Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
Just finished watching Friday Night Lights. Great depiction of football in the South.
Saturday - Woke up with a scratchy throat. Went to Christin's to get some clothes for my sister's garage sale benefitting UNICEF's tsunami relief effort. Spent the afternoon with my grandmother (aka Bana). Dinner with BJ, Fr. & Mrs. Riley and Fr. Powell. (BJ and I got in the truck after and looked @ each other and said at the same time "That was fun"). It went really well. We didn't have any awkward silent pauses and laughed a lot. Spent the night @ Bana's.
Sunday - Throat still stratchy. Choir rehearsal @ 8:30. Joint service @ 9:15. Annual parish meeting with potluck lunch. Rode around Monroe by myself. Took a nap in the mall parking lot. Time to go to confirmation class. Car wouldn't start. Dead battery. Called mom. She came all the way to Monroe to jump me off. Wanted to go to confirmation class but was strongly advised to come back to Ruston and get a new battery. Wal-Mart. Watched Emily's boyfriend change my battery. Home. Sleep, sorta. Work.
Monday - Sleep. Throat in pain. Work.
Tuesday - Sleep. Melody & Micah @ Adrienne's. Adrienne's red beans/rice and coleslaw. Walmart for throat medicine. Work.
Wednesday - Sleep. Throat better but voice messed up. 1st choir practice that I could attend since switching to graveyards and I had to miss it. Sloppy roast beef poboy from Papa Joe's for "dinner". Work.
Thursday - Sleep, sorta. Good talk with Ashley. Bible study. Voice ok enough to sing. Work.
Friday - Chicken purchase after work and distribution. Sleep. So horse I could sing bass. No work this weekend! YAY! I can sleep normal! Nothing planned really for this weekend other than sleep @ normal hours & clean house tomorrow. Going to Knox Sunday I think.
Two very good quotes and reminders on the dangers of having a 45-minute conversation with a blogger that you haven't talked to since before Christmas.
"My sponge is sitting on the back of the sink, all dried up, and I'm retarded."
"The icon and shortcut is there but the file has been deleted out of my brain!"
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hail to the Lord's Anointed,
great David's greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free,
to take away transgression,
and rule in equity.
He comes, with succour speedy,
to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
were precious in his sight.
He shall come down like showers
upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
spring in his path to birth;
before him, on the mountains,
shall peace the herald go;
and righteousness, in fountains,
from hill to valley flow.
Kings shall fall down before him,
and gold and incense bring;
all nations shall adore him,
his praise all people sing;
to him shall prayer unceasing
and daily vows ascend,
his kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.
O'er every foe victorious,
he on his throne shall rest;
from age to age more glorious,
all-blessing and all-blest.
the tide of time shall never
his covenant remove;
his name shall stand for ever,
his changeless Name of love.
Katherine! I can't believe you're only 20!
These crack me up! Thanks for the link Barlow.
I'm moving back to the graveyard shift starting next week. The supervisor on that shift really wants me back, and I want to go back. Being on evenings I never get to see my family and friends. Plus, I'll get to go to choir practice on Wednesdays, but I'll miss the Eucharist service @ lunchtime on Wednesdays which I've become so fond of going to.
It must be in the water right now. Adrienne, Jessica, Moriah, Katherine, Melody, Jennifer, Rachel and maybe soon Rachel. I can't wait to see all these babies.
Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
After 140 years of continuous business operation, an announcement was made today that Ruston's historic downtown retail anchor Lewis & Company will close sometime in March of this year ... "This has been a very difficult decision for our family to make," said Richard Lewis, VP of the company. "Unfortuantely, the dynamics of retailing have changed dramatically in the last 20 years, making it very difficult for independent retailers such as Lewis' to compete with national chains and regional shopping centers. Closing the store is really more an end of and era than an end to a business enterprise." ... Until its spring closing date, Lewis & Company Ltd. will remain the oldest continuously operating family owned retail business in Louisiana. The company was founded in Trenton, Louisiana on the banks of the Ouachita Rivers in 1865 as the Kidd-Lewiw General Mercantile Company. Its founders subsequently changed the name to Lewis & Company in 1884.For those of you that know Lewis', it really is an anchor in downtown. Even though they were way overpriced, they still had things that aren't available anywhere else in Ruston. I know for a fact that my mom buys glass pitchers from there for every bride she buys a gift for (right, Ashley, Adrienne, and Beth?). The face of downtown will definately change, and the Peach Festival will probably never be the same. Part of me wants to say that they brought it on themselves. Like another family-owned business in Ruston that recently lost its business, it's been floating around that the first generation made the money, the second generation saved the money, and now the grandkids are spending the money and they can't stay afloat.
