Yes! Yes! Yes! In case you haven’t already guessed, the weekend was outstanding! From new life in Christ, to dozens of people serving on a Saturday, to the dozens of children who had a blast at our Saturday event, and much more. Yes, it was a very good weekend. As for my musings …

-Yesterday, during our Sunday School/Small group hour, an elementary child prayed to accept Christ as their personal Savior. I am rejoicing, and so is heaven. I love that the teacher of that group of kids was sensitive to what was going on in this child’s life. I love that this teacher presented the gospel to the class. I love that not only is our children’s ministry growing, but it is also making a huge impact.

-On Saturday we had a children’s and family event. It was called Maker Fest and was focused on the theme that we are God’s Masterpiece. The intent of the day was for the children and their family to know that they are special, that God made them with unique gifts and that He loves them. We wanted them to have a blast. We wanted them to be creative and inventive. It was a huge success. We had 33 children in attendance from 18 different families. The energy, the laughter, the smiles and the joy, was outstanding.

-We had people working over a period of several days preparing for the children’s event. We had more than 2 dozen people serving at the event. We had more than a dozen stay after the event to clean-up and set-up for Sunday. They gave time and effort when they could have taken the day for themselves or relaxed, instead they invested in kids.

-I waved my W flag, as in the Cubs win, during announcements yesterday. If we can get excited when our sports team wins we should be even more excited when people come to faith in Christ and we are able to impact a lot of families through an event. So, we celebrated and cheered yesterday morning.

-In the midst of all the great things taking place over the weekend my heart is breaking for the tragedies that I read about. The shooting in Texas at a church during their worship. I cannot imagine. I pray for that pastor as he tries to lead and comfort his church while dealing with his own grief, since his 14-year old daughter was among those who were killed. I read more about the atrocities taking place in Central Africa Republic, stories about human trafficking and the upheaval from the presidential election in Kenya.

-This week there are several people in my church who are facing serious physical issues. Three have surgery and another is meeting with a surgeon about possible cancer surgery and another is facing difficulties from a stroke. Lots, and lots, of prayers.

-Looking forward to spending a couple of days with some college buddies next week. We try to get together once a year for a couple of days. The 5 of us became friends our freshmen year at college. We are still friends. It is always good to catch up with each other and do a little reminiscing.

-My message yesterday was “Sin – Stop It!”. Let’s see if everyone comes back next Sunday.

-I am loving the discussions we are having in the Sunday evening small group my wife and I are leading for parents of young children.

-This morning I reached my first goal, of four, in my weight loss/get healthier journey. It took me 4 weeks to reach it, but I hit it this morning.

-The extra hour on Saturday night didn’t get people to arrive any earlier on Sunday.

-My fantasy football team is leading going into tonight’s game. However, all my players have played, and my opponent has two playing tonight. Not looking good.

-We are hosting for Thanksgiving this year. Love having my family gather. We will be missing our Africa kids and grandkids, but all the others will be here. The house will be full. My heart will be full and likely my stomach as well. Good thing I hit my first weight loss goal.

Here’s hoping you find something to celebrate today.

Dennis