50 States Day 43

Day 43   83 Miles

Church Surch

"Always do right.  This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

Mark Twain

Today's Church tested differently as Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church is my sister's stomping grounds. Pretty easy to meet people when Sis is boucing from one person to another, one pastor to another, and introducing me. It ranked a bit low on the friendly test however, as I tried to strike up a conversation that went nowhere and then no one approached me, alone in the foyer to initiate dilogue either. 

This church is alive, though. Pastor Monty Wright preaches redemption, telling us we need to live in Genesis 1 and 2, not Genesis 3. If you don't get it, read them. 1 and 2 was God's ultimate, first intention for us. Good stuff!

Every church has their own way of doing things, and SVA has a few. Pastor Monty tells us that if we would like to go forward during worship for prayer, feel free to do so, and folks did. Also, he offered communion to anyone who would like to, on each side. Sis and I did, part of the few who did. Hmm.

What I loved about this church besides it's excellent worship was that a good proportion of men unabashedly sang and worshipped the Lord. Very cool! So many churches have missing or wimpy men, but this church rocked! 

The church is growing, Kristen (an Associate Pastor) told me, and we both admitted that growth is a wonderful challenge for a church.

I like what the sign says as you exit the parking lot:

So get out there and make a difference!

The Northwest Swing Party

My neice Leah and sister Colleen graciously put together this party at Idylwood Park in Redmond Washington, home of Micrososoft. That's a software company if you haven't heard of it. Has a few employees.

The drive from Snoqualmie, through Fall City (home of Snoqualmie Falls) features narrow roads winding through the forest like a bike commercial. Swing right, swing left, straight, left again and slow for a tight turn, with a constant barrage of green towering on either side, puncuated with native purple blooming rhododendrons forty feet in circumference. 

Here's the two step process to grow anything in the Seattle area: 1. Plant it. 2. Wait. 

The park sits on Lake Sammamish, and today's weather is... you didn't guess it, pretty darn nice. When the sun shines in the Pacific Northwest, life is great. Canoes, wakeboards, kayaks and ski boats zip across the water at various speeds. 

Friends and relatives gathered with a cornucopia of food; casseroles, meatballs, chips, cookies and pie. People migled and talked, the kids never stopped running except to grab a morsel of food to keep them running for another half hour until they flew past the table again. 

The kids taught us how to play 'Shocker,' a fun game of plastic slides and static electricity. Sort of a science experiment in electrical conduction. Very clever!

Altogether a wonderful time.

I you have a bike group or just a bunch of people that follow the ride and would like to sponsor a party in your town, just send a request in the comments and we'll see if we can make that happen.