Learn To Be Wise – Page 36 – Wisdom for daily living from a Christian world-view.

Reflections on a small blogging milestone.

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date August 15, 2011

400 Entries

I’ve been blogging for almost 20 months now and today the totals on my blog dashboard went over 400 entries. Half of them are posts and the rest are fairly equally divided between pages and comments. I really enjoy blogging, though sometimes it takes more time that I thought it would. Though it has proven more difficult than I thought to keep counting software that works well, I have learned from watching reader counts what blog articles are read the most.

On the comments

I have also been surprised at the paucity of comments. I delete many times more spam comments than I receive in genuine replies. Readers seem to be interested in reading the articles, but not really interested in discussing them. I have received some feedback by email as well. In fact, it has become nearly as popular a method of contact as leaving comments.

My purposes

In my very first blog post I set forth three purposes for my blog:

1. To help me connect with church family and other friends

2. To provide a forum for written contemplation of a kind that might be useful to others

3. To disseminate information, especially the kind of tidbits that are interesting but don’t seem to have a forum at the time.

Reflecting on the purpose of blogging

I believe those three purposes are still very valid though I might reword them a little. However I think there is a fourth one that has been active all along that I have become increasingly conscious of. Blogging is a very personal journaling. One purpose, not always conscious, is to chronicle life as I see it, to record experiences and perspectives with words and often pictures. This recording is not just for others, but very much a healthy and deliberate self-expression.

Current Purposes

So here’s how I would write my purposes today.

1. To help me connect with family, church family and friends.

2. To provide a forum for written contemplation of a kind that might be useful to others.

3. To disseminate information, especially the kind of tidbits that are interesting, useful or helpful and that fit this forum.

4. To create a personal journal, chronicling life from my perspective.

Tags blogging, popular posts, purposes

Americana Journal

The Old Welsh Church

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date August 14, 2011

Timber-framed Country Churches

Did you ever drive by one of those little white timber frame country churches surrounded by cemetery and wonder what it looked like inside? My father-in-law used to pastor one in Buck Settlement, New York, years ago when I was dating JoAnne. I recently visited such a church that has been preserved as a part of the farmer’s museum in Cooperstown. When I was a boy, I went to a country church like that in Haskinville, N.Y., only ours did not have a cemetery. Thankfully also, ours was active and has since grown and been remodeled more than once. But many such have lost their congregations as populations have shifted. Yet the buildings remain in our countryside as stately if lonely reminders of the strong rural Christian religious heritage of our land.

Speaking at the Old Welsh Church

Many years ago I was introduced by another pastor to The Old Welsh Church in Nelson area. It is one such church. It even has the smell of those antique century-plus old buildings with plank floors, aging wall treatment and antique instruments, wainscoting in the vestibule, and stained glass windows with family names on them. This church has chosen an unusual route to remain viable in the 21st century. It is closed most of the year but from Memorial Day to Labor Day services are held at 7 p.m. on Sunday evenings. Coordinator, Tom Davies, schedules a different music group and visiting minister for each Sunday evening. Pat Maum told me that the ladies’ singing group that she sings in sang there a few weeks ago. August seventh I had the privilege to be the speaker there and my wife supplied the special music on her harp. I also took my trombone and played the offertory. We sang old hymns and gospel songs I selected from a hymnbook which was probably old when I was young. But, because I have a long history in the church, I know many of those songs and enjoy leading them too. Then I preached a gospel message which I trust continued to communicate the “faith once entrusted to the saints (Jude 3)” that such churches were constructed in order to pass on. Their very physical presence continues to be a witness to all who pass by that the strong character of our nation in the past was formed by its Christian faith.

Tags country life, old churches, Old Welsh Church

Journal

A Thoughtful Gift

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date August 8, 2011

People who know me know that I like chocolate; it seems that the older I get the more I like chocolate. So when Keely and Mark returned from their recent vacation, they brought me one special gift – more chocolate. Now there’s chocolate and then there is chocolate! This was Swiss chocolate from Lake Geneva in Switzerland. These chocolates are shaped like the mussels of the lake, which is what the French words on the box mean. The real mussels that live in the lake are small black and inedible, but the chocolate versions are something else. They are filled with a chocolate mousse and are delectable. Thank you to Keely and Mark for a delightful gift.

