Welcome to the Solanco Fair!

This past week was fair time down here in the Southern End, and for those of you who don't know...it's the next best thing, only to Christmas for all of us! While a lot of fairs have gotten into the whole flashy midway and rides type deal, the Solanco Fair is holding fast to its roots as a true celebration of agriculture and community. Everything starts on Wednesday, with the parade. The whole fair lasts through Friday, and you can partake in all sorts of activities from watching the livestock judging and auction to admiring all of the pies, produce, crafts, and displays that local families and businesses have entered. It's widely regarded as "homecoming" for the community, and a chance to catch up with everyone that you don't see the rest of the year.

In addition to all the incredible food and fun, I'd have to say that one of my favorite parts is the livestock auction. Of course I like it for all of the adorable animals, but actually the main reason is that I have fun watching the families and friends of those who are showing their animals. In a way, it's one of the best means of getting a good picture of how strong family-to-family bonds are here. Behind the scenes, the kids showing send out letters notifying local businesses and families that they'll have an animal up for bid. When you see the turnout of people coming to bid on Friday night then, even if they don't have much use for a pig or a steer, it's a really cool thing. It's also neat to keep track of the families that will buy each other's animals every single year, as a further means of cementing their friendships. And of course, there's always the friendly rivalry between the two local grocers over who will get the grand champion steer.

All of these probably seem trivial to a lot of outsiders, but they're some of the stuff that keeps Southern Lancaster County going, year after year. It's what sets us apart and this strong community is what allows us to pass through the generations, seemingly untouched by the outside world. It's the heart of a small-town farming community, and I couldn't imagine being happier anywhere else in the world. :o)

How Can This Be?

After the Beth Moore simulcast at church on Saturday, I picked up a copy of "Jesus: 90 Days with the One and Only." It's a really neat book chronicling the life of Jesus and interspersed with places for you to write out your thoughts and prayers about what you are studying. Today's lesson was entitled "How Can This Be?" and took an in depth look at Mary's reaction to finding out that she was going to be the mother of Jesus.

When I read that passage (Luke 1:26-38) in my own Bible (ESV), I was struck by the wording of this question...not "How can this be?" but "How will this be?" To someone who always just assumed that Mary was asking if this miracle was, in fact, possible (a.k.a. me), it was a totally new concept to consider this adolescent girl realizing that God was going to do the impossible and not doubting it at all, but simply wondering how exactly He was planning on doing it.

If we as believers all chose to (with God's help) dwell in this state of mind rather than wondering if God would choose to work in the world today or not, imagine the incredible power of our combined faith! I have to believe that this is the kind of faith that Jesus seeks to draw out of His followers, and the kind that will bring Him unprecedented amounts of glory. Join with me in praying to remember this as we go through our day-to-day lives!