Hi Everyone.
I finished yesterday's blog by saying we were going bowling, didn't I? So Mom, Becca's mom, Rachel, Bethany, Lindsay, Becca, and me (7 of us) went to the bowling palace and we met Alison, Hannah, Bridgett, Lisa, Katy, Si, Allan, Mark, and Becki (9 more). So that is a lot of us, isn't it? So we went inside and we saw, would you believe it, Maria, Beth and her niece, Laura (she is 13). Well the place was packed, as it usually is on a Saturday night, but, eventually, we were able to get some lanes, but not next to each other; so that means we were all divided into groups. And not everyone was bowling. Maria, mom, and Becca's mom were just happy to sit and watch us play. We were not worried about winning, we just wanted to have fun. The good thing about the place being so crowded and noisy is, I can get very excited and jump up and scream without really being noticed or embarrassing mom; and I did whenever I got a strike and when Lindsay got a strike. Becca and Allan seemed to be more interested in looking into each other's eyes than bowling! Well that is understandable because they have not seen each other for days. We were having so much fun and the time passed really quickly and, all of a sudden, it was time to leave..
Well we got home at 11.30pm. I know, that is late, isn't it? So we all had a drink and then we had our family devotion. Rachel led us in prayers and she thanked God for the love of families and friends and the love that exists between brothers and sisters in the Lord, and then Becca's mom read this....
"Behold, what great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us" - 1 John 3.1-24..
So then we all went to bed at 12.30am..
So my alarm beeped at 6.57am but I did not hear it; all I heard was, "BECKY! PLEASE TURN OFF THAT HORRIBLE NOISE!" That was Becca sounding very irritated. So I stretched over and turned that thing off. So then I went off to have my shower. While I was showering, I thought how blessed I am to have such loving friends and to have such a loving friend like Becca, even though she shouts at me so early in the morning. Now Amanda is my special friend, too, because we have known each other since we were little girls. So, when I move to LA, it will be so good to see again and be the friends we are. I was a bit worried that she might have all new friends and that she might not want me to be her very special friend anymore but her e-mails have been very encouraging and she says she is dying for us to be together again. Well, sometimes friendships do lose their strength when you get separated, don't they? So after my shower, I went back to get dressed and that alarm was beeping again and Becca looked very irritated. So while she went off for her shower, I said my prayers and studied my Bible. I got carried away a bit today because I spent a lot longer praying today and so I did not get to study as long as usual. So when Becca and me were all ready, we both looked in the mirror and we said, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who are the prettiest girls of all?" And we heard a voice say, "You two girls are vain beyond belief." So we looked at each other and we laughed. It was Rachel! She was walking past (being nosy) and she heard us. But we are not really vain, we just done that because we think it is funny..
So we went down for breakfast and mine was already sitting there for me. So Becca's mom says to Becca, "Do you want pancakes or waffles?" So Becca says, "Oh, I'll have the same as Becky." So I thought, "Did I hear that right?!" But I did because Becca's mom gave her a bowl of cereal, two pieces of fruit, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee (I had tea). So I saw that and I went, "Huh!" So she leaned over and looked at my breakfast and she goes, "Huh!" Like that. So I thought, "How very strange." I was tempted to ask her what was going on but I resisted that temptation. Maybe she has been reading my blog (I always say she has an unhealthy breakfast). So then mom started talking about the preparations that need to be made for our move to LA. Well mom's brain can operate like that in the morning but my brain cannot. I think I inherited my dad's brain. Anyway, I did not really hear much of what she said. Anyway, she ended up saying, "We'll discuss this some more later." So I just said, "Oh, okay.".
So then Alison, Hannah, Si, and Allan arrived. Becca really came alive when she saw Allan. So we all went downstairs and got the place ready: setting out the chairs, setting the podium up, and setting out the hymn books. We had to vacuum the place first, though. So then little Lindsay and Becki came bounding down the stairs in a very excited way. Becki had slept over Lindsay's place last night. Lindsay was going on about how much fun she had last night. Now Bethany told Lindsay she could not go bowling but she changed her mind right at the last minute. Moms are like that, sometimes. Those girls looked sooo pretty and cute in their blue and white dresses and pink socks, they really did. All of us always wear our very best clothes on a Sunday. All those girls wear dresses or skirts and all those boys wear suits, even William has a little suit..
