It was so fun having my sister Joella's family arrive last night in time for a late supper!
What a treat to listen to them practicing music to share at our church this morning while we prepared food for the noon meal.
Last night I made a huge pot of chili for us all, and Crystal and I made apple crisps--one for supper and one for dinner today.
Crystal also made a big batch of rolls for our guys' lunches this coming week, along with raisin bread for company breakfast.
I felt rather terrible all Saturday, and was afraid Sunday would be worse, as it was last time I got chemo. But this time it was the opposite! I was able to sleep the entire night and felt enough better today that I was able to attend church service and get to listen to the service of music presented with such a good spirit by the Bradford bunch.
One of them was not so sure about this photographer. I don't know if it was the camera, the photographer's lack of hair, or his own personal issue! ;) :) But he certainly did have a good smile behind those hands!
It's wonderful how God gifts different ones--some with musical talent, others with writing, or managing skills, or working with one's hands, or teaching or preaching. When we arrived at church and I was introducing our pastor to Joella, he had just been arranging articles of furniture on the platform and humbly said he was simply the janitor this morning!
It was a joy to see the church's pews so full of people from front to back! It was thrilling to see a native family with young children came in, as the music with the children up front is always interesting to children.
This man to the left is our beekeeper friend and "honey man." For pastor appreciation today, he brought a bucket of honey, and also gave a bucket of South Dakota honey to the Bradford family.
Ethan helped Crystal bring Beaver from the nursing home to church and took her back again. At the nursing home, another man was bringing his mother back from church, and he urged us to have services at the nursing home. Crystal is wanting to do that, but she has been gone a lot these last few weeks. And I simply haven't been able.
A very special blessing happened when Pastor Ambrose's wife Mathel arrived back from having made a quick trip to the parsonage to bring back a black case with a musical instrument inside.
"I believe I have just found a home for this," she said quietly to me, as she set it in front of Craig and Joella and opened the case.
It was her own beautiful mountain dulcimer, an instrument that she knows she will not be playing again. Craig and Joella were totally overwhelmed.
"I have looked at and considered a mountain dulcimer for years," Craig admitted, "but I just never knew for sure which one to get."
As their family enjoys a much-needed vacation in the Black Hills this week, Craig hopes to start learning the dulcimer at the VRBO they rented.
What a beautiful day of grace, giving, and glory!
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