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Don’t Let Anyone Look Down On You

Because You Are Young

Set An Example For The Believers

In Speech

In Life

In Love

In Faith

In Purity

1 Timothy 4:11 NIV

Another Heritage Trip

Those who read my site, may remember that Cerwin and I went on a Sauder heritage tour the other week with a busload of aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

There were a few places where the bus could not travel, and since Cerwin’s youngest sister Doris is here, and could not go on the first tour (they live in Minnesota), a few of us decided to visit several places before she and her family travel home.

Seeing this field lane the other week – at the farm where Mother lived until age 16 – left me wanting to explore it, and Mother wanted to get a closer look at the buildings.

After driving in the main lane (on the other side of the buildings), I went to the house to inform the Amish residents what we were doing there!  Mother said, after 73 years, not very much looked familiar – except the main barn (with the silo behind it).  Many other buildings have been added.

Then we decided to be brave and drive out the field lane – the same one Mother and her siblings walked on to go to school.  It looked quite different from a few weeks ago – as the corn has been harvested.  (I took this photo from the middle of the field, while the first one – taken a few weeks ago was taken from the road – near the tree.

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The view of the school from the lane.  Today it is an Amish school.  We would have liked to stop, as all the children were outside for recess, but after the Amish shooting the other week, didn’t think it was a good idea.

From there we went to the graveyard where Mother’s parents are buried.

We were surprised to see the tombstone of Cerwin’s sister, Thelma, who died in 1946 – as her remains have been transferred to the place where Daddy is buried.

Left to right:  Cerwin’s sisters Doris and Velda, Mother, and Doris’ daughters Judi and Juanita.

Our last heritage stop was the house where Grandma Sauder Groff and her second husband, Elam Groff lived.  I remembered visiting here in the early years of our marriage.

~~~

After this we returned to current life by shopping at Wal-Mart, a Reuzit Shop, and having lunch at a local restaurant.

A Perfect Day

Beautiful Fall Morning

Inspiring Church Service

Quiet Afternoon

Relaxing Evening

~~~

The LORD your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with his love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

Archery Equipment is Packed in Our Van

as well as luggage for three.

The Men Are Ready

 Our son Jeff, son-in-law Ivan, and Cerwin left the house about 3 AM, and were at their destination in southern Illinois by 4 PM.  They plan to be there until next Saturday morning.

Granddaughters Jana and Jenna (daughters of our two sons) were here overnight to celebrate their half-birthdays. 

I stayed up after the men left and prepared a mailing for the post office.  The girls wanted something to do, so I brought 1,000 envelopes and labels to our kitchen.   

These envelopes need a new return address.  They finished about 800.

They wanted a posed photo before we left the house at 9:15 AM – to deliver the mail and have breakfast at a local restaurant. 

Their birthdays are one day apart in spring, so they always choose to celebrate their birthdays and half-birthdays together.

After breakfast and a bit of shopping, we surprised their Great Grandma with a short visit.

After that we shopped at several other stores, then went bowling.

This was probably the girls favorite part of the day.

 We went with the plan to play one game, but they eventually talked me into a second one.

From there we went home and prepared to change gears.

Tonight was our church’s Love Feast and Communion Service. 

The girls and I arrived early, and as I watched our deacons and others preparing the sanctuary for the service, I wished I had brought my camera, then noticed a friend with his.  He said I could have a copy of his pictures.

I have participated in a lot of communion services in a variety of settings – mostly due to our travels with TFC – and am always challenged by them, but attending our own church’s service is so meaningful to me. 

An entire Saturday evening is set aside – twice a year – to remind us of Christ’s sacrificial life and death, and our responsibility in life to be His amassadors and servants. 

There is a feet-washing service, simple meal, awesome singing, and The Communion.  A highlight for me tonight was having our seven-year-old granddaughter, Jana, wash my feet, give me a hug, and say, “I love you.”

A Windy Day

I know it is windy when I can hear the howl of the wind from my basement office.

The wind blows wherever it pleases.

You hear its sound,

but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

John 3:8 NIV

By nightfall the wind was gone – and I have no idea where it went!

~~~

In the same way,

I cannot wrap my mind around the new birth

and the workings of the Holy Spirit.

~~~

 But I know it’s real ~ It has changed my life!

