On accident one day (that’s the way my kids explain away their bad behavior)….picked up a 12 pak of root beer from Walmart…..That evening it sounded tasty, so I went to the frig….The first sip/gulp sold me on the accidental purchase…..A&W Ten Root Beer (that’s 10 calories per 8 oz) My my it was good and I told everyone….Made a special trip to Walmart…and it was gone. The suppliers had evidently just ‘tried’ it at Walmart and no one knew if or when it would ever return. (so far it hasn’t)

Well, in casual conversation with 2 or 3 different friends we found a source and all of us are so happy, buying it by the case. Incidently, there are other products that are ‘ten’ too. Sorry to say it is an ‘outlet’ type store where the owner buys quantities of whatever he finds…..and passes on the good prices to us.

So the next time you have the urge for a root beer…look for A&W Ten Root Beer….so good, and so so hard to find….what a shame..

I live in an area where there could be flooding. It could happen today or in 100 years. Yes, it is near the Gulf of Mexico….Yes, it has flooded before and it will again. However, most of those statements are a given….As it stands now, I think, if one lives in a flood prone area and has a mortgage, flood insurance is required. I’m still okay with that. It is also understood that if there is no mortgage, there need not be flood insurance. I’m still okay with that.

Now, however, congress has come up with a solution…that no one quite understands, but is to go into effect soon. Since we taxpayers have not been given the opportunity to read the new law, we can only wait…for the envelope. Of course that is wrong…..but that’s another story.

We have just learned in our area, that the flood maps are going to be redone in 2 years. Does that mean we are in or out, in better or worser trouble, and how are the insurance companies going to be forced to use the updated ones….if, in fact, the flood insurance hazard favors the homeowner and not them!! Mmmmmmm Don’t know, don’t have the answer, just ask’in.

What I would like is a fair playing ground for everyone who might live in a flood area….That is something that cannot be found overnight, but the statistics are there….and if the government is going to ding us for higher insurance, they should at least check out the probability.

When I lived on the west coast, there was a year when excessive rains were forecast and it was suggested that some neighborhoods look into flood insurance for their own safety. The families on our cul-de-sac all checked with their insurance, or called government numbers….the outcome on premiums was astonishing….Premiums ranged from around $600 to $1400 for the year….same cul-de-sac, same general homes, ranging from 2400 sq ft to 2900 sq ft, same distance from the dry stream bed that would flood on to the local golf course before it would flood us. Don’t know, don’t have the answers….just ask’in.

I think the whole of the statistics need to be taken into consideration before the premiums are set.
They include situations like:
A cabin on a stream on Idaho
Same cabin that is 10′ off the ground and has no living space below.
A home on the sand in New Jersey at sea level
A home at sea level 3 miles from the home just above sea level
A Manhattan subway
A Manhattan building of offices, condos, or apartments
A home on the mainland in the Florida coast….same home 15 miles inland, just above sea level.
A home in New Orleans
A home 30 miles away, from New Orleans
A home on a Louisiana bayou worth $20M
A home on the Mississippi that has not flooded ever, but it’s neighbor has
A home in Colorado that flooded this year from torrential rains…a fluke
A business and hospital in the same area of Colorado

Get my drift…..statistics…..weather records, common sense, fairness, choices in insurance and premiums, annual flooding vs. 5/10/25/50/100 year flooding, location, and location, and what that means. Just ask’in….

I also feel it would be fair if home/property/business owners were given different forms of flood insurance…with different pay offs perhaps, for different types of damage and the extent of the damage. I do not like the idea of demanding high premiums by zip code…as is done by some auto companies….One of course, can live at the bottom of the hill and one at the top….just say’in.

I don’t like the way any of this is being handled….and the worst part is there is no one who wants to really address the problem and the solution.. I guess it starts with grass roots…like a lot of change….first my neighborhood, then my council, then my county, then my representatives, etc. What happens in the meantime…..where is my government…what about the law…..who is working for me? Just ask’in…..

We’ve been spending some time on who is serving who in the church….and I’ve talked lots about those who attend. Today, it continues….

