(5) Music

Music has always been a vital and outstanding part of the ministry of Faith Bible. In the very early days piano players were often scarce, but the Lord always provided when there were needs. There were a number of times that the church had to "borrow" a neighbor to play the piano, but folks like Ginny Carroll, Dora Gehman, Beth Weiss, and Helen Warfel Dusman often played. Sharon Irwin Gantz was a beginning piano student when she began to play for me as I led the children's department and she continues to play for us today.

Dave Shickley, an outstanding pianist, took over as our regular piano player and choir director in the sixties and continued in that capacity for about 15 years. Pat Durco Thermilus also has played both organ and piano since those early years. Dianne Kauffman became our first regular organist when we received our first organ in 1969 and she has played both the organ and piano regularly since that time. Marlene Varner was a regular on the piano for many years and now her daughter, Sharon Winters, plays keyboard in the praise band. A number of years ago, after moving to Lancaster, Karen Groff also became a regular organist. Iin recent years the Lord has blessed us with so many more and today we have nine or ten who take turns playing preludes and offertories.

We have also been blessed with many excellent instrumentalists. Ginny Carroll was a great cello player in the early days. Dick Matthews has played a beautiful sax here for almost fifty years. Pastor Thomann has blessed us with his trumpet. Others have played trumpets, trombones, clarinets, French horns, flutes, violins, and a variety of other instruments. Several of our teens have excelled in Teens Involved. And of course, we now have a number of string and percussion players who share in our praise teams. These have been led by Mark Guthrie and Pastor Thomann.

We have been very blessed with many outstanding vocalists from the beginning of the church. As a teenager I organized and directed our first choir in 1958 and since then we have had many talented choir leaders – Dave Shickley, Mark Guthrie, Pastor Thomann, Katie Wieand - and choirs who have presented outstanding cantatas and special concerts. Numerous special vocal groups have ministered to our congregation over the years – Dianne and I sang duets for years, the Kauffman Trio (Dianne, Jeanne, Kendy), the Matthew Sisters, the Mixed Quartete (Gary and Marlene Varner, Dianne and I), male quartets, Pastor Thomann and Tara, Trio of Pastor Thomann, Tara Wise, and Wanda Kilby, and numerous others.

And we have certainly been blessed with many outstanding soloists. It would be impossible to list all of those who have ministered with vocal solos, but there are several who stand out who have really been outstanding. The first of these was Dick Burdess with his beautiful baritone voice. Then there is Wanda Kilby who has ministered to us for many years. And one would also include Shawn Davidson, Brian Frable, Craig Tress, and most certainly, Katie Wieand.

God has blessed Faith Bible for 60 years with gifted musicians who have used their gifts to lead us in worship. And that certainly has been one of the things that has made Faith Bible a special place to worship.

Picture is of our transition facility at the former Calvary Church

Part 6 coming tomorrow

A New Organ

Some of our early youth musicians. From left to right, Cathy Jo (Matthews) Bausman, Lori Michel, Wanda (Matthews) Kilby, Gail (Burdess) Cundiff, and Cyndi (Burdess) Guthrie.

Pastor Thomann and organist Dianne Kauffman appear in an advertisement after the purchase of our new Allen organ which is still used in worship services today.

Pastor and Mrs. Dunn and Pastor Thomann

Pastor and Mrs. Dunn after their retirement. Pastor Thomann (far right in back row) serving as a leader in the early years of Awana.

(4) Church Leadership

The backbone of the 60 years of Faith Bible Fellowship has been the ministry of our pastoral staffs and the leadership of committed elders and officers. All of our pastors have been true to the Word and have openly taught God's truths. The founding pastor, James Koch, set a good foundation and met the needs of a new family that included many young Christians as well as numerous mature Christians. He related well to the members and spent time with them developing unity and goals. I especially remember spending time with him and his wife as they would take me along to various places such as Mizpah Grove.

In 1954 Annual Conference assigned Frank Herb Jr. to be our second pastor. He had a special connection to us because he was a son of the Lebanon church and was known by many of our folks who had previously attended there. He was a very strong Bible teacher and his solid pulpit emphasis was vital to our young growing congregation.

In 1958 we were assigned our third pastor, Rudy H. Gehman. And unlike our previous pastors, he came to us with many years of experience and this was important for our maturing congregation. His son, Richard Gehman, a college student while his dad was our pastor, later became a veteran missionary to Kenya and an author of several books. In 1961 we were stunned when the Lord suddenly took Pastor Gehman home with a heart attack while he was preparing for the final night of our VBS.

