Good Weekend

Our son graduated high school this weekend, so we had a cookout Sunday at the house. We had many friends and family in for the event and a great time! Thanks to all of you for coming by.

Graduation at the new high school was a good event this year. Air conditioning makes all the difference at such a ceremony! The speaker's comments were very short and the the crowd large and 116 students moved on to the next phase of their lives. God be with them!

Yesterday we attended a farewell party for Alena, foreign exchange student who was staying with some family (church and blood) for the year. Her parents joined her here Thursday and are leaving today for a trip through D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. Then they'll be heading home. We wish them well and safe travel.

My daughter had her latest romantic quest with her this weekend, a Polish track runner attending U of Tenn. He's visiting through Friday and is a very nice young man. We've put him to work around the house just like one of the kids so he's fitting right in!

I had a great time leading worship Sunday morning, the congregation was in one of those "singing modes" as they usually are when we a have a lot of guest on a holiday weekend. My wife had some cousins visiting from Pennsylvania and they went on and on about how good the worship was. I'm so glad when people can see the hearts of our congregation opened up to to praise the Lord. The sermon, by my very good friend Jamie Riley, was very good and uplifting and encouraging- as always- and the Lord was glorified, I believe.

Jamie and I met together Saturday night to work on the worship details. We pray for the service, for the congregation and for the Lord's help to work through us. I think it makes the biggest difference on Sunday morning. Of course we laugh together and stay too late, but we also encourage each other to move into a higher level of worship. In the last few months we've been meeting with some of the newer, younger worship leaders to encourage them too. I need that encouragement and I like to be an encourager also!

Over all it's been a great weekend. I think there will be many more like it to come!