Going Back.

For someone with the convictions I have about being plain & simple we do seem to have a knack for drawing attention to ourselves! O.K, granted a kameeze isn't the most self~effacing outfit I could wear but without a washing machine things are getting dire in this house & at least the kameeze was clean. Being on time helps too ~ which we weren't. Not Liddy's fault, or not directly anyhow, despite the fact she was driving & we took a detour. I got us on a later boat because I knew we were all tired & sore after Liddy's soccer game. I have no qualms about walking in late while everyone is still singing the opening songs because sadly we are almost always late & have been doing it for years.

I really should have known better. I knew this church gets packed so of course by the time we arrived the only empty seats where we could all sit together were right down the front. We scuttled towards them, me with my kameeze & long hair flying. I turned right, the girls turned left. When I turned round they were two pews back across the aisle. I spread my hands & made a face at them just as the whole church sat down so I got to do this for the full benefit of the entire church. The word Dork comes to mind. *sigh*.

I scuttled back to my girls & we tried to settle in. Before we could do that there was a wild shriek & my cousin, Ri, arrived hugging my girls hard. Poor Liddy, who hasn't seen Ri in years, thought it was some stray church member & nearly died. Ditz, being better informed & having seen Ri recently, took it more stoically. I, of course, completely lost my head , jumped up & hugged her hard. I'm sure the church is now seriously wondering what they've landed. Having made a complete spectacle of ourselves I was horrified to find Liddy had parked us in the same pew as the senior pastor. Isn't that just like life?

It got worse. Ditz had decided she would like to go out with the other children for the message so stood up & followed the trail of children towards the door. Liddy & I looked at each other, said in unison, 'Is she alright?' & promptly turned round in unison to watch Ditz merrily unconcerned sorting herself out, though Ri, who was taking her Crys out, shepherded her in the right direction.

Now nothing is more guaranteed to make me lose my head & collapse in a terrible fit of the giggles than to ask me to participate in the obvious so when the message began & we were asked to discuss with the person next to us what creates stress in our lives Liddy & I took one look at each other & completely dissolved. We really are terrible. Can't take us anywhere. I do not like to be taught like that. It makes me silly. Honestly! Lid & I were off & running ~ driving, soccer, mental illness, home ed....We were beside ourselves while all around us people were very soberly discussing the stress in their lives. If I discussed it soberly I'd weep for a month. At this point I suspect Liddy was regretting not going out with Ditz to find the senior teens. She had stayed to prevent me going into meltdown & provide input on the sermon.

Thankfully, the speaker then decided to actually teach inside of having his congregation participate & he was very good. It was a very practical sermon & I like being able to apply biblical principals to my life so got a lot out of it & after the terrible wishy~washy, meatless stuff the island preacher dishes out Sunday after Sunday it was a relief to actually feel like we were getting fed. Lid & I both thought it was biblicaly correct. Always good to have that 2nd opinion.

Oh, & this was the week they had a baptism ~ full water immersion. I thought Ditz's eyes were going to pop right out of her head. I grinned at her & said wasn't she glad she just got sprinkled when she asked for her baptism? She's since been telling everyone about the swimming pool in church!

Over the years I've worshipped in more churches than I can rightfully name but my girls' religious experiences have been rather limited so their reactions are likely to have me in silent throws. Dizt doesn't care so long as the food is good & the company convivial. Liddy is much more cautious. She's cautious about the music which is nearly all modern ~ none of the old hymns that we all know & love. Yes, we corrupted our kids early on. She's cautiously happy with the preaching which we both felt was strong & solid. (As John MacArthur fans we have high standards.lol) She is very happy they have a strong missions & outreach stance. It seems as if they have a strong prayer team~ they are growing steadily which is a good indication. I will make do with anything so long as the teaching is strong. I suspect Liddy would be happier if she thought I was wildly enthusiastic but as most of you know my convictions lie in another direction entirely. And that is another nice thing. I can go for the first part of this service, slip out to the Quaker Meeting, which is just round the corner, & be back for morning tea. Ri will keep an eye on the girls, though at 18 Liddy can look out for the both of them. It is not what I wanted, not what I would have chosen, but seems to be what God wants for the kids. Dino is asking about it & wants to come. That will create more furore; my boys seem to have that effect on the female half of the population. I have promised when we are no longer all down with the *lurgy* we will try the 6 pm evening service, which is the youth service. It will probably give me a massive headache.

At home Iss went into meltdown. Two days in a row without his harem of alpha females (as Dearest refers to the women in his life) & he was a cot case in need of some serious loving. Ditz, who was prepared to give it to him, got chased round the house for her trouble. Iss came to bed with me & purred like the proverbial locomotive.