Bridesmaid Dresses

Last weekend, my younger daughter, her mother-in-law, and I went to see a true chick-flick, "Twenty Seven Dresses". It was a fun show about a gal who had been a bridemaid twenty seven times, and, of course, how she finally got to be the bride. Even though it was so predictable, it was fun.
Today is my sister and her husband's 40th wedding anniversary, and that reminded me of the dress I wore as her bridesmaid. I really did like the dress~two toned pink, empire waisted, long dress. I wore it three months later to my senior prom.
And then I remembered that I also wore a bridesmaid dress to my junior prom. I was a bridesmaid at my cousin, Kenneth's, wedding that winter. I liked that dress, too! A long, dark pink satin dress with a matching brocade long jacket. With a pill box hat!
So, bridesmaids dresses are good for something...high school proms!

Everything I Ever Needed To Know...

Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Sunday School

In Sunday School, we learned that Jesus loves us, that He is the Light of the World, that we should let our light shine, and that God is with us everywhere, even in a fiery furnace.
In Sunday School, we learned that adults cared for us, and that we were safe and secure in our classrooms with juice, cookies, our teacher and friends. That these teachers were our role models who faithfully prepared for our learning and lived that life 24/7.
We learned that Sunday School was a social event for children of all ages.
In Sunday School, we learned that memory verses were fun to learn, (and we liked getting rewards for them) and that as we grew older, these Bible verses became an important part of our spiritual growth and understanding.
In Sunday School, we learned that the stories we heard were more than just stories…that Zacchaus up in the tree, Jonah and the whale, David and Goliath, Joseph with his coat of many colors, and baby Moses in the basket were full of spiritual truths for us to learn as we grew up.
We learned that a Sunday School Christmas program is not complete without peanuts, chocolates and oranges in brown paper bags.
We learned about being angels and wise men and shepherds, and that the baby in the manger grew up to sacrifice His life for us.
In Sunday School, we learned that Father Abraham, This Little Light of Mine, Deep and Wide, and Hallelu weren’t just songs, but creative celebrations.
In Sunday School, we learned how to sit still, about flannel graph stories, and about pianos with rear view mirrors.
We learned the golden rule: that we should treat others as we want to be treated. From James Dobson videos we learned about dating and relationships. As we grew older, we learned to share prayer requests and to pray for one another.
In Sunday School, we learned how to have fun…real fun! We learned that roller skating and go karting, bowling and the Pizza Hut make for great times of fellowships. (Even C Mart if we could talk our teacher into it.)
In Sunday School, we learned that junior high boys make kool aide very strong and very sweet! And that if there were no treats on a certain Sunday, a guy living very close to church could run home and raid his mom’s kitchen.
Sometimes we may feel that we find ourselves in the lion’s den, the fiery furnace, floating down a basket in the river, or facing a giant with only a sling shot, but we can rest assured that “our God is so great, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing our God cannot do.”
In Sunday School, we invested in spiritual insurance for the rest of our lives. The stories, spiritual truths, mentors, and memorized Bible verses were stored up in our hearts and our spirits to draw from in times of testing and need. We learned over and over again that “Jesus loves me, this I know”, that His Love is deep, and wide, and that nothing is impossible with Him.

By Wilma Ozias and Megan (Ozias) Lady
Written and presented in honor of the 130th anniversary
of Rose Valley United Methodist Church Sunday School
2004