Sunday Worship

Sunday worship, a day of rest. If you had to miss church this morning, our pastor's sermon today is at THIS LINK for you.

Moms You've Got to Be Flexible / When Things Don't Go As Planned (the way you want)

I am one of the most organized people I know. Not bragging, but that's just how God made me.  I hate wasting time searching for things and feel claustrophobic when there's too much clutter.  I maintain a computer calendar synched with my iPod Touch, a wall calendar (which you may have read about previously), shopping lists, etc. so I can stay on top of things and plan ahead which gives me a sense of stability and control.   


From being a mom, from playing the piano at churches with a variety of worship leaders for 25+ years, from being married to a spontaneous husband who is the exact opposite of me, as well as homeschooling our two sons, I've also learned to be somewhat flexible  and to actually enjoy it (well, most of the time).  

For you Type-A personalities out there who love the lines of the box as well as your PDAs and calendars (like me), try not to stress out when things don't go as planned (translation: the way you want them to).  Instead, remember:

Isaiah 55:8-9 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 

Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

So are My ways higher than your ways 

And My thoughts than your thoughts." 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

There is an appointed time for everything. 

And there is a time for every event under heaven — 

Jeremiah 29:11 

"For I know the plans that I have for you,"

declares the LORD, 
"plans for welfare and not for calamity 

to give you a future and a hope." 

Women and Friends Girlfriends

I recently  saw the poster below in a gift shop.  I know what you're thinking--she takes her camera into gift shops?!  I carry my new one everywhere with me.  Actually, I didn't have it with me yesterday and MISSED what would have been an amazing shot of two large brown herons walking side by side down the street together!  That won't happen again.   My camera is  a slim one so it fits in my purse or in my hand without any trouble at all and takes great pictures.

Close Girl Friends.  I'm not talking about women that we know who are  simply acquaintances or hordes of friends, like on Facebook, in clubs, at church, etc. although those people are certainly enjoyable.  I mean a few REALLY good, close girl friends with whom you can just pick up the phone and chat, go to for advice, cry with, rejoice with... Sometimes these friends are long distance but when you see each other, it's as though you have never been apart.   I am blessed  to have a handful of these friends.    Did I say a handful?  A few is actually a heart full of them and I am so grateful for their friendships, for most of them, for 25 years or more.

Some people believe that your best friend should be your spouse and I agree that he should be your best friend as well, but no one man can fill the void or has the time or patience to hear everything on a woman's heart.  That's what the Lord loves to do for us (He has all the time we need) and why He provides us with close women friends.  Take advantage of this gift and start developing some girlfriends (if you don't have any close ones) or nurture  the one(s) you already have--older ones and younger ones alike.  Isolation can be a dangerous thing in more ways than one.   Good friends make your heart soar and will always lift you up in times of need.

Our culture breeds independence but in reality, a healthy well-balanced life (if you admit it) has a deep need for others to know us completely and love us dearly.

Proverbs 17:17 

A friend loves at all times, 

And a brother is born for adversity. 

Proverbs 18:24 

A man of too many friends comes to 1ruin,

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 

Seatbelt Commercial Ad / Embrace Life

If you have not received this seatbelt public service ad titled EMBRACE LIFE in your email inbox by now, you've just got to take a look.  My cousin and brother both sent this to me this week.  Very moving, and the reason we should ALL wear seatbelts. Unbelievably, I still have a few friends who refuse to wear them. I hope their children are wiser than they.  Do it for your family and those others who love you.   Thanks, John and Darrell.

Click here on THE LINK to view it on YouTube.

Thought for the Day Especially for Stressed Out Moms

For you moms who are already stressed out this morning:

1Peter 5:6-7  

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 

that He may exalt you at the proper time, 

casting all your aanxiety on Him, 

because He cares for you.

I saw this at a gift shop recently and thought it would be encouraging to moms as well.   I especially like the last line:  Being a mom is no big thing...it's a zillion little things.

