AM~Erica Gives a Lenten Reminder

So anyway...

As you know, Mardi Gras celebrations are going on right now. And...Mardi Gras is actually Fat Tuesday, which is...THIS TUESDAY!

So let's do some planning ahead & thinking as we prepare for Ash Wednesday & the Lenten season.

Last year, I put out there what Lent really is & why we give things up. You can read it as a reminder.

But, I want to add something to that: it's sometimes more that just giving something up. There are times when part of what you do thru the season is adding something to do that brings you closer to Jesus thru the Lenten journey. Sure, it can totally be prayer, but I challenge you to do this anyway.

So, if you add daily prayer on top of whatever it is you are going to sacrifice or add to your daily life through Lent that brings you closer to Christ, then you are truly participating & in the understanding of what Lent is truly about. You can even change it up week-to-week. Just do it for the right reason.

It is a holy season. It is NOT a mainstream, society-based thing you do. There is a purpose. If you want to take part in it, then GREAT! But do it with understanding of why you are doing what you are doing.

Have a fun & safe Mardi Gras. And refer to my other post as to what Lent is truly about.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Can Fake It (a from-scratch recipe, that is)

So anyway...

I recently started cooking. I actually began doing things that aren't solely done in the microwave about 7 years ago, but I fake a lot of what I do. Seriously. But, even more recently, I've actually attempted things from scratch.

When "special" holidays come up (well, ones you can have fun with food), I try to do something fun with the menu that goes along with the day. And I have a goofy brain, so I like to take things & make food puns or just inspirations...then base a menu based on it. (whether my kids like it or not)

Lincoln's birthday just past. Did you even realize? I knew it was coming & wanted to do something fun. I made a pasta dish for the day. It can also be done on President's Day, too.

I made an adapted recipe from scratch. Just note that I don't do well with sharing my own recipes (like with measurements). I will put down what I did & you can figure out the measurements if you'd like. I just do "a bit of this" or "a bit of that". But I will share what I did & the results.

---------------------------------------

LINCOLN PASTA (aka PRESIDENTIAL PASTA)



I placed sunburst & cherry tomatoes along with a diced orange bell pepper on a lightly greased baking sheet (sprayed with vegetable oil), drizzled them with olive oil (EVOO), tossed & placed in a preheated oven to 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. If you want some onion, you can dice a peeled onion & do the same thing. The tomatoes will burst (not explode, like my daughter thought & was hoping for). Pull the baking sheet out; let cool for just a moment & then remove as many skins as possible & place in a pot on the stovetop.

Lightly salt the tomato & bell pepper innards while simmering. Allow to cook down. This took me a whole afternoon. Just keep stirring during the process. Add about half a cup of orange juice to the tomatoes & peppers. Add seasonings like oregano, basil, parsley & cilantro to the mixture. Add some orange zest & grated garlic, too. If you did not use an onion on a baking sheet, add some minced onion to the mixture. Stir.

Keep the mixture on simmer & keep stirring once in a while to keep things going & even. The sauce will thicken during the process.

When it comes time for the pasta, I used penne pasta in regular & whole wheat varieties. Cook according to package directions to al dente. Just before draining, reserve 1 to 1 & a half cups of the starchy water & add to the sauce mixture. Stir.

When the pasta is drained, place it in a large serving bowl/dish & add some butter or margarine to the pasta along with some parmesan cheese. When the sauce is all mixed & a good consistency (may be a little runnier), carefully add the sauce to the pasta & mix it together.

Once the pasta is coated, add some pepperoni (I love using turkey pepperoni) instead of meatballs or ground meat to the mix. Serve.

You can also serve some bread sticks with pasta, too.

--------------------------------------

Penne Pasta (haha - penne = penny)
Orange sauce (copper color)
Pepperoni (coin-like)
Cherry Tomatoes (cherry tree - Washington)
Bread Sticks (Lincoln Logs)

Yeah...this is where my brain goes!

The pasta sauce has a slightly sweet taste due to the sweet tomatoes used, the bell pepper & the orange zest & juice. Overall, I was very happy. My kids whined about it, but they don't like food change...but we are working on it. My hubby liked it & had 3 helpings of it at dinner.

So...there's an idea for President's Day dinner &/or for Lincoln's birthday next year. (It's February 12th, btw...for future reference.)

If you try it, let me know! Hope you enjoy it!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Wants to Talk Music

So anyway...

