It was almost a week ago, on Friday, June 10, 2022, which became quite the eventful day in our family. Both of our "children" became something new on that day, and we couldn't be happier.
  | Pride of Oklahoma There have been some uphill battles for our daughter, but, slowly and surely, the young lady is recovering from those battles. On June 10, I drove her to Norman, Oklahoma, so she could participate in her first actual college class. Recently, she received word that she qualified to be in the marching band at the University of Oklahoma. Securing a position onto The Pride of Oklahoma is not an easy achievement, but there I was, dropping her off at the Catlett Music Center with the intention of leaving her there for a six our band orientation/practice session. This aspiring Music Education major was thrilled to meet other first-year members, section leaders, and directors during the day, and she was on Cloud Nine when it was all over, anticipating the hard work and the fellowship that comes along with being a part of such a prestigious group. It's definitely not an easy path to follow, but at least it is a path of her choosing, this time, and we wish her the best as she begins the regular school year at OU in August. |
| Green Valley Bible Camp Then, during the same evening, I received a text from a friend, telling me that our son expressed a desire to be baptized at camp. Our family takes such a desire very seriously, understanding Scripture's instruction to submit to immersion to contact the blood of Jesus' sacrifice and to receive the forgiveness of sins. I talked to the young man on the phone beforehand to see what he was thinking. He told me he was aware of some weak choices he has made, and he knew he needed to repent now. He was uncharacteristically solemn, and had been in tears with the realization. This young man is always good for a surprise. He could not and would not wait until he got home from Bible camp, and that tells me he understands something about the urgency of baptism. I would have liked to have been present, but I am not willing to deny anyone the urgency and the importance of being immersed for the forgiveness of his sins. |   |
I encourage you to follow the examples of my children. One is successfully overcoming some great challenges during the last couple of years and is moving forward in spite of lingering issues still unmastered. The other has begun a Christian journey that we pray will be fruitful and effective. Both are pressing forward in difficult endeavors, but the decisions they have made are ones that will alter their lives in positive ways. If you don't understand our emphasis on these things, I am always happy to discuss them with you, with positivity, from Scripture.
