Wonderings and Wanderings

Its been a very busy weekend and week.  I had meetings Friday night and all day Saturday.  Sunday was our Summer Missions Celebration.  It was a great worship service and the personal stories were wonderful. Sunday night was our first Chi Alpha (youth worship gathering) of the school year. Monday night was our Deacon/Spouse banquet and tonight was NCD meeting and the first C-Group at my house.  C-Groups are our high school Bible studies and I lead one in my home. Needless to say, even though it is Tuesday night, I feel like it should be the end of the week. But no complaints.  The weather is beautiful and I’m enjoying my work with youth and missions. It is a good busy.

Since the summer departure of our Pastor of Missions and Evangelism, I’ve been working with missions at our church which I truly enjoy.  My interest in becoming a more externally focused and missional church has been growing in recent years and this seems a natural outlet for these ideas and interests that I believe God has been nurturing in me.  Our Missions Committee is in the process of developing a strategic plan to not only guide our giving but also unite our church as a family in partnership with mission opportunities – in our community and around the world.  It is a challenging but needed journey.  I have this amazing vision of First Baptist Church fully embracing our call to be a city set on a hill in our community. It is a beautiful picture. What an amazing legacy to pass along to generations that follow.  First Baptist – the church that cares. First Baptist – the church that serves.  First Baptist – the church that loves.

Two of my favorite things in life!  Here is my nephew enjoying some time at Aunt Moe’s house on labor day.  Then here is my beautiful niece showing her gorgeous eyes.

Children help you with priorities and enjoying the small things in life – like making a house out of pillows or drawing with crayons on paper with no lines or pictures to confine your imagination.

Today was Blake’s very first day of preschool!!  He was excited are ready to go.  He goes just a couple days a week for a couple of hours each time. He has some friends from Sunday school in his class so that will be good for them. All boys!  Our little Blake is growing up!!!!  He even has a backpack now . . .

I would love to be a fly on the wall and watch him in class and his interactions with the other 3 year olds as well as his teachers. Its funny how protective you get and how you want to be there to defend and explain him if anyone questions somethings or wonders about something.  After Mom dropped him off, I walked back to my office (I’m just next door to Blake’s preschool) and was thinking how weird it was that Blake was not in the care of any of our family.  Yes, he is by himself at Sunday School but we are in the same building at least. I honestly don’t know how parents do it. You want to protect them from everything yet you know that you can’t nor would it be healthy for them.

Not to be outdone by her big brother, Morgan had her own first today.  She pick up her rattle by herself and held it!  Yes – that is a big deal.