Kathy,

Your comments reminded me of something my mom told me once.  She and my step
dad used to go on these Christian cruises.  I think it was the first one she
went one this happened.  You know, these were the cruises that big named
preachers or ministries would sponsor so the whole ship would have 800 to a
thousands Christians on board.  Anyhow, she came home after this first one
in the Caribbean and since I have never been on one, I asked her all about
and how the preaching services went and work shops and worship services and
all that sort of thing.  She spoke favoribly about everything.  Mom was in
her mid seventies by this time.  She grew up as a Mennonite, my dictionary
with definitions claims that's how you spell it but it doesn't pronounce it
properly, but that's what she grew up as in Kansas as a farm girl and 11
kids in the family.  Anyhow, my mom said, "There is one thing that really
bothered me on the cruise."  I thought, Oh, brother.  Somebody probably
taught something unscriptural or some heresey or something, being the
Baptist that I am.  I said, "What was that, mom."  She said, lowering her
voice to nearly a whisper, "Well, so many of the women wore shorts on board
the ship."  Of course, even my own heritage, we didn't believe in such a
thing.  I don't think Sandy wears then even now.  I do, when it is 100
dgrees but they are so long, it hardly helps.  If she did wear them, I
wouldn't mind because it gwould give me something to touch but I digress.
Mom didn't say that they wore shorts during the services and I would imagine
most people dressed up for such services but it was funny to hear how
worried mom was about women wearing shorts.  Actually, I sort of miss people
dressing up and looking nice for church back in the days I could see and
especially on Easter, or resurrection Sunday, when people really went all
out and flowers were every place in the church.  I can even tie my own tie
and not many men can even do that these days.  I had to teach my boys how to
do it and even then, 9 times out of ten, they still brought their ties to me
to tie for them.  An Easter a year ago, vicki came to church here and I
believe John said she had a new outfit.  But, he said, many of you can't see
it.  I said, under my breath, so Vickit couldn't hear, I would like to feel
of it to see howit looked but I would probably get in trouble.  Todd and
Lelia were hear and Todd heard me and he laughed but no one else heard me,
if they did, like when I teach or preach, they just ignore me.  I do enjoy
looking at why my wife wears such things but for more reason than one.

Phil.