Opening Doors - The Beginning ... and things...
Opening Doors
Day 1
in which we learn that
Jientje is hosting this week long photo challenge.
Sept. 1 - Sept. 6th
If you have a door or know of a place with a door
please feel free to jump in and join the fun!
Just sign Jientje's Linky!
in which we learn that
Jientje is hosting this week long photo challenge.
Sept. 1 - Sept. 6th
If you have a door or know of a place with a door
please feel free to jump in and join the fun!
Just sign Jientje's Linky!
These doors belong to a wee little church down the road from me - but it's not mine. I love Churches - you probably know that. I actually collect them - photo's of them. So I have a lot of Church doors and you're liable to see a lot of them this week! Depends what else I find and how much time I have to look around! This is kind of a busy week for me. The thing about Church doors is... they should always be open. But they're not. I remember when I was a child, my mother would stop at a church or a chapel on her way home from somewhere, just to have a few moments in quiet prayer. I guess I had been trained to be quiet in church... *looks around*... imagine THAT! Anyway... we would stop - and just go in! At will. Any time she felt like it. This does not happen anymore. If you notice... even on this wee little tiny country church, out in the middle of nowhere... on the far right side of the right hand door, is a punch lock. And if you don't know the code, you can't get in. Of course, if you know the code, you're welcome anytime! (my church has a punch lock too!) Now I know that God is not just inside those doors.... I know He is everywhere and I can converse with Him where and when I please. But it bothers me that if I wanted to go into THIS little church - even though it is not MY church... it is not even my denomination... but if I felt drawn to go in, I couldn't do it! And it is that way with virtually every big or little church I have photographed in the past 10 years! I can see them from the outside. I can not enjoy the beauty that is surely on the inside as well. And I sure can't go in and pray. It bothers me that Satan has had his way with our churches. Because if the believers are locked out... the non-believers or the wafflers ... the one that MIGHT just stumble in... the one who just hit rock bottom... the one that might just be looking to "open a door"... they are not just locked out... they are not being welcomed. It hurts my heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Around the House...
Soooooooo... yesterday while Dennis was far far away in Pennsylvania, he bought me an AWESOME birthday present! And HE even knows about it! I'll share it with you later!
I'm not taking Mom to the doctor. I've wiggled her wrist and squeezed her wrist and bent it forward and backward and all around -- it's fine! But she's actually asked me about her bruise so often that she is STARTING to remember she has one! She just has to keep finding out how she got it... I talked to Dennis this morning (about my birthday present) and he asked how Mom was doing. I told him ... and then I said "The next time she asks me how she got it I'm gonna tell her YOU hit her with a baseball bat and then ran away - and that's why you're in Pennsylvania!" He laughed! So a few minutes later, sure enough, she asked me again! I didn't TELL her that - but I did tell her Dennis' and my conversation. She fell out laughing! That tickled her like you wouldn't believe! I thought to myself... crazy woman ... but that IS the kinda thing that tickles her funny bone! LOL!Oh yea! One other thing... sOMe of you may remember last year when school started Krysti had me make her a blog... so she could share all her fun College experiences with us... and then she didn't! *nods*... Well THIS year she has decided she would like to try the blog thing again... but she had forgot her password - which she had changed after I gave it to her... so we can't get into her old blog. I had to recreate it. LOL! Sooooooo... would you guys mind being very kind to the new kid on the blog... and stop by at EMTCopGirl's place! Those of you that use Word Press or anything OTHER than Blogger, please let her know that! She doesn't believe that she can give her url to her friends and that they can sign her blog! (and people... she's my SMART one!) ROFL!
Labels: Doors
posted by Melli at
1:01 AM
23 comment(s):
Had you on my mind tonight and just saw you had posted this 5 minutes ago.
You got the head start on the door thing for sure. It is just after midnight here and btw what are you still doing up this late :)
I'll drop over to the kid's blog for sure.
