The next entry - "Learning to Come Alongside"

It was a very different weekend: the one that just past. When times are different and filled with intense and unique events, I seem to live in the weekend way past it's sunset... this was one of those times. These are times worth remembering on "paper" and sharing with friends.

Going into the Saturday, I was still marveling about Friday and how I'd been invited to meet the head of a counselling agency of which a friend and colleague is a partner. It turned into a offer of more work for me at a time when we are very much wondering how we are going to pay a bill coming due soon. This agency also graciously provided for another matter that limited my availability, not only for their work but for other work I could potentially do with this obstacle out of the way - I love the way my Dad takes care of my family and I. The God of more than enough - El Shaddai, He is called "The Double-Breasted One" and I marvel at that name and how it applies to nursing a child - He nurtures me.

Saturday was to be a whirlwind of people, activities and emotions - it was also worship and joy. I was to attend an event sponsored by Creekside Church for Foster Care Parents at which an adult adoptee friend of mine was speaking. It was too much to fit in tho and I regretted not being able to go - I heard it went well and that my friend was inspiring! It filled me with joy.

I had a guitar lesson to take my daughter to in the morning on Saturday. My wife and I switch-off taking her and sometimes we linger and listen to the lesson on the teacher's cozy sofa. His living-room is filled with the tools of his trade: a digital drum set, a keyboard, guitars, amplifiers and a laptop linked in with the keyboard and the amp. I, in leisure, smile and enjoy their repartee and the way they synch up as they play and he teaches and encourages. She is an amazing guitarist for her age and I silently pray for a garage worship band or church band where she can grow with other musicians - it will come... I thank her teacher on the way out the door for his faithful gift to my daughter.

Then, it's off to my two daughter's riding lesson, which I feel compelled, somehow to attened. My wife Ivy drops us off at the stables. I've got another chapter to finish for my course later on Saturday and I'm sure I can read and watch. The girls want me to use their hi-tech camera to take some video... and close friend and mother of on of the other riders in the group lesson shows up and we enjoy catching up on the past few weeks. They are deeply affected by the recession and again, silently as we chat. I find myself thanking God for provision for them and firmly praying for more... We don't have a church right now, but I'm satified by fellowship with her and her dear husband and family. I naturely tell them they need to come over for dinner soon, again... We talk about work and family and what it means to be in fellowship and "do church", and I reminice in my mind about living close by to this family and how satisfying our freindship was and is.

Needless to say, I "man" the digital video task and many jumps and "rounds" are captured for later anaysis and sharing with friends. [The funny thing is, major snippets of my convo with this friend are caught on audio as well and Ivy laughs as she hears the audio on Sunday as the girls share the video with a friend...] Ivy laughed because I didn't put much time into that 2nd chapter at the arena... I put time in with my daughters and my friend. Ivy laughs cuz that is "me". Clearly sometimes, she gets the unenviable role of reminding me that "tasks" must be done and people can wait... so true... so hard, sometimes...

The smell and feel of the stables: the "horsey" arena - the fresh hey, sitting on it and reading from my text and occasionally getting up to see what the girls were up to with their tacking chores of equine love. The horses are such characters and the love and friendships the girls have with these mostly tamed beasts is such a joy of which to be a part. We may end up with that hobby farm yet... And then there's Darla, the JRT, who greeted Ivy and I when we 1st got there. She came and jumped up and licked us and whined to be attended to and fussed over. Animals, perpetual children to enjoy caring for and to have companionship with - a place to give and recieve that oftens seems to flow much easier than with people. But our canine licked faces smiled at each other as we enjoyed this greeting from our doggie hostess and Ivy and giggled about our shared love of JRT's and just being kissed by this cute 'lil guy! This is LIFE, these are our joys and we share them and smile into each others eyes.

Then comes the afternoon...