COMMON GROUND COFFEE HOUSE #87

Send some of those cooler temps down here. Our AC died Wednesday. It's been as high as 89 degrees in the house. It's actually cooler outside. Nobody has any window fans because of the fall season. Hello? We're in Southeast Georgia. It's still hot outside. Our new unit will be here next week.

This morning we have some relief. It's overcast and raining. What did we do before there was AC. I know what we did. We didn't live in Georgia

 

I wondered what all that noise was as I tried to sleep...next time try to keep it down, ok

 

Hey, I am absolutely frozen this morning! It is like the middle of January outdoors and I have about 100 small nuts and bolts to fasten in that metal shed..........and then they say rain to follow...I bet that rain comes in white coloured drops.

Talk later when my fingers thaw out.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Good Morning!

We are 61 degrees this morning, but the weather man said that "Big Blue" is on its way. Sounds like you are going to share with us, Jim.

Sue, Christmas presents! I'm trying to figure out a way to skip the present thing. We have spent so much money on grandchildren this year, but they seem to forget that by Christmas time.

The little 18 month old is probably the only one I can please.

Any one have any suggestions, how to get the family to agree to no presents...just spend on your own family.

Betty

 

Smile at them and say, "I got you nothing. Merry Christmas!"

 

We established a policy many years ago. We were allowed to buy one present for each other, not to value more than ten dollars, and to be wrapped in newsprint and tied with string. The monies we saved, estimated, were sent to a missionary in Africa for Christmas.

We had Christmas dinner at home, but no tree or decorations. On Christmas Day, in the morning, I visit the shut-ins at the nursing homes, serve communion, read scripture and have prayer with them. The Anglican Church always has a morning service on Christmas Day.

Cheers,

Jim

 

This year, we will have our traditional Christmas eve service at church and then we will have Services Christmas Morning also since Christmas falls on Sunday.

I'm considering establishing a "no present" policy, except for the little 18-month old.

I will present this proposed policy to the "Head of the Family" and see what he says.

We always give them birthday presents.

Jim, your Christmas sounds wonderful.

 

Good day to all.

Raining here, but a refreshing rain, gentle and fresh. Now if we could just turn the outdoor heat on............

On Christmas: As a pastor, I had to observe the holiday called Christmas, but personally never accepted it as such. It was a family day for us, including the family of God's servants. The exchange of a gift is but a token of our affection, a symbol of that love, and not a time to break the bank or finance commercialism. Yes, we have a wonderful time of fellowship.

Where is everyone these days?

Cheers,

Jim

 

I'm here. Church this morning. Children came by to have lunch with us. Then a nap.

Been really busy

Concerned about my Florida kids. Storm should hit tonight sometime. It has been raining some there. My granddaughter has been trying to bring me up to date on the new electronics. It seems she has a ibook with wireless connections.

She can't tell me how it works. I will have to talk to her brother to get technical assistance, but I want one.

Jim, We had to turn on the heat inside today.

It's 46 degrees here.

Where is CJ? Did you see that OU-Baylor game last night? That was a thriller. For a tiny little moment, I thought it would be nice for Baylor to win since they have never won a game playing Oklahoma U. It was a very fleeting moment.

Oh yes, Ou won in double overtime.

Have a great evening.

Betty

 

Betty,
We have had the heat on the past two weeks. Several nights it got down below freezing, and we had a heavy frost on windscreen for three days running..............just maybe we will get a first snow followed by Indian summer. It rained all day to-day, but not enough to keep me indoors. I went picking puff balls for daughter.

Cheers,

Jim

 

We finally had our first frost overnight Thur-Fri!

Jim - for years - I've tried to tell my wife that the Sunday colored funnies - would make idea wrapping paper for presents.

The only time that happens - If I wrap a gift!

 

Dan, especially if they include Peanuts. Over the years we did try to find appropriate and comical stories in print. Never really thought about using the comics exclusively though.

We also have a missions jar and drop our odd change into it through the year. Combined with wot we saved on presents and wrappings, we were able to send about $100.00 to the missionary,,,who is now retired...that was a lot of money in the early days.

