COMMON GROUND COFFEE HOUSE #84

LOL I've got a good snake story and Jim's still at work so I can get away with telling it.

Two summers ago a big storm was rolling in with a tornado alert. Jim went out back to put up some yard furniture and kids toys and while he was winding up the garden hose, I walked out on the deck to chat. Slithering right behind him was a 5-6 FOOT long gray rat snake. RIGHT behind his shoes! I waited until had gotten past his shoe and told him 'Look! A snake' He jumped 10 feet in the air and went wild. The snake went down into a hole under the overhang from our fireplace. Jim ran right in the house and told me we needed to sell the house and MOVE! He didn't want to live with snakes. LOLOL We'll we did see the snake twice after that but both times in our front yard and heading across the street. Jim stuck the garden hose into the hole under the fireplace and flooded it for hours.

Our whole back yard is filled with holes from chipmunks, a LARGE toad and a good sized turtle. I'm sure there's a snake out there somewhere but just don't tell Jim!

We have lots of the little ring necked snakes in the front and back yard. There must be a nest under our deck because we see them all the time. They only get about 6 inches long and eat bugs.

 

Do the kids catch them? When I was a kid in Michigan, we used to have contests to see which neighborhood kid could catch the most garter snakes. Since I was the ONLY girl, I had to keep up with the boys, didn't I? I got sick one year just as school started and had to miss the first few days. One of the boys brought his cardboard milk carton full of garter snakes! Mother even let me keep 'em, at least till dark!

 

No, they usually scream for me to come and catch them. They do bring the big toad in the house wanting to keep him inside. I always set him free an hour or so later. They'll build him a cardboard house and he's doing his best to jump out.

I caught a lizard yesterday who came in when the youth minister came to pick up his children. 'His mouth is open' the kids all screamed, as if he'd bite my hand off. LOL. Then, once I let him go, Nick wants him as a pet.

I really enjoy the chipmunks and squirrels. Bird watching is quite a hobby of mine. I don't get as many birds now that I have so many children in the yard. The puppy ignores all the other critters! Patches will try to catch squirrels through the screen tho. She's going to end up with a concussion if she isn't careful.

 

LOL Diane! The only thing in my backyard are the dogs. They keep everything else chased off and after Mishka chase Hairwolf through the house a couple of times, she decided that open doors were a BAD thing!

 

The squirrels will throw down the seed they don't care for but the ground perchers such as Cardinals, Blue Jays, Doves are thankful. The Nuthatch and Titmouse like the little seed and don't seem to mind the squirrels.

We have 9 squirrels and 5 chipmunk that we've seen at one time. There may be more. I've not seen our woodpecker this year. He'd been here for 6 summers in a row.

 

Just walked the dog in the storm and we've lost electric a few times. Going to shut down and head to bed. All 4 children will be here VERY early tomorrow since one of the mothers has an appointment.

Night all!

 

Morning all:

MK..praying for you.

Gayla, you too.

Last night I got my results from the neurologist I went to for a second opinion. Though the one who ran the electrical tests on my nerves said he didn't think the neuropathy in my legs was diabetes related, the neurologist who is handling the case and has ALL the info confirmed last night it is indeed from diabetes, though my blood sugar has been mostly under control for over a year now.
He's going to recommend/demand physical therapy to help me try and regain some use of the leg and some feeling if possible. Though I felt it was a setback for me, I know the Lord is in control. Vivian has been really disheartened by this.

Things at church are getting really messy. Please keep this thing in prayer. I talked to not only the former pastor, but the former assistant pastor, the TBA director, as well as the Concord Baptist Association director and someone from the SBC national headquarters in Nashville yesterday. I've come to the conclusion that there is a LOT more to the situation than has been given to me. I'm working on a reconcilliation of the church, but I don't think it will be possible because of ONE DEACON. I was asked to write the letter to defrock the former assistant, requesting his license back, but I cannot in all good conscience do so. His words were misrepresented by this same deacon, so I went to the "horse" to get the other side of the story. I have found reasonable doubt of the Deacons version of the story, especially after his mis-representing my words to someone else this week and it getting back to me via two or three present members. Plus, the assistant and his wife are still members, and they would have to go through a church disciplinary process first before the license could be recalled. This deacon wants to forego that whole process. So, basically what has happened/is happening is that it's been a struggle for power in the church. I also found that several who had not been in church for months were allowed to vote. This isn't right. I have some hard decisions to make concerning the church, our membership there, and why these people don't know their Baptist doctrine or positions that they truly hold after 60 years of existence. It's shameful. Please pray I'll have the wisdom to make the decisions I need to make. I know that if the church wants the assistant pastors license, the deacon is going to have to write the letter. I cannot do it in all good Biblical conscience.

