At Thanksgiving in 1998 we lived in Fremont, Michigan. I sat down one evening a keyed in a few of my thoughts. I never published them. It was interesting to read them now, twelve years–twelve years later. Here they are in case you are interested:
Things are peaceful around the parsonage these days. We fill the place with our seven children and there is always plenty of activity.
Kyle is working every evening for the Knuvers on the dairy farm. He likes to listen to public radio from Inerlocken while he does he chores. Last week we went out to see him at work and found him plowing with a big John Deere Tractor turning over dark soil on a beautiful autumn evening with the sun casting long shadows across the mellow fields.
Last night we all loaded up the truck and went to the library for a couple dozen picture books. The girls are sitting in front of the fire now reading to each other. Sometimes in the fall when the Buckeyes are doing so well we are tempted to cave in and buy a TV but when the children read a book or two a day I know we made a good decision to not have one.
Monday night made a quick trip south. The moon was new and rose over the ripening corn and rusty oaks in the eastern sky. It sat like a lumminous ball just above the trees in the purple sky at dusk as a beautiful autumn day gave way to evening.
Lois, Heidi, Kyle, me, Daniel, Charles, Wes and Hannah all have birthdays between September and December.
In late October Charles and I took in the Michiagan Association of Regular Baptist Churches Annual Conference in Flint. The fellowship, preaching, and music were all great and it gave us a chance to spend a day with Mom and Dad who drove up from Jonesville for the day on Tuesday.
The last leaves of autumn were blowing down as we made our way back across the state home.
(The Painting is by John Sloane)
wow…that’s amazing. those were good days. days that seem so long ago.