It's that time of year again when we make resolutions. We look over the past year and see some things that we would like to now accomplish or some things that need to be changed. So we decide to give these some effort, some priority by voicing a resolution. By resolving, we put forth a purposeful effort on our part to make something happen. We give this effort first place above other happenings. It becomes our focus. This focus is necessary to accomplish or change what we see needs done because life has too much in it that demands our attention. If we don't make a special effort, these things will never come to pass. We will go numbly on through life, never giving them much more consideration.

Many people make exercise a resolve for the year. In a recently read novel the author tells the story of a convict in Victorian England who was tortured in prison by the dreaded treadmill. We can believe easily that this devise had that effect! During the winter months our exercise consists mainly of walking on this devise. The activity is only tolerated by watching a video for distraction. And then only 20 minutes with this distraction is possible. What monotony!

Another resolve that is common is the effort to lose weight. The convict in the novel lost weight easily due to the restricted prison diet. This diet along with the extra treadmill exercise caused the poor man in the story to become emaciated. He began to feel hopeless. Life lost its meaning. If not for his faith, he would have lost all hope.

And isn't that what New Year's resolutions are all about? Hope. We hope that we will be able to accomplish or make changes that we have resolved. Resolutions give us a chance, or maybe even a second chance at making life what we want. Sure they are easy to break. But they are also a hopeful way to improve our lives and give us purpose.

So go ahead, resolve. And have a Happy New Year!

Million Dollar Fudge

You can smell fudge making at our house. This is a standard Christmas gift that we give to our neighbors, pastors, mailmen, paper deliverers, garbage man, office help, and anyone who we would like to thank for their help during the past year. Though we really shouldn't indulge, just the smell of making the fudge satisfies that craving. And of course licking the emptied bowl is also a treat! No calories there!

The recipe comes from Bess Truman. During the war she started women making fudge to sell in helping the war effort. This fudge was called "Million Dollar Fudge" because through their efforts over a million dollars was contributed to the war effort. Imagine what good could come if this effort was put forth for peace. Just a thought.

It's an easy recipe, already memorized. Put 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Add 1 cup marshmallow fluff or creme and stir together. In a medium sauce pan combine 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup evaporated milk and 2 tablespoons butter. Heat on medium heat until it starts to come to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Take a pastry brush and some cold water and clean the sides of the pan. Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, keep stirring without touching the sides of the pan. Pour this into the chips and marshmallow fluff mixture, and stir some more. After it has combined somewhat add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt, then stir until it is smooth. Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts and combine by stirring again. Pour this into a pan (or containers to give away.) It makes over 2 pounds of some of the most delicious fudge you will ever taste!

Enjoy!

This evening, as we began to prepare our Christmas cards for giving, it was almost sad to realize that some loved ones that were on our list last year are no longer with us this year. Some new friends and family have been added now to our list and that cheered us. We also noted that this past year seemed to just fly by. Is time really going faster? Is that possible?

Since we no longer have TV connections we thought that the passing of time would slow. However, we have discovered that, if anything, the passing of time has sped up even more.

We both do really enjoy reading good books. Our latest discovery is the author Charlene Ann Baumbich and her Dear Dorothy series. It is possible to start on one of her books and hours pass before you think about setting the book down. Perhaps that is why time flies.

We can recall one of our father's saying that it seemed to him that as he got older time seemed to speed up also. The older we get the more we can understand the idea that God has no beginning and no ending. For Him a thousand years is like a day. Sometimes we need to wait for an answer to prayer. We think that it is taking an awfully long time for God to answer. His time table is unfathomable. So we must wait. That just might slow us down a little!

Last evening our Transitional Transparency Meeting was divided into three parts. First, we looked at a family story that was really a history of our church. Next, we read through a time line of the events leading to our having a woman as associate pastor. And finally, we went over some of the points of how to resolve the problem of the disconnect between our leadership and the people in the pews. Then we broke into small groups and discussed and prioritized these points.

While these meetings are rather interesting, we are starting to question their effectiveness. It seems like we are not really addressing the problems that may help stop the downward turn in our attendance. Supposedly looking back, as well as dealing with some of the current problems, will get us all headed in the right direction to address the future and how we can grow. If nothing else, it is helping us as a congregation to better understand each other and perhaps also understand God's calling for us as a group trying to serve him.

