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Thursday, June 22, 2017
Hoffman Farm on Colebrook Road, Lancaster County, PA. We share photos below our message of this very tidy small farm which is about a mile from us. I, Brooksyne, met the older gentleman last year when taking photos. He is pleased to share with others the floral beauties and the yesteryear look around his farm.
"Life's Bucket List"
Message summary: A Bible verse many of you know and have likely memorized declares, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). What a blessing it is to not only ourselves but also to others when we live life each day counting our blessings and, thereby, experiencing lasting joy and gladness.
Listen to our
message on your
audio player.
"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
The last several years now the term "bucket list" is used a lot.
The other day I was visiting with an employee at "Your Heart's Delight" and she had a “Bucket
List For Summer” posted near her desk with items like “Go to a ballgame”, “Make
S’mores” “Go to the beach”, etc. As I visited with her I read through the list
and determined I had already fulfilled over half the items for
this summer!
The term "bucket list" refers to places you have determined want to see before you die or some activity. Interestingly, I take the term in the sense of items in a bucket but also see some mean it in the sense of places to see and things to do before you kick the bucket (die).
One person's bucket list location or activity is another person's backyard and normal duties/privileges. Jesse, our Amish friend, gives tours of his dairy farm (Old Windmill Farm) near Strasburg. He told me the other day he had a city visitor taking the tour and while walking through the barn witnessed a cow in labor, ready to calf. The city man excitedly informed Jesse, “This is on my bucket list, can I stay and watch?” Jesse had to explain to the visitor that the calving process could take hours, even days. So it’s probably still on the visitor’s bucket list!
There
is a website called bucketlist.org which suggests over 6,236,633 goals
to do before you die. I am pretty sure I am not going to make all these
goals! My older brother Mike doesn't really like the term (nor does
Brooksyne). Now when Mike does something I know he's wanted to do I say
to him, "Now you can check that off your bucket list" just to teasingly
annoy him, such as when he
drove my lawn tractor several years ago. Since he lives in the city of
San Francisco he enjoys helping me with country chores when he visits.
What’s on your bucket list? It’s fine to have certain trips or experiences we would like to do but some live as if their life won’t be fulfilled until they take care of their bucket list. That's sure a form of bondage!
We
want to encourage you to find joy in the Lord, your family, friends
and, yes, even work. Count your blessings wherever you live, it's part
of God's wonderful creation. I may never get to many exotic bucket list
destinations as deemed essential by others but all around me we have God's
beauty to enjoy. As Christians we may have a desire to go certain places
or do certain things which is not necessarily a bad thing but a
fulfilling life should primarily be based on our relationship with
Christ and others (family, church and friends).
A Bible verse many of you know and have likely memorized declares, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). What a blessing it is to not only ourselves but also to others when we live life each day counting our blessings and, thereby, experiencing lasting joy and gladness.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all
generations. From everlasting to everlasting You are God. A thousand
years in Your sight is like a day that has just gone by, or like a
watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are
like the new grass of the morning though in the morning it springs up
new, by evening it is dry and withered. The length of our days is
seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; they quickly pass,
and we fly away. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain
a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as
many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen
trouble. May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, your splendor to
their children. May Your favor rest upon us as You
establish the work of our hands through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose
name we pray. Amen.
Hoffman Farm
Larkspur is seen everywhere you look these days including our back yard where the birds or wind must have planted the seeds. I grew it in the front yard for years.
An interesting trough like planter surely requiring a good welder to create this attractive home for sedum, a trustworthy and easy ground covering for areas with lots of sun. I grow it everywhere I can since its evergreen both summer and winter.
More larkspur surrounding the tree trunk.
Notice the welding sign above the old gas pump. The owner has two corn cribs filled to the brim with wood rather than corn.
I find such pleasure in seeing wild flowers grow around fences and thought I'd include this photograph as well.
We received word that Chaplain Paul Scholtz has gone on to be with the Lord, after suffering from cancer a number of years. Paul and his wife Linda are friends from Bible College and served as chaplains to the rodeo circuit. This photo was taken at a chaplain conference several years ago. They both rode in the rodeo, with Linda performing many tricks on her horse. They have done this for 40 years, right out of Bible College! Paul was a colorful man, who on occasion would declare his agreement with a speaker in chapel by saying "Sick Em" (where we customarily say "Amen".) His unique style always brought about a few chuckles throughout the chapel. He was the only student on campus who kept his saddle in his dorm room. Obituary here.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Show A Little Bit of Love and Kindness" Video The Collingsworth Family This is a happy song so needed in our world today.
"At Calvary" Video The Collingsworth Family
For local readers: This coming Sunday evening the Collingsworth Family will be in Lebanon, PA for the Music in The Park summer concert series. See here for info. We plan to go over with some friends and perhaps we will see some of you as we did two weeks ago with the Booth Brothers.
Finally Today:
We should also have spiritual aspirations and goals. One goal Paul had was to go to Spain. "Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain" (Romans 15:28). I suppose you could say this was on his bucket list. His interest was not sightseeing but rather preaching the Gospel. Whether he ever made this trip we're not told, at least as far as recorded Scripture.
Perhaps we can encourage our readers to develop a spiritual bucket list. This may include spiritual growth goals but may be guided by that convicting phrase we have heard since we were young Christians, "Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last."
