It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

The summer theme for the youth group at the church we are attending right now is "Old School". The Youth Minister is taking Bible stories that a lot of the kids have heard when they were younger in sunday school, and using them in a new way to speak to where the kids are now in this current stage of life. It' a really fun concept, and the gigantic flanal boards that are used to recreate the story as it is being told is awesome!! Because this is a throw back to younger years, another thing we do is have the actual text of the Bible in each sotry read by Mr. Rogers, who makes his signautre singing entrance each evening that we have youth group. Guess who got drafted to be Mr. Rogers? That's right, me. It's pretty funny I think. I messed up the song the second time because the zipper of my cardigan got caught on my tie as I was singing and changing into my "leisure wear". So I get flustered with my zipper and start singing again a line to late, and I'm a stanza behind for the rest of the song until the music abruptly shuts off while iI'm still asking the audience if they would be my neighbor.

Well, I was talking to someone about Mr. Rogers and he was a really amazing guy. He used the medium of television to reach millions of children, and he did this because he knew that for some kids he would be the only one in their life that could treat them lovingly and be a positive influence. Fred Rogers was a shining light for a lot of lonely kids. If that's not missions I don't know what is. Did you know that the whole time Fred Rogers was getting his TV show off the ground he was enrolled in seminary and studying to be a minister as well? I thought that this was just something goofy to get a laugh out of the kids, but once I learned a little more about Mr. Rogers, I realized what an awesome impact he made in this world. I hope that I can be a shining light to the children and youth in Verona and treat them with the love, care , and respect that Fred Rogers did every weekday afternoon on PBS.

Alright I have to go. It's time to feed the fish...

Brandon