Long Faces in Church?

I overheard a conversation on churches this morning as it walked by my desk. They were joking about how no one ever smiles at church - until it's over. But they weren't just joking, one woman was very serious about how people never smile at her church.

Having grown up attending churches that smile (despite the fact that they're Presbyterian;-)), I find that pretty sad. If church is a place where we meet to worship God and recognize what He has done in our lives and what He will do with them - why aren't we smiling about it? And if, like many modern "churches", it's just a community of friends that meet once a week - why don't they at least smile about that? I suppose this woman's church is neither of those and simply one that lives on for the sake of tradition with attendees that keep going for the sake of legalism or tradition. I wish that I could have bumped into the conversation at that moment, but I couldn't.

If you think of it, pray that I get an opportunity to invite her to a church that smiles - and preaches the Word.

"The Unknown" - my oldest companion and purest enemy

I still remember one of my favorite past times as a 5 year old child - organizing my books based on height and topic. I think that even in the bare beginnings of my life I loved to establish as much order from chaos as possible. Part of that involved spending hours reading old books (the endings never change), drawing house plans, organizing my closet, and creating endless lists of names, characters, and lives to be precisely laid out in my imagination.

But real life has always refused to stay organized. I realize that it's all for a greater plan and out of my hands (and have learned to prefer it that way!;-)), but at the same time I automatically keep trying to pull it all back into order. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't pulled back into chaos just because I focus so much on making order of it, finding clarity, or at least grabbing a flashlight on my way into the cave of unknown. As I've gotten older, I've learned to slightly diminish how much I rely on organization, but it's still a struggle.

The other side is that I can't understand the opposite thinking - where some people stay as far from organization as possible. I know it's valuable, and I see their quest for adventure, but how can anyone walk through the dark without wanting a flashlight? I at least want the hand of someone that knows the way.

If it was for sale - I'd be tempted to buy my map of life. But I'm just left with a few general directions, an invisible guide, and the knowledge that the end will come out FABULOUS. I suppose that should be enough for me - who needs more than God being over their lives after all - but sometimes I just wish it could be more organized.;-)

The other side of the story...

You know how your mother taught you never to guess a woman's age or weight if she seemed to be over 20 years old? And if forced to, guess under? We all know that she meant to save you from guessing more than the real age or weight and getting whammed with one of those strictly-feminine-looks-of-disgust. But I'm here as living proof that it doesn't always work that way.

For the minority-that's-bigger-than-you-think of people that look younger than their age and weigh less than they want to (like me;-)), you really DON'T want to guess under. Not that I'd be mad about it - but plenty of others would! I just realized this fact again when a salesman walked up to my reception desk today and commented, "Either your company hires young teenagers, or you look really young for your age". I smiled sweetly, stated that I was in my 20s, and secretly wondered who his mother was.;-)

So if any of you guys are tempted to guess a woman's age or weight - please don't. And yes, that include the ones that look like they're 12.;-) And never, I repeat, never use comments on weight or age as any kind of pick up line!

Just trying to help you enhance your life a little bit more - :-)