Cat and Mouse Game

Last Wednesday, I had the garage (also known as Mushu's room) door open while the cat wandered around outside. It was about time to let the dogs out so I went out to see where Mushu was so that I could secure him. The cat and dogs have not met face to face yet and may never. The dogs love a chase and it is eminent that Mushu would give one. To my surprise I did not have to yell for Mushu to come in. He was there and acting very odd. Perhaps Ii should say acting odd for him. He typically is just a wee bit different. I had an old broken gourd laying in the floor. I kept it for seeds since it could not make a birdhouse. By the way if anyone would like such seeds I would be more than happy to send some. Back to the story. He began to move the gourd around becoming more aggressive with it as if there were something inside. The rougher he got, sticking his paws inside the holes, the more the gourd began to fall apart piece by piece. This disintegration began to reveal a very large mouse trying to escape Mushu inside the gourd. I immediately put the garage on lock down. The rodent could not escape. Mushu worked with the gourd until he could free the wretched little beast. He tossed it around a bit letting it run away. I have some places in there that could harbor such a fugitive if not carefully attended. I had to pull him out with a pair of pliers multiple times. There was something wrong with his back legs. He dragged them around. I rather suspect my feline had brought him to the house after much torture somewhere else. He has really become quite the hunter. he has killed at least two birds. Sadly it is the birds I have lured in with feed. I feel so guilty. There were times that Mushu was almost asleep and the rodent still alive. I thought there is no way that mouse was going to be loose in my garage. It looked like Mushu was praying, "Thank you, Lord, for this food that I am bout to receive. It probably took and hour for him to finish the job. He almost let him go at one point. He did not eat the mouse. I disposed of him before it got that far. He did not seem interested anyway. I treated him to a can of food.

Y'all, I will not be blogging after today for over a week. I will be in Hawaii!! God bless you all. I am sure I will have plenty of pictures when I get back. I hope the Cat and Mouse game will be enough until then.

Attempting New Post

I really have so little to blog about....Hum!!!!!!!...*twiddles thumbs.* I did go down to Trumann last Sunday night to preach for them. It was the first time I had officially been there since transferring over a year ago. They were still the same great people with the addition of some new, but familiar faces. At least five from the former organization were there in attendance with them. I have known them all for a long time. I have never worshipped with them though and that was great. It was really good to be there.

The Jernigan's little girl is such a mess. She says some of the funniest things. We were all out in the hall talking after service and she looked up at em with that big ole grin and said, "Yeah, we need another preacher." It was as if she were trying to hire me. She wasn't trying to replace her dad, just supplement him.

Sunday morning the Investigation process began. Our Junior Detectives had a case to crack. They are pretty new at this and no the most observant. It was the Mystery of the Missing Jewelry. A Church family was gone to the Regional Convention. They left a young neighbor to house sit for them, watch their dog and bird and watch over a precious antique jewelry box. the boy forgot and left the door unlocked and open while he ran home. He returned and looked things over finding nothing missing. The dog go rowdy and knocked the jewelry box off spilling its contents...IT WAS EMPTY!!!!!! Oh, no! Where did the jewelry go? Had it been taken? There was a crime scene set up int he borrowed nursery complete with "Do Not Cross" tape. There was the box, a highlighted "We Hold These Truths" tract (you can just imagine what was highlighted) and a picture of the couple (non-be-jeweled people from a catalog). Sounds like an open and shut case. Not hardly, our super sleuths had to work and work and work to figure that out. Finally they did. Then they had to figure out which person from the congregation took their treat, Crackerjacks. It was very fun and we got to teach them a lesson on modesty in a very unique way. They enjoyed it. There will be more mysteries to solve.

The real mystery is how I started with nothing to blog about and now I can't seem to stop. I must. God bless you all.

Rain, Rain, Rain...

Believe it or not, it rains again. I started mowing yesterday, intending to finish today. Well, this am the sky is darkened once again and an apparent soaking shower fell during the night. So, it looks like I stay mainly inside today.

I am still working on the mystery. It is a mystery to me, too, at this point. It is quite a challenge to me right now. I know the Lord will iron out all the details in my cluttered mind. I do know the treat that will be hidden...Cracker Jacks! It does have a surprise inside. I want the kids to feel the same way about the lessons. I want there to be the awe element. The Lord will certainly have to help me.

In other news, Mushu has become murderous on top of violent. He attacked and killed the bird the other day. I think I blogged that story. Well, he has since had the taste for another winged treat. I did not witness the attack, but the aftermath was grizzly. He was slapping his lifeless prey around when I spied him. Why does a cat feel it must torture its hostages? I will never understand that. We had a cat once that I watched play with a mouse for over an hour. He kept his paw on the mouse's til, then he would release the rodent, give it a head start and pursue it all over again. I was furious that he would risk releasing the pest so that it could take up residence in the house. He never did. He would always leave the decapitated evidence behind as if to say, "Look what I did." Cats can be so strange.

We went to see the Lion King last night in Memphis, the Broadway version. It was very good. Paydon went and sat on my lap the whole time because he could not see very well in his seat. That was not a problem during the first hour and an half. By the time we hit two hours the six year old was killing me. My left leg hurt so bad. Thankfully we had intermission in which I recovered somewhat. Then the show resumed for another hour at least. How can you take a 90 minute movie and turn it into a three hour show? I will never figure that out. It was really good though. I saw most of it through one eye though. I tried to keep Paydon close so that we did not block anyone behind us.

