In the News!

Living on the edge of nowhere, our community gets their daily newspaper from a city located two hours away.  They used to have local people hired to deliver the paper, but ran out of those willing to get up early to do so.  Now, if you want a paper, your choices are to pick one up at one of our local stores, or pay for a subscription to have it mailed to you.  Many have gone to the online option, too.   It has always been a 7 day a week paper, but recently went to only one paper on the weekend.

In addition, Crosby, ND has its own weekly paper called The Journal.  If you subscribe online, you can access the local news on Tuesday night.  Otherwise, it is available in paper form come Wednesday morning.  It always has good coverage of what has been happening during the past week, and is the “go to” source for information on upcoming events.

Usually there is a similar pattern to what I read in the Journal.  Front page stories are read in full, followed by checking the obituaries on page 3 and any ads for what’s happening in the week ahead.  I will glance through the editorials to see if the subject matter interests me, and skim over the sports section.  “One Time It Was News” is always fun, as it features clips from 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and sometimes even 70 and 80 years ago.  You never know when your name might pop up!  Headlines throughout the paper get read, and on to the articles if they interest me and  I have time.

There are, however, two columns I always read.  One is written by our church’s pastor, called “Pastor’s Corner,” and the other is written by my husband’s cousin, and is called “Holly Would.”  The first features uplifting spiritual encouragement, and the second is always good for a smile and chuckle!

To give you a sample, here are this week’s columns for your reading pleasure.  If you like what you read, you could always get a subscription of your own to keep up on what happens in small town, USA! 😊

Days of the Harvest

Growing up as a farmer's daughter, I know well the importance of harvest time.  It takes extreme faith to be a farmer, diligently planting seed in the spring, and then watching as God provides the sunshine and rain needed to make the crops grow.  Then comes the harvest, a time when combines make their rounds in the field to reap the rewards of the harvest.  Here is a cute picture of my brothers and I in front of one of my father's fields "back in the day".

Some years harvest goes smoothly, and others, like this year, cause a few gray hairs for the farmers.  Instead of the sunshine needed, we are getting rain. . .and more rain. . .and even more rain.  Rain and harvest are not a good combination.  What can the farmers do?  They wait.  They wait, and pray for some warmer days of sunshine and drying winds to make harvesting possible. 

Meanwhile, those of us with smaller crops in our garden plots must also think about harvest.  It was a busy week of road trips for me, but there was one free morning, which I dedicated to harvesting the last of the carrots and beets, along with pulling out the plants no longer producing. . .cucumber, peas, and beans.

One final picture before tackling the project, and another of the "fruits of my labor!

















Along with the yummy carrots, and the few beets I started cooking up for lunch, there was also an abundance of dried up pea and bean pods.  I'm good at picking the first ones to show up, but in the busyness of the last month, there were quite a few which escaped my eye.  The bonus to this is I now have a supply of seed to save for next year!

 


As I worked throughout the day, God gave me a variety of "life lessons" to pass on related to my simple harvest.  First of all, He brought to my attention all the life bearing seeds tucked into the dirty, dried up pea and bean pods.  Looking at the outside, you would think they were good for nothing.  But a little bit of gentle handling, and the seeds were extracted, ready to be planted in a new garden. 

This made me think of a different kind of harvest. . .one which God is working on among the people of the earth.  There are those who may appear a bit "worse for wear" on the outside, but deep within each human life God has planted the potential for new growth.  It just sometimes takes a little "gentle handling" to help them recognize this potential.

Also hidden among the dying bean plants were a few beans still in their prime, and even some cute, little "babies" just starting to grow.  In this, I saw a picture of what it will be like when God announces His final harvest.  My bean plants were unaware of the fact it would be their final day, but the time had come.  I caught them in various stages of growth, and so it will be when Jesus returns.  Some people will be "baby Christians", others will have had time to grow in their walk with the Lord.  The ones He is most proud of are those who have given so much in passing on their "seeds of faith" to others.



As you ponder my "harvest thoughts," where do you see yourself?  Have you recognized God as the One who starts you on your season of growth as a Christian?  Do you consider yourself one of the "baby Christians" just learning about producing and passing on seed, or are you a seasoned believer who has shared many seeds with others in your lifetime?  Wherever you find yourself, be aware of the fact there is indeed a final harvest coming. 

With this harvest in mind, think back on the words of Jesus to His disciples:

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers 

into His harvest field.

Luke 10:2

Where will God use you this week to harvest souls for Him?  

And while you are praying, pray for some drying weather so our farmers can get back into the field!

A Roadside Blessing

Last weekend my son and I traveled across North Dakota together.  Visiting of friends was on the agenda.  He would be staying in Fargo, and my friend who lives on a farm by Deer Creek, Minnesota drove an hour and a half to pick me up.  Along our way back to her farm, she wanted to stop at a roadside produce shop to pick up some ingredients for the salsa she planned to make later in the week.  

While she shopped, I walked around and found so many pretty fall colors. . .pumpkins, gourds, and squash were piled everywhere.  What great creativity God displayed when he created the vegetation on the third day! 