I got the opportunity to watch some of the 54th Grammy Awards, last night. After watching the bit that I did, with my hubby...it brings up a conversation that he & I have had on more than one occasion: Today's Music.

In the last several years, the overall music quality has dropped significantly. There is a lot of copycatiness going on (yes, I just made that a word) & failed attempts at originality that doesn't showcase musical talent at all. It does showcase theatricality, though. I'm all about theatrics...and, if you know me, then you certainly know that. However, for an award show about music, then it is all lost in translation.

In the hopes & aims to reach superstardom, the length these artists go to make such a mark in these major performances just to be remembered end up leaving us scratching our heads. So...that's what someone wants to be remembered for? Just to get them talking about YOU & not your talent? Sad.

The Foo Fighters, rightfully, won for best rock performance. They even included in their acceptance speech that it was a garage recording with no computer anything...totally old-school. Rock on, man. They even got a standing ovation for these remarks at the digs of today's overall music. But then they show up in the dance music segment of the show. You know, the one that counts on over-synthesized & over-computerized techniques for the end product. D'oh!

And...I do want to talk about Niki Minaj for a moment. I think she might have talent. But I'm not positive. Her copycat performance that mirrored Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' on steroids while copycatting a Lady Gaga-type entrance & style is overrated. Simmer down to those who like her. She is colorful & certainly turns heads. She has even spawned a spark in talent from the adorable British kid duo of Sophia Grace (8) & her hype-girl cousin, Rosie (5) that have been featured on Ellen about 5 times in the last few months. Little Sophia Grace has shown more promise of talent than Niki shows right now. Do you know why? You hear Sophia Grace's VOICE! That's why. (Have you heard her? She's amazing!)Niki only concentrated on this crazy, sacrilegious performance that I think could get her some acting gigs in the future. Song? Where? It wasn't there last night...only an attempt at a confusing shock factor of an alter ego. Ugh.

And as for the snubbed Lady Gaga, she is one who appears to be original, but she is a Madonna copycat who is the ultimate parodist! Her songs really are the underlyings of other artists' songs with her own lyrics, but with bigger theatrics. But here's my deal with her...she really IS talented! She is amazing on the piano & in her singing. Really. Did you know that? Maybe not, to the casual listener. But her actual talent is drowned out by her antics & theatricality. It's sad.

There was a writer that compared to blogging to internet graffiti. I have my own opinions on this, but this is not the place to do it. However, the analogy works well for today's music. There's a some wonderful audible art out there, but there is more ear graffiti than the good stuff. (should give you an idea of my blogging opinion)

However, on subject of Grammy performances, the two acts that got the most praise last night? Adele's return & Jennifer Hudson's tribute to Whitney Houston. Why? They used their God-given talent of their voices. No antics, no theatricality...just sharing the amazing gift of singing they possess. Kelly Clarkson had the same thing when she sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl.

This gives props to the show 'The Voice' as the blind auditions are solely based on the person's singing ability...not "the whole package" as other shows rely on *cough, cough* (Idol) *cough, cough*

My hubby & I have talked about the days-of-old when music be fun, singable & still say something (maybe). But things are so intense now, or you can't understand them. All in the name of trying to make a point that ends up senseless & make a name for themselves. Bad press is still press, right? Ugh.

So the question becomes...where's the music? What really is good music these days?

Adele is great. I will give her a vote. And my hubby knows that I will give props to Harry Connick, Jr. And those that have put out good music, we are losing quickly. Very quickly.

OK...I've gotten that off my chest. For the most part. Now...can we go support & promote ACTUAL talent? Thank you.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's Open Post to OMM & JCP

So anyway...

I want to talk about JC Penney & the marketing changes the company has made recently. For quite some time, the company was a parallel to Kohl's in their overall set up. But now a brilliant change has been made all the way around. I applaud the changes.

There was another change up made, too - choosing Ellen DeGeneres as the spokesperson.

This is an exciting & genius choice. She is very recognizable, fun, wholesome, does so many good things, and has quite a reach to a wide array of people. She's big on honesty & kindness to others. So, this brings me to something that upsets me very much:

After the announcement of Ellen being the JC Penney spokesperson, One Million Moms (OMM) has gone on a rampage about this. This is supposed to be a group of Christian mothers trying to make the world a better place...but...they have really fallen off. They have become a group that make those of us who are Christian look really bad.

