HONESTLY.....

Honestly, sometimes on Sunday mornings I want to roll back over and not get up and SKIP CHURCH. I know, I know, that sounds odd coming from me, but, like I said in my LAST POST, I'm being real now. (well, as much of the REAL ME as I'll let you see ! HAHA). Ok, I think ONE reason is b/c my whole LIFE, probably even as early as a newborn, I have BEEN IN CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNINGS. I think I've written before that unless I could produce a doctor's excuse or DEATH record, I was to be up and ready for church. PRONTO. I remember, once, coughing (fake) , all morning when I was in high school to try and get out of going to church. Didn't work. My mother handed me a cough drop and said, "get ready". Back THEN, it was dress up day, too! NO CASUAL DAYS at church ! UH UH! I had to put on the hose (ugh!), the dress, roll the hair, get out the SUNDAY CLOTHES. You know ...you might have had to do it too!!! And, going even FURTHER back, I remember whining and griping in my little JAN POWELL voice b/c my DRESSES were SCRATCHY and I had those &j8&*^S crinoline petticoats under the scratchy dress. One time I was so impertinent as to say, (walking down the sidewalk on the way to church), "WHY DON"T THOSE PEOPLE ON THE PORCH (that always would call to me and say, "come up here and let me see your pretty dress!"), GO TO CHURCH?" My mother didn't miss a beat and said, "Why don't you invite them?" Um, no. I never wanted to do the evangelistic thing. Even at age 5 or 6. ANd I HATED having to  go up on a strange front porch to show off my dress and shoes. It was awkward, come on!  Yeah, I was a bratty little kid sometimes. I was FINE once I got into the big ole brick church. EAST LAKE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. I LOVED the church and LOVED the chimes that played as we got closer to the building. I loved the big ole water fountain that was dedicated, "to God and...."(and someone who probably left the church a big ole fat bunch of money!)! I loved my teachers. I loved the sliding board/ the crafts/the Bible verses I wasn't so keen on, b/c I had a hard time with memory verses. But, I always had sweet teachers who liked a cute little girl with long hair b/c don't ALL Sunday School teachers prefer girls to boys at that age? HA! (they didn't know ME!). I  started yawning in Sunday School and was full blown ready for a nap when we got to the balcony! I remember my mother even let me SLEEP on her lap (but would punch me when I would snore!) up there. I missed some good sermons, I suppose. Now Sunday nights????? DIFFERENT STORY! I love love loved to go to Sunday night services b/c we SANG most of the time. I loved sitting next to Mrs. Smith who had one of the operatic voices and could hit the high notes. I pretended to , too. I sang, "Little Brown CHurch in the Vale"'; "In the Garden" ; "BLessed Assurance" ("This is my STORY, this is my SONG....!). I KNEW THOSE SONGS! (still do!). I felt comfort in the dark of the sanctuary standing between my mom/dad (sometimes just my mom, daddy didn't always go at night_) and sort of jealous of not being old enough to be with the YOUTH like my sister was. But, still, loved it. Afterwards , if we were with Daddy, we would go to the "SPINNING WHEEL" or the Root Beer Place--"FROST TOP" ?. OH WOW< that was the best!!!!.......Fast forward to my YOUTH and , again, SUNDAY NIGHTS were the BOMB.  I had crushes on my Youth minister and all the boys in my class! LOL!!!! But, maybe I didn't "get it" then, but my kids Youth MInisters were MUCH better than back then. Or maybe I didn't have my listening ears on.......As an adult, I  of course continued going b/c I wanted my kids to be active. SO, we ALWAYS went.  When we moved to Riverchase, I began going b/c I loved going so much! Things changed! I went because my soul felt compelled to do so. My spirit needed the unity of my CHristian brothers and sisters. And that is how I feel now. I LOVE going. But, there are still those days when I almost give in to the "I'll- stay- home- just- this- Sunday and: clean or scrapbook or just SKIP".  You know what I have found? That it is the BIGGEST TRICK OF THE DEVIL. Yep, it is.  I hate talking about the devil, but I  know one thing for certain. He knows my achilles heel, for sure. And those Sundays that I fall into his trap? OK, let's just say that I have MISERABLE SUndays when that happens! LOL! And ALWAYS, it never fails, someone will say to me, "YOU MISSED THE BEST SERMON I'VE EVER HEARD". Great.  Then, when I go, I feel so blessed that my eyes spill over with tears because I know that I ALMOST Missed : PRAISING/SINGING/HEARING THE WORD/HEARING A SERMON/BEING WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST! Soooo, while I still say, occasionally, "I THINK I'LL SKIP", I remember how MISERABLE I am later on in the day and how much I missed being with God's people. Sharing in His Word and learning. So, while I probably will fall into that trap many more times, I hope that I am reminded that I NEED God's Word to make it through till the NEXT Sunday....
Here's a few pix from Worship today. I sure am glad I was there. 

Oh, and btw, devil, if you're reading this? You didn't get me this time.