"The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing." - Marcus Aurelius

Do you think she knows?

I'm sitting in the Gerald R. Ford airport waiting for my flight from Grand Rapids to O'Hare. I have a 2-hour layover and then make the flight from Chicago to Portland where Pam will meet me. Then the 2:15 hour drive HOME. I'm ready. And because this is our 46th anniversary it's a particularly good day to be returning.

I have no idea how my sermon at camp went. None. I know in my head that the opinion of only one Person matters, but it would be nice if others gave it a thumbs-up. (did He??) In the past my sermons there have been more engaging (the word entertaining seems inappropriate) but trying for a crowd pleaser almost guarantees that the One whose Word I proclaim sits in the shadows behind the preacher, something wholly unacceptable. So I went into this one praying that God would be pleased and honored by my sermon and that they'd find it helpful in whatever way he designed. Alas, there's no metric for assessing that.

Afterward I went 1/2 mile away to the home of Bill & Jan Velting for an outstanding "Sunday dinner" of pot roast and all the fixin's. Jan is an old fashioned hostess in that regard; putting on a spread is her way of showing the love. Around the table sat a group of Celebration old-timers: Ken & Sue Wiley, Tim & Marybeth Molenkamp, and Dawn & Everrett (sorry, don't know her new married name). Table conversation and post-meal discussion were wonderful and powerful, the latter because we talked about Bill's life following an aorta dissection about 14 months ago that took him as close to death as a person can go and has led to a very difficult recovery. Potent stuff.

From there to Bonnie & Mike's new (to them) home in Alto, MI. They're married all of three days and beginning their new life as a blended family. I don't know Mike well, having only met him a few times, but I can see why Bonnie is fond of the guy. Good, easy, conversation.

Then back to my MIL's for a short visit before going to BED. It was a long and eventful day that left me pooped.

I'll gain three hours on my flights west. When do I eat what meals? My diet since leaving has been very different from what I eat at home and I'm feeling it, another reason to get back into the routine. I'm a bit concerned about the 5k I'm doing Saturday, given that I haven't run since last Tuesday and had more to eat in a day than I usually consume in two.

I think I'm going to walk down the terminal and find something light to eat, then have b'fast in Chicago. Compression stockings are on, I ate salty chips yesterday, hydrated with noncaffeinated beverages, and have been praying (Pam, too). Beyond that...it's his call.