Sunset of the year

Yes the sunset has finally come to 2007. December 31 and January 1 are really only two different days, simply put. So what's so special about these two days? I guess its something mystical, or some such thing. Because I do tend to feel different about the day when I wake up on January 1. Its like, oh, there's a whole new year ahead of me, and the old is now in the past. I guess its a little hard to explain the feeling but my guess is that you know what I'm talking about.

These two dates have some interesting intrigue in Clara's family. Her father died on December 31 way back in 1979. Her mother died on January 1, 2004. I just found that to be an interesting fact in her family's history.

As I look back on 2007 there are several important things that happened to us, which I'll mention, not necessarily in chronological order. Clara and I both had some rather difficult health issues during the year, but thankfully we both have experienced increased health and the ability to increase our activity once again. We were able to visit Clara's brother and his sons, as well as some friends, in Arthur, our son Gordon and his family in Brunswick, OH, and our daughter Carol and her family in eastern Missouri twice. Both of us have been able to be involved in some of the activities here at the Villa as well as in our church. Its been a good year from these viewpoints.

2007 has not been without some things to rile me however. Such as the outrageous rise in gas prices, along with the increase in the cost of just about everything, without a comparing increase in our income. Fortunately our living expenses are not as high as they once were anymore, and we don't drive nearly as much as we used to, but just the same all this puts more of a squeeze on the cash flow. Will it ever get better?

Then there's always the news, which is often depressing, both that from the war and fighting in many places in our world, and that which comes first on the news around here, crime and violence of all kinds. I can get enough of this kind of information pretty quick anymore. Plus all the hullaballoo of the political world. It seems sometimes like our world is totally out of control, but sometime, someway, all will change. According to the Biblical account it will be "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." I'm ready! Are you?

One more piece of trivial information then I'll quit. This electronic age has left me behind. For awhile I tried to keep up with all the new gadgets, but when I wanted to know what a certain thing was I didn't know what to call it, or who to ask about it. Someone had to explain to me what an I-Pod was, what a Blackberry was (I still don't know for sure), and more recently what a DS was. That was over Christmas as I sat and watched grandchildren (adults) play with theirs, a double screen game player, I was told. Anyway, I'm glad for the technology that allows me to do this and email. That's about all I can handle at this point. Maybe 2008 will help me catch up a bit. I guess that remains to be seen, huh?

Well, see you next year! Until then I remain -

Pilgrim on the way

Advent, Christmas, Epiphany

Well, I'm going to take a shot at this subject, I guess just because it has come to have more meaning for me in the last number of years. And for the most part I enjoy observing in some way what these different seasons mean.

As I understand it Advent means "coming" or something close to that. It has come to mean anticipating the arrival of Jesus, first at his birth in Bethlehem, and also then for us the "parousia" or reappearance of Jesus at his "second coming." Advent is observed in many Christian churches on the four Sundays preceding December 25. Many and various ways are employed to show the eagerly anticipated birth of the Christ child. Usually in the activity an Advent wreath is included in which a candle is lit each Sunday, including the one the previous Sunday, with the "Christ candle" being lit on the Sunday following December 25. Advent songs are sung also which depict the hope for a special child to be born soon.

We all know what Christmas is don't we? The birth of Jesus, son of Mary and supposed son of Joseph. Christmas has become the time to gather with family, friends, and exchange gifts, many gifts sometimes, and wish one another a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Our society has used the Christmas season, so called, to foster the sale and purchase of "stuff" for the gift exchanges, and so much so that many business indicate that they would not make it were it not for the Christmas season. Some Christians call for "putting Christ back into Christmas," or some such thing, but it has become a lost cause. Some Christians also are fearful of losing the "right" to use the word "Christmas" in favor of "holidays," or the right to display anything hinting of "religion" in public places, thus secularizing the whole season. Actually I'm told that Christmas began as a secular holiday. I'm not sure of that but I would like to see us follow a bit of a different pattern of celebration than what most of the world does today, including most Christians. That would include recognition of the "season of Christmas" more commonly known as "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the days beginning on December 26 and concluding on January 6 with the Epiphany. Epiphany is a day for remembering the visit of the Wise Men (Magi) to Jesus. The giving of gifts which is observed around the world is usually done on December 25 as we know, but some folks are now shifting this time to January 6. Check out a couple of articles in The Mennonite, official paper of Mennonite Church USA. Agreeably this approach presents a lot of problems for families as they relate to other family, but I think it deserves some serious consideration at least.

