Just got back from a weekend in St. Louis — so good to return to our home and stomping grounds of three years. Some things inevitably changed… There were buildings where there had previously been pastures and green lawns, new students and workers at the seminary replacing those who had moved on, and freshly paved roads on I-70 (which we greatly appreciated).

Some things did not change. The rolling hills of St. Louis are still beautiful with their trees and old houses, unique neigborhoods thriving with life. Pho Grand in the city still has the best, and cheapest, Vietnamese food, just as World’s Fair Donuts on Shaw and Vandeventer still boasts cheery service and the best glazed donuts anywhere. Covenant Theological Seminary is still a peaceful place, filled with people who are kind and generous. Best of all, the tanned old man, who waved at me from his perch on his John Deere riding mower as I drove from Missouri Baptist College to the seminary, is STILL there… This man, old as the hills several years ago, still perches, still waves, still greet passers-by on Conway Road.

As one who appreciates stability and predictability, I, of course, waved back.