Two months later, Annual Conference appointed Norman Weiss as our fourth pastor. This was our first real experience with a pastor who had young children and we enjoyed seeing them grow and develop their musical talents.

At Annual Conference in 1967 we were informed that our fifth pastor was to be John Dunn. I knew most of the pastors in our denomination at that time and I admit that I was very disappointed when I heard this announcement. He was not known as a great preacher, he had pastored small churches, he wasn't dynamic, and he had a slightly deformed arm. But what I didn't know was that he had a heart for people. Soon we didn't even think about his handicap because people responded to his caring ministry. His influence in Lancaster still is affecting lives today, even though he is now in heaven. After a battle with cancer, Pastor Dunn announced his plans to retire in 1979. Incidentally, the Lord saw fit to heal his cancer and he lived a full life before the Lord took him home in 2009.

On July 13, 1980, thirty years after our first service, we approved a call to David Thomann to be our sixth pastor. With the exception of one year, he has served with us for the second thirty years of our existence. In 1986, he felt the call to become Director of the Pinebrook Bible Conference. During that year we struggled to find a new pastor. I devoted my time to finding weekly replacements for the pulpit, leading the services, and taking care of the church business while our pulpit supply committee interviewed numerous candidates. Thankfully our attendance and giving remained steady during that time and in fact we even gained some new folks. Then, a year later, Pastor Thomann accepted our call to return to Lancaster where he has faithfully served since that time.

In December of 1980 we called Pastor Dunn to return as our Pastor of Visitation and he teamed successfully with our new young pastor until 1987 when he moved to Florida. During the past thirty years we have also had a number of other men who have served in various capacities on our pastoral staff. And we are thankful for their ministry to our church family. Today we have four pastors on our staff.

But as I said originally, one of the strengths of our church has been the strong lay leadership, especially our elders. My father served in this capacity for 58 years. Richard Matthews has now served for 51 years. I served for 34 years, my brother Terry for 31, Monroe Kreisher for 22, Ken Malick for 20, Allen Minnig for 19, and Ted Cundif and Steve Groff for 16. Numerous others have now served for 10 or more years. Various folks have served as deacons, as elected officers and as directors of various ministries.

I thank the Lord that for 60 year He has called wise men and women to serve at Faith, and they have responded to His call. Sound preaching and wise leadership, yielded to the Will of God – a strong formula for God's blessing upon a ministry.

Picture - Joining buildings one and two

Tomorrow - Part 5

Groundbreaking and New Sanctuary

Ground was broken for our second meeting by Pastor John Dunn, Horace Kauffman, Barry Kauffman and Monroe Kreisher. The new sanctuary served us well for many years.

(3) Expanding Facilities

Church buildings certainly have played a key role in the growth of our church over the past 60 years. We started in a large tent in 1950 and additional tent meetings, at two different locations on Prospect St., were part of the summer ministry for the next two years. In later years tent meetings were also often held on the lot behind our first building. After meeting for over a year at Malta Temple on King Street, we moved into our first permanent building in November of 1951.

In January of 1952, our new building was dedicated and the dedication message was delivered by Jansen Hartman, a personal friend of my father, who had also been our pastor in Harrisburg. As Director of Home Missions, he was very instrumental in the founding of this new mission in Lancaster. In September of 1953 the congregation voted, very appropriately, to add Faith to the name of our church.

The early pastors lived in rented apartments. In fact, Pastor Koch lived behind us in a third floor apartment on W. James St. and later a block away in a second floor apartment on N. Queen St. But in February, 1958, the members voted to purchase 532 Prospect St. as a parsonage at a cost of $14,500. In 1967 the house was sold for $13,500 and a new, and much larger, parsonage was constructed across from the church, at 608 Prospect St., for $22,075. The new parsonage included space for a pastor's study, Sunday School classes, and socials in the basement. This parsonage was sold in 1999.

Since the congregation was growing, we wisely purchased land behind the original building in 1964 for $16,472. Five years later, we approved construction of a new church facility, to be built by Abram Horst, at a cost of $119,000. The first service in the new building was held on August 2, 1970, twenty years after our first service in the tent. The original building was renovated to include a kitchen in 1972 and an addition to the parking area was approved just three months later. A final major renovation, connecting the two buildings and adding a gym, offices and additional classrooms, was approved in 1985 at a maximum cost of $372,000. A sacrificial giving Sunday, three months later, surpassed its goal of $25,000 for the new building.

