The Roanoke Star

Here we are, spending a couple of days in the Roanoke valley.  We have had two amazing days. 

On Friday we were able to meet with several hundred students at Oak Grove Elementary School, a public school in the Roanoke area.  It was dress up day for the younger grades so we got to see all kinds of celebrities.  Mario and Luigi, Disney princesses, Minnie Mouse, pirates, gangsters, and all sorts of other characters came out to the assemblies along with their other classmates. 

It is always an honor to share with students about our books and the importance of reading, writing, and working hard at school.  We had a great time with students and staff.  It is also encouraging to meet hard-working, faithful, Christian administrator's, teachers, and other staff who are making a difference in the lives of students everyday.  We met several professionals in this school who fit that description. 

Later in the same day we were able to forge an exciting new business relationship with a well established book reseller that enjoys a national distribution.  The story of Scripture Truth is one of those stories of how God took an individual committed to sharing his faith and accomplished so much more than anyone would have ever imagined.  It was inspiring to hear their history recounted and to see their ministry in action.

Today we are honored to share in a local church, where the pastor has a direct tie to us.  Pastor Frasor was a young man who sat under the ministry of my father over 50 years ago.  David has had a wonderful ministry in the Roanoke area for years and we are very honored to be in his church this morning.  It is always thrilling to hear from people all over the country who were impacted by Dad and Mom's ministry.  We run into individuals in so many different places who come up to us and share how their lives were changed through Mom and Dad's influence and input into their lives.

Through out our days here we have been blessed by the love and hospitality of Ryan, Alisa, and Cohen.  They are part of our family who live in the area. We had a great time sharing laughs, meals, stories, and sites together.  It's great to see them serving Christ with their lives and in their home.  It has taken some work to get Cohen to warm up to his old, bearded, loud-mouthed Uncle Tim, but last night we finally broke through - I got a treasured "night-night" hug. 

On top of one of the mountains that dot the landscape around Roanoke is the Roanoke Star.  It is a huge metal star that is lit up every night and shines over the valley to remind folks, of the fact, that Roanoke is a wonderful place to live and work.  As you can imagine, I was reminded of the "Star of Bethlehem" and also of the fact that we are to "let our light shine before men, so that they can see our Father in heaven".  We have met several "stars" here in Roanoke who are shedding light in their world.  That has been an exciting thing to see!