Share Your World 2016 Week#44

Posted on November 2, 2016 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun

I can hardly believe that there are only eight weeks left to 2016. Wow! Where did that year go? Well I know where the fall has gone. This fall has been an incredible time of outreach starting back in August with the Special Touch North East Getaway. In September we participated in the Toy Town Fall Festival. October was C.cada’s 6th annual art show. Last weekend was Trunk Or Treat and this weekend we have special guests Charlie Chivers and Frank Cacich coming to host the first North East Special Touch Disability Friendly Church Training Conference and then on Sunday Watoto African Children’s Choir is ministering at our church! We have outreached literally thousands of people with the message of Jesus this Fall!

The work of pastoring has kept me from the work of writing but as always I come back to the writing desk to help me find my center. Answering Cee’s weekly questions at SHARE YOUR WORLD is one way that I do that.

Here are Cee’s questions for this week and my answers.

What was your favorite subject in school?

English. I always dreamed of being a writer.

If you could have a servant come to your house every day for two hours, what would you have them do?

Paint and handyman jobs. I have a ton of those just waiting for me to get some time.

Where did you live when you were in the third grade of school? Is it the same place or town you live now?

I live in the same house we moved to when I was in third grade. I have moved away and back several times now.

In your opinon, list some places that are great for shopping?

I love Kohl’s, Barnes & Noble, Target and Sears

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful that we had a very successful Trunk or Treat. Nearly 500 people came out to the event at our church and over 300 came to hear the gospel preached that night.

my boss.

Me preaching the pumpkin gospel.

I am excited that this weekend we will have the double blessing of hosting the Disability Friendly Church Training Conference and Watoto Children’s Choir.

Charlie and Debbie Chivers Directors of Special Touch

Share Your World 2016 Week 42

Posted on October 21, 2016 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun, Uncategorized

I have some time to join SHARE YOUR WORLD WEEK 42 this week. I have loved Cee’s 5 weekly questions pretty much since the beginning of my time here in the blogosphere.

If you are new to blogging why don’t you click the link above and traipse on over to Cee’s place. Her challenges are some fun.

Here are this week’s questions and my answers

If you wanted to de-clutter where you live, what room / space would you start with? (And why, if you’re feel like admitting to it.)

I have to do some of this this afternoon. I will start in the work room. I managed to de-clutter a few months ago and as always the workroom has become cluttered once again with all the junk I haven’t had time to put away over the last several weeks.

If you want to remember something important, how do you do it (sticky note on the fridge, string around your finger, etc.), and does it work?

I live by my daily planner. If it doesn’t get into the planner it doesn’t happen. As long as it makes the daily schedule though it usually gets done even if that does not happen in the exact hour it is placed in.

If you could create a one room retreat just for yourself, what would be the most important sense to emphasize: sight (bright natural light, dim light, etc.), hearing (silence, music, fountain, etc.), smell (candles, incense, etc), touch (wood, stone, soft fabrics, etc.), or taste (herbal tea, fresh fruit, etc.)?

I guess that would depend on what I am trying to retreat from. I guess I will consider this a retreat from busyness and the noise of the office. I will say the most important consideration is sound. Music must be soft or I must have silence and solitude in order to recoup. I try to do three mini retreats a day (about 10 minutes a piece). Silence and solitude are absolutely essential to these times. Here is the type of music I sometimes listen to.

If you could interview one of your great-great-great grandparents, who would it be (if you know their name) and what would you ask?

I would like to interview my great great and so forth grandfather Lorenzo Tandy who was a minister in my region during the late 1800’s. I would ask him about his call to ministry and about how he carried that call out in his time.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful that we had a very successful art show here at Cornerstone. This week I am looking forward to being a little quieter.

Share Your World 2016 week 39

Posted on September 30, 2016 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun, Uncategorized

Share Your World has become one of my favorite challenges in the blogosphere. I have participated in it throughout the course of the last four or five years. Lately I have been a little behind in answering challenges. I just looked at this one and realized it has been about four weeks since I have participated! Oh my! Well I am not going to miss another!

I am writer hear me roar!

