Changes : 5

Our "Vacation Bible School" ended on Thursday night after 5 days of wandering through the desert to the "promised land." I helped with "arts and crafts" where we made paper-plate tambourines and coffee filter flowers for celebration, painted stones to symbolize the gift of "the 10 commandments," and layered sand art to help us remember our time in the desert. Much fun was had by all, and it was a joy to watch the littlest ones of our church navigate their way through the strange and wonderful mixture of Episcopal tradition and frivolity.

While looking at the mid-July dates for VBS at the beginning of the summer, I knew that its conclusion would mark the beginning of our journey out of summer towards the beginning of school. And true to form, I couldn't sleep on Thursday night because of the lists my brain kept making about school supplies, uniforms and shoes, summer reading, and all those cleaning projects both at home and work that haven't been completed yet. Our promised land has been this summer, and I don't want to leave it. I need to find a way to carry it with us through the busy, hectic days of the school year when dinners start late, homework is difficult, and it's hard to find the time for a walk or the gym.

Seasons change, and summer will turn to fall. I just wish that the first day of school would wait till closer to fall, too.

One more change: it was one 9-year-old girl's last year to be a VBS participant. Next year she is a "helper," and oh, she is excited about that!