I have been following this group for quite some time because they were focusing on important things. In the last several months to a year, they have gotten so many things oh-so-wrong. And the media is letting them have a platform of hatred and bullying.

They were once a group that were trying to keep things cleaner & more family-friendly on our screens & advertising. Now they are urging people to take a stance against another of God's children. I find this so disheartening.

(Sorry, here comes a cliche')
I have several gay friends. (Yep, I went there.) Whether I agree with what they do or not, it doesn't change my friendship with them. I look at them as a person, not a sinner. We are ALL sinners. And by pointing out what is so "wrong" about ANYTHING someone else is doing, we are throwing verbal stones.

We are all human...and...we are all God's children. However, as humans, we have this bad habit of judging others when it is not our job. God has the last word on each of us.

There are groups out there who try to make their verbal stoning OK as a ministry. It's sad to see & think that they consider what they do "ministry". When their mission becomes hate done in God's name, where is this OK? The crusades were wrong. And it's sad to see these modern day crusaders trying to make a mark & making the rest of us Christians look bad. Somehow, society begins to lump us all together. The idea of "convert, or else" is awful. We need to live out our faith & convert through our own actions. People should want what we have in our hearts, not be made to feel like they are going to be forced into a faith like a hostage. That's not right.

I am going to circle back around now to let my thoughts on this situation be known. I am a Christian woman, a wife of a pastor, and I believe in true ministry. Even if she doesn't realize it, Ellen DeGeneres does good ministry. She is inspirational & makes those around her feel good. She inspires me. And I believe in her ministry in the world more than the so-called ministry of OMM.

People out there, OMM needs prayed for. Especially if they view their ministry as being OK. I see it, at this point, much like Westboro Baptist's ministry. It truly is verbal stone-throwing.

I also am happy to be a JC Penney customer & have been very pleased with ALL of their changes. I will continue to go there, as well as my family.

Ellen will speak to people as a whole. She is not going to go out & wave a big rainbow flag for JC Penney & tell people that to shop there & be gay. Does that sound ridiculous? Of course it does! She doesn't do it on her show. She doesn't do it just to do it. She talks about uplifting people. She has fun. She believes in the positive.

I love Ellen. I love JC Penney. I love this partnership. I watch Ellen everyday. I am a JC Penney customer. I can no longer stand behind the OMM movement. And I would like each of you to stop & ponder as to which set of actions has been more Christ-like.

Seems to me that it would be Ellen that is the epitome of The Golden Rule.

Keep it up, JC Penney! Keep doing what you do, Ellen!

And I am going to close this post with the way Ellen closes her show daily:

"Be kind to one another."

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Can't Wait

So anyway...

Recently a friend was giving me a hard time on my Facebook posts when I would bring up about waiting to brew my coffee. She kept bragging about Starbuck's Via packets that she would enjoy while her coffee was brewing.

It made me laugh, but I thought I'd jump on the wagon & give it a shot. You know? It does help! Crazy as it sounds...but it does.

But now, I feel like this guy:



Yep...cheating while you wait for the slow stuff. Hey! It means you can enjoy the best of both worlds!

That's my story & I'm sticking to it!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's View on Facebooking Teachers

So anyway...

Right now, in Missouri, there is a great debate on a law trying to be passed about the teacher/student interaction on Facebook. Due to the few that have abused this convenient form of communication, it has really screwed it up for other teachers & their accessibility for students to ask for help from them. Now teachers, one of the most under appreciated professions right now, may be forced to not even be able to communicate with their own children & family members who are minors. Some educators feel they are being put into the same category as sexual predators. So sad that it has to come to that.

I know that there are educators trying to find ways to make this work so they can remain safely accessible AND trying to lax the law, or at least make it more focused. I do know that there are very public loopholes to get around this. One of them is posting updates on Twitter while inviting students AND parents to follow so both parties can receive the information. Why not? The law seems to be focused on Facebook & not other social sites, right now. I think this is a brilliant move!

I do have an idea for teachers on Facebook: how about setting up a fan page for the teacher & have students & parents "like" the page for updates. It doesn't help with one-on-one help, but it's a start. I understand that all email communication between the teacher &/or student needs to go through school administration, too...so also include a lawmaker on them, too. Then see how many of the emails build up for the lawmakers. How quickly would their minds change?

Teachers should be able to use technology to advance their teaching & keep up with society & learning abilities. How sad that a respected career that is already underpaid & under-appreciated continues to be thrown under the bus. (no pun intended)

It's so disheartening to know that a small handful of educators that abuse the system make extreme measures happen.

