August

What a month from the fun of General Council and seeing so many old friends to the swine flu.....

We had a great time at our church's General Council, it's held every 2 years. This year it was in Orlando and really easy for us to go to. We had a blast. Honestly the best part to me was seeing all our old SEC and ministry chums. We all had stories to tell about the ministry over the last few years.

Then we took Sam to Miami on August 19th for an surgery. It was a stressful time even in planning it as we now have to take into account his low blood sugar. There was controversy while we were driving down as to where he'd be on the surgery schedule. I got really upset as I had asked to have this all straighten out so I wouldn't get stressed out prior to the surgery no such luck. We almost turned around and came home but decide to go through wit it .

For the first time we found a good hotel sorta near the hospital. It was a Hampton Inn and so nice and only a few exits from the hospital worked out great. We've always HATED every place we've stayed down there. If it was close to the hospital it was gross if it was nice, it was too far away...

On the way to the hospital, Sam threw up a little. They decided to go ahead and take him in. so when we got there at 8:30, they were ready for him. Then the nurses were snapping at us, asking us where we'd been...I quite clearly told them that we were told to be there at 8:30 for surgery at 10 am. One snappy nurse looked at the orders and then apologized

The right eye is fine but the left eye has lost all sight. His retina detected and has disergrated. When the retina is gone, there is nothing medical science can do at this point and there is no hope. I was devastated. He started throwing up in recovery so we stayed until about 7pm so he could stay on IVs and then drove home got here about 1 am. He woke up throwing up and we had to take him to the ER and of course he was hospitalized. We tried to bring him home on Friday but he got sick and we had to turn around and take him back. He can't manage his sugar so he has to be on IVs. He finally came home on Sat night

On Monday school started and Shad went off to kindergarten and Steve to 8th grade!! They go to a nice Christian school. Shad loves school but unfortunately got sick with the swine flu last Saturday so he's on bed rest and we're all on Tami flu....

so in anutshell that has been my month! Wonder why I have't blogged? I'll put more details later, just wanted to post something....

Religion sucks

Last night I had a weird experience that I want to share...

On Sunday nights, we have home group in our house. We are studying the book of Romans and have great discussion about the scriptures. Everyone in our church loves the group and it gets rather crowded on some nights. After we finish, we have supper together and spend like an hour or so just hanging out. It's great and it is perfect for our church.

Well last night a couple of families had driven up and I walked outside our fence. Happy got out and ran over to a new truck that had pulled up. The couple was sitting in the truck and I thought they were afraid of Happy so I walked over and began talking with them. I invited them in to our home and explained that we do a small group on Sunday nights. They began responding by being rude! The man said "No one has church anymore on Sunday night" I said we were having church, just not in the sanctuary but that they were welcomed to join us. He said " No we're going to go on down the road.." Then the wife says as they are driving off "And people put the words to songs on the walls" I just rolled my eyes out of my head! We laughed about it and went on and had a great time without the couple.

Later Jon and I were discussing the situation and began talking about how RELIGIOUS people do not like to change. They feel if it was good enough 50 years ago, it's good enough now. Well that just doesn't work in the world we live in. Now the gospel does NOT change but the way we reach out does and we as leaders need to be flexible and change our way of doing things in order to minister to the needs of the congregation and the lost.

The main reason the church's name was changed, was for a new start for this old church and to show to the neighborhood what is the focus of our church ~ Grace, the grace of God. The grace of God is what draws people to Him.

When God first put the home group idea in Jon's heart, I was not really feeling it but I really see how it ministers to the congregations! It's amazing what happens in and through the group! Now we all look forward to Sunday nights with a new expectation that we are going to learn together and share our lives together. I can't get over how folks are touched and just how they enjoy it.

We made some real changes in the past year, in order to minister to the congregation and it's been so good. Again the gospel never changes but in the world we live in, the way we share it has to change with the times. People are so busy and their lives are so tightly scheduled. They have the Internet, Face book, IM, twitter...We have to connect to folks where they are not what's easiest for us! We have to realize we live in 2009 not 1949! Life is much more complicated and busy now. And people crave, real fellowship with each other ~ discussing the Word and learning how to walk this walk of faith.

I grew up around religion and it does suck. That's not what Jesus died on the cross for so we can have a traditional service on a Sunday night and use hymnals...Grow up and move on! There is nothing wrong with a traditional service. I like Sunday night services in church but I'm mature enough to realize, that's not the only way God can move!!! I love hymns and I know them all so I don't need a hymnal or the "words on a screen" but my relationship with God is not based on either! If that is the only kind of service that is "spiritual" what would you tell someone in a Muslim nation who has to worship quietly with a handful of believers in a small room on a Tuesday night...?

Jon always says that my place in the body of Christ is to kill religious cows! And it is true, I can spot legalism and bondage a mile away! God has brought me through so much in my life, that I have such a solid foundation, that people's opinions of me don't bother me. If I sense a "religious" spirit or attitude, I'm going to deal with it and help to protect our church. It's really weird how we get folks like that who pop up occasionally. We don't encourage nor welcome someone with an attitude that is like that. I had someone call me a few months ago who was interested in attending our church and working in it. I could tell this guy was a church hopper and very legalistic ~ he was all about the KJV ONLY. He wanted assurance from us that he'd be allowed to preach here if he attended. After I finished laughing , I told him "No way Jose"! I also told him that he needed to learn to submit to a godly pastor and not expect to minister in a church if he was not faithful and submitted!

