A Little Bit Smarter Now

We are in North Carolina because my Man is preaching for Antioch Baptist Church's revival services this week.  Antioch is the church where we served fresh out of seminary.  We learned so much while serving there for almost six years.  Now, back for a working visit, we continue to learn.

Here's what we know now that we didn't know last week. . .

1.  Our children are nuts about staying in hotel rooms. 

2.  On that topic, it takes two rooms to contain this gang for any length of time beyond one night.

Room #2

3.  Good, authentic Mexican food is to be appreciated.  We enjoyed lunch at our very favorite San Jose early in the week.  Nachos Grande add the Guacamole!

4. That "make new friends but keep the old" saying...there's really something to that.  Our kids just seemed to pick right up where they'd left off with their old friends.  My Man and I more than enjoyed our time spent with "old" friends too!

Sorry about the fuzzy, I think they were organizing a football game or something.  Not much holding still to be found.

5.  You can "do school" in a hotel room with four children if and only if the baby is asleep (and therefore not playing with the air conditioner/heater setting it to 80 degrees, unbeknownst to anyone) AND there is nothing outside the window which may distract the students. . .

6.  Here's the biggie. . .Kate has never been in the sanctuary during the preaching of a sermon.  After this realization set in I realized that she is always dismissed to children's church every Sunday just before the sermon.  I know this because I make sure that the pastor realizes how very important the "dismissal of the children to Children's Church" is to the success or failure of the sermon! (It's important to fully communicate with your pastor.)

Well now, there is no children's church during revival services--I knew that--somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind--I knew it.  I didn't realize that I knew it until the Sunday night service when I arrived at the pew terribly unprepared to deal with a "newbie". 

Happily, the music was superb with a number of instruments and a big sound that kept Kate's attention.  When her father began his "scerman" she quickly, mercifully. . .

. . . lost interest.

We are a night or two more into the series of sermons now and no more sleeping has occurred.  Lots of parenting in the pew, but no sleeping. . .which leads me to the next thing I've learned. . .

7.  I owe much of my sanity to children's church workers.  I do not say "thank you" nearly enough to our children's church workers.  If I had the wealth of Oprah, I'd buy all children's church workers brand new minivans.  Children's Church workers ROCK!!!

8. Kate must be watched closely around musicians.  On night number two of the revival services, I said to my middle daughter, "Kate, you're going to have to stay in the service again tonight.  Can you handle that?"

"It's alright Mom, I like the drummer." (From the praise band the previous evening, a child himself when we left NC.)

9. All evidence points to the possibility that preaching seven times in four days may be a wee bit taxing on the preacher!