 






As I wandered around, soaking in the colors, something flew by and caught my eye. . .a beautiful monarch butterfly!  Following it through the air, I found the reason it was attracted to the area.  Just beside the roadside stand was a bed of zinnias and cosmos, and along with my friendly butterfly were dozens of others.  It was tricky to photograph them, as they folded up their wings while enjoying a snack from each flower.  A bit of patience scored me some beautiful memories of this quaint roadside blessing.

In Genesis 1, God made the assessment His creation was "very good."  After observing this little piece of it, I would have to agree!

Across the Border(s)

September brings with it an increase in my weekly commitments.  It is when our church begins their Wednesday night outreach to the kids in our community, with my duty being teaching the youngest group of children.  Along with the help of my husband's cousin, we teach Bible stories in a fun and creative way through the use of puppets, song, and hands-on activities.

The other weekly commitment which surfaces in September is our Tuesday night practices for two Christmas Concerts held on the first weekend in December.  What makes our chorus extra special is the fact it is made up of singers from two sides of the northern border of the United States.  Our small town is located, just 5 miles from the Canadian border, although getting across the border takes a bit longer, as it is necessary to first get to the nearest border crossing, which is 22 miles away.

This year, we have seen an increase in the size of our chorus from both sides of the border, which is quite exciting.  The average size over the past few years has been 45-50 singers, but this year our head count is already up to 60.  Tonight we had an added bonus, as one of those who came was a man who is actually from South Africa.  He has been working for an area farmer since earlier this spring, and decided he wanted to be part of our group.  Our international chorus, just got even more diverse!

It is fun to hear the voices blend as we learn the music in the chapel of our Lutheran Church.  When the current church was built, the altar setting from the prior church was preserved and placed in this chapel in memory of the pioneers who started the church.  It is a place which always warms my heart, as it was in front of this altar my parents said their wedding vows.

What a blessing to form friendships across the border. . .and now borders!  It is also wonderful to hear so many using their God-given musical talents to proclaim the Christmas message, a message of Christ come to earth.  The theme of this year's concert is "A Star is Born." and it's not too late to join us if you are interested.  Just show up at Concordia Lutheran Church in Crosby, ND at 7pm on Tuesday evenings between now and December 3.

As my thoughts focus on "borders" tonight, we can also be so thankful Jesus was willing to cross the border from heaven to earth to become Emmanuel, God with us.  His sinless life here on earth sets an example each of us should strive to follow.  His death on the cross, and resurrection three days later then made it possible for us to receive the forgiveness needed to inherit eternal life, a journey from this finite life to one of life eternal.

Today, I came across a picture of a statue depicting the moment one steps through death's door, which is our boundary between earth and heaven.  Originally sculpted by a man named Jerry Anderson, it was unveiled in the year 2000.  Today, this life-sized bronze monument is found in the foyer of the Spilsbury Mortuary in St. George Utah.  You see an elderly woman's body return to its prime, as it journeys to the arms of a waiting Savior.

As you ponder this statue, also take time to ponder your own relationship with Jesus.  He wants each of us to know Him in a personal way, and longs to hear from us through the avenue of prayer.  The jailer in Acts 16 once asked Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?"  The answer then still holds true today:

"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,

and you will be saved."

Acts 16:31

   

A Grand Lady!

Circumstances of life left me with only one grandparent I actually grew up knowing.  My paternal grandmother died of cancer before my parents were married, and I was only two years old when my paternal grandfather passed away, so I have no memory of him.  My maternal grandfather died of blood poisoning when my mother was only eleven, leaving my maternal grandmother alone to raise their four children.

Some may say I got gypped having only one grandparent.  Instead, I feel it gave me the opportunity to know her in a more intimate way, since she was the only one.  Special isn't an adequate word when trying to describer her.  Blessed we were to have her here on earth until God took her home one month after her 100th birthday.

She came to the United States from Norway when she was only four years old, and settled in Minnesota.  From there, she moved with her husband to the plains of North Dakota where they homesteaded in Frederick Township, just south of my hometown of Crosby, ND.

Early memories of my life include many visits to Grandma Ellen's farm.  It still amazes me when I look at the early pictures of the farm, void of any trees, and compare them to the beautiful yard she transformed it into.  Just last week I was telling my own granddaughter about her farm, describing the trees all around the house, interspersed with flower gardens, a vegetable garden, and a strawberry patch.  An opening on one side led to the orchard she developed,  and in the corner was a quaint little spot we called "the three bear's house," complete with three stumps and a log to use when bringing the story to life.

She didn't have an easy life, and experienced a lot of sadness.  Besides losing her husband, she also lost a daughter five years later to a heart defect.  She would go on to bury two more of her children over the course of her lifetime.  She was given many opportunities to become bitter and angry with the circumstances she found herself in.  Instead, she apparently had learned well from her own mother, who gave the following as her mantra at the age of 100:

Keep calm,

 take everything as it comes, 

work hard, 

and stay close to God 

Grandma Ellen was a friend to all, and never spoke ill of anyone, that I can remember.  She was a model of grace and humility, and lived out the fruit of the Spirit as an example to all who knew her.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control pretty much sum up the kind of life she lived.  Her own advice at 100 was to "Read the Word, and stick to it!"  How blessed I am, and so much richer because of her influence in my life!

"Happy Grandparents Day, Grandma Ellen!"