Sunday, December 12, 2004

I hope you all have had a great weekend! We have enjoyed being together. Yesterday was a day of great productivity. This is my version of a weekend filled with "Fear Factor". I borrowed a ladder from a friend and climbed up into the nook above our front door. (We have a two story house and the entrance goes all the way up with a chandelier up top and a nook above the door with a large kind of bay window.) I bought some of these little pine trees recently that were pre-lit and wanted to decorate up there AND clean it. I managed to wobble up the ladder and begin the process (I am EXTREMELY afraid of heights. EXTREMELY.) While I was up there I noticed that if I reached out a bit I could grab the chandelier. I had been lamenting that there were about 8 bulbs out and had no way to get up there to change them. So, a few hours later after buying new bulbs, I climbed back up and changed all 16 of 'em. While I was standing there on the nook leaning over holding on to the chandelier, it hit me--where I was, what I was doing. I immediately broke into a sweat(think Airplane--the movie) I managed to get them all changed, but by the time I got to land I was completely wet with sweat. Is anyone else scared of heights? Good grief--it's ridiculous. It would definitely be my task on "Fear Factor" (which we DO NOT watch--it's disgusting and stupid.)

We completed our "Fear Factor" Saturday by heading to Cool Springs Mall ("Coo Sprangs Mawwl") where every other family in middle Tennessee, northern Alabama, and 50 different countries had decided to go. The hustle-bustle was kind of fun in a way. But for a guy who likes to run in and get what he's after and run like the wind, it was a tad bit overwhelming. The girls got to see Santa and they were glad for it.

This morning we are talking about community again. I am so grateful for community. I am thankful for all of you. I am thankful for all those who've been family to me for so many years. Last night Maddie was praying and out of the blue prayed for "Abbaba" (Ronnie Lorenz in Abilene). It made me almost cry. She told Sheryl on Friday that she had figured out what Poppie (my dad) looked like...he looked just like Abbaba. How do people make it with out community? I am so thankful for people at Otter Creek like the Shaubs (my Nashville family since 1995), Bernie Arnold, Scott Owings, JDS, the Williamsons, Julie and Tim, Amanda, JV, the Speakes, Lea Brown, the Englands, Jason Mc. and so many more. When I stop to think about how much God has blessed us in that regard it makes my heart leap. Thank you, Lord!

Here's our order of worship for today:

Welcome--Tim Woodroof
Family Prayer--Don Stanford/ Kyle Shepherd
Meet and greet

Praise and Worship--BST
--Praise to the Lord the Almighty
--You Are Holy
Prayer
--We Fall Down/ Holy Holy Holy
--Lord You Have My Heart
--The Greatest Commands

Teaching--Tim Woodroof
--More Like You
--Christ Above Me

Supper/Offering--Tony Ross
--Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Shepherd's Close-Jim Butler
--We Shall Assemble


Have a great Sunday, everyone. I'm grateful we are bound together by the precious blood of Jesus. This season we are mindful of gifts. The gift of Jesus is especially on our hearts. I'm so thankful not only for his death and resurrection, but for the human life He lived among us. What an amazing gift!

7 comments:

Mae said...

I heard about the craziness at "Coo Sprangs" this morning at chuch (not that it was announced from the pulpit, just before class when all the ladies were discussing things that didn't make it into the bulletin). Apparently in addition to the regular holiday shoppers, some of the Titans were there signing autographs and collecting toys for tots (I think). Seeing as how my biggest fear is being touched by people that I don't know, especially by socks with sandal wearers, mullet sporting types, I'm jolly glad that I steered clear of Franklin yesterday! :)

JD said...

Brandon, I have never met you but I enjoy the way you let us into your world via the blog. I am seriously afraid of heights. I could never be afraid of mice, because I would be too scared to hop up into a chair! I'm thankful for you ... for your ministry there ... and the encouragement and strength I get from listening to your recordings. My 15 year old son keeps asking me when we can get Zoe down here on the Gulf Coast. Do you guys travel?

Brandon Scott Thomas said...

JD-
Yes, we travel--a lot. Where are you? The best way to book something is to call the ZOE office and speak directly to Eric Noah Wilson. He handles all things like that.

Thanks for your kind words. They were very encouraging and I laughed about the mouse. Funny. I am afraid of mice too. I think it's because I grew up in the country outside of Abilene. On two occasions I had a negative encounter with a mouse. The first was when we discovered one in the house when I was a kid and trying to chase it out, it ran across my bare foot and up my pants leg. I freaked. The other was when I was a kid too. I had a horse and I had opened his food bag to get some out to feed him and a mouse ran up my arm. There is CLEARLY long term psychological damage here!

Beaner said...

Speaking of mice.......while my husband was at the ZOE Conf. in Nashville, I was at home cleaning up after our mouse infestation. Read more on my past posting:
http://beanerblog.blogspot.com/2004/10/of-mice-woman.html
I hate mice!!!!

CL said...

Yes my brother, yes! Heights=PAIN. Imagine a youth minister who won't ride the nutty high rides with your kids at amusmement parks, OK it's out there - I have goose bumps just thinking about it. Actually I would rather be on Fear Factor than be more than about 6 feet in the air. Thanks for the laughs brother.
By the way JD and I concur we are about 30 minutes apart down here on the Gulf Coast (Pensacola - Mobile - Pascagoula)we would love to have you guys in this area! God bless!

SG said...

I take it that your two story roof is not lined with lights? I am only scared of really high heights like buildings. When I was little once we had sing song tickets on the last row of Moody ... I cried quietly through the whole club competition because I was so scared up there! What if a fire broke out? We would all die. My Mom felt awful when she figured it out. I attribute this fear to watching "The Towering Inferno" at a way too young age. The movie "Other Side of the Mountain" gave me a fear of Mountains. Just ask Camille Coleman Dixon about our Mt. Fear Sisterhood formed over the infamous Senior Ski Class Trip. BST, Do you remember driving all the way to Red River in that little 323 with Matt and Der Hoffen-dorker-dinger-donger? I think my comment is now longer than your post...how embarrassing!

Anonymous said...

hey! i ran across your site. i am from nashville, Tn. but i go to harding right now. and i saw ur website with the ZOE group pictures(awsom group!) and i saw Amy Westerman in them! she was my 10th grade english teacher! is she in the group? when i am home i attend brentwood hills. hope you have a great day!!