Mother's Day

For Mother's Day this year I was not on the platform at church. But I ended up working in the tech booth with Parker at both of the traditional services. 

When we got home, I got some good pictures with the boys. I am getting so short! 

My big present - a new Vera Bradley overnight travel bag for all my new DS travel. 

And then in the afternoon we drove up to the Ocala Golf Club for the Symphony Under the Stars. We did this last year for the first time and it was awesome. You bring your own chairs, blankets, food and drinks (plus they have food vendors) and sit out on the lawn. There's a DJ from 3-5pm, then a local musical act from 5-7pm (Left off Broadway) and then at 7pm the Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents a beautiful concert. It always includes some beautiful classical music as well as show tunes, and music from movies that people of all ages would recognize (ET, Harry Potter, Grease, West Side Story) and there was even some Beatles music last night. They finish off the whole thing with fireworks. 

 

Hymn Sing

Sunday night at church we had a hymn sing, and the children and youth attended too. 

I sat with all of the kids in the back and we realized that a bunch of the younger kids (Davis included) had no idea how to use a hymnal! So we got to teach them! 

 

Christmas Eve 2021

Two beautiful worship experiences at Community for Christmas Eve - 

so thankful for these lovely memories. 

We did something new and had a live children's nativity in the Contemporary Christmas Eve service in the Family Life Center. The kids were adorable and this was fun and easy (no rehearsal!). 

Mr Mike let Davis practice a bit on the drums after worship 

The Christmas Eve version of our 9Thirty Band 

Dinner in CJ's office. He made pulled pork in the crockpot. I cannot express how lovely it has been to have him around these last three years and offer this gift of a real meal in between services to pastors/staff and families. Most years before we have ended up with Burger King at 11:30pm. 

Pumpkin the neighborhood/church tabby cat snuck in with people for the traditional service and Daryl and Parker had to catch her and get her back outside. 

Candlelight in the sanctuary with the reflection of light in the beams is always so pretty. 

Thankful for the gift of this amazing ministry team. I cannot imagine doing ministry 

in a pandemic with anybody else. They are all so talented, and beside their gifts, they are adaptive, flexible, have a heart for Jesus, love the community and have worked so hard to keep everyone safe.

Joey (contemporary worship 5 years); Diane (traditional worship 4 years); Daryl and I (7 years here); 

CJ (associate pastor 3 years)