For some weeks now, Randy and I have been teaching a Sunday School class at our church in Wiesbaden, Immanuel Baptist. In every endeavor I have ever watched Randy tackle, he has always given his all, whether it has been at playing cards, fishing, mowing the yard, commanding at the Brigade and Group level, serving in the Middle East, getting his degree from West Point, pursuing his Master's at the Army War College, or in the stories I have pried from him about Jungle Survival School and Ranger School. He has always graduated with honors in all his educational and training efforts. He was in the top two percent of his class at West Point. The same efforts and pursuit of excellence goes for teaching Sunday School for children from age five to twelve, in fact, the efforts are more diligent and from an even more devoted heart.
This work is a delight to him, and he is always excited to get to church and set up our teaching aides and prepare for the children to arrive. All work is a delight to Randy, as well as is the pursuit of fun, but watching him with these kids is such a delight. Children instinctively like Randy, I think that is so because the heart of a child still resides along side the Warrior heart within Randy. He still constantly practices his stealth skills, slipping up on me as I am singing and working in the kitchen when he comes home from work, and scaring the dickens out of me. I don't know how he silently gets our door unlocked, moves past our dog Chance, who is a constant guardian of all his territory, and winds up surprising him too, since Chance usually waits by the front door for Randy when it gets time for him to be home. Things have to fall just right, so I never know when the surprise is coming.
Chance and Randy also have a game we call "pig, pig, pig" in which Randy squeaks a good sized rubber dog toy shaped like a pig. The object of the game is for the pig to attack Chance from under the covers of the bed for about 15 minutes every night, until I declare the pig assailant officially dead for the night. Chance is permitted to bask in his victory for a few moments, and then climbs down and goes to bed on the floor beside the bed. Our dog is young, and he loves this nightly loud and rowdy adventure to the wild side, so does Randy. When it gets close to bedtime, the dog gets anxious to go upstairs and play the game. He begins to whine and beg if we stay up past the time we usually go to bed. Like I said, Randy loves fun too.
Randy is talented at so many areas, however domestic type skills remain clearly in my realm of excellence. I was so tickled Sunday when he prepared the snack we serve the children each Sunday. Randy just naturally fell into the role of preparing these little refreshments, and this past Sunday he accidentally made the pink lemonade with hot water as he efficiently prepared the cookies and the drink snack. Those who know him from the military or the State Department, probably cannot imagine Randy diligently at the task of making pink lemonade and cookies as a snack for small children, but I can assure them, he does it "hoo-ah style." He didn't like the flub up of the hot water at all... I just quickly made another pitcher and placed the "hot lemonade" in the refrigerator for the after church coffee, knowing it would be good and cold by then.
Randy enjoys directing the competition time of the lesson each week. We believe that it is very important for believers of all ages to be very familiar with the Bible in general, and to memorize passages and verses, to "hide them in our hearts." We do a "sword drill" each week where we present arms by having the children place their Bibles in front of them unopened while holding them with both hands. Randy gives a scripture reference in book, chapter, and verse, then announces "charge," and the children race to find the scripture in their Bibles. The person who finds it first, reads the Bible verse, and gets a point. There are prizes for the winner of that Sunday's competition, and a bigger prize for the overall winner after six weeks of competition. There is also a scripture memorization contest, which Randy also directs. The kids love it, almost as much as Randy does...
What a privilege it is to spend time each Sunday with these precious children. They are all so intelligent and well behaved. They soak up like sponges the Biblical truths we present each week. We also realize how great a responsibility is ours as we teach these whom God loves so much. It is just icing on the cake that it is such a blessing to get to know each of them, and spend time teaching them the Word of God each Sunday. I enjoy very much watching Randy teach them as well, more than usual, he does it with such devotion and excellence.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
This work is a delight to him, and he is always excited to get to church and set up our teaching aides and prepare for the children to arrive. All work is a delight to Randy, as well as is the pursuit of fun, but watching him with these kids is such a delight. Children instinctively like Randy, I think that is so because the heart of a child still resides along side the Warrior heart within Randy. He still constantly practices his stealth skills, slipping up on me as I am singing and working in the kitchen when he comes home from work, and scaring the dickens out of me. I don't know how he silently gets our door unlocked, moves past our dog Chance, who is a constant guardian of all his territory, and winds up surprising him too, since Chance usually waits by the front door for Randy when it gets time for him to be home. Things have to fall just right, so I never know when the surprise is coming.
Randy is talented at so many areas, however domestic type skills remain clearly in my realm of excellence. I was so tickled Sunday when he prepared the snack we serve the children each Sunday. Randy just naturally fell into the role of preparing these little refreshments, and this past Sunday he accidentally made the pink lemonade with hot water as he efficiently prepared the cookies and the drink snack. Those who know him from the military or the State Department, probably cannot imagine Randy diligently at the task of making pink lemonade and cookies as a snack for small children, but I can assure them, he does it "hoo-ah style." He didn't like the flub up of the hot water at all... I just quickly made another pitcher and placed the "hot lemonade" in the refrigerator for the after church coffee, knowing it would be good and cold by then.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
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