Sunday

I owe the Lord a morning song of gratitude and praise.  A song my mother sang often in the morning. This sunrise demanded that song.  For the kind mercy he has shown in lengthening out my days. 

 We headed off to church earlier than usual.  Tis the season to start thinking Advent.  A few days ago Heidi and I identified things we wanted to use this year in places around the church. 

                      This was the morning to start moving things from the attic to the first floor. 

That takes a lot of steps to accomplish and using young legs is the answer.  So it began.  Heidi was in the attic getting the process started and I was at the end of the line receiving items.  Nativities were moved. 

Outside east and west doors will once again receive roping and bows. Next week we hope to move some angels that are too fragile for the kids to get their hands on.  We've learned.  Older folks will move them.  

                    A wonderful crew of young leg workers with the first part of unpacking nativities.  

Announcements from the pulpit were made alerting folks to the work needed to be accomplished after church next Sunday.  I think we've had a good start on this years season of celebration.  It certainly takes a village to move the church visually into Advent.  

Tomorrow, Heidi and I will accomplish a few things in the peace and quietness of the morning.  Sometimes there is an idea and working that idea out might happen easier when we are by ourselves.   We have a new quite large and fanciful, I would say, nativity by Patience Bruster that will be displayed in the Gathering Center.  It's quite unusual.  Googling that name will give you an idea of what our parishioners will see.  The hope is that the large Superior driftwood, a vacation find we brought home a few years ago along with a collection of succulents will surround the nativity accentuating the fancifulness of the display. So, wish us luck.  I'm excited to give this a new try.  Tomorrow can't come soon enough.  There will be pictures.  The ideas are in my head.  Now the test is...will it work?

This afternoon the Colts played a nail bitter.  Woo...a one-point win scoring points needed in the last minute.  

At five o'clock I headed down the road to the annual Umoja dinner raising money for school tuition, uniforms, school lunches and a few other necessities enabling children whose families have been affected by HIV Aids in western Kenya access to education.  Umoja now supports 21 schools where identified children qualify for the program. The budget has grown over the years with more schools asking for help and funded as money has become available.  It's a big program that has shown a huge increase in testing scores in an area in western Kenya allowing venerable students to move on with their education.  If children are fed, they excel. That's what this program is doing in dramatic ways. We heard more stories about the program. A lot of money through the silent auction was raised.  I would say it was a very successful evening. Western Kenyan school children will have a noon meal at school. For many, the only meal of the day. Did I take my phone? Yes.  Did I remember to take pictures?  No

Today was a very good day with a whole lot of doing and listening filling our hearts with inspiration in so many ways. There is more to be accomplish.  The task is not finished. For now, it's time to sit a spell.