For many years these new facilities met the needs of a growing congregation, but on February 22, 1998, the congregation voted to purchase property at Woods of Round Top for $730,000. However, a few months later, due to rising land development costs and zoning problems, we abandoned that option and in December of 1999 purchased 23 acres near Donerville and Weaver Roads for $650,000. In June of 2000 the church property was sold to New Song Fellowship Church for $525,000. In November of 2000, worship services were held in the Ramada Inn until we were finally able to begin services in a transition facility, the former Calvary Church building. Groundbreaking for the present church building was held in June of 2002 and the first service was held there on June 20, 2003.

Two other key developments were completed in 2007 when the softball field was named "HA Kauffman Field" and the extensive renovation of the horse barn was completed and dedicated as the Stables Youth Center. It is incredible to see how the Lord has led us, step by step, over these 60 years, from a tent to a beautiful complex. Should the Lord tarry, it will be exciting to see future generations complete the new phase of the complex's development with the addition of a new education wing and a sanctuary. That presently seems like a dream, but every phase of this growth also seemed like a dream before it was completed. But God was faithful as we followed His leading. Never was there a time that we couldn't pay our bills and every phase of the expansion was paid off in full long before it was expected.

Over 60 years God's people have stepped out in faith and have given faithfully of their tithes and offerings. And appropriately, we have been known as FAITH Bible Fellowship Church.

Picture shows second building addition on Prospect and Seymour Streets.

Coming tomorrow - Part 4

The 50's

Charter member Lizzie Snyder and her daughter Lorna (Good) and a car load of children at an early VBS at our first building.

(2) The Beginnings

Jobs were scarce in the years following World War II and so our family moved quite often during those years. When we lived in New Cumberland, Elizabethtown, and Lancaster, we traveled each Sunday and most Wednesdays to attend the Mennonite Brethren In Christ Church in Harrisburg. After my father took a permanent job in Lancaster at RCA, he desired to find a church that was more convenient for our family to attend. He found that there were a number of other families living in the Lancaster area who had previously attended Mennonite Brethren in Christ churches in Lebanon and Mt. Carmel. It was this nucleus of families that worked with the denomination to begin a mission work in Lancaster.

A young pastor, James Koch, was appointed to lead the new mission work. And, on July 22, 1950, the new congregation held its first service in a tent at the corner of Broad and Orange Streets. This was a very special time for all of us who attended. Then, on August 28, the mission held its first Sunday School in the tent with 28 attending. The teachers were Beula Koch, Parke Rankin, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Sheffy, and my father, Horace Kauffman. On September 3 the congregation held its first service in the meeting rooms of Malta Temple, on East King Street. I can vividly remember that during prayer meetings we would hear the bowling balls and pins from the bowling alley below us.

Fellowship was important in developing unity and the first church social was held at Malta on October 17. During the next few years the young congregation would often meet with the Lebanon congregation for times of fellowship and encouragement. A charter membership included 31 members and during the fist ten years the membership grew to 47 and the average Sunday School attendance grew to an average of 106. Since the death of my father in 2009, I am now the only remaining charter member who still attends Faith. We've lost contact over the years with a couple of others who, like me, were children then and might still be living.

Less than a year after their first meeting, the congregation approved a resolution to have a church building built by Benjamin Groff, at a cost of $23,177, on Hager Street. This lot was on the corner of an emerging neighborhood with open land to its south and west. Prospect St., which now borders the lot on the west, and Seymour St., to the south, were not yet extended and only woods and fields of corn were in these areas. Showing signs of new life and growth, church officers were elected on May 23, 1951, and these included the fist trustees – Raymond Snyder, Merle Lefever and Horace Kauffman. Ground was broken for the new building in July of 1951, the cornerstone was laid on August 8, and the first service was held in the basement on November 1, less than 16 months after the first service. I remember the excitement of that first Sunday meeting and though it was just in the basement, it was our new home.

Earlier, during that summer, tent meetings were again held, this time where the Lafayette Fire Company now exists on Prospect Street. During those services, a neighboring family, the Irwin family, helped our church workers and began to attend. Some of the family members were saved. A daughter, Sharon Irwin Gantz, is still an active member of our church.

I have many great memories of these years. I personally remember meeting many of the young students from the newly formed Berean Bible School who came during the summers to share in the outreach. Many of them stayed in our home on Queen St. Later, many of them became pastors in our denomination. I remember the times we went door to door sharing literature and inviting folks to visit with us. I remember the unity shown as the charter members donated many hours of labor at the new church. I especially recall the time families spent together painting the walls of the new building. Those early years taught me many lessons about God's provision and God's blessing when His children give of themselves to labor in unity, doing God's work.

