Tommy Mitchell / The Rurban Church Blog

RA Races!

Tonight we cooked hamburgers and hot-dogs (atta boy to some great deacons for getting that done - and great ladies in the kitchen) and had a time of fellowship starting at 5:30 pm. Afterwards, around 6:15 pm, we started the races!

We have a specialty track and electronic timing!  We do this each year and it is amazing to see the cars these RA boys have made.  It is enjoyable to watch - probably more for us guys than gals, but it is a good evening.

We dismiss all our other activities and Bible study for this event!  What is the value of it? 

Well, the boys get to enjoy a great competition, a pro track, and they win trophies!  They have a blast!

Dads get to hang out and watch what their boys have done.

Mark and Melanie approach the event in such a way that everybody present feels very special!

Everyone else gets to "fellowship!"   Tonight, I got to have extended conversations with about a half dozen people!  I never get to do that on a regular Wednesday night!  I got to meet new folks! I enjoyed eating a good burger and sharing with men and women! 

What a blessing! I was blessed to be surrounded by friends, to encourage folks who have had tough times, to be encouraged by people who love me!  RA RACES!  What a great way to spend the evening!

It's Free!

There are some outstanding things you never have to pay for:

1. A beautiful sunrise!

2. A beautiful sunset!

3. A concert - of nature - sitting on a porch listening to the creatures!

4. Coyotes howling at night! Quite a show when they really get cranked up!

5. Watching bees pollinate plants!

6. Watching purple martins feed in the evening! Quite the aerial show!

7. The smell of rain!

8. The heightened sounds in a snow filled forest!

9. Watching hummingbirds dogfight!

10. Nature's fireworks - watching a lightning storm! (safely of course)

11. Watching shooting stars on a moonless, clear night!

Through the Ears of a Child!

When children are little, they don't always know what they are hearing - but they will tell you what they think they heard!  The following are children's "uncensored" commments - mostly about the Bible!

In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.

Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree.

Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark.

Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears.

Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.

Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.

Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.

Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.

The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert.

Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten amendments.

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

The fifth commandment is to humor thy father and mother.

The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

Moses died before he ever reached Canada.

Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar.

He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.

Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.

When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.

Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.

St. John, the blacksmith, dumped water on his head.

Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you.

He also explained, "A man doth not live by sweat alone."

The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.

The epistles were the wives of the apostles.

One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.

St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.

A Christian should have only one spouse. This is called monotony.

Salome was a woman who danced naked in front of Harrods.

The Pope lives in a vacuum.

Paraffin is next in order after seraphim.

Today wild beasts are confined to Theological Gardens.

The patron saint of travelers is St. Frances of the sea sick.

A republican is a sinner mentioned in the Bible.

Abraham begat Isaac and begat Jacob and Jacob begat twelve partridges.

It is sometimes difficult to hear what is being said in church because the agnostics are so terrible.

 

Random Thanksgiving!

Since sitting down to rest the feet a few minutes - I decided to put keyboard to screen and write about a few things for which I am thankful......some things that go beyond the expected list of things....! These are RANDOM - not in order of importance or thankfulness!

1. The comfortable chair in my office at church!
2. The sounds of Nick's kids / Mark's kids / Dusty's kid when they come in the office!
3. When Cooper Keel says, "Hey Brutter Tommy! Hi ya doing?"
4. When the little kids greet each other during the Fellowship time in Worship!
5. Pandora!
6. The heart felt "thanks" or "hug" I get when I have prayed with someone! They think they are thanking me, but the joy was really all mine! It is a blessing to pray with people!
7. The hearty laugh of Misty Harris!
8. The smell of roast in the crock pot!
9. The overflowing joy of the Little Praisers when they sing!
10. The guys at Courtyard!
11. Mrs. Pat's Shrimp /Chicken Jambalaya!
12. Riley! (Grandbaby)
13. All my family - of course!
14. The smell of tobacco in a pipe store! (hey, I don't smoke - but it still smells good!)
15. When Andrea cracks up!
16. When Drew gets tongue tied from talking too fast!
17. When Tabitha butters rolls!
18. When Kelsey cooks a new dish!
19. When Lesley argues a fine point!
20. Baptizing people!
21. A pipe organ played wide open!
22. Van Parker's bacon wrapped deer appetizers!
23. Lloyd Lunceford's love of missions!
24. Doing a fly-by and pulling up and out at the end of the runway!  (Ok - I can only do this when flying with
        Johnny Smith)
25. Getting to do my passion every week - preaching the Gospel!

Random 1:00 AM Thoughts!

So, it is another seemingly sleepless night for me!  Here are a few totally RANDOM thoughts.....

1. An abundance of information does not necessarily mean an abundance of knowledge!

2. Ideas are wonderful things.....but are not that much good unless put into action!

3. Seldom do people form an opinion and believe it is wrong!

4. The more you think about sleep the wider awake you become!!

5. Deep thinkers often betray their ignorance!

6. The legalist will eventually collapse upon the false pride they have created!

7. A little bit of sin in our life is like a little bit of vomit on our clothes - smells bad and looks bad!

 

 

Tropical Storm - Lots of Rain - What to Do!!!!

With 3 days of Tropical Storm Lee at hand - I have been contemplating on some things to do!

