"No Man Is An Island..."

No man is an island, entire of itself;

every man is a piece of the continent,

a part of the main;

...any man's death diminishes me, because

I am involved in mankind;

and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

it tolls for thee.

~from Devotions XVII :John Donne~

   This very familiar portion of literature embodies a thought that we all will face eventually: We are all a small part of the greater whole of the earth and in God's Kingdom. We have an impact on the space we occupy in some way. How much impact we make is often determined by ourselves, as we decide how willing we are to allow ourselves to be involved in the lives of others. The world is filled with suffering, sorrow, pain, and loss. It does not take so much-sometimes just a moment of listening and a sympathetic word, and sometimes it takes more of our time and resources to help lift a load a tiny bit. It is important that we take a little time, as we are, in fact, a part of the world in which we live: "a part of the main."  It is a startling thought that every death diminishes me, and when the 'bell tolls' at a funeral, it is tolling for a part of my world that will no longer exist. I don't mean to be morbid, but I have been involved in many lives in the past few weeks who have lost, through death, someone important to them. I am not an island, and these losses have also affected me in some way.

   In a little lighter vein, we have felt a little like an 'island' since we have been held close to home for the last couple of weeks; and we were not able to make the trip to Lower Brule as we usually do. We do not enjoy these Sundays, but weather and responsibilities here in Mitchell sometimes make it impossible to go. This Sunday, though, proved to be a very busy and fulfilling day; as many people seemed to be anxious to 'make up for lost time.' We were happy to have several for church this morning, and an unusually large group of children and young people for Sunday School this afternoon. I realized after everyone left and the church was quiet that I had not had a chance to get any pictures, as I was very busy. :) I am thankful that Ray likes driving the van to transport the children to and from Sunday School, as I am usually 'washed up' at the end of a session.

   I am sharing a few winter pictures with you. I think that winter is a beautiful time of the year; however, I will freely admit that I am not handling the cold as gracefully as I did a few years ago. I like the warmth of firelight, candlelight, and warm lamps; and a good book in a comfy chair. (Hope that has nothing to do with age!)

   Thank you for praying for the people of Lower Brule, as well as for Ray and I. One of the men had an especially pressing prayer request this morning, and we would appreciate if you would remember his request this week. May God Bless You!!

     

    

THE BLUES OF THE SEASON

   Several years ago, an aged Native American lady informed me that January is the 'month of sore eyes.' The days have been so beautiful with so many gorgeous shades of blue, as the brightness of the sun reflects and sparkles on the white of the snow and frost that clings to the trees and the weeds along the roads. The beauty can almost be blinding.

   We appreciate our friends at Lower Brule and our other friends who help us to continue to work there each week. One of the regular attendees in the Sunday morning services gave us a very touching Christmas card this morning. He has been so thoughtful and appreciative of any little thing we do, and he has been very encouraging to us. We pray for God's blessing on him. We also thank our friends who sometimes send encouragement to us. This helps us to keep going on.
   Faith Missionary Church gave us money to buy Christmas treats for the children at Lower Brule. It was fun to go out and buy 'fun candy' and pack some little Christmas packages for each one of them. They were certainly happy to receive them! :) 

  

We have a large group of children who showed up for Sunday School today, and they were so open to learn about God and the Bible. They were an interested group in whatever we were talking about or doing. They sang well, listened to the story and added a few interest points :), and threw their energies into completing their craft projects. They don't like to leave, but all good things come to an end; and Ray took them home. It was nice to have Esther home, and they were excited to see her. She spent some time before Sunday School giving one of the girls a piano lesson. They are interested and talented students.

   The bus that we use to pick up the children has a diesel engine; and diesel engines do not like cold weather. It has refused to start the last couple of weeks; but we returned to the bus after Sunday School to try once more to start it. Happily, it started; and Ray drove it home this week. He hopes to check the 'glow plugs,' as he thinks that some of them might be burned out and causing difficulty in starting it.
   Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule. I pray for God's blessing to you this week.