Three Bells and All is Well

The last Thursday of every month, people from the local Lutheran church prepare and offer a free meal to all who come.  Until now, "Last Thursdays" came and went for us.  This week we decided to go and check it out. We arrived toward the end of the evening.  (Husband had been raking MORE leaves in anticipation of the rain that would fall later.)  Still there was plenty--hot chicken sandwiches, a choice of three soups, potato chips, fresh vegetables, and several wonderful desserts!

While intended to provide practical assistance to those experiencing hardship due to the economy, they also have seen many single adults turn out for the fellowship.  Since the "Last Thursday" in November falls on Thanksgiving Day, they plan to serve Thanksgiving dinner at noon with all the trimmings. What a great ministry!

The three bells?  I found out last night.  Three small congregations united in the early '60s.  When the new building was built, the bells from the original three church buildings were mounted and are displayed like this near the entrance of this Holy Trinity church.

The use of the bells to mark the time stems from the period when seamen couldn’t afford a personal timepiece and even if they could, they had no idea on how to tell time with such an instrument. So bells marked the hours of the watch in half-hour increments. The seamen would know if it were morning, noon, or night. Each watch was four hours long.

Every crew member shared watch duty, maintaining a constant watch for danger and helping to insure the safety of all souls aboard. The end of each of the six watches were signaled by eight bells. The crewmember would announce, “Eight bells and all is well” as he turned over duty to the next seaman.

Said one explanation about this custom: “Watch is the most important duty aboard any vessel. We each serve a watch for our fellow man while living this life….”

...and that's just as true NOW as THEN!

What Will Be the Sign?

The sign is situated just outside our Post Office.  It is maintained by one of few organizations that exist in our unincorporated small town.  My husband participates in that organization.  After several years of passing by this sign that never changed, I said, "Why don't WE offer to be responsible for it?"

I had many, many ideas and plans.  After the initial change, months went by.  I knew it was now our responsibility.  I asked myself repeatedly, "What can we put up on the sign?"  Finally, last week, armed with some enlarged copies of churches in our community from a presentation my husband did at the local youth center, we changed the display.  "Now more than ever, we need these....Support and attend our local churches", reads the main caption.

The disciples asked Jesus about a sign once.  ""When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"  (Matthew 24:3).  His answer takes up the rest of the chapter.  It includes this:  "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come...you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Jacquelyn commented on my post yesterday telling of a conversation she'd had with a minister's wife. 
     We were talking about transitions they are going through in their semi-retirement and twilight years--she said she wants to "make the last lap the best." Their son, our pastor, told us that each morning they toast their orange juice glasses and say "this may be the day"...looking towards eternity...but then they have faithfully continued to labor in ministry roles.

Isn't that beautiful?!   This MAY BE the day!  We must be ready!

Make This Your Finest Hour

I FINALLY finished it: Three Cups of Tea. I've been distracted lately--distracted but determined to finish this book that I started at least a month ago. I had to renew it once. Three Cups of Tea is the story of one man, Greg Mortenson, who relentlessly pursued the task of building schools in some of the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Two specific quotes inspired me - the first, words of Patsy Collins to Mortenson at a time when he had been receiving threatening letters because of his mission to educate primarily Muslim students around the time of 9/11.  She wrote: "Get out, don't be afraid, and spread your message for peace.  Make this your finest hour."

The second quote that inspired me was what was written on a porcelain pendent that Julia Bergman wore around her neck:  "I want to be used up when I die."

Jesus said, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39).   Some of the most crippling temptations in my life involve "fearing" and "finding"--fearing pain (physical pain and the pain of rejection) and "finding" myself (finding my "niche")  Jesus calls me to lose and use up my life for HIS sake.  By His grace, I want to be used up when I die!

Seasons Change but Not God!

Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you.  All things pass.  God does not change.  Patience achieves everything.

--Mother Teresa

Abide With Me 

Henry F. Lyte, 1847

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

"...A House is Built"

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  Proverbs 24:3-4

It will be his winter project.  He found it at the Fort Wayne St. Vincent de Paul store.  I can tell he is eager to begin work on it!  Decorations and design will be my department.  Construction, trimming, painting and roofing will be his.