1. Raise a window!  Love listening to rain!

2. Sit on the back porch!  So long as it is not raining real hard - I won't get wet!

3. Take a nap!  - in same room with window open!!!!

4. Play in the shop!  It will be cool - probably a couple of small projects worth tackling!

5. Cook something good!  Rain makes me hungry!

 

Christmas Eve - Fabulous So Far!

So far, Christmas Eve has been great!

First - I had a great night's sleep!

Second - I had four wonderful, tasty sausage balls for breakfast!

Third - I got to be present for the "waking up" process of Grandbaby Riley!

Fourth - I got TONS of good sugar from the Riley!

Fifth - I just had a wonderful, relaxing cup of coffee!

Sixth - Today, most of what I will do is visit, eat, sleep, visit, eat, and sleep some more!

Seventh - Early tomorrow morning Santa Claus is coming to see me!  (Yes - I still believe in Santa Claus which should send some of you into some kind of orbit!!!)

More later!!!!!!

Bits and Pieces!

November! Beautiful weather - crisp temperatures - a time for giving thanks!

As December grows nearer, I find myself doing odd things! I keep going back and looking at my journals for November and December of last year to see what I was doing leading up to the day of my BIG adventure - heart by-pass surgery.  I find references to "feeling tired" and "worn out!"  Hmmm!  It's all kind of creepy!  After months of not having a whole lot of emotion about it - I find that I get kind of "teary eyed" over the whole deal! Don't know if that is normal, but then again, who ever accused me of being normal?

In the meantime, I am thankful for gas logs burning at my feet! My feet stay perpetually cold, so the fire feels good! Looks good too! Why can't someone make an A/C unit that looks like fire logs? Then I could enjoy a fire all year!

I am thankful for 3 really great kids! Drew is traveling the country teaching medical staff how to use their computer software - and sometimes their computer.  He is being exposed to a lot of different culture within the states. His wife, Tabitha, is teaching school in Long Beach and grandbaby Riley is blessing all our socks off!

Lesley is studying hard at Ole Miss! Law School!  She will be Dr. Lesley E. Mitchell in a little over two years. She is talking about studying in England this summer! Who ever thought the Mitchell kids would travel so much?! She will be a great attorney. I wish she would be a prosecuting attorney for a while - for the experience!

Kelsey is .....Kelsey! You have to know her to appreciate that! A sophomore at USM, she is BUSY! She works school into her schedule somehow!  If everything holds together, by the end of this next summer she will have been to China three times for a total of 5 months!  She is my world traveler!  If us Southern Baptists wouldn't freak out - she would make a great preacher!!!! Of course, Lottie Moon was!

I can't help it - but I've got to add a child - she is not officially ours and she has great parents! But Kristen, Kelsey's dorm mate, is our "adopted" daughter! I am so proud of Kristen.  She is funny and delightful. We love her greatly. Proudest moment for me was when I had the privilege to baptize her!  Love you Kristen.

Well - I could not possibly end without expressing thanks for my soul-mate! My doctor! My help-mate! My love! Yep - my sweet wonderful thoughtful and compassionate wife - Andrea!  What would I do without her? I would be utterly lost!  We have had a wonderful life together for almost 32 years. (December 16)  The depth of her love was demonstrated to me during December - March of last year and this year as she nursed me back to health!  Wow! She is so wonderful to me - and really to everyone who knows her!  I love you sweet girl!

Hope every one who reads this is thankful also!

People and Vision!

It seems that there are different kinds of people when it comes to vision.

1. There are VISIONARIES!  These are folks to whom God shares vision! They in turn, with great passion, share vision with people with a goal of accomplishing the vision!

2. There are VISION KILLERS!  These are folks whom Satan controls - their one goal in life is to kill any vision they hear! Their passion to kill vision can never be underestimated or understood fully!

3. There are VISION BUILDERS!  These are folks that come alongside the visionary and help fulfill the vision! They are a passionate bunch of folks!

4. There are VISION SABOTEURS! These folks are more subtle than the vision killers - they may actually seem to be for the vision - but they work secretly and deceitfully to sabotage the vision! They are dangerous! Their work is often hidden!

The key to success is KNOWING beyond all doubt that the vision is from God - and allowing God to assemble the VISION BUILDERS!  Handling the VISION KILLERS and SABOTEURS must be done through much prayer and leaving them in God's hands!  Turning the light on their activities will often cause them to scurry for cover as well.

I Had A Dream!

I had a dream last night! It was interesting! I had a dream that I was leading worship at the USM BSU!  My topic was "What is TRUE Worship?"  This was one of those "detailed" dreams!  And, I remember every bit of it!  They had just sung some songs that I had never heard before - and one that I had heard - "In the Presence of Jehovah!"  I ended up having them vote on the songs - which ones would they changed if they could?  They all chose the one I knew to change!

We did more questions and found out that more of the girls would have chosen to keep it - but they were outnumbered by the guys who voted to get rid of it!  We determined that they were choosing songs that they liked based on emotional and sentimental needs!  Then, we made the point that TRUE worship is about OBEYING Jesus - and has little to do with song choices.

At any rate - it was a great worship time - and I had a blast leading the BSU in worship - and teaching the scripture that God is a Spirit and must be worshiped in Spirit and Truth!  Yet, it was all a dream!

Funny what a trip to the BSU on Tuesday evening will do for your sleep!