How To Write a Sermon From a Lay Person's Point of View

I have by conned into doing the sermon at my church once again, by my father. So as I'm starting to write my sermon about a Faith Journey, I came up with this list of 12 steps on how to complete your sermon from a lay person's point of view. I hope this helps whatever lay person is reading this on their sermon ;)

How to Write a Sermon from a Lay Person's Point of View

1. Acquire a cup of coffee with mix-ins to your liking

2. Turn your music up (music may or may not be reverent)

3. Open Microsoft Word

4. Close Facebook (DO NOT skip this step)

5. Write the title

6. Jam out to your favorite song

7. Let the juices flow

8. Re-fill cup of coffee

9. Go to the bathroom

10. Finish sermon

11. Re-read sermon

12. Re-open Facebook

Your sermon is now complete and you can continue harvesting your plants on FarmVille ;)

Cae

Sweetest Man Ever

I was at work yesterday and the phone rang

So I gave it a death glare

Because it rang several times and the past two were telemarketer's who wouldn't leave a message and were trying to transfer themselves to an invisible department - - - because NEWSFLASH! MY BOSS DOES NOT WORK DESK HOURS, SO please leave me a message or STOP CALLING ME!!!!!! Well I answered this phone, and was pleasantly surprised by this gentleman who is over in Northampton who wants to borrow our copy of Satan's Harvest.

We just got our copy (yes we're a little late), so it's still being processed and on top of that it is a library use only copy, so we can't ship it out of the library! I told the man that I will try to see if we could ship it over to him, and if not how he could get a hold of his own copy. I suggested that he go to Amazon.com to see if he could get a copy, this is when he responds "Miss Cae, I'm a 70 veteran. I moved over here so I can be closer to the VA hospital. I don't believe in credit cards. I don't have a computer, a microwave, a cell phone. My phone plugs into my wall, I ride my bike and don't have a car, and I pay most everything in cash." I thanked him for serving our country

I then said "You said you had five kids, right? One of them could help you purchase the book, right?" he then responded "Yes, I have five kids, but one lives in France, one in Germany, one in California, one in Florida, and one in South Carolina." He stumped me, I had no clue how to get him this copy of a book, and it's only $7 including shipping from Amazon! After we hung up, I noticed that I spent 11 minutes on the phone with this sweet sweet gentlemen. I looked from the computer screen, which was still on the Amazon.com Satan's Harvest copy to the phone and my notes. I then said "I'm going to buy him a copy"

I purchased the copy this afternoon, after I called his library to see if I could ship the book to them and have them get it to him, sure enough he is a usual and the librarian said that he is so sweet. I told her that he made my whole day yesterday, so she responds "He tends to do this every time he comes here" I smiled, and knew that this man, this veteran who served our country, is on in a million.

I have to say, I never thought one phone call, from a man that I've never met could change my life so much!

God bless you all!

Cae

Hello 2011, Goodbye 2010

This weekend and holiday season has been very very very VERY busy!! I'm sitting her writing this blog post, tired beyond belief, because I just got back from babysitting. Yes, it's a little past midnight, but whatever ;) So I really need this key on my laptop, don't you think?

So I'm not like this, while I'm writing this blog post

Okay, so my weekend you ask?

We'll start on Wednesday, I was at work and finished working at 3:00. Mom then picked me up and we drove down to CT, so I can go to the Cheesecake Factory and see Yogi Bear in West Hartford with my old Girl Scout troop :) I got a Carlton Salad, without chicken, which was the best salad I've ever had! I had a Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, which was really good also :) Now, our waitress was the slowest waitress known to man. We got seated around 11:45, and we didn't leave by 1:14 and we didn't even eat our cheesecake, we had to order it to go!

Yogi Bear, was the cutest movie ever! I absolutely loved it!! Having it in 3D was pretty awesome also, but I still don't like the whole fact of having to pay the extra $2 for 3D, but it was worth it!!

When I got home from the whole day with my troop, we had a respite for the weekend. Her name is N, and she's really awesome!

Friday!!!



New Years Eve, which in my mind means PARTAYYYYY!! Okay, so my party consisted of burning potstickers, drinking sparkaling cider, sitting above the garage watching Dick Clark's Rockin New Years Eve, and feel bad for not having a party to attend. Yeah, that's a nice wonderful night, don't ya think? Well N and I spent the night watching TV, talking, and drinking.

