Something's Missing

The Christmas holiday is definitely upon us, but repeatedly something has been missing.  As the first attempts were made at decorating, it was the Nativity sets.  Usually a huge part of our Christmas décor, they were all transported to be part of a community Nativity display which remained up for just over a week, beginning the day after Thanksgiving.  Without them, the spaces at home looked pretty bare.

In the course of helping set up the display, it was one of the Baby Jesus figurines which turned up missing.  One lady was going to be out of town, but brought a tote of Nativities to be displayed.  A thorough search of the packing confirmed it was indeed gone.  Can you find it in this picture?

For a bit of fun, we had sign up slips which listed the various contributors to the display and a challenge to find the collection with the missing Jesus.  At the end of the week, a name was selected to receive a prize, which was a book featuring six stories about Nativities.

Fast forward to the first week-end in December and our annual Christmas Concert presented by a unique choir made up of singers from two areas.  The Northwest Chorus is so named because it includes singers from several communities across the northwest corner of North Dakota.  The Southeast Chorus brings in talent from across the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan, just across the border to the north in Canada.  We perform two concerts, one in Estevan, Saskatchewan and one here in Crosby, North Dakota.

As a member of this special chorus, it is always exciting to scan the audience for special people in my life, but this year one such person was missing. . .my husband.  He was home sick with a bad cold and cough, which has been plaguing him ever since.  Not only was he missing from the concert, but his usual carefree and happy countenance has also been missing.  After hearing cough after cough, it also seems my patience level has disappeared, as I want him better. . .RIGHT NOW!

Having my husband home with a cold was a small matter, however, compared to the missing person from the bass section of our chorus.  Three days prior to the concert, John had a five bypass heart surgery.  As the director, (who happens to be his brother-in-law), updated us on his condition, things didn't sound good.  Just after we concluded our concert, we received word he had passed away.  John's funeral today was a testimony to the number of lives he touched, and having him missing from our community will leave a large hole.  Hopefully, each of us who knew and loved him will pick up a small piece of his "mantel" and make the world a little better because of how he touched our life.

Although it seems much is missing, there are some things which will never disappear.  God's love and presence in our lives is a constant which will never turn up missing.  A reminder of this was given in the pastor's message at the funeral, when he shared words from this passage in Romans 8:38-39.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,

nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,

 nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,

shall be able to separate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


What's missing in your life today?  Is it a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ?  No matter what your lot in life, knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior will fill all the missing places.  As we continue in the Christmas season, seek and find Him as the shepherds and wise men did.  Then do your part in spreading the good news! 

It's How God Works!

This morning, after our yoga class had ended, the instructor and I lingered to visit with the woman working the desk at our wellness center.  We learned her family was facing a difficult time, since her husband's job had recently been terminated.  My heart ached for her as she shared their burden and we shared a hug.  It felt good to open our hearts and be available to offer a listening ear.

Several Bible verses came to mind as she pondered whether they would have to move and where they would be going.  The verses I shared were first revealed to me at a time when our daughter and son-in-law were contemplating a move.  Housing was tight in Williston at the time, and as a mother I was agonizing about where they would live.  It was then my Bible reading took me right to what I needed to hear:

"From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the exact places they would live.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.

Acts 17:26-28 (NIV)

 

Hopefully, the words of these verses would also be a comfort for my new friend as she realizes God already has everything figured out!  Further discussion was about how to hear God's voice, and sort out the many thoughts which travel through our brains.  Arriving home and checking Facebook, I found it interesting how the first message seemed very applicable to our earlier discussion. The post was written by my daughter, sharing thoughts she had been contemplating:

 

 “I know that sometimes it seems the voice of God is hard to hear, hard to discern, and often I question whether it is really Him speaking or something/someone else that I am lending my ear to. But this I know as 100% truth: He NEVER speaks fear. His words regarding fear are ALWAYS “Fear not, for I am with you.”

What great words of advice to share with my new friend!  Later, as I was sorting through "piles of stuff" in my computer room, I came across a bookmark with more encouraging words:

Fear not those things which God has sent, though troublesome they seem

For He knows best what must be done to lead you to your dream.

 

He'll test your strength to make you strong, for what's not used grows weak,

And strip you of what pulls you from the highest goal you seek.

 

He'll show you that where faith is placed, a harvest soon is grown,

And what you'll learn is that in time you reap what you have sown.

 

For all that's His belongs to you to do with as you will

But when you give it back to Him, He does your dreams fulfill.

