"People Who Need People"

"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!  They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted.  for You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted."  Psalm 89: 15-17


Barbra Streisand singing "People"   Remember this song? Click on the link to take a step back in time...and then please come back and finish reading this...


Last night I was having a time of reflecting over the past few weeks' activities, and I suddenly became overwhelmed with joy at what the Lord was doing in our lives.  Although you may think this is crazy, I was in the shower cleaning up from a long day of painting and cleaning at our soon to be new home...and as I thought about all the people in our lives who have been bending over backwards to help us get ready for this big move, and for those people who actually have made it possible for us to even consider such a move,  I suddenly broke out into singing "People Who Need People are the luckiest people in the world..." Barbra Streisand style...   No, I don't proclaim to be as good of a singer as Barbra Streisand, and I am certain my family members sitting in the other room trying to watch TV will agree to that, especially when I sang it over and over and over again, louder and louder...mostly the same words over and over because I couldn't remember all the verses...but it was a celebration of joy...I was actually thanking the Lord for bringing people into our lives...other "people who need people" just like us...and I realized what that song was really all about.  "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world", (although I would probably say they are the most blessed people in the world since I don't really believe in the word "luck"). 

There is something wonderful about needing other people...and other people needing you as well...and when God brings those people together to encourage one another and actually help out when someone is in need, both parties benefit from the united effort.  The people who needed the people are blessed, and the people who responded to help are also blessed. I really think that's what God intended for His people to do...need each other, and then do something to help each other. 

Our new house is actually a fulfillment of a life-long dream...perhaps in a small way, but also in a beautiful way. http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-yearnings-of-my-soul.html  This reference is a link to a previous post that I shared with you last year about "my dream home".  That particular post was kind of skimming the surface of the whole dream of the kind of home I wanted to have someday...and although this particular new home does not quite meet all of those specifications, I have begun to realize that God is in fact answering my prayers.  He is creating a "home that is a haven for people who need to feel ‘at home’", just like I requested.  The people He has already brought into our midst who are right there helping us get the house ready to move into are exactly that..."people who need to feel at home", and we are more than happy to welcome them into our home.  I guess the realization of this is why I was just so elated that I had to break out into singing last night! 

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.  For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods."..."Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength.  Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.  Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!"

Psalm 96:1-4, 7-9

Our "Camp in the Woods" House...Don't judge a book (or a house) by its cover...the love inside may surprise you!
"Mi Casa es su Casa", which in Spanish says, "My house is your house"...so y'all come! Oh, and bring your best talents and ideas, 'cause we are "people who need people" with good ideas and abilities!  :)

Thank you Lord, for bringing "people who need people" into our lives, because we too, are a needy people, and we consider ourselves very lucky (BLESSED) indeed.  I can't wait to meet all the new people You are going to send our way.  Thank you, Jesus, for answering our prayers. Amen.

"What's My Line?"

My cousin Barb Moss from Iowa wrote a wonderful poem and a "laundry list" about the rules for hanging out the laundry, based on her mother's example and washday memories from her childhood.  That stirred up similar memories from my childhood...and by the looks of her email responses, it did the same for many of the recipients of her message.  It was so well written, I asked her permission to reprint it here for you as well...so here goes:

Written by Barb Moss:

"Remembering Mom's Clothesline: There is one thing that's left out. We had a long wooden pole (clothes pole) that was used to push the clotheslines up so that longer items (sheets/pants/etc.) didn't brush the ground and get dirty.  You have to be a "certain age" to appreciate this one....  (But you YOUNGER ones can read about "The GOOD ol' days"!!)" 

"I can hear my mother now.....

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:  (If you don't even know what clotheslines are, better skip this.) 

1. You had to hang the socks by the toes... NOT the top. 
2. You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands. 
3. You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines. 
4. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first. 
5. You NEVER hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think? 
6. Wash day on a Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake! 
7. Hang the sheets and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!) 
8. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather... clothes would "freeze-dry." 
9. ALWAYS gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky"! 
10. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with  the next washed item. 
11. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed. 
12. IRONED???!! Well, that's a whole OTHER subject! "

"And now a POEM ...

A clothesline was a news forecast,

To neighbors passing by, 

There were no secrets you could keep,

When clothes were hung to dry. 

It also was a friendly link,

For neighbors always knew

  If company had stopped on by,

To spend a night or two. 

For then you'd see the "fancy sheets",

And towels upon the line; 

You'd see the "company table cloths",

With intricate designs. 

The line announced a baby's birth,

From folks who lived inside, 

As brand new infant clothes were hung,

So carefully with pride! 

The ages of the children could,

So readily be known 

By watching how the sizes changed,

You'd know how much they'd grown! 

It also told when illness struck,

As extra sheets were hung; 

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too,

Haphazardly were strung. 

