Money Watch

It wasn't so long ago that there were certain things you could count on when shopping or eating out:


Buying a bigger bag or larger amount of something was cheaper than buying a smaller one.

Purchasing  a  combination deal -- say a sandwich, drink and chips -- was cheaper than buying the three items separately

Things like that.


Well, lately I have been noticing something:

I needed 24 oz of chocolate chips. It was $1 cheaper to buy two 12 oz packages than a 24 oz package.

I went to a coffee shop and discovered that it would be cheaper to buy my sandwich and tea separately than to purchase Combo #5, which included the same items.

At one gas station, instead of lining up the selection buttons from left to right in order of price, they put the button for the cheapest grade in the middle.

Today, I found toilet paper rolls 2 for $1. However, the packages of four were 2 for  $5 -- so eight  rolls for $5 instead of four. Packs of 12 were $7 and packs of 20 were $12, all for the same type of roll. I bought the individual ones, though some people might think the convenience of  the package worth the extra money. Which is fine if they know they are paying it.

Have some people been tricked? Is that the stores' intention?

I have no idea. I just thought I'd mention it so you could be on the lookout.

Anything similar in your area?

Song for Sunday: The Blessing

I love babies. I mean really love them.

Today I get to watch one. So I am kinda keyed into them.

At church this morning, two beautiful girls visited from an Episcopal church and performed a sacred dance as part of our worship. In the Episcopal Church, they baptize infants and the dance was originally for a baptism. They song they used is called "The Blessing" and is sung by a parent to a child.

The song was written by Brendan Graham and David Downes and it is very beautiful. It is today's Song for Sunday.

What songs have touched your heart lately?

Ongoing Prayers

There's nothing to report, I guess, so the Nigerian girls are largely fading out of the news.

The thing is, they are still out there, real girls, needing help.

I do not pretend to know what governments, NGOs and traditional hunters should do. Many people are pressuring the authorities to hurry up and find and rescue those girls. The authorities have reminded people that it will do no good to rescue them if the rescue ends in their deaths.


I do know that there are frightened girls, hurting families, uncertainty.

I also know that God is aware of all that and that He does know what is best.

So I keep praying for Kume. (See more here.) I pray for her protection, for her family and for her classmates. I pray for the authorities and, yes, even for the Boko Haram, that they may release the girls unharmed.

I hope I do not forget as the days drag on and there is little to report.

Please keep praying, too.

Song for Sunday: Father I Adore You

I learned this at camp years ago. Maybe we sang it in Sunday School, too. Often, we signed it as well. The repetition made it easy to learn the signs.

A simple song, for worship. A lovely round.

It was written in 1972 by Terrye Coelho Strom and has become a standard.

So here it is for Fathers' Day Song for Sunday.

This song is, of course, about my heavenly Father.  I would like to also say about my earthly father. He was a hard working man, a retail manager, who was always generous and very funny. He supported my childhood and young adult endeavors in dozens of ways. 

In 1995, my father died of Lou Gherig's Disease or ALS a horrible, progressive motorneuron disease. He maintained a postitive attitude and his sense of humor throughout the course of his illness and even on his deathbed. 

I will always remember him. 

Love you Dad. 

To Praise God!!

At CYC, each year we present a deserving young woman graduate with the Ann Hasseltine Award and a deserving young man graduate with  the Adoniram Judson Award. The awardees are chosen by their directors but the counselors and third years give input. One piece of the process involves the graduating camper being interviewed by the staff of their camp.

It has been years -- ok, decades -- since I sat in on a Hasseltine Interview. A few snapshots of those events remain clear in my mind.

A standard question was to ask the young women what the purpose of the conference is. When we asked one candidate that question she became excited and said "Praise God!" After calming herself down she explained, " I really do believe that the purpose of the conference is to praise God."

I am not sure that I had ever thought of it that way, but it is a very good explanation of our overarching purpose. We exist to introduce teenagers to Jesus, to help develop church leaders, to provide a safe place for students to explore their faith and ask tough questions; but. in all of that, we are to praise God.

We praise by how we function as a community, by how we worship, by how we speak of Him. We praise Him by loving Him and each other and freely sharing our faith. We praise Him by doing our best for the teenagers who come our way.

That should be our purpose in all we do.


Where do you most praise God?









********************************************************************************

CYC is a two week conference for high school youth, held on the beautiful southern coast of Maine, a quarter mile from a fabulous beach. We combine exciting worship, stimulating classes, oppurtunities to serve, friends, and fun to provide a quality leadership development program for teens. Website: http://www.cycop.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristianYouthConference  Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cycop/

Song for Sunday: Puff the Magic Dragon

Jordan was in a musc and arts fair recently. He played a violin piece, accompanied by Dad. He did great!!

He was also in the Finale, in which the kids sang and dramatized Puff the Magic Dragon. Unfortunately, I missed that.

I loved Puff as a kid. I enjoy it now to, although there is more of a bittersweet quality to it. It reminds me of how quickly my boy is growing up.....high school next year. Yikes!


Anyway for your listening pleasure, a frolick in the Autumn mist with Peter, Paul & Mary.

What songs bring back childhood memories for you?

Song for Sunday (Belated): Spirit of the Living God

This song used to be song at the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park (CYC) a lot. It touches a bit on this years theme: "Clay in the Potter's Hand" which will look at how God has molded us, how he is molding us and how we will be in the future because of how He shapes us.

Also, I find a need for a fresh sense of the Holy Spirit and a renewal of spiritual life, so I chose this for today's Song for Sunday.

This is a reflective song, and we have lyrical movements for it.  I have always found it beautiful.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. 

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. 

                         ~Daniel Iverson

What songs do you worship with?

                 

CYC is a two week conference for high school youth, held on the beautiful southern coast of Maine, a quarter mile from a fabulous beach. We combine exciting worship, stimulating classes, oppurtunities to serve, friends, and fun to provide a quality leadership development program for teens. Website: http://www.cycop.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristianYouthConference  Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cycop/