Family...

I recently celebrated my 83rd. birthday and spent last evening thinking about as many of the people who have been part of my past, some for only a brief period, and others ongoing for many years. Thinking  back over these many years, it is overwhelming to consider so many people who make up my past and have become part of what I have now become as a person. Most importantly, that includes family, which began with my parents back in the 1940's, and continues to the present as Kathie and I now celebrate the birth of our 6th. Great-Grandchild, Nehemiah Matthew Haynam, who was born on February 26th. just days after his cousin, Roman, who was born on January 30th! All of these Great-Grandchildren are a blessing to us, and all of their parents, who are now anxiously waiting to become part of their future as well!

God has gifted us with all of these children and we now have the opportunity to become part of what they will become as they grow up and mature, and become what God has created them to become. They are learning in the home just by being around us and watching us. Their behavior often becomes modeled after what they see in the home by their family, both good and bad. Our hopes and prayers then, is that God will lead us as family, so that our children will be obedient to our leading/teaching and grow up to love and obey God in their daily lives.

Leaving a Legacy...

 Today, while reading my Epoch Times Newspaper, I came to an article written by Annie Holmquist entitled "Leaving a Legacy Through Simplicity" ... lessons from a gravestone recipe. I was quite surprised to learn that she had actually quoted from an article she had read, by Rosie Grant of the Washington Post, who actually scours graveyards across the country looking for recipes to make. Needless to say, I was very surprised to think that  Gravestones where the message contained a favorite recipe of the deceased person even existed. The picture below included a caption reading "Legacy is more than the words on a gravestone - it is the impact created by a life that touches others with love and kind actions."

Initially, I thought this seemed very strange that anybody would even consider doing such a thing. However, the more I thought about it, it occurred to me that this person's family and loved ones were either honoring the wishes of the deceased, or even, more importantly, sharing a much deeper truth about them.  

In Annie's article, she quoted  Kay Andrews, for example, whose gravestone recipe for fudge was another one that Grant made for her online account. Kay's family described her as the most joyful loving person, who was always baking treats to give to others. Such food gifts, Kay's granddaughter noted "were really how she showed her love." Annie went on to say the fudge recipe gracing her gravestone may look like the only legacy Kay leaves behind, but in reality, the legacy was what she did with that fudge. She poured her time and energy into making something enjoyable and then gave it away with her love.  She made others feel special and wanted through simple actions and simple gifts. Annie also mentioned 'We only have her fudge recipe to look at on this side of eternity, but who knows what we'll find on the other side" The fact is those simple actions that she faithfully did may have made an enormous impact for good.'

Lisa's Linen Press

Lisa & dad with Linen Press

Today, I was going through several DVD's which I have produced over the years and I came across one entitled "Lisa's Linen Press" which I recorded back in 2013, 3 years prior to our moving down to Upland, Indiana. As it turns out, I used this  video to discuss it's building, beginning with harvesting of the wood used along with quite a bit of related information and thoughts about my woodworking hobby.  

The video begins featuring Pat (my Son-in-law) and I, just joking around a little while harvesting the trees used. Most of the wood used in numerous projects over the years came from trees, which needed to be removed due to building construction, or like the ash trees, died due to the Emerald Ash Borer.

The entire video is 17 minutes long but I would encourage viewers to just sit back and enjoy a coffee or other refreshment while watching.

 The video is below. Thankyou so much for your patience...

 

Another story to tell...

Today, I catch myself thinking once again about how so many old broken down buildings would have such an important story to share with us if they could talk about their past. I blogged about "Stories to tell: back in April, 2018, but feel compelled to revisit this, as it applies to all of us in so many different ways. 

 The picture featured here is just one of many viewed as I searched the internet this morning. I was also quite interested to read some of the stories shared by others, who grew up with one or more of these buildings in their past. One such story was shared by an elderly woman, who grew up on the farm and helped caring for the family cows, which were often in their barn. The stalls had to be cleaned each day as part of her chores. It was heartwarmng to read about all of the memories that barn could have shared about activities, and conversations, which took place inside of it during those many years in the past! Most likely, she grew up with memories of grandparents, or even great-grandparents, who long ago passed on. She talked about the family making the decision to demolish the barn to clear the land and when the day came to demolish it she had very strong hessitation due to it's significant past! I totally agree! How often have we caught ourselves thinking about our past loved ones and who we have such vivid memories about, just like these  barns!

Who would have thought?...

My Childhood Red Brick House

 Yesterday, I discovered that you can do screenprints using my Kindle Fire and today, I was also able to email the screenprint from my Kindle to my personal email, which I could later modify as required for use in such things as this BLOG. I opened my Earth3D App on my kindle and typed in the address of my former house in Berkley, where I grew up starting in the late 1940's. All that to say, this technology can be very powerful for use in upcoming postings.

