Funny How…

Isn’t it funny how as we get older, we turn into our parents?  I began thinking about this last Monday (August 2) when Nathan and I was trying to get out-of-town and get to camp meeting in Santa Maria.  We had everything packed and ready to go….then when we got into the car we had to get gas, then go to the store, then go to the bank, etc. One time when Nathan got back in the car after one of our many stops, I said, “Well, Murray do you think we might get it all done”?  To which he replied, “My Lord, Lila, yes we are just about finished”!  You must know that my mother (Lila) and father(Murray) did this every time we were going out-of-town, and as a child I did not like it one little bit.  I could not understand why they couldn’t get it all done before I got in the car, ready to leave. 

Now and then I catch myself saying things just like my mother would say.  I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror not long ago and gasped because I thought I was seeing Mother’s ghost and came to realize it was just me.  “Mirror, mirror on the wall. I’ve become my mother after all”.  There are sometimes Nathan even calls me Ruby (my maternal grandmother), because I will say something that reminds him of her.  

After we got to camp-meeting, finally, 🙂  I was reminded again of things I do and/or things I like that Mother did, when my sister, Linda asked me take a picture of all the motorhomes/coaches at camp meeting and send it to her.  She said that it was Mother’s “fault” that we both liked them so much.  ha! 

Here’s a few other things I’ve noticed that I like that Mother also liked:  An ice cold diet Dr. Pepper,  an ice cream cone from McDonalds, a drive in the country, staying up late with friends and laughing alot, baseball (yes, she liked it), a good cry in a good church service, the clapping of the crowd at a general conference or large gathering of saints (she said it sounded like a rushing river), good preaching/teaching,  singing and good music.  Oh my! This list could go on awhile. 

 Do you ever catch yourself doing things like your parents or grandparents? 

It just happens to us all, I think. 

 Funny how that happens, huh?

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A Little Catch Up

Ok, so it’s been awhile. 🙂  Life has been crazy busy this summer.  I’m ready for the kids to go back to school.  I know, I don’t have any kids in school myself but somehow I think if yours will go back to school, my life will settle down too.

Since my last post we have flown to Houston for Jared and Jennifer’s wedding.  It was simply elegant.  Jennifer was a beautiful bride and Jared a handsome groom.  I nearly “lost it” when he and Nathaniel walked out onto the platform.  Then Nathan leaned over and said, “where did the little boys go”?  I made myself  stop crying because I knew I couldn’t stop if I got good and started.  Oh yes!  It was tears of joy and a few of good ol’ nostalgia.

We was able to spend a few hours with Wendell, Linda, Gene and Karla.  I’m so glad they came down for the wedding too.  It’s always good to be with my family.  Love them BUNCHES!!!

We flew home on Saturday, August 1st and then on Sunday, August 2nd, celebrated 5 years of being the pastor of The Pentecostal Church.  Wow!  Time really does fly!  Stephen and Susan Hill and Cherish was with us for this grand occasion.  Bro. Hill preached a great message.  We had a big church dinner and awesome fellowship with our friends and with our saints.

Then….Monday August 3rd, we packed up and went to Santa Maria for our Western District Camp Meeting!  WOW!  WOW! and WOW!  There will never be the right kind of words in the English language to describe the Camp Meeting.  The preaching of some of our district pastors was great.  The ministry of Dr. James Hughes and Rev. Brian Kinsey was highly anointed.  I wept before the Lord, worshipped, danced, praised, sang….until I couldn’t hardly move. 🙂  Heaven truly kissed earth last week in Santa Maria at the Western District Camp Meeting.

The fellowship at District meetings is always a blessing too.  It was good to laugh and talk and laugh and talk with so many of our friends. Oh!  And the strawberries were to die for! 🙂

Now we are home.  I’m washing loads of laundry and sending loads more to the dry cleaners.  My cupboards are bare so I will make a trek to the grocery store today so we don’t starve. 🙂  This coming week-end is our Back to School Bash and Kids Crusade.  I will go hand out my invitations tomorrow or Wednesday.  We are expecting about 500 kids at this event.  Giving away back-packs filled with school supplies and ipods and no telling what else.  I am expecting many to receive the Holy Ghost this week-end.

So….when I have another chance, I will set down and post another blog.  Until then…

I’m so thankful for the life of blessing that God has given to me.

Be Blessed!

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Camp Meeting 2008

Camp Meeting 2008 has come and gone. It was probably one of the best camp meetings I have participated in. The preaching of Bro. Jones and Bro. Davis was impeccable. I received such a wonderful blessing on Wednesday after the preaching of the word by Bro. Davis. He spoke of keeping the things of God sacred. Keeping His house a place of reverence, etc. As we began to sing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come. With all creation I sing, praise to the King of Kings. You are my everything, and I will adore you”…such a sweet presence came over me. I had to put my microphone down and lift up hands in praise to my King. As I did this it was like a cool refreshing water began to flow from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I find it hard to explain, but some of you will know what I am talking about. There is nothing like the refreshing we receive in the presence of Almighty God.

