Saturday Shout Outs!

Welcome to early November edition of my Saturday Shout Outs! I've been doing these since what feels like the dawn of time, and the purpose has (for the most part) remained the same- to acknowledge the many special people in my life with words of praise & encouragement, prayer requests, and occasionally a barb or two! And this week, just for added fun (mostly for me!) most shouts will come with a How I Met Your Mother reference! There's just no end to my goofiness, is there? So who am I shouting at this week? Take a peek...

• Many of you already know that I am seeking to #SaveThanksgiving by making November all about giving thanks and praising God, rather than about getting an early start on Christmas. Thanks to everyone who is participating with me on Twitter and Facebook and here on the blog. Big shouts to Jennifer Wood Jones (Springfield Friends) and Lisa Jewett (Wesley Memorial UMC) for helping promote the cause. Let's spread the word! And if you don't, then I will be forced to invite you over for a Slapsgiving party...and no one wants that!
• I'm praying for Meagan Hill Halquist, Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi (both FUMC-K) and Jenn Gastler Chan (Wesley) in their ongoing pregnancies. Also my Twitter friend Andrea Ward is expecting as well. Bob is getting especially close to delivery time, so pray hard! Am I missing anyone? And does anyone have Lilly's  Pregnancy Brain yet?
• October was just packed with special birthdays! I was to try to mention them all,but among the folks in my life who celebrated last month were Marilyn, my mom, Michelle Carroll (family), Ken Hill (Springfield), Jerry Hanbery (FUMC-K), Hal Gastler (Wesley), Holly Harward Yandle (Springfield), Kelly Jeck Trace (FUMC-K), Rob Mitchell (New Garden Friends), Jill Franklin (FUMC-K), Will Rees (Springfield), Beth Edgerton Bell (New Garden), Andi Brooks Gillespie (Springfield), Tim Vail (New Garden) and Bryan Dowling (Springfield). Oh...and ME!  What an great month, filled with legen- wait for it!- dary celebrations!  And none of us are getting any older...  :)
• My good friends Teresa Reep Tysinger and Sabrina Perry Edwards are currently battling awful colds Pray for them, because right now both of their heads are so full of AWESOME that it just keep leaking out...  Love you guys!
• Speaking of Sabrina, we were talking this week about spending time with other people in the presence of God, just being still, quiet and comfortable in the presence of each other and the Holy Spirit. At one point she suggested that it could be a "shared sonata of solitude." Wow. Is that beautiful or what? I crave that kind of intimacy with my friends and my God.  
• On Halloween night while driving to pick up Marilyn I saw a mom trick-or-treating with her kids, and she was wearing a Slutty Pumpkin costume. I could tell because it was carved in strategic places.  I did not see Ted chasing her...
• I love to stay in touch with old friends using modern technology, partly because I love the visits and partly because it keeps me feeling young! If you are on Twitter, I'm @Youthguy07. If you are into the texting thing, I'm at 813-919-3755. I have a brand new phone that will actually accept pictures in texts, so I'm really excited these days. I predict that 83% of you will text me this week. And if you know why that is a HIMYM reference, then you are as much a geek as I am!!!
• Congratulations to Kristin King (FUMC-K) who just got engaged!  Kristin has always been one of the great Woo Girls, so the guy who is getting her to settle down must be a special dude. Best wishes, Kristin..and woohoo!
• And finally- today and tomorrow I began my work as a camera man for the worship services at Van Dyke Church. I am excited to be serving again, and a bit nervous about messing up. But here's the deal-  Will I screw up? YES! Will people care? YES! Will God love me any less? NO!  LAWYERED!!!

So that's it for this week. I hope you enjoyed this special HIMYM edition of the shout puts. Have a blessed weekend, and be sure to pray for one another. It's an amazing gift God gives us, and we shouldn't ever let it go to waste. See you next time.

Because of Jesus,