What a joyous weekend just past! A wedding in our congregation, rehearsal with those who will be affirming their baptisms this coming Sunday, an incredible sermon by Will Willimon at the William and Mary Baccalaureate service, William and Mary graduation, a celebration dinner last night with one of our Lutheran seniors and her family -- AND the big news in our own family of announcing our daughter Emily's engagement to Sheldon Erb.

And what joyous weather! This was a wonderful morning to jump on the bicycle and ride to the Chickahominy River and back, about a 20 mile ride. Much of the ride is on the new Virginia Capital Trail, paralleling Greensprings Road and Rt. 5. What an improvement the trail is to our community's standard of living! So many people use it -- other bicyclists, many people on foot (many walking dogs); I even saw a guy on roller blades this morning. And everyone is open and friendly: smiles and "Good mornings!" From my perspective, though, the best thing about the trail, is that I am well separated from those friggin' dump trucks that are up and down Rt. 5 early in the morning!

A colleague in the Shalem spiritual direction program e-mailed me after seeing the picture of me and my bike, after I'd ridden the 100 miles a couple of Saturdays ago: "I didn't recognize you! It looks like something inside you cracked open during your illness."

What an image! That, during painful experiences, something inside us cracks upon, and new life comes out of that. One of the chaplains at Norfolk General is a friend I've known since moving to Williamsburg, and his visits were very helpful. He would say, "What do you think God is doing in all of this? It may take months to discover that." Certainly, months later, I can say that God is moving to create the new life that's emerging, after being cracked open.

I'm going to get in the car now and drive down for an overnight with the college students at their "beach week" cottage. It'll be some good hours of hanging out, reading, sleeping, conversation: "What has God been doing with you over this past year?" I'll get there soon after lunchtime -- which is when most of the students will be waking up!!