Helping us celebrate

Yesterday, a law school classmate of Karin's left this message: My nephew has come for a visit, and we don't have any family around to celebrate July 4 with. May we share yours? Of course they can! So she and her husband and nephew have been here since dinnertime yesterday and right now they're grabbing a quick breakfast in order to get out on the lake while it's still calm. Later today Jeremy and two friends will join us; I think we'll have a fine day.

I read a helpful book titled Corner Conversationg by Randy Newman, published by Kregel. It's a gentle approach to answering the most common objections to faith. Now Gavin is reading it, and he likes it too. His usual preference is for high-adventure fantasy, which I also like. He and I share a lot of books.

And now I'm back to Eugene Peterson's The Jesus Way. May I quote a little?

Way: a simple noun designating a road that leads to a destination, but then opening up as a metaphor that ramifies into many and various "ways"--not only the way we go, as in the route we take, but the way we go on the way whether by foot or bike or automobile. The way we talk, the way we use our influence, the way we treat another, the way we raise our children, the way we read, the way we worship, the way we vote, the way we garden, the way we ski, the way we feel, the way we eat . . . . And on and on, endlessly, the various and accumulated "ways and means" that characterize our way of life. p. 22)

Yesterday we spent 2 1/2 hours removing weeds and overgrowth from the various flower beds around the house. Oh, it looks so nice now. And the work was good for us all. I'm so thankful to feel this well.

I think I've mentioned Robin, the musician with whom I used to work in women's conferences. She lives only a few minutes from here, and yesterday she came for a really sweet visit. What a treat!

To my fellow U.S. citizens, Happy 4th! To my British friends, sorry about that. To all, have a great day.

Love,
Carol