Events of Sunday, August 8, 2010 

After almost a month away from church, we enjoyed worshiping this morning with The Journey North Community Church that Mark and Elizabeth planted in 2004. In his Sunday message, Mark contrasted two men, Elimelech (from Ruth 1) and Cornelius (from Acts 10). As a husband and dad, I feel challenged to flee the former’s fearful negativity and to emulate the latter’s courageous faith. After the service, the ladies joined Elizabeth in dropping off Rebekkah and Bethany at camp. Meanwhile, Ben and I volunteered in a Sunday school classroom, shepherding 25 delightful and squirrely preschoolers.

Next, we enjoyed learning the Bjorlo tradition of a slow-paced mid-afternoon Sunday dinner. What a feast! Afterward, we took a walk around Lake Sylvan. The walk presented an opportunity to focus on the positives (the beauty of creation, the exercise of walking, and the joys of family and friendship) and to overlook the negatives (oppressive humidity and mosquitoes that are too stupid to notice bug repellent).  The kids enjoyed dipping their feet in the cool lake. On the lake bottom they found some gorgeous shells: some were iridescent rainbow shades and others were nearly transparent spiral coils. Having successfully completed the three-mile walk, we refreshed ourselves with ice cream and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.