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It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.

Ephesians 2:3-5 (The Message)

Another Day in My Week

Friday, December 11

Brrrr it was cold this morning – only 19 degrees at sunrise.

Sights on my way to and from Curves this morning.

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By the way, I don’t go to Curves because I like to exercise – I go because I like to feel good. 

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I thought these headless, straw-stuffed, Christmas people were interesting.

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My day in the office was similar to the others this week: mail newsletters (this time it was the USA letters for Chaplain Claude & Huguette Mathieu, Quebec, Canada), and set up a newsletter for Sam and Alice Rittenhouse, Associate for Chaplain Wellness, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

About 3:00 p.m. I took a break and prepared a venison stew, and put it in the oven for a 5:00 p.m. supper.

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It was delicious and a perfect meal for a cold, breezy day.

The water in the bird bath was frozen solid by the end of the day.

That wasn’t the picture I wanted, but I thought it was quite interesting.

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I’m glad to have a relaxing evening. We’ve watched the news, Deal No Deal, Smarter That a Fifth-Grader, and now a hunting show.

I have also been keeping a constant check on the score of our local football team (Manheim Central) who is playing West Allegheny in the PIAA Triple-A state semifinal game. I can’t imagine how nerve-wracking it is to be there, because the score has been tight most of the evening. However, Manheim Central has been staying in the lead, sometimes by only a few points.  Right now the score is 38 – 27 in the fourth quarter.

We can’t get it on TV, so I’m checking a streaming, live score on Lancsports.com.

UPDATE: YEAH, MANHEIM CENTRAL!  45-27

God, your God, is the God of all gods, he’s the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome.

Deuteronomy 10:17 (The Message)

Another Day in My Life

Thursday, December 10

I could tell it was cold outside this morning, just by looking at the sunrise.

Even the moon looked cold. We are not having bitter cold like some of you, but it’s windy and the temperature is hanging just above freezing.

Scenes on my way to Curves – there are still a few patches of snow.

 The sun created beautiful sihouttes.

 Notice the sun reflections on this steer.

 About two blocks away – on one of our town’s narrow streets.

 Sights on the way home – look at all the signs on our town’s poles and posts. Our local high school football team is in the PIAA Triple-A state semifinal game tomorrow night, and excitement is running high.

 As I neared home, I noticed this hawk on an electric pole.

After starting a load of laundry, and making my morning smoothie, I began preparing Jay and Karen LeRette’s (Rochelle, Illinois, chapel) newsletters for the mail.

 My SmartMailer (post office) reports told me that I needed four large trays and three small ones. They have almost 700 names on their mailing list.

 The inserter is one of my favorite machines in our office – because it saves me hours and hours of time.  I place the newsletter in the upper left tray, the addressed #10 envelopes in the bottom left, and the #6 return envelopes in the upper right tray.  After pushing the green button, the process of folding, stuffing, inserting, and sealing begins.

 There it is, ready for the post office.

After returning, I began the set up on Chaplain David and Mary Ann Roberts’ newsletter (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania chapel), and finished it just before closing time at 5:00 p.m.

 Last night after my blog was set up, my sister stopped in with this pretty poinsettia. It was a gift from the fruit/cookie packing committee at church – for my help in setting up signs for the boxes.

Jesse is here this evening, and since we are having leftovers, I asked if he wanted a hot dog or a pancake. He chose a pancake. His parents and older brothers and sister are going to the Christmas play that I posted about yesterday.

Notice his cast was removed today, but he still favores it, and uses his left arm – even though he is right-handed.

Reading a hunting magazine earlier this evening.

This is the scene next to me as I complete my entry tonight.

 Who compares with you among gods, O God? Who compares with you in power, in holy majesty, in awesome praises, wonder-working God?

Exodus 15:10 (The Message)

My Day

Wednesday, December 9

 I looked out the window this morning, and decided that I would not venture out in this icy, slushy, stuff to go to Curves.

 Instead, I followed the video for a session on our Air Stepper.

 Then it was time to begin my first job in the office, which was printing newsletters for Chaplain David Weaver (Elkton, Maryland).

 I continued with the process of printing his addresses on envelopes, and preparing them for the post office. 

Cerwin was out doing some PR work by giving donuts to some of the business men who donate work and supplies for the chapels. Today he visited Merv Weaver (sandblasting) and Paul B Zimmerman (chapel steps and aluminum frame for the lighted crosses.) 

My benefit was that he also brought me a glazed donut. It was still cold and rainy, so I asked if he would take the mailing to the post office before removing his coat. He did.  That was so nice. 

I put finishing touches on Claude & Huguette Mathieu’s (Quebec, Canada) newsletter, and sent it to our daughter-in-law Chris for final proofing. Claude sets up his own newsletter, which makes it easy for me.

At noon we left for the Christmas play “The Inn Kaper” at Lititz Area Mennonite School.

 Prior to the play, our chorus of special interest was first grade – which included our grandson Ian (back row, third from right).

