Sabbath Bliss

I love, love, love Sundays. It's definitely my favorite day of the week.(Which is one of the many questions from Meg's meme...that I'm putting off until I have an extra couple of hours (!) to complete it. What happened to the easy memes, like "If you were a flavor of coffee what would you be?" To which I'd answer: Tea Bag, since I hate coffee.

Meggy's meme has 26 questions - One for every letter of the alphabet. Torture, I tell you. Maybe tomorrow I'll be up for it. Since I'm sure you're dying to find out my deepest thoughts about: Cake or pie? Gummy Bears or worms? Indulgences? (now, that might be worth reading...IF I were to be honest. Pretty Big IF.)

Ms. Meg didn't make up the meme herself, so I'm sure she's taking no offense at my good-natured (however, true) ribbing. I'm not sure what a meme is (although Lori is researching it for us, right Lori?)- but I'm pretty sure I know this - They all originated with Al Gore. He and Tipper made up a bunch of them when they invented the Internet.


Anyway- Back to Sunday.

Today, our Pastor finished up a 20 month series on the writings of John. We started with the gospel of John, went through 1,2,3 John, then finished with Revelation.
Very Good Preaching (which I think you can hear if you click here.)
The college kids and grad students are all back in our little FL town, so our church is full. It feels exciting to see so many young people, mixed with older, and singles, and couples with babies, and Beyond Middle-Aged couples with a passel of kids (that would be my HOH and me)- all worshiping together in our small, but devoted congregation. I could feel the love this morning oozing from the body of Christ.

Some of that oozing might have been because we had our monthly church luncheon today. Eating with people is very bonding. And eating at our church pot lucks, where all the families bring Mega-Dishes to make up for the college kids who don't have access to kitchen equipment (or money)- is very ful(Filling).

During Sunday School today we started the video series from Ted Tripp, "Shepherding a Child's Heart." I love that book, and I know I'm going to love the videos since they go into more depth than the book. Today was all about the heart as the source of behavior (ours and theirs). We try to separate what we say and do from who we are....but that's a lie. Nothing comes out of our mouths that wasn't already in our hearts. That little fact pretty much puts a Big Damper on excuses like, "I'm not sure what came over me. I must be tired/getting sick/PMSing (ouch!)/hungry."
Or my personal favorite, "I know I shouldn't have acted that way. It's just not like me to do that."

It's exactly like us to say and do wrong things. Which is why the Gospel message is so relevant and needful. For us and for our children.

I'll end with this quote from today's lesson. And tomorrow I hope to pick back up with the house tour. Unless my guilt overwhelms me and I decide to do Meg's meme.

"You are not what you think, but what you think - you are."
D.A. Carson