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Hoffman Farm on Colebrook Road, Lancaster County, PA. We share photos below our message of this very tidy small farm which is about a mile from us. I, Brooksyne, met the older gentleman last year when taking photos. He is pleased to share with others the floral beauties and the yesteryear look around his farm.
"Life's Bucket List"
Message summary: A Bible verse many of you know and have likely memorized declares, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). What a blessing it is to not only ourselves but also to others when we live life each day counting our blessings and, thereby, experiencing lasting joy and gladness.
Listen to our
message on your
audio player."This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
The last several years now the term "bucket list" is used a lot.
The other day I was visiting with an employee at "Your Heart's Delight" and she had a “Bucket
List For Summer” posted near her desk with items like “Go to a ballgame”, “Make
S’mores” “Go to the beach”, etc. As I visited with her I read through the list
and determined I had already fulfilled over half the items for
this summer!The term "bucket list" refers to places you have determined want to see before you die or some activity. Interestingly, I take the term in the sense of items in a bucket but also see some mean it in the sense of places to see and things to do before you kick the bucket (die).
One person's bucket list location or activity is another person's backyard and normal duties/privileges. Jesse, our Amish friend, gives tours of his dairy farm (Old Windmill Farm) near Strasburg. He told me the other day he had a city visitor taking the tour and while walking through the barn witnessed a cow in labor, ready to calf. The city man excitedly informed Jesse, “This is on my bucket list, can I stay and watch?” Jesse had to explain to the visitor that the calving process could take hours, even days. So it’s probably still on the visitor’s bucket list!
There
is a website called bucketlist.org which suggests over 6,236,633 goals
to do before you die. I am pretty sure I am not going to make all these
goals! My older brother Mike doesn't really like the term (nor does
Brooksyne). Now when Mike does something I know he's wanted to do I say
to him, "Now you can check that off your bucket list" just to teasingly
annoy him, such as when he
drove my lawn tractor several years ago. Since he lives in the city of
San Francisco he enjoys helping me with country chores when he visits.What’s on your bucket list? It’s fine to have certain trips or experiences we would like to do but some live as if their life won’t be fulfilled until they take care of their bucket list. That's sure a form of bondage!
We
want to encourage you to find joy in the Lord, your family, friends
and, yes, even work. Count your blessings wherever you live, it's part
of God's wonderful creation. I may never get to many exotic bucket list
destinations as deemed essential by others but all around me we have God's
beauty to enjoy. As Christians we may have a desire to go certain places
or do certain things which is not necessarily a bad thing but a
fulfilling life should primarily be based on our relationship with
Christ and others (family, church and friends).A Bible verse many of you know and have likely memorized declares, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). What a blessing it is to not only ourselves but also to others when we live life each day counting our blessings and, thereby, experiencing lasting joy and gladness.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all
generations. From everlasting to everlasting You are God. A thousand
years in Your sight is like a day that has just gone by, or like a
watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are
like the new grass of the morning though in the morning it springs up
new, by evening it is dry and withered. The length of our days is
seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; they quickly pass,
and we fly away. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain
a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as
many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen
trouble. May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, your splendor to
their children. May Your favor rest upon us as You
establish the work of our hands through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose
name we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Moses (Condensed) - Psalm 90
Hoffman Farm
Larkspur is seen everywhere you look these days including our back yard where the birds or wind must have planted the seeds. I grew it in the front yard for years.
An interesting trough like planter surely requiring a good welder to create this attractive home for sedum, a trustworthy and easy ground covering for areas with lots of sun. I grow it everywhere I can since its evergreen both summer and winter.
More larkspur surrounding the tree trunk.
Notice the welding sign above the old gas pump. The owner has two corn cribs filled to the brim with wood rather than corn.
I find such pleasure in seeing wild flowers grow around fences and thought I'd include this photograph as well.
We received word that Chaplain Paul Scholtz has gone on to be with the Lord, after suffering from cancer a number of years. Paul and his wife Linda are friends from Bible College and served as chaplains to the rodeo circuit. This photo was taken at a chaplain conference several years ago. They both rode in the rodeo, with Linda performing many tricks on her horse. They have done this for 40 years, right out of Bible College! Paul was a colorful man, who on occasion would declare his agreement with a speaker in chapel by saying "Sick Em" (where we customarily say "Amen".) His unique style always brought about a few chuckles throughout the chapel. He was the only student on campus who kept his saddle in his dorm room. Obituary here.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Show A Little Bit of Love and Kindness" Video The Collingsworth Family This is a happy song so needed in our world today.
"At Calvary" Video The Collingsworth Family
For local readers: This coming Sunday evening the Collingsworth Family will be in Lebanon, PA for the Music in The Park summer concert series. See here for info. We plan to go over with some friends and perhaps we will see some of you as we did two weeks ago with the Booth Brothers.
Finally Today:
We should also have spiritual aspirations and goals. One goal Paul had was to go to Spain. "Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain" (Romans 15:28). I suppose you could say this was on his bucket list. His interest was not sightseeing but rather preaching the Gospel. Whether he ever made this trip we're not told, at least as far as recorded Scripture.
Perhaps we can encourage our readers to develop a spiritual bucket list. This may include spiritual growth goals but may be guided by that convicting phrase we have heard since we were young Christians, "Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last."
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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