Micah comes for a sleep-over!

Huge change of pace for Maul-Hall yesterday evening. We hosted 20 month old Micah Black for an overnight play-date so his parents - Tim and Kelly - could go out for the evening and not worry about parenting details. So we were privileged to enjoy our little friend from 5:00 PM through 8:30 this morning.

Needless to say he was a joy, so I'm posting a few photos with captions to:

1. Show his parents what a good time we all had...
2. Show off some cool pictures, because I can. And...
   
3. Demonstrate that I really can think non-philosophically/theologically once in a while!

Here he is up on the 7th green behind our house, checking out the flag. Early evening light is perfect for capturing toddlers toddle. This one evidently has a future on the PGA tour!

Caption for the next photo (left): "I was sure the putt dropped? Didn't you see it drop? Why isn't there anything in the hole...?

There's nothing like a big slab of green grass and a little boy to demonstrate why the great outdoors is so great. He'd have been content to totter up and down the 7th fairway all evening. As it was he wore himself out nicely in time for his bath and a story or two before bed (bed long after the prescribed 7:30 time his parents wrote down on the instruction sheet!).

Before story-time, of course, Rebekah and Micah needed to negotiate the all-important snack. Evidently Mr. Micah needed some encouragement - and Rebekah is nothing if not all over the "If I open my mouth wide then so will you" concept. Looks like it worked.

Books and stories in the rocking chair have always been family favorites in our home. Micah was quite willing to cooperate, Rebekah is the master of story, and it was nice to sit in the "tea room" and hear the familiar cadence of the absolute best story stylings I've ever heard. Fact is, she gets better every time.

I love our church - our community of faith - for many reasons. I loved First Presbyterian before Tim came to join the pastoral staff and brought Kelly along too. But the idea that we can raise children together, watch them grow and learn with so many young families to nurture and support and encourage one-another, and that we can trust our friends in this way - that is good news on so many levels.

I don't know how Rebekah and I would have survived the amazing challenges of raising children to adulthood without the prayers and the presence of the people we love for two decades. That's what a community of faith is all about. Ours isn't perfect... but there no better context in which to raise a family - and to help raise other people's.

On the way down from the golf course, Micah and I passed this lily under our cedar tree, blooming its finest even during this awful drought, telling everything in our back garden that, despite the lack of rain, there is beauty and hope and future.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6: 27-34)

Love and blessings - DEREK