Well, I haven't done a real good job with this subject, but I guess it will have to do for now. Perhaps more will appear in succeeding posts. As I observe this Christmas season I am doing some reflection, as well as some anticipation for the future. I don't know how God wants to use me for His purposes this coming year, but I will await His leading in that. Also, perhaps the parousia will occur soon, but I fear that many are not ready for that day. Will you be? Maranatha, even so come Lord Jesus.

Pilgrim on the way

Reflections

Its been awhile since I've been able to blog. Our daughter & son-in-law cannot get fast speed internet service where they live, and their dial-up is quite slow, so I didn't bother. But its time for some reflections on the past week or so.

I'm grateful that I was able to make this trip. A couple of months ago it wouldn't have been possible, but thanks to the Lord for His healing, and to the medical profession for what they can do with some of the physical things we have to deal with, we were able to go.

For the first time we were able to see the youngest of our great grandsons, James Nicholas, 10 months old. He's the son of our oldest granddaughter, Carol's oldest, Anna. This is the first time we have had the privilege of being with him and his family. James is a very friendly little guy and it was a pleasure to learn to know and be with him for a couple of days.

We also were able to see our oldest great grandson, Jackson Andrew, who was born a week before Christmas a year ago. Jackson is the son of Carol's second daughter, Sarah. We got there in time to go to Jackson's first birthday party where we were reacquainted a bit with the other side of Jackson's family. When all of the gifts from the birthday party and the Christmas presents were opened, these two guys didn't seem to care about all the to-do that was being done. Jackson mostly strutted around acting silly, and James picked out one or two and just turned the wheels, or hit them aside with his hands.

Our son, Ron, came from Ohio and was there to enjoy most of the festivities. He also spent some time at his hobby, collecting "vinyl." If you don't know what that is, he has a collection of over 1000 old lp records, most of which are in A1 condition. He bought several while there to add to his collection.

Time with family is precious to me. I enjoyed this experience very much, and only wished that all the rest of our "clan" could have been there. Getting everyone together these days is a very difficult thing to accomplish, but a couple of our children keep working on that and it may happen again sometime. Everyone was present at our 50th anniversary 3 years ago in Illinois, even if it was only for a few hours.

Reflecting on Christmas celebrations for me is all about family. Oh yes, we do read and share about the birth of our Savior each time, and often some new thing pops up that makes this part of the time important and meaningful as well. But being with family for me is what makes it all a very precious time.

I want to do another blog soon about the Christmas season - the birth of Jesus, the 12 days of Christmas, and the epiphany, but that will need to wait a day or two. For now, my pilgrimage has taken me on a 400 mile trip and back, and now it remains to be seen what the next page in my life will bring. Until then, I'm still -

Pilgrim on the way

Traveling

This pilgrim's journey with my wife will include a trip and visit with our daughter, Carol Erion, and her family - husband Donald, daughter Rachel, daughter Sarah and husband Andy and son Jackson, and daughter Anna (our oldest grandchild) and husband Matt and son James. We're surely looking forward to this time together, which will include a birthday party for Jackson and a Christmas eve party for all.

We're traveling by car a day earlier than previously planned due to the weather forecast. We're not sure when we'll return since I'm committed to not drive on anything but dry pavement, but we are hoping for a return in a week.

Traveling is a bit more difficult these days than it used to be, whether one travels by plane, train or automobile. We haven't traveled by train for many a year, but plane travel has gotten a bit more complicated, and certainly traveling the interstates has as well. I'm one of the old fuddy duddy guys on the road now as I drive about five miles under the limit and let everyone else go around me. Most of them are going to pass me anyway, so I might as well get out of their way and drive a bit more safely.

