IN MEMORY

This space is dedicated

to the memory of

JOHN FREDERICK HOLZWORTH

December 12, 1939

-

December 8, 1996

A Christmas Poem by Joseph Bayly

Praise Him for the incarnation,
for the Word made flesh.
I will not sing of shepherds
watching flocks on frosty nights,
or angel choristers.
I will not sing of a stable bare in Bethlehem,
or lowing oxen,
wise men trailing star with gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
Tonight I will sing praise to the Father
who stood on heaven's threshold
and said farewell to his Son
as he stepped across the stars
to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
And I will sing praise to the infinite, eternal Son
who became most finite, a baby
who would one day be executed for my crime.
Praise him in the heavens,
Praise him in the stable,
Praise him in my heart.

John 1 gives a nontraditional look at Christmas. You
might want to read it in conjunction with Joseph Bayly's
profound poem, which has become one of my favorites.
Philippians 2:5-11 is also an appropriate scripture passage.

UNCHANGING

Following the recent election, Barack Obama was elected to become the next U. S. President. Whatever your opinion of this candidate, we know that his campaign was based on the need for change. Some changes are necessary, inevitable, and/or desirable. Some are not! A change in the executive branch of government was necessary and inevitable. Hopefully Obama will make the desirable, needed changes in an open and amenable way.

Meanwhile, change happens all around us. I have certainly changed over my 62 years. The seasons change over the course of the year. Industry, transportation, music, fashion, technology, and many other things continue to change. Progress is often synonymous with change. Change is often part of growth.

BUT SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE! The God in whom I have placed my faith has never changed, although my understanding of Him has no doubt changed. His love is a constant. God's desire for fellowship with mankind has not changed. His church, although not always engaged in appropriate activities, still stands. The Word of God abides forever. And the place prepared for us is eternal, which means forever, unchanging.

As the hymn, Great is thy Faithfulness, says so well:

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

(Chorus)

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Thomas O. Chisholm, p.17, Sing Joyfully

Crothersville Was Buzzing with Activity

Last night (Halloween) our CARD group was passing out treat to the children who stopped at our designated spot. The town was full of people and cars, and I remarked to someone that this is probably how it used to be back in the "glory days" (50's and 60's). It was good to see that! Also, I was impressed by the parents accompanying their children. Almost all the children were with parents, grandparents, or other adults in charge. Many of the children said thank you for what they received, and all of them were polite. There were several groups giving out treats in order to encourage a safe and happy Halloween for the children.

A couple of younger kids actually remembered me from school and claimed they were sorry I had retired, because they had wanted to be in my class. That is a shocker!

One of our group was actually in costume (her clown attire)! And we were able to discuss some business toward the end of our stint. We are looking forward to preparing a basket for the Senior Citizens' silent auction at their Christmas dinner, and to the FFA Christmas Craft Show and Christmas Kick-Off for Crothersville, a joint event on November 22. Aunt Samantha's will be having an open house that day, along with a lot of other Crothersville organizations and businesses. CARD will be sponsoring a Santa House and lights will be turned on. We're excited about the opportunity to see Crothersville working together to kick off the holiday season.

(CARD is an acronym for Crothersville Area Revitalization and Development.)

What Would This Ghost Say?

As Halloween nears, we think of ghosts. This very special poem celebrates two very special people who live on in our memories, a mother and her son.

If Nancy Hanks came back as a ghost,
Seeking news of what she loved most,
She'd ask first, "Where's my son?
What's happened to Abe? What's he done?"

"You wouldn't know about my son?
Did he grow tall? Did he have fun?
Did he learn to read? Did he get to town?
Do you know his name? Did he get on?"

The above stanzas from the poem, Nancy Hanks, evoked A Reply to Nancy Hanks by
Julius Silberger:
Yes, Nancy Hanks, the news we will tell
Of your Abe whom you loved so well.
You asked first, "Where's my son?"
He lives in the hearts of everyone.

Indiana has a special part in celebrating the upcoming bicentennial of Lincoln's birthday. I am privileged to have Lincoln's Boyhood Home license plates, which I special-ordered at no extra cost. Eventually they will become a part of my Indiana
collection.

FALL AT LAST

It's fall at last! I love fall--the colors of the changing leaves, the color of the sky--

create "a picture that no painter has the colorin' to mock." Fall feels brisk and purposeful at times, lovely and leisurely at others. But one of my favorite things about fall is Riley's poem, When the Frost is on the Punkin. When I taught fourth grade, one assignment was always to memorize that poem. Then Mr. Don Hill would come to school impersonating Mr. Riley, reciting his poetry, and the place would ROCK when the fourth graders joined the recitation. I'm going to "recite" the first verse of that poem here, from memory:

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock;

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey cock,

And the clackin' of the guineas and the cluckin' of the hens,

And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence,

Oh, it's then's the times a feller is afeelin' at his best

With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house bareheaded and goes out to feed the stock

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

I have been fortunate enough to visit Greenfield, where Riley was born, and where

the Riley Festival is celebrated each year. Later this year I hope to visit Lockerbie

Street in Indianapolis, where Mr. Riley lived and wrote his poems.