 

 

In another pile were pieces of paper with a quote and Bible verse about faith.  At this point in time I don't even remember why I had copied them off.  Perhaps it was to share at one of our Women's Ministries meetings.  Who knows?  But interesting it should surface right at a time it could be shared with someone facing a difficult time:

 

Faith is:

     Following without knowing where,

          Waiting without knowing when,

               Believing without knowing how,

                    Trusting without knowing why.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

                                                                                                                ~Hebrews 11:1

 

God never ceases to amaze me.  His timing is always right, even when it involves me putting off organizing my piles!  He seems to know just when we need to receive a particular encouraging word, whether it be for our own situation or to pass on to someone else.  It's just how He works! 


 

 

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Reminders of a Fantastic Fall!

Last spring I dug up my tulip beds, fully intending to replant the bulbs in October.  We are now at mid-November and I finally got them back in the ground. . .on a rare "high 50's" day in November!  It was a good feeling to finally get the task finished, and in the process start a new tulip bed.  Spring will determine how successful my attempt at expanding will be!

It was amazing to be planting tulip bulbs in the midst of snap dragon plants still blooming.  About a month ago, when there were threats of frost, I cut in the remaining snap dragon blossoms and shared them around town in bouquets.  How amazing it was to find the plants still producing buds and blossoms!

Earlier this week there were other reminders of what a fantastic fall we have been enjoying:

Candy Corn Vine

H

Double Calibrachoa

Dianthus

In North Dakota the weather can often be unpredictable, but this year it has been a treat to enjoy "warmer than usual" instead of "colder than usual" for a change.  What about you?  How is the weatherman treating you? 



Blogging, Is It Worth It?

Seems my commitment to blog hasn't been holding up as of late.  Sometimes I wonder, "Is it really worth the effort I put into it?"  Then I hear a small, still voice saying, "It's not about you, remember?"  Oh, yes.  My commitment to write is not about what I get out of it, but rather what God can do with it, despite my commitment or lack thereof. 

There is an interesting part of the "BlogSpot" system which allows one to track how many have been reading your posts and also where they are from.  Checking today, over the course of the past month I have had 123 readers from the United States, along with 15 from Russia, 2 from France and one each from Canada and Spain. 

It makes me wonder how they happened across my blog and what their thoughts were after reading it.  Then, again, I'm reminded it is not about me, and my thoughts are just recorded for whatever purpose God might find to use them.

Another feature connected to my blog is the ability to comment.  It seems my readers are not ones who choose to comment, but it would be fun to find out more about them.  If you are reading this, and feel brave, take a moment to comment and share your thoughts with me.  It would be interesting to learn who is on the receiving end of my random thoughts!

A Place Called Home

Over the course of the past four months "home" has come to have double meaning.  Monday through Friday our place to call home has been a condominium unit in Bismarck, North Dakota, necessary as Bert has been serving in the North Dakota Legislature.  As each week-end would roll around, going home would bring us back to Crosby and the house on Main Street built 39 years ago by Bert, his father and brothers.  Some say home is where your heart is, and truly it has been in both places.

As our time in Bismarck comes to a close, it will once again require readjustment and a return to the normal life we left behind at the beginning of January.  But truly it will never be completely the same, as our experiences over the past four months will have influenced and touched our hearts in ways we never imagined when this adventure started.

At the heart of it all will be the friendships formed.  Yes, it was interesting learning how state government works, how bills come and go and decisions are made.  And yet it has been the people behind those decisions who have made the largest impact, and only eternity will reveal the reasons God has for intersecting our lives at this crossroad.

For Bert, there has been a special bond with his fellow legislators.  Among his closest friends are those who, like him, are working their way through their first year experience.  Alongside these are those who have been a part of the system for a few or many years who have taken them under wing and done their best to "show them the ropes".  It has been refreshing to be at Bert's side and see these friendships develop and grow.

For myself, a group of fellow legislative wives has been at the heart of my experience.  Meeting each Wednesday for lunch, we also shared in activities such as touring the North Dakota Penitentiary, learning about a great facility called "First Choice Clinic" and seeing both the Former Governor's Mansion and the home of our National Guard's Adjutant General.  We made Valentines for our elected officials, those in the Legislature, and for a group of Veterans at a home in Lisbon, North Dakota.  We learned about an organization called 4HerND which is working with sex trafficking in our state, and heard from two authors about their books.  A road trip one week brought us to the Lewis and Clark Museum at Washburn, ND.  We also gathered to make fleece blankets which were donated to organizations helping children with special needs.