Tags chocolate, giving

Forward Look Journal

August Messages Planned

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date August 3, 2011

During my days off in the Adirondacks I had a chance to read the book Starting Your Best Life Now, a condensation of Joel Osteen’s best-selling book, Your Best Life Now. I was sufficiently captivated by several of the key concepts that I felt impressed to pass them on to our congregation. I believe the chapters I’ve selected will form the basis for a very uplifting and encouraging series during the month of August.

August 7 Begin series from selected chapters in Joel Osteen’s Book Your Best Life Now — God has more in Store – chap 3 Scriptures: Heb. 11:1-12; Proverbs 3:1-10; Jer. 29:4-14; Eph. 3:20,21

August 14 (Communion Sunday) Become what you believe – chap 9 Scriptures: Negative side – Jer. 2:5; Ro. 1:21; Ps. 115:8 (could read 1-11); positive side – Rom. 12:1,2; Matt. 9:18,19, 23-33; Mk. 9:17-29; Jn. 14:9-14

August 21 The Power in Your Words — chap 14 Scriptures: James 3:3-18; Prov. 10:10-21; 12:13-22; Rom. 10:5-13

August 28 The Purpose of Trials — chap 23 Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:3-9; 4:12-19; Isa. 64:8; Phil. 1:29; 2:12,13; Rom. 8:18-39

Tags Planning, sermons

Americana Journal

Visiting a Vanderbilt Home

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date July 31, 2011

thebreakers_dingingroom — The gilded dining room

I knew that the most opulent homes of late nineteenth century in America were built by the Vanderbilt’s, tycoons of the NY Central Railroad. I did not realize how many homes they built, nor did I know that many of the homes had just one architect, Richard Morris Hunt. They include The Breakers and the Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island and the Biltmore in Asheville North Carolina. Years ago when I was stationed in Newport in the Navy we toured the Marble House. Keely and JoAnne’s brother, Joe, have both recommended Biltmore.

Visiting The Breakers

Last Saturday, on a return visit to Newport, we toured The Breakers, summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt. The home is immense-65,000 sq. ft. The magnificent first floor rooms are almost indescribable. The supersized main dining room could alone be responsible for the term “gilded age” as so much of the ornate wall decorations, door casings, and ceiling are covered in gold leaf of varying thicknesses, washes, and degrees of polish. My favorite rooms were the billiard room-the nineteenth century version of a “man-cave;” and the music room-just a gorgeous space to match the beauty of the sounds produced there. Also extremely impressive were the technics used to vary the wall décor. Various uses of metals, such as platinum, and leather, in addition to the gold leaf gave the walls very unusual textures. As the economic fortunes of the super-rich changed in the depression, the house actually was unused for a time. Now it is owned by the Newport Preservation Society (http://www.newportmansions.org/).

The People behind the House

I’m always interested in the personal side of the story. The house was run by 40 staff—maids and butlers of various kinds who were under the leadership of Mrs. Vanderbilt. Many would have been newer immigrants. In her bedroom which was also her office, was a row of call buttons to summon them. She also might be required to change clothes as many as seven times a day. Interestingly, the family was very religious with Mr. Vanderbilt teaching Sunday School and the children restricted as to what entertainments they were allowed on Sunday. Mr. Vanderbilt who built the house only enjoyed it in good health one summer as he had a stroke the following year.

Luxury for show; verses to ponder

One cannot help but feel in visiting such a place that much of the luxury was over the top for the sake of ostentation. This was definitely wealth on display. The rich and powerful of the day met here and showed off their status by making wealth visible as people have done for centuries and still do. On the one hand, a prayer such the Psalmist prays would have seemed natural to the Vanderbilt’s; “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (1 Ch 29:12-13 NIV).

While one can understand the cultural history of how such a display of wealth came to be, one cannot help but feel that it was questionable Christian stewardship to put so much wealth into such extravagant exhibition. Those of us enjoying the perspective of a hundred years of history, think instead of other verses; “All can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others” (Ps 49:10 NIV); or “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Ti 6:17-19 NIV).