What in the WORLD?

I found it posted here: 

http://thoughts-of-a-bama-belle.blogspot.com

Being the skeptic that I am, I tried it with my pathetic broom.  The handle is even slanted to be ergonomically correct.  And at 8:54 it was standing like this!  Ten minutes later, it's still standing.  So what is at the root of this phenomenon? According to the blog:

"Apparently, right now the way the planets and the equinox are lined up, it effects the gravitational pull and the brooms stood for over 30 minutes before they fell. Some people are reporting longer. This should work for the next few days.
How do you do it?
Simple:
Make sure the broom is north / south, stand it up as centered as you can, then gently let go.
You may have to help it find its center a little.
You will actually feel a slight pull when it sets."

 I wonder, could there be another explanation???

The Autumn Leaves

A sweet reprieve late in our day found us taking in the sights of back roads.  I don't know how much longer the leaves will be with us.  If rain and winds come, they may be down.  If not, we may enjoy several more days of varying shades of yellow, bronze, orange, brown, red, and green.
What a Creator, our God!

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."

(Stanley Horowitz)

Vacation Wrap-Up

The cushion on the rocking chair was purchased on Saturday at our favorite thrift store for $.25.

I couldn't resist bringing in the "Christmas tree" - a gift we received over 10 years ago. Its slim proportion has made it a versatile addition to our holiday decorating.   I wrapped it with new lights but will wait to put bulbs on it until after Thanksgiving (maybe).

 

We returned home with fresh enthusiasm and new ideas for life and ministry.  My husband tidied his workbench and finished several small projects.  He also helped me rearrange our living room.  He painted the base of  the coffee table (which had been sitting in our yard).  We topped it with a piece of glass purchased at a garage sale Saturday.

This is an example of the "small" projects he finished....a small, vintage cedar box with a quaint cottage scene on top (thrifted or garage sale, I can't remember for certain).

Bless the Lord, O My Soul!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me, 

bless his holy name!  

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

The Lord has truly done this for us during our autumn vacation!  At the outset, I wrote down a list of qualities I would seek each day of the vacation:  beautiful (God-created and man-made),  invigorating (physically and mentally),  entertaining (humor, reading, movie, etc.),  healthy (particularly food),  and peaceful/restorative (body and spirit).  Each evening I identified the activities or sights that matched these qualities.  I will carry them into my life when vacation is over tomorrow.  I will add to them ministering/serving as I reach out to strangers and friends to share the love and grace of God.

Does Your Community Have One?

I've come across several of these buildings - most recently yesterday (see prior post). There is a Carnegie Library in Antwerp, OH, near to our town. 

Carnegie libraries (1,689 in the U.S.) were funded and built between 1883 and 1929 with money donated by businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie who earned the nickname "Patron Saint of Libraries".

In the early 20th century, a Carnegie library was often the most imposing structure in hundreds of small American communities from Maine to California. Most of the library buildings were unique, displaying a number of architectural styles. Each style was chosen by the community and the architecture was typically simple and formal, welcoming patrons to enter through a prominent doorway, nearly always accessed via a staircase, symbolizing a person's elevation by learning. Outside every library was a lamppost or lantern to symbolize enlightenment.

Nearly all of Carnegie's libraries were built according to "The Carnegie Formula", which required matching contributions from the town that received the donation. It must: demonstrate the need for a public library; provide the building site; provide ten percent annually of the cost of the library's construction to support its operation; and, provide free service to all.

The design of the Carnegie libraries encouraged ommunication with the librarian. It also created an opportunity for people to browse and discover books on their own. Before Carnegie, patrons had to ask a clerk to retrieve books for closed stacks.

While hundreds of the library buildings have been converted into museums, community centers, office buildings and residences, more than half of those in the U.S. still serve their communities as libraries over a century after their construction, many in middle- to low-income neighborhoods.   (resource:  Wikipedia)

Thursday of our Autumn Vacation

 

We found the Angola Public Library and spent some time there checking our email and reading the newspaper.