(Please note - a correction. There probably were a few other small children who attended the first service. However, other than the two mentioned yesterday, none - if they are still living - have attended Faith for many years.)

Picture is the original building.

Part 3 is coming tomorrow

(1) A Special Anniversary

On Thursday our church will mark a special milestone in its history – the 60^th anniversary of its first service. There are only two living persons who still attend Faith who were part of that special event. One of those was six months old and thus doesn't remember being there (I'll let you guess who that is). I am the other person and I do recall that first service. I am aware that as time passes and folks pass on, many important historical events are gone forever. A few years ago, in an attempt to share past events and experiences with my grandchildren, I began to write down these stories for them. I have already passed on to them over two dozen chapters and many identified pictures of previous generations. Since this continues to be my project, I decided that I should write my thoughts and remembrances of 60 years of Faith Bible Fellowship Church. And for the next seven days I will share these writings on my blog for others to see. Please understand that these are written for my grandchildren, so my family and I are mentioned quite often. And, these are my own memories and I could not include everything or everyone. I did ask two long-time members of our church to read my work, make corrections, and add things and people they felt that I missed. However, I was disappointed that circumstances did not permit either of them to complete this review in time for the anniversary. So I will be sharing things as I remember them. There is no question that Faith Bible has been a vital part of my life, my spiritual development, and my ministry. So this is my summary of the decisions, the people, and the ministries that are the fabric of Faith Mennonite Brethren In Christ Church, known today as Faith Bible Fellowship Church, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I trust that my blogs will help you to better understand what Faith Bible stands for and the events that helped shape it to what it is today. You will see how the Lord blessed this body in an unusual way as people sought the Lord's will and worked together to accomplish that. In the next six days I will share (1) The Beginnings, (2) Expanding Facilities, (3) Church Leadership, (4) Music, (5) Ministry To Children, and (6) Other Memories. I will welcome and appreciate your feedback as you share my memories.

Picture shows charter member Horace Kauffman, his grandson Craig Kauffman, and former youth pastor Brian Frable at the groundbreaking for our newest building. The elders gathered stones which were part of a monument to remind us of God's leading in our journey to this new property which we claimed for Him.

Coming tomorrow - Part 2

Yield

At times I wonder if we've moved. During these three summer months we are at Pinebrook Bible Conference seven times. It seems as though we are home just enough to wash our clothes, cut the grass, check the mail and pay bills, go to doctor appointments, and complete our church responsibilities. Our three day trip this week was unexpected but Pinebrook had an emergency need for a piano player and Dianne is helping them out again. It appears that she is doing most of the work here this summer while I am providing the transportation. The trip usually takes us about 2 hours and 20 minutes, depending upon traffic. I don't usually mind doing the driving except when construction and accidents create delays. Last Thursday it took us three hours to get home during the hot afternoon and I didn't enjoy the trip that time. However, coming here last night was rather easy - the traffic was light and the only accident we saw was on the opposite side where traffic was backed up for several miles. The biggest problem driving last night was the inconsiderate drivers who "merged" onto the highway, from the right, at fast speeds. It wasn't too bad when there was room in the passing lane to get out of their way. However, several times we would be trapped and we would either need to hit our brakes or hope that they would suddenly stop. I have come to the conclusion that there must be a new definition for the word yield. It must now mean hit the gas and try to beat the guy who has the right of way. They come at you at a high speed and then sometimes, if they do beat you, they then slow down and force you to hit your brakes or risk hitting them from behind. Common sense and good manners seem to be a thing of the past. Most drivers want their way, they want to be first. But maybe that is the way we often live our lives as Christians. We should be yielding to the Lord and His will constantly, but we often want our way. Instead of yielding, we ram ahead and fail to acknowledge Him. Sometimes we run ahead of Him. We want our ways and think we know best. Sometimes we suddenly need to hit our brakes to avoid a collision. All of us need to slow down, to recognize His presence, to yield to His will, and to let Him do the leading in our lives. The alternative to yielding to Him is to live a life filled with accidents and close calls.