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Tags Newport RI, vacation, wealth

Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Adirondack Vacation Days

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date July 30, 2011

We were able to carry on our almost annual tradition of spending a few days inside the famous Blue Line, Adirondack State Park, last weekend. This year it was at our favorite spot — Lake Eaton State Park. The campground was quiet except for the pleasant chatter of children playing. A family across from us was having a camping family reunion of sorts.

Planning Helps

JoAnne and I have our annual campout pretty much down to a science. The food box- now a big plastic storage container- has enough in it for our stay, including a box for tea for me and supplies for s’ mores, of course. The cooler contains goodies like homemade strawberry jam, cabbage relish, and pickles. The Long Lake grocery store supplies the rest. Air mattresses are the key to a good night’s sleep in a tent. The packing list helps us not to forget little things like flashlight, ax, clothes line and matches. And keeping the tent seams sprayed with sealer helps survive the storms with a dry tent–well, most of the time. It rained so much this time that we had a little water get under the tent on top of the plastic groundcover and seep in a bottom seam that was not sprayed. New this year was phone service that reached our campground, and my outdoor recliner – both very helpful.

Friends Make it Special

The most fun this time was that our friends from Philadelphia, Bill and Kathy Mell, were also vacationing inside the Blue line, about 20 minutes away from us. So we got together three times. One night we played spades under the dining tent by lantern light after eating s’ mores. Another night as it rained some more, we ate a good dinner at their rented cabin.

Taking on a Challenge

On the last morning of our stay, the weather was perfect for JoAnne to swim across Lake Eaton. She has an annual goal to swim across an Adirondack Lake while we are on vacation there, and she stays in physical shape to do that by using her treadmill and jogging. She had persuaded Hannah Mell, Bill and Kathy’s daughter, to swim with her, so we rented two of the park’s aluminum canoes to accompany them and they were off. It took about an hour, but they both completed the swim, crossing the lake from the swimming area to the area closest to Owl’s Head Mountain at a small rock landing under the hemlocks that we “discovered” years ago.

A Time for Good Reading

We always take good reading too. I often get up early, make tea, and read. In addition to devotions, and Bible reading, I took Chuck Colson’s book, The Faith, which I had barely started, and finished it in a few mornings of reading. It would make an excellent Bible study for serious students. It would also make a good Lenten study as its outline is like an adult catechism. I find that time away is a wonderful time to enrich myself in devotions and spiritual reading.

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Church Leadership Journal Joy Notes

Taking time to celebrate

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date July 23, 2011

When I was a young pastor, I didn’t understand the importance of celebration. I guess I must have ignored the fact that the OT has a regular schedule of feasts for the Israelites to be involved in. Maybe it came from the the everyday nature of dairy farming where I grew up. Maybe it was because celebration in our culture often has an unhealthy and unnecessary association with drinking alcohol. But over the years, I have discovered the importance of the Bible’s example of taking time to celebrate in wholesome ways.

So, for example, this last weekend at Community Wesleyan, we took time to celebrate. It was the Celebration Sunday of our 50th Anniversary Makeover Campaign. So we took time out to celebrate. We put up the tents outside, had chicken barbeque and brought in the watermelon and ice cream. It was a great picnic and it lent a air of festivity to our event that it would not otherwise have had. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

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Tags celebration, Church 50th Anniversary, summer fun

Church Leadership Journal

A surprisingly effective way to mark in your Bible in color

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date July 22, 2011

Write in your Bible

I am always encouraging people to personalize their own Bibles by marking verses that have special meaning for them. Most people who do this soon want to categorize their marking by using some kind of color system. Many people also want to use a marking system that does not obscure the words as one often accidentally does when using ink. The method must also not bleed through. Several years ago I happened to try something very simple but also very effective–children’s colored pencils. They have fatter colored “leads” than normal colored pencils. They act like a highlighter but do not bleed through like a highlighter will. Because they are thicker, many fewer strokes are required and there is no danger of torn pages as with sharp smaller ones.

The only problem is that they are seldom available. I have literally looked for years for a second set to have at home. Well, this week I found one. They are currently available again. I found mine at Staples.

