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God is serious business, take him seriously; he’s put the earth in place and it’s not moving. So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant, and pass the word among the nations, “God reigns!”

1 Chronicles 16:30-31 (The Message)

Two TFC Meetings

In Our Garage

Sunday, January 9

There were about twenty-two committee members here to prepare for Truck Rally on June 25.

We always make sure we are doing our best for the safety of everyone because of so many people, children, and trucks.

Gene and Rose Gehman – seated at the table – are the coordinators and chair this meeting.

The two youngest children were in the garage with us while the older ones played in the kids room or guest room. This is Corby and Vanessa Russell’s little one.

This little guy is Randy and Karen Sauder’s youngest.

Following the meeting I served a buffet supper. Two other couples came for this, because they were part of the next meeting.

After the meal the Truck Rally committee members went home, except those who are on the committee for TFC’s Lancaster Chapter Dinner Concert on March 26.

We chose what the meal will be, and fine-tuned a few other things for the program.

~~~

We appreciate each of these ministry friends who help plan these events.

~~~

Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.

1 Corinthians 1:25 (The Message)

Scraping Old Paint & Plaster

At the Kreider Church

Jere & Kristen’s

Five Children Were Here For a Day

Saturday, January 8

Shortly after Jere and Kristen brought their children for the day – while they went to a Crown Financial Seminar- Cerwin and our grandson Josh loaded the van with step ladders and a few other supplies to scrape plaster and paint at the historic Kreider church, which is owned by our congregation.

During the restoration project the benches and other interior supplies are being stored in these large storage trailers.

You may remember that I wrote a bit about this church last summer when vandals toppled about ninety tombstones – here

This is what the interior looks like while the men are preparing the walls for new paint. 

This church is only used a few times a summer for Sunday evening hymn sings, but is known as one of our town’s historic landmarks.

Photos by Cerwin

Josh doing his part.

It was a cold snowy morning

There wasn’t much snow accumulation…

…but it was a good day for the children to do inside things.

The first thing Jared wanted to do was show me his handwriting book and read to me.

Jana asked to play Skip-Bo on my laptop.

These three had corn chips for breakfast and played a racing game on the Xbox.

Jesse loves playing with this new vehicle that Deb and Roy donated to the toy box at our house during Christmas.

He likes it because the wheels come off as do some of the other pieces of equipment.

Of course, being only three years old, he soon needs another project.

He played with these foam stickers off and on all day.

Jared pulled a tooth sometime during the afternoon.

It was a small one next to the front tooth.

After Cerwin and Josh came home it was time to clean up the garage for a TFC meeting the next day.

Ian found a stray party hat and began sweeping. He took the task very seriously and did a great job.

Jesse began noticing birds at our feeders, so I showed him my bird identification book.

He loved it, and after that spent a lot of time at the window looking at the book.

I helped him identify some of the birds.

Hey! You’re not in the book!

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Matthew 6:25-26 (The Message)

Snow

Birds and a Hawk

Early January

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 6:34 (The Message)

New TFC Chapel Under Construction

Wednesday, January 5

Photos by Cerwin – using his Nikon Coolpix S570

The trailer that was picked up in Zeeland, Michigan, last summer is now ready for a transformation.

It’s been parked in TFC’s parking lot all summer and fall, but last week it was time for Cerwin to pull it inside.

The first job was to remove the large back doors.

Cerwin and Glenn wrap a chain around the door, pull the four pins from their hinges, then remove the door with the skid loader and lay it outside the shop.

After the first door was removed, Glenn wrapped the chain around the second door.

…and it was ready for removal.

~~~

Almost before Cerwin had time to think about disposing the doors, a pickup truck entered the parking lot. The man asked Cerwin if he had any scrap metal, and seemed real pleased to get the doors.

God certainly does take care of the little details in our lives.

~~~

The trailer is currently at a shop for a few minor repairs. Cerwin, Glenn, and a few volunteers expect to begin inside construction of the trailer in a week or so – transforming it into another beautiful rig.

This one will be used as a promotional chapel – similar to the one Cerwin and I take to truck shows, churches, and fairs –  because there is a need for a mobile chapel in Ohio and beyond. These promotional rigs are valuable to TFC in sharing the ministry and are at times used as a temporary chapel when a permanent one is being repaired or a new one is needed on short notice.

Everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Galatians 5:14-15 (The Message)

Family Visitors

Birds & Squirrels

Sunday, January 2

Just after some of our family members went home from Mary Jane’s party, we had visitors from the midwest.

Left to right: Reuben and Judi Butikofer (Wisconsin), Juanita Stauffer (Indiana), Bob and Doris Stauffer (Minnesota). Doris is Cerwin’s youngest sister, and Judi and Juanita are their daughters.

Those who follow my blog may remember that we went to Reuben and Judi’s wedding in Minnesota in February 2010.

A beautiful sunset

I love winter sunsets

It’s fun having time to watch birds again.

I look forward to the goldfinches turning bright yellow, but enjoy their winter colors as well.

Oh, no! This critter is filling up our bird feeder.

I do wish they went after their fall storage of acorns instead of the fast food in our bird feeders.

The downy woodpeckers are frequenting the suet feeder and looking for insects in the tree branches.

The cute black-capped chickadees are so much fun.

Several usually “talk” to me when I am filling the feeders. I hope they are saying nice things.