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I am avoiding large crowds or family gathers right now. Just can't risk picking up a bug, even I my blood stays good, the people I encounter at chemo and so on. It would just be wrong.

My niece phoned to offer to bring over Thanksgiving plates for us. I am thankful for that. She is having my Dad up for dinner as well. Another reason to give thanks.

I just bought us tickets for matinee of Sound of Music on Nov 1 at Stratford. I did it via phone so I could work to get tickets that would put me in least proximity to people (aisle seat), and....of course, people do their best to not cough at Stratfrod. I am taking the same niece and her 6 year old daughter. It was my mom's favourite musical and my first movie with her.

I figure that we could use a quiet lift then.
 
It's a busy thanksgiving weekend for me. Today we are visiting my husband's family for the big dinner (two hours away from our place each way). Tomorrow morning I have to pick up cupcakes and coffee and we are celebrating my Uncle's 99th birthday coming up this week. Then we go to my Mom's for tgiving dinner (it will likely be stressful with family politics). Monday I go visit aforementioned Uncle to help him with his turkey dinner. Tuesday is his actual borthday so lunch and cupcakes. I am looking forward to it but am aprehensive too (and my health isn't great right now).

I hope everyone has a great long weekend and that you can share love with others.

I am sorry, Justme, that your health isn't good right now. Any news on your wrist?
 
Ahhh ... that's better. I just put someone on "ignore" - makes the vibe here much better ... thankful for that. First time I have opted to use that feature.

Sometimes that's for the best Carolla. I have from time to time here done the same when I needed a break in dialoguing with someone. Hope it works out well for you.
 
Three Thanksgivings ago, I invited a co-worker to share a meal with my visiting parents who would otherwise have been eating KFC on his own for the holiday. This Monday we will share our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. It'll be just the two of us - but that won't keep it from being special.
 
I'm enjoying a flying visit to my godfather's little cabin in the woods. Back home this aft, and I think I'm going to my guy's sister's place for a Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. One child is away out west, the other is not much bothered if I don't make a big meal because she's getting one today at her guy's dad's place. I am thankful for flexible people...
 
Exciting to be celebrating happy "firsts" together Hilary. So - all went well with the wedding & trip westward?
 
Exciting to be celebrating happy "firsts" together Hilary. So - all went well with the wedding & trip westward?

The wedding was a wonderful celebration of who we are - happy, silly, and generally low-key. It was especially great that we have a relationship with the (retired) minister who married us so that we could joke and laugh throughout. A highlight was having a sign language (ASL) interpreter for my sister who is severely hard of hearing. She not only interpreted all of the scripted words, but all the amusing asides as well so that M could get the full experience of the service.
Our trip to Victoria was lovely too. The weather was a bit cooler than I would have liked, but we kept warm by eating and drinking our way through the Inner Harbour. We were too full to eat for days!
 
Tried to avoid church today, Too much power struggles in congregation and frustration lately. Had to go there anyway to pick up some paperwork for the outreach report I have to finish this month. Just caught half a sermon and then met one women from our outreach committee. When I asked how she was, she burst out into tears, because she got all kind of financial trouble and nothing in the fridge for thanksgiving, her family not supporting her or inviting her. She is vegetarian, so no point to get a turkey- but spread the word a bit and three other ones came up with cash and I took her to the farmers market to fill a basket, so we got her over this week at least.
Then I drove to the advanced poll where another outreach member was working. She told me yesterday that it was so busy on Saturday, they couldn't even go to the bathroom or eat- because as long as there is one person there to vote, they can't take a break.
So, I brought them (she and her partner) a tea and some apple crisp I got last night from a friend. And with all my doubts about why I still belong to a congregation, I thought, it is in those moments where we get a chance to help out others who we usually would not know- which makes it worth still going there.
 
Tried to avoid church today, Too much power struggles in congregation and frustration lately. Had to go there anyway to pick up some paperwork for the outreach report I have to finish this month. Just caught half a sermon and then met one women from our outreach committee. When I asked how she was, she burst out into tears, because she got all kind of financial trouble and nothing in the fridge for thanksgiving, her family not supporting her or inviting her. She is vegetarian, so no point to get a turkey- but spread the word a bit and three other ones came up with cash and I took her to the farmers market to fill a basket, so we got her over this week at least.
Then I drove to the advanced poll where another outreach member was working. She told me yesterday that it was so busy on Saturday, they couldn't even go to the bathroom or eat- because as long as there is one person there to vote, they can't take a break.
So, I brought them (she and her partner) a tea and some apple crisp I got last night from a friend. And with all my doubts about why I still belong to a congregation, I thought, it is in those moments where we get a chance to help out others who we usually would not know- which makes it worth still going there.

I give thanks for you, MrsAnteater. For your willingness to listen, to help.
Sometimes the process of church gets in the way of us being church.

You made it happen today I love that.
 
What a great example of what a church should be - a friendly, accepting, helpful and understanding place. I really don't think it is about having a choir, an educated minister, lots of meetings etc.....
 
What a great example of what a church should be - a friendly, accepting, helpful and understanding place. I really don't think it is about having a choir, an educated minister, lots of meetings etc.....
It certainly isn't about having a choir - although a church can certainly be blessed by having one. I do feel that meetings are required - for collaborative decision making - but certainly not meetings for the sake of meetings. A church will be richly blessed by having leaders (ministers/pastors/priests) who are well-educated - but primary concern should be on the quality of their characters - rather than on the quantity of their academic degrees.
 
It certainly isn't about having a choir - although a church can certainly be blessed by having one. I do feel that meetings are required - for collaborative decision making - but certainly not meetings for the sake of meetings. A church will be richly blessed by having leaders (ministers/pastors/priests) who are well-educated - but primary concern should be on the quality of their characters - rather than on the quantity of their academic degrees.

I have been thinking about leadership lately. Agree with you, it's the character that counts. And thinking about character, it's about how to deal with power. And I can't but think about Harry Potter and the "Philosopher's stone" (which gave the power of wealth and Life") - only the one who wanted to find it, but not use it("'s power") ,could find it.
True leaders are the ones who want to lead, but don't want to use the power they have. Very few qualify. Usually, one dominates and others follow, more sensitive people get pushed aside, there is no build in mechanism that deals with the leaders with rather questionable characters. Especially if the do a lot or give a lot. I am talking here more of volunteers than of ministers.
 
I have been thinking about leadership lately. Agree with you, it's the character that counts. And thinking about character, it's about how to deal with power. And I can't but think about Harry Potter and the "Philosopher's stone" (which gave the power of wealth and Life") - only the one who wanted to find it, but not use it("'s power") ,could find it.
True leaders are the ones who want to lead, but don't want to use the power they have. Very few qualify. Usually, one dominates and others follow, more sensitive people get pushed aside, there is no build in mechanism that deals with the leaders with rather questionable characters. Especially if the do a lot or give a lot. I am talking here more of volunteers than of ministers.


Perhaps this comes with the next tier of creation ... another step along the way in theos ... a "running" battle with the emotions? Some will upset these steps and thus up the down stair case as with Jacobi in the desert ... digging holes in the san (san being beyond the hard rocks ... like S'N a bad place to be except if you are just learning ... experience counts!
 
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