July 20 - “Back on my own recognizance”

We started our day once again with a two mile walk. I was all in for it. I figured I had to go to the doctor the next day, so I needed to ramp up the ol’ pain so I’d have something to tell him. Well … later in the afternoon I got a phone call from the doctor’s office. Seems he got slated to do a hospital rounds rotation, so they were having to cancel and reschedule his appointments. Next available? While we are in Colorado. Next after that? August 24th. I took that one and asked to be put on the cancellation list for next week. So for the time being, I am back on my own recognizance. Guess I didn’t need to see the doctor after all …

 

The afternoon was spent at none other than a Backyard Bible Club. A group from the Mineral Wells area is leading it for us. And they did a pretty good job, too. Teenagers are helping, doing puppet shows and skits and leading water games, as well as singing and doing hand motions to get the kids motivated. The group even brought along some children of their own to “seed” the club. I may or may not have been scolded by Chris for what perhaps was an over-the-top level of participation in the “Fruit of the Spirit” song. But, hey. Those youngsters deserve to experience the full picture. They learned about the wise man building his house on the rock (they even painted rocks), and the foolish man building on sand. Kind of hard to communicate to a group of youngsters who literally live on a sand bar that it is foolish to build a house on sand.  But I think they got the message. And they all seemed to be having fun.

 

Last night we drove up into Texas to check out Cailyn’s first boy-girl party at their house. She invited us, so we weren’t just crashing the party.  We only stayed for a while - long enough to grab a slice of stuffed crust pepperoni and enjoy seeing the vast degree of separation between the sexes. Nathan and another Dad seemed to have the situation well on hand.

 

Matthew 6:7-8 says, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

 

Father, thank you for the young lives being touched each afternoon this week. Draw them toward yourself so they can experience you right where they are. Amen.