Lessons Learned – glasses, supermarkets and church family
As usual, my lessons learned this week are a bit of a mixture, but first I want to share my daily photo.
We have a large ceanothus bush at the front of our house. I love the masses of blue it displays at this time of the year.
OK – on to the lessons
- Contrary to popular belief and energetic 4 year old can wear his glasses all the time without complaining or breaking them! I may be speaking too soon, but so far there have been no problems.
Supermarkets struggle without their computerised check-outs – and so do their customers!
Yesterday morning as I entered our local Tescos supermarket a member of staff warned me that all the tills were not working except for the self-scan tills. I usually avoid these temperamental tills if at all possible, even if I only have one or two items. I had only made it up the first aisle of the supermarket when the realisation of just how long the queues would be that I abandonned Tescos. I decided it would be quicker to drive 8 miles to the nearest Asda store, than face the uncertainty of how long it would take to get through the tills and make it to my son’s school for his pick up. We take these speedy computerised tills for granted….and then something goes wrong and we realise just how dependant we have become on them.
- I learned that although I consider our church to be friendly and welcoming, that we don’t take enough time to make the effort to get to know eachother within our congregation – whether new or been around for ever!
On Sunday morning it was a family service at church. There was no Children’s Church (where the kids aged 4 – 11 go out for their own programme half-way through the service) and the kids were all asked to make a house shape from a piece of paper and draw their own family. Here are how my kids see our family. I particularily like my skirt in the first (I NEVER wear skirts!) and how much weight I have lost in the second – without the need for major surgery!
Our minister, Brian, chose to finish the service about 20 minutes earlier than usual, so that we would have time to chat before rushing home for our Sunday dinners. We were encouraged to find someone new, and also someone we have maybe not spoken to for several years! It was even suggested we could talk to someone who sat on “the other side” of the church!
I don’t know about you, but here although we don’t always sit in the same place, everyone does tend to sit in a simialar position in the church, so the opportunity to meet with others can be difficult. We do serve coffee in the hall between Sunday School and the Church Service, but mostly parents of younger kids are the majority of those who come to that.
I know quite a few members of our congregation read my blog, and I would love to know how you found the experience. Personally I hope it becomes a regular occurance.
So what about you, if you attend church? Do you always sit in the exact same seat, or same general area? Do you have a chance to meet others in the congregation? I would love to know.
For more lessons learned, and to meet some lovely bloggers, visit Jo-Lynn at Musings of a Housewife.
Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the 2 categories I was nominated in over at I Am Mommy – of course I didn’t win, but I was really chuffed to just be included in the lists.
Finally, can you believe I have had 4 more orders today?!!!! OK – one is from my Mum (thanks Mum), and the rest from family friends, but it is a great boost to my new venture and my Etsy store. I worked on my new business cards today, and will be ordering them tomorrow.
Thanks to the wonderful Mrs Miles for creative this graphic for me – she’s the best!
See you soon.
I LOVE your new header!! My favorite one yet!
Love the business cards, and the family portraits are lovely.
That bush at the front of your house is gorgeous! I’ve never seen one of those before. I wonder if I could get one here…
As for the church thing, that’s been a big discussion around my house. We’ve been at our church for just over 3 years now, and we have yet to really meet anyone there. It’s not for lack of trying either. I just don’t understand it.
The family pictures are very cute. It’s always interesting to see how our children view us! 🙂 We are in the same boat as you with the church seating thing. I’m normally in the nursery, so I have even less opportunity to meet new people unless they have children. However, when I am in service, we usually sit at the back (we’re proper Baptists :)) and only get a chance to say hi to everyone around us at the “welcome time”, which usually only turns out to be a minute when everyone just shakes hands with those directly in front and behind them.
The family portraits are so cute–how fun to see how our children see us!
My dad happens to be our pastor, and he often tells us to meet someone we’ve never met before. My husband is extra good about meeting visitors. Me, I’m usually trying to make sure our kids aren’t running (as) wild in the church!
LOL – our Pastor ‘shakes us up’ now and again too. Trouble is, we are still such a small congregation. I wind up always running the slide show so am having to stay in range of the remote control signal. I’d LOVE to be a backseat driver for a change.
I was proud to do your graphic – looks so elegant, your card is sure to pique interest.
Congrats on new orders and I’ll be back to check on you!
Love, Barb
The family portrait is adorable and the flowers are gorgeous! I enjoyed your post today, it is nice to take a break and reflect on the things we take for granted everyday!
https://allaboutmeandabagofchips.typepad.com/
Our church hold what we call 5th Sunday – 3-4 times a year there are 5 Sundays in the month and on the 5th Sunday the early and late services are rolled into one and then there is a church-wide brunch afterwords. It gets the “early people” to mingle with the “late people” – you see faces you never knew went to the same church!
Stan at Scrappers Workshop
http://www.scrappersworkshop.com/blog
The only times I attend church is for a wedding, baptism, confirmation or funeral.
You know what I always found weird about going to church? I was shocked that people didn’t take their coats off! Most people kept their coats on for the service, which can be upwards of an hour long? What’s up with that? I wonder if it’s a regional thing.
LOVE the blue flowers! They are my favorite color.
We’ve found the key to getting to know people at church comes in participating in small groups. I’ve got my ladies circle, the praise team, the rummage sale team . . . whatever your interests, getting involved in small groups helps.
CONGRATS on your etsy shop!
wondeful business card!! Congrats for your new orders.
Love the artwork of your children about your family!
I also would need such a easy way to loose weight in the second
Have I still told you, that I´m working here in Children´s Church?
those drawings are wonderful!!!
I go to a mid-sized church in Australia. My husband, kids and I are very involved in the life of our church and I make a point of knowing every family in our congregation, and welcoming new ones! When my hubby and I moved to the UK for twelve months (a few years ago) we found it a bit challenging meeting people and making friends in the church. We were ready and willing to be involved in the worship team, or study groups, but no one wanted to say hello! After a couple of weeks I took myself into the kitchen to help with washing up after supper, and introduced myself! In time we made wonderful friends (who we remain friends with today) and became involved in leading worship – but I have always remembered the uncomfortable feeling of those first few weeks…