michellesingleton.com // Confessions of the Preacher’s Wife

So you want to know what is a Turkey Trot?  It is an Annual Singleton tradition of “Survivor” nature.  It takes place on Thanksgiving Day with a full belly after the kitchen has been cleaned and before dessert ~ that is when the competition is the most fierce!

Every year the assignments and teams are a bit different.  This year the teams were Michelle’s Gobbling Gizzards vs. Pastor’s Poultry Punks.  The victory went to the Gizzards although the Punks are still questioning the outcome.

Take a look for yourself:

Oops!  Technical difficulties.  Check back for photos.

Some of this years events included:  

Plasma Car Relay, Hiking Sticks Movie, Rope Climbing, Horse Kissing, Dog Swim, Ugliest Face Contest, Climb the Tree House and other zany physical challenges………

More details next year…  For now the Gizzards are enjoying life in victory lane!

The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched - they must be felt with the heart ~ Helen Keller

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays.  There is very little stress associated with the day.  Just family, good friends and good food ~ and lots of it! 

We also find time for a game of backyard football and our famous “Turkey Trot.”  And then a board game or two as we pull out the leftovers and make a turkey sandwich.  I’ll choose a second piece of pumpkin pie!

And then we always take time to share what we are thankful for.  There is so much:  our loving family, grandparents, health, wonderful friends, food, a warm home, puppies and pets, all our needs and many comforts, the list goes on… but mostly, we are thankful that Jesus is alive and that we as a family are blessed to know Him and have a role in making Him known. 

May your Thanksgiving be filled with Family Fun and Blessings!

Michelle

Can you believe I have never baked a turkey?  I never have!  And I have made it my lifelong goal to never prepare a turkey.  I am serious about this.

Always, we have visited family or had family in town who have made the bird but this year, we are celebrating the holiday with friends at our home.  I was worried.  Rob made it clear that it is not Thanksgiving if he can’t make a leftover turkey sandwich.  I thought I might have to break my own thanksgiving tradition and cook the turkey. 

But my friend Barb came to my rescue and offered to bring turkey and dressing!  Talk about a real friend!

I’ll enjoy being in the kitchen this week and cooking lots of side dishes and desserts…but I won’t be making the bird! 

My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am.  ~Author Unknown

Our Norfolk Terrier is having a hard time accepting the new kid on the block ~ Rob’s new puppy “Bear.” 

Strider, the terrorist — I meant terrier, is struggling with all the attention Bear is getting.  He snaps at Bear, growls at Bear, steals his rawhides, eats his chews and whenever I bend down to pet the puppy, Strider plows his way between me and Bear.  Strider never allows the puppy to be up against me as if to say, “You can have Rob’s and the kids’ attention but the mom is mine.”

In fact, Rob (who picked out and named “Strider” and claimed him as his own) and the kids have decided that the little terrier is now mine.  They’ve moved on to the bigger, less obnoxious dogs, our labs.  I do love our adorable, little terrier.  We all do.  And I feel sorry for him.  It is hard to play second fiddle when you’ve held first place for nearly 4 years.

What holds first place in your life?  Is it people?  A job?  Possessions?  Hobbies?  God? 

For me it is my relationship with Jesus.  But I do have to work at keeping Him in first place.  So many people and activities vie for my attention.  It is easy to lose my focus.  I need to be tenacious (like our terrier) in keeping anything from taking first place in my priorities and in my life other than Jesus Christ.  And when I have Him in first place, everybody else wins.  I become more like Jesus in word and in deed and that impacts the way I interact with others.

May God give you tenacity to set your priorities and keep Jesus in first place.

Autumn Blessings,

Michelle

Last week, my staff spent some time volunteering at a local senior center.  That is where we met Jolly Jim (not his real name of course).  Mr. Jim is a jovial man of 78 years with lots of friends and an amusing prankster personality.  Carefully manuevering his cane, Mr. Jim approached us.  His smile was contagious.  He introduced himself and began to tell us how good he could dance.  All his senior friends chimed in, “Yeah, you should see Jim dance!”  Then Jim takes his cane and taps his legs and chuckles, “they’re both made from wood.” 

Not one but two wooden legs!  But Mr. Jim demonstrated he could sure do the twist!

Then Mr. Jim asks, “Do you wonder why I am standing so close to you?”  We in fact had been wondering why this man had no space awareness or boundry issues.  “It’s because I am legally blind!” He laughs again.