As most of you know I took care of the Hospitality Tent again this year. I had incredible help too. Matthew and Danelle went down to Santa Maria with me on Sunday Night. We got the tent ready for the beginning of Camp on Monday Morning. Three ladies from our church, Christina, Brenda and Gloria got there about 2:30 and helped us finish everything. Sis. Christina arranged the beautiful flower arrangements. She also made about 250 cookies for the hospitality tent ahead of time. She made, chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodles and chocolate/chocolate (oh so rich). Everybody loved them. In fact if they wasn’t sitting out on the table, people would come in and start looking for them in all the snack bins. LOL Thank you Sis. Christina, Brenda and Gloria. You were a tremendous blessing to me.

I had an assistant this year, Sis. Donna Claborn. The Claborn’s pastor in San Bernardino. Donna, you were a life saver! Donna Claborn is one of the sweetest ladies I know. She always has a smile and a twinkle in her eye. She organized Tuesday and Thursday for me and did an incredible job. She also helped me serve on Monday and Thursday nights after service to the ministers and special guests. Thank you Donna. Can you come up next year too? 🙂

I must give a huge shout out to my daughter and son-in-law! Matt and Danelle you guys were incredible. Matt, thank you for all your help throughout the week and for all the times you had to go to the store to refill the ice and restock the drinks, etc. You are awesome. I’m so glad you and ‘Nell got to go and that you had such a great time. Thanks to my son, Nathaniel, for loading and unloading everything for me. Also, thanks for helping out on Friday Night. Your the best!

I must give another shout out to Tena Valenti (from our church) for helping me with the dinners on both Monday and Thursday Nights. Monday night we served Brunswick Stew and Sandwiches with all the trimmings. That one was quite simple. Then on Thursday we cooked a dinner of Chicken in Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce, Rice, Mixed Vegetables and Dinner Rolls. Dessert was Chocolate or Carrot Cake. We nearly had a disaster but we pulled it off. LOL Tena, thank you so much for sacrificing your Thursday at Camp Meeting to help me. I know I couldn’t have done it without your help.

Also, I want to thank all of the ladies that helped me throughout the week. You all were such a blessing to me and to the camp. I love my sisters in the Lord. You guys are AWESOME!!!

Steve and Debbie Saiz, you out-did yourself once again. You are incredible people. The camp meeting was awesome and you are responsible for it all. I love you both dearly.

I was able to take a few pictures on Monday and Friday. The rest of the week was to busy. 🙂 Enjoy!

There are more pics on my flickr account. Click on More Pics to Enjoy in the right column.

More Pics @: Shirley Buxton, Tena Valenti, Steve and Debbie Saiz.

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Getting Ready for Camp

I am a little preoccupied right now. I am trying to get ready for Camp Meeting. It starts on Monday but I will be going down on Sunday after church. My posts may be a little delinquent for the next little bit but I will be back. 🙂 I hope those of you who are in California and Nevada will be at Camp. I would love to see you all.

In the meantime please keep Timo Simoneaux in your prayers (see previous post). God is able to perform a miracle here.

Talk to you all in a few days!

Blessings

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Going Home

We are packing up and getting ready to leave Santa Maria for home.  Camp-Meeting was incredible.  I will post more when I get home and unpacked. Hopefully all of my pictures turned out good.  It may be Monday before I actually get to it but I will tell you all about it.  So many people to talk about (in a good way).  lol  See ya later!

p.s.  I just noticed that I’m over 50,000 hits.  Wow!  This is fun!

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Camp-Meeting Update

OK, we did the first night and I must say it was a HIT!!!  I had shrimp cocktail, turkey rolls, vegetables with a creamy ranch dip, chips and salsa, lemon cake and all kinds of snack stuff.  To drink was water, coke, diet coke, Dr. pepper, coffee, hot tea, hot cocoa (it’s cold at night here).  A great time was had by all.

A GREAT BIG thank you to Priscilla Carrasco and Tena Valenti for all their help.  I couldn’t have done it without you today!

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Camp-Meeting

Today after our service I drove to Santa Maria where our camp-meeting is held every year. I always enjoy the drive because it is so beautiful and today I was not disappointed. Just as I was coming into Pismo Beach the sun was just about completely set and then the moon came. Oh my! It was a BIG full moon and it was absolutely breath taking.

Tomorrow morning I will be up and at ’em early because I will be setting up a hospitality “room” for our special guests and district officials. I am a little nervous because this will be my first year to do this kind of thing in California. I always helped out in Texas but that is different than doing the whole thing. lol I must say that I am looking forward to it though. To me there is no greater joy than “giving a cup of water” to the prophet. In this case it will be many ministers (prophets), wives and families. Also platform personnel, singers, musicians, etc. I’ll let you all know how it goes. I might write and say it was a disaster but I don’t think so. lol If you think about me this week will you send up a little prayer for me? Thanks a million

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Summer Is Here, Already?

Time really does fly when your’re having fun!  Or is time just speeding up for everyone?  It’s hard to believe that we are already entering into the youth camp and camp-meeting time of the year.  Wasn’t we just here a few days ago?  Have we really already celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day….?  WOW!  If you are already heading out to your Youth Camp or Camp-meeting I hope and pray you have a great time.  It’s always enjoyable to see good friends and make new ones at these events.  The fellowship is precious.  I also hope that there is some life changing times in the Holy Ghost or that you hear a lesson or sermon that will help you along life’s way.  May God richly bless your summer and keep you all safe.

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