Every summer I direct a summer camp in Mapleton, Maine, and every summer the town of Mapleton has a community festival called "Mapleton Daze" and every Mapleton Daze weekend there is a parade, and almost every summer that I have been up here for Mapleton Daze I have juggled in the parade.  Today was the Mapleton Daze parade, and I was going to go with a group of counselors from my camp to juggle in the parade while they passed out information about the camp.

At 7:30 this morning, however, I got a phone call regarding some camp business.  While everything is fine, this call did set off a series of phone conversations, paperwork and a couple impromptu administrative meetings.  I would not be in the parade this year.

So we pulled the staff that were planning on helping together and asked them to do it anyway.  We called my daughter, Naomi, on her cell phone, woke her up, and asked if she'd juggle (she was hoping to catch up on her sleep).  Our 11 year, Rose, is quite accomplished with the diabolo, as is a CIT named Tyler.  The three of them would be the entertainment while other staff carried a banner and handed out brochures.  By the time they were back at camp, I was finished with my unexpected business, and everyone went about their day off plans.  

Then, this afternoon I received another phone call.  The Baptist Park staff had won first place in the parade this year!  Obviously, I am very proud of this, but I have to ask, "How did they win this year and I have never even placed in all the years I juggled in this event?"  Not very humble, I know, but I thought what I thought, so I might as well not pretend.  Then another thought occurred to me.  I'm not a solo act, I'm part of the Supreme Court Jesters, a family ministry.  There are many shows, especially now that our two oldest are in college, in which I perform alone or just with Rose and my wife, Sue.  So the Supreme Court Jesters were still part of the parade, only this time it was our two youngest daughters (and the a fore mentioned Tyler) who carried the ball...or juggled them!