Did I offend?

So I wanted to post this because I wanted to see if you think I offended him. Him being the Pastor of my new church! I just have so many questions and so many thoughts running through my mind ALL the time! I didn't really get the reply that I wanted but that's for me to deal with. I almost felt it was a little "in your face" or maybe just rushed because he was on vacation. I kinda wished he waited til he was back. if you have been keeping up with my blog and don't know me personally you do know that I am very blunt and never mean to offend anyone. Sometimes things just don't come out of my mouth right! So here it is my letter to the Pastor.
Hi friend!
Okay so I'm so torn I decided to write you and ask for your opinion! So yesterday was our second service and we of course thought it was great! There is so much truth to having your family love the Lord and it was a great sermon! But, I am having a hard time. Ya see I'm a baby Christian and I need a teacher. I look for a "teacher" of the bible (and maybe someone that can make me laugh a bit to keep my attention) and that is some what why I asked you if you just choose a topic and preach on it. I am so use to going book by book and learning. You probably think I'm lazy and that I should take with me what you have said and read the bible myself but that is not it at all. I am wondering if you possibly go through the books of the bible in your small groups?!?! I was also wondering and haven't noticed if you have a women's bible study? I didn't see one listed and that is for sure something that is needed in my life (with child care) during the day! Isn't it Titus 2 that you really shouldn't be going to a man about questions that you should be going to the wise women of the church! Not so good for women to be going to other men for answers! I would love to say that I have all the time in the world to sit around studying the bible and reading it but I would be a liar and so would every other mother out there that said it was so...I think?!?! Because...geez! oh! pete! Between breakfast, lunch, dinner, daily routines, bath times, twenty billion dirty diaper changes a day, screaming kids, crying kids and maybe a shower and a wee bit of time to spend with your husband I try to fit in some reading in there but all to many time interrupted! That's why I said a bible study during the day with child care =)! I just have so many questions and so often! I am surely not trying to compare you with my old church (okay maybe a little bit) I love your children's program and think that is awesome! My son is three and I love the fact that he knows scripture and you too think that it's not to young to start forming their hears! I know there are a TON'S of Godly women running around your church and know a lot about the bible and I think that's great but what about us peep's that don't have a clue. I have been through Luke and 1 Corinthians and have a whole lot to say about that!!! But other than that it is just pieces through out the bible. Man I just found out that Presbyterians believe in predestination and know I have a whole lot to say about that. I need an outlet. We will be at the 101 class for sure (Unless we have ill children) and are looking forward to loading you all down with questions! I apologize to if I come on to strong because I am one of those people you either love or just don't want to be around! We will however be giving you all a break by not being in town next Sunday but will hopefully be listening to your sermon via Internet! Thanks for your time! Gina Mortimer
So the it is and here was my response that I received:
Hey Gina, sorry for the delay in response. My family and I are on vacation this week. We will return this Saturday. I will be preaching on Family Ministry pt 2 this Sunday. Labor Day we will observe the Lord's Supper. Starting September 13, I will start an 8 week series on Matthew 5. After that I probably do a series on Psalm 23. The next book that I will preach through will "probably" be Hebrews. I will go verse by verse, chapter by chapter. The exact date I am not sure. However, preaching through Matthew 5 and Psalm 23 will great and I am excited. My small group will be studying Luke 15 for a couple of weeks and then we will venture into Matthew 5 along with the series I am preaching on Sunday. So we will talk about Matthew 5 on Sunday morning and during Small groups.

I will comment next week on the womens Bible study, etc...
I am sure I am reading to much into this but I like the church a lot and I feel horrible if I was rude in any way!

Days that have passed & finding a church is like trying to find a husband!

