high heels, death in the family, giving a sermon

Boy what a subject huh?  I've been away from the boards for so long I'll never get caught up on what everyone has been doing. My aunt passed away last week so I spent most of the weekend in Leitchfield, KY.  She had lived a nice long life but it was still sad.  Her children have been bickering for a long, long time and wouldn't even console each other.  I wanted to shake them and make them see the really important things in life.  Ahhhh well. I needed some new shoes for the funeral.  My feet have even lost weight!  I didn't want to walk right out of my shoes so I thought I'd splurge and get me some new shoes.  When I got to the shoe store in Evansville (The Shoe Carnival) there was a rack of $5 shoes.  I bought a pair of black leather 4" pumps!  I've never worn anything like that before in my life.  Before this surgery, there was no way I could stand in a pair of shoes like that.  Funny thing is, now that I've lost weight I actually like them.  They really make my legs look nice.  I'm actually wearing them again today for my annual meeting at work.  Who would've thought I'd be wearing sexy shoes!  Not me for sure. I've also taken on a new endeavor at church.  We have a contemporary service that we call "the Open Door service".  We've been in need of a coordinator for the service for sometime now.  Our minister is fabulous and really supports the contemporary service but will be the first to tell you he's not the person to provide the messages in that service.  He's been doing them for over a year now because no one else will help out.  Well I volunteered to be that person.  I will start in February.  I have several people who would like to give witness talks and we have a group of people who enjoy doing dramas.  I'm going to be working in witness talks and dramas along with sermons for the rest of the year.  I will actually be giving the message on several Sundays.  I've been feeling the Lord pulling me to do some lay speaking for a while now and I know this is the first step in that direction.  I'm petrified! I knew this surgery was going to be a great thing and my prayer has been that the Lord would use it for His glory.  Now I'm scared He's actually going to do it!   Have any of you stepped out of your comfort zone since having your surgery?   I covet your prayers! Blessings, Jacqui Oh by-the-way, I've lost 70 lbs!  Whoohooo!

Holy moly you've got a lot going on!! Congrats on the sexy shoes and teaching the sermons! Thats awesome!

I envy you for being able to wear those shoes. I have such a bad back that I don't forsee that day coming for me. But then I am 53 and 5'1 so I would more than likely fall on my face only after I got a nosebleed from being so tall. I in fact started doing lay speaking at my church a few years ago. In my church you have to go through a lay speaking school through the district and then you have to keep it up to keep doing it. I love doing the sermons and in fact have done several services. I love picking out the blble verses and the hymns and doing the research for the sermons. I really get into that. I have a lot of people come to me and tell me that they get so much out my services and they thought that I should go to  theology school to become a minister in the Methodist Church. I tell them that I am happy doing what I am doing in my little church in Porter, Indiana and have no thought of doing anything different unless God points me in that direction. Personally I see Him pointing me in other directions and that makes me happy too. Someone asked DH what he would do if I was called to the ministry and he told them he would follow me he guesses. I thought that was a wonderful thing for him to say and I really appreciated him for that. He made brownie points with me then. I agree what you said about the kids aunt. People miss the important things in life for the things that are so fleeting. It seems like when they figure it out ( if they do ) it is to late for them and that is such a shame. I will pray for them. They need to be together now because their mother would want that. I know that is how my sister and I think since we lost both of our parents. The last one being mom almost 5 years ago.

lol When i read the topic i thought you were going to tell a joke..lol Well high heels i could never be a hooker id braek both legs in those things but i agree they are sexy. Family it take a death to make people see life is to short to fuss and fight. Church i think that is so great i would love to be there to hear you. My dad has a cousin from down in the hills of kentucky and she is a minister i met her for the 1st time last year and i love her and could listen to her forever she speaks from experience and i know from listening that she knows God on a level that right know i can only dream about.. But sounds like this weight surgery has changed your life in alot of ways.. Thats awesome..

I stepped out of my comfort zone a few times. I tried horseback riding lessons in the spring last year, and tap dance lessons in the summer. I had a blast. 

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO Gal !  Did ya get some sexy lingerie to go with the high heels???? ( I would  have!!!!!! ) Congrats on the wieghtloss...and keep it up gal! So sorry to hear about your aunt and family...I do know what its like to have a family feud....I hope they can quit bickering! I stepped out of my comfort zone about 10 years ago....never thought I would EVER speak in public...but being the Church Secretary and Cub Scout Leader for 12  years really made me see it wasn't so bad! You will do great...God is on your side and so are we! I am so proud of you! huggggggggggs Janene

Whoo 70 pounds!! way to go. High heels... I used to wear them 30 years ago but with my knees.. the pair I bought for interviews scare the bejibbers out of me. They are for show now.. Lay messages?? I have given a few.. but personally I would rather be on the recieving end of a message...I am a one on one type person.. if I can't influance you with the life I am leading then I am doing something wrong... Families scare me to death.. I have 5 sisters and 2 brothers... I have a brother in law mad at my husband right now because he chose to stand up to his druken rambleings...You know... life is to short...Let him be mad.. it is his loss.. Love ya, Linda Kay

Boy have I missed you guys.  This site is so important!  There are so many things I want to post about because I know you guys understand.  I can't talk about a lot of it to just anyone because it sounds like I'm boasting.  I know you people understand what I'm going through and what I have yet to go through.  I just love you all so much.

Thanks for all the replys!

Smooches,

Jacqui