Casual Encounter

Shirlena surprised me last night. She was in Bellingham with her three children and three foster children. We all went to Olive Garden. The children had pizza and I had mussels cooked in butter, garlic, and wine. I also had the best chicken gnocchi soup ever!

We had six children ages 9 and under: 9, 8, 6, 3, and TWO 2-year olds. I was delighted at how well mannered they all were. I think it's important to take very young children to nice restaurants and not just pizza and burger joints. How will children learn good manners if they never have an opportunity to use them?

Said of prayer of blessing for a foster grandaughter. She is leaving Shirlena's home today and going to live with an aunt. May God bless her on her journey.

Put up a flat of raspberries and 3 flats of strawberries for winter.

I had a routine blood draw this morning. The lab worker was named Josh. I talked about my wonderful son-in-law, also named Josh, who recently bought me software. I told him I used LOGOS software for Bible study and asked if was interested in the Bible.

“Uh, no,” he answered.

And that might have been the end of it; I was with him for less than two minutes. But I add people like him to my “Encounters” prayer list: I type “Josh, the phlebotomist at St. Jo’s” into my prayer calendar. I set it to remind me to pray for him regularly. Some people have no one else to pray for them, so I never take encounters like this as “casual” encounters. Rather they are opportunities to pray for those who may have no one else to pray for them.

Lord draw Josh to you; may he answer when you call. Put your fire into his heart; may he burn with desire to know and serve you. May he be filled with a passion to read your Word.