Last spring, I juggled at the Buxton, Maine Methodist church's mother / daughter banquet, and last week I got to do it again for the fathers and the sons.  Buxton is a small town in southern Maine, and the Methodist church there is a warm, friendly community of local believers.  Their pastor, Lynn Briggs, is the mom of one of my current students, himself a quick study in the art of juggling. 

I went to this show alone as Rose was absolutely exhausted from her first week back in school after a week in Disneyland with her older sister, Naomi,, and Naomi's fiancé, Jeremiah.  After setting up a 45 minute set, I joined the Briggs family at a table for the spaghetti and meatball dinner.  Very good for church food, and the cherry pie was terrific. 

After the meal, the show began.  It was in the church's fellowship hall in the basement, which meant low ceilings.  Nevertheless, I felt like I should do my three ring routine.  I knew I couldn't do the whole routine in that space without adaptations, so I quickly figured out some adjustments that worked.  We had a lot of fun throughout the show, but I spoke a little about the importance of the role of fathers.  I tried to encourage the dads to persevere and stay involved in their kids' lives.  After this, I closed with machete and sickle juggling.

After the show, an older man, Ron, came up to me and told me how much it meant to him.  He and his wife are raising their three grandchildren, and he talked about how hard it can be for them.  He appreciated the encouragement, and I told him I'd continue praying for him.  I'm sure he'd welcome the prayer of anyone reading this blog as well.