The first day.

 

                                                                Rose of Sharon  

Another interesting Sunday.  All the morning stuff is completed and we're off to church.  We rehearsed the anthem for the morning in the chapel and on into the sanctuary for the 11 o'clock service.  Arriving in the space early is always a gift.  One of them being there is always time to visit with folks who also arrive before the prelude.  I noticed a couple that looked very unfamiliar and sure enough, they were visitors.  And the gift that came through that visit is that Carol's mother was a Hostetler who had ties to the community where my father grew up also with the name of Hostetler.  I would imagine that we are related somehow.  There were other things in common Gary having graduated from the same college as I did 14 years after me.  There is that two degrees of separation saying.  It seems to be true if we only somehow find a way to talk to each other.  Carol and Gary were visiting their daughter here in Indy for the day saw the church and decided to visit.  Their memory included a message from their daughter of  a couple of years ago. The churchyard held 5 rainbow-colored doors stating that our doors were open to all.  We have welcomed many folks through the ministry of those doors.  

Once again the music was excellent with two of Becky Archabold's piano compositions being part of the service.  

Words from the anthem again fed my soul.

O Lord, You Know My Heart....from Psalm 139

O Lord, You know my heart.  You have searched my soul and know each thought that I conceive.                O Lord, You know my words before I speak, Your spirit forms each blessing I receive                                  O Lord, You know my heart.  You have heard my every doubt, my every fear.                                 O Lord, you trace the pathways of my life, I feel Your hand and know that You are near.                           If I should ride the morning wind unto a distant sea, or pass into the shadow of despair                                        If I ascend to heaven, or plunge into the night, Your everlasting presence will be there.                    O Lord, You know my heart.  For all my days were planned before I came to be.                                  O Lord, enfold my life with Your care, and lead my steps into eternity.  Amen.

A reminder of another great church song...Eagles Wings.  This time the Eagles are Michigan Eagles in Jared's neighborhood.  Such beautiful birds.  Just thought I'd add the pictures today.  

We visited quite a while after church with Carol and Gary, once again nearly doing an early afternoon closure of the church.   That seems to happen often.  The Sunday afternoon nap happened and a trip to Aldi's filling empty spots in the cupboard has us in a good place for the week.  

The little dipper gourd hanging on the wall is where this whole gourd thing started.  I was reading a book to my second grade students about the drinking gourd.  Well, I needed a gourd so off to the gourd show I went being almost overwhelmed with what I saw.  And...gourds came into my life.  

More gourd work happened to solve some problems with steel wool and hours of soaking.  I'm ready to see if the problems are really solved when I move on to the next steps of wren house making. 

I made an Eric phone call to check on the Covid Family.  Andrew is going back to school tomorrow.  Noah and Kat are improving but not quite where they need to be. Eric is working from home and cannot go back to the downtown building until the whole family tests negative.  

The week begins with what ifs.  Sometimes life hands us a whole bunch of what-ifs.