Conversation progressed and we learned that Mr. Jim was diabetic with several complications.  “He also has one of my kidneys,” his wife added. 

So many hardships.  So many ailments.  Yet Jim made himself available to serve.  And he had so much joy!     

The past few days I’ve been studying Phillipians in my quiet time.  The New Living Translation says, “Don’t be selfish.  Don’t live to make a good impression on others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.”  (Phil. 2:3)  Jim understood this.  He knew the joy that the Apostle Paul wrote about:  Joy through suffering, joy through service and sacrifice, and joy through submission.

This gave me something to think about……

Autumn Blessings of Joy!

Michelle

Did you ever have a dream that you had to wait to come true for years and years?  Well, Rob has.  He’s always wanted a big, chocolate English Lab ~ a hoss of a dog, a “real” man’s dog.

As you know I found that perfect dog for Rob and we went to Conover to meet the puppy Friday night.  You should have seen Rob.  He was like a kid in a candy shop.  The dog made a connection with Rob right off!  The puppy followed Rob around as if he were saying, “I’m the one you’ve been waiting for!” 

Rob agreed this was his dream dog. 

Everything about this dog was perfect.  I left the breeder’s house knowing I had the right Christmas gift for my husband.  I was so excited seeing Rob  thrilled with the dog ~ I didn’t know how I’d ever be able to wait until Christmas to present the perfect dog to my perfect man.

And you know what?  I couldn’t wait.  I woke up on Saturday morning, called the breeder for a quick change of plans then woke up Rob and the kids and announced, “Get in the car.  We’re going to bring home the puppy today!”

We played Christmas music all the way to the breeder’s house and talked about names.  And what did Rob decide on?  The dog will be called BEAR!

I call him “Big Bear.”  At 12 weeks he already weighs in at 25 plus pounds ~ solid muscles and huge paws.  But his temperment appears to be that of a gentle giant! 

So much fun at the Singleton house…….take a look!

So you’re dying to hear how Rob played the Pastor Immunity Card last year?  This is how it all went down:

Every year, the entire Beach Trip is loaded with junk food:  donuts, pizza (twice), hot dogs, cookies, ice cream with plenty of candy opportunities.  It’s a kid’s diet dream! 

Mr. Mike is very seriously about his NO WHINING RULE.  Can’t complain about anything (even the food) and that goes for the kids and the adults too!

Even the most dedicated junk food junkie ends up craving something green ~ or just anything that is not pizza or candy.  Last year Rob got the craving for “something else” but being a tough guy, he was not about to break the No Whining Rule.  Instead, Rob rallied the other men chaperones for a run to the outback, as in Outback Steakhouse!  Can’t you just see the guys sitting around the table enjoying big, fat, juicy steaks?

I was shocked.  I didn’t even ask where they left the boys during this all men excursion.  I didn’t want to know!  I thought for sure that Mr. Mike would banish Rob from returning on the trip this year.  But I was wrong ~Mr. Mike upheld the Pastor Immunity Card.  Interesting!

Have a terrific weekend!

Yes, it is true.  Southbrook Church is full of 4^th and 5^th grade Polar Bears with a few adults in the mix too ~ and Mr. Mike is responsible.  Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUoE3eokf_A

But Mr. Mike is not pushy.  Not at all.  In fact he tells everyone that “no one will say anything if you don’t go under.”  As Mr. Mike was reassuring me and the rest of the group that I could wimp out on the Polar Bear adventure without guilt, Rob walks up behind me and whispers in my ear, “Sissy.”

That made me mad.  I take pride in not being a “sissy girl” but I do hate about more than anything being cold.  Such a dilemma! 

So when Mr. Mike gave the official Polar Bear Charge, I ran into the water full speed ahead.  But stopped dead in my tracks when I got knee deep.  My lips turned blue, my toes froze, and I bolted out of the water just as quick as I had entered. 

Hoping nobody noticed my very dry swimsuit, I wrapped up

in a towel and shivered along with the rest of the group.  I even had my picture taken with Kate who is no wimp at all and lead the girls under the icy artic waters.

Is it bad to be a Polar Bear from the knee down?  Rob was quick to notice my dry hair and made me confess to being a Polar Bear Sissy.  I thought Mr. Mike would send him home for breaking the “no one will say anything rule.”  But apparently Rob was granted a special Pastor’s Immunity.

Stay tuned tomorrow to learn how Rob played the immunity card on the last trip………

More Polar Bear Pictures: