Known But To God......

So...........

Today was another full day and I am pretty sure everyone is getting tired of me saying that but it is what it is ...

Instead of talking too much about it I am just going to post some of the pictures from the day ...

Tomorrow we head to a tour of the monuments on the Mall and at least one of the Smithsonian museums ...most likely The Museum of American History.

An Afternoon with a Gentleman......

So.....

Its day two here in our nations capital and it was quite the busy one for sure. We started out with a very nice breakfast served at the hotel where we are staying ....I know what you might be thinking " OH MY GOD ....BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL?????" I am telling you this though ...It was wonderful ....delicious sausage, fresh waffles, fruit, oatmeal, real eggs and good coffee.

We then headed into town for our tour of Fords Theater.

Before we went to the theater we had a chance to ride around and have a quick look at things before going back next week for a more indepth tour of things like the capitol, all the mounuments...etc.

After lunch we headed out to Mt Vernon for an afternoon tour and walk about the grounds....I gotta admit ....This was pretty dang cool.

I am a huge history buff.....and to stand there in General Washingtons bedroom...next to his bed that he died in ....Or to stand in his office and see the chair that he used the whole time he was president....It just left me thinking......

Thinking about what ?

Thinking about how he was asked to serve as commander of the armed forces going to battle aginst Great Britain.....and how he knew that if he said yes he was giving up his life at his beloved Mt Vernon and with his wife. He left and returned 8 years later .......

Thinking about how he planned the battle of Yorktown after his return to Mt Vernon.....knowing that the men and women of the colonies had won.....talk about catching a tiger by the tail !

Thinking about how he was once again asked to serve his country by becoming its first president....knowing that he would once yet leave his wonderful home on the Potomac.

Thinking about how he told his wife on December 13,1799 that he had a sore throat but would not let her send for help because he did not want her to worry too much ....

He died December 14,1799.

His home is very nice and warm but not grand ....to me anyway. It is a simple building filled with collections of art and furniture befitting a farmer from Virginia.

Today was nice .....

HOLIDAY ROAD ........

The American Family Truckster !!!!!!!!

So.........

We made it to DC....WHEW!! It is a long long drive but we had a blast on the way up ......We LAUGHED alot about different things ....Talked about those not with us anymore and how much they would have enjoyed this trip.

Tomorrow we head to Ford's Theater and Peterson House and then we are riding out to George and Martha's place ....Never been to Mt Vernon so am really looking forward to that one.....

Happy 4th (although, technically its still the 3rd) of July !!

"As mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government . I hope ever to see America among the formost nations of Justice and liberality."

President George Washington.

So as has been my custom the past few years I like to post some fun facts about our great nation on or near the Fourth Of July!!

Hope there are not many repeats ...

Happy Independence Day everyone

1. Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration Of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, it was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.

2. Fireworks were made in China as early as the 11th century. The Chinese used their pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.

3. Uncle Sam was first popularized during the War of 1812, when the term appeared on supply containers. Believe it or not, the U. S. Congress didn't adopt him as a national symbol until 1961.

4. There are many precise rules for taking care of the American Flag. And speaking of flag traditions, we're sorry to report that contrary to legend, historical research has failed to confirm that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.

5. Not all members of the first continental congress supported a formal Declaration of Independence, but those who did were passionate about it. One representative rode 80 miles by horseback to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence

6. The first two versions of the Liberty Bell were defective and had to be melted down and recast. The third version rang every Fourth of July from 1778 to 1835, when, according to tradition, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Chief Justice John Marshall.

7. The American national anthem, the " The Star Spangled Banner ," is set to the tune of an English drinking song ("To Anacreon in Heaven").

8. The iron framework of the Statue of Liberty was devised by French engineer Pierre Gustave Eiffel.

9. The patriotic poem "America the Beautiful" was published on July 4, 1895 by Wellesley College professor Katherine Lee Bates.

10. Father of the country and architect of independence George Washington held his first public office at the tender age of 17. He continued in public service until his death in 1799.

11. It was once asked if July the Fourth is celebrated in Great Britain. Of course not but for years they celebrated the day as "Good Riddence" day... so no...the fourth of July is just another day across the pond.

Blurring The Lines of Reality

So..........

I had a thing happen Tuesday that scared me ....We have had VBS at DUMC this week and thats an "all hands on deck " so late Tuesday afternoon I run home to sit down for a few before being back at 5:30.

I lay down ...take a quick 30 minute nap and when I wake up I have some intense blurred vision in my left eye. It lasts about 20-25 minutes but once the blurred vision clears up I am left with a pretty decent headache....and by decent I mean BLECH.

Long story short ....today I went to my eye doctor for a checkup on that situation specially since the same thing happened again this morning.

His verdict? Not sure what it is ....My eyes looked ok he said besides my usual little stuff ...

He said it could very possibly be a mild migraine.... Possibly stress related....lot of stuff maybe .

Here is where my stress is and my problem...I have a hard time letting things go.