You may have noticed that we have not updated our blog of late. It has been a very busy time here. Not just because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Much of our time lately has been spent in doctor's care and waiting rooms. And it's not over yet, as another test is scheduled for this week.

At times like these it is tempting to ask "Why me?" But a recent book about the life of Corrie Ten Boom suggests that the question better suited at these times it "How?" Asking God why seems like a lack of faith for us. Instead of wondering why, we want to ask His help in how to handle these situations.

Hard times are not always prevented from entering our lives. But the Lord has promised to always be there to help us get through the hard times.

The only time life can break us is when we choose not to come to the Lord for help.

And then there is the act of giving thanks. We ask how can we be thankful during hard times. It's always easy to be thankful for good times and an easy life. True faith is giving thanks even in the difficult moments and trials of life. It's not easy but it is simple. So we are thankful even in the midst of testing. And we are asking God to show us how to get through these rough times. We know He will!

We highly recommend that you watch the DVD entitled Miss Potter. This heartwarming story is based on the life of Beatrix Potter, author of the classic children books "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" and others.

Hollywood surprised us with this non-offensive movie, though rated PG. There was no bad language or other offensive material. We were somewhat puzzled at the rating...though probably it might be due to some of the subject matter. Be warned, it is a tear jerker, especially the last 20 minutes. But it does end on a good note. And speaking of notes the music for this is fantastic. You go away humming.

We are thrilled to encourage you to view this one. It is rare for us to be able to tout anything out of Hollywood!

In our last transitional transparency meeting our congregation concluded that sharing during morning worship should continue, with some direction from pastor/worship leader. The ground rules will be:

Sharing will be encouraged to take place in Sunday school and small groups.

Pastor/worship leader will express concerns after the sermon.

Then persons will be invited to share briefly in one of three specific ways:

Concerns about themselves, their family, or others known to everyone.
How they have seen God at work recently.
Response to sermon.

Guidelines are as follows:

No advocacy for any congregational, theological or political issue.
Pastor/worship leader will limit or extend sharing on length and appropriateness.

This sharing time will be concluded with a closing prayer.

After this issue was decided we went on to discuss in small groups our next issue, namely the perceived disconnect between leadership and the person in the pew.
Each group reported back their points of discussion.

The two hours were up, so results of this issue will be addressed at our next meeting in a month's time.

Overall we would say that these meetings are a good thing. Many people who had doubts about this process are reporting a change of heart as to its merit. We see this whole experience as a good thing, and we would recommend it to others.

Simple Chili

This is Chili making weather at our house.

Take a large can of tomato juice, add a small can of petite diced tomato, and a small can of red kidney beans.

To this add one pound of lean ground beef that has been browned, along with a chopped medium onion and a chopped garlic clove.

To spice it up add one tablespoon of Chili powder, a couple dashes of Worstershire sauce, then mellow it out with a packed tablespoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of dried parsley flakes.

Get it all cooking in your crock pot on low...if you start it in the morning it should be good and ready for supper.

YUM!!

This week we attended a special event with our grandchildren. Their school had what was called "Colonial Day." There were 10 stations where the student learned various things about Colonial times.
Making paper
Printing on paper
Etiquette
Use of Wompom
Apple cider
Apple butter
Butter making
Popcorn hulling
Hand sewing
Candle making

All of October we hardly had a drop of rain. Come this event we had rain all night before and all that day, three inches in all. Fortunately all the activities were under a tent, except for the apple butter making. Also it was good that the temperature was not too cold.

Even with the weather not cooperating, it was a very interesting and fun day. We had lunch together and at the end we had some fun singing and a lively square dance.

It was good to see how our grandchildren interact with their school friends. It was also good to be with the other grandparents. The teachers and others who put this on really did a good job and put a lot of effort into making this a wonderful time for all.

Some were even dressed according to that time. The children were also encouraged to come dressed in Colonial garb. They had plenty of chairs for sitting so us old people could rest. And each child had a basket they could fill with all the creative activities that went on during the day.