I Don't Understrand

Last week, while taking my morning walk at Park City, I observed three sights that I really didn't need to see. First, I was behind a young lady wearing a halter top and low riding shorts. I couldn't help but see an "ugly" tattoo that began at a spot on her lower back, that should have been covered by her shorts, and extended downward ... beyond where I was glad that I couldn't see. Ugh! Ugly! Later I saw what appeared to be a very attractive young lady sitting on a bench with her back to me. As I came back down the mall, on the other side, I saw that she indeed was attractive ... until I could see her legs. Both legs, from her knees on down, were filled with bright tattoos of all shapes. Double ugly! I guess tattoos have become part of American mainstream culture over the past couple of decades. Now, maybe I could understand very small birds, or flowers, or something similar, but not the ugly large ones that so many have engraved on their body parts. Some estimate that more than 10 million Americans have at least one tattoo, and there are about 4,000 tattoo studios now in business in the United States. I guess that some tattoos are very nice. I can understand why servicemen might want to carry one of the country that they have risked their lives for. But I still don't understand why people want to have something that is usually permanent, placed on their body. Of course, over the years, some have had no choice, such as the inmates in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. But that is a different story. So why would you want demons or elaborate "art work" engraved on your body? What do you do when you get a new girlfriend or wife and have another name showing on your tattoo? What do you do if you land a professional job (not in athletics, of course) where tattoos are not acceptable? What do you do when your body ages and wrinkles appear or your skin expands? One busy physician who specializes in tattoo removal estimates that about 50 percent of those who get tattoos later regret them. For years, these people had little recourse, and existing removal techniques were invasive (requiring surgery) and painful. Most dermatologic surgeons caution that complete tattoo removal is not always possible. Tattoos are meant to be permanent, so removing them is difficult. Few surgeons guarantee complete removal. If they can be removed, most take 4 to 10 treatments with modern laser equipment. I am told that the average charge for removal attempts is $50 per square inch of tattoo ink per treatment. Will this be covered under Obama Care? What a cost for something that might not even be successful. The girl that I saw with them all over her legs could make a major down payment on a house for what it would cost to have them taken off. Now that brings me to the third experience that I had on my walk. I came up behind a young lady whose tattoo on the back of her neck looked like it had been stamped there - maybe it had. In big block letters it said "XXIII". I assume that these were Roman numerals for 23. Was this her age, her address, her locker number? I think not. I believe it was her ... IQ!

Happy Birthday!

We don't make a big thing about birthdays in our family, except for celebrating the birthdays of our grandchildren. But today is a very special day and even though there won't be any celebrations or parties or even presents, I can't let the day pass without mentioning it in my blog. For you see, today is my wife's birthday. Now I won't tell you which birthday it is, but I will tell you that it is a double-digit birthday and the ten's digit is a prime number and the units digit is a number which is neither positive or negative. It is an age that I used to think was old, but now it really doesn't seems to be that old. And most people really think that she is much younger, because she looks younger and acts younger. But, if she will admit it to you, she doesn't always feel as young as she looks. She has lived for many years with some very difficult physical problems, but most folks don't know that because she keeps it all to herself and she doesn't complain. She is a hard worker and enjoys being with people. She is an encourager to many people and she annually sends out hundreds of birthday cards and notes to others. She stays young by continuing to be very active, especially in ministry. She continues to teach women's Bible studies, serve each week in Awana (28 years), play the organ or piano at church (over 50 years), and work with me in musical ministries throughout the year at Pinebrook. She is an elected official in our voting precinct. One of my greatest joys in life has been to have a wife who loves the Lord and who has shared with me in ministering in a variety of ways for most of our married life. We began when we first sang duets together while we were engaged. It included with over 25 years on the road ministering as a family in churches throughout eastern Pennsylvania. And it continues in many ways today. She is a loving sister, grandmother, mother, and I also believe that she is a good mother-in-law. And she is also my best friend. So I thank the Lord for bringing her into my life and I pray that He will grant us many more years to serve Him together. So, honey, happy XXth birthday!

P.S. - If you didn't send her a card, you could leave a birthday comment for her right here. She'll read it.

Hot or cold?

