I received in my e-mail this morning a very encouraging note regarding my speaking last week to three groups of AWANA kids up at Country Bible Church in Blair, Nebraska. I have maintained for several years that this is my favorite speaking engagement of the year. And it remains so. After all, I have connections to Blair that go back as far as when I first hitchhiked into Nebraska back in...oh my...1970. And I really love these kids and deeply respect the AWANA leaders there.
And maybe, like anything else that is a yearly part of my schedule, it serves as a milestone. That quiet nighttime drive to Blair and back provides a nice hour for me to reflect on the year gone by since I last did the gig.
Among the topics I've talked to these kids about over the years have been Christmas, Balaam's talking donkey, an encounter with a giant spider in Nigeria, my childhood adventure featuring The Black Paw, a dramatic night when I learned what a hero my Dad was, my experiences at orphanages in Burkina Faso, India and Belarus, and more. Like I said, I've had a blast.
Anyhow, the note actually was forwarded to me by the person who had initially received it. She sent it over as an encouragement (this dear lady has been a cheerleader for our ministry for many years) and Claire suggested I print it here as a reminder to those of you with church, Sunday School, home school group, private school and AWANA club connections that, in addition to speaking to university students, preaching to adults, talking to pro-life groups and debating the anti-life crowd, I do speak to kids.
Here's the note: "Last Wednesday at Awana, Denny spoke. He did a beautiful job at storytelling. He basically told us of his experiences as a young Boy Scout in Colorado and how he “didn’t read the book” or “study” how to be prepared. As a result he and his friends had a miserable camping trip complete with sliding down the hillside in the pouring rain and waking up in a stream. He emphasized that we as Christians need to “read the book” and apply what we learn or we are going to end up in the crick.
He did a beautiful job with the “be prepared” and “apply what you study” message he presented. Because of what he said last week, the Sparks and Cubbies will be learning what to do with a personal quiet time; what it is; how to focus purposeful attention on God..."
So, if you have any of the connections I mentioned above, please consider asking me along to speak. As has been our custom ever since we started this work back in 1982, there is no charge for my speaking. And if we can fit it into the schedule, I would sure love to.
And, after all, don't you yourself want to hear the rest of the details about that disastrous camping trip?
