Mother's Day (2008) His Name Is Wonderful

 May 11 2008

Dad opens The Gathering with support from violin and harmonies shared from the congregation

6'20" Special Day song (JH?)

11' piano Immortal Invisible God Only Wise and Bach's Minuet in G -- very joyfully played, 5 stars!

Congregation Call to Worship

13' Congregation Hymn Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

15'15" Sister talks about cards from The Button Hole to recognize people going from 8th to HS, my nephew is one of those, and those graduating HS (this year there are no college grads). Gift cards are given with applause. 

19'35" familiar voice makes jokes about not liking school but being king his senior year -- ushers are called

20'25" piano-  In the Bulb There Is a Flower (beautiful rendition- wonderfully played) 

22' Doxology

23' 35" SL Children Story (continues to Track 2)

Track 2 Starting before 6' JF gives details about building chicken coops

7'30" a child annouces (DO's) 80th Birthday == and then other Joys/Concerns

13'40" Silent prayer - and prayer (JH?)

Sermon (JH?)

Congregation Hymn Power in the Blood 

Hello Readers,

Mother's Day is a great time to reflect on being a mom and the mom I was given. I remember my mom sitting at the kitchen table talking on the, what we now call, the landline phone to her mother. They would talk for an hour or more, which was a big deal then to spend time with someone on a costly call. Mom was a 12-hour car ride from her mom, and this was how they stayed in touch. Later, my mom and I were a 3 day drive away from each other for 6 years of my life, so we did the same thing. Due to my mom's sarcastic humor ["it must be nice"], I learned it was best for me to brace myself when certain recurring topics came up, such as how I spent money. These topics moved on quickly, leaving us plenty of time to simply enjoy our time together. 

As a mom, the phone continues to be my main source of communication. One likes to text often, the other rarely does. One likes to set up phone call conversation times, and the other prefers things to be spontaneous. Either way, I'm glad to connect however we can. I recognize the blessing of having grown healthy children growing closer to their own new families.

In today's service, I feel a sense of gratitude for my niece and nephew who are in attendance and taking part (piano player? yes/no?). Being an aunt is a special bond that continues to bring me endless joy. I am also blessed by my nephew-in-law and my nephew from my husband's side. I continue to learn and grow in this position, with love and hope for all my family. The two great nieces are a source of joy as well, seeing my niece as a mom and navigating parenting with her husband so well is inspiring and humbling. Got get 'm Tiger! (a cheer from my dad)

I have been moved lately by videos I've watched regarding diet culture. My overarching Blog title link fellingnotsize@blogspot.com was created when I spent a year eating a certain way and reflecting on how I felt about it. I was aiming at a shift in mental and physical health. Nutritionist Abbey Sharp has a PhD candidate on her channel who shares about the link (she feels there is a lack of studies) between fitness trainers and the understanding of eating disorders, specifically orthorexia (overly concerned with logging/calorie counting, etc.). They spend a lot of time talking about extreme cheat days and how the need for these stems from having an overly restrictive diet. While I appreciate their insights, I do take issue with something said towards the end of the video conversation. I often hear that when you enter a season of change, you should only do so with a diet that can be sustained long-term. As someone who has struggled since I was 13 to maintain my weight, I have often felt defeated by this statement. When I watched FitLyssLifestyle I was struck by her practical approach to weight loss. FitLyssLifestyle shared her approach of 8 weeks on, then time off. It did not involve any type of binge/cheat days; she explained step-by-step how to maintain weight, which has been my biggest obstacle. After the recent Oscars, Ozempic use, along with the bashing of celebrity use/abuse, has flooded my feed. I deeply appreciated the level-headed perspective from The Financial Diet, which gives space for those, like herself, who have used the drug and also shared an important difference between showing concern for those who are overly thin (often praised by our culture) and judging those who are overweight (the default is that they are already being criticized). I will leave with Rachel Rambles, who, after being sick and losing her progress, asks, "So now what?"

Stay well.

Thanks for reading,

Amy BH