This past weekend was the annual Apple Festival here in Bayfield, when our town of under 500 has 50-60,000 visitors. Yes, I wrote that correctly. People park out of town and either walk or get shuttled for miles to go downtown. Hundreds of vendors, including food vendors selling apple dumplings (don't forget the special sauce), cider, apple brats, wopples (home-made waffle cones with yogurt, cream, apple sauce, caramel... you get the picture... as well the 14 orchards and berry farms, and of course the local shops and restaurants all get into the action.
The police chief recruits off-duty sheriff's deputies, retired officers, and whoever else he can to be his security team for the weekend.
Our church had a special concert to invite the community and visitors in. Then one of the local restaurants bring their float to wait in our parking lot, because it is too big to wait anywhere else. Oh yes, I haven't mentioned that we all eat lunch at church, so we are able to keep our parking spaces and reserve our spots on the church lawn to watch the parade.
Bands from schools all around our region and even from the north shore of Minnesota come in to march, and the finale is always a "mass band" comprised of all the bands together.
It was a nice weekend overall, considering that my first "Apple Fest" saw sideways sleet and bitter wind all weekend. Sunday was short-sleeve weather, and with 2 of our kids and 5 grandkids here, we had a great time!
But walking in the crowd, with everyone going somewhere, it struck me that most people didn't know where they would end up. They just kept walking the blocks of vendors, or through the carnival until they were tired enough to find their motel or home, only to do it all again the next day.
I think that is how most people walk through life. We walk with the crowd, buy food, maybe play a carnival game, or go on a fun ride for a while, but we can't live there. We need to know where we are going, and where we belong.
When Eve handed Adam that apple (okay, probably not an apple, but it fits the weekend), suddenly that first couple no longer knew where they were going, and the discovered that they no longer belonged in paradise.
But Jesus came to be the answer to that question. Paul said in his letter to the Romans that since sin came into the world through one man, another man came into the world to take away that sin.
Jesus came to give us life. He is the answer to our questions. He gave Himself for us when He died on the cross, taking our sin. If we follow Jesus, we won't get lost. He shows us the way, and we know our destination. We know we belong with Him.
Do you know Him? Are you following Jesus? He is the cure for the poisoned apple of sin.
Would you like to know more? Contact us today!
The police chief recruits off-duty sheriff's deputies, retired officers, and whoever else he can to be his security team for the weekend.
Our church had a special concert to invite the community and visitors in. Then one of the local restaurants bring their float to wait in our parking lot, because it is too big to wait anywhere else. Oh yes, I haven't mentioned that we all eat lunch at church, so we are able to keep our parking spaces and reserve our spots on the church lawn to watch the parade.
Bands from schools all around our region and even from the north shore of Minnesota come in to march, and the finale is always a "mass band" comprised of all the bands together.
It was a nice weekend overall, considering that my first "Apple Fest" saw sideways sleet and bitter wind all weekend. Sunday was short-sleeve weather, and with 2 of our kids and 5 grandkids here, we had a great time!
But walking in the crowd, with everyone going somewhere, it struck me that most people didn't know where they would end up. They just kept walking the blocks of vendors, or through the carnival until they were tired enough to find their motel or home, only to do it all again the next day.
I think that is how most people walk through life. We walk with the crowd, buy food, maybe play a carnival game, or go on a fun ride for a while, but we can't live there. We need to know where we are going, and where we belong.
When Eve handed Adam that apple (okay, probably not an apple, but it fits the weekend), suddenly that first couple no longer knew where they were going, and the discovered that they no longer belonged in paradise.
But Jesus came to be the answer to that question. Paul said in his letter to the Romans that since sin came into the world through one man, another man came into the world to take away that sin.
Jesus came to give us life. He is the answer to our questions. He gave Himself for us when He died on the cross, taking our sin. If we follow Jesus, we won't get lost. He shows us the way, and we know our destination. We know we belong with Him.
Do you know Him? Are you following Jesus? He is the cure for the poisoned apple of sin.
Would you like to know more? Contact us today!