I'm sitting at my desk enjoying the air conditioning but realizing that my electric meter is spinning at record speeds and my monthly bill is skyrocketing by the second. Outside I see my grass getting browner by the hour and our beautiful flowers wilting. And then there is the heavy humidity that is so depressing when combined with the record high temperatures that are being set. This is what they call a heat wave. Yesterday a person who had gone swimming told me that even the water felt like bath water. I do remember how we lived before air conditioning – often sleeping on the floor near an open outside house door, keeping the car windows open as we traveled, and changing sweated clothing often. One good point about this heat wave is that I haven't had to cut my grass in almost two weeks. The good news is that a cold front is on the way – with thunderstorms, probably accompanied by heavy winds, large hail, possible loss of electricity, and maybe even some tornados. Only six months ago we were shoveling, and shoveling, and shoveling record snow. We faced ice everywhere – walking and driving. We were housebound, sometimes without electricity, heat or water. We were dreaming of summer. Now, I ask you two questions. First, is it global warming or global cooling? Second, which do you prefer, being homebound because of the record snow of winter or because of the record heat of summer? Personally, I really don't like icy conditions and I also really don't like the severe storms of summer. Actually, I prefer … fall and football season. But there is no reason to be upset by the extremes of the two seasons. The seasons do pass very quickly. And if you really don't like one in particular, I guess you could either move to Siberia or to the Tropics. Many folks do avoid the cold winters by moving to Florida where they can enjoy the hurricanes. But despite some of the extremes, we are blest to live in an area where we can enjoy four distinct seasons and the beauty which each of them bring. Actually, the changing of the seasons should remind us of God's faithfulness and the order in His creation. One of my favorite verses of a great hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness", says "Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, son, moon and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness, to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love." So if you feel like complaining about the heat wave, just sit back, grab a glass of cold iced tea, and thank the Lord for His faithfulness. For "great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me", in the good times, in the hard times … and even in the hot times. Stay cool!

Independence Day

July 4 – Independence Day – the birthday of our nation – a time for celebration, fireworks, family picnics, and parades. Our own celebration of this holiday has changed. We used to enjoy watching the great parade in Lititz where thousands annually watch and participate. We used to go early, park at dad's house, reserve spots with our chairs, and then spend time with dad until the parade began. We'd also get to celebrate with other family members who were there. But that has all changed since dad died. No more easy parking or access to the parade route. So we didn't get to see the parade this year and that tradition is now gone. And we will quietly celebrate the day alone at home. We were invited out, but didn't feel like four hours of driving in the heat and we've also recently gone over our budget in gas purchases. And my age is also showing in that I don't want to fight the traffic and crowds to see area fireworks. So we are taking it easy at home. And that isn't bad. So don't feel bad for us. We have so much to be thankful for today. We've traveled a few times recently and we didn't even need passports or the approval of the government to travel. We went shopping yesterday and the shelves were packed full of food and other supplies – we have plenty and many choices. We can turn on the faucet and immediately have good, clean water. We have choices of dozens of TV channels and radio stations, including several stations that broadcast good Christian music. We have closets full of clothing to choose from each day. We were able to worship freely in our church this morning without fear of interruption or imprisonment. We had many choices of where we could have eaten lunch today – we chose Wendys. I can turn on the AC to exist in the heat and humidity predicted for this week. I can post this blog and express my opinions publicly without the fear of being censured. Despite Obama Care, I still have access to good hospitals and good physicians whenever I need them. I have access to the latest in news reported from various viewpoints and not controlled by the government. And I have the right to vote. So I am privileged … privileged to live in the greatest country ever to exist. And I owe so much to those brave men and women who have died to provide and protect these freedoms and those who are still doing so today. So don't feel bad for me – enjoy your holiday – but take time to thank the Lord for our country, our independence, and the freedoms that we enjoy and so often take for granted. Happy birthday, USA!

My Typxwritxr

I thought you might xnjoy this short story. "Evxn though my typxwritxr is an old modxl, it works quitx wxll xxcxpt for onx of the kxys. I havx many timxs wishxd that it workxd pxrfxctly. It is trux that thxrx arx forty-onx kxys that function wxll xnough, but just onx kxy not working makxs thx diffxrxncx. Somxtimxs it sxxms to mx that our church is somxthing likx my typxwritxr -- not all thx kxy pxoplx arx working propxrly. As onx of thxm, you may say to yoursxlf, "Wxll, I am only onx pxrson, I don't makx or brxak thx church." But it doxs makx a big diffxrxncx, bxcasx a church, to bx xffxctivx, nxxds thx activx participation of xvxry pxrson. So, thx nxxt timx your xfforts arx not nxxdxd vxry much, rxmxmbxr my typxwritxr and say to yoursxlf, "I am a kxy pxrson in thx congrxgation and I am nxxdxd vxry much." This is what happxns to thx wholx church, and multiply this by many timxs -- thx whole thing just doxs not makx sxnsx! So, don't be a brokxn kxy - be a useful one." - Author Unknown