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 also I am known.       I Cor. 13:12

We have had the pleasure of having house guests since last Tuesday. Melanie and Clay Hermann are in Adrian from Arkansas due to Melanie's mother recently having a stroke and is at the Provincial House in Adrian. When we were youth group leaders in Hudson, Melanie was a very active member of our  group. She was almost like a daughter to us. We stayed in contact over the years, and now Melanie and Clay are grandparents.  Somehow that doesn't make us feel very young.

When they first arrived, Clay enjoyed playing with our pups, Patsy and Penny. While rough housing with the dogs, he accidentally dropped his glasses on the floor without knowing it as he thought they were on top of his head. Paul was not here at the time but arrived after Clay's time with the pups.
While engaged in conversation, Paul kept hearing a crunching noise and wondered what the pups were chewing on. But, he failed to investigate further. After hearing this crunching sound several times, Paul decided he had better check and see what the pups were up to. When he reached down under the table, he discovered a lens from a pair of glasses, which had multiple teeth marks. He held up the lens for all to see. At that time Clay realized there was a big problem. Paul searched further and found the remaining part of the glasses, which were mangled beyond repair. It was obvious the crunching noise was made by the two pups chewing on the glasses rather than a rawhide bone.

                        Flexible frame titanium glasses beyond repair

                                Patsy wearing damaged glasses

Clay responded in a very positive way to this mishap and almost made a joke out of it. In fact, he posted what happened, with pictures, on his facebook page. Now all his friends can see that a pair of glasses, even with titanium frames, versus two pups would come out in second place.

                                   Melanie and Clay Herrmann
                                
Probably the best thing that came out of this is the way Clay responded. He demonstrated a great amount of grace even though his best pair of glasses had been ruined. It was a great example of how we should respond when things don't always go our way.  Thank you Clay for being a fine example.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.        Isaiah 12:2

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.    Psalm 23:4

As we see the news unfolding, there appears to be many things for which we could become fearful.
It is evident that Satan is alive and well in our world and that evil is prevalent no matter where you turn. Most notable was the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon by terrorists. We know that there are many other terrorists out there who also want to do Americans harm. You don't have to look very far to find many other things that could make us fearful.

                    Rembrandt-Jesus in the storm on the Sea of Galilee

"But God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
 2 Timothy 1:7

In our Sunday School lesson this past Sunday, we talked about how we many times get our eyes off the Creator and on the creation, which is in a fallen state. This is what so often puts us in a position of doubt and fear. The Scriptures above remind us to keep our eyes on the LORD and not on our circumstances. In Psalm 23:4, which speaks of  "your rod and your staff they comfort me", we are
given a visual reminder of the reassurance the Holy Spirit and God's Word can give us.  He is a God who knows our needs and wants to bring us peace even in the midst of a storm. We often find in the Bible situations where people show fear, and the angel's response to them was, "Do not be afraid." This was the case of Mary and the shepherds during the announcement of the birth of Jesus. It is important that we keep our focus on God rather than our situation. Where will our focus be today?

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."           Matthew 25:40

Last Thursday we spent an enjoyable evening at The Salvation Army annual banquet. It was an evening in which they gave thanks to The Salvation Army's staff, volunteers, and supporters. We've always known the good The Salvation Army does but certainly not to the extent that was reported at the dinner. It's obvious that captains Debbie and Gordon Knight of The Salvation Army of Lenawee County have done amazing work for the past year with the help of their staff and volunteers.

Some of the facts that were shared for the ministry for the local Salvation Army for 2012 are astounding. A few of the services they provided are as follows: 

Persons Served for the First Time               13,753
Meals Provided                                            13,498
Grocery Orders                                            10,878
Clothing Items                                               3,201
Nights Lodging Provided                              1,463
Volunteer Hours                                          10,619

The Mission Statement for The Salvation Army is: "The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. It's message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination."

The entire evening was very God honoring from the presentation of volunteer awards to the keynote speaker, who used illusion to emphasize his points about the ministry of The Salvation Army.

We have a tender spot in our heart for this ministry as Paul's Uncle Charles, his dad's brother, served as captain in The Salvation Army in France most of his adult life and with a short time on Devil's Island off the coast of French Guinea in South America.