Yes I stayed up all night and accomplished it :D

Saturday aka today! The first day of 2011, I just want to state that I'm so glad that 2010 is over, my life all last year was an emotional rollercoaster, and man did I want to get off!!! So I had a babysitting job Saturday night to watched H, the cutest boy possible!! So I wathced him until 11pm and his parents gave me a car ride home, and now I'm writing this blog post practically asleep on the laptop.

The only thing that is keeping me up right now would be this (just infront of my laptop).

So good riddance to 2010 and hello 2011!!

Cae

Awww

So today I was babysitting the best kids in the world and F decided to throw an hour tantrum, crying and everything. Well it took me about 30 - 45 minutes just to calm her down, and all I was thinking was "I feel so bad for my parents" because F got herself so worked up, just the way that I used to. So when I get home from babysitting the phone rings, and I didn't want to pick it up, but Mom's down in CT picking up my younger brother, and I didn't wan't her to be calling saying that something happened and that they had to be picked up so I answered the phone, and here's the phone conversation.

Me: Hello
F: Hi, is Cae there?
Me: This is, who's calling?
F: This is F, I'm sorry for misbehaving today, you're a really good babysitter and I won't misbehave again. I'm sorry.
Me: That's good to hear F, because I really like babysitting you. You'll be at church Sunday, right?
F: Yeah
Me: Okay, I'll see you Sunday then. I still love you, bye
F: Bye Cae

This phone conversation just made my whole day! Oh, how I love these kids :)

Cae

Week Recap

Okay, I'm getting beyond busy in my life! The only day last week that I didn't have anything planned was Tuesday, but a part of me has a feeling that I did have something, but I can't remember! Well a lot of my week is with work, and working, and taking classes for work.

Monday - I worked for most of the day, and accomplished a lot!

Tuesday - Oh! I remember! I had my Teddy Bear Sleepover at the library, so I had to help out with that and get everything ready!

Wednesday - I worked at the horse barn in the morning, then from the horse barn went to work, was at work and worked on more work! A lot of processing DVDs & BOCDs!

Thursday - This is the start of my busy weekend, I had a blogging class over in Whatley, then I had to drop some books off at Reader to Reader in Amherst, all were discards from my library, then I had to drop Operation Christmas Child at a local church, then from there I had my journalism meeting and wasn't able to get home until 9:30/10pm!

Friday - I have my second part in my BLT Admin class over in Lee, from there Mom picked me up and we had to go back down to CT, to drop Bro #1 off, and to have dinner with my grandfather. If I didn't have my class in Lee, I would have been working over at my library. So I didn't get home Friday night until midnight-ish

Saturday - Dad enslaved me to work at the flea market that his boss is opening up on Dec. 2nd! So I was cleaning glass show cases all day! For five hours straight! Then I had to go grocery shopping with Mom, because we needed eggs and milk for breakfast tomorrow (don't know how we went in for two items and came out with a $51 bill).

Today - I get to babysit the two sweetest kids ever, during and after church, oh and today is Blessing of the Animals (are we CATHOLIC?!)! This is completely crazy and the most weird service I've ever been in!

Oh, my life has gotten way to busy, but for the weirdest thing, I still love my life being busy!

Cae (oh have to eat breakfast or I won't eat until after church)

B10C3457DWL – Wireless Internet Passwords

Who here has wireless internet? Who loves wireless internet? Well, I’m one of them, I enjoy my wireless internet and absolutely love the whole idea of wireless internet, but let me tell you, if you have a password for your wireless internet, like I do, please, and I mean please have a good password!! Don’t make it words that connect to your location, unless you want people to hack into it. Why am I telling you this, you ask? Because I’ve mastered this, of course it’s been places where I know the people, but still! A specific fire department has wireless internet. I was delightfully waiting during Bro #1’s meeting working on my story, of course I got bored without my music playing, so I noticed that there was wireless internet, and I decided to test it. I started typing FD, Townname FD, Firedepartment nothing was working, I was just about to start my way through all of the brands of fire trucks that they have housed in their FD, but in my brain I go “Hey, I wonder if they would be stupid enough to have it as ‘firetruck’” so I tried firetruck, and guess who got into the internet? Yup, you’re right. Me! Clearly they need better internet security.

Today, Mom and I were dropping Operation Christmas Child boxes off at a Congregational Church, and we got there earlier than the OCC drop off would start taking donations, so I fired the laptop up and noticed that the church has secured wireless internet, so I decided to test their security and Mom says “It’s probably Jesus Loves You” I laughed, but I already knew what I was going to try, Jesus. Well I tried jesus and it didn’t go through, so I tried Jesus, and guess who got into the church internet? Yeah, that would be me - - - again.

