Category Archives: For Family & Fun

Share Your World 2017 Week #2

Posted on by under For Family & Fun

It is time once again to SHARE MY WORLD WITH CEE! I am pretty much patting myself on the back that I am actually getting to this challenge two weeks in a row!

Here’s how the challenge works. Cee from Portland Oregon asks five questions of her contributors and her contributors from literally all over the globe answer and thereby our world’s are shared!

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Below are the five questions of the week and my answers. You can click the underlined link above to see how the rest of the world answered Cee.

If you lost a bet and had to dye your hair a color of the rainbow for a week, what color would it be?  

Oh I would like my hair to be green for a week. Especially if it were around St. Patrick’s Day. That would be fun!

If you could choose one word to focus on for 2017, what would it be?

Lead.

What was one thing you learned last year that you added to your life?

I learned that I take greater care of my schedule and say “no” to other people’s agendas for my life.

If life was ‘just a bowl of cherries’… which fruit other than a cherry would you be..?

I would be….. a dragon fruit.

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I am not exactly sure what makes me a dragon fruit. I would just like to be one.

Optional 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 preach last Sunday at Cornerstone church. This week I am looking forward to team preaching a message on worship with one of my fellow staff members, Pastor Donna. The message is entitled “The Magnificent Seven: Seven Powerful Words Of Praise”

Share Your World 2016 Week 52

Posted on by under For Family & Fun

I have been coming to Cee’s blog for about four years now to participate in her various challenges. Share Your World was the very first challenge I took up as a blogger. In Cee’s own words here is what share your world is all about.

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 four questions each week.
  • 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.  

Here are this week’s questions and my answers:

What’s your favorite ice-cream flavor?

I think this changes regularly but right now it is Mount Washington Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. I think I will have to have a bowl tonight!

Image result for Ice Cream Flavors Mt. Washington Chocolate

If you were to treat yourself to the “finer things” what would you treat yourself to? 

Right now it would be a shoulder and foot massage. My shoulders are killing me.

Have you ever been drunk?

No. in fact I can count on one hand how many times I have even tasted alcohol and I would still have at least one finger left over.

Complete this sentence: My favorite supposedly guilty pleasure is… 

Right now it is Bryan Davis’ series Dragons In Our Midst series.

Enoch's Ghost by Bryan Davis

 

 

 

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

It was a wonderful Christmas service. I am glad the piano work came off so well. Here is Pastor Deb and I performing the song Noel on Christmas Eve.

This week I am looking forward to a fairly quiet week as we await our first Nor’Easter.

 

NOW CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW OTHERS ANSWERED THE CHALLENGE.

A Very Lillie-Put Christmas

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff, For Family & Fun, Pastor Wrinkles

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I struggled with my list of who to send out my family and friends Christmas letter to this year. I did the same thing last year and by the time I got done creating the send list it was St. Patrick’s Day and the point was moot. So rather than make the same mistake this year I decided just to make my letter a post and anyone who is a follower on WordPress, Facebook, or Linked In can read about the past year in Lillie-Put if they care to.

So 2016. What a wild and crazy year Ay? As my lead Pastor would say. It was full of busyness and blessing.

The kids? They are all doing fine.

Joe continues to teach in South Korea

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He is travelling between four schools and teaching English and Western culture to children from elementary through High School. He loves it and is finding a home there. I do look forward to having him home for a week in January. We have some fun plans!

Amanda is living here with me in Winchendon MA and is working at a Dayhab in Ashburnham, as a one to one aid. She also got her certification as a minister with the Assemblies of God and is praying about her next steps in ministry.

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She was also just given the post of Vice President of the Special Touch Ministry REACH New England chapter. She will be working with the leadership of this group to bring ministry to the disabled population of North Central Worcester County.

Melanie and her husband James continue to work  and minister in their church in Saugus MA. Melanie is the Children’s Pastor and James is an assistant to the lead Pastor there. Both also continue to work in youth ministry and hold down full time jobs. They are very busy people as you can imagine.

End Time project

My sister Brenda has returned to the Netherlands, her mission field, and is continuing to work with the theater ministry out of Ichtus Church in Zaandam. She is also going to language school and now sometimes when she calls she forgets I don’t speak Dutch.

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She has a beautiful little apartment on an island farm on the outskirts of Zaandam. Amanda went for a visit last summer. I hope I get to visit before her job requires her to move.

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Brenda’s Apartment

As for me…I continue to work as the assistant pastor of Cornerstone Church in Winchendon MA. Amanda and I live with my Mom in the house I grew up in. Mom just turned 80 in September and is still pretty spry. I have to watch her or she’ll start shoveling the drive or lugging wood from the wood pile. She does let me cut the lawn and do the grocery shopping and the lions share of the cooking but she still insists on doing the laundry and the dishes and God forbid I should try to vacuum the rugs downstairs!

This year was a really busy year in ministry, especially the fall. In August I led worship for a week in Berkshires for Special Touch’s New England getaway. In September I was privileged to be a part of planning and running the Toy Town Fall Fest. We had about 3,000 people in attendance on the newly acquired Ingleside property. This was a culmination of three years of work on behalf of our committee to buy and create a makerspace in the center of Winchendon.

One week after the Fall Fest I was a presenter at our church network worship conference where I got to explain our artist’s collaborative to about 50 worship leaders from the Tri- state area. From there it was a mad dash to get ready for C.cada’s ( our artists collaborative) fall art show in October. We hung over 100 works by our collaborative, presented an evening of music and held several workshops for the public.

Finally in November Cornerstone opened its doors to Special Touch to do a regional Disability Training Conference. After that it was an end run to Christmas and here we are. The season has been full of parties and concerts. Tomorrow night we are having our annual Christmas Eve service and then on Sunday we have my favorite service above all other services. Christmas Sunday. It only happens once every seven years and while I am not sure why it is my absolute favorite service period!

