Saturday, October 2nd, I was a part of a wonderful experience. The annual Interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Long Beach in association with Justin Rudd. I just love the community projects and events that Justin hosts (My kids participate in the Saturday beach clean up).
Saturday, I knew that I would enjoy being around all of the animals, but this was more exciting than I had imagined. I've always had a dog or cat in my life growing up, so I was really looking forward to it. Little did I realize that I would leave, just as blessed as the animals had been that day.
I got doggie kisses from a beautiful poodle with red ribbons and a good hand lick from Lola the bull dog. There were so many animals, it's now hard to remember all the names. But I do remember how great I felt during the event. The love the animals had for their owners and the love the owners had for their 2 or 4 legged family members was just great.
I look forward to being a part of this great blessing event, every year that I can.
Interfaith Blessing of the Animals for Household Pets & Some Exotic Animals More than 300 animals to be blessed
BRING YOUR PETS
WE WILL BLESS THE PETS, Sat., Oct. 2, 2010 at noon. The Interfaith Blessing of the Animals presented by Haute Dogs and Justin Rudd is free to the public and their pets.
Seniors, families, singles, and children, are encouraged to bring their dogs, cats, birds, lizards, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, fish, tortoises and turtles and other well-behaved pets. Some exotic pets are being brought from a professional wildlife education organization include Exotic and out-of-the-ordinary guests at this year's Blessing will include: - Red-tailed Hawk - Red Tegu 4 7' albino Burmese python - can grow to be the length of a school bus making them the third largest type of snake in the world! - Bobcat - Fennec - Porcupine - Two-toed Sloth 4 Serval wildcat - Leptailurus serval, is a medium-sized African wild cat under 50 lbs. and is one of the only cats with both spots and stripes and can jump incredibly high to catch its food! - pig - chinchilla 4 Monitor lizard - is a scavenger that eats the food lions and other carnivores leave behind. They are also related to the Komodo dragon, the largest and scariest lizard on the planet! - opossum - Dumeril Boa - Horse - Lamb
WE WILL ALSO HAVE a moment of blessing, silence and vigil at the beginning of the service for pets who are unfortunately involved with sport dog fighting and other inhumane, unethical treatment.
After brief words from each of the faith leaders (listed below), the menagerie of participants will have the opportunity to line up single-file to be blessed by the faith leaders who will be dressed in traditional garb. Olive branches and holy water will be available. Choose one, or get blessed by all of the clergy (listed below).
THE EVENT will last approx. 45 minutes. It's important to recognize and honor the great bond and relationship between pets and their people. The religious leaders will talk or pray briefly on the interconnections among all living beings. SPONSORS Justin Rudd's nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team (C.A.T.), Gazette Newspapers, and Haute Dogs.
JUST FOR TWO is for the couple who wishes to start their marriage on the right foot- fully informed - with a plan.
Just for Two weekend session is offered as a way for you and your fiance(e) to get a true understanding of what topics cause derailments in a relationship. Formatted to help you and your fiance(e) better understand what to expect during your marriage. Think of this session as writing the instruction book for your married life.
During the weekend session, we will discuss the topics mentioned below. Select from 2 different times 11am - 3pm and 4pm - 8pm. Done in a Q & A format, there are no right or wrong answers. Includes all needed materials.
Topics of discussion
- Relationships - Finances - Home - Housekeeping
- Children & Parenting - Social Activities - Red Flag Warnings
A certificate of completion will be given at the end of the session.
Getting married in Los Angeles or Orange County? Blessings All Aroundprovides Officiant services.
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Learn the different types of ceremonies available, why the time of day makes a difference, how to select your wedding party members and much more.
Helping you make great decisions!
Attend this workshop to get 10% off your wedding ceremony package! Blessings All Around offers mobile officiant service for Long Beach, the greater Los Angeles area and Orange County.
Long Beach, Ca – July 7, 2010 WeddingWire, the nation's leading site for wedding reviews, just announced that Blessings All Around is WeddingWire Rated 2010 for wedding Officiant services. WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program for wedding professionals based on hundreds of thousands of recent wedding reviews.
WeddingWire Rated, the industry's first formalized review program, is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples looking to locate wedding businesses. The award program recognizes wedding professionals across the country, like Blessings All Around, that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to service.
These reviews have been written by past clients of Blessings All Around, and include detailed ratings and insightful descriptions of the newlyweds' experience. From quality of service to overall level of professionalism, these reviews showcase the high level of service newly engaged couples can expect from Blessings All Around.
"We are excited to unveil WeddingWire Rated, now in its fourth year, as a way to recognize wedding professionals for their commitment to service," said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire's CEO. "WeddingWire Rated allows wedding businesses to clearly differentiate themselves in their market, while providing engaged couples an easy way to find the best services for their wedding."
Blessings All Aaround, would like to thank their past clients for sharing reviews of their weddings on WeddingWire. Reviews for Blessings All Around can be found across the entire WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee.
About WeddingWire, Inc. WeddingWire, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 100,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands).
Sunday, I married a wonderful couple (Kris & Roosevelt) at the Betty Reckas Cultural Center in Long Beach. Being a mobile officiant, I have the pleasure of traveling to great locations. The Betty Reckas Cultural Center is just that - a great location, tucked away in plan view.
The blue domed roof is very obvious from Pacific Coast Highway, yet you zip right past it. I was glad that Khristina did not. Her mother being Greek Orthodox, this was the perfect location for them. Not using the sanctuary instead opting for the "garden area" for a beautiful summertime wedding.
Last year when we witnessed first hand the economy decline, marriages were tested on new levels. Christian marriages were also tested and some ended in divorce because of the finances. How does a husband and wife hold on to their faith when it seems as if their finances are becoming less and less. They are praying, yet they do not see a change in their situation.
What is a husband or wife to do when one spouse is continuing to hold on to their faith, yet the other spouse’s faith has been shaken. Now not only is the marriage dealing with the financial issues but now they will be dealing with shaken faith which impacts the marriage on a different level. How does a couple hold on when it appears what they are doing is not working?
There are many locations to choose from, to hold your wedding, but I really like one place in particular – The Sky Room, in downtown Long Beach. The view at night is absolutely beautiful! The Sky Room, has an art deco style, so the black and gold with the shimmer of the lights compliment each other nicely.
In early April, I married a wonderful couple, Melissa & Paul, that chose to have their wedding and dinner there, making for a very intimate and elegant wedding. As night fell, the lights of the Queen Mary and the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, began to shimmer in the distance.
Every time I am able to perform a wedding at The Sky Room, I am impressed with the view of Long Beach. If you would like to find out more, visit TheSkyRoom.com
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