It also said, "On vacation now",

When lines hung limp and bare. 

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged,

With not an inch to spare! 

New folks in town were scorned upon,

If wash was dingy and gray, 

As neighbors carefully raised their brows,

And looked the other way. 

But clotheslines now are of the past,

For dryers make work much less. 

Now what goes on inside a home,

Is anybody's guess! 

I really miss that way of life,

It was a friendly sign 

When neighbors knew each other best...

By what hung out on that line."

One reason this has struck such a cord with me is that we are in the process of.....you may have already guessed it...MOVING... and, we are moving further out into the country...actually, out into the forest...and one of the first things I noticed about our new home (it is actually an older home) is that it has a clothesline! It's a little saggy and rusty looking right now, but one of my first outdoor projects when we get settled is to string up new line on those poles and put it back into use!  I can't wait to hang my sheets out on  the line to dry and then fall into that wonderful fresh off the line linen fragranced bed that I so long for!  Ahhhh!!! I can almost smell it now...can't you?

Yes, the secret is out...we are moving to what I would call our "Camp in the Woods" house sometime very soon.  Right now we are in the process of making some needed "improvements" to make it more habitable for our family...and that process will continue on for a loooooooooong time...but it is going to be a fun project house...with nature all around...so you can look forward to hearing more about "the view from my new open window" in upcoming articles.  This is the "giant leap of faith" I've been alluding to...and a big part of my one word resolution of "HOPE" for 2012...so please continue to stay tuned as the adventure begins!

Oh, and why not go string out a clothesline in YOUR backyard today?  You would actually become a part of a very popular "green" movement that is taking storm across the nation...just google "clothes on a clothesline" and see what all pops up. I was amazed!  I'm joining a "green" movement...aren't you proud of me? 

Ahhhh...I can almost smell that fresh linen right now....

"A Future and a Hope"

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

This week is going to begin a new chapter, or a new "OPEN WINDOW" in our lives.  I can hardly wait to turn the page and start reading about the new adventure that God is preparing for our family.  I won't go into the details right now, but I can assure you it is going to be fun, challenging, exciting, interesting, miraculous, and amazing!  The reason I can't share all of the details is because they have not all been revealed to me as of yet...but knowing how God has worked in our lives in the past, I am quite certain it is going to be a joyful and exhilarating journey (most of the time). 

So, dear blogger follower, please stay tuned in and keep watching for news.  And also, please keep us in your prayers...it always helps to have a lot of prayer support when starting any new adventure!

"Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road

in the wilderness,

And rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:18-19

Remember, "HOPE" is my one word for 2012...

and my "HOPE" is in the Lord...

I will not be disappointed.

What new window of opportunity is God opening in YOUR life this week? Better pay attention...He may be ready to show you something new and wonderful any day now!



MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS...

"My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus' Name.

Chorus:

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil.

(Chorus)

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

(Chorus)

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found,

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne!

(Chorus:)

On CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand!"

(Edward Mote ~ 1797-1874)

(One of my favorite old hymns of the faith...)

HOPE...

my "one word resolution" for 2012

You may ask me why I chose this word as my "one-word" resolution for 2012?

Because...

My hope is in the Lord..."On CHRIST the SOLID ROCK I stand...

All other ground IS sinking sand...

One morning this past week, after I had announced in my previous post that "HOPE" was my "ONE WORD" resolution for 2012,

I heard the following song on the radio on my way to work...and that was a confirmation that I had made the right choice to focus on "HOPE" for this year.  And then as a further confirmation, I heard the same song again that same day on my way home from work!   Does God ever talk to you that way? He does to me...frequently...through songs, scripture, other people, special little ways...some obvious, and some not so obvious unless I am paying attention...

Maybe God wants you to put YOUR hope in Him for 2012 as well...no matter what the storms or droughts or doubts or fears...Put your complete trust and hope in His unfailing grace...

"My Hope Is In You" by Aaron Shust  (click on link to hear this song)

This is my reminder from God's Word today regarding "HOPE":

"My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in GOD.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us."

Psalm 62:5-8 NKJV

Is YOUR HOPE in the Lord????

I "HOPE" it is!!!!



One Word for 2012

Can you find "HOPE" in the midst of this confusion?

HOPE

A challenge has been given by several of my blogging friends to choose one word for 2012 as a type of "New Year's Resolution"...(see http://www.recoveringchurchlady.com/ for example), and so that got me to thinking about what word I would (or should) select for 2012.  My first thought was "faith", in keeping with my previous post about "Giant Leaps of Faith" into the new year(see "Giant Leaps of Faith" )...but another word kept coming to the forefront in my mind...and that was "HOPE".  Obviously, Faith and Hope go together...along with their favored sister, "Love"...(see I Corinthians 13:13), but HOPE was the word that stood out to me all through the Christmas season...and I am still clinging to it. 

