Hitting the Ground Running

When our family arrived back in South Dakota, we hit the ground running. Tim, who had come with us for a few days since he temporarily lost his job due to the sawmill closing its doors, worked with Jonathan on pouring concrete in Mission. 

They poured another section of sidewalk between Hope Family Chapel and the road,

as well as the footer for the addition a crew is to build next week on the back of the fellowship hall that is way too small for all the attendees on Sunday nights. 

The men came home spattered with concrete, bringing a zero turn mower to finally mow our property. 

Meanwhile, Danny spent that day working with BHE crew on a roofing job of either a house or garage.

And the next two days, both boys and Jonathan worked the roofing job until the wind got too dangerous each afternoon. 

Danny captured this scene from somewhere near the work going on.  

Looks like the crew above is on break! How I did appreciate Tim's help in the kitchen. Even after coming home tired from work, he'd pitch in to help clear the dish drainer and to wash dishes more than once. An early riser, he also helped make breakfast. He left early this morning to beat it back home to western Colorado, and I miss him so much. 

On the way up here from CO Monday, after a repair the boys helped Jonathan do on our Honda's AC fan, listening to Tim visiting with his dad up front as Tim drove, my heart felt happier than it had felt in ages. I have missed my middle son so very, very much. 

We enjoyed his stay here this week beyond what words can say. 

And this morning, I tried not to focus on how sad I felt after getting up from bed the second time. I was up at six, putting lunches together for several men on the crew, and so exhausted I could have cried. So I went back to bed after the men left at seven (heading to an electrical job at Wounded Knee) and tried to sleep a while. Tim and Hannah had left about 4:30. We said goodbye late last night. 

To keep from being too lonely, I called a couple of my children and ran some errands in town like shipping out three boxes or packages of books at the post office and stopping in at the care center just long enough to let a new friend there know we'll pick him up for church Sunday again. 

When Grandpa Holds Her Hand--and When God Holds Mine

I loved watching Grandpa Jonathan being so gentle and kind with little Ellie Rose last weekend. She is a little uncertain as she is still learning to walk, but a hand from a kind grandpa is all she needs to keep her upright and steady--especially when she is determined to carry a big, tall, heavy water bottle! 

Today I put on a new CD that Jonathan's sister-in-law Ruth had brought for us, among a pile of others, when she and Dave took Jonathan and me out to eat at La Mission in Falcon, CO, last Saturday.

The first song on the CD by Randy Keeling was, "Where No One Stands Alone." I had the feeling it would become a bit of a tearjerker--and maybe it wasn't smart to have it playing while Jonathan and Tim were coming in the door from work late this afternoon. But I left it on and listened to it anyway. 

"Once I stood in the night with my head bowed low In the darkness, as black as could be.

And my heart felt alone, and I cried, "Oh, Lord, don't hide Your face from me!

Hold my hand all the way,

Every hour, every day,

From here to the great unknown.

Take my hand, let me stand

Where no one stands alone.

Like a king I may live in a palace so tall

With great riches to call my own,

But I don't know a thing in this whole wide world

That's worse than being alone. 

Hold my hand all the way,

Every hour, every day,

From here to the great unknown.

Take my hand, let me stand

Where no one stands alone."

***************************

I was reminded of a poem I myself wrote years ago when my youngest sister Kezia was quite small and we were visiting our much loved uncle, Uncle Rod, out by his cornfield. Later, I penned these words. 

Jesus, Hold Me!

There was a lesson that I learned

One time when downcast was my soul,

When for some help and hope I yearned.

I to my Lord and Savior turned,

My burden great on Him to roll;

He could hold me. 

One evening by a cornfield wide

With heavy, burdened heart I stood,

My little sister by my side,

Who whimpered coaxingly and cried,

(For she was in a sorry mood) 

"Anna, hold me!"

My heart leaped up; so glad was I;

I lifted her quite lovingly.

Hid by her head, my tearful eye

Beseechingly looked to the sky.

My own lips whispered longingly,

"Jesus, hold me!"

And just as I my sister small 

Was holding, Jesus held me, too.

He heard my pitiable call.

Assurance sweet He gave. 'Twas all

I needed. Restfully I knew

Jesus held me.

My Lord has held me ever since,

Though sometimes I had doubts and fear,

And Satan's buffets made me wince,

Yet Jesus was my faithful Prince.

Even now I know His arms are near.

Jesus holds me!

Special Guest Speakers--John and Charles Wesley!

"There will be special speakers next Sunday," the pastor announced at Foothills God's Missionary Church one week ago. No one seemed to know who they would be, but Sunday morning, as our family was in attendance with Grandpa Lucas as his guests for his 90th birthday, we all found out!

