Vacation!

Be back in a couple of weeks!

Foxes

The foxes are no longer able to live under our sun porch and deck, but they're still around and lately they've been active in our yard at night. What they like to do is steal things from people's yards and leave them around the neighborhood. The last few days, I've found in our backyard . . . a dead rat, a ladies tank top, and two newspapers (one still wrapped and one unwrapped!).

Rap

OK. So if you read my posts from Higher Things earlier in the blog, you know I did some rapping at the conference this year, for one night there was a "rap contest." Let me explain . . .

The words to some of our hymns were printed out for folks to "rap" to a beat that was played for them. The purpose was two-fold:

(1.) Have fun. 

(2.) Teach how music makes a difference to the words of the hymn. You cannot just put these words to any music and have them fit. The marriage of words to appropriate music is important in the church. So by doing this, the kids see how true that is.

So, if this offends some, to use the words of some of our hymns like this, I apologize in advance. The purpose was not to be impious or irreverent in any way. And it's good for kids to see their pastors having fun, too.

So at the end, they wanted to have two pastors up there - I guess it had been mostly youth up til then. (I wasn't there for all of it - Joanna and I came in late.) So they had two of us go up. That's why you'll see another pastor up there with me.

So (with some trepidation) here it is . . . and please, appreciate the mic drop at the end! :-0

Vacation Bible School

Last week we had our VBS - live and in person! Last year we did an online version. Meh. This was much better, to be back together again. We didn't try to reach out into the community yet, though. Just our children and some of their friends for this year. Next year, hopefully, we'll be able to reach out more.

Our theme this year was "Jesus Our Brother" and we learned stories of brothers in the Bible and how they can teach us about Jesus as our brother. It went pretty well. It's always a very busy and tiring week, but a good one. It's always great when at the end of the week the kids ask if we can have another week! (They don't realize all the work that goes into it. :-)

Anyway, here are some links and pictures. The links are to the "newspapers" we passed out each day and to the videos of the kids we made each day about what we learned. Then some pictures . . .

Newspaper Day 1

Newspaper Day 2

Newspaper Day 3

Newspaper Day 4

Newspaper Day 5

Video Day 1

Video Day 2

Video Day 3

Video Day 4

Reading the Scriptures

Talking about brothers

Craft time!

Down with the kids

Chalk art! Wow!

Our vase filled to overflowing with coins!

We challenge them to do this each year with their offerings.

Sometimes they make it and sometimes not. This year they did!

(See the newspapers for more information on this.)

Group photo (with a few missing this day, unfortunately).

Two Years Ago

Two years ago today my Dad was called home to his eternal rest in Jesus. It seems so long ago! So much has happened in these two years. Still miss him, but know that our reunion is coming soon. So I'll think about some good memories today and thank God for giving me such a good father, and pray that I can be half the father to my children that he was to me. :-)