"HIS OWN"

   This weekend was a far-overdue time of rest and renewal for Ray and I.  We left town with a goal in mind to get away from our Mitchell responsibilities for a little bit, and to meet with our friends of the Spring Creek Indian Camp on Saturday. Our family has been blessed and enriched by this camp group for twenty years. We have never come away from attending one of their rallies without feeling uplifted and helped in our daily lives, and this weekend was not an exception. Rev. Brent Woodard from Rapid City spoke in both services; and his practical messages were challenging and directional. In the morning meeting, he spoke to us about being one of "God's Own Children," and he reminded us of the awesome fact that God claims us as one of His own when we give ourselves completely to Him. He also talked to us about our responsiblities when are one of God's children. We are special to God, and we are required to keep ourselves apart from the evil in the world; but it is also our responsibility to contribute good to the world.  It is a comfort to know that God will keep us as His Own.

 

 

    I also enjoy time alone with 'my own' hubby. Sometimes we get so busy, we pass each other 'as a ship in the night.' I'm so glad that we enjoy the same activities, and we are 'as one' in most of our opinions and thoughts. We stayed at a quiet and comfortable inn near Chamberlain both nights, and we just relaxed. The motel served a nice breakfast, and we ate in the little breakfast room and made acquaintance with some friendly people who were traveling through.

   A Gideon Bible speaker comes to the church at Lower Brule periodically, and this morning was his time to come and talk to us about their ministry. We were happy to hear from him, and the men who came to worship with us listened respectfully.

    This afternoon's Sunday School was quiet, and the children made Valentines after the singing and the story. It was especially enjoyable to tell the Bible story today, as the children were so engrossed in it and helped me by adding little comments. They were so happy to take their Valentines home to those they love.

   Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule, and remember that you are one of His Own. :  )

"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.

TUMBLEWEEDS

   I have been noticing the tumbleweeds this year. Matter of fact, I became so entranced with them, I conned Ray into pulling off the road one beautiful day and picked one up to bring home. I took that tumbleweed and placed it in one of the bay windows, clustered white lights under it, draped sparklies on it, and used it for a holiday decoration. I think it is absolutely delightful-but I am a little 'strange.' :) 

    I always thought that tumbleweeds were a particular kind of weed that grows all summer and tumbles in the fall. Actually, I notice that 'tumbleweeds' are many differing kinds of weeds: some are delicate and frondy, some are more substantial. They all store seeds in little seed packets on their stems, and those seeds are distributed randomly throughout the ditches, along fences,  and (alas!) in the fields that they tumble through. The next spring, there are lots of little weeds that become tumbleweeds that fall. They are quite prolific, thanks to their wonderful experience of blowing hither and yon as the wind tosses them about.

     I must be honest: I sometimes feel like a tumbleweed, blown in directions and situations that I do not orchestrate. I just find myself there, and my job is to make the best of it. I hope that I plant good seeds as I tumble about. I am sure that is God's plan for all of us as we live for Him.  Hopefully, I am learning to relax and 'let go' to plant a seed of hope, friendship, happiness, love, joy and laughter with those I meet and see each day.

 When the day comes, and I am 'in the fence,' I hope I can sparkle with the crystals of happiness to bless those who pass by.
   We had a good day at Lower Brule. Thank you to those who prayed for us today. May God Bless You and grant you happiness and joy in this beautiful season!

THROUGH THE FROSTY WINDOWPANE

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as I am known."  ~I Corinthians 13:12~

   I awoke this morning to a strange stillness for being this close to downtown Mitchell. I could hear the wind whispering around the corners of the house, and the light was diffused as it came through the windows. I raised the blind to look outside: sure enough, it was white, white, white. As a matter of fact, all I could see was white. The windowpane was frosted and glazed. When I came downstairs a while later, I could look out through the windows and see shadowed forms of trees. I had a strong feeling that I knew what the outside was like, but I put on a coat and went outside to experience it. The outside was focused sharp and clear when I stepped out the door, and the few things that were not draped in white were standing in defiant contrast to the snow. Ahh...the beauty of snow!!

   A phone call to a contact person at Lower Brule confirmed that he was just ready to call us to report the weather conditions out there. No church today. We always miss it when we cannot go out to Lower Brule; but we are very aware of the fact that it is the nature of the people with whom we work to contemplate during quiet times, and  we feel that this is a good chance for them to reiterate what they have heard. This is also a good time for us to 'regroup' and worship in the quiet. A day of rest is in the Master Plan of the Creator.

