Harry Potter and the Sleepover at Bristols

The weekend before Thanksgiving, Karl and Beth Bristol, Anthony and Kathie Zoellner, and Aimee and I enjoyed a sleepover at the Bristols' house. This was the weekend the sixth Harry Potter was due out in theaters, so we had planned to watch the other five Harry Potter movies and then go and see the sixth after that. However, it was announced in August that the sixth Harry Potter would not be out in theaters until July 17, 2009. Though this was a tragic turn of events, we still managed to pick up the pieces of our lives and enjoy the weekend regardless!

Karl surprised all of us with how much thought and preparation he had put into the evening. We all received invitations created by Karl to the Hogwarts Invitational All Night Event that were similar to the mail received in the movies. Karl also sewed together four banners with the emblems of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ironed on to each respectively (pictured above). He also baked and labeled a full spread of Harry Potter themed snacks and drinks that were all delicious (also pictured above). If you are ever thinking of throwing a party, please do not hesitate to call Karl as I do not believe his creativity has an end!

We played a fun new game that Anthony and Kathie brought over (of which I cannot remember the name) that has some similarities to Apples to Apples. We ended up watching only the first two movies and then decided to call it a night at around 2 a.m. I would like to state for the record that I was the only one who made it all of the way until 2 a.m. without falling asleep (Anthony and Karl were close). It was great to sleep next to Karl and Beth's Christmas tree in their living room...God bless the Christmas season! We all woke up around 8 a.m. the next morning, and Beth whipped up a delicious breakfast for all of us. Good times were had by all!

Club 31...Book #2

Has there ever been a time that you or your family reached out to someone in need and it in turn impacted you in a tremendous way? The Lord calls us to be His hands and feet. Remember in September how I joined a book club at church? Well we just finished discussing our second book. The book/magazine that we were assigned to read was Christian History. This issue's focus was on William and Catherine Booth. Just in case you don't know who they are, they are the founders of The Salvation Army. Did you know that The Salvation Army helps more than 2,500,000 families each year through 10,000 centers worldwide. That The Army can be found in 91 countries. Amazing!
In this addition of Christian History we learned a lot about the works and passion of the Booth family. One could say that Catherine Booth was a pioneer in women roles in the ministry. She believed that women should be able to exercise their spiritual gifts and it infuriated her when they were unable to do so. William Booth was a great social reformer. He had a heart for the poor people of London. And this is a passion of The Salvation Army even today. The Army run several programs today that serves as an outreach to its communities less fortunate. Anything from a Medical Clinic to an Adult Day Care to a Food Shelf to Transitional Housing & Counseling.
The Army is one of the few organizations that fines a way to use everything that is donated to them. The Salvation Army is one of the few organizations that keeps the money that they receive and gives back to the community that supports them. Unlike other organizations generally gives the money to their head quarters and they disperse the money how they see fit. So this Thanksgiving season, as you think about giving back/helping out or even what you are thankful for, think about The Salvation Army and what they are doing for your community. What a great example of being the hands and feet of the Lord. Maybe it's time to implement some sort of service attitude in your family traditions this holiday season. God Bless You this holiday season.

Halloween in Sheldonville 08

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