Holiday Break

I'm still enjoying the holidays with my family. So I've decided to follow the lead of some great friends and take a blogging break. See you all on the other side.....January 2010!!!!

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

We have been so busy the last few weeks. Add in the fact that I have been sick with a sinus infection the last three days, I am a bit behind in my Christmas preparation. So I'm taking a break for a few days so I can play catch up. Until then you guys play among yourselves (I will be back Christmas Day with lots of pictures).

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

1) I know I say this often, but this week has been crazy, a bit sad, and in many ways joyful all mixed up together.

2) Early in the week we lost a very special lady.

3) Tuesday was sort of a blur, but because of all of the things on our calendar for this week I knew I needed to get a few decorations up before the weekend.

4) Actually most of the week was a blur. Marc had a heavy schedule and we even missed the luncheon with Senator Miller that we were scheduled to go to on Thursday. What happens to you when you stand up a US Senator?

5) I'm learning not to pout when Marc gets caught up at his job. We are very thankfully that God has provided a way for Marc to own his own business. Sometimes I just wish he had the ability to work full time at just WABC.

6) Mrs. Ellis funeral took place on Friday and the repast was held at the preschool my daughter worked at, which just happens to be our old church. Being there that day allowed me the chance to sit in on the going away party for her that the staff and students put on.

7) After the repast I traveled back with my mom to her home for the weekend. Early Saturday morning we got up to go on a bus trip hosted by her gospel choir to see a play.

8) The play was awesome, but the bus ride was an adventure to say the least. If you follow me on twitter or facebook you may understand why. LOL

9) We got back from the trip early, and somehow or another Mom and I ended up at WALMART of all places. Who in their right mind shops at Wally World on a Saturday? Good thing we were in the country because the place would have been packed if it was a Saturday night here in the city!

10) We were in WalMart to buy Poinsettias for the altar at my mom's church. Several members got off the bus and headed into WalMart to also get flowers. Pastor Dickerson brought the biggest plant in the store. Said people would talk about him if he came in Sunday morning with the puny one. LOL

11) Sunday morning I went with my mom to church but the girls picked me up right after service. Its been pouring down rain all day, and I probably would have stayed with my mom a bit longer if I had not made plans to be with our Marriage and Singles Ministry to see a play "The Gift of the Magi" at New Life Providence.

12) We had a great time and even took a few pictures after the play.

13) This week I plan to finish up my decorating and then start the planning for Christmas dinner. After much deliberation I think I finally have the menu down, at least in my head. One year we had an Italian Christmas dinner and then a Soup and Sandwich Christmas. Guess which one did not go over well?

14) I just looked at the bulletin for this week and after looking at all of the upcoming events, not to mention the fact that our Children's church starts in a few weeks and the Women's Winter Tea that I will be speaking at. Well lets just say I need to go to bed and get some rest. Its been a long week and weekend. Anytime I have to go back and correct my words over and over again its time to give it a rest (seriously I have dozed off a couple of times with the laptop in my lap).

15) Oops, final note. Did you notice the new picture? Just another peek at the Christmas photoshoot from a few weeks ago. Oh, and before any PETA supporters question me. No the coat is not real. Its just a very good fake! LOL

Mrs. Ellis

I almost didn't write this post. I try very hard to respect the privacy of the members of our church. But Mrs. Ellis was not just a member of WABC to my family. Mrs. Ellis passed away last week at the age of 99. I have known her almost my entire life. I called her husband (Deacon Ellis) Pop Pop just like all of his other grandchildren did (she was my aunts mother). He called me Little Mary after my mom. But Mrs. Ellis was always Mrs. Ellis. Not because I feared her or disliked her, but because I respected her so much. She commanded respect not because she asked for it, it was just the way you treated Mrs. Clara Ellis. She weighed less then a 100 pounds, spoke in a soft voice but as Marc said in his eulogy to her on Friday when Mrs. Ellis spoke everyone listened. Mrs. Ellis and her family are a big part of the reason Marc and I are at WABC today. She will be thoroughly missed, but she leaves behind a very strong legacy. By the way this picture was taken just a week ago. When she passed she was ready to go, no fanfare, no big explosions. Monday night Marc said goodnight to her and Tuesday morning she was gone. Ask anyone and they can tell you where Mrs. Ellis is today. Can we say the same thing if we passed away tomorrow?

Miss. Marquisha

Friday before leaving for my trip we buried a very special family friend. The repast was held at our old church. It just happens to be the same place that my daughter teaches. This week marked the end of her time at the churches preschool. Quisha has plans to do substitute teaching and if all goes well she will most likely go back to grad school to earn her masters degree. Friday the staff gave her a goodbye celebration and my mom, Nicki and I were there to see it. The picture of her with the folder in front of her face was taken when she read a card from the children. She did not want me to take a pic of her crying.

Christmas Trip

Had a great time hanging out with my mama and big cousin this weekend. We attended a play in MD called "Christmas Celebration". It was an awesome presentation including camels, horse drawn carriages, children singing, dancers and the story of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you are ever in the area you have to check out this place. My mom's church loved it so much that they have already started planning a trip for next year so that they can take the youth. Hopefully we will be able to take a bunch of WABC folks along also (I told my cousin to get ready to add another bus to the line up). If you follow me on twitter then you know that we had a crazy ride. There is nothing like a Baptist Bus Trip. LOL The church was pretty cool also. They offered popcorn and water while you watched the show (I called Marc and told him we need to invest in a popcorn machine at WABC for our family movie nights). Even if you didn't want to get up their "customer service reps" would bring the water and popcorn to your seat. My mom's pastor said if their church and WABC combined we might be able to pull off a church building like the cathedral.