Today people come and go, sampling different churches, even beliefs, like a buffet. I think it comes from being a little bit ‘lost’ in their daily ‘comings and goings’. When my friends and I were little..church was a delightful part of our life. Now that doesn’t mean we were up and ready to go each AM on Sunday. It does mean that it was part of our household, our neighborhood, and our town. I guess the unspoken rule was that there was, in our country, the obligation, the promise, the dedication, yes, even the commitment, to be up dressed and in one’s seat when the organ began the prelude.

It was a time when faith and one’s faith was held in high esteem….when it was important that all ages attended the church. Now we see that this hour or two is demanding more attention than ever before….and it ain’t church that is doing the demanding. Now don’t get ahead of me, cause I’m not going to blame soccer, grocery stores, movies, national sporting events, or any other organization for luring folks away from faith…..Nope, it is all those who used to be in the pew, that have made the decision to change, some may call ‘update’ their lifestyle. I am very serious about using the term ‘there was a time’…because today younger families are making other choices. This is a life lesson we are talking about here….and it is a big one. The church, your church, is just as important tody as it was when I was a little girl in the early 40’s.

Church attendance was a ‘no questions asked’ responsibility, held by all ages. No one in my family could ‘pass’ because they got in late, felt a headache coming on, had homework, or any other excuse we all tried. You did it…that was it. And you know what……..that was good…..and you know what…it still IS GOOD! My parents gave me a faith foundation….and I will be grateful to them forever. I wasn’t too happy at the time, but, as with all life lessons, being happy was not the point. For my family, GOD!!! and my growing relationship with Him, was the point.

I think we sometimes forget about the good a life lesson will bring, and worry about how much fun it is going to be as we learn it! I don’t remember laughing out loud when I learned to tie my shoes, or recited multiplication tables, or tearing the hem of my dress out cause it was poorly done. Well, I shall not lie, church was not my favorite place to be each and every Sunday, and truth be known, I bet my parents would have liked to have slept in too, BUT, that was not an option. And that dedication, that obligation, that commitment to me and to God, is what built that invisible foundation I build on today.

I urge you to ‘reconnect’ with your life lesson list. Look into the eyes of your kids, and help them realize their own personal faith foundation. Look into renewing your own faith vows….begin this Sunday, you’ll never regret it…

by Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while, you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans.
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while, you learn
That even the sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure,
That you really are strong.
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn…..
With every goodbye you learn

Isn’t this wonderful. Reading this helps each of us to know, that we will be just fine and that even the dark moments will disappear when the sunrise comes each day. It always does.

I just had to comment on this…..Jamie Coots who is the pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacke in Jesus Name, a Pentecostal church in Middlesboro, Ky. wrote to discuss his constitutional rights regarding snake handling. Seems he has problems with the law, taking his snakes to different states for services. Different states have different laws governing animals, birds, and serpents etc…. He feels his serpent-handling church is no different than another in the religious community. He goes on to mention Christian Science…..withholding food and water from teenage Jewish children during Yom Kippur….. and also mentioned having a license to serve wine in the Catholic Church service…..

Religious freedom is what this country fought for and one of the reasons many fled from Europe. He ends by stating freedom to worship isn’t afforded equally. (You can see him on Nat Geo….Snake Salvation)

Well, well, well. It seems I was making my own decision as I read his article. It doesn’t bother me in the least there are churches who use snakes in their services. Yom Kippur is following its own during Yom Kippur and I never even think that fasting is wrong.
I guess I never thought of Catholics and Episcopalians needing a liquor license to serve before….that is a topic for a fun discussion sometime…but I had to stop abruptly when it came to Christian Science refusing medical treatment. I decided on that one, if one was an adult, they could make their own decisions, but underage kids should not be ignored medically.

Therefore, I speak just like all others……this is okay and that is okay but I’m not sure about the other. MMMmmmm Now you see how we arrive at being Christians, only in different ways. You and I probably agree that make snake handling does not make congregations better or worse and does not lead one down an easier path to Christianity….but who is to say, since I haven’t walked the whole road yet.

