Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. – Psalm 127:3

I have two posts to share today. First, Rebekah and I enjoyed a really good visit with Heather and Sarah Alexander. Sarah is on one of those “Let’s skip school for a few days and visit colleges I will probably not even apply to” trips with her mom. Heather is happily along for the ride.

They rolled in Saturday in time for dinner then spent a relaxing Sunday at Maul Hall. It was great to be able to have them with us for “in-person” worship at WFPC. Then in the afternoon Sarah and I took a long walk around North Main looking for some springtime blooms to photograph. We found surprisingly little color on display, but we did enjoy some great conversation.

Sarah marks the youngest end of the Bob and Nell Alexander (Rebekah’s parents) grandchildren as they have grown up. Between them, Rebekah and her siblings have ten children, aged 17-39. Sarah heading off to college marks the end of a 40-year era!

My niece is a voracious reader, she is a person of faith, and she is learning how to be a well-informed critical thinker. If America needs anything in the way of a smart new generation with useful skills to put to work in this world, then I would argue we need young adults equipped to think clearly, make informed decisions, and ask penetrating questions – citizens who are unafraid to challenge assumptions and willing to engage in respectful dialogue with people who hold differing viewpoints. I believe Sarah is well on the way.

I’ve got to say, all of our nieces and nephews are turning out to be very cool young adults!

Here she is, along with Rebekah and her mom, Heather. I will share my other photos in a separate post.

Happy Monday! – DEREK