The next exciting adventure of Sherlock Holmes as read by my dear and rambunxious reader, Ethan.

I do look forward to the sweet sound of your constantly changing voice, left delicately on my MP3 player. The story is engaging. The thoughtfulness that this is something that your mother would delight in is appreciated by me. I do listen, or I have listened to the first of your podcasts for me. I was surprised that amid the tumult of last evening's family dispute, for lack of a better word, perhaps feud, more aptly describes it, that you could concentrate to leave me a podcast is intriguing. We big family people have an uncanny ability to catapult ourselves outside of some of the most tumultuous circumstances, when necessary. I don't know if you did it on purpose, or just weren't aware of the tumult, or uninterested. In any case, your present is well received today and I will listen with engagement. I love you dear boy.

The Grand Prix!

What an adventure was this year's Grand Prix. Ethan spent the entire first day of the prep time, designing the vehicle that he wanted to carve out of the block of wood. The joys of being thirteen is knowing that this design that you will create could win or lose the AWANA Grnad Prix. I love the enthusiasm. I love the determination of the dear boys, that God has given me. Ethan could hardly wait for this occasion. Precious little, really excites the thirteen year old mind. He is not like earlier days, when an hour laughing at a good book was enough to delight him. The videogames and the pressures of adolescence dull the emotions and it is fogged up, but every once in a while the glee of boyhood sparkle in his eyes and he is his old self again. Grand Prix was that for my Ethan. The guarded excitement was upon us and we had to go to the provided sessions for building the vehicles. Ethan forgot his design at home. Sadly, we sent Dad, to get it, but he was unable to find it. {later, we found that the design had bunched itself between the drawer where it had been placed.} Now, what to do? Now, back to the drawing board for the frustrated designer. He diligently set to try to recall the original design. Of course, there was the frustration and tears of a son of mine who is emotional about such things. I am sorry that I gave them my delicate emotional state, but it is providence and through the tears he designed again. Thank God, an encouraging Pastor came alongside and gave just the right encouragement that got my boy over his hill of frustration. It got done. This was the design he was aiming at. Now, to the jigsaw... Encouraging gentlemen showed my fine fellow the steady hand that would carve out of wood the thoughts of his mind. What a lesson in delivery he learned. What a blessing, to have people aiding the molding of my boy's character, in this session. He didn't win, but the lessons learned will carry him through the years of his life, with strength and persistence and the asking of others for help, you can enter and complete the race, as well. Few people know how much the attention of others is cherished in a big family. The glances of reality, not just part of a group, but an individual with real and individual aspirations. Sometimes, it is one person's glance that ignites the spark that carries the car across the finish line. Thank you AWANA.