Judge ye…..See how easy it is to stumble on that road. The potholes of judging one another rear their ugly heads, just as we were beginning to glide on the new highway to heaven.

Yesterday, we talked a little about church obligations to their parishioners, regarding money. It kind of just scratched the surface, so we’ll come back to it again sometime.

Remember when I spoke of guests coming to check out the church…and the fact it wasn’t their first rodeo. Believe me, it’s the truth. Probably 90% of the people coming to your church for the first time have been a part of another. To top it all off, they were probably at the ‘other’ church for quite some time.

It seems there is some unwritten law that newcomers do not discuss what made them ‘walk’ from their former church home. It is a law because it WAS THEIR CHURCH HOME, and nobody tattles. (at least for awhile). Probably there is a lot of pain involved, too. Something happened to these people, that just knocked their feet out from under them and they do not know quite how to handle it even as they step foot into your sanctuary.

Maybe it was a person, maybe an action, maybe it was gossip. Maybe the service was not ‘the way it had been’. Maybe the music was not appealing. Maybe the service times were out of line with their lifestyle. Maybe..maybe..maybe Maybe it was all the above and maybe it was none of the above. Whatever it was YOU AIN’T GONNA KNOW FOR A LONG TIME!

The same law exists for people in your congregation. Your church is their church. Your God, your sermons, your Sunday School, it’s all theirs too. And if something is not working out with people considering ‘the walk’, it’s easy to see why the rule is the same.
No one wants to hurt anyone, and no one wants to start ‘something’.
Same reason…..IT’S THEIR CHURCH HOME and they respect the fact it is your church home too.

I’ve read that it takes 6 to 9 months for a family to leave their church home. It is a long, tedius, painful pathway for these families, as they consider and reconsider their possible departure.

During that period, if other members are astute enough to see the change, there may be time to work things out. The family may disclose their problem, or remain tight-lipped. Either way, after the 9 months, the decision is pretty well made, and the family begins a search or decides to stay.

In churches I’ve attended, committees have tried to pay very close attention to the pulse of the congregation. Questionaires are sent out, friendship dinners occur to touch everyone equally, and committee work seem to be popular. But the bottom line is, sometimes it just doesn’t work. People come and people go. Some just wander around, hoping, some have done their homework and know exactly where they will end up, but most are in between.

Is there an answer…I wish. It’s be going on for years and years. And yet, it sticks in our craw big time, doesn’t it. What sa matta with my church…..ain’t it good nuf for ya. (other way of saying it—-What sa matta with my HOME….ain’t it good nuf for ya)…

Sometimes the best way to think about your church is to think about your home. We are good, we are proud, we have worked hard, we have a future, we are a family, we believe and have faith in Christ and in one another. How can that be ….that someone comes into our church family and then becomes disgruntled. How can that be?

Part of the answer is that is just what happens. It is true everyone can’t be pleased all time. It is true that some have to have the candle here and not there, or the service doesn’t work for them. It’s true the choir sings songs slow and out of tune. It’s true the sermons cause many to nod off. It’s true some have actually come in and sat down…in church…with a cup of coffee!
It gives one the VAPORS!

Well, do unto others, and love your neighbor is the way good churches should handle these and all the other complaints not shown. Be kind, be open, understand (or try to)how these small aggravations can be blown out of proportion. Actually do some searching …. check out church law, and rites. Who knows, maybe they are right…and the candle should be there instead of here!
But listen, just listen.

We all come to find a better way thru Christ. Church just happens to be an avenue ….. one of many avenues. If there was only one avenue, there would be only one church…..and if there was only one avenue, there still couldn’t be just one church because someone would want iron lamposts and some would want wooden ones. Some would want water for communion and others would insist on wine. Some would stand, some would kneel. Some would want songs written after 1976 and some would prefer songs prior to 1876. Trespasses! No! Debts (Reminds ya of family don’t it!) (Turn that terrible music down!…..what do ya mean..no soda, only milk for supper……bed at 7PM period. And so it goes……..

Love another and treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated.

