5Ws and How: Parts III-VI

This "Catch Up" blog is brought to you by Heinz...

In the midst of summer vacation, (why do those words go together again?!?), I have stopped in some of the following exciting American cities:

* Ames, IA
* Blue Springs, MO

* Belle Plain, KS

* Caddo, OK
* Galveston, TX - the beach is beautiful
* Joplin, MO

* Rowena, SD

* Fairmont, MN

...but before I can blog on all that good stuff. I'm helplessly behind again. I loathe leaving items unfinished, so here is my "catch up" on the series I started earlier:

5Ws...Part III
WHERE Is The Best Place To Stay In Cataract, Wisconsin?
Yes, you will have your choice of 13 luxury hotels in this lovely community, but do not fall for them. The only 5-Star place "Life, Liberty & the Pursuit" endorses is the Unverzagt Bed & Breakfast. We had a blast staying with Pastor Jonathan and Hope and fam.

What were the totals again? 4 Adults and 14 Children...no, 15 Kids. It didn't seem like that many. It was great to share with the Christ Is Lord Church family. I love that your name reflects your approach to understanding Jesus.

Your choice in youth directors...well, we can visit more about that later. What am I to say? Daniel's one of my best friends.

5Ws...Part IV
WHEN To Start Looking For A Youth Director?

Today.

I suppose I should expand on that. Over the first 12 months in the position, I notice that numbers of students in a certain age group often push a congregation to make the leap to pursue a youth director. That's understandable. I am just wondering since the majority of the 33 million American teenagers are NOT connected to a local Bible-believing, Jesus-preaching church, when will that number push us to do something?

5Ws...Part V

WHO To Visit When You Travel To The Ukraine?
In my office this spring, I had Pastor Tomasz Chmiel (EEMN Missionary to Ukraine) and Pastor Alexander Gross (German Lutheran Church in Ukraine). It was an tremendous time to share about what the Lord is doing in today's teens in different parts of the globe. Tomasz and his wife Miriam have recently returned to eastern Europe after being in Mpls. Here's their website -- http://www.chmiels.com/.

5Ws...Part VI
WHAT To Do When An Infant About To Be Baptized Spits Up?
It was my pleasure to baptize the third child of a couple that I knew in Fergus. I had been asked to baptize child #1 and child #2 during our years there, so when the request came for child #3, we were ready to go. The private ceremony was warm and informal. After reading the powerful Scriptures about our sin nature and Jesus' promise, the child promptly deposited some liquid on mom. Burp rag in place, neither mom nor child were marked by it. I turned to those assembled and said, "In some ways, that response is so appropriate. We are guilty of our sin. It is right there -- mess and all. By God's Word, we need Jesus to clean us up. It is all of Him!" With that the child received the grace promised through being grafted into Christ.

Next time, I'll move on to something actually from summer.
I can't remember...is it 'catsup' or 'ketchup'?