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
What star is this, with beams so bright,
More lovely than the noonday light?
’Tis sent to announce a newborn King,
Glad tidings of our God to bring.
’Tis now fulfilled what God decreed,
“From Jacob shall a star proceed”;
And lo! the Eastern sages stand
To read in heaven the Lord’s command.
While outward signs the star displays,
An inward light the Lord conveys,
And urges them, with force benign,
To seek the Giver of the sign.
To God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
May every tongue and nation raise
An endless song of thankful praise!
I want to blog something, but don't know what. Hamsterball is fun.
I "auditioned" for the choir at GEC today and will probably start singing with them in the next couple of weeks once my cassack (sp?) comes in. I haven't sung in a choir (other than congregational) since high school. I sang soprano then, but since I was trying to sing harmony at Knox, my voice has lowered to an alto/second soprano. The choir director seemed to like my voice, and everybody was excited. "We need a strong alto!" They already have some good altos, but are lacking in volume and confidence.
Now the only thing that will top of these last two weeks with a bang is being offered the IT job.
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining,
low lies his head with the beasts of the stall;
angels adore him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Savior of all.
Shall we then yield him, in costly devotion,
odors of Edom, and offerings divine,
gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean,
myrrh from the forest, and gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
vainly with gifts would his favor secure,
richer by far is the heart's adoration,
dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
All sorts of questions. All sorts of answers. The basic stuff "Tell us about your education and work experience." "What are some of your strengths/weaknesses?" "What about your people skills?" "There are a lot of computer systems at the library that control a lot of important things. Do you think you can handle it?" To that one I stated that I had never had a big job like this and I'm quite interested in taking on the task. Then the lady that was in there with us (there were 2 men and her interviewing me) mentioned that she had known me since I was babe, and she used to babysit me and babysat her children so she knows I can do the job.
Then, I was at my mom's office telling her what all happened when a friend of hers that works at the courthouse (where I interviewed) called. She said that she saw Shane and asked him if he had talked to me yet and to put in a good word for me and how did it go. He told her that it went well and that she's about the 10th person to tell him that they were putting in a good word for me. Then she said that she said a prayer for me at the time of the interview but not to let that influnce him. :) I think he's going to have a lot of folks mad at him if I'm not the one to get this job.
The amount of people that have put in good words and said prayers for me and whatever else has just amazed me. I started tearing up in my mom's office when I really thought about it. Thank you everybody.
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Isa. 60:1-6,9
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
For the coastlands shall wait for me,
the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring your children from far away,
their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the LORD your God,
and for the Holy One of Israel,
because he has glorified you.
I got a call from Shane B. from the parish IT department. I have an interview Friday @ 10am. I'll be interviewed by him, Mr. Williams (chairman of the library board), and Mrs. Jones, whom my family has known for decades, and I babysat her kids 2 summers in a row when I was in high school (a big plus).
Yesterday, BJ quoted this to me regarding Friday.
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
Yesterday was again a great experience. I had lunch with the Lord Bishop of Durham. We went to McAllister's in W. Monroe and had to sit outside since there were so many of us. It was a bit noisy but nonetheless. As soon as BJ gets the pictures off his camera and onto his computer, I'll post the one of the bishop and I here.
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
============
This Sunday was great. I heard Lord Bishop N.T. Wright speak during Sunday School and preach at our 10:15 service. Probably the funniest part was near the end of SS, he called for any questions, one of which was inquiring about his thoughts towards the situation in America with the gay bishop and if he could give us any comfort regarding that. His reply was simply, "Comfort."