The new young assistant pastor, Josiah England, welcomed everyone and explained that May 24th is not only Pentecost Sunday, (with Ralph Gault reading the call to worship from Acts 2:1-4) but it is also Aldersgate Day. This date in 1738 was the day when John Wesley, discouraged with the lack of acceptance of the gospel by those he was trying to preach to among his Anglican brothers, reluctantly attended a Moravian meetinghouse on Aldersgate Street in London. There, while someone read from Martin Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, Wesley felt, as he described in his journal, "his heart strangely warmed."

He wrote, "I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Josiah explained how this conversion experience changed John Wesley's life and ministry, and how he became the founder of Methodism and one of the heroes of church history. 

Josiah then told about how John's younger brother Charles (five years younger, to be exact, and the youngest surviving son of his parents who had 19 children all together) became a prolific hymn writer and cofounder of the Methodist church movement. He wrote over 6500 hymns!

Upon these words, Josiah introduced the Reverend Charles Wesley, inviting him to come to the pulpit to lead the singing of his own hymns. 

We sang "Love Divine," "Arise, My Soul Arise," and "O for a Thousand Tongues to  Sing," led by Charles Wesley with powdered and curled hair and the Anglican attire of a priest--black robe, white collar, and all!

Then Charles introduced his brother John Wesley, who had slipped away during prayer and donned his Anglican robe and long, rolled hair. 

The two "brothers" traded places at the pulpit, and John Wesley (i. e. Josiah) preached John Wesley's famous sermon on Christian perfection. 

He preached about what Christian "perfection" is NOT, and what it IS, according to the Bible, for God will not command us to be something that He is not able to help us be.

When He said, "Be holy," and "Be perfect," He must have meant that we could be, but what exactly does that mean?

Do we go around with big heads claiming to be perfect?

I found it most fascinating that John Wesley's personal doctrine allowed for a great many mistakes and infirmities in believers' lives, because ever since the Fall of Adam, not only is our nature fallen and depraved until cleansed by the blood of Jesus, but our mental judgment is clouded and bent. Due to our warped understanding and knowledge, we often say, think, do, and even intend wrong things, Wesley explained. Being made holy by the blood of Christ does not make us perfect in judgment or mental or emotional ability. 

Some people in our former circles held up the idea of perfection so high that almost no one could attain it, although it was preached that if we did not attain it, we would not make it to heaven. 

And how does that leave most of us poor humans feeling but despair and hopelessness?

John Wesley himself in no way preached perfection so high that no one could attain it, but simply preached Christian perfection as loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving one's neighbor as oneself, a perfect love that casts out fear. 

After service it was a delight to watch the "Wesleys" greet people, including Jonathan's dad and Ruth, and to see "John Wesley" helping to wheel an old friend out to her car in her wheel chair. I am very impressed with the new assistant pastor. I heard his mother speak at a women's retreat several years ago in western Colorado and was very impressed with her as well. Some of our family got to visit with Josiah's girlfriend after the service.  

Daddy Lucas decided that he wanted a picture with "John and Charles Wesley"! I suppose we could have, too, but we didn't want to keep the pastors too long in the back. Already we were meeting another visiting lady from Georgia who was visiting local relatives, and with whom we'd made arrangements to meet at the church since she had a box of some things for us to take back to another missionary in SD. She loved the service as well. What a delight that all of these things happened on the day we were visiting Foothills Gods Missionary Church to be with Daddy Lucas on his 90th birthday! 

After the service, Crystal and Tim, who had come to service with us, went with us along with Daddy and Ruth to visit the grave of Mama Lucas. 

It was, after all, Memorial Day. 

In the middle of all the events of the weekend, I hadn't thought to get flowers. 

But the best flowers anyway were loving thoughts and memories and desires to meet Mama in heaven some sweet day. 

None of us knew which of us are going to meet Mama again first, but we know that God will be faithful to us. 

And just as we were about to part ways, I handed Daddy Lucas a big envelope with an 8x10 and 4x6 photos of his family who had celebrated with him Friday evening. 

After much technical trouble and tribulation, Jonathan had managed to order the prints from 1-hour photo at Falcon Walmart.

And so, in lieu of flowers, there was a bouquet of family photos,

and I think an angel smiled. 

Little Ellie Rose Turns 1 Year Old!

 More than one special occasion graced our weekend in Colorado.

Rose decided to celebrate Ellie's first birthday a little early so we could participate and enjoy it. 

So here she was with one candle in her piece of ice 

cream cake. 

She liked a little treasure box her aunt Elizabeth made for her. 

And it's so much fun for her to pull out the tissue from her Hagerty uncles' gift bag! 

The gift was definitely from uncles--little tractors and trailers and trucks!

