Christmas Barn Wedding

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
                                                                                                                Proverbs 18:22

We had a first this past weekend by attending a wedding in a barn; a real barn. It is located between St. John's and Ithaca, Michigan and is called The Christmas Barn. The ceremony was held in the hay loft with about two hundred people attending. Since it was a chilly day, we wore coats and took blankets to the wedding. The decor was very appropriate with large fall arrangements setting on old milk cans and Mason jars with candles hanging from a shepherd's crook shaped holder. During the wedding ceremony the pastor gave a very challenging message that was short and to the point but very appropriate for a couple just beginning their life together. At the conclusion of the service, we were given packets of shelled corn to throw at the bride and groom as they left the barn.

                              Christmas Barn used for the wedding.

The bride had been praying for the right young man to come along in her life. However, she added a condition to her prayer in which she requested that he be a farmer. And that he is! He along with his dad and brother help to raise up to 5000 heifers at a time. During the time in which she was praying for a farmer, Jason had been working on the farm ever since he could walk. They both are very passionate about farming and will make a great couple with such a common interest.

         
                 Jason and Kara at their wedding reception at Alma College.

   Cousins Deb and Stephanie attending the reception with Gail and Paul.

The weekend was busy with two big events. The first was the wedding on Saturday and concluded with a concert Sunday evening. Some friends invited us to attend a Michael W. Smith concert with them in Jackson. The evening was filled with praise, inspiration, and worship. To our amazement Michael W. Smith has been performing for over thirty years and is still going strong. He also has 24 albums and CDs which hold songs that he has written as well as performed. God has certainly given him a special gift. In his concluding thoughts he challenged those attending not to allow people to offend you. He chooses not to let that happen in his own life because you tend to take your eyes off the Lord when you allow this to happen. So, we encourage all those reading this blog to do the same.
If you would like to hear him, click on the website below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=liyon4jyrwg

         Michael W. Smith at keyboard during the concert Sunday evening.

Praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute.   Psalm 150:4

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

A TIME TO LAUGH

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
                                                                                                                     Ecclesiastes 3:4

Last Friday we had breakfast with a couple who have experienced, in great measure, the above verse.
Both had a spouse who suffered a long time with a terminal illness, and both attended their loved one until they passed away. After going through a period of mourning of the loss of a spouse to whom they had been married many years, they rekindled an old friendship. This friendship led into a romantic relationship which ended up in their marriage on August 31st of this year.

                Jeanie and Stan after breakfast at our home last Friday

Their relationship embodies lots of love and laughter. If it wasn't for their age, you would think you were witnessing a couple who were in their early twenties and that they had not experienced the realities of life. It was so great to see their lightheartedness after all they had been through. In Proverbs 17:22 it says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine,... ." Their laughter and cheerfulness is serving to be a healing balm for the great difficulties that they have experienced. This again is evidence of God's faithfulness in our lives. God is a great healer. He sent Jesus to reclaim a fallen world and continues to be in the process of reclaiming.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

Angels Unaware

Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.      Hebrews 13:1-2

This past week we had an opportunity to host a missionary family from Trinidad. They spoke at our church last Wednesday and spent Wednesday night and much of Thursday with us before heading to Vassar, Michigan. The family was made up of the parents and four children, ranging in age from ten to sixteen. They were a joy to have because the children were very polite, respectful, and fun to be around. After the Wednesday night service we pulled out a board game, which the children enjoyed playing. It was getting close to eleven o'clock at night and they wanted to play another game. Having them stay at our home was a very positive experience because of the way we could see they were training their children.

                 The Manswell family who are missionaries to Trinidad.

Apparently, mother heads up the music department at the Caribbean Nazarene College and also home schools her children. Each family member plays a musical instrument and sings which they performed at our church. As an example of their high goals, the oldest son has for some time had the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon with Ben Carson being his role model.

We've always enjoyed keeping missionaries, members of singing groups, and other traveling groups or individuals and have been immensely blessed as a result. We are sure that sometimes we have entertained angels.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

BLACK WALNUTS

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?       Matthew 6:26-27

Last week in our blog we mentioned the song "Dwelling In Beulah Land". A person who read our blog asked if Beulah Land was mentioned in the Bible. Paul's first response was "No". But Gail got out her Strong's Concordance and found that Beulah is mentioned once in the Bible. It is found in Isaiah 62:4 where it states, "No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married." In Paul's Bible there is a footnote that indicates the word Beulah means married.

The last week has held lots of outdoor work, especially picking up and raking walnuts. Our property is lined with many black walnut trees, and in the fall we are blessed with bushels of walnuts that end up on our lawn. They are much larger than golf balls because they have a thick green husk that surrounds the nut. Black walnuts are notorious for staining your hands even when you are picking them up. This year we have an over abundance of walnuts and have raked and shoveled into a large trash container and dumped them in the woods. We have had to do this several times as the walnuts keep dropping, to the point we were advised to wear helmets while under the trees.

                    
                          A pile of black walnuts from Palpant's yard.

Every year we throw hundreds, if not thousands, of nuts into the woods and by spring there are only a few shells left. Throughout the winter the squirrels are mining for walnuts under the snow cover, and they find just about every last one. The way God has provided for these woodland creatures has been going on for centuries. Gail and Paul are just helping the squirrels out a little bit by collecting the nuts for them by putting them in one place.

As Christians we should not worry about what we are going to eat or wear or things of tomorrow, but trust that God is going to provide our necessary needs. Jesus felt that the problem of worrying was so important that he addressed it at His Sermon on The Mount.  There's a saying among Christians, "Why worry when you can pray?"

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

Feasting On The Manna

And had rained down manna upon them to eat, ...     Psalm 78:24a

Manna was given faithfully given by God for forty years to sustain the Israelites in the wilderness. It was a perfect food. Today we can draw energy and nourishment from God's Word, meditation on the Lord, and Christian fellowship. Just this past week we enjoyed all three.

Over the weekend, Gene and Janet Brion came back to Michigan for a few days after having moved to Missouri. While here we feasted on manna together enjoying meals, devotions, fellowship and sharing about what God is doing in our lives. We also heard how God has healed one of our friends from brain cancer which resulted in a time of praise around our piano.  Of course, along with that, we had some great food as well.

                   Gene and Janet enjoying breakfast at the Palpant's

Because yesterday was such a beautiful day, Gail suggested we pack up a picnic lunch and head to the lake. We ended up at Hayes State Park with the two pups and basically had the park to ourselves except for the Canadian geese and a few swans. We enjoyed the beautiful sunshine, the blue sky, view of the lake, a tasty lunch topped off with a triple chocolate cake.  We were definitely feasting on the manna of the moment. This all reminded us of the song, "Dwelling In Beulah Land". Below is the wording from the chorus from that hymn:

                    I'm living on the mountain underneath a cloudless sky
                    I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry.
                    I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply.
                    For I'm dwelling in Beulah Land.

 Paul, Gail Patsy and Penny at Hayes State Park enjoying a beautiful day.


If you would like to hear it sung, below are two versions from Youtube. One is from 1937 sung by the Sons of The Pioneers and the second is from Bill Gaither. We trust that hearing them will be an encouragement to you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlUJdA1btSU    Sons of the Pioneers

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AxoCssVyHo    Bill Gather

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy and Penny