Trust Genesis 22:1-14

“In God We Trust” This is the title of the children’s lesson I’m teaching in the morning. I’ll have the kids do the fall back into another kids arms and will trust that they will catch each other! They are all very smart kids, so I never know what they are going to come up with. They keep me on my toes. Link to the lesson of Abraham and Isaac. We’ll go do chalk drawing of the trek they took up the mountain.

One of the reasons I teach Sunday School is because I want to understand better myself. Here is a list I found on the Internet of John Wesley’s Holy Club questions. A lot of these have to do with trust.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
3. Can I be trusted?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith? [ conversation starter questions ]
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
20. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?

2008 Tour de Coop Salt Lake City

Name: Wasatch Community Gardens Email: community@wasatchgardens.org EventTitle: SLC Tour De Coops 2008 EventDate: June 28, 2008 Why: Hop on this self-guided tour of backyard chicken coops around Salt Lake. Come to the Tomato Garden between 9:30am-10:30 am to purchase a tour guide book. Coops will be open 10am-2pm, no dogs please. Guide Books benefit WCG, $5. Tomato Garden, 9:30-10:30am. Tour, 10am-2pm. Contact: Madelyn Corey/ community@wasatchgardens.org

I’m not able to go on the tour this year. I hope everyone has fun! Please visit my daughter’s .ppt presentation called  my-chickens for a quick story of our urban chicken coop. Enjoy!

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord hath made

… let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Please also visit “It is Well with My Soul“ based on (Psalm 146:1). A powerful story and song in praise of the Holy Spirit. This song has been remade by Jars of Clay on their “Redemption” cd.

Monday morning. I look out the windows at the clouds in the sky. They look like a beautiful painting. The most perfect, fluffy little white clouds all lined up horizontally across the baby blue sky. I’m not sure if I was thinking Alfred Steiglitz then, but he would be in awe of these clouds. Or, maybe they deserved a good referral to Andy Warhol?

My daughter and her friend that stayed over wake up and start talking and playing with legos. I rush around to feed the animals, and then start on our waffles and sausages. I guessed the answer to the radio “what is that sound” contest. BUT, I couldn’t get through to be the 20th caller. She won $14,000 from the BEE 98.7 FM here in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Kids dispersed, and off to feed the animals at a friends. Their chickies and pet rat were happy to see me. Mash, lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts all around make for a good start to their day too.

I spent the day at work on the computer as I do every day. A couple cups of coffee, an apple as a snack, a yogurt later. Not, bad. I forgot something important though – water. It’s that stuff that makes up about 80% of us! Well, it seems I have a little virus that caught up with me and was so dehydrated that I ended up in the ER. My co-workers took me and stayed with me all night.

I was very scared and said a lot of prayers through my tears. A full moon night in an ER is busy. Lots of other folks much sicker than me, were there. They let me lay on the ER waiting room floor until I got in. I was touched by probably 6 different people that cared for me.

My daughter, Sam, and her daddy came later when I was almost ready to go home. I felt much better by then. Sam and I shared a bed while waiting for final labs and discharge. We had a good time watching the Simpsons. There is nothing like the hug of a child to make you feel better too.

The next morning. We are starting off a little slower. There is a young man with autism lost out in the mountains and a large volunteer search is starting. I pray that he is found quickly.

(PS He was found! We are witnesses to miracles every day. I think we just forget to pay attention. Thanks be to God.)

Father’s Day – What’s a single mom to do?

Today is Father’s Day and this Methodist Chick almost boycotted, but am glad I didn’t. I never really participated in anything Father’s Day related growing up. You see, my father was a great man, but died when I was 4 years old. I was always one of two kids in class growing up that didn’t know what to do when the teacher said we were making Father’s Day cards in class, so mom always got two cards this time of year.

I’ve been divorced since my daughter was a baby, so have continued to have a hard time with acknowledging anything to do with Father’s Day. However, this was a great year to change!

At church today, we had a huge celebration after service to celebrate the fathers of our congregation at First United Methodist Church here in Salt Lake City, Utah. Looking around the room, I realized that there are some wonderful male role-models that my daughter and I have the pleasure of knowing and calling brother in our family.

There were enough stories and crying in the room to make a mini-series! I am really proud to know the men in the congregation. Thank you!

Well, we won a basket for Sam’s daddy. So, we went over to his house and gave it to him. He had a pretty big smile on his face!

So, with the grace of God, I have acknowledged and enjoyed this Father’s Day. I am thankful that our Father and fathers in heaven are with us always.

High School Musical 3 – I’m a STAR!

Well, I’ve been called in as an extra anyway! This MethodistChick is ready, willing, and able! I live in Utah, sub-California film-mecca of the West. Check back to see what they have me do! It’s kind of like a secret-agent thing, you get the instructions at the last minute -should you choose to accept them!

