Happy Fall!

Yeah, right. With temperatures forecast for 91 degrees today, it sure doesn't feel like the start of autumn!

An Open Invitation

If you live anywhere near the Greater Lafayette area, I want to personally invite you (well, I guess this is as only as personal as a blog post, but consider yourself personally invited) to a City-Wide Night of Worship at the Long Center THIS Sunday from 7:00-9:00.

It will be a night of praising God with singing, and even though you might not know all of the songs at first (as I didn't but I've learned them now), I'm sure there will be quite a few that you do know and can sing out heartily on. (It will be very similar to the format of the June 10 N.O.W.)

If you are hesitating because you want to know what songs we'll be singing and who else will be there, let me better inform you. Titus Curtis will again be leading, and vocal members from FBC include the talented Annette Benson and our very own Steven Sturm. The bass player (Kurt) from ECC is amazing, and with Steve Mellema on drums how can we go wrong? There are also other extrememly talented people (from our church and others) involved in making music in praise to our great God. We have been in rehearsals for this over the past week or so (some nice long rehearsals, in fact we will have probably spent about 12-15 hours in rehearsing for this before all is said and done) trying to make these songs sound like they do on the CD recordings.

The songs include (but are not limited to):
"Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble"
"I Am Free"
"Matchless"
"Nothing But the Blood"
"I Will Sing of My Redeemer"
"Grace Like Rain"
"Strong Tower"
"Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting"
"In the Secret"
"Take it All"
"From the Inside Out"
"Fairest Lord Jesus"
"Alive Forever Amen"
"My Savior My God"

Hope to see you Sunday night at the Long Center from 7:00-9:00. Come ready to sing!! (And hey, if you are not a singer, you can come and listen anyway!)

Overheard in the Girls' Restroom

Some days I finish getting ready for school after I've already taught a piano lesson or two (translation: I sometimes get up too late to put on my make-up at home). So this morning found me in the women's restroom putting my make-up on right around 8:00 AM, right when the kindergarten students are using the facilities before school begins. There were about five 5 year-olds with me in the bathroom and I overheard them as they debated whether to use a particular toilet or not.

"We have trouble with that one."
"You might get locked in." Then she proceeded to demonstrate (quite a few times in much detail) to her fellow student how to turn and then shake the handle once and that should free you from imprisonment in the stall.
"But sometimes I have to kick the door."
"Yeah, I think I have to kick it."

Then they started talking to me. As one little girl talked to me and watched me put on my eye shadow, she told me how she has make-up at home, but that it's only for dress up. "My mother says that only big people are allowed to wear it outside the house like to school and stuff."
"Yes," I told her, "your mother is right. She taught you well."
The reply: "My mother doesn't teach me ANYTHING."

Tom Clancy

This summer I decided to branch out into a new reading material: Tom Clancy. Even though it took working at it most of the summer (reading it off and on) I finally finished "The Sum of All Fears" by Tom Clancy. My cousin Mark was actually the impetus behind this, because if you will remember this spring that Sarah and I went to Chicago to visit my Sailor cousin, and while we were in Borders he said that he loved to read Tom Clancy, so I thought I'd give it a try. I like the action movies, and I know I'd seen the movie "The Sum of All Fears" at some point, so I got the book from the library. I did enjoy the story line, although I wasn't used to all of the swear words that could have been omitted. I ended up getting the movie after I read the book, and I have to say that the book WAS better than the movie. I can't believe they changed so many characters in the movie--and that Tom Clancy let them do that! Anyway, I'm always looking for a good read and have to thank my cousin Mark for getting me started on Tom Clancy.

Juju's Friends

The neighbors behind me got a puppy this summer--Chi (short for Malachi). Juju missed Chi as he was gone with his family camping this weekend. I went over to their house to feed their cat each day over the weekend and Ju came with me, still looking for Chi. At home, she would stare out the door, hoping to see him out in his backyard. When he's out they can usually greet each other at the ends of their ropes. At the end of last week, as Juju was playing with Chi, another neighbor dog Odie wandered over and all 3 of them were in the backyard romping around. Juju loves spending time with her "friends"!

Harry Potter

I had big plans to do yardwork and cleaning on Labor Day, really I did. However, on Friday, a book I had put on hold came in to the library for me to pick up--the final installment of Harry Potter: Book #7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. So, although I did spend some time this weekend going to the mall, enjoying the Golden Corral with my sis, doing laundry, and changing some decorations for fall, the majority of my time was spent in bed or on the couch--reading. If you are a Harry Potter fan, and you haven't followed the series all the way through yet, I would highly recommend the last book. (I know, most of you have probably already read it, since I go through the library instead of the bookstore, I'm usually a little behind--or else you are just waiting for the movie to come out.) It was vaguely reminiscent of The Last Battle from the Chronicles of Narnia. I was thoroughly satisfied with it. The best Harry Potter book ever, in my opinion. Without spoiling anything, I believe I can say that all the loose ends are finally tied up. 759 pages. Three days. Great read.