I haven’t discussed solutions so far, and probably won’t for awhile. I think whoever reads this should let it sink in, with regard to their church, their family, their beliefs. It is way too big to solve today or tomorrow, but as we can see currently, churches are going downhill, not uphill.

Tonight, I’ll talk a little about money and church, how it comes in and how it goes out. What has surprised me most, in talking with other church goers, is many don’t know and at least 50% don’t seem to worry where the money goes, because it is their church and all is well. Big mistake, people, big mistake. If you think ‘cooking the books’ only happens in big business, you are sadly mistaken. Your local is big business.

How many of you have served on church boards, or vestries? How many attend all the meetings? How many have served as chairpersons of committees concerning budgets, insurance, holiday decorating, ways/means, choir, day care or preschool, pastor/parish, upkeep, inventory, or church law. If you haven’t
you are not alone.

It seems in all congregations, certain people rise to the occasion and make church work a part of their lives. They might greet, or send out get well cards, or do calling. Others volunteer to become part of the church building committee, dedicating 3 to 5 years in the planning thru construction. Still others decide their contribution is to serve on a board, or chair a committee, using their time and talent to smooth the bumps in any church’s life.

You need them all….from the volunteer janitor to the Chairman of the Board…and a smart church constantly seeks out parishioners to fill the slots….An even smarter church understands what people WANT TO DO, FEEL COMFORTABLE IN DOING, AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT DOING.

This money discussion might go on all night…or at least thru the next one section.

There is always the argument in churches about ‘it’s a church’…no ‘it’s a business’…no it’s both’.. I have come to the conclusion it is both, one is the other. We are not discussing how the money flows in, whether or not it is good giving, or money from heaven…..We are talking about how a church should be held accountable. From the smallest giver, who puts pennies in the Easter Box, to the largest benefactor in the town, our/your little church should account for every last dime it spends…AND MORE IMPORTANTLY……HOW IT IS SPENT.

Do you see an accounting each month? Do you see how many people were at each service and how much money was received last Sunday, or at least once a month? Do you have counters who responsibly dedicate 54 Sundays for a year, to see that the money counted, deposited in the bank, and that a list is left so that givers are credited by the bookkeeper? Dang, this is beginning to sound like a job, isn’t it….

If you don’t see, hear, or read about financial stability in your church, on a regular basis, it would be good to think twice. If your board/vestry doesn’t think it is necessary, don’t settle for it. You don’t need to be ‘a bull in a china shop’, but you do need to guide your church into having some time of accounting information available certain times of the year.

“Why, you ask?” Because good church stewardship is an absolute necessity. On any given day, your local newspaper discusses the outcome of people stealing, whether it is in their business doing inside trading, asking for donations for a sick family who is not sick, or building a pyramid scheme. It used to be shocking…it used to be embarrassing, and there was lots and lots of shame. Why is it so commonplace now? Why…because we are no longer shocked and appalled by another’s actions. Don’t get me wrong here….I’m not comparing the crime, I’m discussing accountability….and because it has to start somewhere, your church might as well be the core. What better place, right!

We’ve just taken one little piece of church life…and see …..We have the answer to one question…..people quit attending their church because they have come to find there is no accountability they can depend on. People don’t throw their money around….they expect it to be used to its best ability and they expect their church board/vestry to see that it is. Little old ladies who contribute 5$ a week because that is all they can afford, are doing so because of the church, the belief, the promise, and the love they must nuture… A church owes each and every member accountability. Purchasing the high priced wine for communion when the value priced wine is just as good; getting the new desk for the minister, when another church has a beautiful one for sale at a lesser price; going for the higher priced insurance because the agent worships there; and leaving the air conditioning on all week, because no one set the thermostat properly, is not good stewardship. Not earthshaking, I agree…but not good either.

People looking for a church have been to more than one rodeo, if ya know what I mean. Each have their own set of requirements. Some you can meet, some you never will meet. But some……as in financial accountabilty, you MUST ALWAYS MEET. We push on…in faith

p.s. don’t think for one moment, I’ve pulled these examples out of thin air…..each one..each one has happened.