Anyone agree?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica is Beginning to Understand

So anyway...

The end of summer (in a fiscal sense) is upon us. We are in the season of "Back to School". Some schools have already started; some schools are starting later this month. Our school district begins tomorrow. And it's hard to get back into that routine!

Along with the start of school, there also seems to be so many other extra curricular events being planned, too. For my 2 teenagers, our church's youth group started a thing called "Bring Your Face to the Place". It's a monthly event that happens on a Friday night (generally) & is a time of fun & friendship. The next one is this Friday. It is going to be a themed one...80's Night! Oh, yes! And...more than just the youth are being invited to this one. This is an all-out deal!

So, since I spent most of my childhood & teen years during this period in history, I know all about what we looked like & what it took to achieve those looks! We were totally awesome! Now when I look back...I kinda giggle at what we looked like. But there are very distinct things about those times. If you are planning on having or attending a function based on this era, you'd better get it right!

I have searched the internet to show my kids what I'm talking about & to prove I'm not making this stuff up. I need to show them this stuff because they seem to have their own ideas of what the 80's were, and they get mad at me when I correct them. And it's hard to show them the 80's when it's a big deal to have 80's parties of sorts now & they seem to be held by people born in the 80's or after. Then most of the pix out there are the ones of close-but-no-cigar attempts at capturing the 80's in their outfits.

Then...that made me realize something. When those of us who are around my age were having 50's, 60's or 70's parties & trying to dress like that time period, were the ones who actually grew up & experience that era looking at our pictures & thinking how our renditions were close-but-no-cigar? I, personally, am one that does hardcore research to get the outfit right for the time period. I pride myself in that! So it's frustrating when people only do one little thing to "put themselves in that era" by just wearing an accessory or a t-shirt. But that's my pet peeve. So when my kids don't agree with what they need to do to their outfits to make it right, what does that say?

Yes, usually you can find things at thrift stores that are perfect & for cheap! Take your resource with you (person who participated in the styles of the era) to see if what you find makes the cut. There are a lot of items out there that are INSPIRED by certain time periods. Once again, before you decide that's what the era was about, consult your resource. Oh, and trust your resource in what the footwear was like, hair, makeup, accessories...EVERYTHING!

Not too long ago, a friend of mine was invited to an 80's party & she wanted to get everything right! So...she consulted with me, sent pix of things she would find & double check to see if it was the right thing to do so that she would look perfect for the party!

Once again, I point out my personal mantra: "If you're gonna go, go all out." I have here on my blog at the top all of the time because that's what I do.

So if you are ever having one of these parties, or are ever invited to go to one...why even have it or why even go if you don't plan on going all out? It's part of the fun!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Bittersweet Moment for AM~Erica

So anyway...

Yesterday marked something important in [American] history. After 30 years, the NASA space shuttle program launched it's last shuttle mission with the Atlantis. Only with a slight hiccup at T-minus 31 seconds, it lifted off majestically & beautifully.

I remember (vaguely) being awakened early in the morning to watch the very first of the shuttle program take off, back in 1981. I remembered I was in 1st grade. This NASA program has been a part of so many lives...and childhoods, for those 30 years.

I remember, as a kid, going on family vacations (usually tied into one of my dance competitions) & my parents planning trips around that. As I got thinking, we visited the space museum in Hutchinson, KS, space camp in Huntsville, AL...and even the Kennedy Space Center in FL (twice in the same week, I might add). So this program has pretty much been ingrained into my brain from nearly the get-go. Since so many astronauts & engineers that work for NASA say they wanted to be a part of that because of Star Trek...and the fact my dad's a Trekkie...I guess this all makes sense.

With that said, my family made sure to tune in yesterday morning to make sure to watch that last liftoff. And, I will admit, I got choked up. As I was making sure my 13-year-old son was up for it, I was trying to build the excitement of it...and literally got choked up instead. This was a moment where another portion of many of our childhoods are coming to a close. This is a difficult thing to face considering so many of my generation swear we will never grow up...and then we face a moment like this.

However, was our society pretty desensitized to the space program in the last several years? Back in the day, a shuttle launch was a HUGE deal! As of late, we were hearing that a mission was already completed, or they were showing a landing...or we would hear about yet another delay in take off. I feel like so many of us took this amazing program for granted. Not sure how much of it was people, but society & media instead. Now we have so many other channels to watch; too many other websites to check out; schedules are too jam-packed. So sad that the end of it all completely crept up on us. I mean...WHERE has 30 years gone?

