Of plans and friends and migratory visitors...

Pogo was beside herself, as she looked out the patio slider from our bedroom. There, right in the middle of her yard, a beautiful pair of Mallard ducks settled into the fish pond. They bathed themselves. They ate of the rich supply of algae clinging to the rocks. In short, they were doing what ducks do, and minding their business about it. Pogo, on the other hand, was furious. She barked incessantly. She jumped off the floor at least three feet straight up (incidentally, now you know where she got her name!), and she ran back and forth between the bedroom slider and the dining room door, through which she is usually let out to "her" yard to do her chores.

The ducks stayed for a few minutes and then they departed as quietly as they had come. It was several minutes before Pogo was allowed to go out and "protect" her territory. When she was, she barked furiously at...nothing. We were told that the fox terrier is a comical breed, and Pogo has never disappointed us in that regard!

Jill is off to socialize with a couple of her favorite friends. They are from different circles, though, so she is meeting them serially, rather than in a group. The first is a dear friend from the neighborhood where Jill raised her girls. They have been friends for 25 or 30 years. The second friend is from our church. She and Jill served together in the women's ministry for many years. Jill literally served meals, while Elaine is a Bible study leader. The two of them have had a mutual admiration society going on ever since.

Jill's absence has given me an opportunity to work on preparation for a series of presentations on God's design for the family. I will be presenting to the young singles' group at church in the month of April. I am very excited for the opportunity to present this material to a generation that knows nothing of Ward and June Cleaver and their boys. In this era of glass ceilings and over-achieving; of skyrocketing rates of both divorce and co-habitation; of families with two "moms" or two "dads;" of absent fathers and stressed out single moms, these young people need to hear about what the Bible has to say about God's building block of society, the family. After all, they will be the next generation to whom God entrusts the advancement of His kingdom. My generation has failed Him miserably in this regard, and we need to stem the tide.

Because God has a purpose for the family and for society, ignoring His plans for them is like throwing away the blueprint before building the house. Eventually, the carpenter might come up with something that will serve as shelter, but it certainly would never be mistaken for the Taj Mahal. God has called me to help build His kingdom one family at a time, first through our premarital/marital counseling ministry, and now through this ministry of teaching about the Biblical design for the family. My wonderful wife is fully on board with these endeavors, and she encourages me daily in my pursuit of God's calling for us as a couple. How truly blessed I am.