Anyone Have a Spit Wad?

Last Sunday my amazing Jalene asked me to be present when her three children were baptized at our church. We met on Twitter, figured out we lived in the same neighborhood, our children attended the same school, two even in the same grade, both loved photography, and had both just bought new cameras. After meeting in person we decided to take a photography class together. We now shoot events together like the Daddy Daughter Ball and soon our high schools prom! She is precious and I'm so glad I found her!

Since we are first service people (traditional) and her children were being baptized in second (contemporary), we all attended first, went to Sunday School, and sent Shawn, Kennedy, and Reagan to lunch. McKinley and I decided to take pictures and set out to get the best viewing spot. Hello 3rd floor. We joined the video, power point, and lighting people two stories up over looking the sanctuary.

Hello beautiful views. I've attended this church my entire life, but I never get tired of seeing how beautiful it is. From this vantage point I had a whole new view. Of course, I could also see the storage that's above the choir room. Oh well, the stained glass windows and organ pipes made up for it. And speaking of stained glass, hello gorgeous.

I have loved these windows since I was born. Well, maybe a little later. During the service there's some very snazzy 1960's curtains that cover them. At the end of the service when we're singing the Doxology the curtains raise and the light shines through them. I have enjoyed this moment every time I'm there.As we were listening to the sermon for the second time McKinley and I played 'spot the friends'. We would take turns saying we'd found someone and the other would have to try and find them. From behind. Two floors up. I of course had a zoom lens:c) I don't consider it cheating. No matter what she says.

Soon it was time for the baptism. Hello nice view. Thank you zoom lens:c)And howdy to the two pastor Dave's!

Why I Love My Church

Hello friends. I have been so busy over the Christmas week that I haven't blogged. My apologies. I have missed you all and have honestly been going a little stir crazy without the release that blogging brings me. Well, that and the 14" of snow and ice. But that's another post for another day.

I have been wanting to blog about my church's 100th birthday for a while and haven't taken the time. The two day event was something so special to be a part of. Many people in my generation of church goers didn't really get into it. I am such a history buff that I was all about it. I have attended the church for 36 of 36 years and was dedicated there, baptized there, became a member there, was married there, have dedicated all three girls there, and watched one become a member. As you can see, it holds a special place in my heart.

To commemorate the anniversary several artists starting planning a mosaic to be placed on a wall. After three years of planning and almost a year of construction it was ready to be unveiled. A reception was held in the room where Shawn and I were married. I actually came through a doorway where the mosaic now is to walk down the aisle to marry him. Here's the view from up there. I walked down two sets of stairs and past a string quartet to get to him. He was worth it:c)My favorite teacher was at my wedding and at the 100 year celebration. I love her. I had her for 5th and 6th grade and I wish I could have taken her with me for every year from then on. We sit down the row from each other at church. If I don't look down and see her smiling face it just doesn't feel like church.And finally the unveiling. It was beautiful. Over 45,000 pieces of glass and tile. Each item has a story behind it and it ties into our town and church history.But my favorite part of the whole event had to be the pictures. Almost every wall in the church had huge pictures from the last 100 years. Our church, town, and school system are all turning 100 so there was a lot to cover! I couldn't get enough of the pictures. Here are just a few of my favorites.

The lady that is circled is the daugher-in-law of my favorite teacher. She's also the mom of my best friend. Small world, isn't it??This circled lady is my beautiful Aunt Janis. She's also the girls voice teacher.Shawn and I sang in The Messiah one year with a giant chicken apparently.This one cracks me up. Was that creepy guy supposed to be in the picture? The fact that the screen or curtain was pulled down is just confusing. This is just another reason why I love digital photography. Take the picture, see the creepy guy, call the cops, put all the kids back in place, and take another one.Here's our little McKinley singing in a Sunday night service with her choir.One of the two ladies circled (I don't remember which one) lived in our house. She was an elderly widow when I moved in across the street when I was 4. Her niece is one of my good friends.This one has to be my favorite for three different reasons.

1. Jeff is a friend of mine. I watched him win a Guinness world record for the most free throws in a certain amount of time. I remember his hair looking like that.

2. I don't believe that June is wearing any shorts in this picture of a church group.

3. Honda. Bet Rhonda re-thought those braids after seeing this picture.This is one of the buildings that our church used to be in. It is where I went to Sunday school when I was young and chapel when I was in college. It's also where my mom's office was when she worked for the college we both attended.I just love old pictures. The expressions, the clothes, the hair. I want this hanging in my home even though I don't know anyone in it.This is my Uncle David when he was cute. And nice. Enough said.Our church has had group vacations in Colorado for years. There's still a family camp that's held there.I didn't know that our neighborhood had seen a tornado in 1930. Our house location is just a few blocks from where this picture was taken. Luckily our house hadn't been built yet.That clump of trees where the arrow is pointing is where our house would be built six years later.After a wonderful centennial service on Sunday all the children 5th grade and younger were asked to go to the pulpit. Poppers were handed out and on the count of three they were released. What a fun event it had been. And I was really wishing that I'd had a popper. Oh well, I have the wonderful memories.

Spontaneous Baptism

A few weeks ago our pastor spoke about how he'd come to realize he had never been baptised. Growing up in the church and being a Christian from an early age he had just assumed he had.

Word had been spreading for a week that there would be a surprise coming that Sunday morning. When he announced that he would be baptized for all of us to see I assumed that was the surprise. He went one step further and opened it up to everyone in attendance. Yep, a spontaneous baptism. He assured those interested that everything they could need was available; clothes, robes, towels...and I can only hope hair dryers and make-up samples! As he was talking people started leaving their seats and joining him at the front.

What an amazing thing to witness! The total for both services was 172 people! I had tears as I watched young and old, families and couples take that step of faith together with all of us as witnesses.

I wasn't at church this morning but I heard they did it again. Opened it up and had a multitude of willing people.

I just read on my friend Kristie's blog that she and her family were of those baptized today. I'm so sorry that I missed it. She did share a video link of the first set of baptisms. I hope you'll watch it and feel some of the powerful feelings that I had.

God bless!