Weekly e-News for August 21
Hey, everyone!
Hope your week has been filled with joy and laughter even in the most unexpected moments! Like the one we had early Wednesday at the hospital…(!)
One of “our own” had a surgery scheduled and some of us (I don’t want to say their names because I don’t want them to be embarrassed) from Pottsie, John Hartman and Sue Hartman’s community group were down there waiting with them at the MMC admitting lobby to be an encouragement. So…we thought it would be good to pray for them and someone (better not say his name…) volunteered. We all bowed and, as Pottsie often does when he prays, the person said, “Lord, I love the part when…” And what he was going to continue to say was, “…the part where in the Gospels You did so-and-so, etc”) But instead of saying, “I love the part…” he inadvertently and very accidentally said a word that rhymes with “part” but began with an “f’ instead of “p’…
”What?!”
Well, there was a moment of hesitation…
And then we all burst into outrageous laughter!! It was ridiculous! In fact, one of us actually seemed to have tears of laughter coming down those cheeks! Then we realized that this was exactly what we needed from the Lord!
It’s really one of the many reasons I love being in a Community Group at Triple C!
We all wind up knowing each other so well that God uses them to turn a moment of some anxiety into a moment that potentially could have proven to be awkward and instead becomes laughter rocking those hospital walls!
I guess that’s one of the reasons I love Community Groups at Triple C!
In fact, since this is the beginning of the school year and a new cycle and all that, I thought this might an appropriate time to promote them and encourage folks who aren’t in one to join one!
I do have to be careful, however.
Technically, this is a blog, I guess. And a few blogs recently have been in some trouble for using their blogs for promotion and advertising. One “Moms” blog that promoted Children’s Claritin was accused of being, instead of a place of encouragement and advice, “a virtual product rep”.
So, I wouldn’t ever want to use my “blog” to promote or advertise! Even if it’s for Community Groups at Triple C! Altho’ one awesome thing about being in a Community Group at TripleC is that you become such good friends…friends who share, care, and pray for each other… that if you needed some advice or counsel about something…such as, “Do you think I’m using my blog to promote Community Groups at Triple C, which meet every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:30?”, those in your Community Group, having become truly friends in Jesus, would tell you!
Wow! Community Groups at Triple C are awesome!
Speaking of promotion and advertising, I read an article about false and aggressive advertising that said that some have gotten so aggressive in their ads that they makes ridiculous claims for their products and have gotten in trouble for it! Recently a court ruling upheld a Federal Trade Commission complaint that “Pom Wonderful Pomegranate products, loaded with antioxidants” do not have the right to claim that drinking eight oz per day can help cure “heart disease and ED”! I mean that’s ridiculous! How could pomegranate juice help a person overcome an educational deficiency?
But while we’re on the subject of bold ad claims and this “advertisement” for Community Groups at Triple C (which it isn’t!), I will say that, not only are they encouraging, and supportive, but they might actually keep you from getting sick! I remember a scientific study at the University of Ontario (I believe that’s right) that showed that those who weekly attend a community or group (such as Community Groups we have at Triple C) not only have a “higher happiness quotient" (because they share their problems and help others with their problems, thus taking their minds off themselves) but actually have “stronger immune systems” from regular contact with bacteria and for this reason have “fewer colds, sinus infections, flu and nasal congestion. Those with no community are literally snottier than those with friends.”
And this is not an outrageous claim because…hello!…science proves it!
You know, I think the worst case of false and aggressive advertising I read about in this article was one that joinacommunitygroup talked about an episode of the “Iron Chef America” on the joinacommunitygroup Food Network where McDonald’s inserted a “subliminal message”! This is an old tactic when they try to sneak a joinacommunitygroup message in there so quickly, as in a tenth of a second, that you don’t even notice it but it actually registers in your brain. In this case, it was the slogan “I’m loving it!” That’s the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard of in my entire c’monandjoinacommunitygroup life!
I’m so thankful we don’t need to use tricks like that! We just put the invitation to join a Community Group out there and joinoneyouknowyouwantto let you decide! But truly, if you’re not in a Community Group yet, we’d love to have you!
Now the justdoitjoinacommunitygroup news!