Since I can't do a weekend review, I thought I'd kick off the week with some random ramblings...
• Susan, Arianna and I really enjoyed our week away last week. It's the most difficult week of the year for us, but we really felt the love and prayers of so many just surrounding our hearts last week. So a really HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for us last week!
• Casualty of the week - my disciplined eating habits! I seriously fell off the wagon last week. Pralines, peanut brittle, BBQ, Zapps potato chips, and then an unbelievable Thanksgiving buffet featuring turkey, ham, prime rib, steak, seafood and all the sides and desserts you can imagine. I ate so much it hurt!
• Heard Jamie did an awesome job on Part Two of When Life Hurts. I knew he would.
• Also heard some interesting feedback on our first-ever video sermon this past weekend. Here are some examples: "I came to hear a message and I heard a message." "Other than some technical problems, it was great!" "It took me a few minutes to realize Dave wasn't really here." "If we get too much of that we won't be back." All-in-all, it was an interesting foray into the world of video teaching. I think we learned some things and we'll be looking for ways to make it better.
• It was good for me to take a couple of weeks off preaching. I love preaching, but every once in a while I need a break to just refuel emotionally and creatively.
• And now I'm actually looking forward to starting our Christmas series next week - Have Yourself A Messy Little Christmas. Christmas is always a challenge for every preacher I know. Every year for 3-4 weeks we have to preach on the same thing we've preached on for the last however many years, and we have to find a totally new way to preach about it. But I'm ready for it this year and I'm looking forward to preaching next weekend!
• We started the Christmas movie season this week with Elf. That is one funny movie!
• It's great to be back. Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend! Be sure to invite your friends!
Speaking of falling off the wagon, I have a list of 10 holiday eating tips that--aren't. (The first one is "Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.") If you'd like to see the rest, let me know.
Posted by: Loretta | December 02, 2008 at 08:36 AM