Ah, home from church. The sun is out. It is supposed to warm up today. Love the cold and love the warm up. We have made plans, unmade plans, changed plans, adjusted plans and how we are just going to go with hanging around the house. I am trying to begin a new book and still haven't found the next one to read. Years ago, I purposely did not read a best seller by Gail Godwin because the day would come where I just might need to read something by her...today just might be the day that I open up that saved book.
We took a bunch of stuff over to Habitat Thrift Store and some clothes over to Goodwill. When we got back since it was kind of warm in the garage I went through a couple of storage containers. Mostly Christmas stuff that we don't use anymore. I found the barbed wire Christmas tree, table size, but think it is going out the door as much as I loved it. Found a few things to keep. I also went through purses and brief cases that will be going out the door as well. I did find some treasures though, not treasures in the usual word, but things I had forgotten about and that brought joy to see them once again. On the practical side, I found a few orthotics that can be utilized.
Sometimes when a Sunday School lesson means a little bit more than usual, it is even more difficult to teach it because of the affection attached to the study. I felt that with the first Daniel lesson. He was consistent in his leadership and being dependent on the Lord. He was becoming who he be starting there in the first chapter. When he determined not to defile his body with the king's food, he did so in a manner that respected his guard putting his life on the line as well as honoring God. We hear it so often in church situations to be a Daniel or to be strong and take a stand, to do the will of God, but we hear it as maybe shouting it out or demanding the change, not following after the Lord with a quiet and kind spirit. Daniel's quiet spoke louder than any yelling ever does. You see it happening on Twitter, sometimes what you read resembles a shouting match. When Daniel tells the King in chapter 2 what he dreamed as well as the meaning, he didn't hog the glory so to speak, he included his three friends who had been praying with him for this wisdom from God. They were rewarded for their faithfulness and integrity. A particularly moving introduction in a Eugene Peterson book brought it together for me, who Daniel was and who he became were congruent what he said and how he responded lined up with the values and character Daniel possessed. Eugene Peterson wrote of his own experience. Starting a church he had the business end of the denomination pushing him to have a larger congregation, take in more tithes and offerings, attract rich people to be members and the like. It had an affect on his pastoring. He was conflicted in his presentation in sermons and in his ministry to the people of the church. The Lord used a seminar speaker who Eugene highly respected to change his attitude and he then truly began to minister and serve his congregation, the only church he ever pastored and did so for many years. While teaching the lesson and in this critical part, I could see our pastor out in the parking lot spreading more sand around some ice and snow that lingered because of the shade.
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Unpacking more boxes from the garage slowed to a crawl because of sentimental attachments. Found things my mom made, scrapbooks from junior high and high school, pictures of some great trips, and a few things like that. Why I took the time to paste notes passed in school is beyond me but our sign off on all these notes between friends is "Luff ya" which I hadn't remembered. I looked it up and today it means friend love which I guess is what it meant back them. Funny, not even given this a thought in all these years, then start reading notes and it was the sign off of choice. I kept all my comic books too. Lots of Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, all the Archie and Riverdale gang and Casper the Friendly Ghost comics. Nothing like vintage Superman or anything. I did look a few of them up and a few could bring a couple of dollars. Not bad for a 10 or 12 cent investment.
This week we are on the plains of Dura with Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego. Since we didn't have much on the calendar to take care of, I got some time to put together study notes and do some reading. One of the most beloved Bible stories. I looked at a couple of vintage children's books bought over the years to remember those wonderful days of Bible story telling with a flannel board and the poster cards hanging on the walls.
After three reschedules due to snow, we are finally getting the truck in this week for an oil change and checkup. Roy has Zoom appointments all week on various days. Tomorrow is the service for a friend here. She is one of the first people that greeted and welcomed me to our Sunday School class. I enjoyed our phone conversations and she gave me helpful hints for life in the mountains. I loved to hear her pray in our class and she also told some funny stories too.
Well, I am up once again in the early morning, so guess I will try now to go back to sleep. Two nights in a row...much better sleeping through the night.
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