First Jump in Hopscotch

Two weeks ago Pastor Dad and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary. We usually take a trip to celebrate the occasion, but there was scarcely time or energy this year to be gone for a whole week. This was due to the fact that the week in which our anniversary fell was sandwiched between two weeks of church camp. That's pretty appropriate since that's the way it was the year we married, too!

This year we took just a couple of days off to visit a couple of pastors' families and their ministries in Kentucky.

Pastor Dad preached on this trip. That's also appropriate.

Since Lulu was still living with us then, the Bear and his dog had supervision during our absence. The Bear prefers staying in his own home if at all possible and Pepper had just returned from a week at the kennel.

Our first night was spent in a small town. The pastor and wife of the church where Pastor Dad was preaching that Wednesday night are friends of ours from w-a-a-a-y back. That pastor always introduces Pastor Dad as his own former pastor. Specifically, the one who disciplined him. In Baptist lingo that means we excluded him from membership from our church for unchristian conduct. And you know what? It got his attention. I'm pretty sure that's what the Apostle Paul was teaching the church at Corinth in his first epistle to them.

As should be obvious, the man who is a previously disciplined church member turned pastor made an about-face at some point in his life. I remember well when that happened, too. And when it did the young man came to visit us in our TN home while he sought God's direction about where to attend Bible college. Direction was provided, and that's where he met his then-future wife. That's appropriate, too, because that is how Pastor Dad and I met.

We left our friends the next day. We first got together for a nice brunch and spent time talking about things that are and things that will be.

These friends aren't on one of our usual pathways through the state so it was a treat visiting with them. We appreciate them for providing for us on our first night away from home.

To be continued...