In 2004, a beautiful library addition was built to encircle the existing Carnegie Library.  The result is fascinating.  The old building continues to house a research room (upstairs) and additional books in its lower level.

We ate a mid-afternoon dinner at Clay's on Lake George.  At a quaint antique shop next to the restaurant, I purchased two tie bars for my husband.  

We spent the evening watching a couple of movies and eating popcorn in the comfort of the cottage.

While at the cottage, I made some cushion covers out of old sheets that the owner/friend had sent up as a possibility for covering them.  (I'd taken my wonderfully-portable sewing machine with me with this project in mind).

We woke up this morning (Friday) to a clear view of the lake.  The weather has been less than ideal, but our vacation has had a quiet beauty to it.

After a leisurely breakfast and our personal "quiet times", we packed up and headed back home--eager to BE home.  We will lay low for a couple of days, eating out and doing some household projects that we were ready and anxious to do.  Vacations really do WORK!

Autumn Vacation 2009, Day 3

 

After saying goodbye to the beauty of the Bed and Breakfast, we took back roads to travel south.

Can you see the shocks of corn in this field?  It was the only sight like this that we saw.  The camera didn't do justice to the colors of the trees in the background.  Such beauty!

Arriving at Kendallville, IN, we found a GREAT thrift store.  Another story for another day.  Then we located a coffee house that advertised having wi-fi.  We wanted to catch up on emails and blogging.  Unfortunately, it was very slow, so we just did the necessary stuff before picking up a few breakfast items at WalMart.  We rolled into the cottage mid-afternoon, unpacked and headed for local eatery - The Woods Too.  Fine meal.

Back to the cottage to watch Joy Luck Club (a tear-jerker) and Oh Brother Where Art Thou? (or something like that.  Funny with all the cliches of the Old South thrown in.)  Then we enjoyed a cup of decaf coffee and shared a piece of turtle cheese cake.

Bits and Pieces - Vacation Day 2

Up the familiar lane....

Up the sidewalk...

Margaret, our hostess, called a couple of others who came to share coffee.  This was an almost daily event when we lived in Michigan.  Anywhere from 4 to 12 people gathered any given morning to catch up with news, care for each other, and leave to go about the day.  Since we left, they meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  We arrived on an "off " day.

While Gary golfed nearby, I took my 30 minute walk around the Das Essenhaus complex in Middlebury, IN.  Later, after I had checked out an antique shop and picked up Gary, we ate dinner at Das Essenhaus.  Then we checked into the Country Victorian Bed and Breakfast in town. 

We're both feeling fine.  Looking forward to Day 3.

End of Vacation Day 1

Our day included the beauty of nature as we saw trees in various shades of orange, yellow, red and green along the route.  We stopped at two favorite thrift stores.  Among the books I bought were these two art books.  A fifty-cent small white pitcher was another buy....We stopped to eat at a restaurant we frequented when we lived near Kalamazoo several years ago.  I do like liver and onions, but I had salmon instead.  It was delicious.  We stopped at Barnes and Noble Bookstore where I read some new magazines and a few decorating books that intrigued me - one featured rustic Irish interiors.  We checked into a motel in Paw Paw, MI.  I then arranged to meet an old friend at a coffee house.  We had a good time catching up.  Now I'll read Three Cups of Tea while my husband watches football.  We'll begin tomorrow by surprising some old friends at coffee in the morning. "Coffee" is a whole post in itself!

Let Me Hear....

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, 

for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; 

but let them not turn back to folly.  

Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,

that glory may dwell in our land.  

Psalm 85:8-9

This is Maranatha Chapel, a small church in our town.

"I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go"

I believe the song was number 513 in the hymnal.  It was requested by a resident who had difficulty speaking.  The second verse says,

Perhaps today there are loving words,

Which Jesus would have me speak...

My voice shall echo the message sweet,

I'll say what You want me to say.