What is Share Your World? Here is the definition of the challenge from the hostesses lips or in this case finger tips:

Share Your World

Share Your World (SYW) is all about having a safe place for everyone to answer random questions that I post each week. Here is the basic format. I will ask you:

To answer three random questions each week.
Respond to a fourth item (I will randomly chose from this list)
- Making a List out of a topic
- Completing the sentence I start
- Answering a Would you Rather question
Bonus Question is always the same “What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?” Because we all need to be reminded that there are many things in our lives to be grateful about.

In the past I’ve written columns like this in newsletters for various companies and organizations. And it was everyone’s favorite part of the newsletter. Since blogging is an international activity, I also thought this would be a great way for all of us to get to know each other. Share things about you, your home, your town, your country, your traditions. So once a week, I’ll post four new questions for you to answer about yourself or the area in the world you live.

I’m definitely a glass half full type of person, so all the questions will be upbeat, non-political and hopefully fun for all.

If you adore challenges as much as I do, please check out WordPress’s Blog Event Listing for other challenges.

How Do I Participate?

There are two ways you can participate.

Create a SYW post. Then post the link to your blog in my comment box or leave your answers in the comments box of my blog.
To make it easy for others to check out your blog, title your blog post “Share Your World” or “SYW” tag.
Remember to Follow My Blog to get your weekly reminders.

I usually will respond to your entry on your blog, rather than on my page.

So come on join in the fun by clicking on this icon

Here are this week’s sharing questions:

A class you wish you would have taken?

I wish I would have taken more language classes. I love languages.

What’s your favorite comic figure and why?

Oh boy! This is a hard one. I was a comic book freak as a kid.

How about I pick one male and one female character?

I always liked Dr. Fate

And oh let’s see…Saturn Girl

Name something you wish you could like.

Skiing. Fishing. Bungi jumping.

Tell me about your first crush / first date / first kiss.

My first date was in the eighth grade. Her name was Raelyn and we went to the 8th grade prom together. It took me weeks to get up the nerve to ask her. About a half hour into the dance I went to get her some punch while she was dancing in a group on the floor. Someone near her was spinning around and punched her in the face breaking her nose. End of date.

Who was your best friend when you were 10?

I did not have a best friend when I was ten. We had moved across town and I had changed schools. I wasn’t a popular kid and so I spent a few years on the edges of school society feeling pretty alone.

What sign are you? Do you believe in astrology?

I am a Sagittarius . I do believe in astrology. I believe in most magic. That doesn’t mean I believe it is good. Just because something is real, just because something works does not mean it is necessarily something that is good for us. Astrology is one of those very real very not good things we are warned by the Bible to stay away from.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to present the C.cada program and the Ingleside Project at our Network worship conference in Mendon MA last week. This week I am looking forward to a bit of a quieter week.

10 Answers for a Yellow World

Posted on September 28, 2016 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun

My Dear Yellow World has asked her readers to answer 10 questions.

These are my answers. Check out Yellow’s blog by clicking the underlined link above.

Is there any painting that represents you/your dreams?

Oh what a good question to ask the guy who runs an artist’s collaborative! I think the painting that most represents my life right now is “The Voyage Of Life” painted by Thomas Cole in 1842

Image result for Thomas Cole Voyage Of Life Series

If you could meet someone from the past, who would it be?

I wish I could meet so many people and truth be told I probably will meet them sometime in eternity but I think I would really like most to meet and have a conversation with my great great great grandfather Lorenzo Tandy who was a minister in Massachusetts during the holiness movement.

What is your biggest fear in life?

Not being enough.

How would you name your “biography book”?

The Frenetic Couch Potato

Which is your favorite recipe? (would love if you share it so we can all try it)

Kielbasa Casserole:

Cut up and fry Kielbasa and onions together

Cook egg noodles until tender

Mix together in a pot with a container of sour cream.

Eat!

I’m a pretty simple guy.

What´s the best compliment you have ever received?

One I have not received yet but one day will by faith…”Well done thou good and faithful servant! Enter now into the joy of the Lord!”

Which book you think everyone in the world should read?

The Bible. But I think we should do more than just read it. The Bible should be read studied and memorized.

Would you prefer a planned or a spontaneous trip?

Planned

Which word would you use to describe yourself?

