third place!

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the skipping race

the jump rope relay

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the talent show

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tug o war

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the long race

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first place

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the skipping relay

Cedar and his friend at field day.

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Day of Service

Our "Day of Service" was Saturday. It turned out really well. Especially since it should have been raining buckets and it didn't. We had a lot of people show up and we got every thing done that we had planned on. I had to submit a report. I thought I would share it.

There is a story, I don’t know how true it is, about a statue of Christ that had had the hands broken off. In that story, the people of the town decide not to fix the hands. Instead they place a plaque there in front of the outstretched arms of Jesus. It reads, “Christ has no hands but ours.”

I thought of that today as I watched hands at work. I saw hands grasping shovels and rakes, garbage bags and sewing needles, paint brushes and rollers. I saw hands clad in gloves reach into the dirty ground and bring up weeds, rocks, glass, wrappers and mounds of dirt. I saw delicate hands wade through a sea of clothes and household items and find a place for everything, leaving order instead of chaos. I saw young and old hands wipe sweat from dripping brows. Hands were all around, and in every one I saw my Savior.

Today has been a day of miracles. It’s a miracle when almost 100 people get together and serve. It’s a miracle when those 100 people do so much for so many. The other miracle, one I shouldn’t have questioned when I left my house this morning, even though I did, was the weather. I don’t think I could have custom ordered a better day if I could have put in a request. It wasn’t too hot, or too cold. The wind was gentle and refreshing, and there wasn’t a drop of rain until the closing prayer was started.

Thank you to everyone who helped. The volunteers were amazing. The sponsors were out of this world. Here are our statistical reports to the best of my knowledge.

Day of Service

April 24, 2010

Event sponsors:

Fairfield Baptist Church: Brother Randy Franks, Pastor

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Bishop David Edmonds and Bishop David Durfey

Location:

Civic Park, Morristown, TN

Organizations served / Service projects rendered

Boys and Girls Club- Yard work, painting, piano tuning

Girls Inc- Yard work, painting, cleaning, cataloguing.

CEASE- painting, cleaning and organizing

Panther Creek State Park Kidwell Ridge Island clean up- trash removal and clean up

Humanitarian Services- Quilt tying (2 completed, 2 half way done.)

Letter writing to local soldiers (50+ letters)

Helping Hands Clinic - General cleaning, sanding and staining

Sponsors:

Dunkin’ Donuts – More donuts than we could eat.

TVA – Trash bags, frisbees

The Keyboard Shop – 2 piano’s tuned

Brian Gerasimos-Little Debbie 22 boxes of snack cakes

Ingles – Popsicles

Food City – bottled water

Wal-Mart - $50.00 for juice, paper goods, name tags, etc.

Kawasaki TN Inc.- gloves

Tidi Waste – port-a-potty

Home Depot - $25 for Boys and Girls club

Sherwin Williams – paint for CEASE

Volunteers:

Estimated: 100

Total 100

Hours donated:

Estimated: 500

Total: 450

Monetary value of service rendered:

$650.00 (Value from sponsors) + (450 hours donated x $7.00/hr)

Estimated monetary value $4150.00

Total: $3,800

Doesn't this sound great? It really was. The problem now came in the form on a phone call. I guess it actually started as a letter, but I have not seen that one. The pastor's wife called me last night. She asked me not to put their names or their church's name in the follow up article that I am submitting. I guess they got a "rather strongly" worded letter because they chose to work along side us. It is really sad to me. This was NOT an effort to convert. This was ONLY about serving. Helping. Trying to do some good.

It has made me think of prejudice in America. Against blacks, Hispanics, women, minorities, those who look or think or believe or vote differently than I do. Are there things that I do or say, or don't do or say that have the same effect that the writer of that letter had. Causing someone hang their head in shame, or worry about the GOOD DEEDS that were done, simply because of who was standing next to them?

There is a scene in "The Blind Side" where the tutor is getting ready to accept the job to tutor and she gets all serious and guilty and confessional. She says that she needs to tell (Sandra Bullock) something before she is hired. That she needs to be completely honest with her from the start because she has had bad outcomes when people find out this particular horrible thing about her.

The big secret is that she's a democrat.

You might not get that if you've never lived in the south. Though, if you live in Utah, you might get it.

I love that scene. Firstly because I got it. We watched that movie in Texas on our anniversary trip and I think that Jonathon and I were the only ones in the little theater that got it. Second because they do such a good job and showing how silly it is that it's even an issue. Ok, if she were applying to be the RNC secretary it might be pertinent, but a tutor? Where does that fit in to the job description?

I feel that way about Saturday. Did any one's religious affiliation affect their ability to paint or pick up trash or serve? Didn't Jesus teach about the Samaritan? The leper? The outcast?

This is my lesson learned. I may, in fact I do feel strongly about the things that I believe. But does the way I believe need to make me look down or tear down another? Does someone need to be just like me to deserve my love and respect? And can that include whoever wrote that letter and those who won't stand next to me anymore?

????

I'm not sure what to title this. Do you have any ideas?

Jonathon made this last night with the kids. I thought it was a pretty good visual of my life life for the next few days.

I am helping with the "Day of Service" for church. I have planned a lot of things in my life, but this is by far the biggest and has the most far reaching effects. We are inviting the entire community, the Mayor signed a proclamation proclaming the 24th a city "day of service." There are ads in the paper, fliers all over town and I just lined up a radio spot. We have sponsors and we are working with another church in the community and a College. Now, if we can only get the weather to cooperate and people to show up and everything to go well...

Here's to hoping I'm back to my former shade of white by next week!

Happy Wednesday.

Olive and I gave each other pedicures this afternoon.

Having lunch with Daddy!

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This is what I came home to after dropping off the kids. Wwe get a new window and gutter too.

Olive's first game.

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It's the first day of games for everyone!

goodnight disney!

waiting in line with mom for the tower of terror....

Good morning fron Disneyworld

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the view from the boardwalk

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make your own cupcake bar

Here we are in our $400 room!

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lunch at Chick fil-a with cousins.

cinnamon rolls in downtown

saying good morning to the meow-ouse

the slumber party

at quaker steak and lube

Seth is trying to catch a lobster for dinner!

Olive found the golden egg!

waiting for the hunt to start

at the Harley-Davidson egg hunt

dying eggs

Alex and the spider.

the crew

keep going. There are a lot from today!

we finally found water that was turned on!

Eating lunch with6 kids! Should be interesting!

On to market square.