Friday, January 05, 2018
Monday, April 25, 2011
Resurrection Day, Part Two
Yesterday was another Resurrection Day for the little church in Thorhild. We planned for some time to have a"traditional service" on Easter, knowing it was the best day to get new people out to church.
After taking in an great joint Good Friday service here in Camrose (Brian sang "Watch the Lamb") I headed up to Thorhild. On the way I stopped and saw Ron and his new girlfriend at West Edmonton Mall.
On Saturday we passed out invitations to our service all over Thorhild. In the process, I met and visited with several people I had not seen for a long time. In between all of this I made a couple of visits and had one excellent witnessing opportunity and another encouraging visit with some former young people. Then we had a lovely dinner and an Elders meeting.
Sunday was another nice day and we started it with a "Breaking of Bread" service at 9:00 a.m. That's a communion service, Brethren Assemblies style!
As we prepared for the Easter service the attendance appeared to be low, but at the last minute several more people came, including two or three we had only met the day before while handing out invitations. Altogether we had 27 or 28 people, about double what we were having for our weekly Bible Studies.
What did I do? I preached! Well, I called it a "non traditional sermon." I came in from the back, dressed as a disciple. (I used my shepherd costume from "Bethlehem Walk") I talked about the eventful week I had, starting with the Triumphal Entry. It was all down hill from there. Until I met this Man on the Emmaus Road. I had great freedom in presenting the gospel.
Afterwords one lady told me: "It was your finest hour!" It wasn't me, it was the enablement of the Spirit. His direction and strength was very evident to me as I spoke. Ever since the church reopened there has been a tremendous freedom in the Spirit to minister for the Lord. And there's been much evidence of how He has directed in our times together. Praise the Lord!
Next week we will be going back to our Bible study format. Hopefully we will have a few more people with us.
Afterwords I was invited to a Passover meal, complete with a leg of lamb, at a church family's home. It was an awesome weekend!
After taking in an great joint Good Friday service here in Camrose (Brian sang "Watch the Lamb") I headed up to Thorhild. On the way I stopped and saw Ron and his new girlfriend at West Edmonton Mall.
On Saturday we passed out invitations to our service all over Thorhild. In the process, I met and visited with several people I had not seen for a long time. In between all of this I made a couple of visits and had one excellent witnessing opportunity and another encouraging visit with some former young people. Then we had a lovely dinner and an Elders meeting.
Sunday was another nice day and we started it with a "Breaking of Bread" service at 9:00 a.m. That's a communion service, Brethren Assemblies style!
As we prepared for the Easter service the attendance appeared to be low, but at the last minute several more people came, including two or three we had only met the day before while handing out invitations. Altogether we had 27 or 28 people, about double what we were having for our weekly Bible Studies.
What did I do? I preached! Well, I called it a "non traditional sermon." I came in from the back, dressed as a disciple. (I used my shepherd costume from "Bethlehem Walk") I talked about the eventful week I had, starting with the Triumphal Entry. It was all down hill from there. Until I met this Man on the Emmaus Road. I had great freedom in presenting the gospel.
Afterwords one lady told me: "It was your finest hour!" It wasn't me, it was the enablement of the Spirit. His direction and strength was very evident to me as I spoke. Ever since the church reopened there has been a tremendous freedom in the Spirit to minister for the Lord. And there's been much evidence of how He has directed in our times together. Praise the Lord!
Next week we will be going back to our Bible study format. Hopefully we will have a few more people with us.
Afterwords I was invited to a Passover meal, complete with a leg of lamb, at a church family's home. It was an awesome weekend!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
"Heaven Is For Real"
I just finished reading the book. I highly recommend it. Get it! Put a box of Kleenex beside your chair and read it. It will bless your heart and strengthen your faith.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Resurrection Day!
Over three months ago, Thorhild Living Gospel Fellowship, the church I had pastored for nine years, closed its doors. Since then I have made several trips there to help work on reopening the church. We sought the Lord for direction and eventually reestablished a board of elders. Several weeks ago we decided to start with a Sunday morning Bible study twice a month. Today was to be the first one.Last night after work I was about to head for Thorhild, a two hour drive, when my daughter called and advised me to stay off the road. She and her husband were on their way to Edmonton and had encountered several accidents. They took two and a half hours to make a 45 minute trip.
This morning I headed out early on the still somewhat icy roads. For about 20 km I followed a sanding truck. Then the road got better. Several times there were sanding trucks ahead of me and most of the rest of the road was already sanded. At church in Thorhild I publicly thanked the Lord for sanding trucks.
About 14 of us gathered. We sang hymns, peoples favorites. My friend Steve led the singing and his wife Joyce played the Piano. We prayed together. We shared with one another. And I led a Bible study. Afterwords we went downstairs for a light lunch. All 14 of us stayed for it! Every person who make a comment expressed their appreciation for how the meeting went.
The roads were much improved for the drive home. I arrived safely in Camrose, as did Suzanne and Brian from their overnight date! At home I caught the last two thirds of the Superbowl. I thought to myself, if I had to choose between what I did today and being at the Superbowl, I'd choose "resurrection day!"
Please keep us in your prayers; we have only just begun.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Minor Setback
After a month of waiting I finally got back to the family farm. I spent the past three days out there getting dirty and greasy. I was working on the old tractor I am in the process of restoring.
The first task has been to get the engine running.
On Monday, Bill (my brother) helped me set the repaired cylinder head onto the engine.
Probably the most important task is torquing down the head bolts. This is what 150 foot/pounds looks like! Monday was a successful day. The engine took shape as I continued by reinstalling the push rods and rocker arms.
Everything was progressing well yesterday. Then I decided it was time to add water to the radiator. I put the garden hose into the top of the radiator and Bill turned on the water. Almost immediately, water was running out of the bottom of the rad and onto the floor. No, I had not forgotten to put the plug back into the drain! (If only...) Instead, the water found its way through a crack in the elbow coming off the bottom of the rad. So we spend the rest of the afternoon and this morning taking the radiator off the tractor and taking the broken pats off. You see, as we took at apart we also discovered another crack. As the picture reveals, the tractor is looking less like a tractor again.
The first task has been to get the engine running.
On Monday, Bill (my brother) helped me set the repaired cylinder head onto the engine. Probably the most important task is torquing down the head bolts. This is what 150 foot/pounds looks like! Monday was a successful day. The engine took shape as I continued by reinstalling the push rods and rocker arms.Everything was progressing well yesterday. Then I decided it was time to add water to the radiator. I put the garden hose into the top of the radiator and Bill turned on the water. Almost immediately, water was running out of the bottom of the rad and onto the floor. No, I had not forgotten to put the plug back into the drain! (If only...) Instead, the water found its way through a crack in the elbow coming off the bottom of the rad. So we spend the rest of the afternoon and this morning taking the radiator off the tractor and taking the broken pats off. You see, as we took at apart we also discovered another crack. As the picture reveals, the tractor is looking less like a tractor again.Hopefully I can get the cracked parts welded at a local shop and the restoration process can continue soon.
In the mean time I have another restoration project that I am involved in. I must focus on it for the next several days. I should be able to bring a report on that one next week.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Defibulation
The restoration process is taking its time! Today I finally was successful at unseizing the tractor's engine. The process:Soak cylinders with diesel fuel (about two gallons).
Let soak for about two months.
Try loosing the seized engine by rocking the tractor back and forth.
Remove head and replace diesel fuel with rubbing alcohol.
Let soak overnight.
Loosen the seized piston by hitting it with a fire log the right size and a big hammer.
The result: the engine moved. Elation!
Now there is more work and waiting to do until the engine will move freely. But a major hurdle had been crossed. Praise the Lord.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
The Dawn of a New Day!
I finally did it! I bought my first real tractor. After some 50 scale models, I thought it was about time! A READ tractor? Well, it needs some attention, which I hope to give it soon. So, for both me and the tractor it is the dawn of a new day.For those who want to know, it is a Case LA, the same model as we had on the farm when I was a teen-ager. Ironically enough, my brother Ted is in the process of doing the same thing, with the same model of tractor, down in Montana. What can I say, we're twins!