The tent was not equipped with lights so you had some feel for those olden days when electricity had not been invented yet. Of course none of the activities require electric.

It is good to be involved in our grandchildren's lives.

What a beautiful fall day! If there only was some way to catch it and deposit the day into a "Day" account, then withdraw it when the cold dreary weather of winter sets in.

This fall has been almost exceptional in that the weather has been mild and the nights are cool to mild. We have had no real cold yet and although there has been some frost around the area, we have had no killing frost here. So the flowers are mostly still blooming nicely, save for a few. If the frost would come, then we could work at winterizing the flower gardens.

Today to our delight, along with two of our grandchildren, we visited a local state-owned woods that has a nice walkway made from recycled plastic. The walkway is several inches above the ground which makes it a nice path even if the ground is wet. On occasion, we will see deer through the trees but no such luck today.

When we returned to our vehicle there had been a four car accident right at the entrance to the woods/parking lot. We happened to have parked at just the right spot and we were able to leave, even though there were a number of rescue vehicles along with the state patrol at the scene. There did not appear to be any serious injuries, mostly bent fender, tires and bumpers.

After living and seeing the beauty of the day and worshiping with other believers, we need to stop and count God's blessings more often.

Recently we have developed a taste for folk art. This is a simple, almost one dimensional, primitive artwork, that usually depicts rural settings. We enjoy searching for this type of art. So far we have limited our collection to prints. But these are somewhat difficult to find, at least within our budget. We like to shop thrift stores. That is the best place to find a bargain. Also, as was the case in the above piece, we like to find bargains at rummage sales. Usually these rummage sales serve two purposes. We find a bargain and the sale benefits a worthy cause. It is surprising that we don't come across more of this folk art. We are puzzled by it's scarcity. Perhaps it is an acquired taste. Whatever the reason for the rarity, we find this form of art very peaceful and pleasing. Just wanted to share our pleasure with you.

We want to report on our transitional meeting that was held by our congregation on Sunday evening. Our transitional pastor gave his report. There were not too many surprises, as we had already surmised most of the issues. What was surprising was his take on what our congregation should consider to stem the tide of loosing our members. He insists that if we don't do something our congregation will die within the next few generations. What is his answer you ask? He thinks we ought to consider the megachurches and perhaps fashion our congregation to compete to keep our members. Up to this point we were with him in his evaluations. We are wondering if our small congregation has the resources, will power or the desire to compete. We feel that our congregation should be an alternative to these mega churches. We have some doubt also to his conclusion that we are a dying church. We feel that our Christian education emphasis will sustain us through the lean years. That is, if we keep this thrust. Our congregation also has a track record of service that is above normal for our size. That could be another continued vision that will sustain us. Some of our hope for a good outcome during this transition period has be dashed. Perhaps as we work through our issues this hope will be restored. We will see.

Here it is Sunday evening already. The weekend was spent with family members celebrating a retirement. Several thoughts came out of our time together. Our discussion touched on having a loved one in a nursing home.

Since the one retiring was a care giver in this type of setting, her suggestions are as follows. We have also included some additional thoughts and ideas gathered from our own life's experience.

1) Always attend the "Patient Care Meetings". These are regular scheduled meetings to go over with a staff person on how the loved one is doing. This can include discussions of, but is not limited to, medication changes and the expected results of these changes, as well as eating, sleeping, activities, physical changes such as weight gain or loss etc. Be sure to express any and all concerns you may have about the care your loved one is receiving. Document the questions and answers.

2) Make notes at these meetings to see later on if the staff follows through on decisions reached and agreed upon.

3) Be a "squeaky wheel" so to speak. As sad as this is, the truth of the matter is that sometimes to get the care you feel is the best, you need to be letting the staff know in a nice way that your loved one should be getting a higher level of attention.

4) Document! Document! Document! Write down observations of neglect including date and time, take pictures if necessary. Do surprise visits at odd times. Use your nose as an aid to help detect if your loved one's hygiene is being neglected. The facility itself should also have a non-offensive smell.