Free Slurpees Today, July 11, 2010 at 7-Eleven

Just a reminder that TODAY, Sunday, July 11, is Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven Stores everywhere from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. while quantities last.   

MORE INFO at THIS LINK.

Just one week after our country celebrates its birthday, 7-Eleven, Inc. customers across the country will raise their free 7.11-ounce Slurpee® drinks to salute the all-American convenience retailer. That’s because Sunday is July 11 – also known as 7/11 or 7-Eleven® Day – the day when the world’s first convenience chain celebrates its birthday. 2010 marks 83 years since the company was founded in Dallas, Texas.

Participating 7-Eleven stores across America and Canada will serve 5 million free Slurpee frozen carbonated beverages in special birthday cups on Sunday (while supplies last). “Slurpee-brations” and 7-Eleven birthday parties are being held around the country with music, entertainment, prizes and food sampling. The convenience chain has been celebrating its birthday with free Slurpee drinks since its 75th anniversary celebration in 2002.


Note:   Unfortunately, I heard from quite a few people that the 7-Eleven stores they visited  ran out of Slurpees in the mid-afternoon.  I don't recall that happening so early in years past.

Summer Water Fun for Kids / Orlando Area

A friend sent me this item about two local parks in our area that have splash pads.   What a fun thing for children to do in the summer, especially if you do not have access to a swimming pool.   Both of these are in Seminole County, Florida.  As hot as this summer has been, I'm sure kids (and their parents) would LOVE going to these for an outing.  Fees are quite reasonable for the season.  Thanks, Kathy.

2010 Splash Playground Fees

The Season is APRIL - OCTOBER 2010

Open 7 Days/Week; 10:00AM - 6:00PM (Weather and Public Safety Permitting)

Membership is Valid at TORCASO and TROTWOOD Park Splash Playgrounds

SEMINOLE COUNTY RESIDENTS       

$10.00/Person/Season

$5.00/Person (After Oct. 1)


Family Rates

$10.00 - 1st Family Member

            ($5.00 After Oct. 1)

$5.00 - 2nd and Additional Family Members

$30.00 Maximum/Family

Guest/Party Rate
$5.00/Visit

NON-RESIDENT OF SEMINOLE COUNTY

$10.00/Person/Day

Torcaso Park

104 N. Moss Road, 32708
A neighborhood park with two lighted basketball courts, Baseball/Softball,  Grills, Exercise Course, Fishing, Picnic, Restrooms, Splash Playground, Tot Playground, Playground

Trotwood Park

701 Northern Way, 32708
A large neighborhood park which is developed with Baseball/Softball, Basketball, Grills, Fishing, Picnic Pavilions, Restrooms, Soccer/Football, Tennis, Tot Playground, Splash Playground

Breakfast and a Walk in the Park / July 4th Weekend

My husband had Monday (after July 4) off from work so we went downtown  to have breakfast with his cousin and her husband.  Funny the things that you pass but normally don't notice. I tried to notice this morning...  :)  Here's some of what we saw.  It was an overcast morning, but noticing these brightened the time.  Pretty soon everyone was looking for things for me to photograph that THEY had not noticed before. :)

I have never noticed these fruit trees on Park Avenue. Have you?  We saw four of them. They are some type of plum. One shop owner said she's going to harvest them to make  jelly or jam  in the fall. :)

I have seen these fish before but not quite so many of them in the pond.

Lily Pulitzer Marketing Jeep parked across from the shop

The city emblem on the park benches

This is quite old, in front of Piazza Italia

I've never seen this barber pole before

The fountain has been cleaned and repainted

I have sat at these outdoor tables and had coffee but not noticed the colorful tiles on the  lower part of this fountain by Barnie's and the Antique Book Store.

What an interesting clock inside Restoration Hardware. 

Lots of heavy rain this week, so not too many blooms in the garden.

This one looks damaged from the rain.

