I'd Rather Be a Doorkeeper....

In Psalm 84, the Psalmist writes about the joy of worship in the temple. He says, "A day in [God's] courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness."

I'm sure the men who gathered this morning for fall cleanup at the church were thinking that exact thing....especially Carl, John and Jerry who literally worked on the Sanctuary doors! Ken Hunter has really whipped these men into action, since the Education Wing doors that he worked on a while back gleam with polished brass and fresh white paint! Of course, I'm left to wonder why it took three men to work on the Sanctuary doors when it took only one to finish the Ed Wing doors.... (Could this be the beginning of a "How Many Presbyterians Does It Take" question?)

Anyway, thanks to Seth, Ken, Carl, John and Jerry for giving their time and energy this morning to making our building and grounds look a bit nicer! We're beginning to experience the inevitable: as our building project continues to unfold before us, the rest of our facility needs some sprucing up!

What can you do to help? Give Jerry Germroth, chair of Building and Grounds, a call. He's got a list of things that didn't get accomplished today!

In the meantime, enjoy a few pics from today's Men's Fall Cleanup Day .....

Jerry and Carl putting the door back in place after being worked on,
literal "doorkeepers."

Making sure it's the right fit...

Three happy "doorkeepers in the houes of the Lord!"

John making trouble about posing for a pic...

What's this? John Coleman on his knees in church?!
How often do we see this?

Ken Hunter, man of multiple talents, working on the
parking lot sign.

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck doesn't have anything on WPC. We have our men, and we have our mice. To be more specific, my office has mice. Now I'm a country girl; I know that mice and other critters try to come indoors this time of year. We humans open windows to let the cool air in and mice instinctively think that's an invitation to weasle through any tight space and make their home with us. Big difference, of course, is that we're welcoming the cool temps yet mice are welcoming our homes' warmth.

I've been told that our construction project has caused mice to be evicted from their homes. I get that. Poor things (note sarcasm). HOWEVER, I don't see the need to have mice and other critters playing alongside me while I work. Cindy Isner (our custodian) reminded me today that "to everything there is a season...a time to be born and a time to die....a time for war and a time for peace."

My peace of mind means that it's time to declare war on the mice. So, if you hear a quick *snap!* coming from my office you'll know what it is....

On to the project....WOW! So much has been accomplished in a few short days!

One thing that absolutely delights me is the amount of natural light that is streaming through the skylights in the Fellowship Hall! The skylights were cut in the roof today, and even under a very gray sky the light is bright and cheery! You will certainly be impressed! It's even more light than I imagined!

And, speaking of spacious, the interior of the Fellowship Hall feels huge! What a transformation ~ from a concrete slab to walls and skylights!

The windows on the front and back make the brickwork stand out - so lovely! Take time to come on by and see for yourself what's happening! In the meantime, enjoy the pics!

Fellowship Hall skylight over one of the stained glass windows
(the windows will remain protected by plywood until the project is nearly done)

Interior of Fellowship Hall, looking south to the kitchen and choir room.

Skylight over my office....

Looking north (from the kitchen) to the skylights over the stained glass windows.
We will certainly enjoy lots of natural light, even on cloudy days!

Kitchen, just waiting for the Men's tenderloin dinners!

Insulation is being put in the choir space.
Note the lovely windows! ~ Again, more light!

Guys working on the plumbing in the bathrooms...

Work with me here....this is the Nursery Suite...
...but doesn't it look just like a prison? (Awaiting transformation...)

View of Fellowship Hall from my office door.

More insulation work...

Choir room, which is also overflow space for Fellowship Hall.
The windows are high and open out for fresh air!



Pastor's Office




Secretary's office...Linda will have lots of light too!



View of the entryway from the interior Fellowship Hall.
A nice large foyer. Very welcoming!

To the left of the foyer is a "bonus" room....a conference space.
Aren't the windows pretty?

Terrific brick work outside my office.

Ray Powell (l) and Clayton working on water management at the window well.

It's really taking shape, huh? The large window is Linda's Secretary Office.

View from the alley of the choir room and brick work.



Ray Powell having fun with scraps of brick...
can you say, coaster fundraiser?



A doctor's day off.....whose hard hat did you borrow, Jerry?