Driving my kids to school this morning, Landon quipped, ? Only 29 more days of school. ? I guess I hadn?t thought about it ? that another school year could be coming and going so quickly. Sunday morning before early worship Esther Hightower remarked that April was almost over. I guess I hadn?t thought about it ? that a full month - third of 2005 is almost come and gone. It becomes more and more evident to me as I slip into middle age that time does go faster the older you get.

     I suppose schedule, and payments, and demands on your time prevent you from realizing how little time is out there. Time does just slip ? perhaps even, slide ? by. It disappears into the crevices of our calendars and soon we look up and wonder where time went. We think of all the things we meant to do ? words we meant to say ? people we meant to go see ? and, often little of what we intended ever got done.

     I write out of a certain amount of experience. Many times what has been described in the previous two paragraphs describes how I sometimes feel. I suspect that you know some of that, too. I suspect that even our children feel time pressures. I?m not sure that is such a good thing for them.

     This seemed the appropriate time to consider our frenetic pace because summer does approach. And, in the life of the church, there are some good experiences that can be lived ? if we schedule our time. This morning I am attending a meeting to put together the framework for the mission trip. Probably during the conversation some time will be spent talking about summer camps or CPYC. All of these events provide opportunity for experiences that lead to deeper and richer lives ? for our children, our youth, and our adults who participate.

     I hope that as your family plans out their summer these activities will be given high priority. There will not be a better way to spend time than in the pursuit of more knowledge of and more service to God?s kingdom.

     Grace and peace