A Family Dinner

Cerwin’s sister, Doris, her husband Bob, and their daughters Juanita and Judi are visiting from Minnesota, so it seemed like a good time for a family dinner at our place.

What fun!  I love being part of a family. 

Left to right:  Velda (Cerwin’s sister), Mel, Judi, Juanita, my stepmother, Cerwin’s mom, Doris, Bob, and Cerwin.

Tonight it was just brother (the other was missing – Elvin had to work), sisters, mothers.  There is something special about just siblings and spouses being together.

A few of our children and grandchildren dropped in later for dessert. 

It was a good day, but

I’m Tired Tonight

So I need to post something bright and beautiful.

May the God of hope

Fill you with all joy and peace

As you trust In Him,

So that you may overflow

With hope By the power of The Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

I Love A Rainy Day

Especially when I can stay inside with a cup of hot chocolate.

Everything on the exterior was dripping wet today

Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew,

like showers on new grass,

like abundant rain on tender plants.

I will proclaim the name of the LORD.  Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

Deuteronomy 32:2,3 NIV

Coming Home From Buffalo

Sunday

We started our day with coffee in the motel lobby – visiting with our French Canadian Chaplain Claude (pronounced cl-oo-de) and his wife Hughette (front left) and our traveling companions Alice and Sam Rittenhouse. 

It is always fun to spend time with Claude and Huguette, and listen to bits and pieces of their salvation stories, as they are so different from those of us who grew up in Christian families.  I’m not comfortable putting information on the blog, because he had to be hidden for a year (for his safety) after being saved at the age of eighteen. (One has to be careful, or a search engine will pick up those words and pull me out as possibly having knowledge of the same business!) 

From there we drove up the street to see if I could get a picture of the chapel surrounded by snow.  Most of it has melted, but there is still a pile of rather dirty snow in front of the chapel.

We saw lots of tree damage, and hear there are still hundreds of people without electricity.  (The man who took the first picture was at the motel to have a warm place to stay, and be able to take a shower.)

This Pennsylvania Welcome Center is one of our favorite rest stops when traveling home from Buffalo.

We were either a week ahead of peak season for seeing leaves, or the colors are more muted this year, however, muted or brilliant, the scenery is always fabulous from this vantage point.

And it wasn’t difficult to find some really bright colors

Colored leaves amaze me.

Just a few short weeks ago, these bright red leaves were a deep green.

Buffalo, NY

Saturday

Going to Buffalo was an interesting walk of faith!  We woke up early, packed our suitcases, and loaded the van with ministry materials, then waited for a phone call.

The restaurant in Elma, NY, where the banquet was to be held, would not know until 8:30 AM if they could open – due to two feet of snow – resulting in closed roads and downed power lines.

The phone finally rang about 8:45 telling us the banquet was on!

Ministry friends, Sam and Alice Rittenhouse had to leave an hour before that if we were going to arrive at the banquet on time.  We decided earlier that we were going to do something if the banquet was off – like sightseeing, visiting a truck stop where they want a chapel, or stopping at a retreat center interested in ministering to truckers.

Snow on the edge of the motel parking lot.

The seven-hour trip went well, and we were surprised to discover our motel had power.  We called an hour prior to arriving and they were still without electricity.  It returned about 25 minutes before we got there! 

The staff were scrambling to get clean linens to every room, because they had been booked solid with stranded travelers, who thought cold, dark rooms were better than being in a car. 

Internet service was still down – the reason I had to wait until tonight to tell you about our weekend.

It was nice to see our first snow of the season

We arrived at The Columns as everyone else was arriving…

Set up our display board and ministry materials…

Then visited with those who were able to attend.  We expected 120 people, but due to the weather had about eighty, many who were glad for a warm place to eat and where there were lights! 

We heard all kind of stories – sleeping in layers of heavy clothing, boiling snow for water, trying without success to locate a generator or find a motel room for warmth, and manning sump pumps because of twenty-four inches of quickly melting snow. 

The food and fellowship was the best.

Touch of Brass blessed us with a variety of music:  southern gospel, brass, and bluegrass gospel.

 A highlight for us was meeting Gary Guarino and his family.  He is a new volunteer chaplain at the Buffalo chapel.

~~~

Our motel bed felt so good!