Ginny, the lady on the right, faithfully lines up musicians to conduct Hymn Sing each Friday at Golden Years Retirement Home.  This was my week to sit on the beautiful needlepoint seat and select, lead and play the hymns that these dear folk have come to love.

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those throughout the world who live and die in poverty or hunger.

Give them, through our hands, this day their daily bread;

and by our understanding love, give peace and joy.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I Found the Potato!

I found the "potatoes".  Thanks to everyone who helped!  It was kind of like a bloggers' treasure hunt!

He'll use it to illustrate one of the points about "Quit Stealing" (and do something useful with your hands so you have something to share with those in need) from Ephesians 4:28. One form of stealing is weighting the scale.  Now, this is not necessarily the background of this particular potato....You'll have to go to Jackie's post to see for yourself!

The major emphasis of the sermon will be WORK!  WORK WITH YOUR HANDS!  WORK HARD!   Quit looking for "easy".  Don't look for a way to avoid work.  Teach your children to work by word and example. It's a message our society needs to hear.  It's truth I need to practice. 

Have You Seen the Potatoes? and a Health Update

I need help!  My husband would like to use the picture that was on SOMEONE'S blog in the past week or so in his sermon this Sunday.  The picture was of 4 potatoes lying on the grass - but one was a rock that LOOKED like a potato.  I can't remember where I saw it. If you remember (or if it was YOUR blog) would you comment SOON!

Speaking of my husband, he saw the cardiologist today.  The cardiologist changed a couple of medications, did a blood test to rule out a thyroid condition, and did an ultrasound of the heart.  The ultrasound showed blood flowing at "low normal" rate and didn't give any other reason for alarm except to get the heart rhythm down.  If it isn't down by the 29th, they may do a "shock" to try to get it back in rhythm.

We were VERY pleased with the cardiologist who asked relevant questions and listened to ours.  We have prayed for him as well as our family doctor - that they will have take interest in our case beyond what even professionalism might require; that they will have unique insight into the condition and be alert to anything out of the ordinary.  We believe that God can and will work through them to bring Gary the optimum treatment and outcome.

Thanks to ALL who have inquired, prayed, and supported us with encouraging words.  We are surrounded by a company of true friends and prayer warriors - many of whom we've never met in person!

"If the Lord Wills" - Part II

Most of the plans I listed at the beginning of the day were accomplished with a little twist thrown in.  My good husband went to give blood at the local blood drive after our afternoon meal.  He returned rather quickly.  I said, "Done already?"

He told me that he was rejected because his heart beat was "all over the place."  I strongly urged him to go to the local doctor's office.  A few minutes later he called to tell me they had done an EKG (? I get these initials mixed up) on him and he would need to stay for a few minutes to wait till the doctor could read the results.

I got in our other car and spent the next hour with him.  Atrial Fibrillation is the diagnosis.  He was sent home with a prescription and appointment to return in a couple of days to check if the heart beat has returned to normal and to have some blood tests.

"If God wills" has taken on a whole new meaning for us.  We rest in His will this evening.

"As for God, his way is perfect, 
the word of the Lord is flawless. 

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."  II Samuel 22:31

I Have Plans..."If the Lord Wills"

I have plans for today.  They include: using a Michael's 40% off coupon to purchase earring fittings, menu planning, sewing on a blouse button before retiring it for the season, walking for 30 minutes, reading 3 chapters in Three Cups of Tea, and writing a few notes to friends and family.

The sky is clear, but it is still cool.  I chose to wear this warm, woolly jacket.  Keeping warm is a priority with me these days (and I'm too frugal to turn on the furnace full-time just yet...).


Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."... Instead you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live, and do this or that."  (James 4:13-17)

Slicing and Dicing

Last night a small group of our Small Group met at Bob's house to slice and dice the ingredients for the vegetable soup we'll enjoy tonight when we meet.  This giant cabbage was the smallest one from the garden of one of our members!  After using all we needed for the soup, the remainder was divided into four generous portions for each of us to take home! 

We enjoyed each others company, accomplished our objective, played a game or two, and enjoyed the cheese and crackers Bob supplied....