Now, going back to when I said I remember watching the 1st lift off of Columbia when I was in 1st grade, I realized I recently said this in a previous post about the Royal Wedding. So, out of curiosity, I Googled when the 1st launch took place. I made an interesting statistical discovery that has a slight Lincoln-Kennedy-type thing going:

In 1981, the 1st NASA space shuttle launch happened in April & the Royal Wedding of Charles & Diana happened in July; in 2011, the Royal Wedding of William & Catherine (Kate) happened in April & the final NASA space shuttle launch happened in July. Oh, along the Lincoln-Kennedy tie-in even? The shuttles are launched from Kennedy Space Center! Talk about a bookend set of events...

You know...I watched the final liftoff yesterday and cried. It's so bittersweet. So amazing what the shuttle portion of the program has done for 30 years, yet heartbreaking that the toys & keepsakes of space though the childhood of Gen X & beyond surrounded the space shuttles.

But...we moved from the rockets/capsules of early space exploration, to the shuttles, now NASA is looking to travel beyond. Yesterday it was brought up that going back to the moon & trying for Mars exploration are in their sights. They did use the term "Deep Space" and they were quoting Gene Roddenberry about finding new frontiers. So cool hearing from astronauts! Maybe we need to work on our Vulcan greetings - looks like some sort of "First Contact" may happen sometime in the future.

For all those kids out there who are looking to be a part of the NASA program...I am so excited for where you all will be able to help take this program! And it is a great partnership that can be kept internationally as Russia is still sending flights into space. So, learn Russian & a few other languages to be able to increase the horizons of human space exploration together!

And to NASA, I say, "Live Long & Prosper."

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's Holiday Greeting Smack-Down

So anyway...


Today, as I look at the calendar, is July 4, 2011. If I am correct, this is a day that an important holiday falls on in American history & culture. But, wait a minute, what is it called again? Oh yes...INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I am trying to figure out what other holiday we celebrate where we call it by the day/date:

Happy 1st of Janurary!

Happy 14th of February!

Happy 17th of March!

Happy 5th of May!

Happy 3rd Sunday of May!

Happy 4th Monday of May!

Happy 3rd Sunday of June!

Happy 1st Monday of September!

Happy 31st of October!

Happy 25th of December!

As you are reading through these, do they sound ridiculous to say? Of course they do! Because we wish the actual holiday name to others in our greetings on each of those days! OK, so the closest on is 5th of May, but we do actually say "Cinco de Mayo" to use for it.

And when it is our birthday, or someone else's, do we wish them "Happy [date]"? NO! We tell them "Happy Birthday"! We just celebrated my brother's birthday on July 2nd. We are certainly NOT going to tell him, "Hey! Happy 2nd of July, Dan! Have fun!"

So think about this as we celebrate today wishing our great nation "Happy Birthday" and greeting each other with "Happy INDEPENDENCE Day".

Just something to think about as you greet each other for cookouts & fireworks...and whatever else it is that you all have planned. And remember we get to celebrate our independence because of our soldiers & troops, through the years, who have helped to keep it that way. Thank a soldier & vet that we get to celebrate today! (Because we CERTAINLY don't wish them "Happy 11th of November".)

Have a wonderful, fun-filled, safe & thankful INDEPENDENCE DAY, everyone!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Goes to a Funeral

So anyway...

There is going to be a lot in this post, so bear with me.

For those of you who know what happened this last week, my family & I truly appreciate the prayers, thoughts, and words of encouragement. They have truly meant so much.

For those who are trying to figure out what the heck I'm talking about, I got word this past Sunday morning I got word from my mother that my grandmother, Connie Burr, passed away. The past several years have been rough as she developed Alzheimer's. It is a cruel & ugly disease! It is something that took a fabulously witty, intelligent & creative mind to leave a shell of a woman. It was very difficult for me when I had to be reintroduced to her about 3 years ago. By the time this was over, she wasn't recognizing her own 6 children. She left behind quite a legacy, for sure! And, what's even more amazing is how much she put her growing family first! I had a connection growing up with her as we both collected dolls. All kinds of them! I remember comparing them with her, or I would bring whatever new doll I got for Christmas over to her house to show her my new addition. She would take me to a room or to the attic to show my a doll she's had or one she'd just received. Many years ago, I made doll for her. I made a Martha Washington doll (at least in my head). I poked my fingers so often from the LARGE needle I used to attach the porcelain head, arms & legs to the soft, stuffed body; I got glue on my trying to make the doll wig stick; I completed her with, what I felt was, the perfect dress. My grandmother was quite a special woman, indeed! I even learned so much more about her when I read her obituary. What a remarkable woman! How sad how much of that left so long ago.

