A full week

Where has the week gone? Here it is Thursday and I haven't blogged since last Friday!

Trunk or treat last Sunday was a wonderful time of congregational community. To see those little kids dressed and acting as their character gave me hope for the imagination of the future generation. And of course, the Thomases were deserving of the first prize for costumes thanks to the master of all costumes Sheryl.

Then the Lion King on Tuesday night. There are not words to describe the thrill I got watching Maddie's face as the animals came down the theater aisle. I couldn't see Ella, but Maddie's little face was struck with wonder. What a joy to be here and be able to take them to things like that! The show (I had seen it at Bass Hall in Ft. Worth two years ago) was better here--maybe because I had children seated near me. The girls were perfect through the whole thing. What a gift from God Julie Taymore (the show's designer) has. I can't imagine how she came up the idea of animal puppets. The performers were excellent--my favorite was Zazu, but Rafiki was a close second. If you have any pennies in a bank somewhere--don't miss seeing this when it comes to your town.

Last night at Vespers at Otter, we celebrated All Saints' Day by remembering some Otter Creek saints of the past. Sandy did a wonderful tribute to the Ruckers and Phil Wilson's prayer listed many others, including his grandparents. One of the stations gave me the opportunity to remember the saints in my life. We were to write the name of a saint on a piece of paper, put it on the communion table and then have communion with them (Communion with the saints). I wrote theese names: Bess Walton and John Elkins. Both are departed saints from Minter Lane in Abilene. Had the paper been larger I would have written Laura Smith, Dama Hambleton, Rosalee Hughes, and Jewell Hunter (Also from Minter) and Sam Thomas, my mother Pauline Brandon, and my grandmother Lizzie Belle Tucker and so many others.
It was a wonderful exercise in memory and love. Remember it next year for your church.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...." Hebrews 12:1