So to the couple who left, there's a couple of things I'd like to say...first be open to God doing something NEW! Second Submit to the pastor you are under. I could tell they were from a church background and if I could guess, I'd say they've never learned to submit and they get mad at the preacher and try to control him. They probably have little to no spiritual life on their own. Third "Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you"! We are about knowing God and experiencing Him not a list of rules!!

SEC Reunion~invitation!

Sunday August 9th 11am @ Grace Church 7060 Berry Road Zephryhills Fl 33540 (352) 567 6208. We're 15 min north of the Lakeland Mall. It's for anyone in this area or if you're still here following General Council.

JUSTIN FENNEL our favorite comedian will be speaking! Following the service we will have a FREE cookout here at the church and spend time getting reacquainted!

This is for anyone regardless of your SEC "group"! Come one come all. Feel free to tell non Face book friends about this. SEC teachers and staff are invited too! It'll be fun~ please RSVP!

Thanks to Pam W and Brenda G for this great idea!!!!

Hope to see ya there,
Yvonne Mock Clanton

I really need a count so if you're coming please RSVP so we will have enough food:) 352 567 6208

Another Day

What a yucky day I had yesterday. Terrible headache and having to take Joey cat to the vet to be put to sleep. I cried all over the vet tech person. I was a mess. They weren't sure what was wrong with him so that kinda freaked me out but none of the other cats are sick so it probably was cancer. Cats get cancer a lot.

So today is a new day and I'm trying to get a grip on things...I think yesterday was like the straw that broke the camel's back...In the past 3 months Sam has been in the hospital 3 times. He's been diagnosed with low blood sugar that caused a seizure. He has a surgery in Miami on the 19th and we think we may take him up to NY for another go at his left eye in Oct/Nov. All that has just really got to me. I haven't cried in months so I've had like a floodgate of tears! Usually I push down tears or I'd be crying all the time. On top of day to day life trying to manage our finances...not seeing my husband much with the church and prison work...sometimes life is a bit too much! I'm not one to get depressed but enough is enough! I'm claiming my right to a little depression:)


so I'm back to being positive today and doing laundry cleaning house, getting ready to go to General Council to see all my friends. General Council is the convention the Assembly of God has every two years. It's neat cause you get to see other ministers you've not seen in years! I am so excited about it! They have Kid's Council going on at the same time and Shad is signed up for everything. Steve will be hanging with his buds from Harvest as they are in the finals for Fine Arts. He also has a PK party to go to and of course Sam will stay with us. This year they do have a Special Needs Kid's Care but it was expensive and I don't know if he'd stay plus if he caught something from someone.... anyhow it will be a good time.

In the past week I've connected via Facebook with some moms whose kid have Peter's/Peter's Plus and I even talked with one mom. We belong to an exclusive club! It's neat to talk to someone going through a similar journey! Peter's is so rare that you feel you alone are on the journey (only about 50 cases world wide...) so it's good to hear from others!

So I'm going to start back blogging more, this summer has been busy!

If I could still I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now!

Six years ago this morning I found out I was expecting Sam! Wow what a journey these past six years have been! I include my pregnancy with Sam because it was so traumatic:) I'm glad that I did not know all that was ahead for me when I took that pregnancy test! I probably would have had a heart attack! But God has been with us through it all!

That morning we were still on our vacation. The week before we had gotten home from Branson Missouri and spent some time at the beach with family. Of course we'd been trying to get pregnant for months. The day before I found out, Jon's coffee made me gag. He was kidding and said that maybe I was pregnant. But that month we'd actually had not been doing the fertility drugs, what with travel, vacation, staying at relatives houses...so I didn't even take him serious...Until I woke up sick on my stomach with achy boobs! So I took the test and it was positive. Jon was out jogging so I ran outside and down the road waving the stick. (which i still have by the way!) Jon knew what it was from a distance. We woke up Steve and told him and he was so mater of fact about it. He said "God is sending me a brother" We quickly told him that it could be a sister and he was like "No way I always pray for a brother!"

Of course within days we were worried about the pregnancy as there was no heartbeat when there should have been one...and on and on...

But like the old gospel hymn "If i could still I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now!'

Sam has been the greatest joy and the greatest heartache of my life. I know that doesn't sound too good but it's true. I have cried more in the past six years than I've ever cried in my life BUT I have felt such a deep love for my baby boy that it has been worth it all. He's the answer to my prayers and I know God sent him to us and he is perfect in every way in our eyes! I'm so glad we have Sam what a journey he has taken us on!!

Overwhelmed!

What a crazy couple of weeks...

Sam was in the hospital Last Monday- Wednesday. He had an ear infection but all his levels got really messed up. Since then he has had projectile POOPING~ not unlike projectile vomiting just with poop~lots of fun. I'm worried that he'll end up back in the hospital with dehydration but he is in good spirits, which is better than his mom! He has been in the hospital every month since May around the 20th, how weird is that? Next month he has to have surgery, I'm just dreading it.

I have a very sick kitty (of my 18 or so) and I'm worried about him but don't have the money to take him to the vet. I could take him but I know I can't afford all the tests that would need to be run. I just feel so bad for him. He's a nice cat. I wormed him yesterday to see if that would help, he seemed to drink a little more broth today but he is bad off. I'm worried that some of the others will get what ever he has...

One of our church members an older man has gotten progressively worse, his organs are shutting down , he had a heart attack, cancer...it just makes me feel so sad for him and his family. My father in law has been in the hospital again and he is in a downward progression also. It's just so sad... Life can be a bit too real sometimes.

I'm just feeling overwhelmed by life today!

Too Busy....

What a busy month! I've not been blogging like I should!

Summer has been filled with so much activity that I find it hard to take the time to blog but I'm still here and plan on getting back to blogging on a regular basis soon. And yes I'm still walking!