Another case of time just disappearing

I finally looked at my last blog today and am shocked to realize it was May 22nd when I posted the last blog. Where has the time gone? Summer is a very busy time for us in Children's Ministry and I know that's where the time went but it was still surprising to actually look at the last date and realize how much time has flown by.

Last week of May was our preschool Vacation Bible School, then our new summer Sunday School staff came on board, we moved up children to their new classes, early July was elementary Vacation Bible School (very intense), then I went to California for a family wedding, am back now and ready to go to Buffalo (where I grew up)next week. I'm looking forward to it because both my brothers and both my sisters will also be there and it's the first time all 5 of us have been together at the same time in 9 years.

In California, I stayed with my aunt and uncle. My aunt's sister-in-law sat next to me on the flight to San Francisco. I've known her since she was born (she's younger than I am) and had not seen her in many, many years. We started right in on catching each other up on our lives over the last 45 years and how God has taken care of us. Her husband died about 4 years ago.

Every morning we started eating breakfast about 8:30-9:00 a.m. We sat there and talked and laughed so hard until 12:30-1:00 p.m. every day. I thought about people, streets, events, etc. that had never entered my mind for the last 50-60 years. When I was ready to come home last week, I realized that this was like "soul food" for me and how much I needed that family contact and love that I had enjoyed as a child in Buffalo where we all grew up, went to the same church, celebrated birthdays for each child with the whole extended family.

Reminds me of the verse where Paul talks about "to stir you up by way of reminder..." in II Peter 1:13. Paul was talking about his imminent death, but the stirring up of many memories for me was a really neat experience. I learned some new things, had to rearrange some of my old memories, and enjoyed listening to some other perspectives than my own about what it was like growing up in the "old days".