A visit with Katie and Savanna

We had not seen Katie & Savanna for over six weeks. Actually the last mention of them in the calendar is July 18th! That's hard to believe. It didn't feel as though we had been away that long. But in any case, we saw them yesterday - we went to Shutesbury, had tea and scones (made both by Ellen and Katie), and tea sandwiches, and had a good visit. Savanna is doing very well, which was great to see. They had a fire going in the living room stove, which felt good - it was a lovely day, but chilly. The drive down and back was quite lovely because there is more fall foliage in Massachusetts than in Vermont right now. Which is odd - it usually comes earlier in the more northern areas. Our scones and sandwiches didn't quite add up to supper, so we stopped at Frontier Pizza and got a small pizza, and each had two pieces in the car. We ate the rest for lunch today. For the past several days I have been reading aloud from Brian McLaren's book, Should I Stay Christian?. It is a compelling book - Richard Rohr said (on the cover) that he "couldn't stop reading it," and I can see why - it carries you right along. It is divided into 3 parts: (1) Reasons why one should answer "No!" to the question in the title. (2) Reasons why one should answer "Yes!" and (3) How one should live regardless of what one decides. McLaren is pouring his heart into this book. The question in very exisential for him - not just a catchy title. And it seems to be an existential question for many whom he encounters in his day-to-day life and work. I would say it is a "must-read" for anyone who says they are a Christian.

Brian McLaren

\ Color on our drive

Good pizza!