Nineteen days ago. That's when I last posted here. It feels like a LONG time ago. The days and weeks continue to march on in rapid succession, leaving little room to breathe.
The white tulip magnolia blossomed out. One by one the other spring flowering bushes and plants are bursting with color. Melvin has been taking pictures of everything.
One of these times I will have a post devoted solely to daffodils. Before we lived here, I never dreamed there were so many different kinds of daffodils. Everything from early blooming to late blooming.
We had another snow on April the 2nd. Plus, days since where there was snow on the air. After reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I wondered if this is that 21st year.
We finally set out some of the more cold hardy plants. They are in the garden that has a privacy fence around it, which gives them more warmth. The temperature this morning was close to freezing again.
Friday & Saturday last week were beautiful, warm days. But we were away. Thomas & sons left early Friday morning for a job in PA. By mid-afternoon I was on my way to PA with a group from church and Melvin & Christopher were at my sister's place.
The Urban Youth Workers' Retreat was held at Roxbury Camp in Orrstown, PA, beginning Friday evening and continuing through Sunday noon.
Thomas & sons met us there, coming from Penn Valley where they had to repaint the first floor of the new hotel the retreat has been building. They were up there April 5 & 6 to do the job but it ended up being a streaky paint job. Hopefully with the second treatment, it will be good to go.
At UYWR we enjoyed a rich time of teaching and fellowship. The main sessions were addressing brokenness and were taught by Phil Beiler. Very timely instruction for me.
Other workshops were taught, giving us instruction in relating to different needs in our communities. Attention seekers, RAD's, ADHD, LGBTQ,and abuse. Do we as Christian people have answers to the needs around us?
Of course! It's Jesus! The closer we get to God, the more effectively we can minister His love to those around us. We must embrace painful situations in our lives, accepting them as God's way of breaking our earthen vessels so His light can shine out.
Laundry, house cleaning and cooking are calling my name. Hopefully I'll be back before another nineteen days have passed.
Words of interest-
Vassal
Genera
Imprimatur
Monday blues? Know anything about them? Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. Or Saturday. God intended for us to be renewed one day a week. But if you are like me, that one day doesn't come. The Holy Sabbath has evolved over the last few generations until it has become "the weekend".
Hence we have the Monday blues. My day was spent resting today. I was so weary from my "weekend". It was a very encouraging weekend spiritually but very wearing physically. We along with two other couples and a number of the young people from our church attended the Urban Youth Workers Retreat in Orrstown, PA. It was held at the Roxbury Holiness Camp.
Lee Mummau was the main speaker for the 4 sessions. One Friday evening, two on Saturday and one Sunday morning. He spoke into our relationships. His main thrust was that if we are out of touch with our message, which is reconciliation, how can we effectively bring that message to the world? What does out of touch mean?
If I cannot have good relationships with those I live with and work with in my church, then I don't know what reconciliation means in a practical way. And I have nothing to offer anyone else.
So we received a lot of practical instruction about relationships.
Sunday morning Lee gave us a practical way to minister in our communities.
He said we should ask God to show us 15 houses where we can minister. Then set an evening aside and go knock on these doors. Introduce ourselves and ask if there is anything they would like us to pray about for them. Consistently return to these houses and continually pray for them. They will learn to know and trust you and you will learn to know them and their needs. Such a simple, practical way to reach out.
We heard from Glen Weaver and his wife Joyce about Integrity in Relationships. Glen Hoover spoke to us about issues that face today's children. And Phil Beiler gave us a talk about cross-cultural relationships.
Such an enriching time! It was also wonderful to meet many others who are in the same type of work we are -ministering to children in the city.
The theme for next year was announced- Teaching With Impact. I can hardly wait!
I was excited to meet some folks from Baltimore, MD. I had just read about the mission there this past week.
Back home, Thomas and Austin hit the road early this morning and went to Gap Mills to fix water pipes in his Mom's house. Actually, she just sold it but the agreement was that the water would be inspected and any repairs made that were necessary. Unfortunately a number of pipes had burst within the house.
Thomas was able to work with the plumber to correct all that today and came home this evening around 8 pm. I am thankful he is safely back and that is done and off his mind!
A couple things from this weekend-
Impression without expression leaves depression.
What reason do the children have to listen to me?
