June 4 – “Seaside Summer Sunday”

 

 

Today is Mom and Dad's anniversary.  Is it still considered their anniversary after one of them dies?  Never have come to a complete conclusion on that one, and Mom hasn't remembered it the last few years.  But I still appreciate the many times they spent their anniversary watching me play baseball.  I didn't even realize it at the time, of course.  Kids' worlds revolve around themselves.  At least mine did.  Thanks, Mom and dad, for all the encouragement. 

 

We had a great service at Seaside yesterday.  The room was packed.  Lots of visitors.  Some we knew very well.  Others were there for the first time.  Actually it was a typical Seaside summer Sunday.  Several of the first-timers stopped me after the service and shared very encouraging words about the teaching.  Anne and Bill Wright were there.  Haven't seen them since we stopped by their house in Flatonia, Texas on our mini-vacation after Chris' Mom died.  Very sweet people.  Another couple, Joe and Vickie, approached me and asked if I remembered them.  For this old brain?  Not likely.  I asked them to give me some help.  Come to find out I did their marriage on the beach about a year ago.  They have had a tough year, and wanted me to do a memorial service for Vickie's Mom who just died.  Joe also told me that Vickie had become a Christian last week and wanted to get baptized in the Gulf.  Always a welcome request.  We'll do that when we get back from youth camp.  They said they would be back often even though they live in Houston.  They really loved the family feel among the group.

 

The youth group had a car wash right after church to raise money for camp.  Someone even paid for our car to be washed.  It sure needed it.  Chris and I had just been joking that we hoped for a really hard rain so our car would get washed.  Thanks, anonymous benefactor, whoever you are.  I haven't heard how they did yet.  The short term goal was $1500 to finish out transportation costs (renting vans and gas).  Beyond that we still have to cover counselor costs and then start knocking down the individual camper costs.  Maybe even cover a scholarship or two.  It's a big undertaking.  The next fund-raiser is a church-wide, no-clothes garage sale on June 16^th.  It's a great opportunity to clear out a lot of the stuff we have accumulated at the church as well as at members' homes. So if you can read this … come.  Please.

 

1 John 5:13 says, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

 

Father, thank you for a great Sunday.  And please help the kids with the fund raising efforts.  Camp is a great chance for them to draw close to you.  Amen.