For several years now, we have been juggling at a local grocery store's community Christmas party.  Our church's worship team, BAWT plays this event as well.  We set up in front of the lobster tank and adjacent to the produce section.  The band played for 40 minutes or so - classic Christmas carols - then Rose and I came on and did a set, then we did it all over again.  In the end, Rose and I did two shows as well as a lot of walk-around juggling.  Rose is getting pretty good with three balls as well as diabolo. 

This is, to say the least, a very unique venue, and families come in by the hundreds.  The most interesting part is that the store has no problem with us doing biblical routines, and the audiences never seem to have an issue with it either.  I don't know if it's that people are more open to the Gospel at Christmas time or that the use of entertainment makes the message easier to be open to.  Maybe it's just that the Gospel in the public forum is not as bothersome to people as the rare but highly publicized cases we read about make it seem.  I don't know, but everyone I saw was having fun.  Of course Santa was there, too, as were a variety of other costumed characters.  Sue was there with Xavier, a two year old from our church.  He didn't have the patience to wait in line for Santa, but loved the Cookie Monster and Winnie the Pooh characters.

One of the more perplexing costumes was a great bald eagle.  I don't remember him in the manger or at the north pole.  Regardless, the eagle was my favorite as inside the costume was Joey, a student of mine from three years ago (and himself an accomplished juggler).  In fact, three other former students were in the audience at various times throughout the evening.  It was a special treat the Lauren came by.  It had been way too long since we had seen her.  All in all it was a great evening.