January 19,2014

Sweet Sunday Singing

January 19, 2014 

 

 This morning we worshiped with David and Diana at their church.  We love our church at home and our church family.  They mean so much to us.  But if we lived where David and Diana do, we would probably join their church.  We love the music, the mission focus, and the preaching.  Isn't it great that as members of the family of God, we can feel at home with other believers when we get together, even when we don't really know them.

This morning their Music Minister led the congregation in twelve songs.  I knew all but one very well.  We were sitting in the back of the balcony and I sang along on those eleven songs and even a little on the twelth because this man directs in a way to show you what the notes are if you don't know the melody.  You do have to watch him though, because he will hold out a note for a long time or insert a pause between lines, but once you remember that, it is so much fun to sing along.  Of course an added bonus is that David is in the choir and Diana is in the orchestra.  It was so good to be able to sing along this morning.  I will say that they have two services and the list of music for the other service was not familar to me.  A different man directs the music for that service.

One of the songs we sang was old and not used in all churches, but one I really like - the message is great and some how the rythmn just suits Texas: Just a Closer Walk With Thee.  We sang Old Time Religion, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, and Since Jesus Came Into My Heart, just to name a few.  As I think I said just last Sunday, I know the music isn't "just about me", but I sure enjoyed participating in singing the songs I know and love so dearly.   The last congregational song before the sermon just summed up my feelings: We Are Standing On Holy Ground.

The preacher is very good, but from the balcony I just could not hear him well enough to understand him.  This was the first time we had tried sitting in the balcony.  The choir and orchestra members move to sit with the congregation after the song service and David and Diana have been sitting in the balcony recently, so we went there and they joined us.  Today the pastor's message was on the same subject as many others were today - The Sanctity of Life. 

We went to lunch at the mall and I really had trouble hearing in the mall's common area.  I would get feedback of my own voice.  It took some experimenting to find a setting that worked fairly well, but we decided to eat at Luby's instead of the noisy Food Court.  The food was great so it was a win/win situation.

After lunch the guys went birthday shopping for Anthony (Diana's nephew) and Diana and I went another direction.  Diana was very productive on our shopping trip but I wasn't.  Once back at the house, they all watched a couple of football games while I did an assortment of catch-up activities on my computer.  We had supper delivered while the games were on and just had a relaxing evening.

 

Diana has worked on jewlery made from rubber bands.  She is so good at that and finds it very relaxing.         

Diana also has taken her two Bearded Dragons out and spent time with them individually.  Dave has been doing some work on a project on the computer for the coin shop where he helps out some Saturdays. 

 

Ron has been watching the game and reading.  Just a relaxing time together.   

I just had an email from the friend I visited yesterday and it was so nice to read her comments on our visit and to  know they mirrored mine.  What a nice visit.  What a wonderful friend.  I am so delighted I could hear her.