So I probably won't be blogging much the next week or so. Here's to wish all two or three of my readers a very blessed Christmas season.

Pilgrim on the way

Storms

When we moved to Kansas in 2004 it was in the middle of August and I was expecting it to be very hot. I was surprised to find out that it was very pleasant indeed, and that it had been a very moderate summer that year. The beautiful weather continued on throughout the winter and wow, were we glad we moved to this state where the weather is much different than Illinois, or Ohio.

Since then, however, we have discovered that Kansas weather can still be very hot, or very cold, or stormy, or like 2004, very moderate and enjoyable. We have learned to appreciate the very beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the nice mornings in the spring and summer when we can sit on our patio with a cup of coffee and watch the day begin outside.

But we have also learned that Kansas can unleash some horrific storms. We had heard of the tornado that devastated Hesston a number of years ago (10?) and had seen the video of that huge storm. But the storms which invaded our state this past spring were almost unbelievable in size and destructiveness. Through the news stations, we saw the destruction of Greensburg and heard of the many places affected by approximately 50 tornados in just a couple of days.

Now this week we have seen how devastating winter storms can be. Within the week we have had an ice storm and snow storm, both of which made life miserable for many people in Kansas, and elsewhere. Here in Hesston we weren't inconvenienced all that much, but are still hearing that thousands of households in this state are still without electricity. Oh, our lights went out twice one evening, causing us to get the old oil lamp out, and light several candles, and of course make sure the flashlight is handy. But we were very fortunate not to have anything worse to contend with.

Some have had "storms" in their lives recently also, i.e., death of a wife in a car accident, house devastated by fire, dealing with newly discovered cancer, needing to have surgery just a week before Christmas, losing their job in recent weeks, etc. For these people these experiences are indeed "storms," and not easy ones to endure.

I feel blessed right now that none of these storms have affected me in adverse ways. But my heart goes out to those who have been affected. I can't do a whole lot to help most of these folks, but I can pray. Prayer always seems to help both those who are affected and those who are not to face the issues life brings. God is always with us, and He will help us on our journey, whether it be rough or smooth, stormy or fair.

Pilgrim on the way

What's in a name

One story surrounding my birth was about my name. I was told that my mother wanted to name me David, but the family convinced her that I would be called "Dave," and she didn't want that. So my parents ended up naming me Wayne. I always wondered where they came up with that name. There certainly weren't any of my ancestors named Wayne. There was a Wayne King, called the waltz king, who was quite popular around the country because of his orchestra, but I sincerely doubt if that's where they got "Wayne." Anyway Mom did get David in there by using that as my second name. I still include my middle initial "D" when I sign my name in honor of my mother.

What's in a name anyway? Not too many people pay attention to the meaning of their name. I guess that's because most of us don't know the meaning of our name, or simply don't care. I took the time to look up the meaning of "Wayne" one time and discovered that it has the same root as "wagon," and means burden bearer. Now that's quite a name to live up to! But as I have thought about that I realized that all believers are called to be "burden bearers." I reference a biblical text from Galatians 6:2: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (NIV). I'm not sure what all that means, but in fact caring about other people, their pains as well as their joys, has always been a part of who I am. Perhaps your name has a special meaning as well - check it out sometime.

I was reminded of all this as I read some of the biblical stories again relating to this Advent season, such as the angel's visits to Zechariah, Mary and Joseph. The angel told Zechariah to name his son "John," a name which was foreign to that family. The angel's words were "He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord" (Luke 1:14,15). According to the Bible Dictionary the name "John" means "Jehovah has been gracious." And of course the angel in visits to Joseph and Mary told them to name their baby "Jesus" "because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

We find it interesting sometimes to check out the new births column in one of our church papers just to note the names people are giving their children these days. Names seem to come and go in popularity, but it also seems now that folks are coming up with so many names one has never heard of, or with different spellings for some of the common names. And then there are many people from other cultures living in our country who have names that come from their culture, so we need to learn how to pronounce them as best as we can. Take one that I have been trying to learn, the name of a Japanese baseball player that the Chicago Cubs signed today, Kosuke Fukudome. I've noticed already that good baseball announcers will ask the players how they want their name ponounced, then try to do that as nearly as possible. That's much better that just taking a stab at it and missing badly. That might be a good idea for everyone.