I am at peace with her passing. It was difficult to see her for the last time at Easter seeing what Alzheimer's had done to her. I know she is in a much better place. It will be hard dealing with the grieving process from my mom, my aunts & even my uncle. On big holidays, the family would gather together (6 siblings & spouses, 10 grandchildren & spouses, 23 great-grand children) for meals & company. It was always in her presence. And now it will be different without our matriarch. I miss her soft & raspy laugh, I miss her loving & ornery since of humor. But she celebrates now & awaits the rest of us to join her.

When I found out about her passing, my husband & I were at the Missouri United Methodist Annual Conference in Springfield, MO. I was keeping the news a little under wraps, not wanting to draw attention, especially since I was at peace. If you know me well, you will know that I have a thing for butterflies. They bring a spiritual sense to a situation & at least one seems to show up somehow when I need it most. I was speaking with a pastor at the conference, Angela Olsen, about a beautiful butterfly necklace around her neck. She did not know my situation, and she said to me, "Can I tell you my butterfly story?" Of course I welcomed it! It was a beautiful story filled with God's love & vision. I watched her get chills...and it gave me chills & hope. A spiritual butterfly showed up for me in that time. I tell you that story to move onto this story...

I was at my grandmother's visitation when one of my aunts began to tell a story about that Sunday morning after she received the new of her mother & a butterfly came & landed on her friend. It stayed & visited for a while. My aunt wanted to know why it landed on him if it was really her mother. She held out her finger & the butterfly went to her & stayed with her for quite some time. They walked around with it for a long time for a butterfly. Then she exclaimed that she knew it was her mother, because, you see, my grandmother loved butterflies. Every time my aunt saw a butterfly, she thought of my grandmother. Apparently, my grandmother's favorite song is called "The Lucid Butterfly". Interesting since everyone tried so hard to hang onto every lucid moment during her Alzheimer's. So I feel like my grandmother visited some of us maybe to let us know she is OK.

Now we move to the day of the funeral...
I put out some wording lately that was taken out of context...kind of. The pastor who gave the message & officiated the service is not Methodist. That's where I will choose to leave it. The family wanted my husband to speak in some capacity during the service, but was denied. The family was told that no one else could say anything until the body was committed to the ground at the gravesite. It would not have been a big deal if the message was that of comfort & love. Instead we got very little comfort from the pulpit that day. We were reminded about Adam & Eve and the original sin. I am unsure as to why that had to be brought up just to tell us that my 88-year-old grandmother died of sin. It was a horrible & awkward moment. It really was. He also spoke about he would visit with her, but that's where it should have stopped, because he added the words, "once a month". It sounded like it was something in his schedule that he had to do. Those three words could have been left out & it would have been much more personable...instead it sounded like a civic duty that he HAD to do. There was only a brief celebration-of-life moment when he compared to the shepherd by herding & caring for her family. That was it. The obituary was more of a full celebration of life than the entire funeral service. This was also a service that was promised a choir or song leading, and neither happened come time for the service. The family had hoped my hubby would give words at the graveside or give the blessing during the luncheon back at the church. These didn't happen either; it was my mother who offered extra words at the graveside since this pastor didn't open it up after the body's committal. When we got back to the church, the pastor is the one that took the blessing. The family was very disappointed & knew that my grandmother would have loved for my husband to have done or said something besides being a pall bearer.

I want all of the clergy out there to know that you do what you can to bring comfort to the family; make it a celebration of life instead of a full-on theological lesson. I am letting you know that the words spoken from that particular pulpit did NOT help! We were/are blessed to have each other as a family with lots of love & humor. All of that was so much more helpful in this case.

Once again, my family & I are so thankful for all of you who have given words of hope, been vessels of God's word knowingly or not, prayers & thoughts. It has meant a lot...and the grieving begins & the celebration of a beautiful life continues.

If you are still reading, thank you for sticking it out & let me get this out.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica