Saturday, September 17th, 2005

Saturdays are always interesting days for me. Everyone else gets to go out at night, I have to stay in and get ready because Sunday is a work day. When you only work one day a week, you have to be ready to go. On Saturday I always count up what I have to do and try to keep a limit on what I get involved in, because Saturday always includes finishing off the sermon.

Today [September 17th, 2005] we are going to the Renaissance festival. Alli is singing in a choir from school. She is a senior and will leave for college soon. We don't have that many more chances to hear her sing. We also decide that a day at the Renaissance festival will be good for us to get away and spend some time by ourselves. Keep your mind off of everything that is going on.

We arrive at the Renaissance festival at 10:30am. We walk around together and hold hands. We have been together a long time, 20 years. Hand holding used to be a thing of the past. Now it is back.

We watch Alli's group perform. I wonder what she is thinking as she looks out into the audience and sees her mom and dad there.

We wander around. It is a beautiful cool day. We come to the town tavern. They have done a very good job of making this area look medieval. It is quiet. We are close to nature, out in the woods. We talk. About life, about love. We are praying for fungus.

Later that afternoon I finish the sermon that had been under construction all week. For some reason the title that I had chosen when I still had a life was "the Lord is with you." The text was Philippians 4:4-9.

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I go to bed wondering what kind of mess I am going to be at church in the morning trying to talk to people about such things. Kris is closing the service with the song "He knows your name." I pray that I am not a mess tomorrow. I pray for fungus.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

That was then, this is now. Thank God.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.