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Wise men and women are always learning,
always listening for fresh insights.

Proverbs 18:15 (The Message)

TFC Dinner Concert

Yoder’s Restaurant – Saturday, March 30

It isn’t easy to take a picture of 706 people…

…and I discovered that it can’t be done with only two photos.

Following a delicious meal, the  Stutzman Family provided a fabulous concert.

They had just the right songs and stories for our group of truckers and their friends – sometimes serious and other times funny.

Following the Stutzman’s first group of songs, Will and Sherry Stoner shared how God used the ABCs in Transport For Christ’s Highway News and Good News to bring Will to an understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ.

ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER. “… as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’” (Romans 3:10, 23).

BELIEVE IN JESUS FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS AND FORETERNAL LIFE. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

CONFESS JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD AND TURN FROM YOUR SINS. “… if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved … for ‘Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:9, 13). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Jeff Batzer (left), TFC’s Executive Vice President of Ministry Programs, gave a ministry update and called Howard and Tish Jones to the stage to present awards to David and Mary Ann Roberts. Bob Thompson (right) is a member of TFC’s Board.

Howard presenting the “The Howard Jones Chaplin Emeritus Award” to Chaplain David.

Tish presenting “The Tish Jones Service Award” to Mary Ann.

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Prayer for David and Mary Ann.

David and Mary Ann

David, Howard, Tish, and Mary Ann

The Stutzman’s closed the evening with another set of songs and a thought-provoking video by the Skit Guys.

You can see it by going to YouTube – Search for “The Skit Guys”. Choose: God’s Chisel. (You may also be able to find it by searching for “The Skit Guys” on Google.)

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God blessed us with an amazing evening.

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I pray that you will be filled with God Himself.

Ephesians 3:19 (New Life Version)

Jana Rae’s Birthday Party

Part II

Opening Gifts

Spraying Josh with her perfume.

She got a hug even though she had been pestering him.

Guess who likes John Luke on Duck Dynasty?

Playing Old Maid with Jesse and Jared while Ian took his bath.

There was lots of tussling after the boys had baths…

…and Jared demonstrated his very good hand/head stand.

Jana enjoying a game or text – not sure which.

Happy 14th birthday to our sweet Jana.

The Lord your God is living among you.

Zephaniah 3:17 (New Living Translation)

Jana Rae’s Birthday Party

Thursday, March 28 – two days before her birthday

When we arrived, the boys were playing with a homemade bow and arrows.

Later they each had a bow and pretended to be aiming at Jana. They weren’t as dangerous as they look.  

Jesse showed me a name banner he made in preschool – with curly noodles.

Waiting for her birthday supper.

Grilled Chicken

Salad

My place setting and iced tea.

Delicious fettuccine with homemade noodles. Yum!

Looking up at Jere from my seat at the table.

Birthday Cake

She needed fourteen candles this year.

Delicious Red Velvet Cake

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More tomorrow night

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I know that His Word is life that lasts forever.

John 12:50 (New Life Version)

Hundreds of Black Birds

Monday, March 25

Last week – on the day it snowed – our yard and bird feeders were invaded by hundreds of black birds.

I thought they may be grackles because of their eyes, but they could have been migrating black birds that are not common to our area.

They were in every tree…

…and emptied our bird feeders.

It was kind of fun to watch them, but they sure emptied the feeders quickly.

Our yard was a noisy, fluttering place.

…and they weren’t the only thing emptying our feeders.

She was oblivious to the black birds.

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Then it was time to fill the feeders again.

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Let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life,

a life energetic and blazing with holiness.

1 Peter 1:15 (The Message)

Living Hope Native Ministries

Spring Banquet – Friday, March 22

Yoder’s Restaurant, New Holland, Pennsylvania

We were blessed to attend Living Hope Banquet this year. We had not been there for a few years due to being at Mid-American Truck Show in Kentucky to represent TFC.

The view of the podium and stage from our table. To my left were our friends Millie and Les and across the table was Ray, a friend from our church. To the right of the picture was Ray’s wife, Eva, and our friends Gary and Orpha.

Merle Nisly, President and CEO of Living Hope Native Ministries, based in Red Lake, Ontario, Canada, gave a ministry update following the meal.

“Too many times we become so geared to share the Gospel that we forget to live the gospel.”

As part of the update, Merle invited Albert James to the podium, and together they gave a ministry overview.

Albert helped us to understand how Living Hope Native Ministries is having a positive effect in the native communities in the Red Lake area.

After a good night’s sleep Cerwin, I, Eva, Ray, Gary, Orpha, Rita, and Merle met at Brickerville Restaurant to enjoy fellowship and breakfast.

We four couples developed our friendships when Merle and Rita helped to acquaint and prepare us for Bible School at Pikangikum (an outpost of the Red Lake mission) each summer when we were team leaders for a dozen of our church’s youth in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

We stayed on the reserve for five or six days and taught Bible School each weekday afternoon. The rest of the time we developed friendships on the island and prepared for our next Bible school lesson.

We were delighted with this quiet alcove in the restaurant where we visited for several hours – and even began dreaming about the six of us going to Red Lake to visit Merle and Rita next summer – 2014.