My kids were buzzing with chatter, smiles and wonder. We were leaving the Ode to Joy Finale (too early…bedtimes), having watched fireworks that seemed to go on delightfully longer than any of us imagined. They and their cohort had wandered in wonder at the food, the people and the visual promise of the fun to be had in the hospitable Smith home. They had piled into the back of pickup trucks to watch the sky explode in light and color. They had heard the adults of their church cracking good natured jokes, and they had breathed air full of joy and laughter. And it just struck me again: We are so blessed! My kids are so blessed. My kids get to grow up in church. My kids get to grow up in a healthy church. My kids get to grow up in a church that does a pretty good job of celebration.