Well, what is in a name? I guess in the end its all in what those who give the name have in mind - perhaps no special meaning, just a name they like, and that's all right. If there's a special meaning, then hopefully the meaning can be fulfilled by that person, providing its a good meaning that is.

My name is Wayne, but I still remain --

Pilgrim on the way

Which Jesus?

I suppose some will call this posting a "sermon" but who's to care? Call it what you may, I have something I want to share so this is the place for me to share it.

I've always been somewhat appalled by the "Jesus" some people seem to refer to, or believe in. For some Jesus appears to be like a Santa Claus who comes around when they're good to offer them gifts for whatever reason. This kind of Jesus isn't the one I read about in Isaiah 53 or in all of the New Testament.

I came across a devotional reading last week that spoke to this subject rather succinctly I thought. I wanted to quote part of this reading but didn't know what to leave out so here it is in full. Please read as Michelle Hershberger comments on Isaiah 53.

"Who has believed what we proclaim
Every day from November 24 to December 25

That the one who can save us all
Most powerful, most glorious
Is the same one
Who was balding slightly
Fairly plain and surely not a snappy dresser

And despised no less
Rejected
Poked fun at---
Why, we saw him as a nobody
Has been
No-account
Under-achiever.

Then there was the arrest
the flogging
'If you are the Son of God, then defend yourself'
the brutal hanging on that tree
(the real Christmas tree)

And we have all turned to our own way
We have all turned our backs
Because he's not the Messiah we want.

If you are the Son of God
Come down from there and make our lives pretty

And we really don't believe what Isaiah proclaimed
And we've made a Jesus in our own image
A Jesus who nods approval as
We kill Arabs in his name
Fighting for democracy as if it's
next to godliness.
A Jesus who despises sexual sins
but sleeps peacefully in his
Suburban two-story
while others lie in the streets.

Pretty Jesus
Nice Jesus
Cuddly Jesus

Who has believed what we have been shown
---the real Jesus."

------Michele Hershberger


Reprinted by permission from Now It Springs Up by Carol Duerksen, Michele Hershberger, and Laurie Oswald Robinson. Published by WillowSpring Downs, email willowspringdowns@juno.com

Advent

Advent began last Sunday, which was the fourth Sunday before Christmas day. I have a few comments to make about Advent.

First of all, Christmas is a 12-day holiday, starting with December 25 and ending on January 6. Perhaps our Amish friends are not so far off in their observance of Christmas on January 6. Perhaps also we are remiss in wishing one another "merry Christmas" before December 25.

As I understand, Advent includes remembering the events preceding the birth of Jesus - the visits by the angels, the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Reading these stories in the Biblical accounts is always inspiring and quite awesome when one considers the reality of such events in the lives of ordinary human beings.

Advent is also recognizing the reality of God's presence with us in the present. The risen Christ sent His Holy Spirit to live within the lives of believers, in itself quite an awesome thing. Living in the light of God's presence and His kingdom within us is humbling, to say the least. Rethinking this concept should be enough to cause anyone to stop and "ponder these things" in his/her heart.

And Advent is a time for anticipation - waiting, watching, praying for the "parousia," the coming or appearance of our Lord Jesus. It is this aspect of this season that somehow seems to get lost in the shuffle of Christmas "stuff." Some folks tend at times to get all wrapped up with the subject of prophecy about Christ's return to the neglect of other important aspects of our faith, but keeping this in the Advent season is something I would like to see more of.

During a large part of my ministry as a pastor I never led the congregation in the observance of Advent. It wasn't something that I even thought about or had interest in. I'm glad that I finally recognized that Advent was important and worthy of observance by God's people and began to observe it in our congregations. There are varieties of ways to do this and variations always make it an interesting thing to do in the worship services during these four Sundays.