By
Amber Star, at
9/01/2008 1:10 AM
That is a cute little church -- if it is not disrespectful to call a church cute. :-) It is sad that churches have had to resort to locking doors. We've been in two churches that were broken into and robbed even with the doors locked.
I know I have at least one set of interesting doors in my archives...I might look into doing this one. Then again, I never got going on the bridge one, so I don't know...:-)
Your poor mil! I imagine that's uncomfortable, plus disturbing to see it in the mirror every day, especially when you can't remember where it came from.
My mil doesn't have Alzheimer's, but she can be quite forgetful, and it is not unusual to have the same conversations many times over. Sometimes I take it in stride but sometimes....I REALLY have to pray for patience. I know she can't help it. I have been using a part of Paul's prayer in Col. 1:9-12 for myself: "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness"
I'm looking forward to hearing about your birthday present!
By
Anonymous, at
9/01/2008 1:20 AM
I KNEW you would have church doors!
:)
I love the little church and I remember dropping by my church when I was young and being able to walk into the quiet. Even the ones in the wide open country here can't leave them unlocked anymore Melli. You're right it is sad.
I took pictures of church doors today too. Hey, they do have some awesome doors on them!
By
Carletta, at
9/01/2008 2:14 AM
I love your picture!!! I remember open churches when I was little too. Now they are always closed and I think it is because they know I am not a church-goer and only want to look around...
That's a large bruise, Melli....
Have to look back to figure out when you are having a b-day :)
By
Anonymous, at
9/01/2008 2:27 AM
Hi Melli, and Welcome to opening doors!
What you said about churches is not entirely true in Europe. Or maybe I'm just a lucky girl, but I have found them open quite often, even did an entire photo shoot inside the tiny church I used to visit with my grandmother as a girl. I try and find the link for you, I'll be right back!
By
Jientje, at
9/01/2008 3:50 AM
All right, I found it! It's here, it's called childhood memories, it was a Fun Monday post, written in June!
I'm just gonna copy paste it, I hope you can find it! I'm not a wizard with HTML!
http://heaveninbelgium.blogspot.com/2008/06/fun-monday-childhood-memories.html
By
Jientje, at
9/01/2008 3:57 AM
First, love the doors. And the chapel. It is sad that churches can no longer just be left open, but the world is full of mean people who would ruin all the beauty.
Poor Mom. She really took a tumble!
Just got a call from a neighbor. We've got Coyotes in the neighborhood! Just a matter of time, but scary when you have three dogs.
By
Anonymous, at
9/01/2008 7:46 AM
I never thought it was a church door ! It looks like a normal house door to me. Here the churches are mostly so old that nobody remembers the century unless he looks it up and the modern once are also built like a church and not like a house. But here too you can't go in all churches, too many very old and precious things have been stolen. The very big once you can visit but there are always guardians inside and of course you have to PAY !!! That's disgusting !!
Mums make up looks neat, lol ! did she meet Muhamed Ali ??
By
Ingrid, at
9/01/2008 8:43 AM
I had to laugh about your idea for what you'd tell your Mom if she asked one more time. I think it's great she could laugh about it. Keeping a sense of humor makes all the difference. I know that was the saving grace at the end of my Dad's life and he was the one who often saw the humor before I did.
I like your shots of the Church doors and I think a week of different Church doors would be great. I have a few myself. My father really struggled with keeping Church doors open all the time. He was a firm believer in that and as the Rector of a Church he managed it, at least with the chapel, until the 1970s.
He knew there were people sleeping the the chapel and to an extent what better place for people with no where to go. Even after someone defecated there, his attitude was torn but he said he'd defer to how the vestry voted and wouldn't try to defend it staying unlocked at night anymore. The vestry voted to lock it.
I don't attend church at this point in my life but I've noticed the church and chapel where he was a Rector is locked all the time except when the offices are open. Sad, sad, sad.
By
Carver, at
9/01/2008 9:19 AM
I'm looking forward to seeing more church doors from you Melli! It is sad that church doors can't stay open these days. It's true that God can't be kept behind any door or ideology.