Glad you have caught up on the frost, Dan,,and now for the snow.......

Cheers,

Jim

 

Good morning, everyone.

Jim, you've got the right idea for Christmas. It does indeed sound wonderful.

Thankful, in our family, usually if the older ones of us want to give anything, it is either something we've made ourselves, or is something under $10.00. Because there are so many of us, sometimes we change and pick names. But, for the most part, lately, just a card or a phone call does it. We haven't put up a tree for nearly six years now, but are doing so this year because it's our first Christmas in the house.

Sue, it's been warm here except for the last few days. We had to turn on the heater this morning. It was only 58 inside and 34 outside. There was frost on the windows of the car this morning.

We didn't get to go to church yesterday. I was still so uncomfortable with the stent and having a hard time walking anyhow. Vivian had gotten up at 5 am vomiting and chills. We don't know if it was a virus, nerves or what. But, she seemed to improve as the day went by. She had stayed out all day mowing the lawn the day before. There are just a few areas that need to be hit by the push mower or weed eater and the lawn will be done for this year, I believe.

At about 2:30pm, the other associate pastor, his wife and our song director/missions outreach leader came to our home and brought us some potato soup. It was so sweet of them. We prayed before they left and an hour or so later, because I hadn't already gone and gotten my "Maxwell House Lite" with 1/2 the caffeine (they told me I had to either cut it by 1/2 or totally because of the stones and other things) she came back with a can from Krogers. I so appreciated that. We do these things for others, and I never realized just how much these two simple, heart-felt gestures could mean to someone. I guess the Lord just had to let me experience it again so I would remember how others do feel and receive a blessing. Our God is an AWESOME GOD!

I talked to my birth father and step mother yesterday. Our relationship is strained, but, it was good to talk to them. I told them what had been going on with us and they were both much more open with me yesterday.Please, keep them all in prayer. There is a LOT going on in my birth fathers family, legally, mentally and spiritually right now, and I greatly desire to see my family come to know the Lord and see their lives changed. My 1/2 brother, from what I was told, tried to commit suicide mid week in New Jersey. He didn't succeed. I'm praying the Lord can still reach him.

Thank you all again for the prayers. Please know that I love each and every one of you and am praying for you all, individually and collectively. This core group in the Common Ground Coffee House has become like a family to me.

Blessings.

T

 

Well it's Monday. Sigh.....

Fall has officially fallen here. It was 38 degrees this morning and several of the houses had frost on the roof. In spite of my getting up at 6:15 this morning it still took until our usual time to walk out the front door. Part of that was due to Bitsy's fashion sense, but lack of ability to not stain her clothes. I had two outfits already picked out this morning, but neither suited her. So she picks out something different from her closet. That would have been okay, except as we were putting it on, I discovered some stains I hadn't seen when I hung it up. So we grab another shirt that matched the pants out of the clean laundry. When we get to the car I take a good look at her, there is a big orange stain right in the front of the shirt. Back to the house for yet another shirt! Definately Monday!

T's sugar was 300 this morning. I discovered that after I went to bed he finished off the cookie bars I had made last night and intended to put in the kids lunches this morning. He probably ate a third of an 8 x 8 pan of them. I was sooooo agravated with him! The doctor has just been yelling at both of us about his sugar and cholestorol and it seems like T is only eating more bad things, not less! What ever happened to the "why husbands don't listen to us" thread?

To top off everything, I have a stupid cold this morning! I can't seem to quit sneezing. I'm afraid to take much because I have a full day today and I don't want to be sleepy.

Gotta good pity party going today don't I?

Oh well, I feel better now that I've had my rant. I'm going to get moving and work off my frustrations and hope that results in a house I can walk through, two karate uniforms embroidered, guinea pig cages cleaned out and the weed eater fuel line fixed. The last can wait till tomorrow, but I'd like to get started cleaning up the backyard for winter now that the weather is cooler.

I'll be in and out here today, ya'll have a good one.

 

It was making the women folk angry and the men were saying, "There's a thread about men not listening?"