth Sunday this past weekend. . .that was fun, but a lot of work. The kids always pull through and do a great job, which just amps up their good exposure to the church congregation. . .

Bags of sin at the cross

Holy Week is coming up, and we've decided to do prayer stations again this year. . .now there's where I could throw you a bone and put some pictures in. . .however, they're old, taken about four years ago. . .but, I'll allow them.

Holy Communion

Prayer Braids

Caring for our community

Good Graffiti

 So here's how they work. . .
we set up the Fellowship Hall, a Sunday School classroom, the chapel, and the sanctuary with different interactive stations. Each participant carries along a booklet that tell them about each station. This includes scripture, a brief devotional, instructions on the station activity, and a prayer. Participants slowly move from station to station, taking as much time as they'd like. The stations in the Fellowship Hall are all pretty generic and touch mainly on personal prayer and faith. The stations after that all follow the Life and Death and Resurrection of Christ. Hence the name "journey through Holy Week". Included among these are a foot-washing station and the Last Supper, or Holy Communion.

Danny, Richard, and I spend a month ahead of time coming up with station ideas, putting together the booklet, and making sure we have enough supplies (mainly white candles). Then the Tuesday before we spend about eight hours getting everything put together and set up. . .lots of fun.
Well, that's the main thing on my plate. . .beside two Sunday's of worship and then four services during Holy Week. Lol.