They are already determined she shall know how to operate ranch equipment! :) :)

I had managed to sew a sunny yellow jumper and Quiet Book for Church, with all sorts of pockets (from Jonathan's old jeans I was throwing away) filled with an assortment of things such as buttoned scraps of jeans, a string of beads from my purse, and a felt-like smiley face. Rose says it kept Ellie quiet for a good while in church Sunday--precisely what I hoped for!

But what Ellie REALLY liked was the peas in the pod that her aunt Shelby knitted for her. She was so fascinated with those! There was also a beautiful blue and white dress sewed by Ellie's Grandma Hagerty (She's braver than I, as I am too tuckered out of sewing to try to do a whole dress), toys, and a bubble blower machine. 

After the festivities were over Saturday evening, the young people from both families played volleyball. Someone captured this photo in the sunset on the prairie. 

Meanwhile, Sam found chairs for his wife Caitlyn, whose baby is due only a few days later, and for his dad and me, who got to hold Ellie for a while. 

On Sunday for church, Ellie wore a birthday outfit from one of her Lucas aunts. 

I loved these photos!

Elizabeth Hagerty sent me these photos she took maybe while I was crashing in bed for a nap at Carrie's house where we stayed. Now Ellie is wearing an outfit I made for her. I sewed to a ready-made top a little denim skirt from a nice piece of denim left in a worn out skirt the girls were getting rid of. Rose wanted little denim skirts for baby, but I said the baby would just crawl right out of them! So I sewed the skirt onto the top!

Baby loves music! It was so fun hearing the girls practice song arrangements. 

Grandpa's 90th Birthday

Last weekend Jonathan's dad turned 90 years old. 

Esther made this cake decorated with a moose family and probably Alaska trees!

Jonathan's younger sister Barb managed to come as a surprise, showing up at the end of photos--and resulting in more photos with her involved!

All five siblings were there, and despite a couple drizzles of rain, we managed to pull off a picnic in Colorado Springs. 

Even all the spouses of the siblings were there except for Barb's husband Chad in Idaho. It was a pleasure to all be together.

Baby Ellie was a joy to have there, as well as all seven of our own children and the two spouses of Sam and Rose. 

Dedication and Honors

A few weeks ago the Martin Lakota Chapel had its new all purpose building dedicated. Missionaries, church people, and guests arrived to a generous turkey dinner together with Indian frybread and even nacho fixings, provided by the church ladies. 

Jonathan was asked to share, and he shared memories of the beginning stages of this building when a terrible storm came up and blew the frame partly askew. Thankfully they were able to find a way to right the frame again, and about two years later, the building is finally ready to use. 

Here above, John Bush is sharing his excitement and joy about the potential about this building. Behind the people in this photo are quite a few others. We enjoyed making acquaintance with a young family who has been attending church at this Martin church at times. 

Keith Lavery shared an outstanding message about the purpose of the building. 

"If the sanctuary is for worship, this building is for fellowship. If the altar is for surrender, this building is for service."

President Mark Becker had the benediction and then Ned Sherman led in the doxology. 

A couple days later, at Hope Family Chapel, graduates were honored with star quilts, including Aleah. Keith missed his wife doing the honors, but Tasbah was back in Indiana with her mother who had a stroke. 

Only a day later, at the SIM staff and board picnic, Rev. Lindell Howard was honored with a star quilt for 35 years of service serving on the SIM board. I have wanted to share some of these photos for a while.

No Problem Too Big--He Carries It

I finally gave up trying to keep pushing myself late this afternoon and collapsed into a recliner while Crystal took over making taco salad for supper.

I had picked up and swept in the garage this morning, made goat cheese, hung some laundry, spent about an hour and a half gardening, and ran up to the White River Care Center to say hello to a couple residents there whom I try to visit weekly. 

It was all a little too much, especially with packing for a trip. 

Jonathan was in the office, home early from work for once--since wind kept them from the roofing job and the concrete company couldn't deliver today, though the men finished framing the forms for the foundation of the addition in Mission.  

Jonathan has been in so much pain all through his body since the spider bite, besides the dread of what is ahead with biopsies and all that happens if there is cancer diagnosis for sure. 

And I find it is almost harder to watch someone suffer than to suffer oneself. 

And then I noticed the words of the song being sung on Crystal's playlist--

"There is no problem too big God cannot solve it. 

There is no mountain too tall God cannot move it. 

There is no storm too dark God cannot calm it.

There is no sorrow too deep, He cannot soothe it. 

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders

I know my brother that He will carry you.

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders,

I know, my sister, that He will carry you. 

He said, "Come to me, all who are weary

And I will give you rest."

There I was, getting a little rest in the recliner, listening with rapt attention. But I couldn't stay there. I sorta tiptoed to the office and touched Jonathan's shoulder. 

"Are you hearing the words of this song?" I whispered. 

He nodded. 

And He carries us.