BBC Carnival 2009

We had such a good time this year at BBC's carnival. It has been years since we have put on this event for our children, but we plan to do it at the end of every summer from here on out. Instead of cash the children can only spend the Baptist bucks that they have saved all summer. They earn them for attendance to Sunday School, bringing their Bible, learning their verses, bringing friends and doing their take home papers. Some of the little ones had quite a few saved up. I know that my boy David left that day with a huge bag of candy and prizes, and even had enough bucks to buy his mommy some candy and a few games.
There was face painting, fishing, hot dogs and hamburgers, a shooting range, a store, an old fashioned popcorn machine, a cake walk, a balloon making clown, and everyone's favorite…the big flush. Andre Floyd and Mr. Turk took turns sitting under the toilet while the kids (and some of us adults) tried to hit the target so the toilet would flush on them. Pretty gross...but very funny. The kids loved it. Everyone asked when Pastor was going to sit under it, and he responded with, "It will cost 1000 Baptist bucks per throw if I sit in there." After an hour or so, Jen Simpson went around asking for donations so she could get Pastor under the pot. She had a huge handful of bucks, but as soon as Pastor saw what she was up to he disappeared. LOL.
It was so much fun not only for the little ones, but for us grown ups alike. Such a great time to get to know the other families and just have a good time together. My kids are still talking about it, and we can't wait for next year.
Thank you to all those who helped to make it such a huge a success.

Satan's Plan

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said,

"We can't keep Christians from going to church."

"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth...."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their SAVIOR."

"Once they gain that connection with JESUS, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:

"Distract them from gaining hold of their SAVIOR and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered......

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or I-Pod whenever they drive." To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with CHRIST."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."

"Invade their driving moments with billboards."

"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too! "

"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."

"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about HIS resurrection and power over sin and death..."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on GOD'S creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from JESUS."

"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!"

"It will work!"

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier & more rushed, going here & there.

Having little time for their GOD or their families.

Having no time to tell others about the power of JESUS to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge.

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

A beautiful day for a walk.

A few weeks ago, after failing to button yet another pair of jeans, I decided to start eating better and exercising more. My dryer was broken so I was at my parents doing laundry and decided it was a beautiful day for a walk. My sister Joyce came over to join me on my venture to be thin again. Our first lap around the block we enjoyed the flowers that were in full bloom all over the neighborhood. Before our second lap, I grabbed my camera so I could get some pictures.
Enjoy.
















On our third lap we got distracted by the Schwan man who gave us a catalog to look at. We never made it around the forth time, since all the goodies in the catalog made us hungry. We headed back to mom and dad's to see what goodies we could find. :-)