• Always always glad to be back at First Trinity when I’ve been away for a Sunday. Sunday is “Game Day” for me and I love love love it.
• Isn’t the banner above beautiful? You can check it out live in the Hall of Joy (leads into Celebration–the gym). The Kingdom Quest kids made it during welcome activities, led by Pam Jones and her daughter, Kelsey. The flying creatures are the outline of kids’ hands. New Life–one of my fav themes.
• My PIT Crew (Pastor’s Intercessory Team) prayed with me live and in person at 9:30. It feels luxurious to have that kind of prayer coverage. I am so grateful.
• I thought the choir sounded beautiful today at the 8:45 service–and Doreen Sutherland rocked the house with the organ on “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”.
• I love a congregation where we miss our Pastor when he is not there, but rejoice that he is with his family on the day his grandson is dedicated. Both are true.
• All this and Pastor Touloute, too. God is so, so good. All the tiem.
• Pirate Joe made a visit to Everyday Faith today (third graders and their parents working through the Scriptures…). Here he is:

Pirate Joe was looking for treasure and the kids helped him see that God’s Word is the Biggest Treasure of all. I crack up every time Pirate Joe talks about “Me stinky sister” and almost tear up with gratitude for the fun + solid Bible learning + parents and kids + Holy Spirit WOW that is Everyday Faith. My true favorite images are ones like this, where kids and parents (or grandparents) are bent over their Bibles, together:

• It seems that cancer is so many places at First Trinity…and the Prayer Gathering organized by members of Ginny Opferbeck’s Life Group tonight was the best part of a very good First Trinity Day. 75+ people showed up to pray for her in light of her cancer diagnosis and her surgery this Tuesday. P.O.W.E.R.F.U.L. There were many sweet moments, but hearing Ginny’s grandson Aiden’s chatty voice out in the narthex while we were praying silently for his Grandma was the most beautiful to me. It made me wonder why we don’t gather much more often to place ourselves before God on behalf of our hurting, suffering, scared and haunted loved ones. What I loved (one of MANY things I loved) about tonight, was the “grass roots” nature of the gathering–it was not written or led by staff. It was written, thought-of and led by Ginny’s life group (especially Karen Ruch). Body of Christ in action, baby. I love it!
• We had some women’s hoops tonight–it was a slow return with many people not able to make it at the last minute. I have a bum foot (made a Crocs mistake that is too long to tell, here–sore foot is the result), so I played “All Time Point Guard” for one team and Christine (hurt knee) played it for the other. I don’t know why playing hoops with friends is so restorative to me, but it so is. If you would like to join us, let me know!!!

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