I trust that you have a blessed Advent season and find ways to remember, live by the rule of God in our daily lives, and anticipate Christ's coming "with power and great glory." Maranatha - even so come Lord Jesus!

Pilgrim on the way

family

I like to think of myself as a family man. I like my family and miss not being able to be with them much. Actually we intentionally came here to the Villa instead of moving to where one of our children lives because we didn't want any one of them to end up being responsible for our care someday. So living away from all of them is the result of that decision.

We are surrounded here by our four wonderful children. This picture was taken a little over three years ago, so we've all aged a bit since then, but not a great lot I guess. In ages they range from 51 to 44 (I think). Gordon and Ron live in Ohio, Carol near St. Louis, and Lynne in Arizona. We also think very highly of our three inlaws, and love them like our own.

We are also blessed with eleven grandchildren. Each of the three married children has three girls, and in addition Gordon and Chris have two boys. At this writing two granddaughters are married and each has a son, giving us our first two great grandsons. One granddaughter is working and living at home, one is in medical school, four are in college, two are in high school and one is in eighth grade.

Of course these people are all very intelligent and will in some way make their mark in the world. One of the things we feel the best about is how all of our family have done in their faith development. We like to believe that all are seeking in some way to follow Jesus in their lives. Obviously none of us have reached the goal to which we have been called, to be like Jesus in all we do, but we're on the way! God isn't finished with any of us yet!

Both Clara and I came from homes where faith in Christ was taught and lived. Both of us truly appreciate the faith of our parents, and grandparents, even though none of them was perfect. I knew only one of my grandparents but was told that they all were followers of Jesus and lived that out in the best way they knew how. I'm truly glad that our ancestors were able to transmit the Christian life to their children so that we might have the heritage we do have, and for which we are indeed thankful. My prayer continues to be that the line of faith will continue on until Jesus comes again. May it be so.

Pilgrim on the way

generation gaps, etc.

The only generation gap in this picture is age. Great grandson Jackson and Grandpa King seem to be communicating well here! But there are generation gaps that exist which can be the means of misunderstanding and other unintended results.

One of our granddaughters told me once there is a generation gap in humor. As I remember, that came about as I played an old Red Skelton video which I always enjoyed, but which our granddaughter didn't find to be funny at all. Other "oldie" shows I still enjoy, such as Andy Griffith and All In the Family, aren't particularly enjoyed by the younger set.

Then there's the generation gap in language. There are some words (I'll not mention them here) which used to have what I would call derogatory meanings that now seem to have a different meaning altogether. Then there are slang words, like "cool" "hot" etc. used to describe people, that very often change over time in how they're used. Some words that I always considered swear words are now used quite openly and commonly, such as the sports show called "Best d___ Sports Show Period," and the phrase "O my God," which is used with frequency on many shows. Sometimes I don't know if these terms are just generation gaps or if there is a shift in what some people deem to be right and proper. Oh yes, then there's the speed thing - talking fast I mean. I get so frustrated when someone is talking and presumable saying something I want to hear, but I can't understand because its said so fast I just can't get it. Is this just a fad that's now in vogue or is it something that will stay with us? I hope its the former.

Talking about speed reminds me also of driving. I used to be able to keep up with the best of them, even while living in New York City, but somehow the desire to do that is no longer with me. I guess you would have to call me one of the old, white head drivers one sees on the roads these days, but I find myself having slowed down a great deal when out in my car. Confession - I used to have as sort of a policy that I drove about five miles over the speed limit when on the highway. I found however that this always ended up with me going more than that because once I got out into the passing lane I found it necessary to speed up to keep from getting run over, or having someone drive on my rear bumper. So now when I'm out on the interstates I drive five miles under the speed limit and let the speeders go around me. I drive much more stress free and still get there in plenty of time.