Look at the picture above, which is a rather blurred view of a magnification of our Christmas tree.  I would have taken a better photo for this occasion, but we took the tree down yesterday and put it away with all of its trimmings, including the "HOPE" ornament that was so pronounced to me all through the days of Christmas.  Can you find the word "HOPE" in the midst of the blurred confusion of bright lights, tangled tree branches, and the shiny ornaments on the tree?  That's kind of the way life is, you know...a blurred confusion of bright lights, tangled dreams, and shining distractions that tend to draw us away from our "HOPE"... but in Christ we have the  "HOPE" that will not disappoint..."Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us..."  (Read Romans 5:1-6)


"HOPE" is one of the most frequently used words in the Bible...if you have a concordance just look up the word "HOPE"  and see how many references there are...and every scripture gives "HOPE"...   Hope in God when I am afraid, Hope in His promises when I have lost my way, Hope in His mercy when I don't think I can stand any more disappointments or sorrows, Hope in His love and His tender compassion,  Hope in the joy that He expresses on my behalf, Hope in the future that He has planned for my life... "HOPE" in the eternal life that He has promised through faith in His Son Jesus Christ...

"Blessed is the man (woman) who trusts in the LORD, and whose "HOPE"  is in the Lord.  For he (she) shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit."  (Psalm 17:7-8)

"And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My HOPE is in YOU."  Psalm 39:7

So, I ask you, what is YOUR one word for 2012?  Do you need "HOPE"?  I will be very happy to share this word with you... "HOPE" IN GOD...HE WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU!

Giant Leaps of Faith into The New Year

"The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.  the Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." Psalm 121:5-8

Have you ever taken "a giant leap of faith" and then second guessed yourself, had doubts and fears, and shaky knees?  I think that all goes along with the "giant leaping of faith" part...the shaky knees, the doubts, and the fears, the wondering whether or not you made the right decision or if you really heard the Lord correctly when you thought you heard Him say,

"This is the way, walk in it,"..."Whenever you turn to the right hand, or whenever you turn to the left."  Isaiah 30:21

Looking back over my life I can honestly say that we took some pretty big leaps of faith, when all the world around us was wondering what on earth had possessed us to make such huge changes and embark on what appeared to them to be a foolish journey into the unknown.  In hindsight, we have sometimes questioned whether or not we had actually made the right decision, or if we perhaps had acted precipitously instead of waiting on the Lord to guide us aright.  We've scratched our heads and retraced our steps to be certain that we had not been mistaken.  And yet, every time we had to come back and say, "yes, we did what we believed was God's will, and we acted in faith upon that inner prompting of our hearts that said, "This is the way..walk in it..."

As we approach another new year we look ahead with some fear and trepidation at what path we are to choose.  We could opt to stay where it is safe and warm and never venture out into the "unknown"...we could say, "I like my safe little cocoon, even when it appears to be shriveling up around me and drying up and dissolving in thin air"... and we could choose to just keep holding on to that fragile little leaf and refuse to let go and open up our wings and fly away like the beautiful butterfly God intended us to be.  But at what cost?  If the butterfly larvae refused to let go of it's cocoon, would it ever be a butterfly?  No, it would die on the vine, and never see the world of beauty in each flower of the field that was meant to provide nourishment for its journey.  It would never feel the joy of freedom of stretching out its wings and flying away into the bright sunny days of summer and reaching its destiny for life.

I don't know about you, but I really want to trust God to take me wherever He deems best...to lead me in the way of His plan for my life.  I want to look back on my life someday and say, "Thank you, Lord,  for leading me in the way everlasting...for allowing me the joy of experiencing all You had planned for me.  Thank you for helping me to take those giant leaps of faith into Your wonderful place of peace."  Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?  WHERE WILL YOUR GIANT LEAP OF FAITH TAKE YOU THIS YEAR?

TRUST GOD...HE WILL NOT LEAD YOU ASTRAY.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Blessings from "My Three Sons" and "Santa's Workshop and Bakeshop"

This year Santa's elves have been quite busy here at the Steiner house...while one son was in the kitchen baking Sand Tarts from the old family recipe, another son was in the garage building a special shelf for our living room, to finish off the earlier project of a shelf unit that he built to house the components for the new flat screen TV that was also a Christmas gift to the family. 

My son Benton, in "Ben's Country Woodshop", making a special gift for us this Christmas too!





The antique door knobs came from my Dad's workshop, and
also the bookends with the gun handles were built by my Dad
quite a few years ago as a Christmas gift to my husband, who
was a State Trooper at the time.  The china plate in the
middle is one of our wedding gifts, the owl represents my
"Barred Owls" in our backyard and was a gift from my sister
Doris last year.  The ducks were gifts from a friend, and
I forget where the quail came from, but it finishes out
the collection of birds and special things....