So I beg of you, when you are thinking of an internet password, please, please, please make it hard, make it something that only you will know unless you hand it out, please don’t make it “Jesus” or “firetruck” or “Smiths” because if you make it something so easy, then you’ll have bored teens like me trying to learn your internet password.

Cae

PS. This is not normal for me, what happened at the fire department was just luck, and well what happened at the church this morning, that was just funny. Also, that is not my password for my internet, but it is an example of a good wireless internet password.

The English Cae

The other day I was thinking about how weird it would be if I were to live in America on an English schedule, that way I would be able to talk to all of my English friends in their normal time, but how would I be able to make this work in America. So I calculated it out yesterday. I would follow my normal routine, but just back it up a couple hours. All of the timing for this portion will be in EST.

1:00am Wake up

7:00am Eat Lunch & go to work*

12:00pm Get home from work*

1:00pm Start dinner

5:00pm Go to bed

*The issue that I run into, going to work is the fact that we are in America, so I would have to go to work at noon and come home at 5 in EST.

Now to translate my schedule into GMT, and this is what you would get.

6:00am Wake up

12:00pm Eat lunch & go to work

5:00pm Get home from work

6:00pm Start Dinner

10:00pm Go to bed

Make this schedule can go with my December 32nd idea ;) Or maybe I could just move to London, I think the latter is the easier of the two.

Cae

Why I Love Work

So while I was at work, I had a usual patron come in. This patron was in middle school and was in last week, finishing up a school report that was due the next day. After the report she came over to me and asked how the cookbook, which was for English. I said that it looked pretty good, and wished her luck. She said that she needed a really good grade on it, because she wasn't doing the best in the class. So back to the present day, when she came in I asked how her project went, she goes "Great actually Cae, I got an A- on it! Mom was happy and was all like 'Oh, great job! This is really awesome'. I didn't think I would get such a good grade on it!"

It was great to hear this, and it made my day, and it also made me realized why I enjoy work so much. It was just another glory of work and how much I love my patrons.

Cae ♥

Put Your Heart Into It!

I was talking to my boss S, the other day at the library's annual Fall Book & Bake Sale. We were in the library doing library stuff, she was mainly adding magazines and book on cds into the collection and I was just keeping her company, and we got onto the subject of the library. The one thing I never realized was how much, or little, S got when she became the director. She got a little collection and a huge task to make this library as big as it is today. If you walked into my library today, you wouldn't know that the YA section was non-exsistant at one point, that we lost our whole collection when the library burned to the ground several years ago, that the children's section was S's little project, that this little library is fighting for it's life. I believe that if you love something with all your heart and you want it to succeed then you have to show it, you need to be there for this cause or building, you need to be there to support it, and you need to put your heart into it. When I walk into my library, I see how much of S's heart that she put into the library, and let me tell you. It's a lot! Noticing how much of S's heart went into this library and is still going into this library, shows me how I want to be when I'm a library direction.

Now, I've always thought of the what if's in my life, what if I didn't go to the library that day, what if I was never a good reader, but just recently have I asked myself a new what if.

What if S wasn't the director of my library?

Cae ♥

New England Assosication of Fire Cheifs 2010!

Okay, my dad sells fire trucks for Rosenbauer America, and every summer there is a fire truck show in New England for the fire truck. So yesterday dad, Bro #1, Bro #2, and I all went and helped set up the show for dad's company. We all met at dad's work and rode in different vehicles down to the Better Living building at the Big E over in West Springfield, MA. The show actually just opened up today, but set up is a lot of waxing of trucks and cleaning of trucks and organizing, so most vendors had to set up yesterday. I have to say, the show is amazing, and yes I helped clean eight trucks, but that just makes it more fun! I actually found my baby, the most amazing new fire truck that Rosenbauer carries, and of course I rode down in the North Brookfield fire truck. Can you say awesome? Well I'll be at the show this weekend helping my father out, but if your in the area come stop by and check out the show it's really fun!

My really awesome fire truck, which I will be getting for my touch-a-truck!!

North Brookfield's really awesome fire truck!!!