So it has been a bit since I have written but it has been a crazy couple weeks! Four days or so after we moved into our new house my in-laws came into town and then after they left my other set of in-laws came into town. We had a great time visiting with our family and the kids were over joyed! It is however nice being able to have a chance to get the house in order so that it feels like home. For me to have a house feel like home everything has to be hung on the walls. My poor hubby has a honey-do-list a mile long and he keeps yelling at me that every time he gets to mark something off I add more. I told him he better work faster then...Tee Hee! We got alot done yesterday and this morning when I woke I sat on the couch and just looked around. I really like our new house but Brent has come to terms with the fact that we are never going to sleep again. Between the neighbors barking dog, a hooting owl (that's days are numbered), and a train that goes by twice a night it seems to be never ending. I however am able to sleep through the train. Strange! I'd prefer not to have a stuffed owl in my living room though. So for his sake I hope he finds a new hooting home. Hmmmmm! I wonder if there is a recipe for owl stew? Has to be more meat then squirrel...huh? Anywho, once again I want to add that the nicest people on earth live in Alabama! The other day Brent was mowing the lawn and I like it golf course short. Not such a good thing when we have let it go a bit. The man behind us came up and introduced himself and wanted to run "fetch" his riding lawn mower for him. Brent of course declined but it was to sweet of him to offer.by the way, I'm not that mean to hubby cuz I like to mow the lawn to! Okay mainly to get a little bit of a tan but still! I miss us just hanging out as a family and this whole move thing has really thrown us for a loop and is sometimes hard! Hard you ask? Like trying to find a new church. The Saturday night before the Sunday we tried our first church (did you get that)I seriously had to pray that I wouldn't sit there comparing that church to my old church. It was so hard not to. I had such an awesome church that I threw myself into. Sunday mornings, Wednesday bible studies, Sunday night fellowship groups, picnics, children's nursery! It was just so great and the Pastor Erik Braun was a crazy hoot that you just were dying to hear more of his sermons. It was just so darn hard not to! So we went to this new church which started at 10:45a.m. which actually didn't really get started til 11:00 and when I dropped the kids off it was basically into a small room that had a couple nursery workers sitting in chairs. I just new from that second this place just wasn't for us! I'm not trying to be critical but when I asked Memphis what he did and learned that Sunday he said "I played Kung Fu Panda!" Hmmmmm! Was God a Panda? and did Jesus Kungu Fu Fight his way into peoples hearts to repent and gain forgiveness for their sins? Did I miss something? I'm just joshing! But seriously! I am so use to Memphis telling me he colored a picture of Jonah and a big ole' whale and telling what song he sang. I'm use to him telling me his memory verse that he learned. The Pastor seemed nice and his Sermon was okay to. Although I am use to Pastors preaching from the books of the bible not just subjects and throwing some verses into it to make it relevant! My title comes from this! Church is like looking for a husband! I want in a church what I have found in my husband!I was picky when I found the love of my life and I personally think it's fair for me to be picky when finding a church! This is what have in my husband now put in regards to a church! Friendly, honest, loving, nurturing, teaching, trust worthy, faithful, beautiful(obviously not church looks), make me hunger for more, supportive, feeds me, takes care of me and my family, loves me despite my failures and flaws, loves me unconditionally, prays for me, loves me for me, wants me to grow, I can go on and on. I know it's not all about me but I do know it's me growing in the eye's of the Lord! I want that community again. Knowing we can call someone and ask them for prayers. Knowing that I can help others. Knowing that I am saved and forgiven for my sins. Listening and learning the bible and Gods word and maybe since I am feeling a little bolder...spread it! Yesterday we tried a new church yet again and we really liked it. We went to the first service a little early to ask alot of questions and the children's program rocks! They even told us that they were really surprised when they asked if anyone wanted to pray that Memphis stood up and said he would. I wish I had the boldness of my three year old! We met the Pastor and he was a hoot and was a little caught off guard talking to us...you know...because of me! Yup! My bluntness! Caught of guard by my first question. "Do you preach the WHOLE BIBLE or skip over parts like sex and homosexuality so you won't offend everyone?" I'm not big on pastors that try to keep their approval ratings high by not telling everyone what is right and wrong! Geez! Louise! You're blocking people from heaven! Anywho, he smiled and he laughed at us...obviously cause we are goofy! Okay maybe just me! But, he wants us to join HIS fellowship group. This guy doesn't know what he is getting himself in to! But if there was a group to join to where I ask a billion questions then I guess it should be the Lead Pastors group. Can they kick you our of Fellowship groups?