May this be a challenge to each of us to look for ways we can serve mankind and to make a difference in our corner of the world.  Also, let's remember to pray for The Salvation Army and do what we can to help.

Just a note:  The have already placed on The Salvation Army website how they plan to help the families impacted by the bombings at the Boston Marathon.  They are obviously very intentional with their ministry.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
                                                                                                                                 Hebrews 13:16

In Adrian there are several second-hand stores that provide used items in good condition at a very affordable price. On Monday afternoon we have been volunteering at the Helping Hands Thrift Store on Division Street.  The motto of the thrift store is "recycle, reuse, restore hope". A share of the money that is brought in by the sale of these used items goes to support various ministries such as the Christian Mission, Proshare (prison ministry), Care Pregnancy Center, Misomi Orphanage in Kenya, Africa. Not only that, their desire is to minister to people who come into the store. A canister for prayer requests sets on the counter and to our delight is used by the public to share their needs and needs of others. These requests are faithfully prayed for. It is exciting to see how the Lord keeps bringing in items, and there is generally a steady stream of customers looking for a good bargain.

                   Help Hands Thrift Store on Division Street in Adrian

Heading up the Helping Hands Thrift Store is Doug Howard who formerly was an administrator for Lenawee Christian School for many years. We find Doug just as passionate about his work at the thrift store as he was about his ministry at the school.  Doug always seems to find his sweet spot.  Faithfully serving with Doug are Cathy, Sharran and many volunteers. For oversight a board has been formed to which Doug reports on a quarterly basis. This helps to have good checks and balances in the organization.

Cathy stocking shelves at the Thrift Store

                               Sharran working at the Thrift Store

It is exciting to see how this ministry has been such an encouragement to many.  There are repeat customers who frequent the thrift store on a regular basis in order to receive more than just a good bargain. When we have our daily prayer time, we always remember to pray for Doug and staff as they daily touch lives that are in great need. We encourage everyone reading this blog to remember the thrift store in your prayers as well.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny-

Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib he brought you out of Egypt by night.  Deuteronomy 16:1

The Passover is one of the most sacred and celebrated Jewish holidays. In fact, about 67 percent of all Jews celebrate Passover with a Seder meal. Although only 46 percent of Jews attend their synagogue regularly. Christ celebrated Passover with his disciples in the upper room the night before He was crucified.

This past Saturday evening we attended a Seder meal in Toledo, which was conducted by Messianic Rabbi Schneider from Adat Adonai World Outreach Center. The event was a great experience as we learned more about the meaning of Passover and how it applies to Christ.  Seder is from the Hebrew word meaning "order" because there is an order to the meal.  There is a Seder plate which contains parsley, salt water, horseradish, a sweet apple mixture, and an hard-boiled egg. Some Jews also include a shank of lamb.Along with the Seder plate is matzah (unleavened bread) and wine or grape juice. The story of Passover is a story of deliverance, and all of the elements of the Passover meal is the portrait of redemption.

                                                 Seder Plate


The parsley represents life and the salt water represents the tears of life. The horseradish root reminds us that the root of life is often bitter, as it was for the sons of Israel in the land of Egypt. The sweet apple mixture is the reminder of the mortar from which the Israelites made bricks for Pharaoh. The reason for the mixture is that even the most bitter labor is sweetened by the promise of redemption. The egg is a token of grief to the Jewish people, grief over the destruction of the temple. The egg is eaten after being dipped into the salt water representing tears over the destruction of the temple.

                                                   Seder Table
                                        

There was much more to the Seder meal including the entire story of the Passover. The rabbi also included the account of when he became a Christian. The entire story becomes much more meanin,gful when it is shared from a Jew who is a Christian. This was a great way to celebrate Easter because Christ became the Passover lamb for all mankind so that we could have deliverance from the bondage of sin. We came away from the Seder meal rejoicing and encouraged by what we saw and heard. What a fantastic way to prepare for Easter Sunday.

To make our Easter Sunday complete we were able to spend Easter dinner and afternoon with Gail's sister, Judy. We shared many things that ranged from humorous to spiritual and everything in between. It was a joy to be able to spend some time with he,r and she brought some awesome peanut butter cookies, which we have thoroughly enjoyed.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny