Hat weather

Meeting Dad on the way to the Post Office

...and coming home from the Library.  We love having a library branch so close to our house!

Blue!

an amazing mushroom.....

that exudes blue milk

..and is edible for those braver than I.

Beth "helped" Mr. Headlee this morning...

...delivering balls.

He's one of the saints of our life.

Mather wildlife

Beth and I met up with Emily Dale, Elihu and Moshe at the Springhouse - today was a gorgeous fall day!

They brought us a blue mushroom to enjoy and eat!

As for wildlife in Mather, I'm not talking Josh Wise.......

....but deer in the yard around 4 in the afternoon!

...and turkeys at the Neroni farm, taking a dust bath under their pine trees

Message from John

I know I speak for the whole church and community in extending our love and support and most of all prayers to the families and friends of Kevin and Tammy Teagarden as they try to find the strength and courage to move on from the incredible tragedy of Sunday night. As a church community that works hard to be there for each other and that has consistently reached out to neighbors and those in need, it is overwhelming that such deep-seated need just a mile from our doors went so completely undetected. Surely we must use this devastation as a further catalyst to encourage us to be the church, to be Christ to everyone with whom we share our 
days in this life.

I can’t pretend to understand the desperation that leads to such a grisly act as the murder of little children. My life has been exceedingly blessed by the goodness of loving parents and spouse and children and church family - and a relationship with a God whose love I have never deserved. I am today made aware - again - of the fact that all of that love has not been offered to me so that I can sit around and feel good about myself - but so that I might seek to bless others with some measure of the love with which I have been blessed. If that is true for you as well, may we resolve in this present darkness to be a light of love amidst the confusion and despair.

Once again the first responders of our community have born a heavy burden in dealing with the horrific violence of this tragedy. Please pray for them as they continue to give themselves to caring for all of us. The kids who have lost a classmate, the families who have lost precious children and grandchildren, aunts and uncles and cousins, are hurting beyond words. This is a time for all of us to reach out, to listen, to cry with, to pray with any and all of them. 

May the peace of Christ which does indeed surpass all understanding keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. john

Israel

A shepherd's hut 

A constant view for us, driving around Jerusalem area

the hills around Jerusalem - endless rocks and olive trees

A tour guide trying to rope us in to show us Bethlehem...John's friendliness can risk our few remaining shekels.  Thank goodness some of us can say no. : )

Sunday blessings

Janet Crouse's cousin Becky played her flute and piccolo with our praise team today.

Mundell/Lesko smiles

prayer together

Ask the pastor time just beginning...

We had one of ABCOPAD's regional ministers for lunch today.  Mark had preached at First Baptist in Waynesburg in the morning.  He was one of the folks on John's previous trip to Haiti.

Women in the Woods retreat

Four of us went in our church van to a women's retreat at Pine Springs Camp near Ligonier.
We met up with some old friends there, like Maribeth Coote. 

It's a beautiful spot with lots of places to walk.

Even doing the dishes is a delight with friends.

a Thursday surprise

John surprised Beth with stopping by our Daughters of Grace practice tonight...

...not that the DQ is anywhere near our practice site...

a moon flower preparing to open after it gets dark

and here it is

Beautiful fall day

Food bank workers unloading...

Emma said "next please" to help the line move along

and Lucy had a trip to the vet

ABC

ABC=  additional bat control - John is on the inside of this window....

...with Rick, nailing lath strips around screening put up earlier...

...to keep the bats from squirming under the gaps

These men deserve something nice for doing a job like this.