   The above quote is at the end of a chapter detailing the characteristics of our love for each other, as God intended it to be. Obviously, some things in life cannot be understood here; but we keep on keeping on, loving, loving, and loving. We only understand 'in part.' Sometimes, we think we would like to know what is ahead in our lives, what will be the next move, etc. We humans also love to have reasons and explanations, but faith and trust can only thrive where reasons and explanations do not exist. When I step 'outside' to the world beyond this world, I will see clearly. Life will be focused and clear in sharp contrast to the 'whyness' of now. Can I rest in this fact? Can I 'let things be' as they are without fussing, grumbling and trying to 'fix' things? I need to remember, as I pull back the blinds and try to see what cannot be seen, that all will be well when I can see clearly.

     I have not posted for the last couple of weeks; so I will post some pictures of Sunday School during that time.

    Thank you for your interest in Lower Brule. May God bless you!! Remember to trust while you 'see through the glass darkly,' for we all will soon know, even as we are known.



I HEAR BELLS!

The beginning of  Christmas: Lights, bright red berries and flowers, sparkly white, aromatic greenery, smells of sweet food, brightly colored packages, happy music, and BELLS!!  There is an aura of magic and the teasing of the imagination in the light tinkling sound of bells. I was looking for a craft project for the Sunday School children of Lower Brule while I was wandering around Hobby Lobby. Oh, joy-a clear plastic cylinder filled with little gold jingle bells! I picked it up and happily placed it in my cart, and jingled my way around the store looking for other treasures, drawing puzzled attention from other shoppers when they heard me jingling toward them. Today was payday for the bells when the children spotted the craft of the day. They happily tied them on a string and tied it in a circle with iridescent curling ribbon. They were a happy lot of kids. We had a good Sunday School today, as the children were so quiet while I was telling the Bible Story. Our story emphasized that God takes care of us when we trust Him, and they were expressing their understanding that God is on our side when we belong to Him. What a precious knowledge for us all to understand and believe!

   Please pray for a man who asked prayer for himself this morning in church. He is under severe pressure in his life, and he has been calling for Ray to pray with him during the week as well as asking for prayer for himself when he comes to church.

JOY IN THE JOURNEY

We certainly enjoy our Sundays at Lower Brule. Ray looks forward to the morning service and his time with the guys after the service, and he always enjoys picking up the Sunday School kids and taking them home. I'm so glad he likes doing that; as I find that to be a noisy, out-of-control time. I enjoy praying, singing, telling Bible stories, and doing crafts with the kids. It's a win-win for both of us. We drive home happy.

Some of the children came early, and they 'copped' my camera.

Confession is good for the soul, I've heard.  I have not posted for many weeks because I was not sure if anyone was interested in hearing our reports. However, I decided that it is good to keep a record, anyway, and the numbers on the weekly reports show that you have been checking the page even when I fall down on the job. So, here we go: Report Time Again. :)
This morning was cold, but not as damp as it was everywhere else we traveled today (we traveled to Fort Thompson to get the bus, and we traveled the interstate to and from).  We have noticed that the weather patterns are unique in the little valley where Lower Brule is situated. The church was warm and cozy, and the piano was well-behaved and responsive this morning. :} Such a sweet little lady came to keep me company in my seat during service this morning! She calls me 'Grandma,' and she is very bright and interested.

This afternoon Sunday School looked rather daunting when the children came dashing and shouting, pushing and throwing themselves on the seats. I hate to 'get after them '(I do if I must); but we started the Sunday School and kept up a fast pace, and the children settled in to pay attention. I told them the first half of the story of Esther the Queen, and they helped me by being interested and asking good questions. We then went to the basement and finger painted (whose crazy idea was that??) What fun they had!! A little face-painting went along with it, but everyone cleaned up pretty good. They proudly and carefully carried their creations home with them. Ray came back from delivering them home happy and unbesmirched or painted, though I wore a few extra colors home with me. We love the children and the friendly people of Lower Brule. Please pray for these people.

I'll admit it-I was touched when I saw that some children had left a message for Sharlite and Ray on the front church steps because we were not there when they came calling. They came later and talked to us. How sweet!