So there! I've shown my age again haven't I. Well, know what, I don't care anymore. I know that I'm not as young as I used to be and am learning to accept the limitations, and frustrations that brings sometimes. Yes, sometimes there are gaps in understanding between us oldies and the younger ones in society, but I'm at least trying to find ways to cope with that without griping too much.

Pilgrim on the way

The Villa

Schowalter Villa is where we live. The Villa is a retirement center here in Hesston that began way back in 1961. We live in one of the original living units, a duplex in a string of three connected by a common roof. We think our location is one of the best in the whole campus.

My parents moved here in 1969, only eight years after it began. Since then many new living units and other associated buildings have been constructed and put into use. There are now 166 independent living units that include duplexes, fourplexes, sixplexes, and several individual houses. Eight more units are scheduled for construction in the near future, and a whole new area is in the drawing table stage. In addition and located in the central building are 40 assisted living units, room for 49 residents, 106 Health Center beds, including a 12-bed Memory Care and 19-bed Personal Care. There are also 50 independent living apartments in the Hickory Homes area, a HUD subsidized housing arrangement with rent based on one's income.

In addition, two significant buildings have been added. One is the Wellness Center located in the Lake Vista area which has living units for up to 78 persons, a public restaurant, state of the art exercise room, swimming pool with spa, indoor walking path, woodworking shop, craft room, and community room with five pool tables. All these facilities are available for residents of the Villa without additional charge.

The other addition is a building that houses the Hesston Intergenerational Child Development Center (HICDC). This facility is directly connected to the Villa's central building by a Main Street that includes a craft store, branch bank and ice cream stand. There are activities planned by both HICDC and the Villa for interaction between the children and the Villa residents. There are about 100 children now enrolled in HICDC so there are many opportunities for the residents to observe the children at play as well as interact with them in some way.

By living here we have opportunity to engage in many different activities, like pursuing a hobby in the woodworking shops for me, working at HICDC for Clara, attending the many activities conducted by Villa personnel, or the special programs in the Villa chapel. We both volunteer for some things such as serving on the library committee (Clara) and conducting morning devotions in the dining room a couple of times a month (Wayne). We have developed many new friends here and enjoy interacting with the residents living in the central building.

That's where we live. We feel secure here knowing that we have a place to live for the rest of our lives where we can receive the care we need at any level, and where we can share our lives with others in meaningful ways.

Pilgrim on the way

Rainy Days

This picture was taken at our son, Gordon's, house in Brunswick, OH a few years ago. I don't remember the exact reason we stood in the rain for this picture, except that Gordon wanted a picture of us on his deck and it was raining, so we just used the umbrella and took the picture anyway.

Sometimes we think our children are sort of, well, silly at times. I guess that's because they all have a sense of humor that spills over into some "silly" actions. I think that's good, and I like their silliness, most of the time. Being able to laugh, or even smile, when its a "rainy day" helps to lift one's spirit.

We are smiling, not singing, in this picture, but I am reminded of the song, "Singing in the Rain" when I see this pic. Being able to smile, laugh, or sing when things aren't going exactly as we would like is always good, but hard at times.

Sometimes it takes playing a favorite CD, listening to uplifting music on the radio, or even just the smile of a friend to lift our spirit. Sometimes a friend drops by, like happened to me this morning, just at the right time to help us forget the "rainy day" we may be having. Anyway, its not much fun to go on about a rainy day and not make an effort at least to see the sun shining through the clouds.

Its not raining here this morning so I don't know for sure what triggered these thoughts, except perhaps my day was starting out a bit "rainy." It is good to have friends who stop by with a bit of "sunshine" and to be able to go about the day with a brighter view of things. I'll carry my umbrella today too to keep the raindrops from falling on my head. Will you carry yours?

Pilgrim on the way

Books, reading, etc.

I am not much of a reader anymore. There was a time when I was active in ministry that I would read about a book a week. Most of those books were theological, or related to my pastoral ministry in some way. I developed much of my theological bias, as it were, from reading a lot of those books. Of course I read and studied the Bible a lot, which was foundational to my belief system.