Dedicated

What´s the rarest way in which you met a friend?

I met my best friend in sixth grade math class. He is the friend who has tracked with me through the entirety of my life. He was Snoopy in the eighth grade musical. I was Charlie Brown. We were in band together all through high school. He was the best man at my wedding and I was the best man at his wedding. He was the one I dumped on when I went through my divorce and I would like to think I have been there to hear his worst moments.We have had moments when we didn’t get along very well and we have had moments where we supported each other no matter what. He has led worship beside me for the last thirty years. He is the rarest of friends. Thanks Jody!

Now click the underlined link at the top of the page and check out Yellow’s blog!

Cee’s Which Way Challenge 9-14-16

Posted on September 14, 2016 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun, Photography

It is time to join in with CEE’S WHICH WAY CHALLENGE AND SHOW YOU WHICH WAY I AM GOING.

Find out where Cee’s other contributors are going by clicking that underlined link.

Share Your World Week #34 2016

Posted on September 12, 2016 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun

Well I am back and doing back to back Share Your world blogs because I am that far behind the curve.

Week 33 was so much fun I decided to do week 34 right away.

Here are Cee’s questions for this week and my answers:

What is your favorite comfort snack food?

I love macaroni & Cheese…no pizza…no Hostess Suzie Q’s…no Apple Fritters…no grilled cheese sandwiches…no COFFEE!!! Yes COFFEE!

Until then I imagine I will treat myself daily to my favorite treat of all…good coffee.

Coffee in Delft

Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it’s hard to go back to sleep. Fran Drescher

Is the paper money in your possession right now organized sequentially according to denomination and with the bills right side up and facing the same way?

Absolutely not! That would be a miscarriage of wallet justice. The bills I have left over from lunch yesterday are stuffed hodge-podge in with all the receipts from last week. That way when I drive and sit on my wallet my leg can fall to sleep properly.

If you were a mouse in your house in the evening, what would you see your family doing?

Reading. Watching TV and forgetting to put the butter away so that I could leave my little mouse teeth tracks in it at midnight (We have lost more sticks of butter this way).

Would you rather not be able to read or not be able to speak?

Speaking is overrated (said the preacher). I want to be able to retain my ability to read.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to lead worship at Special Touch REACH New England’s chapter meeting this weekend and also to lead worship at Cornerstone Church.

This week our church begins its fall growth groups. I am excited to see this discipleship season begin.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHARE YOUR WORLD

Share Your World Week #33 2016

Posted on September 12, 2016 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun

My participation in challenges has been exceedingly spotty in recent weeks. That is not for lack of trying but for lack of timing. The rhythm of life has been a bit catywhompus and I find myself in a constant state of readjustment to new events and “opportunities” that are arising.

This week I have posted my anchor blogs through Wednesday and I have chosen to come in to the office on a day when I am “not in” to do some creative writing. Answering challenges is a great warm up for my writer’s brain which feels a bit rusty just now from lack of use though definitely not from lack of material. I have been living life large and storing away a vast sea of experiences as fodder for the blank page.

But I digress. It is time to SHARE MY WORLD.

This is the challenge where our hostess, Cee, shares five questions and we, her contributors, answer them, thus, sharing with you, the readers, our world!

Click the underlined link to find all of Cee’s contributors and their worlds.

Here are the questions from week 33 and my answers:

Would you travel into outer space?

Of course I would! What an opportunity that would be and I bet there are fewer meetings in outer space meaning more free time.

Which country/city in the world (that you have never been to) would you most like to visit and why?

I would love to visit Reykjavik. I have flown into Keflavik airport before but this is all I saw of Iceland.

Iceland

What could you do to breathe more deeply today?

Take and hour to just listen for the voice of God.

Complete this sentence: This creamy peanut butter sandwich could really use some …

Chunk spaghetti sauce.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am so grateful to have been able to meet with the staff of Calvary Christian Church in Lynnfield MA for a training on how to run a large church. I am also truly grateful for the hospitality of Pastor and Mrs. Schmidt who took such wonderful care of us while we were among them.

This week I am looking forward to the Toy Town Fall Fest at Ingleside. We are celebrating the acquisition of this property as a community recreation/ makerspace.