Last weekend was our home church’s Christmas pageant.  The church was packed with regulars and many guests coming to see their grandkids or nieces and nephews acting out a couple of skits and being the main attraction of the service for a change.  Our 11 year old, Rose, who loves the stage, was a candle and she played the part well.  She had, we are told, 20 lines, and she never practiced with us at home.   She knew her part from rehearsals and practicing with her friend, Grace, before school each morning.  Her mom did a great job making a costume, so she really was convincing in the part.  To make it an even better morning,  our  two older daughters were home from Nyack College just in time to see the pageant.

I was asked to do a routine during the service, and I performed my new “I Saw Three Ships” routine that includes contact, toss and kendama juggling along with one illusion.  I had only performed it once before, and it was even better the second time.  It will be a keeper.

After church we had a pot luck in the fellowship hall, and, as usual, the food was delicious and plentiful!  A lady visiting from Michigan sat with us and expressed an interest in our ministry.  We gave her a card and told her we’d be happy to come to Michigan if travel and housing were covered.  We’ll see what happens.

The highlight for me, besides seeing Rose ‘shine’ on stage, was when a Muslim lady who has been visiting our church often lately told me how much she enjoyed “I Saw Three Ships”, and shook my hand.  She is an African immigrant who still practices Islam, including the traditional garb, but she really likes our church, and I was proud to have been a blessing to her that day.