Seeing Red

Thought I would give you all a glimpse at my Christmas decor for 2009. The little bit that I've actually got done. In case you didn't notice the ornaments are in a tray, not on the tree (the rest are in the attic). And the tablescape in the diningroom still has my other tablecloth on it (the Christmas one is still in the attic with the ornaments). Our schedule and the weather has put a major snag in our decorating plans. A few years ago this would have taken me over the edge and I would have been freaking out about the fact that we are only two weeks away from Christmas and I still have gifts to buy, cards to send out, and trees to decorate. I've come a long way baby. A sure sign of that was choosing red (red is my least favorite color, but for some reason it was calling my name this year) as the dominate color for my decorating scheme. I tend to go for the non traditional greens (lime), white, and yes even pale and aqua blue. As a matter of fact next year I'm leaning toward purple, pink and lime green. Yes, I tend to plan a year in advance. That way I can look for after Christmas sales and pick up the specific ornaments/decorations I will need next year (remember I'm the same girl that gets excited about Black Friday). My girls will probably love it (my husband and son not soo much). So dish....what colors do you use for Christmas?

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

1) Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We started putting a few of the Christmas decorations up last week. Nothing like the tree in this picture, but I can dream can't I?

2) This picture is one of the shots from our Christmas Photo shoot that we did after my friends Wedding Renewal. I thought I would give you all a peek of some of the shots. I won't reveal the one that will be on our Christmas greeting until the week of Christmas.

3) I spent the majority of the week cleaning out the rooms that the tree's will go in. I still have one more to clear out and then I will spend the majority of this week putting up the rest of the decorations. I know, I have a sickness!!!! Who else takes three weeks to put up decorations?

4) Thursday I had the best time hanging out with some great ladies. If you are a Pastor's Wife you really should check out Lori's "Leading and Loving It" blog. Thursday morning a bunch of us got together on tokbox for a virtual roundtable. I know that Brandi and Lori have some planned for the beginning of the year, so make sure you check it out.

5) I have a heart for women (especially Pastor wives who are struggling) and one of my dreams is to one day be able to host a Pastor's Wives Conference here in VA. I have been reading and listening to lots of messages lately about "dreams". At this point and time that is all this is, is a dream. But lately I have been feeling this need to write these dreams down. Not just in my heart, but in words on paper. So, there you have it....one day I will (not just hope) be inviting Pastor's Wives to VA for a time of fellowship, fun and rejuvenation!

6) Friday I got to spend some time with a few local minister's wives at a meeting for our Minister's Wives and Widows Alliance of Tidewater. Most of the ladies in this group have been in ministry longer then I have been around. A few actually knew my grandparents! They offer words of wisdom to those of us who now follow in their footsteps.

7) Saturday evening WABC ordained our longtime friend Rev. Rob, and he officially became the Assistant Minister to Marc. It was a beautiful service. Marc was the speaker and his advice to Rob was to preach! No matter what, preach the word that God has placed on your heart.

8)At the end of the service Marc presented Rob with a Bible, a Hymn Book, and several books that he said every leader should read, in addition to their bible (he also told Rob there would be a pop quiz).

9) Our friend Rev. Davis actually presented Rob with the hymn book. I thought he was going to preach. He put a new spin on a old traditional book that most churches do not use anymore (Marc had a time finding that book....he went to three stores before he found one). Rev told Rob that he would be surprised at the messages he might find in that book, the comfort those old hymns may give him in times of trouble. It made me want to go back and look at Marc's and I don't even like hymns. LOL!

10) At the end of the service the Catechize gave Rob a charge. The one that struck me the most was when he told Rob he had been placed at WABC to be the Aaron to Moses (meaning Marc). Basically he wanted Rob to know that he was there to have Marc's back. Then he told him that in time, one day God would elevate him to a Moses if that was God's will and then someone would become his Aaron!

11) Today we traveled to another friends church to celebrate their first year as a church and their Pastor's first anniversary as Pastor. I have to say Marc tore it up. His message was "Something to Shout About". I don't know what got into him this weekend but he was on all weekend. I love seeing him use the gifts that God has given him.

12) This week Marc and I (along with many more I am sure) will have lunch with one of our local Senator's. Senator Miller was actually at Marc's ordination so she is not a stranger to us. I'm just praying I don't fall on my face or suffer some other embarrassing moment. Events like this usually leave me speechless ( I literally have a hard time talking to people who I don' know)!

13) If all goes well I will go home to spend a few days with my mom. Last year mom invited me to see a play in MD along with several other family members. I don't have a clue what I am going to see, I just know its a Christmas play. LOL Good thing I love spending time with my family.

14) Sunday afternoon I will rush back here to attend a Christmas play with our Marriage and Singles Ministry. Needless to say I will probably pass out by week's end. Thus is my life! I have always said that my life is a series of events.

15) I can't be the only person attending a bunch of parties, installations, weddings, etc. What upcoming holiday events will you be attending this week?