weekly post from October 29, 2006

Hello my friends & loved ones,

Last week at church we had a wonderful and lively service with an all time high in attendance. We had 92 people (high for us) and the service included liturgical dance. I'm sure some people were put off by it (but I don't know of them, yet) but it was good for the church and the community. Being stretched and pulled out of our comfort zone may not be the most pleasing thing, however, it certainly helps us grow and become better people in the long run. One would think that our church was a new church from the way we've been growing and prospering lately but it's actually been around for 25 years. It's definitely in a renaissance phase and hopefully there's more growing and thriving to come.

I don't remember seeing or hearing political ads while growing up in Texas but I'm certainly aware of them now. Either they have become nastier than ever or I'm just more in tune to them. These ads are disgusting and way below the belt; I'm almost embarrassed to be living in the same country as these people who put on these ads. Having said that, I've never been one to tell people how to vote but I do tell people to vote. I recently read a poll citing the reasons why people don't vote and the biggest percentage was "didn't have time." I know we have busy lives and we sometimes think about being cloned (I do anyway) but, please, make time to vote. No, it's not a major election but it does still count. I have a rule that I tell people who complain to me about who's in office; they cannot complain in my presence if they didn't vote. I won't even hear their moaning about it. Please vote. And remember that when watching those political ads on tv, make sure you know the truth because, let's face it, many (if not all) of those ads are filled with lies, half-truths, and sleaze to get you to vote one way or another. Be real and know if what you're hearing is true or not.

paul