Of late I have read very few books from beginning to end. I have dabbled around in some, but have become quite picky in what I choose to read totally. My book reading is something I do in relation to something else usually, like Sunday School class studies, speakers I hear, or someone I read about that sounds like they have more to say that I want to hear.

One illustration of the above is the book, Road Signs for the Journey, by Conrad L. Kanagy. Our S.S. class did a study of this book recently led by David Greiser, a teacher here at Hesston College. It gives statistics and commentary on a profile of Mennonite Church USA which was done last year. Some of the information reported was eyeopening and challenging. Our denomination is changing, in some areas quite rapidly, and it is important that we are aware of that and try to help make the changes positive rather than negative.

Another book I am currently reading is, The Myth of a Christian Nation, by Greg Boyd. We first saw and heard Greg Boyd when he was interviewed on CNN's recent special broadcast, God's Warriors. Boyd spoke briefly there about Christianity as one of the "warriors" seeking for control in our world, the other "warriors" were Judiasm and Islam. Boyd also spoke in our church about three weeks ago following a weekend conference here at Hesston College. His blog following that weekend was titled, It Turns Out I'm A Mennonite. Interesting. Anyway, I am finding much to like about this book and the approach he takes writing in layman's language what the Christian faith is all about.

In addition to reading a book now and then I like to keep up with our Mennonite periodicals. We have access at the Villa to current issues of The Mennonite and Mennonite Weekly Review. I also have these websites bookmarked on my browser. These papers and magazines help keep me informed about many things, such as theological trends, happenings at our church colleges, and family things such as births, marriages, and deaths. It's surprising how many names I see in these publications that I recognize from one place or another where we have lived or visited.

All of this to say that while I do not read a great deal, I still do enough reading of one kind or another to keep myself informed of happenings, events and trends in the church around the country, and the world. I would not like to be without these important channels of information.

I guess in a day and age when there's so much information out there, coming at us in all kinds of ways reading still has a place in our world. At least it does in mine.

Pilgrim on the way

jujubes

Friday, November 23, 2007

Never heard of jujubes? Try Chinese dates. Some folks from China or India call they jujubes, some call them Chinese dates. So take your pick.

Anyway, we have a tree of jujubes in our front yard that has produced proficiently again this year. These dates are smaller than the dates one would buy in the store, but in the ripened stage they taste very much like them. We begin eating them just as they start to turn from green to brown. At this time their texture and taste is very much like an apple. As they ripen and become darker the flavor changes, as does the amount of fruit as they begin to wrinkle up and become smaller in size. The seed inside seems larger in proportion than the common dates we normally use.

Since we had the leaning top limb trimmed off, our tree is probably about 15 feet tall or so. With a small ladder we can pick the "dates" fairly high but there are always quite a few left for the winter weather to take care of.

Last year we learned from someone here how to prepare candied dates. We made a large batch last year and have already done two batches this year. While we enjoy them as they come off the tree, we especially enjoy them candied. A by-product of this process is a honey like syrup which we like to use on our morning serving of hot cereal. We also just put the dates into the cereal, remembering when we eat them to pick out the seeds.

Another thing we enjoy about this tree and its fruit is the opportunities it brings to talk to people who stop by, and to give them away to interested persons. Some people really like them, and others eat one or two and make no effort to get more. These dates keep so well that we had some left over from last year in our frig when the new ones were ready to eat. We are well stocked again this year, but I doubt any will last through the winter.

So now you know what jujubes are! - if you've read this far that is. In case you would like to read more about this interesting, and delightful, fruit, you copy and paste this website - http://www.tytyga.com/category/Jujube+Trees?gclid=CMXPrPyI848CFSgKIgodyWf7FA

Pilgrim on the way

Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Yes, it is Thanksgiving day. It is a beautiful, but cold, day here in Kansas. Our thermometer read 20 degrees this morning. Frost was everywhere. And those flowers out front and in back that survived earlier cold snaps finally met their waterloo.

What to be thankful for today? I noticed a poll on CNN.com giving three choices of what would be most enjoyed today - family, food, or TV. I voted for family, even though Clara and I will spend our day by ourselves today. Family got 50%, food about 40%, with TV coming in way behind. That's good.

