third edition

I love farm activities. Some of the best church activities that I have been to have been on a farm.

Shannon Shindig is my youth group's favorite activity. Every fall Larry and Jackie Bott host the event, and area independent fundamental baptist churches join us. Usually we have 60-80 kids there. Activities have included things like three way soccer, bigball, football/basketball combination thing with tons of balls, flag football, The Knot, and of course . . . the famed . . . the waited for . . . the best . . . Spoke Tackle! After the games, everyone meets in the barn for a time of songs and testimonies and preaching. Following the service, there is food, food, food, and more food (all wonderful cooking by Mrs. Jackie :). We used to have hay rides, but they ended up getting a little too crazy.

Another favorite was Farmtastic. Thanks to Pastor Tim and Pastor Cowan, Illinois has again been able to have Farmtastic. For the very first year, Shannon and I got to play in a hoe-down type band with a guitar, harmonica, accordion, wash bucket, and tambourine. I think my favorite song was Orange Blossom Special. The whole tent shook from all the clapping and stomping feet. Every year my yg takes a couple volleyball teams, and every year we don't win anything. But! We have fun, and that's all that counts. The tractor pull is always fun. And unlike usual tractor pulls where the tractor pulls something, in this one, people pull the tractor. I think the girls from our church did pretty good. We pulled it over the line in something like 13 seconds! Pretty good for being girls! :)

Now for several things I've learned . . .
People call me a hick, and for a long time I didn't think it was true. But then I went to Dacula I made some startling discoveries. Most people do not take their cooler to the grocery store, and a real traffic jam is not when there's a combine driving down the center of a two lane highway. :)