I think I also blogged a while back about my impending vacation to...HAWAII!!!!! Yes, we are set to leave in just days now. What was months away, now it just days. September 2 to be exact. 10 days!!!!!!!!! Wow!!!! I think it will be so beautiful. I bought a new memory card for my camera to be sure I have enough memory. I don't want to miss any of it. There may be some I am willing to omit. I expect some to be culture shock. It is a time though when the tourist season is the lightest. That will be great!

Yesterday, I was on my way back home from checking my email because I am too cheap to pay for this at home. I travel o an office that I have a key to. Anyway, I was going home and went the long, scenic way because the sunrise was glorious. I was driving along snapping pictures because I just happened to have my camera. I stopped on a small bridge overlooking a drainage ditch just to take a peek. I saw some kind of animal in the distance. It appeared to be beavers so I parked the car (off the bridge) and slowly pursued. I got very close to the non-beavers. They were river otters (I think). I was taking pictures of them like crazy. One of them was swimming and stopped right in front of me. He looked right at me so that I could take his picture. It was great. They finally found a fish to eat and took the meal to the brush where I could not see them. I heron flew off as i was approaching them. It was a great morning.

This post is getting as long as Becky (Long)Horne's. I haven't made a stab at her in so long. It is hard to resist. I am blogged out!

Rain, Rain...

If I were to finish that it would say, "Go away..." I am glad the rain is here. We went for months with so very little. It has rained for a week now. It is great. I could just go out and run in it. But then again I really don't like to get wet like that. It is shaping up to be another fabulous dreary day today. Our temps have dropped to the mid 80's for highs. Fall has arrived here in Arkansas. Augh!!!! Relief from this terrible hot weather we have known for so long. Every year we think it was hotter than the previous. I am sure according to Al Gore it is. I have yet to see the movie.

Really, I think we just get that notion in our heads. We can do that very easily. So much in life is suggestive. Speaking of suggestive, this might just be all in my head as well. I am becoming decrepit. As I approach 31, my right knee has gone kaputz on me. It is swollen and aches constantly. At times I limp around like a very old man (much older than 30). Sunday, I had some relief from it, only to find out when I woke up that afternoon that my other knee and ankle ached. I really think it is the weather. My joints have always popped and cracked with every movement. My brother has been diagnosed with degenerative joint disease. It is probably just my lot in life. To make matters worse, I was watching the news and they noted that studies indicate knee pain to be linked with lung cancer. Cough! Cough! Yes, perhaps I am one of the biggest hypochondriacs there are. At least my mental health is well, or as well as to be expected. Most people don't expect a whole lot out of me.

Saturday, I called Tabithia. She had left for work. While she was leaving our precious golden boy, Mushu, emerged from the open garage door as if the cell door was left open. There was a small bird that lay motionless on the ground very near our dear feline. Mushu was oblivious to the birds proximity. That is until the bird twitched and was abruptly snatched up by the then snarling ferocious beast. All of this scene was played out before Tabithia's eyes. She said she did not know what to do. I thought that she was concerned for the loss of the poor bird's life. Not hardly. The bird was so inactive she feared there was something wrong with it. Perhaps some dreaded disease--West Nile. She did not want Mushu to fall ill. That night there was something wrong with him. He rubbed on my ankles and just enjoyed being petted without attacking, scratching or biting one time. That is very unlike him. He must have more birds in his diet.

I really should get off of here. I still have to check my myspace and look up some stuff for Children's Church. We are becoming detectives for a few weeks investigating the Fellowship of the Mystery. Each week a different adult out front will have our treats. They have to determine through detective work who has it. Tomorrow we start getting everyone's mug shot to put in out command central. The treat search will conclude after service and certainly after we have uncovered some beautiful truth. To some kids the Bible seems to be written in code. They don't really get it until you decipher it. That is what we hope to do. We have been reappointed to this great work again. I began in Children's Ministries. I struggle at how to express this. Sometimes you feel like people view you as less a minister because you are with kids all of the time. Somehow you feel your ministry is not worth as much. I tried for years to suppress what I do. I feel with anointing we can be made all things to all men. I tried to steer clear of the kiddos for years. Somehow, God repositioned me again back in the middle of what I had tried for so long to get out of. All of my revival work this year has been with children. I just want to be what god wants me to be. I enjoy preaching to all ages from Children's Church to the Nursing Home. I cannot place myself in this body. I am at the mercy of a loving Father who knows just where I can be effective. Place me, Lord.

More Assembly Pictures

102nd General Assembly of The Church of God

It truly was a blessed General Assembly. The facility was excellent and inviting. The Spirit was empowering and beckoning. I think it was impressed upon each of us to move up a little higher. I know I have left that place with that feeling and it is not just a little movement that I desire. I sincerely want to be exercised for Him and His glory and His Church. There are so many wonderful things to tell. Perhaps words could never sum it up. I will try over the next few days to get up some of my best pictures. It was a wonderful, wonderful time. God was so good to us. It was like a homecoming being in Cleveland. Just around the corner we went to Gaut Street and Brother Tomlinson's old house. What a rich spiritual heritage we have there in that city.