Cae ♥

Five Reasons to Have Kids

So mom and I were talking about kids, and I have stated that I don't want any. . .Too many blood tests in my eyes, well mom then tells me that I have to clean the kitty litter (blech), soooo I come upstairs and go "Mom, I'm going to have kids!" so she goes, "Why? To clean the kitty litter?" she asks. I looked at her and said "Yes,". "Well, the KiDDy Litter is worse than the KiTTy litter," Mom said. So now I'm going to place a wanted ad in the paper stating "Wanted a person who won't mind cleanning kitty litter or kiddy litter, call (###) ###-#### for more information". Either that or my Italian husband will be doing all of that. So as I finished the conversation I go "In conclusion, that is why I think having kids is useful, Professor". So mom goes "Five Reasons to Have Kids", thus how the title comes, and there will be a list with five reasons to have kids!

Five Reasons to Have Kids!

1. To Clean the Kitty Litter!

2. They are just sooo cute, especially when they're babies!

3.To clean the dishes, maybe I won't get a dishwasher, its too much money ;)

4. An excuse to go to Starbucks, you always need caffeine when you're a parent

5. And they're a tax write-off, maybe I will be getting a dishwasher ;)

Lots of Love,
Cae ♥

Facebook Update

So, Bro #1 and I watched Chicken Little last night and we decided to recap the whole movie in the car ride home from rehearsal tonight. Bro #1 is very quite, but he managed to explain the whole 1 1/2 hour movie in 35 minutes, taking very little breaths. Awesome little brother? I think so!

Guess what movie, mom will be listening to on the ride down to CT? Chicken Little, baby!!!!

Tuesday Can Be Long, Fun, Boring, Surprising, and Scarry

Yesterday, what a day did I have! Let's see, I had a wonderful story time at my library, sure only two kids showed up, but that's better than none, and they were usual :) And we read my favorite book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. After the story time it was down to the dreaded Orthodontist, for a long two hour appointment to get my braces off (they've only been on for four years, no biggy)!! That appointment couldn't have been any boring, and if it wasn't for the fact that I was getting them off, I probably would have gone to sleep ;) Then the Town Meeting (scary music here, please). This town meeting will show if I have a job for another year, being a librarian it's a huge issue. We had a surprise when the selectmen made a motion to level fund us (yay!) someone stood up to make an amendment, Uh Oh! He started out saying "I would like to fund the W Public Library. . ." I was absolutely scared! "Zero dollars". OH CRAP!!!! Now usually I would be happy for this, BUT if WPL goes, then WWPL goes because we need accreditation. Making up the 5 hours which are needed by the MBLC (Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners) is easy, I would probably pick them up and they would be volunteer, BUT making up the $150,000 that we need to keep the accreditation, thanks to our lovely MAR would be impossible, fortunately the amendment was voted no, but the motion to level fund both libraries was passed (yay no cut!!). Then onto the family business! As you all know my father sells fire truck, well his boss is working on a truck with the town, and dad is helping. So last night there was a secret ballot for this Fire Truck, it lost by two votes, it was a two thirds vote, and the yes vote needed 113, there was only 111. It was then called to a re-vote, after most of the fire fighters left! Luckily, and with help of God it passed!

All in All yesterday was just a brief view into my life!
Cae ♥
P.S. Bro #2 has deemed politics very boring and confusing!

A Random Dozenless June

I was recently informed, okay I was looking for the Random Dozen questions for this week on Lidna's blog, and saw that there will be no Random Dozens for the month of June! Lid is burned out, and hopefully will be coming back in July with a "New and Improved" Random Dozen! So I'm giong to apologize ahead of time for me not being as good as I usually am for Wednesday blog posts, but I will try my best! Until July, you're gonna have to bear with me on Wednesdays, now if Linda at Mocha with Linda takes the month of June off, then I'm in serious blogging trouble!! So there will be no linking to Mr. Linky today :(

Cae ♥

"Can I Have My Buns Toasted"

I have to say, this is another Fostering related blog post, but it's a good one. Since Bro #2 has been in the family, Bro #1 and I have become a lot closer, before I was kind of a jerk to him, and Bro #2 has made the two of unite, because we really do need to learn on each other. Mom has dad, and Bro #1 has me. Now don't get me wrong Bro #1 still bugs me to earth's extent! But I guess I am a little bit nicer to Bro #1 then I usually am. For instance Bro #1 had to come to the library board meeting with me & mom, and although he was bugging me, he and I were both laughing. He is actually making me lunch currently, we're having cheese burgers. So I asked him if I could have my buns toasted. The look on his face was getting ready to say something, I quickly added "the ones made out of bread". He then said okay and went out to start the grill.

