Somehow I don’t think this will be the last post with this title. It always amazes and delights us when we run into someone we know that either, a) knows someone we know, b) has lived/lives somewhere we have lived/live, or, c) all of the above.

We – Ray, John, Paul, and myself…four Bible Quiz guys – headed to The Gallery today for a round of golf. Paul rode along while the other three of us played.

The interesting thing was, while we were driving to the course, Ray started talking about his son. I’ve known his son for a long time, and I knew he had recently moved from his church in South Carolina to a church in Texas.

Before I finish that story, I need to add that my roommate here in Tucson, Josh Weber, recently moved to the Tampa area from Nashville. He attended Cornerstone A/G, where a guy named John McKinzie used to be on staff. John is now lead pastor at Hope Fellowship in Frisco, Texas.

And it wasn’t until today, when Ray mentioned again about his son that I made the connection. His son, Scott Berkey, is children’s pastor at Hope Fellowship, not only the home of John McKinzie, but the new home of another old friend – that I’ve mentioned in this blog – Mark Lunsford.

Small world, indeed.

{Picture is of Scott Berkey’s dad, Ray}

In Bible Quiz news – isn’t that why you read this blog in the first place? – Church at Briargate, from Colorado Springs, Colorado defeated Cedar Park A/G from Bothell, Washington to repeat as Teen Bible Quiz National Champions.

After each finishing regular competition at 17-2, they played off for the championship. Tied after 17 questions, Briargate clinched it with a correct answer on the 20th (and last) question of the match.

Blogs are for deep thoughts, right? (Well, that, and stupid YouTube videos.)

Can’t avoid thinking of departures and arrivals at the moment. I’m writing this while waiting for my flight to Greensboro by way of Charlotte. Headed to this weekend’s Southeast Region Teen Bible Quiz Finals as part of my Pen. Florida District Coordinator duties. (For more on all that, listen to my podcast.)

It’s an old adage and true – every departure means an arrival…and vice-versa. You can’t get where you’re going until you leave where you’ve been. And – if people like you – the arrivals are happier than the departures.

My friend, Bob, is lying in a hospital room right now. They’re not sure what caused it, but he experienced renal and kidney failure, and pancreatis. His liver doesn’t seem to be working. Doctors haven’t given him much chance of making it.

Right now , we don’t know if Bob will be making his departure soon, or not. I hope not. I can’t imagine that God is done with what He wants him to do in this life.

But I don’t have God all figured out. I hope I never think I do. God is more complex than that. He’s bigger – big enough to not figure out. But He loves us, and does all of those complex things in order to simply love us and do what is best for us.

I hope that means that Bob’s departure is later rather than sooner, and that I’ll see him next week.

But if I don’t, I know I’ll see him soon.