Not all would vote for family knowing that their family get-together might not be a pleasant one, or perhaps because they have no family with which to gather. I think our children are all gathering with their respective families today. We plan to be with extended family on Saturday - the time when all those invited could be there, I assume.

My devotional reading this morning was from Psalm 145. It made me aware again that my basic sense of thanksgiving is for Who God is, and for what He has given us - this good earth and His eternal Kingdom. I quote several verses from this Psalm for your thought and meditation:

"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts." (vs.1-4)

"They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
so that all "people" may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. (vs 11-13a).

"My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord,
Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever." (v.21).

These words lifted my spirit and gave me just cause to truly thank the Lord for His goodness, His love, and His mercy which He so generously has given to us.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Pilgrim on the way.

Hobbies

Hobbies are important activities that help us get our minds off of the stress of life. They also help those of us who are retired, so to speak, from stressful activities, to occupy our time with useful activities that can benefit ourselves and/or others.

Hobbies can take various forms and shapes. For some their hobbies require a significant amount of energy expenditure and even athletic ability. For others, hobbies are mostly sit down type of activities not needing much in the way of strength or agility. Some may require both of the above.

My favorite hobby is woodworking, as I state in my profile. Successfully working with wood requires both some training and experience as well as a degree of proficiency. Woodworking also has a bye product in that besides using one's abilities and creativity, it often results in some finished products that can either be sold, donated, or used in one's home.

Hobbies can give one a purpose for getting up in the morning when there's little else to provide that stimulation. They can also give a person a sense of self worth when things are created that are not only beautiful but useful to someone.

I work on my hobby almost every day when my health allows for it. I find my hobby very gratifying and useful in and around our home and sometimes in sharing with others through the annual sale here at the Villa or the annual Mennonite Relief sale.

There is also a secondary hobby which occupies some time for me for six months during the spring and summer. I have been a Chicago Cubs fan since 1945 when the Cubbies were in the world series against the Detroit Tigers. They lost that series to Detroit, and the last time they won a world series was in 1908. The 100th anniversary of that win is coming up next year, so that's the time for the Cubbies to win a world championship again.

I call watching the Cubs a hobby because I watch most of the games they play throughout the season. This hobby requires a satellite dish and a special sports package in order to get the games I want to watch. I guess I'm what some would call a dyed-in-the-wool Cubs fan, because win or lose, I'm still a fan. That's unlike many who are fans only when their team wins.

Well, that's part of what my journey is about. If you don't have a hobby, it would be good to get one!

Pilgrim on the way.

Getting Started

Saturday, November 17, 2007

This blog is about a journey, one that began way back in 1931 in Harper, Kansas. It is a journey that has eclipsed many miles and many years. The journey has taken me to Arthur, IL, Goshen, IN, Chicago, IL, East Peoria, IL, Orrville, OH, New York City, NY, back to Arthur, IL, and now to Hesston, KS.

The road to and from these various places around the country has been mostly smooth, but there were also bumps and rough places that came. This road also has had curves and hills, speed zones, busy roads, and lonesome roads.

Along the way I found a traveler to accompany me on my journey. This woman has accompanied me now for 53 plus years. We together have experienced many good, wonderful times, as well as those times which challenged us in many ways. As the years have taken us over this journey together, we have grown closer and learned to depend more and more on each other. It is a very good time for us now and while we share our lives differently now than early on, we both feel blest to have one another on our journey.

I have another fellow traveler Who is with me always. His name is Jesus. While He was always present in my home, He didn't come into my life in a meaningful way until I opened the door in about 1952 or so. Since that time I have attempted to walk the Jesus way, but have to confess that sometimes I wondered off the track. In these later years Jesus has come to mean more to me than ever before, and walking in His way is the most important goal I have for each day.

This should get this blog started. I hope to make additions on a regular basis, but probably not every day. I invite you to read and share your comments as we go along. May God's peace be with you.

Pilgrim on the way.