Traveling Circus

Last night Miranda and I took the kids to a traveling circus. It wasn’t really something we planned, but we heard about it (and heard it was cheap) and decided we’d check it out. It was great! We got to sit about 10 feet from the center ring. The elephants walked between us and the ring. Kasen and I also rode an elephant. Miranda says I looked really out of place. That’s OK – I’m amazed at the things I find myself doing for my children. Thought I’d put up a few pics. (Not sure how it happened, but we didn’t get even one picture with Miranda and Kesleigh.)
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Stories I Need to Tell – Swan

One of the classic questions used by youth ministers in “get to know you”-type games is this: If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why? My standard answer to that question comes from an experience I had in a park one day. I was feeding the ducks out on a dock in a park when I was in college, and there were two swans out quite a distance from the dock.
06-08-26I didn’t want them to miss out, so I threw the bread as far as I could out near them. One of the swans would pick up the piece of bread and then drop it in front of the other one, then he would eat it. Eventually I was able to get them near the dock, and each time I threw the bread the swan would take it to the other one to eat. I soon realized that one of them was blind. The one who could see was bringing the food to him.

So what animal would I be? I’d be a swan – I just don’t know wether I’d want to be the one who provided for his friend, or the blind one who was able to trust that God would provide for him. It’s my prayer that I can live my life in both ways – trusting God to provide and serving the people around me.