 Singing Jingle Bells.  (Ian is back right.)

 The play began with the song, “Searching for the King”.  Our granddaughter Jana was Miriam in this play, and is third from the left.

 The chorus (third, fourth, and fifth grades) joined in the song.

 Grandfather, Sirlock, Watstein, and Miriam (Jana) during an early discussion in their search for the Messiah.

 A few scenes during the play.

 They searched, and thought, and thought – not realizing the messiah they were looking for was in their own barn.

 A cute, well chorographed song.

 “What Do the Angels Do All Day”, a really cute song.

 Singing, “Offering” as the wisemen enter.

 Jana sang a solo, “Just a Whisper Away.” 

This was her singing and acting debut – and she did a super job.  Everyone did a great job.

 When the play was over – 2:15 p.m. – we went to see Cerwin’s mother.  She was busy sewing patches together when we arrived. Being able to sew is a joy of her day.  I balanced her checkbook, and Cerwin read some of the mail she had questions about.  Then we took her to an early dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Another great day in my life.

Wait passionately for God, don’t leave the path.

Psalm 37:34 (The Message)

Continuation of

 A Week in My Life

Tuesday, December 8

My routine today was similar to yesterday…

I was awake at 5:00 a.m.  5:00 – 6:00 is my favorite time of day – when the house is quiet. I choose the Bible verse for my blog during this time, and talk to the Lord about my praises and concerns for the day. Some days I ask Him for strength, and other times I beg for wisdom.

Cerwin woke up at 6:00 as he usually does, and made coffee. I love to hear the final “gurgling” of the coffee pot that tells us the coffee is ready. Today, like most work days, we watched news and talked about our day until 7:00.

This is what I saw at 7:50 a.m. – when stopping at our mailbox on the way to Curves.  The sun was beautiful on our decorative grass.

It looks like someone at the farm was enjoying the snow.

I arrived at Curves at 8:00.  You may remember, that it was when I had to take Cerwin to CPRS for physical therapy in June (following his shoulder surgery) that I began going to Curves. It is next door and seemed like a good thing to do while I waited for his one-hour session. Then I discovered my insurance pays for it because I am over sixty-five! It’s a great way to start a day and keep me motivated in the morning.

Things I saw on the way home.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day – because I am hungry after exercising.  I usually have a fruit smoothie made up of equal parts (I use half a cup) frozen fruit, milk, and vanilla yogurt. The other part of my breakfast is a piece of toast with peanut butter.

I took the smoothie to my basement office and dealt with emails, then added some addresses to my database.  Chaplain Mike and Cathy Touhy (Racine, Wisconsin) recently wrote their first newsletter, so I must add their addresses to my database before I can mail it. 

After adding a page of addresses, I prepared Chaplain Dan and Raydean Stuckey’s (East St. Louis, Illinois) newsletter for mailing, and took it to the post office.

At 2:30 I started doing the layout for Chaplain Hank and Gloria Rader’s (Knoxville, Tennessee) newsletter, and finished it at 5:00. After completion, newsletters go back to the staff person, and to three people for proofreading and copyediting – so it will be a few days before I will be mailing this one.

I removed this meal from the freezer about noon, and put it in the oven this evening after closing the office. It’s one of the meals I bought from Carla last night. Cerwin was hunting on a nearby farm (didn’t see anything), and came home about 5:45 – just as the oven buzzer began ringing, indicating that the meal was ready. I also cooked the peas that came with it.  It was delicious.

So ends another good day in my life.  Now I’m relaxing, blogging, and watching Biggest Loser.

Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 (The Message)

My Day

Monday, December 7

8:00 to 8:30 a.m. – Exercised at Curves

8:40 to 9:15 a.m. – Visited my Aunt Anna Mary at Pleasant View Retirement Community where she is receiving therapy for a broken arm.  She has been there since October, and hopes to go home by this weekend, so this may be the last of my Monday morning visits to her.

9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. – Set up a newsletter for Chaplain Jay & Karen LeRette, (Rochelle, Illinois), and prepared 210 newsletters to be mailed for Murray & Audrey Scott (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), Director of TFC’s Overseas Ministry.

3:15 p.m. – Took the Scott’s newsletter to the post office.

3:30 to 4:30 p.m. – Got my once-a-month deep tissue massage with Carla. In recent months I have been purchasing prepared meals that she and her girls are making to raise funds for a future missions project. 

5:00 p.m. – I had just put the one meal in the oven when our son Jere called and asked what I was making for supper. I told him that I had just put a pasta dish in the oven.  He said that Kristen made too many turkey pies, and would we like two – delivered. “Yes,” I said, “I can put this one back in the freezer.” (Now I have two meals in the freezer for a future busy day.)

I was glad that my other meal had not yet begun baking. The individual turkey pies were delicious – incredibly delicious.

She also sent a half dozen peppermint cookies along for dessert. I know, I know, you only see five – I had already eaten one.

Oh, the benefits of living only one mile from someone who loves to cook.

Thanks Jere and Kristen.