As I rolled into the fun trunk or treat, my first ever, I realized it’s an opportunity as well as a fun activity. This was at the local fire company, and I came to represent my little local church… and so I set up just like I set up two weeks ago at our community festival and offered rock painting plus free bible books for the kids and free scripture cards and of course snacks (I went with chips and cheese balls and rice krispie treats over straight candy)… This is the season of candy but these kids (amazingly so) are getting festivals and fun activities practically every weekend in the fall – wow – if their families bring them – and so snacks of substance is what I thought was better – (and wow the hotdog that I got from the fire company was the best free protein yum)…

So, I set up a table with some of my favorite science experiments… people have probably rarely or never seen science at events like this – the comments I got were asking if I was a science teacher (not but I am a scientist so I love to teach) and the best questions I got (which is why we have to be at the ready to be encouragers) were 1) “your church helps with homeless – how do I help this pair of people who live in their car”  – so I gave her a copy by email of resources in our community that our church put together and 2) the person having seen the children’s bible books I offered asked a bible question in a way that I could see that she didn’t want to be judged for not knowing – and I didn’t because honestly most people have not read the bible – she asked: “Did God say He would never flood the earth or never destroy the earth when the rainbow appeared?” – yeah great question and I quoted what I hoped was completely right (and checked it later) – “Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And then I cheerily talked about Revelation 21 (I had a bible handy in the giving pile and showed her the text) and that the earth would be eventually rolled away by God but a New Jerusalem (yes there is an old Jerusalem but this city will be new) will be appearing – and God will be our Light – yeah! Yeah how often do you get to casually chat about Revelation over Rice Krispie treats? YEAH!

We might be nervous to be there to answer questions but probably not as nervous as someone who gets up the nerve to ask it!

We put ourselves out there and wonder who is watching us – well – God’s children – of all ages… The frenzied nature of this world gives but small glimpses of people – and we are to see how we can encourage.

And I appreciated these community activities and these God-given gifters of candy and fun at the trunk and treat… I enjoyed the giving atmosphere (which is natural at a fire company too)… And I enjoyed a moment to be known as a church-lady (which kind of gives you that opportunity to relax and take the part) and yet out in a public space… And as for the science – well that is a great gig – a great way to start conversations about science and about curiosity – staying curious and asking questions – and that is in life and science and faith and everything…

It was an exhausting joy – and I had no idea they were doing voting, so I think it was the cutest thing for a couple of kids who came back up to me and told me that they voted for me. Sweet. And I thanked the Lord that He was still making encouragers in this world… they were cute… often in these events, some of the kids become your instant helpers and some want to teach alongside you and so you have to see if it’s a good match or if you should just take over… the ones that were helpful this time are surely the future teachers in the world, it’s nice to see that in advance. And of course, some kids just want to do it again and again and again, and that’s okay with me when I’m cleaning up,  that this is keeping them busy, and I keep one eye on them, and it becomes like science-fun babysitting, while their families are packing up their stations. . . (and PS I won 2nd prize – will put that $20 towards more snacks for next week when I become science and crafts with glitter at another trunk and treat with a friend – not a church station but still an encourager in me opportunity… FUN!!!)

ANYWAY – A BLESSING OF A DAY – IN THE SUNSHINE – IN CHILDS’ AND GOD’S PLAY…

Genesis 9:8-17 God’s Covenant With Noah

God said to Noah and sons: “As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

PS – Red Cabbage juice is made by boiling red cabbage in water and then adding some vinegar (acid, makes it pink) or adding baking soda (or other base, making it blue green) Anthocyanin is a pH indicator and changes the structure ever so slightly with acid or base.

PS – Slime is made from white glue diluted equal volumes with water and then stir and add borax laundry soap dissolved in water and wow instant slime… You might be surprised at how surprised I am that so many people don’t allow the making of slime in their houses… whereas I keep a box of borax available all the time, LOL, has lasted me years… I only learned about slime later – my kids were older so mostly I did slime with scouts… This day I put away the food coloring after the first kid used too much – pretty but scary – since these kids had on fancy costumes. just glue… My advice is not letting kids take slime home – it doesn’t last anyway – so make it, play and leave it… often it is not the kids short attention span – it is the short schedule or patience of the parents that interrupts play… I think back that it was so valuable as a child that I had seemingly long stretches of time to play…

Revelation 21 NIV

A New Heaven and a New Earth

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.