5) Don't neglect your responsibilities too. Visit as often as you can, bringing cheer and a smile. Bring snacks and treats for the staff. Be sure to celebrate mile stones your loved one reaches such as birthdays and celebrating holidays together whenever possible. You don't need to have a reason to bring a gift. Gifts can be fun anytime.

It is always difficult when circumstances make it impossible to care for those we love and a nursing facility is necessary. These thoughts and tips are shared with you to make that difficult time for you a little easier. Hope this helps.

Today we took a walk in a nearby state nature preserve. When our state was first settled about 90% of the land was forested. The woods we hiked in today is one of the largest and least-disturbed old-growth forest known to remain in our state. A 1.5 mile recycled-plastic lumber boardwalk allows visitors to enjoy the preserve without destroying the integrity of the old-growth forest.

We observed some wildlife today, like squirrels, chipmunks and even some deer. The weather was just perfect. A comfortable 75 degrees in the shade. A softly blowing breeze made our trek incredible. The deer siting made it very special. Fortunately, not many people took advantage of the lovely day, so the trails were mostly left to us. The stillness and the natural element had a calming effect.

The above photo is not from today's adventure. It is from a woods adjacent to a public garden not far from us. But it sends the same message of stillness and quietude that we experienced on our walk today.

To share or not to share

As promised, we want to give you a report on our first transitional meeting held last evening by our congregation. The meeting lasted the full 2 hours set aside for it, with no conclusion or decision as of yet.

The time was mostly spent airing opinions and brainstorming for solutions. Some strong feelings were expressed on both sides of the issue. Some new ideas emerged, as well. So, since our time was up, we tabled this until November's meeting.

Our next transitional meeting, held in October, will be a summary of our transitional pastor's report on the issues within our congregation. He has conducted interviews to comprise this report. He is calling this meeting a "watershed" event for our congregation. We are looking forward to this meeting.

We were amazed at how much fun our first meeting actually was for us. It is good to sit down together and discuss church with other members. Perhaps because the issue for this meeting was not a hot topic, the meeting was more enjoyable. We are sure that as this process moves forward into more sticky situations the meetings may be of a more serious nature.

Photos from our place

CORNFIELD AT DAWN

Trying new things

Today we tried out a brand new recipe.

It has brown rice, cashews, dried cranberriess, onions, garlic and spices.

We thought at first that we would not like it.

So, as a back up plan, we decided that if it was awful we would go out to eat.

It was scrumptious!

Now it is one of our favorites.

If we had been too afraid to try something new to us, we would have missed out on this wonderful new experience.

What a shame that would have been.

Numbers rule

We are aware lately of how important numbers seem to be in our lives.

One of us struggles with numbers derived from blood drawn periodically, with doctors adjusting medicines accordingly.

The other must contend with the numbers of blood pressure readings, keeping to a strict diet in order to not elevate these readings.

Each of us when driving observe the numbers along the side of the road that indicate a maximum speed.

Some numbers we count down, looking forward to retirement.

Some numbers we add up to celebrate, such as birthdays or anniversaries.

Then there are the numbers that appear on the face of a clock, keeping us moving through our lives at a fast clip.

A visit to the gas station puts us into shock when we observe those numbers comprising the total bill!

The thermometer numbers regulate our dress as we prepare to walk each morning.

How important numbers are in all our lives.

A touch of fall is in the air. The days are warm but the night times are cool and the mornings crisp.

As promised the answer to last Sunday's quiz will be revealed in today's blog. But you will have to read to the end to find the answer.

Tomorrow is the national "Labor Day" holiday. We do plan on laboring a bit around the house but may do some fun things too. There are beautiful fall flowers to enjoy now.

Thankfully the Japaneses beetle plague we had this summer is just about over. It lasted about two full months. The farmer who farms that field next door planted soy beans this year which must be a favorite of the beetles.

In the next five weeks we will be attending two family reunions, as well as visiting some out of state family.

