Long Weekend :)

Pearls and Dreams

Friday night, got home to a computer that wasn't functioning. I didn't bother messing with it, I just went to bed, since I had to be up at an unreasonable time in the morning on Saturday.

Saturday I got up, and drove to pick up the girl who was riding with children's pastor and I to OKC. We arrived at her house as they were loading their vehicles, 6:55. I'm not used to arriving right on time ... but, I managed. I'm used to being too early. So, Michelle was probably relieved I was not there when she woke up at 5 am :).

We got on the road, and then dropped her cute little baby off at the grandparents. I was hoping the baby was coming with us, but realized the reality of it would probably not be that pleasant and that it was probably a good idea that the grandparents were watching. 7 month olds probably don't really want to ride in a car seat for half the day and left with strangers the other half. Just so friends can 'goo goo' at them while they're in the car seat.

The Church ... was INCREDIBLE ... HUGE ... beautiful as T.J. said in her comment to me. I had a blast going down there, and walking in, was fine. As soon as we walked in, off the elevator and took one look at the registration counter, I realized I was walking into a room of people I didn't know ... and it hit me I was out of my element and I don't like being out of my element!

GULP!

So ... the registration table wasn't ready for us to register, so we went on in, and found a seat, got a cup of coffee. Stephanie, the girl with us, grew up in this state, and in the Church of God, so she knew quite a few of the people there. I, knew Stephanie, and Michelle. GULP. GULP GULP!! Michelle suggested that she and I go find her classroom for the breakout session while Steph got caught up with a few people.

While walking down the hallway, I informed Michelle about my social anxiety disorder ... she didn't seem surprised. Which, surprised me!!!! hmmm. I thought I was better at hiding that than that! We found where she was supposed to go, and we looked through the schedule for the day. We talked about what classes she needed me to take while she was teaching ... and she promised to stick close to me as she could when she could.

Back to the main room, and to register. We started with a brainstorming session. Sitting at a table with 8 other women who I never met before ... it took me a while to jump into the brainstorming, but I finally did. We had to take items that are typically toys, and come up with ideas that could turn them into a Biblical object lesson for kids ministry. We had to use a Bible verse to back that up. I was able to throw out a few idea's, but not near as many as the actual children's minsiters sitting at my table. When it came time to turn it to scriptural application, suddenly ...I knew what I was talking about ... then we had to find verses ... and WHERE those verses were. ... Michelle, referred to me immediately! That, made me feel good. "Peggikaye will find it" :)

The breakout sessions were excellent. Even though I am not a fulltime volunteer in our children's ministry, I learned an awful lot to help our children's pastor. I also managed to glean an awful lot that would help me in my working towards development of a ministry with women. Especially wounded women. It was incredible how much applied to both!!

During the morning session that was everybody together. I wondered if the speaker was someone that the support pastor of our church had wanted me to talk to a few years ago after I'd written the REALIZE acronym ... just some of the stuff he was saying ... it just made me think he might be. When I went to the second break out session ... I became SURE it was him.

So, I missed the third break out session ... I introduced myself to him. I told him who I was, and that our support pastor had wanted me to talk to him a few years ago ..but I'd not been brave enough to do it then. I just happened to have the stuff still in my brief case from having taken it to small group friday night! I didn't mean to take it with me. I was annoyed with myself for NOT taking it out! I had no idea that this man was going to be there. God's appointment I guess. I gave him the acronymn. I also gave him the Sunday school curriculumn that I've been writing on the acronymn ... he was very excited ... and he started to add verses to it ... and got fired up ... like I do when I talk about it ... and I knew why LeeAnn wanted us to talk. :) He told me to keep writing. He told me to keep teaching women, and to keep writing the curriculumn for them. How encouraging!

The seminar finished and we talked about it all the way home. Some changes that we need/want to implement in our children's minsitry. Things I can do to help. Things that we're doing right ... things that can be better. Good time ... tiring time.

This morning ... the alarm went off and I couldn't figure out why it went off ... I went back to sleep ..thankfull 10 minutes later I remembered it was Sunday and I had to be at church at 8:15 to make sure all the musicians had their music! Some sundays, I just sit there.
This Sunday ... the guistarist forgot his music at home! He needed all new music! Our trumpet and Sax player brought an instrument he doesn't normally play and needed music for that instrument. It would not have been a good day to miss!
I also had an Adult Sunday School teacher's meeting. We were discussing how we're going to be better incorporating all that we do at the church in helping in times of crisis ... :) I knew we had a meeting, I didn't know that was the topic of the meeting. I have a meeting with support pastor tomorrow. She doesn't know that that is what the meeting is about ... to talk about the ministry on Dogscatskidslife webpage ... I spent an hour or so talking with the director of Shepherds of Love Ministries the other day ... so cool when people are all on the same page and don't know it!

I had to duck out of the meeting because I was also directing a skit for during the service. My two sons were in the skit with another family to introduce a family night coming up. Family Fit night. They had their lines memorized, the other family did, but they'd not gotten together to practice ... scary stuffs! They ran over it a few times ... and in the meantime ... Sunday School started. My class was meeting in the sanctuary so my 2 women who'd had surgery didn't have to sit in hard chairs. So, I was actually able to supervise my class AND direct ... Can we SAY MULTITASK???

the skit finished about half way through sunday school time ..and I was able to give my full attention to sunday school ...

By the time church started ... I think I was able to breathe a bit.

Then home to call AOL to fix problem ...only took an hour ...

Nap time?