The story about your mom is funny!
Hope your day goes well...
By
Anonymous, at
9/01/2008 11:07 AM
Those are great doors to a very cute church! I love taking pictures of churches as well and posted doors of church as well. This church though does keep its doors open!
By
Anonymous, at
9/01/2008 12:34 PM
I think we'll see a lot of church doors this week. Like you, I wish they were open more often. However, I lived in south central Los Angeles for 4 1/2 years and realize there wouldn't be much left in the churches if the doors were open all the time.
By
Willow, at
9/01/2008 1:20 PM
woah now woman! Just because I am technologically inept does NOT mean I'm not smart! LOL
I wanna know about this birthday present!!!! ya gotta tell me i'm your kid!
By
Krysti, at
9/01/2008 3:06 PM
Actually there is something of beauty on the other side: I cropped out the spired building. I think it is Keble College.
By
Willow, at
9/01/2008 3:34 PM
It is a shame about having to have locks on churches. Ours is open most all of the time but we have to have someone at the front to make sure who comes in. During the day you have to sign when you come there. I think that is awful but I understand because we have had some robberies. Things just are not the way they used to be..Unfortunately. Sandy
Thanks for stopping by
By
Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess, at
9/01/2008 3:35 PM
I love those church doors! I, too, am sad that one can no longer walk into a church whenever one pleases. I remember when the decision came to lock the church I grew up in. At first it was only locked at night, but before long, a side door was put in the building to the Pastor's office and one had to go through him to get in if a service wasn't in session.
And I lived in a church in downtown Las Vegas that was built so the main part of the church was locked after Sunday School. During service only the sanctuary was unlocked.
By
Anonymous, at
9/01/2008 4:21 PM
Those are both lovely photos. I love little churches, too... so much character!
By
Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba), at
9/01/2008 4:37 PM
Lovely doors Melli! And your Mom's sense of humour obviously has lasted better than her memory, which is a great blessing,
Oh dear, that came out sounding all wrong, but I hope you understand me. I'm too tired to make sense!
By
Dragonstar, at
9/01/2008 4:42 PM
Hehe, I knew laughter would help!
Mom's bruise looks bad, but I'm sure it's not tender all over. Could have easily bumped her lip or yanked the toothbrush out wrong. Something simple. It will look better by weeks end.
Hug her up and give lots of love anyway. =O)
By
Margaret, at
9/01/2008 5:08 PM
Those church pics are just fantastic! You have such an eye for a good picture, Melli. It saddens me too that you cannot just go in them. It's sad. But I sure understand it. I've never seen one with a keypad that members had the numbers for...interesting.
Yeah, her bruise is not too pretty. It probably doesn't help that it's in a place that she SEES each time she looks in a mirror. God bless her.
Now, you have me on the edge of my seat about the b-day present. But before I stay there, I'm gonna make sure I didn't miss a post or two under this one. Just gonna wait until after I hit "send".
Love ya!
:-) Susan
By
Susan, at
9/01/2008 6:01 PM
Beautiful door and I agree it would be ever so nicer open. I guess we are lucky here in Canada.
The doors are unlocked as long as there is somebody in working.
By
Christine, at
9/01/2008 6:17 PM
For years I kept United's doors open night and day. Then came the two office breakins and the loss of computer and copy machine. Followed by the guy that came out of the closet in the morning with a big knife. Then we started locking up at night but it was and is still open all day.
The problem is we old people bruise so easy. My leg has all kinds of bruises from the dog jumping on it.
My son who started me blogging still has a blog but almost =never uses it.
By
Dr.John, at
9/01/2008 7:06 PM
Beautiful shots of great doors, Melli. Many churches are very beautiful. I may not agree with much of what they teach, but I still appreciate the beauty of their buildings, haha.
I'm very glad to hear your MIL's not seriously injured. This must be a real challenge for you, to look after her. You are a real blessing, I'm sure!!
By
Anonymous, at
9/01/2008 7:51 PM
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