EASTER 2011 AFTERNOON

This Easter afternoon my wife Cissy and I hosted our children and grandchildren. There were 17 of us present, missing only Evan, who was in Wisconsin with his girlfriend visiting her parents.

We had a delicious lunch, followed by Easter egg hunt, and then playing in the creek and eating dessert by the rope swing.

WADE IN THE WATER

I enjoy walking the paths leading to the clearings at the back of our lot by the creek. I go down there just about every day. Especially I like it when the sunlight glistens on the water or the sun is setting. In the summertime our grandchildren like to visit and wade in the water with me.



In our Sunday Bible Study today we learned important lessons about wading in the water (Joshua 3). Joshua was about to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan River. Though the people had been freed from slavery in Egypt for 40 years, they had been wandering in the wilderness due to their lack of faith and confidence in God and their leaders. Crossing the Jordan River was the marker moment to move forward into the Promised Land.

Verses 13 and 17 of Joshua chapter 3 have the key words:
"It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap. So the people crossed opposite Jericho and the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

As the priests stepped in the water it was an exercise of faith that God would guide and provide. Though there was still war to be waged, crossing the Jordan was a faith-builder that God would take care of his people as they faced the walls of Jericho. They had to wade in the water to experience the wonders of the ways of God.

I realize anew that there are successes and victories God wants to give me if I will wander on out to wade in the water ... if I will move out in faith. If I stay safe "onshore" I may miss out on some great adventures.

I am reminded of the old Negro spiritual, “Wade in the Water.” There are different versions of the song that make references to varying biblical events of wading in the water to trust God. Some people speculate that the original song contained coded language to slaves during the Civil War to “wade in the water” when they fled to escape the scents of searching dogs.

I have heard many renditions of the song. I like the presentation of the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers.

CREEKSIDE COOKOUT

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On Memorial Day all our children, with their spouses and significant others (one so significant they will be married in October), and grandchildren, had a cookout down by our creek. All told there were 18 of us.

Before we ate I held up a poppy that I had bought from the VFW that morning, and explained the meaning of Memorial Day. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs that were loaded with chili, lettuce, tomato, onions, mustard, ketchup, pickles, etc. to go along with baked beans, potato salad, slaw, and chips. Homemade ice cream and cake fittingly topped off the meal.

Favorite activities were testing out the new swing, tubeing and wading in the creek, chasing through the woods, sword fighting with bamboo poles, and playing in the sprinkler.

Ahhhh ... the sweet taste of liberty in America!

CREEK COOKOUT

Last Sunday afternoon Cissy and I invited our five children and six grandchildren to join us for a cookout down by the creek. Everybody made it but Evan, who already had plans to go to Six Flags for its last day of the season.

We cooked hotdogs on the grill with all the fixins’, along with chili, slaw, apple pie, and smores! Yum! It was a gorgeous day to gather outside by the creek before cold weather arrives.

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SUMMER TIME

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. I like summer. Yes, sometimes it can be blistering hot. And oh, I have had some painful sunburns, particularly in my childhood before sunscreen came along.

Summer is a time for making memories with family vacations, croquet on the lawn, catching lightning bugs, grilling outside, backyard picnics, and making homemade ice cream.

Remember cranking that ice cream churn and pouring on the salt and wondering if the cream was ever going to freeze?

My generation remembers great songs about summer. Songs like “Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Day of Summer” (Nat King Cole), “Summer Wine” (Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood), “A Summer Song” (Chad & Jeremy), and “Summertime Summertime” (The Jamies).

One of my favorite songs anytime is “Summer Breeze” sung by Seals and Croft.

Of course, there is the old Gershwin song, “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess.” Then there is the array of tunes by the Beach Boys.

But for me beach music means sounds like songs from the juke box at places like “The Pad” at Ocean Drive beach on the Carolina coast.

Summertime to me is eating fresh fruit and vegetables. Silver queen corn, squash, green beans, tomatoes, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and peaches are just a few of the mouth watering delights of summer for me.

I read in the Bible from beginning to end that God says such food is “good.” The creation story recounts how “the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.”

The last chapter of the Scriptures starts with the words, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

I am ready for the “good ole summertime.” Our family enjoys playing in the creek behind our home and cooking out. Below are some photos of how we started this summer with Cissy’s children and grandchildren.

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