The Gunfighter Returns (with a cool vacation Pic)

Hi kids!

Didja miss me?  Of course you didn't, because I have been where I've always been... right there on that screen in front of you.

Vacation has come to an end.  We returned home on Sunday evening after a 12 hour drive which took us from Disnew World to northern Virginia in 12 hours.

Do you know what was really great?  I'll tell you:  It was walking through the front door of our house.  Vacations are great.  It's wonderful to get away... but nothing beats coming back to the place you love and call home.

I have lots of stories to tell you about our trip, and I will be posting about it in the near future, but I would like to take a moment now, to thank those fine folks who were good enough to send me some guest-post material to fill some of my busier days right at the start of our trip.

Many thanks to Heather & Mick for starting a lively conversation about children in church.  I know that it can be a sensitive subject for many people, but for me, it comes down to this:  Better to have an active, sometimes squirmy, chid IN church, than to have the same child be as active and squirmy OUTSIDE of the church.  Church is supposed to be a place of worship and welcome.  If it isn't welcoming of children, close the doors, burn the building, sell the land... because the church will then be nothing but a quasi-pious social club... and the world already has enough of them.  'Nuff said.

Thanks also to Lisa, who, once again gave us a baking lesson, and a great recipe to try.  Lisa always has interesting things to say... sometimes about food, sometimes about other things... but she is never dull.  Go visit her!

Thanks to the Queen of The Mayhem for giving us her perspective on being a Christian woman who teaches in the public school system.  I love hearing any and all stories told by those dedicated, underappreciated people with whom we entrust the early education of our children.

Lastly, but not at all in the least, thanks to Jana & Korie for sharing personal stories about love and friendship.

All of you have my thanks.

Now... back to our show, already in progress.

Can I tell you how unwelcome the alarm clock was at 0415?  I am rested and ready, but, man it was a long psychological leap from getting up between 0800 and 0900 every day for the past few weeks, and getting to work before the sun made it's appearance for the day. 

Not.

Fun

At.

All.

Oh, well... I'll leave off of the whining for a while.  I had a great time.  See the attached proof, below.

If that isn't the face of fun... I don't know what is.