New green grass in the updated side (north side) of the park.  We used to take our sons here when they were small to run around, picnic and/or watch the train come in.  

Sweet memories...

Health Issues: The Worst Brand Drinks in America

You  have probably already seen this email floating around cyberspace this week. A good friend from Texas sent it to me yesterday. Thanks, Linda.    I think it originates from  Men's Health who got it from the book Drink This, Not That!.   I've gotten Eat This, Not That! from the library recently and it is eye-opening.

Check the nutritional value of these "healthy" restaurant/shop beverages.  You'll be shocked. I still haven't watched Food, Inc., but I'm going to stream it soon and make the family watch it with me. We just got Netflix which is a better bargain than Blockbuster, so I hope to watch it soon.

Here is THE LINK to a pdf file of the top 20 worst offenders.  

A sample of what you'll read is below:

17. Worst Bottled Coffee

290 calories

4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated)

45 g sugars

Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino (1 bottle, 13.7 fl oz)

Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla Wafers

With an unreasonable number of calorie landmines peppered across Starbucks’ in-store menu, you’d think the company would want to use its grocery line to restore faith in its ability to provide caffeine without testing the limits of your belt buckle. Guess not. This drink has been on our radar for years, and we still haven’t managed to find a bottled coffee with more sugar. Consider this—along with Starbucks’ miniature Espresso and Cream Doubleshot—your worst option for a morning pickup.

7. Worst Margarita

890 calories

0 g fat

183 g carbohydrates

Traditional Red Lobster Lobsterita (24 fl oz)

Carbohydrate Equivalent: 7 Almond Joy candy bars

Of all the egregious beverages we’ve analyzed, the Lobsterita surprised us the most. The nation’s biggest fish purveyor is one of the few big players in the restaurant biz to provide its customers with a wide selection of truly healthy food options. We would hope they’d do the same with the beverages, but obviously not. Drink one of these every Friday night and you’ll put on more than a pound of flab each month. Downgrade to a regular margarita on the rocks and pocket the remaining 640 calories.

July 4 Fourth of July / How to Display Your American Flag/ A Capitol Fourth on PBS

I hope everyone is flying their flag high today (maybe even for the whole weekend).  Many people may not know that there IS actually a proper way to display it.  For a quick refresher course, check out the link below which was  sent to me by a friend this week.   Thanks, Jacque.

Displaying the U.S. Flag

Also, if you have Bright House cable, there is a TV station that airs seasonal music, Channel 433. [The number might be different outside the Orlando area.]  They are playing patriotic music this weekend.  I usually forget that cable has these music stations. I turn the picture off and just listen to the music.  Thanks, Susan, for this tip.

July 4th Television Music Specials

A CAPITOL FOURTH:  Be sure to watch A Capitol Fourth LIVE on PBS tonight at 8:00 p.m. It's one of our favorite patriotic activities on the 4th of July.  More info at THIS LINK.

This July 4, America’s national Independence Day celebration will mark 30 spectacular years on air featuring the most dazzling display of fireworks anywhere in the nation, captured by 18 TV cameras stationed around Washington, D.C.

The 30th anniversary broadcast will be hosted by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits, with unrivaled performances from some of the country’s biggest musical names – including multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winning country music superstar Reba McEntire, legendary R & B artist Gladys Knight, country music sensation Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfish), singerDavid Archuleta (American Idol), and actor and singerJohn Schneider, as well as world-renowned classical pianistLang Lang with the National Symphony Orchestraunder the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly and the Choral Arts Society of Washington, under the direction of Norman Scribner. (additional talent to be announced).

The July 4th concert finale includes Tchaikovsky's “1812 Overture” – featuring the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets and complete with live cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery. Also featured are the U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard and the State and Territorial Flags of the Military District of Washington.






BOSTON POPS:  Also on tonight, on CBS, 10:00 p.m. is the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.  More info is at THIS LINK.