Thankful Thursday!

"Thankful Thursday" actually posted on a Thursday - imagine that!  Maybe it's because it all started last night when . . .

Micah and I went to a Christian College Fair in Chaska.  Micah is interested in going to a Christian college, but she would like to stay in Minnesota.  The first college we saw at the fair was Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.  My friend, Patti (Wilger) Hunter, is a provost there.  The representative, of course, knew her.  But she didn't know the Patti I knew - the Patti of Eagle Lake Camp who went mountain climbing and square dancing and camping.  Good memories of good times.

The next college was Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.  The oldest daughter of the first pastor I remember from our home town church married the (now retired) athletic director at Northwestern.  Of course the representative knew Barry and Laura Brandt.  And while I didn't actually know Laura, I certainly had fun with her younger sisters, twins Mary and Marla, because they were my age.  More good memories . . . 

Just across the aisle from Northwestern was Calvin College, located somewhere in Michigan.  I knew of Calvin College because my first course manager at Sand Creek, Calvin Joustra, graduated from Calvin College.  Calvin came to Sand Creek with his wedding party this summer and I met a lot more Calvin graduates.  One of my favorite Calvin memories was on the Fourth of July in 2014 when he zipped the entire course carrying the American flag!  It was awesome!

I am thankful for these memories and more because I have them.  One of my friends from our Ukrainian team this summer, Ben Utech, is losing his memory due to multiple concussions and I can't imagine his loss.  So I am thankful for this gift . . .