A beautiful Sunday

What a glorious day today was and I am so thrilled to have a chance to share some of it with you. I'm not sure where to begin. I suppose beginning with the bigger picture may be best.

At a time when there is much talk of declining numbers in the attendance of Episcopal parishes, there is one amazing thing that stands out to me. The numbers at the parish we attend are actually increasing! For the past several Sundays, we have seen an average of 65-75 people at the 10 a.m. service alone! One of those Sundays, I was LEM (Lay Eucharistic Minister) and I was sitting next to the Deacon after he had received the count for Communion. 78! SEVENTY-EIGHT! He was overjoyed and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. Together we looked out at the congregation and smiled. This deacon is very dear to our family and it was an honor and a pleasure to share in his joy that Sunday. So, there's a glimpse at the bigger picture. Now for a quick look at the smaller, family picture. A couple of Sundays ago, Bishop Lamb visited and after the service he talked about how Connor really seemed to "get" the Eucharist. It's one thing to notice it ourselves, but to hear from our Bishop about it really made it sink in in a new way. Connor has been working on the proper placement of his hands for Communion with a little help from mama, daddy and papa. Today, he did it with very little help and held his hands in place as he waited for the priest to bring the bread: the Body of Christ, Bread of Heaven. It was a glorious sight to see. At such a young age, some of these very real and very important things from our church and religious life are really sinking in and he does seem to "get" things differently than others I have seen in my life. I am so very proud to be Connor's mama and I am full of joy and thanksgiving for the simple fact that God blessed us with this amazing human being.

We had a wonderful evening yesterday with friends. I have not been able to stop thinking about how wonderful it was and how much we enjoyed it. All three of us had a marvelous time. We are so blessed to have such great "family." One highlight was watching Connor sit, then lay, then roll in a leaf pile. I love to see simple things bring him joy. I hope these are things he holds onto for a long time to come.

And so, dear friends, another week has passed. I am now 11 weeks. I'm still on "rest" and "no heavy lifting" orders. For now, it's probably for the best. I will have a follow-up call with the doctor's office on Tuesday, but I honestly don't expect those orders to be lifted quite yet. As difficult as it is, my body seems to need this for whatever reason. I do not yet seem to be "healed" or quite back to 100%, so for now, I follow the orders and make the most out of each day. I have already come up with what I think is a good idea for when I take mom to the St. George Crab Feed in a couple of weeks so that I won't have to actually do any lifting. Your continued prayers are appreciated. Many thanks! I wish you all a wonderful week ahead. And, I will keep you posted on me, baby and the rest of the family.