Mstone Classnotes 11.18.07. Catnaps and Black socks.

Dear All:

Okay – it is the most beautiful day outside. I just feel most cat-like sitting in the sunshine typing away. The only thing that would be better would be if I were asleep. Taking a catnap of sorts. That is incredibly cat-like for I think my father told me once that cats sleep two-thirds of their lives away.

Sounds great! Kind of.

Sunday School was indeed great yesterday – another large Milestone crowd. I mean don’t you people have homes and beds where you could be sleeping on Sunday mornings?

Well, Jamie – then we would miss out on all the fun at church!!! Of course, that must be it. (for you certainly have homes, beds and the like.) Though hope they are neater than mine at present. But who would wantest to be inside straightening with such glorious day. Not i! (big surprise)

Laree and Dan the Man taught great lesson again this week. Actually it was just Laree this week, guess Dan is up next week.

We again discussed Max Lucado’s thoughts on hope and experiencing Jesus.

We started with 1 Corinthians 15:35-38. Thankfully I was sitting by Ruth for she very patiently helped me find the verses that Laree called out in class. Rather like Jake thankfully sitting by James in many of his middle school classes.

This passage talks of the new glorious body we will have in heaven.

Laree, “What does Paul mean by body?”

Mary D., “A new form of being – be ourselves yet different.”

Julie spoke of how our lives could be compared to the acorn and the oak. That our perfected bodies are the mighty oak – but all our potential is always there in the tiny acorn.

Then Laree really gave us all uplifting food for thought thinking of what our future here on earth is with our earthly bodies.

Arthritis, disease, gray hair, wrinkles, loss of bladder control, bad backs, -- black dress socks, translucent white legs attached to white tennis shoes – and whatever happens to the aging brain that doesn’t realize that this just looks STUPID. This affliction seems to be particularly epidemic amongst the aging white male population of Dade County.

I stopped writing at this point for felt sudden gripping wave of depression and noticed I really, really had to use the little girls (or rapidly falling apart women 40-somethings) room.

It is quite bummer getting older.

Then Laree mentioned how Jesus gives us hope. (And what do you know – it is not in the form of Botox injections.) How when we see His body we will be amazed…2 Thessalonians 1:10.

See the bible says he has this amazing body – holy, just, pure, ready to do 100 Ironmans in a row – and we are promised something similar. Unbelievable!

Okay this is where I stopped taking notes again, but Katie said some great things about how we all can see this perfected Jesus reflected in the people we meet every day.

Yes, once we are born again the perfection process starts. That doesn’t mean we won't fall – but God never stops trying to help us fulfil his commandment to be perfect like He is perfect.

Laree liked the analogy that we are the seed. All we have is there from the beginning and if nurtured we grow, blossom and bear fruit.

C.S. Lewis puts it this way. “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

Yet God wants us to be perfect…starting toward that goal of flight. And we will fail on that journey. Fall lots of times. But I think this next thought of Lewis’ is so simple, yet sums up everything in a brilliant nutshell.

“You must realize from the outset that the goal towards which He is beginning to guide you is absolute perfection; and no power in the whole universe -- except you yourself -- (emphasis mine) can prevent Him from taking you to that goal.”

Whatever he calls us to do toward being as the glorified Jesus on earth, nothing can stop us – except ourselves. The truth of that really troubles me, challenges me, scares me – even more than the thought that my brain might one day not comprehend that shorts, black socks and tennis shoes are just BAD.

So it's our choice -- to surrender all and immediately be cleared for take-off. Or hold on to things that seem too precious to turn over to God.

Thanks Laree for great lesson.

Prayer Requests

I think most all of you have heard the sad news of Tim's father's passing. We will be sure to pass along service arrangement information.

Let us all keep Tim's mom Dolores, Tim and his brother and sister in all our prayers during this most difficult time. We pray for their safe and expedient passage home.

A cottage at the Methodist Children's Home housing teenage boys burned Saturday night. Please keep all in your prayers. The class is discussing ways the we can corporately help. They certainly would like individual donations as well.

Rick Spence had a great meeting with all the Duke medical personnel. They have mapped out a course of treatment for the entire year. Thank God that Rick is working with a medical team that is on cutting edge of treatment for his condition. We continue to pray for strength and complete healing.

Karen asked for prayers for her Aunt Barbara Peters who is having a very difficult time and complications from her chemotherapy. Right now she is in hospital with blood clot in her lung. We pray for healing and peace in this struggle.

In spite of how much i am having kittens over this beautiful weather -- we really do need to pray for rain.

Announcements

All Mstones please stay after church or return to sanctuary to help decorate for Advent after 11 a.m. service. I think i heard something about pizzas provided.

The Christmas Party is set for December 15 at the Couch's. Please RSVP to gatrjam@aol.com for Kathryn is going to start list of those attending for Empty Stocking Gift exchange.

Good Week, God Bless and

i've decided to dress as a Pilgrim this year for Miles' Thanksgiving feast...what do you think? i don't think this is actual violation of no black socks rule. i think they are more black stocking-like.

Really the houndstooth cloak will make all the difference. My research turned up that they were all the rage in Puritan Early America. Definitely hottest item at the Plymouth Gap in year 1600 for glam feast-wear.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

How did the turkey get it's name?

Some say Columbus thought the turkey was part of the peacock family. So he decided to call them "tuka" which is the word for peacock in the language of India.


Big Bird (from Sesame Street) is dressed in a costume of turkey feathers. His costume is made of nearly 4,000 white turkey feathers (dyed yellow).

Turkeys don’t really have ears like ours, but they have very good hearing. (what?)