Ready for the quiz answer? You may have guessed it by now but here it is anyway. "Glass"

All of the photos we have posted so far have been of our own gardens. Tonight we were moving some plants in order to put in a driveway so we don't need to back out onto our very busy country road. We almost forgot to look under the plants for some spring bulbs that were there. It has been so long since spring. Already we can feel fall in the air. Soon winter will be upon us. Then spring again. Is it us or does time seem to be speeding up? It has been over a year now that we haven't been viewing television. We do more reading now. When we feel like watching something we put in a dvd of one of our favorites. This is much nicer, no commercials, no getting offended by content or bad language. When we stopped getting tv programming we thought things would slow down a little. We thought wrong. If anything time seems to be going by even faster.

Our congregation is going through what is being called a transition time between pastors. We have with us now a transitional pastor who will be leading us through a time of self reflection that will help us deal with numerous important issues before we call our next pastor. For the past few months he has been meeting with groups, couples, and individuals. He is interviewing using specific questions to discover what some of the issues within our congregation might be. In the next phase we will be meeting together as a congregation to practice arriving at consensus. He has chosen what he feels is a rather unimportant issue, in this case, whether or not to have sharing during worship time. In a few weeks we will meet and try to arrive all together at a decision about this issue. If we agree that we cannot achieve a consensus, the issue will be resolved by a ballot.

The next two years will be an interesting time for everyone. We will share some of the happenings here so you can get a feel of how things are going. We are somewhat confident that this may be a good thing because of the abilities exhibited by our transitional pastor. Time will tell.

Riddle

Here is a quiz for today.

What is something that most people use every day?

It can protect you or harm you.

Sometimes you can not see it but you can always feel it.

It comes in any color and any shape.

It is useful and beautiful.

It is expensive and cheap.

You wouldn't want to live without it.

Next week we will reveal the answer!

Care and Respect

Just recently we have come to realize how much care and respect go together. There is an old song with a line that goes something like this, "Love and marriage, love and marriage...go together like a horse and carriage." Our revelation is that care and respect are also that closely related. It's very hard to respect someone that you feel does not care about you. By the same token, it is difficult to care about someone when you feel that they do not respect you. No one wants to care about something that they do not respect. And there is no respect for something if one does not care about it first.

In our world today there is plenty of evidence revealing a lack of respect and care. When driving through most cities you will find walls covered with graffiti. Road rage is a new phenomenon that reveals no care or respect. Our nation's divorce rate indicates an alarming lack of respect and care that usually spills over effecting our children. We could go on and on with examples. Instead we choose to think about how to stop that vicious cycle.

We can choose to care when not respected. We might choose to respect when no one cares. It's a very simple answer really. But not easy. Maybe we could pick up that piece of litter instead of walking on by. Or, perhaps we could slow down and let someone go ahead, instead of hurrying on our way. We could choose to be kind and forgive when we are wronged. We might return good for evil when we have the chance, instead of looking after our "rights." What a wonderful world this would be!

Consistant Change

There is an old saying that goes something like this..."the only thing sure in life is change." This is one reason we like to use photos of flowers from our garden as part of our slide show that constantly changes display. In a few minutes we can sit and watch a whole year's worth of beauty in full bloom. Each blossom is frozen in image at its best.

It doesn't seem to matter what our age, humans just don't care for change. Elderly and children are alike in that anything that changes their known world is viewed as unwelcome. Especially if what is changed is something enjoyed. And yet to be alive is an ever changing condition. Children grow up and everyone grows old. Everything changes.

All except God, who changes not. God is the one constant perfect being. He is always longing to draw us near to Him and bring us to His everlasting peace that passes understanding. We will always need to change our ways to draw close to Him. But He never changes.

Collision Theory

Here's the view from our place on an early morning when we like to walk almost every day. Sometimes the traffic is scary! There must be a scientific effect that creates what we call our "collision theory." That's when for about 3 minutes not a single car goes by, then suddenly two cars coming from opposite directions pass each other exactly where we are walking, and there is no way to get off the road safely. There must be a scientific explanation because this happens far to often to be co-incidence. Can you imagine all the factors that are in play for this to occur? Both cars must leave from their origin at just the right time. We must leave our place at just the right time. And we all must meet at just the right time, where there is not a nice place to get off the road. Our "collision theory" happens regularly, about two or three times a week. Please let us know if you or anyone you know also has experienced this "collision theory" on a regular basis.