When we lived in the house, my parents and grandparents owned all of the property to the right of the house all the way to the corner of the block, filled with trees and field grass. It was a great place for me and my brother to play cowboys and indians! The grey house next door in this picture belonged to George and Marie Rancourt. I never knew any of their children as they were retired and any children would have left home long ago. George was formerly a master mechanic for Ford Motor Company and he had a workshop in his garage where he would make things using his Blacksmith equipment. George was the nicest friend I could have had growing up and he would let me turn the blower crank to blow on his red-hot coals heating up the steel! When George wasn't in his workshop, he would be on the glider on his front porch, where us kids would sit with him while he spun some kind of yarn to tell us. It was so funny because Marie would occasionally come out and scold him for making up all that stuff about how he was with the indians, or you name it.

Your sleep will be sweet...

During recent devotions, Nicky Gumbel was talking about "You can trust God"  and having confidence in the Lord. He talked about 6 different aspects, which included wisdom, peace, goodness, love, intimacy, and humility. The aspect, which really grabbed my attention, was peace. In particular, he said "peace comes from a right relationship with God." He also said, "Success at work, wealth and fame are of little value if you do not have peace."

Nicky went on to say, "There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience: When you lie down, you will not be afraid: when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster (Proverbs 3:24).Whatever happens, you can trust that God is with you and in control."

I thought about "your sleep will be sweet" and realized that it is not always that way for me,  but most often it is! Thinking out loud, there are probably many people, who go to bed with very troubling concerns on their mind, and in some cases, perhaps even uncertain about their own personal safety and security. During my evening prayers, I often pray for a 'restful sleep for all God's children'. The peace I enjoy should never be taken for granted and it is only after thinking further, I realize, that a "sweet sleep" is truly a blessing. 'Thankyou Dear Lord!'  

Psalm 103 of David...

While viewing some videos, which I had produced in the past I came across one that I had never shared with my wife. I showed it to her a couple of days ago and she thought I should share it with our children. I sent it to them and they had difficulty viewing it as an email file because of it's large size. I thought this video would be appropriate to post, as the message is very appropriate for this BLOG. This will also make it much more convenient for anybody, who wishes to view it, as it deals with my most favorite Psalm.

I also wish to thank Mr. David Lanz, a wonderful pianist who gave me his permission to use his music for all of my videos produced for the church. If possible, view this video full screen and using headphones to fully appreciate David Lanz' music, which so nicely accompanies the biblical David's psalm...

Over The Years...

 As I begin this new post, it occurs to me that anybody reading it must wonder what a guy who is soon to be 82 has to say about his past years. I'm not surprised! Let me just begin by saying that I have always been truly blessed by the Lord and my many family, friends, and workmates! As I think back over the years, it is with so much appreciation that I have so many fond memories of my past relationships and experiences. Of course, at my age, and already 19 years retired, you would not be surprised that my day might include such things as doing a Google search for the names of people in my past, many of which have passed away leaving only my cherished memories of our past together! Those memories are so many, I could write a book about them which would challenge the patience of the most avid reader, just because of the sheer numbers of people who share my past.

If I were to pose the question to each person visiting this BLOG about their fond memories of people in their past, I expect they too would have almost endless words to share. In my case, I realize God continues to bless me and my family in countless ways ongoing, for which no amount of thanks and praise seem to be satisfactory. I don't feel led to write a book, so perhaps, in the future, I may begin featuring some of those from my present and past, who have not been mentioned. In quoting the phrase "Words fall short" this surely is very true, however, in the near future, I may attempt to pay my respects to many of those who have shared my past.

It's all about relationship...Spit & Whittle...

Spit & Whittle Zoom

I spent this morning talking with a group of Christian guys, who have been meeting weekly together mostly at Taylor University just to share life together and provide Christian support in Upland, Indiana and the surrounding area as needed. We are known by others as Spit & Whittle. I can guess how that name happened! Since COVID, we have been meeting together from our homes using the ZOOM app as a way to interact without risking the spread of the virus and this screen print is from one of our former Zoom sessions. It's ironic how over the years, our situations and even our interactions with others change due to careers, retirements, family moves, becoming parents, grandparents, and even great grandparents, if we are fortunate enough!

 I was born and raised in Michigan and moved back and forth between Ohio and Michigan some 76 years before moving to Indiana. However, the last 4 plus years, my wife and I have lived in Upland to be closer to my daughter Lisa. My three oldest children went to Bluffton High School, met friends in Ohio, learned about Taylor University, a Christian College, and ended up graduating from Taylor and/or Ohio State University. When looking back at my life, who would have guessed that I would be here today?  How would I have guessed that while driving my kids to Taylor, I would be driving past Eastbrook Highschool, where my Lisa's future husband was graduating? And, who would have guessed that we would become close friends to a family in Ohio, who would also move to Upland with their family and become part of Spit & Whittle? Who would have guessed that the guy I used to listen to on the radio, each night while driving home from work, Jay Kessler, former President of Youth for Christ, and later, Taylor University, would be a big contributor to the ongoing Spit & Whittle sessions in Upland? It's also no suprise that my kids would learn about Taylor University from Jim King, their Youth for Christ leader at Bluffton Highschool.