Even though we have out tough days being a foster family like yesterday, we also have our really good days like today and last night (Bro #2 helped me finish painting my bedroom, and apologized!). I have to say being a foster family has changed not only me, but also my family :)

Cae ♥

Speed Dial 3

As you all know S has been a second mother to me for a while now, and today I finally realized how nice it is to have a 2nd mother, or that person who is 3 on your speed dial. Today there were some problems with Bro #2, and they were pretty big problems, so I went outside, I had to take a breather and possibly go on a walk. Well the way this problem started, could have been avoided by me, and I guess I'm a little stubborn, so I didn't really realize what was going to come next.

Well I finally went on a walk, after I grabbed my flip flops, and I just had to talk to someone, that someone turned out to be S. I knew I would talk to Mom & Dad about it, and Bro #1 had no clue what just happened, so I told him. So on my walk, when I got into cell coverage I decided to give S a call, just to see if I could get a hug. It turned our S and her hubby, A, were going out to the store, so I couldn't get my hug, but S and I talked and she really did help me. Sure I broke down in tears on my phone, standing on the side of the road, but she's amazing. S listened to me, and helped me a lot. S is really a second mother, and is my #3 on my speed dial.

I think everyone should have an S in their life, someone to fill that #3 on their speed dial. Because you don't know when you're going to need that speed dial #3

Cae ♥

Quotes

So for my Girl Scout Gold Award, I'm working on the Home Improvement I.P. and I have to refurbish a piece of furniture, so I bought a corner table at a local flea market, and have been working on it. Well I finally got the first coat of paint on it, and have the plan in my head. It's going to have a quote on the top, and a quote around the bottom of the top, see the flat part? Well I have one quote chosen, Romans 8:28, but I still need another quote, and it's so hard for me to choose one quote, because I love them all! So any suggestions?

I'm going to write the quote in a metallic gold, which will accent the gold stars on the accent wall, which is a dark purple. I'll upload the pictures when everything is completed.

Cae ♥

Brunet Hair For Life

For those that don't know, I'm a brunet, and for the past year I've been contemplating dyeing it or putting some type of highlights in my hair, a nice cute blonde color. Well I need to be a Strawberry Blonde for the play I'm in, and I went to my local hair studio and talked to the owner, now I've been warned by S to only let Sh touch your hair. But I ignored S, and told K what I needed done. So K asked if she could test some washable stuff on me, I said sure. . .Let's just say I wasn't the hottest person out there. I walked into the library, and S started laughing hystarically. . .She thought it was so funny, and I gave her full permission to laugh, since I didn't listen to her warning. I got most of the color out, and covered what ever part on my skin with some cover-up. Once I got home (this all happened before work) I took a shower, and it only took me three washes to get everything out!

I have now given up on dyeing my hair, I love my brunet hair, and I can't believe I ever thought of dyeing it.

I will not dye my hair until it's covering gray hair's up, and let's hope that that isn't for a long long long time!

Lots of Love,
The %100 Brunet Hair Librarian aka Cae ♥

It Only Takes One Person

When we moved to MA, we came from a small town in CT, and when you did your daily walk everyone would wave at you and you would wave back, and it's like that in most of the towns in CT. But when we moved up to MA, no one wave, even when you waved at them! So mom and I decdied we're going to change MA, and make them a waving state! Yesterday I went on my daily walk, and I decided to go a little farther than usual, just to see who would wave. Everyone waved! We have changed MA from a "Cowboy-nod State" to a "Waving State", as I told mom. People have actually waved at me first! Which, I think is great :) This is proof that it does only take one person. If we all became that one person, and all waved, smiled, asked how your day was and listened, how diferent would the world be? I have noticed that people don't go out of their way to make some feel at home, because it "embarrassing", but what if we over come that embarrassment and just did it? Why should saying "hi, how are you?" be an embarrassment? If we all went out of our way, just you who are currently reading this post. We could change the world for the better!

Cae ♥

First Sunburn of the Season

So yesterday I spent my day helping out my library at the annual book/bake sale. I spent my day watching the bounce house, out in the sun. From 8:00am - 2:40pm I was sitting in front of the bounce house reading my book (Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead). Okay, so when I say the book Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (the one which comes out on the 18th) the library copy came in Thursday, so I was able to read it all day Saturday (great!). So my sunburn is in a triangle shape since, I was wearing a blue tee-shirt with a "v cut" on my back. I have a red sun burn on my back in the shape of a v, it's really cool. Well it does hurt, but I need to get at least one sun burn a year, and all in all it was totally  worth it, since my library made a little over $1,200!! Which is amazing!!! To see how much support we got yesterday makes me realize that there is no way that our town will close/combine us without a fight!!!

Cae ♥