A simple colored pencil system

I highly recommend a simple color scheme using colored pencils to mark your Bible. I use orange for promises and special verses. If I can’t figure out what color to use, it gets orange. Blue is for salvation; verses related to what Jesus has done for us and what gifts God has given us through his Son. Yellow is for verses of praise to God; verses that adore Jesus Christ. Green is for spiritual growth. Red is for stewardship verses that encourage me to use what I have well. Purple is for verses about heaven. That’s about it. I keep it simple.

Tags Bible reading, Bible study

Americana Journal

Cooperstown Farmers’ Museum

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date July 21, 2011
2 Comments on Cooperstown Farmers’ Museum

Fun for children but little antique farm equipment

It was a fun stop, our late afternoon visit to the Cooperstown Farmers’ Museum. To us as adults looking at what had been collected and what was on display, “Farmers’ Museum” seemed like a misnomer. But they did have many animals for the children to see – goats, chickens, turkeys, cattle, sheep, and probably pigs that we didn’t see. It would have been a really fun stop for kids also has they have a splendid working carousel, and some tents set up for children to explore games of that era, to get their pictures dressed up in old fashioned clothes, and even a simulated milk-the-cow station. What was missing that we expected from the title was antique farm equipment. Aside from a couple carriages near the entrance we didn’t see any.

A good cross section of 1830’s village life

I think the intent was to help a visitor understand the nature of village life around the time that baseball was invented back in the 1830’s. And the buildings mostly seemed consistent with that goal. There was a very active blacksmith shop with two blacksmiths, a print shop, an apothecary, a doctor’s office complete with some of the pre-civil war crude tools used, a tavern, of course, and a very old one-room schoolhouse. The people who were dressed up in period costumes had obviously studied and become somewhat knowledgeable about their areas too. The old church was of very early design with divisions in the pews and balconies on both sides. The doors on either side of the pulpit seemed unusual and made me wonder if the building had been reversed and added onto in its history since the history said it had been used by more than one group. Were the two doors originally male and female entrances as some of the very earliest colonial churches had? JoAnne and Jane Kinney enjoyed watching the weavers who were busy at work in two different old houses. Another farmhouse had a working stone fireplace. Earlier in the day in a room made for that purpose, they had been making butter. There were cottage gardens and herb gardens too.

Baseball Hall of Fame

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date July 21, 2011

Cooperstown visit

I’m supposed to be on vacation this week, but as is often the case, I’m having difficulty making a clean break. Worked today and yesterday, but Tuesday we took off for Cooperstown. I have always wanted to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cooperstown is a delightful old lakeside village with much in common with CNY and Fingerlakes gems like Cazenovia, Penn Yan, Watkins Glen, Hammondsport, Skaneateles and Geneva—classic architecture, restored houses, not too wide streets, quaint shops, flower beds and boxes, and places that just make you wonder what stories they could tell if they could only speak. It is also blessed with more places to eat – including good ice cream—than most towns its size.

Two sections

The Hall of Fame has two sections, the Hall of Fame itself with a formal plaque for each one recognized; and the museum part where the clothes, bats, lockers, etc. of all the inductees are displayed and where stories of famous players are told via posters, videos, print and displays. Of course everyone was drawn to the story of one of the most famous players of all time, Babe Ruth; but I found myself fascinated by a side story. The museum had a display that focused on the black leagues or “colored leagues” as they would have been called. I viewed that story and then took special note of early black players who were instrumental in breaking the color barrier in baseball; men like Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron. Their courage, patience, character and humility, were just as essential to their success as was the overwhelming athletic talent that propelled them to baseball greatness.

Another interesting section was the comparative stats area; it answered questions like who has the most hits; the best batting average, the most hits in a row, the most strikeouts, the most home runs, etc. I also enjoyed the room that told the story of the Cooperstown museum itself and also the movie theatre baseball theme presentation. Outside the building was a hand kept major league standings scoreboard up-to-date for that day. Baseball souvenir stores are abundant – a ball autographed by Hank Aaron – about $350 – I didn’t buy it.

I highly recommend it!

It took me about 3 hours to go through the Museum and Hall of Fame and I could have spent longer. I highly recommend it to any baseball fan.

I wore my Syracuse Chief’s hat and one person even noticed and mentioned that they had recently seen the Chiefs. Unfortunately, I haven’t been to a game yet this year but hope to attend soon. However, I follow them on the internet several times weekly to keep abreast of their season.