It was a fasinating experience, one I suggest that some of you would never enjoy, entertain, contemplate, consider or so much as wink about. However perhaps everyone should do it at least once in their lifetime. Or maybe fifty times just to get it right. I am not sure that it can be done correctly. Not now. Oh sure, at some time far far away, a long time ago, in some far distant land, somebody had it right. But now that I think about it, we, all of us, had better figure out a way to get it right.

What?

Last Tuesday I worked as a election day polling agent.  The entire day. All of it.

Nine votes were cast. 


It was a long, tedious process with so much redundancy if someone were to try and commit voter fraud he would have to do it in triplicate. And then the fraud plan would need to be placed in a large envelop, to be sealed by a plastic seal, then a paper seal and then in a larger purple envelop before attaching the return receipt signed by both party representation and finally packing the assemblage in the blue suitcase. (The legendary blue suitcase has been in every election since 1964. No one knows what it is for so it continues to be used.)

Obviously I got home and recovered as I am typing about the event. And yes, I plan to do it again. After all, I have to see if we ever break into double digits.

This Morning Over Coffee

We had finished up today's visit regarding the initial stages of conversation. We then started rambling into another area; sacrifice for learning. Which lead to sacrificing for Jesus. Out of curiosity, I asked what he would give up in order to follow Jesus. While sitting, pondering the question, I suggested the family business.

"Oh yes, absolutely," was his quick reply.

I commented that his response was rather fast and that it could not have been that great of a sacrifice. Anything else perhaps? What would real sacrifice be for him.

He thought again, very hard. Suddenly it looked as if he had been hit in the stomach. His face collapsed and he inhaled a mighty breath. I'd never witnessed such a vivid response to an introspective question.

Slowly he turned and looked at me, "I would give up my dreams."

What total submission could there possible be. He was giving his future inside self, all he was learning, hoping, planning for, building on, the totality of him--his dreams.

He breathed again and sat quietly. Then a smile came from within his face and infected the skin. He was beaming. And free.

He told me that he had been very afraid as soon as he said that he would give up his dreams and then he felt peace. Those are his exact words.

Getting To The Good Stuff

Today was my first meeting with Bible Study Fellowship in NYC.

After taking the A train to 125 Street, transferring to the C, going to 79th Street, going up top and catching the cross town M 79 bus, I enjoyed a beautiful ride through Central Park. Then I alighted amid Manhattanites going about their morning rituals on Madison Ave. and 79th Street.

Walking south to 73rd, it was a glorious morning. And then I hit the filming signs. No, the actual filming to be correct.

It had to happen. One cannot live in NYC without stumbling over a live TV set in the streets. I did today. After going around the lighting, through the crew and tripping among the cast (I think) I was able to get to BSF.

I'd never heard of the show. None of the ladies at BSF had either. The show must be televised in a different market.

I love the line in "League of Their Own" regarding baseball where Tom Hanks says "If it were easy, everyone would do it".

Today should have been hard like that. But today was more rewarding than hard, like extra paper around the candy, a moment's delay before the good stuff.

Thanks for Your Prayers

Quick, pre-service coffee!

Praise God, we are back in school. Yes, we are officially able to rent public schools for meeting places again. See previous blog, Praise God for 8800. (Through His grace, we gather every other Sunday at the school which worked to our advantage. The opposite Sundays we meet in designated apartments.)

Sunday, March 18, 2012 we held our first after-the-reprieve service in Muscado School. Many other churches are now allowed back in their former rented school locations as well.

Months of ligeslation and media coverages were dissolved by a nod from the Father. We all thank you for your prayers.

Selected images of fellowship, March 18, 2018

Pre and post goodies! We have lots of fellowship bakers...

 

 

Coffee in hand, reviewing the day and week ahead!

 .

Start packing up...

 

50% Angle + One Piggy Bank + Perimeters

Math tutoring on Saturday morning this March has been a huge step out of my comfort zone. The last math class I had was called arithmetic and my college degree predated calculators. Adding machines were allowed in classes if you could carry them. I wont even mention such big math words as calculus or trigonometry -- oh wait, I just did. Obviously, those studies were not on my educational journey.

St. Patty's Day in math tutoring 

Last year, Everyday Christian Church offered and executed a math tutoring program preparing neighborhood school children for national testing. The tutoring was a hit and ECC was asked to repeat the program.

These bright minds are this neighborhood's gold and to be their friends is a privilege. Even if they are all better than I am in math!

Random Images

Please forgive the lack of images here and yon. Its not so much my thing as that I simply leave my camera on the table! Here are some mixed up images ....

First is my brand new NYC do!

However, its all grown out and time for a newer, new NYC do!

Adam and the rest of Home Group

Welcome home from Texas

Subway tile work. 59th & West Central Park

How to dry a mop, apartment style

Not our remembered Southferry terminal of old!

Can you read it? In our neighborhood park / legend where Manhattan was sold.

Thanks guys! Sanitation rules

and their trucks...

1st night on patrol, uniform in bag!

 

Edification

There are precious moments when you sit along side that unknown lady in her regular Sunday morning pew, open up those singing pipes and bellow with abandon, opening your heart to God. Oddly you can not hear your voice but it is her music you hear. It is not a sound but rather memories of the years of her journey, a joy and ache, a longing and peace, an intimacy you dare not intrude upon yet she has you by the heart and draws you in.

This horizontal edification unifies strangers worshiping the Father. As He hears and smiles and in turn, vertically returns His love.

Now that is pretty amazing. And the humans don't know each other yet.

And those that do know each other...its all good.

Yesterday was Home Group at our apartment. People who love each other offering love to God...it was not a God-moment. It was a God-day.

Yesterday before we opened up God's word, we shared our week. And then prayed for one another. Prayer was our song, lifting our pipes and bellowing our hearts to The Father. The entire time was so edifying.

He was among us though out the day as we learned about Paul's nephew's courage and our experiences in which one of our own actions made a difference.

A majority of the group enjoyed the day together. Morning brunch, meal, worship, area live opera and lots of fellowship. Not every worship day is so full but yesterday, loving each other, celebrating the love of friendship, being children of God and God the Father made it a special day indeed.


PS:
Varieties of individuals attend HG. However one of our human regulars made a comment that is sure to become a T shirt mantra, "Parasites come and go". It brought the house down!