My first film! What an experience! Today, I was in the background of a scene with about 850 people. Putting together over 700 teenagers and adults travelling from far and wide in a few minutes of footage is quite an undertaking. This is about how the day went to give any of you aspiring actors and actresses some insight:

Casting Call was at 8:30 am. We had to bring 4-5 changes of clothes and be what is called “camera ready.” That means, shower, hair, clothes, all perfect. After 2 1/2 hours, a little breakfast, and one fire drill, I wasn’t sure how camera ready we all were, but they took us all to do a scene in the East High School Auditorium.  Now I know why actors wear those dark glasses! The lights are blinding! All 800 or so of us stuck it out with enthusiasm. We learned to do scenes as a group cheering, acting bewildered, shocked, rolling over with laughter, and tried to show off some dancing talents in the crowd. It was a good time. The Director, Kenny Ortega, is really funny and knows how to keep a crowd enthusiastic. There were also fines! Anyone caught yawning had to give a $1 to charity and had to stand up to be acknowledged by the whole group as a yawner. There were a few key actors on set (Kelsie and Ms. Darbus) and they were all professional and wonderful to watch. We had some impromptu dancing to cheer up the crowds by a few special visitors. I am really impressed.  

After 4-5 hours of 800 people cheering, dancing, and sweating, the auditorium needs to be aired out! Yes, I think we were all getting a little stinky! It was a great time. I wonder what it was like on Brad Pitt’s Troy set?

It was interesting to be an adult among so many teenagers. The education of how teenagers talk, dress, and act today is very interestingto me. The director said he keeps choosing Utah because of the people. There were a lot of really great people representing Utah on set today.

Pride Parade and First United Methodist Church

Well, it was another exciting morning. Each year the Sunday School kids would rather stay out at the Pride Parade that goes right by the First United Methodist Church than go in for the lesson. We all especially love cheering on the Salt Lake City Men’s Choir! Mayor Becker was in the lead with his pink scarf. He wore it well!

Before the parade started, I passed out a flyer with the church hours and web site on it to folks lining the street in front of the church on the corner of 200 South and 200 East. Many welcomed the information and a couple asked if our church is “gay friendly.” I said “yes”, of course.

I was thinking that a better answer for our church is that we are “people” friendly. I hope some of the folks I talked to attend! Service at 203 South 200 East in SLC, every Sunday at 11 am.

Real Estate – What’s the deal?

In my opinion financial wisdom is the KEY to real estate. Understand what you need as a buyer or a seller and make goals to start taking action. Neighbors helping neighbors is a very good thing to help each other out once you do commit to a community as a home owner.

I’m a realtor and represent clients buying and selling homes here in Utah. I’ve bought and sold personally and represented folks professionally for a long time now. I love working with real property buying and selling because having a place to call home is one of the most important factors in a person’s life. Having a place to call home is one of the basics of caring for yourself and family. Far too many people are in situations of “couch surfing” and policies on low income housing always need attention from the entire community.

People ask me what I think of the market and how things are going in general now (mid 2008). I’m not an economist or a professional lender, but I do know that people will continue to want to have a place to call home. If you are able to buy a home, excellent! If you are not quite there, how can you make your financials stable to ensure that you will always have a place to call home. Young and just starting out or older and starting over? How can you live within your means to have a place to call home for the short term and long term? Or, worst of all, in trouble? How can you meet or mediate your financial obligations to those you’ve made promises to?

Teach children and young adults about valuing what they have and planning for the future. I have met too many people that were caught in the consuming trap and didn’t think about tomorrow. Financial distress happens to the best of people. I’ve visited with many folks that you would think are in just fine shape on the outside and are simply falling apart slowly financially.

I started tithing very seriously in the last few years. It was hard to swallow at first because the money just seemed to whither away down to zero each month. Then when I reflected on my income and spending habits, I considered what I really needed and wanted. All was possible and completely within reason when it became habit.

So, there are my two cents on real estate (and tithing). Didn’t sound very “real-estaty” of a lecture, right? Well, whatever a person decides in buying or selling has to be right for them – not the lender, not the realtor, not the parents or siblings. It has to be right for you for now and at least 2 – 5 years in the short term and hopefully much longer!

I read a book a while back about the Delany Sisters. Actually, there are two books. Both are fabulous. Two sisters, both over 100 years old passing on their knowledge of living wisely through a century of adversity and change being black professional women in the Southern US. They talk about the basics of living on next to nothing through the Great Depression and simple living wise choices that are completely within reason in our modern lives. I remember they said their father (a minister) taught them that the first 10 cents goes to God, the second 10 cents goes to savings and the rest of each dollar is up to you to use wisely. They ended up living on their savings for about 40 years of their life. I wonder how many of us would be able to live on what we save today for the final 40 years if we are as lucky? The Delany Sisters also talk through their book about tolerance through some of the most turbulent civil rights history we’ve ever seen. I believe they give good lessons on how to live with tolerance and live well in general.

Happy planning everyone and visit my home for sale if you are looking for a beauty in Colorado Springs.

 

Rhode Island Red’s A .ppt Presentation of Urban Chickens

The following is a presentation made by Sam. I hope you like visiting and learning more about keeping urban chickens. my-chickens (you may need to save and then open)