Update on Joshua!

Joshua! A beautiful three year old's fight to rid his body of Cancer! This is Nadene's latest update!

I spoke with mama Nadene yesterday. Considering what Joshua has gone through, she said he is doing incredible. His hair is starting to show some regrowth and he has a few eyelashes back! Nadene is so trusting in God and I hope you are continuing to pray with us.


Here is a little of Nadene's last update:

We give Jehovah Rapha the praise for all Joshua's healing and guiding the doctors and nurses to help improve Joshua's way of life again. I continue to meet more and more people that I testify and witness of God's goodness to us and they add Joshua to their prayer chains. Please, if you know of a prayer chain, please add Joshua's name. This new chemo therapy is cutting edge and Joshua is a test patient in their study. Only God knows how this will play out. I pray that I will continue to hold to the faith I have in my God and everything else just will take care of itself. I want to be a witness but I want to remind everyone that I am first and foremost human and secondly a Christian. I'm working hard to allow God to use me as his instrument on this earth, especially during this battle for Joshua's life. Please remember to pray for Tim and I to have the strength and wisdom each and every second of everyday so we may care to the nth degree for Joshua. Don't forget that we love y'all but God loves y'all more!
Christ...The Cure All,Nadene

My boys playing! Oh! and the dog too!

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Whoa Nelly! The pros and cons of being a small town!

So I want to say that I'm not making fun of anyone...I don't think. But, Wow, I guess growing up in a military family then Miami and then Destin that I'm really and truly not use to a small town! I will start off saying that I think Alabama has some of the nicest people I have ever met! Things are still all so new and we haven't been here that long. We finally got moved into our house which I love by the way. My in-laws came to visit about four days after we moved in. It has been a lot of fun and has been nice having them here. We always do so much when they visit! They like to get out and explore! Besides cooking up a storm (Salmon, chicken and dumplings, pork chops, blackened shrimp ceasars, homemade apple crisps, homemade peach cobbler) we also went to the historical park here and was able to make a trip out to see Brent's new work! See below!I was super excited about going to Brent's work because we haven't gotten a chance to see it yet. We live in Alabama and he works in Georgia! It's not that far of a drive though. Maybe about 30-45 minutes or so. It's a little strange though because it is smack dab in the middle of a smallllllllll town! There is only two places to eat and one of those two places was located in a gas station! That was the one we ate at! You have never seen so much fried food in your life! Fried chicken, fried okra, fried, fried, fried! It was good and a little strange I might add. I also had to add that it was strange seeing some of the things that the gas station sold that I saw on the way out. For instance who needs a 6XL-X-long T-shirt anyways! Holy Moly! In every color! White, Gray, black......When we were leaving we decided to grab some gas and I sat and watched all the small town residents chatter back and forth about their doings! (Ha!Ha! I said doings..I'm country!)Then I noticed something that you would NEVER see in a bigger city. There was a young woman getting gas and talking to everyone walking by and I heard her mention something about her newborn and I looked over and there was the sweetest little baby fast asleep in the car with the windows down. Then there she went walking off right into the store to go pay for her gas leaving that baby sleeping in the car....with the windows down! CRAZY! I guess everyone knows everyone and if anyone even did steal that baby it was probably your neighbor!Anyways, I really like Brent's work and I know he is overwhelmed by everything that he is cramming into his head (thus that stack of papers that he's gotta know which is one of three) and I know it doesn't help with a crazy wife screaming at him to hang pictures when he gets home! I'm glad he likes his new promotion and his big boy office and such! He deserves it! He works hard! Anywho, it was nice taking the in-laws over there to his "small town" place of employment! We have had a lot of fun and the kids always get so excited to see them and obviously sad when they go!