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Missions Sunday

Line Lexington Mennonite Church

Sunday, November 6

We were up early on Sunday morning, and out of the house by 6:00 a.m.

Not long after getting on the Pennsylvania turnpike, we noticed that the odometer on our CRV was ready to turn 100,000 miles.

We arrived at Line Lexington Church two hours later and helped Sam Rittenhouse set up the TFC table in the display room. This is the first time we used the 32″ TV for a PowerPoint slide show in place of a display board. We felt quite “techy.”

Sam Rittenhouse (Associate Director of Chaplain Care) and Cerwin in front of the display.

Other displays were being set up in preparation for Missions Sunday.

During morning worship, Sam was in charge of the “Call to Worship.” His daughter Eunice (just to the left of Sam) is part of the worship team.

Prayer Time

Folowing the worship service, everyone was invited to the fellowship hall to learn more about the mission programs the church supports – and to enjoy coffee and cookies.

Sam visiting a representative from the Worm Project.

Cerwin visiting with a longtime TFC friend.

Some of the other missions that were represented yesterday.

This ministry gives assistance to the handicapped.

seeJesus.net

One of my favorite stories of the day happened during morning worship when a director of Pregnancy Resource Clinic shared a story about one of her first clients when she began working at the clinic in the mid-eighties.

A pretty red haired girl came to the clinic seeking help with her pregnancy. The lady sharing the story was devastated when the girl left, still determined to have an abortion. She felt that she had done something wrong, because the girl did not choose life for her baby.

Months later, when the speaker’s family went to a local restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner, she was surprised to look across the room and see the same red-haired girl cuddling a cute little red-haired baby boy!

The director said, “That day I truly understood that there is a God – and it is not me.”

Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do:

Say nothing evil or hurtful; snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth.

1 Peter 3:10-11 (The Message)

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If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days,

keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

1 Peter 3:10-11 (New Living Translation)

TFC Banquet at Manor Church

Hosted by Chaplain Jay & Nan Schock

Saturday evening, November 5

Chaplain Jay and Nan Schock did an exceptionally good job of organizing and setting up their first ministry dinner concert.

Nan is skilled at arranging flowers, and was delighted when she discovered that a friend had lots of beautiful hydrangeas.

This large arrangement was in front of the stage.

Jay was the MC for the evening, and welcomed everyone to the banquet.

Invocation by a pastor of Manor Church.

The catered meal was delicious from beginning to end – but the salad was the best! There were apples, cashews, and dried cranberries, along with a delicious house dressing.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Potatoes

Baked Corn

Green Beans

I was going to skip dessert until I saw there was red velvet cake.

Lamar Dourte, Steve Fikkert, Ron Ludwick, Bob Kettering

Ministers Of Music presented a delightful, inspiring concert. Each one is a minister – representing several churches – Brethren in Christ, Church of the Brethren, Presbyterian, and Calvary.

Pianist John Frye

Bunny O’Hare, Director of Chaplain Care, shared a ministry update. In this photo he is asking for truck drivers to raise their hand.

Cindy & Chaplain Jim Smalley.

Jim is lead chaplain at All American Travel Plaza, Frystown, Pennsylvania, and shared some experiences of being a chaplain.

In closing, Jay and Nan thanked everyone who came to the banquet, especially those who helped make the banquet possible.

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7 (New Living Translation)

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Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:7 (Good News Translation)

Autumn Blaze

Planting a New Tree

Cerwin and our grandson Jordan making sure that the hole Cerwin dug is large enough for the base of the tree.

They decided that they had to dig a bit deeper, but there was a tree root hindering that from happening, so Jordan used the axe to make more digging possible.

Josh (left) lives nearby, and came to help when grandpa called him.

Josh and Jordan discussing how to get it from the trailer to the ground.

Most of the Autumn Blaze leaves have fallen, but there were a few left to give us an idea of what it will look like next fall.

The root system was wrapped and wired together.

Jordan decided that the hole still needed to be a bit deeper. (He used to work at Root’s Nursery where we purchased the tree.)

Preparing to roll it off the trailer.

Now comes the most difficult part – moving it into the hole.

While they worked on a plan, I noticed that the sun was shining on one of the old trees. One of the few that still has pretty leaves on it. 

Back to the new tree. It looks like the guys are moving it toward the hole. Cerwin loves having strong grandsons.

Jordan clipping the wire that held the root system in place.

Thanks guys. We really appreciated your help.

I respect and love your commandments; I will meditate on your instructions.

Psalm 119:48 (Good News Translation)

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 I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!—relishing every fragment of your counsel.

Psalm 119:48 (The Message)

Gathering Shellbarks

I picked up Jesse, Ian, and Jared on the way home from the grocery store late this afternoon so their parents could go out for their twenty-first anniversary dinner.

They wanted containers to gather shellbarks for Roy and Deb’s squirrels – because Deb offered to pay for them by the pound.

They followed me to the mailbox, then began climbing the Japanese Red Maple

Jesse likes swinging on this branch.

Jared climbed up higher and asked me to look at him. If I had know the lighting was going to be so good, I would have asked the other two to do the same pose.

Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?

Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest.

Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.

Isaiah 55:2-3 (The Message)

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Why waste your money on something that is not real food?
Why should you work for something that does not really satisfy you?
Listen closely to me and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the food that satisfies your soul. 
Listen closely to what I say.
Listen to me so that you will live.

Isaiah 55:2-3 (Easy-to-Read Version)

Sunrise to Sunset

Sunrise was filled with purple/pink hues this morning.

Jesse was here for a few hours, and spent a lot of time playing a Mario game.

Meanwhile Cerwin was picking up leaves with our ‘redneck’ leaf catcher.

The base is a trailer that Jere used for a sprayer. Cerwin added the top part – and it works perfectly! He is so clever.

When that job was finished, he dug a hole in the pavilion area of the woods for a tree he will plant on Saturday.

We gradually lost five or six trees in this area due to a major lightening strike about ten years ago, and want to plant a tree to replace some of the lost shade.

Because most of the trees in our woodlot have yellow/orange leaves in the fall, we chose one that will have red leaves – an “Autumn Blaze” maple tree.

We are not sure what kind of maple this red-leafed tree is, but it is the one that gave us the idea to go for a red maple.

By late afternoon the early November moon was visible in the clear, blue sky.

Look at the difference after I put my long lens on, used the full 300 mm, then cropped it a bit.

When I turned my back to the moon, I saw this.

I love fall sunsets.

~~~

As for me, I designed a TFC banquet program for Saturday night, added some addresses to my database (I will have 30,000 names in my database by the time I have entered all the mailing list names from the TFC’s new staff.)

Also, I spent a bit of time finalizing arrangements for taking our family on a “Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary Cruise” in late January – all twenty-seven of us are going! We are going about a year and a half before our anniversary for various reasons – one being we found a good deal for a late January trip – which is about the only time it suits everyone. Also, our grandchildren are all in the United States, making the trip possible for each one, and there are no babies right now.

As we discussed this earlier this year, Cerwin felt that 2012 may be better for a trip than 2013, and none of us disagreed.

We are looking forward to all being together for seven days.

~~~

The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!

Revelation 3:19 (The Message)

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I speak strong words to those I love and I punish them. Have a strong desire to please the Lord. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them.

Revelation 3:19 (New Life Version)