it's been an interesting week.

mother's day went fine ... had the encuentro sunday evening with a visiting pastor from costa rica bringing the devotional, and it turned out to be something more than what folks were used to hearing from me. it was much more evangelistic, much more emotional, much more animated than i usually am.

three women responded. one just had her baby boy prematurely, and he is still in the NICU in richmond, she developed severe preaclampsia, and her mother went up with her. she'll be dealing with high blood pressure for the rest of her life. the other woman is also pregnant and has developed gestational diabetes. they are all dealing with huge life events ... so there were lots of tears.

after it was over, i took 4 of the guys who came back to their workplace in white stone, 45 minutes away, and we had a chance to debrief from the evening. the concensus with them was that it was a little too much, a little too forced ... even confusing at times (the pastor did some jumping around in scripture, something that most of the folks who come to the gatherings are not accustomed to doing), and in reviewing his points and going on to the next, it ended up being a little repetitive for them.

today, i took the one who is due in june to a couple of dr's appointments in richmond, and we talked about the evening on the way over and some on the way back. she said it was an amazing experience for her. the pastor and his wife came out to her where she was sitting and prayed over her. she said she'd WANTED to go forward, but couldn't. she came away feeling ... not so alone, not so isolated, she felt like she was safe ... with the people who were there. it was about as diametrically an opposed reaction to the preaching as it could be from what the men experienced.

we're having the floors redone on the lower level over at church, and i went to look at them and they look GREAT.

cancelled the two meetings that were scheduled for tonight in part due to probable low turnout (a committee meeting (of which more than half the members are ill or were not going to be able to attend) and children's choir practice), so we have an evening to just be a familiy.

and maybe, just maybe, do a little straightening up of the house in preparation for the crowd that is coming to spend the weekend with us (Leslie's teammates from her summer missions team in college ... way back in 1984)

grace & peace

Kenny

ps: did i mention that i took one of our hispanic women to the hospital in fredericksburg friday morning? she called at 1 AM to tell me her water broke, she'd been having contractions since 7, and the man she was hoping would be able to take her was not going to be able to? i got to her place and picked her and her cousin up and we got to the hospital about 20 minutes before 3, and her son was born at 3 on the dot.

that's 3 for Leslie, 1 for me.

sheesh!