Welcome to Friday’s Fave Five, hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story, in which we can share five of our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God blesses us with. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.
Here are some highlights of the last week:
1. A Ladies’ Birthday Party! We had an activity at church last Saturday celebrating all the ladies’ birthdays at once. We signed up under the month our birthday was in, and everyone in that month got together to decide on table settings and decorations to somehow reflect that month, and the tables would be judged in a contest. (Months with not as many people were combined together). People in the different months were designated to bring different foods (finger sandwiches, pasta salads, and fruit trays).
I didn’t think to bring a camera, but took a few shots with my cell phone. Our August table had a picnic theme:
One lady made these super-cute place cards:
I didn’t get a picture of every month — some were still working on their tables when I took pictures. But here is February:
And April:
And November:
So elegant! But I have to say, I was very glad at clean-up time that our table had used paper plates. 🙂
And the winning table was May — I’m sorry this one is so blurry!
Someone made this tree and had birds and fruit in it and verses about fruitfulness.
A very talented lady made cakes that looked like gifts:
We played a few games, sang happy birthday to each other, and then two ladies gave their testimonies of their spiritual birthdays when they came to know the Lord. They were from different backgrounds — one was a “good church kid” who was doing right for the wrong reasons (approval, etc.) but didn’t trust in Christ alone for salvation til her college years. The other was from an atheistic family in another country whose brother was saved, but the family wasn’t interested. But on an internship to the States she met other Christians and was given a Bible ad eventually came to believe. It was such a blessing to hear these two accounts! The whole event was very enjoyable.
2. ISI — which in my son’s youth group stands for Iron Sharpening Iron, what they call their occasional fellowships after Sunday evening services. And every now and then they invite parents. I hate to admit that at first I didn’t want to go — I wanted to go home and kick off my shoes and grab a book and get comfy. 🙂 But I am glad I did go — it was a very enjoyable time of singing, testimonies, and information about a summer mission trip.
3. Safety during the flash flooding we had earlier this week. Thank you, Lord!
4. Signs of spring. A tree outside my mother-in-law’s window is starting to bud, and a yard in the neighborhood has a row of daffodils across the front starting to blossom. The grass is getting greener. These little flowers are the first things I saw blooming at our house:
I don’t know if they’re violets or just weeds — but they brightened up the back yard!
5. This quote from a friend’s Facebook status:
“Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.”
Have a great weekend! I’m getting ready for hubby’s birthday on Sunday!
Stray Thoughts 
That ladies’ birthday party is a wonderful idea! It gets a lot of people involved and intermingles people who might not normally be together. I will be asking for more details, I’m sure.
I think that plant might be vinca. It is very pretty.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Well those ideas are definitely going into my file folder! Ideas are so hard to come by…When you do it year after year…you feel like it’s all been done before….Thank you for sharing this!!
That birthday party is so creative. Beautiful. ISO sounds like a great time. I have lots of moments like that – when I DON’T want to get back out, but am glad I did afterwards.
Glad you have some blooms at your new house now! They look like Vinca to me. I have some too. The vine spreads and is pretty.
So glad God never blinks!
Yes, they’re Vinca, the ground cover variety, I think.
One church I went to several years ago had a Spring event similar to this where a hostess volunteered to decorate a table including place settings for 6 ladies. They had a contest too and there was a theme to kind of give you ideas. I enjoyed it. I like the idea of celebrating Birthdays that way. Does your church have a Women’s Ministry department?
Have a good weekend,
Mama Bear
Yes, they do have a ladies’ ministry team. It’s organized a little differently than what I have seen before but works really well.
The ladies birthday party is AWESOME! I completely LOVE that idea! Your church seems to do a great, great job on the idea of fellowship! I love it! I also love the idea of ISI. Sounds like a great church!
I love the birthday party idea. Getting to know other ladies in your birthday month, decorating the tables differently, it just all sounds like such a nice time.
I agree, the plant is a vinca and it’s a terrific ground cover. Very hardy. I had some at my “old” house and it grows like a weed.
What a GREAT post for me to come catch up with you on! I absolutely LOVE that idea for the Ladies Birthday! How cuuute! I want to do things like this at my church… and the only thing that throws me off from it is that we don’t have lovely ROUND tables — we have the long folding LUNCH tables like they have in schools! So much harder to decorate with! But would still be FUN nonetheless! I’m already sitting here planning a September table!
I think it is so COOL that ISI wanted parents to partake in one of their meetings! SO very cool!
Your little purple flowers look like Periwinkles to me! 🙂
Wow…flash flooding, that is frightening. I’m glad you are safe. What a fun birthday event and the cake is great.
It’s always wonderful to see signs of Spring. Those sweet blooms make me smile…
#7 — since I don’t work I rarely “allow” Amoeba top do any housework. He did quite a bit this past week when I was sick. I think he may even do it better than I do, but like you, I consider taking care of the house my job since I am not earning much money.
Argh! I put that comment on the wrong post!
Great party idea. We have a women’s tea at Christmas and do something similar, but I like the idea of group decorating rather than one chosen hostess designing a table — I like it for the participants, and for the hostesses because it is a lot of work to do alone.
We have lovely flowers in our garden and they even survived our latest snow storm! I should have taken pics!
That party looks like a lot of fun, its always nice to get together with the gals 🙂
The ladies luncheon idea is such a great one! I will have to remember that for the future. 🙂 What a great highlight of the week!
Have a blessed weekend.
What a great idea for a ladies luncheon! so creative.
So nice to see signs of spring happening. Nothing like that here yet. Cold and supposed to snow yet again today. Hubby heard that they’re predicting it’s going to be the coldest March in a hundred years around here.
What a lovely way to celebrate birthdays with church lady friends! The November table setting is awesome. I never would have guessed those gifts were cakes 🙂 That’s quite an art and yeah, talent!
I love the little present cakes. Too cute 🙂 The party looked really festive and creative.
The picture of your signs of spring makes me want to move south. We still have snow and no pretty flowers.
What a totally cool idea!!! And what fun! Thank you for sharing your ladies birthday party! Thanks also for the photo of the flowers. There is hope that this winter will end! =)
We’re having torrential rain and several areas are flooding, I’m glad to be safe and warm – I’m glad the flooding didn’t affect you.
Thanks for the great quote and sharing about your son’s youth group.
Hi Barbara! Sorry I didn’t come to visit for so long. I finally had some time today but that is not without the office calling on and off (we’re fighting a crisis here) and I’m standby at home.
I really like the watermelon place cards. Very creative!
I’m glad to know you and your family were safe from the flash flood.