Holidays are wonderful! I still don't know if I feel rested. We did not do anything out of the ordinary over the long weekend.

The pewees slept over Saturday night. I didn't have much to do with them as I holed up in my bedroom to watch NASCAR'S July Daytona race Saturday night. I couldn't believe it went so late but then it started late from rain delays.

Sunday morning we went to church and Sunday school. The pewees did not want to go to class but we didn't give them an option. When we dropped them off the teacher was passing out popsicles so I knew they were hooked. When we picked them up they had had a change of heart, they laughed and giggled all the way home and repeatedly told their Meme how much fun class was!

Charles led the worship service and the praise team was excellent. Cope's lesson was "Communion: the Other Sermon". The scripture reading was done by a team of three and was probably more distracting in its presentation than had it just been read. It kind of gave you that caught in a swirlee syndrome. Communion was served at the front of the church. This is something I had always enjoyed and thought was so special until this day. They had greeters (or as I call them "fluffers") strategically placed and it seemed like everyone was so touchy, feely, huggy. We were at what I see as a major problem. Lack of spontaneity due to scripting of the service. We had the two pewees and were letting the lines go down to avoid an extended time trying to corral the two girls. One of the ushers came over and served Krl but I abstained. I finally went out in the atrium for a couple of minutes and returned at the conclusions of the communion service. We went to class and when it was over I went back in to the auditorium where everything was still set up. I had a very private communion. We are the body of Christ, but one mold does not fit all. I think this is an area that receives little consideration. I do not doubt for a moment Mike's sincerity, but one size does not fit all. Needless to say, church was not what it could have been. We will work on that.

I wasn't aware of it but one section away there was a problem during the communion service. This information came off of Mike's blog. A visitor was approaching the front of the line where Mike and his wife Diane were serving communion. According to Mike's blog the man yelled at Mike and told him that he was offended and felt like he was in a Catholic Church. Mike quit serving briefly and asked the man to sit down and at the conclusion of the service Mike would be more than happy to discuss this with the man, (in a very kind but firm manner, according to Mike). After the service Mike said he could not locate the man. I can't believe it was to major a confrontation if we were not aware of it one section away. I have been appalled by some of Mike's buddies' comments on his blog, one wanted to know why he didn't just hit the man over the head with the tray. I would like to hope I would handle this a little differently. I probably would have taken the bread and the cup to the man, asked him to return to his seat so I could serve him and after serving him I would have told him I was sorry if he felt offended and that I would like to discuss this with him after services. I don't feel that this matter is cut and dried if one single person feels offended by it. At the present I am battling with myself not to jump into the fray at Mike's blog. I sometimes get the feeling that Mike sets them (meaning you) up for his groupies to put down. I have jumped in before to be ambushed or ridiculed. I don't want anyone to think I am anti-Cope, because I am not. Actually I am very pro-Cope. Most of the time I have no problem, I suppose I am somewhat disappointed in that the service became so scripted, also in the manner in which the offended visitor was handled, and finally the cajoling and joking in Mike's blog comments that have no regard for this visitor. Who is ahead of who in their Christian journey.

FATHER thank YOU for the weekend. Thank YOU for watching over and keeping all of us. FATHER I thank YOU for all the blessings YOU continue to rain down on us! FATHER, humble me, fill me with YOUR spirit, YOUR love, YOUR grace. I ask for YOUR mercy. I ask for YOUR wisdom, YOUR guidance, and YOUR strength. FATHER, I continue to lift up Aimee Harris, Rene' Baxter, and Carol Pickett for YOUR healing. Bless them, comfort them, heal them. Bless my day and week, may they glorify YOU.