Safeguard Your Heart!

This weekend was our convention which is always an event.  This was my fortieth and it was just as special as the first.  I do remember parts of my first one.  I was three and it was at Dodger Stadium in 1972.  There was a big Bee made out of flowers out in left field and I remember that I had blueberry cheesecake ice cream, rolling rock soda (before the conventions had Shasta) and we had food coupons. In those days they were a week, and I truly appreciate the effort it took my parents to get us there, being new in the truth.

The conventions have always been a highlight to me and my family.  We have been to conventions at Dodger Stadium, the old San Diego Padre Colosseum, the Long Beach race track, the LA Colosseum, the Seattle Arena, the Seattle Colosseum, the Tacoma Dome, Yankee Stadium, and the Cow Palace.  While the conventions are now three days, we receive so much spiritual food and encouragement.  We get to see old friends, meet new ones.  The kids are now getting to an age where they are paying attention to the entire session with Emma taking notes for 90 percent of it.

This years talks were awesome since they really focused on our motivations as well as really stress the need to fortify our hearts so we do not allow this system to wear us down or to be terrified when things get really tough.  Our strength and wisdom comes from Jehovah and not ourselves and the more we realize that and take steps to keep a strong relationship with Him the less likely we will be swayed by the system of things.

The releases are awesome!! The kids had the Saturday release memorized before we even got out of the parking lot and since then have been singing the song.  Not since the release of the My Book of Bible Stories in when I was 9 have I been so excited about a release for the kids.

I also really enjoyed the talks for the youth and related to marriage.  The drama on Sunday was especially good (they are always especially good) and we had members from our hall in it as well as a brother I had served with at Bethel.

We always try to make the assemblies a special time for the kids.  So on Saturday night we went with a family in our hall to dinner at Guadalajara Grill which serves awesome Mexican.  The kids shared the nachos and Beth and I shared there awesome fish tacos.  On Sunday, we decided to have a picnic after the session on Chrissy Field in San Francisco.  We stopped at Safeway and I got chicken tenders and jo-jos.  We brought the kites for the kids to fly.  The wind was a bit intense but the kids had a great time as Beth and I bundled up.

This weekend is really a highlight to the summer.