So we were all ready to begin at 8.59am. It is so amazing that everyone gets here on time, don't you think? So Mark got up and went to the podium because he was presiding today. So looks on the table and he says, "Oh, could I have a glass of water, please?" Now Hannah usually puts out his water but she does forget sometimes. So she shot up and went and got that water. So then he called on Allan to lead us in a prayer and he thanked God for blessing Mom, Rachel, Becca, and me with safety in our travels and for bringing us home. So then we sung four songs of praise; it was so loud and joyful and my heart was even leaping for joy; it just felt so good to be back worshipping with everyone again, it really did. So then Steve got up and he said how good it was to have us all back home. Steve preached a good lesson called "The Roles Of Men And Women In The Assembly." I did make some notes and this is what he said: 1. Some say that Paul was just regulating the customs and traditions of the day and that his instructions are not for today. They say that Paul's instructions would be a lot different today because our customs and traditions have changed now. So he showed us how it is wrong to think that way. 2. Men are to be leaders and have authority and women are to be submissive and are not allowed to have authority over the men. So that means they cannot preach or teach in the assembly. 3. This was answering questions like, if women are to be silent, can they sing? 4. Women can still use their talents in other ways. So that was a very good lesson. So then we had the Lord's Supper. So Mark reminded us that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, Paul warns us not lose sight of it's spiritual significance and to partake of it in a worthy manner, and that we partake of it on the first day of the week - together. So we sung an appropriate song and a reading and then we had the Lord's Supper - unleavened bread and pure grape juice. I like the way Mark allows us a bit of extra time to meditate on the bread and wine. In some congregation I have been to, they have the bread and the wine so quickly and you do not get a change to meditate. So then we sang two more songs: When I Survey The Wondrous Cross and Why Did My Savior Come To Earth? After that we had our collection. Little Lindsay passed around the plate. So then we had our Bible study on the book of Joshua; we are nearly finished now. Steve says two or three more weeks. So then we had a song - God Be With 'Till We Meet Again - and a closing prayer..
So after we all said "Amen," there was this total silence for 0.05 of a second and then more and more people started talking and the volume got louder and louder. So I went over to Steve and told him his lesson was very good, then I went to Mark and told him he done a good job presiding today, and I told Allan he led a very good prayer. I think it is very important to encourage people. Barnabas was called "The son of encouragement" and so it is good to follow his example and encourage people. So then mom sent everyone upstairs and Mom, Rachel, Becca, me, and those boys helped to put things away and set up the tables ready for lunch. Mom always invites people to stay for lunch but not everyone stays. So we got everything ready and then mom, Becca's mom, Maria, and Beth got started preparing the food. Now some had to be made up and some just had to be heated through. That is because mom makes some up and other people bring food with them. So Becca and Allan were sitting talking together in the living room, Alison and Si were talking in the pool room, and Hannah and Mark were just staring at each other, and Rachel and Steve were discussing their wedding plans for next year. So I was having a discussion with Steve about things that have been on my mind. All those kids - Lindsay, Becki, Zoe, and William - were playing in the backyard. They were going totally wild. I think that while they were sitting quietly through worship, they were charging up like batteries and then, when services were over, they were all charged up and switched on, and so that is why they went wild. So then Rachel tried to announce that lunch was ready but no one was taking any notice of her because her voice is so quiet. So Steve announced it and everyone heard him. So we all went downstairs to help ourselves: little children first, then us girls, then all the ladies, and then those boys and men. Mark really likes the spicy chicken drum sticks but there were none left. So that girl Hannah goes up to Bridgett, Katy, and Lisa and she says, "Oh, can I have one of your drum sticks?" So she got two and she gave them to Mark. Si says, "Right on sister! A man needs a wife like that." Whatever that is supposed to mean? Anyway, it was a really yummy lunch..
Well after that, we all decided to play some games. Well, not everyone, just everyone who was in the living room. One game we played is called Celebrities. That is where someone thinks of a celebrity and everyone has to guess who it is by asking questions. If someone guesses who you are, then you have to do something they do. So, if someone guesses that you are Bridgett in 8 Simple Rules, then you have to do something that she does. Well we had a lot of fun, anyway. Now those little kids had been playing games and so they went downstairs to watch a DVD. I was not surprised when I went down and found Lindsay asleep on a bean bag because she was up so late last night. .
Well some more people went home and then we decided to have an evening devotion together. So we all went downstairs, which meant we had to set the whole place up again. So Si led us in that devotion. So we had prayers, a reading, and a short talk on Psalm 23. So then we sung six songs and different people chose their favorite song. It was very encouraging..
So the time came when everyone went home and the house became all peaceful. So Rachel, Becca, and me decided to watch a movie and so we sat down and started watching Sabrina (that stars Aubrey Hepburn) and then mom walks in and she goes, "And what do you girls think you are doing?!" So Rachel and Becca did not say a word and so I said, "Watching a movie!" So she says, "Not until we've got all this mess cleaned up your not." So then had to clear up. That took ages and we were not enthusiastic about it. But after we had cleared up the place, mom made us a hot chocolate drink and cookies to have while we watched a movie..
So that has been my day; a typical Sunday..
becky rene