1858 - 2008 & BEYOND

Well, it isn't Friday, but at least it is still August! Yesterday, I closed the shop at 12:30, and went up to the school for play practice for the Sesquicentennial play, A Crothersville Celebration. I only have a couple of lines, and then am a part of a congregation in one scene and a group of townspeople in another. The choir teacher is incredible. Our dress rehearsal is next Saturday morning, from 8-12. We get to go through the entire production. There will be two performances on Friday, September 12, one in the morning for the students, and one in thevening for the general public. I know this is going to be something our town remembers until the Bicentennial in 2058!

I am also very interested in learning more about Sarah Palin, whom John McCain named as his vice-presidential running mate. I was impressed to learn that Newt Gingrich, whom I regard as an extremely intelligent and knowledgable person, had brought her name up months earlier as an individual with great potential. Politically, I am a registered Democrat, but that really makes little difference to me.

Until next time,
BRENDA

VISIT THE 'VILLE DURING THE SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION SEPTEMBER 11-14

http://www.150yearsago.org/

Happy 150th Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Crothersville! Your big Sesquicentennial Celebration, marking your 150th Birthday, is September 11-14. Folks still talk about your 100th Birthday, the Centennial Celebration of 1958. Some parts of that event will be repeated this year, and several new things will be added. Congratulations on reaching this important milestone!

Some events will be historical, such as the re-enactments and the historical play, A Crothersville Celebration. The events will be instructive, old-timey, and fun. There will be contests of various sorts, and food, craft, and other booths. There will be a wonderful parade! There will be music! It is almost certain that everyone will find several activities that appeal to them. (See 150yearsago.org, for Sesquicentennial information.)

Hopefully, this Sesquicentennial Celebration will provide a jump-start to a bright future. The organization, CARD (Crothersville Area Revitalization and Development), will look to present and future needs once the Sesquicentennial is over. Members of CARD are excited about the opportunities for preservation, renewal, and expansion in our town. We want this to be a place where good things are happening! We don't want to focus on past problems, unless we are attempting to overcome them.

THE MILLER, THE BOY, AND THE ASS

This is one of my favorites found in 1969 or '70, in a book, A Treasury of Russian Children's Verse. I had to change the layout, and I have omitted some of the repetitive lines, but the moral is the same.

An old man, a miller, was riding an ass.
His grandson was walking behind in the grass.

"Look! A disgrace!" was the villagers' talk.
"Granddad is riding, but grandson must walk!"

Quickly the miller dismounted, and put
The boy in the saddle, while he went on foot.

"Goodness, no manners!" an old woman said.
"Age walks behind, while Youth rides ahead!"

So granddad and grandson both mounted and rode.
They came to a man who was hauling a load.

"Ugh!" said the man, "No shame, not the least!
Two men on the back of that poor little beast!

Then granddad and grandson both went on foot.
On grandfather's shoulders the donkey was put.

"Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" roared a man with a sack.
"An old ass has put a young ass on his back!"

Obviously, the moral is that you can't please everybody, but when you try, you end up making an "ass" of yourself. This old folktale is retold in verse by Samuel Marshak.

A Benediction

And now, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. . .
This grace in which we stand,
This grace by which we have been saved through faith,
This grace in which we receive mercy and help in time of need,
This grace which is sufficient for us,
And this grace that we must not receive in vain. . .
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
And the love of God. . .
A love that existed before the foundations of the world,
A love that is rich in mercy,
A love that makes us more than conquerors,
A love that disciplines us,
A love that commands us to love one another. . .
The love of God,
And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. . .
The Spirit of Truth, who dwells within us,
The Spirit of Life, who has set us free,
The Spirit who helps us in our weakness,
In whom we are convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment,
In whom we are strengthened with power in our inner being,
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
And the love of God,
And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Be with you all. Amen.
L. Thomas Smith, Jr., Ph. D., Professor, History & Theology
Johnson Bible College, Commencement, 2008
(from the college newsletter, THE BLUE AND WHITE)

The Week Starts on Tuesday!

The week starts on Tuesday for me! Am I short on time--No! But since I have a shop -- Aunt Samantha's -- which is open Tuesday through Saturday, Monday is part of my weekend. So today is Tuesday and my week has begun. There is usually not a lot of activity in the 'ville. But I have time to do something like this when I don't have any customers! I keep busy with assorted projects. This is my first experience in blogging, although it seems a lot like journaling which is meant to be read by anyone curious enough to check it out. Computers are still a bit of a mystery to me, but I have definitely made progress. I love to have the margins justified so they come out even on the right!