REFLECTIONS AND REFRESHMENT

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, ...'  Isaiah 30:15

As we normally do, we spent part of Memorial Day viewing the parade that ended at Memorial Park here in Adrian. This year we even asked several friends to join us in observing this time of remembrance.  After the parade they had a ceremony in the park which involved an invocation and benediction by Pastor Betz, a short speech by Ellsworth Stout, a gun salute, playing of taps, and the placing of wreaths in front of the various memorials. It was a very moving ceremony. God blessed the occasion with a beautiful spring day, which held plenty of sunshine and a gentle breeze. These events help us to remember the cost paid for our freedom. Let us never forget those veterans that gave so much for each of us.

                    Getting ready to watch the Memorial Day parade.

After the parade we gathered back at the Palpant home for a cookout of hot dogs and kielbasa along with all the usual picnic fare. We had a great time of visiting, playing yard games, and one of our young at heart members even played hide-and-seek with the youngsters.  It was a very memorable day all the way around.

It seems like the past few weeks have been very pressure filled. Paul's pottery class just concluded this past Saturday and he has had several subbing opportunities at the school, which has created a time crunch to get his pottery projects completed. Gail on the other hand has lots of busyness with art and the typical spring projects. We have found that setting aside a special time in the morning for us to have devotions together has been a refreshing time before we start the day. As the verse says a quiet time helps to give you the strength for the day. Always joining us for our devotions are Patsy and Penny. They sit in Paul's lap and don't move the entire time we have devotions. This is a time of day we all look forward to. When Jesus was so busy ministering to the multitude, He took time to retreat to a quiet place to pray and meditate. This renewed His strength to face the many in need the next day. Just like beautiful music needs rest notes so we too need those rest notes in our life to be refreshed.

                             Dog Heaven  (Paul, Patsy and Penny)

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

MEMORIAL DAY

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

Every year our church has a special service the third Sunday of May that recognizes those who have served in the military. The ceremony begins with the flag of each branch of service being carried in to the music of that particular branch. As the flag moves to the front of the sanctuary those who served our country in that area stand and follow the flag to the front of the sanctuary. By the time all the branches of the service have been recognized the entire front of the sanctuary is lined with men and women. Each one is then given an opportunity to introduce themselves telling their name, rank, branch of service, and the years served. Many went on to tell where they served, whether state side or abroad. This was a very moving time as we recognized the sacrifice that they have made for our freedom. Several times during the ceremony they received a standing ovation.

 

 

Memorial Day is coming up next Monday and there will be many parades and ceremonies at cemeteries throughout the United States. In Adrian they always have a solemn remembrance at Memorial Park. We always attend this event to pay respect to those who have given their lives for our country.

Recently, Gail was reminded that we not only need to love but we need to love extravagantly. Christ is our prime example of this extravagant love. We should be watching for opportunities to demonstrate this love to those at home and abroad.  In the book, Once Upon a Town, it tells of the people of North Platte, Nebraska. This town is located on the rail way that connects the east and west coast. During the Second World War many of our troops were transported by rail and ended up going through North Platte. At that time all the trains had to stop for water so the people of that town decided to give nourishment to the troops. They gave sandwiches, cookies, cakes, pies, and beverage while the train was stopped. They did this for every train that came through from the beginning of the war until several months after the war was over. The book accounted of the sacrifice that was made by the people of this community and surrounding area. The author tells of volunteers from Kearney, Nebraska had driven a truck over with 480 candy bars, magazines, ten crates of oranges, 80 cases of soft drinks, 400 loaves of bread, three hundred pounds of meat, 3000 hard-boiled eggs, and 75 sheet cakes. This was their way of making our troops feel loved and a little bit of home. What can we do in 2014?

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

Hear,  O Israel:  the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk  about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9

When a couple has a family along with it comes great responsibility. Obviously, shelter, food, and clothing are of utmost necessity. Most children in our culture have that need met. However, something that is lacking in many homes today is training the children in many areas of living such as manners, money management, communication skills, and proper dress. Unfortunately, many children are learning all of the above either by television, social media, and/or their peers. This is not really the proper way to train a child as it may not reflect the true values in a particular home.

Throughout the years that a child is growing up there are numerous 'teachable moments' that come about during daily family interaction. The problem is that most parents are either too busy, too distracted with their own situations, or too tired to take the time to use that 'teachable moment' to train their child. A simple thing may be proper table manners. However, not a lot of families sit down at the table together to enjoy a meal. Too often they are running out the door, swing into a drive-thru, and gulp down their meal on the way to the ball game. Family meals together are becoming a rarity for many of our families in our hurry-up culture.

 

We observed  a priest using a 'teachable moment' to train these young men in Germany.

As Christians we have great responsibility to train the next generation. When we were children almost everybody in our school knew Bible stories. Today if you go into a public school you would be hard pressed to find very many children who had been exposed to Bible stories. This shift has happened in a relatively short period of time compared to our nation's history. What will it be like fifty years from now? We are seeing the results of this lack of parental training in all areas of our culture. As a result, we are witnessing children out of control, teens without strong core values, adolescence that show lack of respect for parents and authority, and most appear to be lovers of self and pleasure.

 Jodi Schoonover is now a mother with a quiver full (5) and has many 'teachable moments'.

We need to be committed to praying for our nation, our culture and our families. The only thing we see changing our nation, our culture and families is prayer.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny

MAKING THE MOST OF LIFE

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

Do you remember the old television show, This Is Your Life?  Well, our son-in-law's mother is an example of a person who makes the most of life.  She is 83 years old and belongs to a hiking club, travels extensively, and belongs to a garden club, and is highly involved in her church.  Needless to say her physical condition is so good she has no need for any prescription medications and is very agile.  Having been married twice before due to her husbands' passing, she recently met a wonderful man at a church function.

       
                              Dino and Dottie with the Shimkets family

                Dino and Dottie with Christiane, Rebecca, Gail and Paul
                                       
This past weekend Dottie and Dino were married in Georgia.  We made the trip to Hartland, GA to attend the wedding ceremony.  With her family, (Dottie had 10 children and eight are still living.) members of the various clubs she belongs to, and the people from her church in attendance, the church was packed.  It was a wonderful ceremony with many beautiful hymns and several scripture readings. The entire wedding was so moving that Dino had trouble keeping a dry eye, and Dottie said she was told not to cry because it would smear her mascara.

Along with a wedding comes a lot of good food.  On Friday evening, Rick and Rebecca hosted the rehearsal dinner with pork barbecue, pork loin, and all the trimmings, with ice cream sundaes to top it off.  The reception had an array of wonderful food that was prepared by many of Rick's siblings and their spouses. They work together so well and make a great team.

 God has given us one life, and it is up to us to make the most of it.  Dottie is doing just that. 

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy and Penny