Thursdays brought a smaller group of us together for a Bible Study time, looking into the story of Moses and his leadership role.  We also spent time in prayer for our husbands and enjoyed getting to know each other on a closer more intimate basis.

As each of us returns to the place we call home, we do so with thanks to our Heavenly Father for the times we have shared and the friendships we have formed.  As we work together to make North Dakota a better place to live, we also look forward to another placed called "HOME" which will be our final destination.  Reading through Revelations 21 makes me long for this final gathering place which will be free of sin and ruled by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Reservations are being taken and recorded in the Lamb's book of life.  Have you made yours?


 

Just Do It!

Recently it was a blessing to participate in providing music for a Fall Festival Supper at a Lutheran church in Alamo, ND.  Located about 30 miles south of us, the church is part of a five church parish connected to Concordia Lutheran here in Crosby, ND and served by a husband and wife pastor team.  Our "Music Makers" group has been blessed by the banjo playing talent exhibited by the husband, and so it was we were asked to provide "background music" at the festival both last year and this year.

Last year the meal was pancakes, but this year we enjoyed ham, potatoes, creamed corn, coleslaw and a variety of "goodies" for dessert.  We sang a few numbers prior to eating, and then entertained for about an hour afterwards.  All the while we played, people were busy enjoying fellowship and participating in what they called a "Norwegian Auction".  After purchasing tickets for fifty cents a piece, you wrote your name on the tickets and placed them in containers next to various prizes which had been donated by the members of the congregation.  There were also quite a number of "silent auction" sheets which corresponded to more deluxe items.

My contribution to the Music Makers is singing.  Several of the songs we share are instrumental, giving me an occasional break.  During this time I purchased a few dollars worth of tickets and made my selections.  At the end of the evening I was delighted with my winnings, which were a pair of gloves and a container of date filled cookies.  I also won one of the silent auction items, which was an autumn themed basket.
 

As often happens when I participate in fun events, pictures were taken and shared over Facebook.  One of the comments expressed by a friend was "I want some date cookies!  I love them!"  Since date filled cookies are a rare treat at our house, my first instinct was to simply "like" her comment and move on.  Instead I found myself posting a reply.  "Stop over tomorrow afternoon and I'll share!!" 

The next morning came and went, and I didn't hear anything further from her.  About mid-afternoon I had a little voice in my head say, "You should call her and tell her to come over!"  Then the other little voice in my head said, "You don't want to do that!  The house is in a disarray and, seriously, you want to save all those cookies for yourself!!"  After a little back and forth between the two voices, the first one won out and I'm so glad it did!  My friend came over and we enjoyed a nice visit. . .the real, face to face kind. . .over date filled cookies and cranberry mango juice.  There was even still one cookie left when we were done with our visit!

 

It is really sad how seldom our home is used for entertaining.  Years back it was quite often we had someone over for a meal or an evening of visiting.  Times have changed.  Now we sit home alone with our eyes glued to a screen of some sort.  We keep track of how many "friends" we have and post comments on how our day is going.  Occasionally we share pictures.  But we really don't fellowship.  After the visit with my friend, I was reminded of how nice it is to greet someone at my door, invite them in and enjoy sharing face to face. 

How long has it been since you've had company at your house?  I can already hear the excuses. . ."My house is too messy!". . ."I have too much to do!". . . "I need to check the news feed on Facebook!"  Next time God brings someone to mind, don't hesitate to ask them over. . .just do it!  You'll never regret it!



Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
1 Peter 4:9
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pencils, Sharpeners, You and the Church

Our church has an adult Sunday School class which is taught by our pastor, Dennis Huenefeld.  This morning, in the course of the class discussion, he gave a good object lesson I thought I would pass along. 

Each of us has a story to tell, and thus we are like a pencil.   Over time, however, every pencil gets dull and needs to be sharpened.  In the same way, going to church serves as the "sharpening tool" to freshen our lives, making them able to put out a clear and concise message about our Christian walk.

Can you be a Christian and not attend church?  Of course you can, since the requirement for being one is not church attendance but believing in and establishing a personal relationship with Jesus.  The church does, however, serve as a tool used by the Holy Spirit to "sharpen" our knowledge of God's Word and also provides much needed fellowship with other believers.

The question of the day is, "Did the point of your Christian experience get sharpened today?"  So thankful for Crosby Assembly of God and the many times it has served to make me a more productive Christian.  I'm also thankful for Concordia Lutheran Church here in Crosby, ND which provided my foundation in Christianity and gave me a positive experience growing up in the church. 

Would anyone else like to share the story of how a church or combination of churches has shaped your Christian experience?