The church is fully decorated. My teams are rehearsed. The special music is ready. All my Christmas food is bought. Now I just have to wrap presents.

To you and yours Lillie-Put wishes you a very merry Christmas!

 

Share Your World 2016- Week 51 Holiday Traditions!

Posted on by under For Family & Fun

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Woo Hoo! I get to share my world this week! This year has been so busy I have missed a bunch of weeks but I have some extra time this week it being the holidays and all and so I have time to share little bits of my world with you through Cee’s challenge.

THIS WEEK SHE IS ASKING US FIVE QUESTIONS AROUND HOLIDAY TRADITIONS. CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW ALL CEE’S CONTRIBUTORS ANSWERED THE QUERY.

Here are the questions and my answers!

What types of food is associated with your holiday?

I love to cook at the holidays. Our traditional Christmas feast is lasagna, garlic bread and cole slaw. For dessert we usually have either pumpkin roll or Christmas Shtollen

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Do you travel for your holiday?

I don’t usually travel for the holiday. This year Mom and I went to my daughter Melanie’s house for Thanksgiving. It was her first Thanksgiving at her home. I imagine as the years move on I will be doing a lot more of making the rounds at Christmas. It’s that time of life.

Is it a religious or spiritual holiday?

Oh this is one of my high holy days. I love! love! LOVE! Christmas eve service and this year is especially special because Christmas is on a Sunday so we have both Christmas Eve and Christmas Sunday service. Christmas Sunday is my ALL TIME FAVORITE SERVICE AT CHURCH!

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Is there a gift exchange?

We do have a gift exchange, but as all the kids are grown, and I don’t have grandchildren yet gift exchange is much smaller just now. Mom usually gives money as she doesn’t go to the stores much any more and as my son, one of my daughters and sister live away even I find gift cards and mailed gifts easier to deal with.

My favorite thing to open is the stockings. After all Christmas is the season where we all sit around a dead tree eating candy out of our socks!

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How long does the celebration last?

Christmas season starts directly after Thanksgiving. and goes until The 26th. The season is complete with special services, outreach, concerts and parties. Usually I also go carolling but this year do to the craziness of the rest of my schedule I opted out of that.

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

I am to have finished my final two outreach concerts last week. This week I am looking forward to Christmas Eve service Christmas Sunday service and on Christmas night my daughter, my nephew and I will go to see our Christmas movie which this year is PASSENGERS.

Share Your World Week# 49 2016

Posted on by under For Family & Fun

I have slated some time to put together some challenge posts this week and of course Share Your World has to be part of that space and time. So jump over to CEE’S WEEK 49 AND SEE HOW ALL CEE’S CONTRIBUTORS ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS.

Here are this week’s questions and my answers:

What do you value most in a friendship?

I would have to say it is the willingness to stick it out and not give up on the relationship. I only have a few friends who have not walked away over the years. We may not get together every week or even see eye to eye all the time, but the people who I consider true friends are those who have stuck by my side and not walked away even when they saw me in all my ugliness.

Do you prefer eating the frosting of the cake or the cupcake first?  Do you prefer a specific flavor?

I like frosting! I think butter cream is my favorite.

Have you ever been in a submarine?  If you haven’t, would you want to?

No I have never been in a sub. It does sound kind of like fun.

If 100 people your age were chosen at random, how many do you think you’d find leading a more satisfying life than yours?

I think I would be in the top 10%. Sometimes my particular road gets a little lonely. Sometimes I feel like my life is a little too big but overall I can say I live a very fulfilling and exciting life which balances out with periods of quiet.

Optional 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 be finally getting on top of this sinus cold which has dogged my steps for almost three weeks. I am looking forward to the Cashman’s  concerts at our church this week.

 

Share Your World 2016 Week #46

Posted on by under For Family & Fun
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The ultimate travel machine

I missed sharing my world with you, my readers, last week, because I came down with a bad cold on Thursday that kept me away from my computer Thursday and Friday. I am on the mend but still get tired pretty easily. I actually laid down for a few minutes after staff meeting this morning to recuperate from the brain overload I was feeling. I am better now and back at it.

Anyway, here are Cee’s questions for the week and my answers. If you would like to join in the fun or read Cee’s other contributors you can find the way to do both HERE

Are you a traveler or a homebody? 

I am a homebody who has traveled quite a bit. Not as much as Dr. Who mind you but still quite a bit. Here are some photos from some of my journeys.

Cliffs of Moher
Torc Falls
Cashel
Dunluce
Lancaster PA
Longwood Gardens
Valley Forge Park
Delft Skyline
Koog Zaandyke
The footbridge in Delft
The Intel Hotel, Zandaam
City Hall, Delft
The Nieuwe Kerk, Delft

 

What kind of TV commercial would you like to make? Describe it.

I would love to make a TV commercial promoting the making and eating of peanut butter and spaghetti sauce sandwiches. 🙂

Describe yourself in a word that starts with the first letter of your name.

Jenuine (wait…Ok well I am just going to leave that)

List some fun things for a rainy day.

Reading books or blogs and looking for spelling mistakes

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 I got two full days off even if it was only because I was sick. This week I am looking forward to recovering and to our C.cada artist’s trip to the Worcester Art museum.

Share Your World 2016 Week#44

Posted on by 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.

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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.

Chivers family

Charlie and Debbie Chivers Directors of Special Touch

 

Share Your World 2016 Week 42

Posted on by 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 by 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!

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your blog, title your blog post “Share Your World” or “SYW” tag.
  3. 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  share-your-world2

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

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And oh let’s see…Saturn Girl

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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 by 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!