"Back Home Again in Indiana ..."

I continue to enjoy my time in Indiana with supporting churches, family, and friends. Last Sunday morning, I left the home of college classmates in Petersburg and drove to Fellowship Baptist Church north of Jasper. There I spoke in Sunday school and briefly in their morning service. It was good to see friends I've known for years, and to meet new ones. 

After church, several of the people from church took me out for dinner. We ate Chinese food and spent time getting to know each other better. 

I had to leave that group to get to Huntingburg, where I was scheduled to meet a cousin I'd not seen in the past five years. We sat and chatted at the Subway restaurant (I didn't eat; she hadn't had lunch) and caught up on all the news. She and her husband are missionaries in SE Asia, so there were many things to talk about. I returned to my younger sister's house outside of Boonville late that afternoon. 

Tuesday morning a friend picked me up and we went to Oakland City, where we met the pastor's wife and had lunch, before I spoke to the ladies' Bible study. Again, I enjoyed meeting with people whom I've known for many years. I also met their (new to me) youth pastor's wife. 

Wednesday evening, I spoke at University Heights Baptist Church. My niece, Rebekah, asked if her older children could accompany me to church that evening, since they had never heard me speak. She wanted them to hear me speak before my retirement. That was a new experience for me, but the children behaved very well. I had been invited to have dinner with the pastor and his wife. When I called her to decline dinner because of having the three children with me, she (who has raised a houseful of children) told me to bring them along. They made me proud as we sat together at the table. They are well-disciplined children. 

I spoke that evening to the children's JOY club and then to the adults. Again, I met with people I've known for years. as well as meeting some news ones. I always enjoy doing that. 

I spent part of Thursday with my niece and her children, and then celebrated her dad's birthday at her house that evening. Her husband grilled hamburgers to perfection (which, for me, means there was not a hint of pink inside, while the outside was not burned), and she and my great-niece prepared the rest of the meal.  

Yesterday, I met with two cousins who I'd not seen for two years, except on Facebook, and met the (new to me) daughter-in-law of one of them, when we had lunch at Arby's restaurant. Last evening I had dinner with my niece and her family -- homemade pizza, which I've not had in years. It was good. Of course, being at my niece's house also means being with her three older children and the latest of my "greats."  

Today was a walk down memory lane in Huntingburg. I had lunch at one of their more recent restaurants, Fat & Sassy's, ran into a cousin whom I've not seen in person for many, many years, but with whom I've renewed friendship through Facebook, did some shopping, drove by the church where the Lord graciously saved my soul in 1957, and put some artificial flowers on my parents' tombstone. Afterwards I drove up to the farm on which I lived and grew up, which evoked even more memories. 

It's been a good week.