It's all about relationship! Jesus set the perfect example of this fact. Let's each of us try to follow Jesus' lead and be reminded about the importance of others in our lives and help to make a difference in their lives!

One's Life...

This morning during devotions, I was struck by the proverbs cited by Nicki Gumbel during his discussion about faith. While there were several verses cited in Proverbs 27, the one that jumped off the page for me was verse 19:

" As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart" NIV

This Proverb's author, King Solomon, really nailed it because our life is a pretty good reflection of what we have striven to achieve. 

Putting it another way, our life reflects upon the values which are most "dear" to us. While some might say they are victims of circumstance, I would say that how we deal with the realities of life, is a challenge for all of us. Our life truly reflects in large part what "values" or "drivers" are most important to us...family, friends, possessions, career, money, our faith, etc. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of this life lesson!

In prior BLOGS, I have quoted a former pastor and friend (the Micker), who told me over lunch one day, "It's all about relationship," I have since come to realize he was paraphrasing Jesus' whole ministry. Our relationship with Him should be reflected in our actions ongoing toward every other person whose path crosses ours. And, those who observe our actions each day should be able to see, experience, and know the values which are driving our lives.

As I think back over my life, one great personal example which comes to mind. Some 25 years ago, my family and I was stranded on the side of the road south of Cadillac, Michigan with my van and camper while returning home from a camping trip. My van had broken down and was not drivable. Out of nowhere, appears a perfect stranger and his wife, who passed us in their pickup truck while returning home from church. They turned around to see if they could help us. 

They offered us a place to stay overnight while his son, a mechanic in Cadillac could do some welding and mechanical repairs to the engine. Ken and his wife Anna convinced the AAA towing service to tow our van with the camper attached 5 miles to their farm, where we could drop the camper off for the night, while proceeding to Cadillac with the van for the needed repairs. God led Ken and Anna to help us when we were in such need. We have been the best of friends ever since! We continue to love and support each other all these years later!

Let's resolve going forward, to look for ways Jesus can use us to reach out to others in need.  As we bless others, our life is blessed as well. Thank you Lord!

 

Retirement Begins...

Kathie, Sue, and Nan

This week, my sweet Sister-in-law, Susan Jane, as I refer to her, begins a new chapter in her life. It's called Retirement...a much deserved new phase for her after many years of dedicated, hard work while attending to the financial aspects of her church. Sue's family and friends, her sisters, and I look forward in great expectation to many years of fun helping Sue enjoy this new phase of her life! She will soon be selling her Michigan home and relocating closer to her family and spending quality time with her grown son's, their spouses, and her two grandchildren. Her sisters, Kathie and Nan and I are anxiously looking forward to be an important part of Sue's retirement!

In a way, it almost seems strange to think that we no longer have to look for available weekends to get together, working out vacation days for a visit. Instead, we can just jump in the car and make it happen...any ole time!

Upon Your Retirement

Kathie found this Retirement Prayer, which I framed using cherry from my workshop, as a special gift from Kathie and I to help Sue as she begins her retirement. We are so happy for her and look forward to many happy years together!

• May you always have work for your hands to do.
• May your pockets hold always a coin or two. 
• May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
• May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain. 
• May the hand of a friend always be near you.
•  And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Setting Examples...

Fred Rogers

During today's "Zoom" session, a time of fellowship with a group of Christian men affiliated with Taylor University and UCC Church here in Upland,  we shared answering a BLOG question, posed by our Pastor friend, Dan Blosser.  In his BLOG yesterday, Dan had referenced an acceptance speech given by Fred Rogers, of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood", when he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 1997 Emmy Awards. Mr. Rogers told the audience: 'everyone take 10 seconds in silence to think about the people in your life that have helped you become who you are today'  He then looked down at his own watch and said he would watch the time. 

The camera panned the thoughtful audience, some of whom bowed their heads and closed their eyes. He went on to say 'Whomever you've been thinking about; how pleased they must be to know the diffference that you feel they've made'. Continuing, he said that some of his friends were already in heaven, and he thanked God for their lives.

Addressing the audience, he said 'While some of your friends may still be living... what if they received a note from you expressing your thanks? How would that change today for them? 

'

Pastor Dan's BLOG went on to say 'What would our interactions look like if we aspired to be one of the people that our coworkers, friends, family members, students would instantly think about if Mr. Rogers asked them to spend ten seconds being grateful for those who have shaped them?'

For me, lesson learned... our lives are spent setting examples for virtually every person around us...of course, family, but also every other person who even hears and sees us from a distance... and some of those may in some way be influenced by what they observe, good or bad!

Thanks to Pastor Dan, and Fred Rogers, we are reminded of the importance of everything we do and say going forward because very likely our lives will be influencing all generations of our family and many distant observers, whose paths we cross! What a privilege!