Enough of that. It is very warm here this morning. Not so much warm as humid. We are supposed to have 60% chance of rain today. Yesterday we had several storms, and we were without power for over three hours. It was VERY hot in this house. I need to buy a generator. This happens quite often out here, as the power grid isn't that well suited for the area, especially with the growth we've experienced.

God bless and keep ya'll today. I'm praying for each and every one of you.

T

 

Good Morning everyone!

They woke Son up giving him his last round of meds, so of course we had to get up. At least the nurses had a pot of coffee on. We are migraine free!!!!!!

Son says that his doc should have gotten up early and been here to sign him out when we first woke up.

Tony, there are two reasons why a church isn't grounded in Baptist doctrine. One, they hold to closely with tradition and two, it was started as a family church and control and discipleship never grew past that of the original family(s).

The first is easier to deal with, but still takes a strong person to tell everyone that they need to go "back to the basics" and maybe need to revisit the church constitution. I'll bet 3/4 of your people don't even know there is a church constitution.

I'll gamble that the second situation is what you are dealing with, seeing as you have a power struggle going on. NOt only do you get to deal with the first case, but worse the church will have to decide how the authority gets distributed. (this is why Baptist's have so many committees, )

Good luck to you, and I'll return your prayers.

Home Depot has a nice whole house generator at a decent price. We're trying to talk T's folks into getting one for the same reasons as you.

 

I got really lucky yesterday and pulled into my usually more expensive but extremely convinient(sp?) gas station and paid $1.44 a gallon. T called a bit later and told me that he had stopped at his usually less expensive station and paid $1.55 a gallon.

He usually gets gas in the next town over from us where Walmart sets the price for gas. Usually they are the cheapest around.

These gas prices are going to kill us seeing as how T drives 120 miles a day.

 

We are paying 94.9 pence plus a litre for diesel here in the U.K. Diesel is just a little more expensive than petrol.

 

$2.70 gallon regular here on a bad day. Prices change daily, maybe hourly.

 

Thanks mk...and I think you're right about the "family started" church. I've found out over the last few days that many of the families are intermarried, or have been intermarried at one time or another. It's a mess...in-laws and ex-in-laws, etc still going to the same church together.

Gas here was $2.79 a gallon when Viv got it yesterday morning. Much more and we'll have to start taking the van up to her job and parking in Wal-Marts parking lot or somewhere close for her to be able to go to work. She has to fill up 2x a week. One lady said she just paid 2.87 this morning. That's sick!

 

Concerning Gasoline prices??? Here---yesterday---$2.46/gallon

I told my wife---that I remember .30/gallon---when I got my drivers license and I drove daddy's '68 Chevy pickup----then the Arab oil embargo hit---remember that??? Gas skyrocketed to .50/gallon----I thought then as a 17 year old---"Where oh, where am I gonna get the money to pay .50/gallon.

I visited Bridgend, Wales this past year----they were paying .85pounds/liter----I watched the preacher I was with fill up his petrol tank----50pounds---roughly $100 US Dollars----I got a laugh out of him and we joked about the gas prices---I told him we were paying $1.25/gallon----of course, that was just a year ago----I'm not laughing anymore-----for the first time in my life I filled up my tank---coughed up fifty smacker-reenies for 18 gallons of gas!!!

 

MK, your gasoline is still $1.55 per gal. Ours hit $2.39 yesterday and I think it is more today.

 

I just realized what I typed. I was still asleep when I posted: $2.55/per gallon.

We're home, finally, just in time to grab lunch, a bath and head out to get the girls from school. Then off to cross country and karate. I wonder what is for supper?

 

MK, it is a good thing you corrected that we were all heading your way to buy gasoline.

 

blackbird, I remember those days. You must be about the same age as I am.

 

"Big Oil" has milked me for millions!!!! Millions of $$$$$$$$'s, that is!!!

T??? '68 Chevrolet Pickup---long wheel base---daddy made us a homemade camper---we vacationed all over the southern US---Dogpatch, Gatlinburg, Huntsville, Maggie Valley---we left a lot of rubber on the road then!!!!