As I mentioned we had our VBS this week and it was the first time in 4 years that I was not " in charge" of anything with the overall planning. I was there each night to watch and answer questions etc....I am technically over the new Childrens Director but ....I mainly sat back and watched this year

I was worried and stressed all week that things would go ok. That everything would be good for the kids ...Guess what ? It was great!!!

I know our Children's Director is very qualified to handle this job ....but after doing it myself for 4 years it was a bit hard to let it all go....Does that even make sense?

I am not one of these folks that looks for someone to say "Great job Jay, really nice VBS, you did so much hard work and we appreciate it" I dont seek out praise...thats not me .... I dont think it is anyway ....I am a behind the scenes kinda person ...Give the praise to the folks who took off work to help out...or to the grandmothers who made food all week....or the youth who gave up their summer time off to be there each night.

My thing is I just have a hard time letting things go and allowing othersto do things.....So my stress level was high....LET ME STRESS HERE ...I was very pleased with VBS and how things went ...our Childrens person is AMAZING !! We are so very blessed to have her

Add to that I have managed to get behind on final planning on our mission trip that we leave for on Sunday morning. ......

So yeah ....a stress headache/blurred vision thing was very possible and DID happen.

Caroling Out In The Snow.......

So.....

I once again would like to say for everyone who reads this little blog o mine.....I hate, detest,despise,loath the summer months. And of course our summer months are sometimes April -October.

It was 96 here in Montgomery today ....How in all of God's creation could you possibly find any sliver of joy from being out in 96 degree heat?

Laying out in the sun by the pool....Blech.

Going to the beach...when its up near 100...Blech.

Spend any amount of time outside that you dont have to ....Blech.

I like it cool...rainy...damp..overcast...cloudy...I have said it before but it fits my mood.

96 degrees makes me angry and bitter. It makes me want to get into fights with strangers at the grocery store. It makes me want to run over squirrels because they wear such heavy coats in the summer.

So heres the deal ....I will count each day of summer being gone as another day closer to Fall and Winter being closer....

I leave Sunday for Asheville NC for a week ...gotta be better there ...

Beating A Dead Horse....Perhaps??

So.....
There is something on my mind here ....Something big.
I go to church .....I have a passion for church. I don't mean the building where I go... I mean the Church. I enjoy the whole process. Communion,hymns,sermons, the people you meet as a result of being in a church. I know there are many folks who are turned off by the church. Those who search out the new and fun when they are looking for a church. Whats exciting at this church might be old news at the next one down the street.

Here is my problem....I dont know if I can continue to go to church anymore ....At least not at a UMC church.
I am disappointed in the UMC church ....I am extremly let down by the church.
For a long time now the UMC church has had a policy of not allowing gays and lesbians to be full members of its church. The policy states that if you are a practicing homosexual then you are in sin and therefore are not welcome in the UMC.
Well...You are welcome BUT you cant be a member. A little of the 'love the sinner, hate the sin' going on there I guess.
This year churches are being asked in the UMC to change the wording in their Discipline to allow ANYONE to be a member of the UMC, regardless of who,what ,when or where you are in life.
Problem is this ....Thats not going to happen.
Opponents of the change say that to do this would go against the social and moral fabric of the church....
My thing is this..The fabric of the church is tested daily by the tens of millions of open sinners who already worship freely in the church.
As Dr Billy Graham said " when did one sin become worse than any other "

How do you honestly let ANYONE become a member of said church if you are following this doctrine ....

How can we proclaim ourselves followers of a wonderful and loving Christ and yet turn our backs on someone ?
How can we proclaim ourselves followers of a wonderful and loving Christ and yet still find it within ourselves to proclaim ourselves better then someone else?
How can we proclaim ourselves followers of a wonderful and loving Christ, a man who openly welcomed SINNERS of all nature into his presence , and yet we still sit by and do nothing when "the least of these " are turned away?

I have amazing, loving friends. They are spiritual and caring. They would carry you to the top of a mountain. They have gone to church, they have helped with programs,they have gone on trips, they have taught Sunday School, they have served on church boards, they have prepared meals, they have laughed with everyone, they have cried real tears in times of sorrow, they have brought flowers when a child is born, they have brought a casserold when a loved one died, they have been there through thick and thin. Flush times and bust times.
But if they made the choice to be honest and live their lives as who they are ....Then they are not welcome in the UMC.
How and why do we do this ??
This makes me sad.

Someone said a few weeks back that "we throw open the church doors and start living the life of Christ. Live it in a full and total way. Invite the beggers, homeless,gays, straights,prostitutes ALL sinners into our lives. Imgaine being known around town as THAT CHURCH THAT ACTS JUST LIKE JESUS"

How can we proclaim ourselves followers of a wonderful and loving Christ and yet close our doors to anyone who is searching for the same Jesus that we follow, but they just happen to be gay?

Better yet, how do we have the nerve to show our faces after closing that door??