 The thing that makes this shelf so special is not only the fact that our son made it himself, but he used special tools that he got from my Dad (his Grandpa's) workshop after Grandpa passed on to be with the Lord earlier this year. To finish off the shelf he attached three antique china doorknobs that also came from Grandpa's workshop.    

Our son Matthew (r) and his wife Nicole and our Grandson, Noah

I am blessed beyond measure...the gift from our other son, who lives in Maine and could not be here for this Christmas with us, is the fact that God has granted him another year of precious life.  He has been battling a rare cancer for the past almost two years, and every day that God gives him is a gift.  He recently had a biopsy of a growth that was giving great cause for concern for fear that the cancer was spreading to other parts of the body...and the wonderful, marvelous news this week was that there was NO sign of cancer in that growth.  Although the cancer is not completely gone from his body, it is not showing any signs of growth, and so we give God praise for this wonderful gift.

Myriads of "Heavenly Hosts" of angels...Praising God and Singing Hallelujah!!!

Grandma Mursch’s Sand Tarts

(Elva Hill Mursch )

(My Paternal Grandmother)
December 27, 1896-December 16, 1984

My Grandma Mursch always made these Sand Tart cookies for Christmas. They are from a wonderful old German recipe. In 1980 Grandma passed this recipe on to me so I could make it for my family. The first Christmas I made them, I wasn’t sure how many the whole recipe would make, and I needed a good cookie for the church cookie swap. My mother-in-law, Vivian Steiner, helped me roll and cut and bake the doubled - whole recipe, and we soon found out that it made about 18 dozen cookies! That was quite a task! I only needed 13 dozen for the cookie swap, and I was chagrined to discover that I was the only one who had gone to the trouble of baking a rolled and cut cookie for this event!

From then on, I usually only baked the Half Recipe, and it made more than enough cookies for our family and to share with others! As the years went on, I eventually taught our son, Scott, how to make these cookies so that he could continue the tradition. For the past few years he has baked these cookies as his Christmas gift to the family!  HERE IS A PICTURE OF SCOTT, WHO CAME BACK HOME THIS YEAR, AND IS BACK TO MAKING THE SAND TARTS FOR THE FAMILY AGAIN FOR CHRISTMAS!  THANK YOU SCOTT!!!!!

The secret to a good Sand Tart is to be sure to roll the dough real thin before cutting the cookies. The thinner cookies are crispier and tastier. Just be sure not to burn them! Also, for the brushed on glaze of egg wash, you need two egg yolks and about a tablespoon of milk mixed together to cover the ½ recipe. I buy the pre-sliced almonds to put on top. Use about two tablespoons of white sugar to one teaspoon of cinnamon mixed together in a shaker (I use a salt shaker) to sprinkle on the tops.

This recipe is a keeper…and should be passed down from generation to generation!

Sand Tarts

(Yield 8-9 dozen) (This is the Half Recipe)

Mix Together:

• 1 ¼ lb. Butter
• 3 eggs
• 2 lbs. Brown Sugar

Then add 2 lb. Flour

Roll real thin and cut with cookie cutters. Brush tops with yolk of egg beaten with a little milk. Put a sliced almond on top and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

My Son Scott carrying on the family tradition of making Sand Tarts at Christmas (2011)

Enjoy!

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF MY CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS THIS YEAR.  I THANK THE LORD FOR ANSWERED PRAYER IN SO MANY WAYS....BEHIND THE SCENES OF THESE PICTURES THERE ARE BIGGER AND BETTER STORIES TO BE TOLD...AND I GIVE GOD PRAISE.

HAVE YOU STOPPED TO THANK GOD FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS THIS YEAR?

The BEST GIFT OF ALL!!!

God's Timely Reminder

"Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited."  Isaiah 54:2-3

I don't know about you, but I find Christmas shopping to be extremely frustrating and downright depressing!  I wish I could learn to do as others and do my shopping all year long so I don't end up in this panic the last week before Christmas!  Lately, I have found myself to the point of tears as I have driven from store to store in search of the "perfect" gifts for everyone on my list, and wishing it was all over already so I could forget about this experience for another year.    This is not what Christmas is all about...I am sure that Jesus is sad and probably angry as He watches us go through this ritual every year...it's not about the gifts, it's about THE GIFT...JESUS CHRIST, THE MESSIAH, THE BABE IN THE MANGER, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, THE LION OF JUDAH, THE DAYSTAR FROM ON HIGH, EMMANUEL, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE...to name just a few of His Holy Names.  That is what Christmas is all about...Shout it from the housetops!

I feel better now that I've said that.  But what I really wanted to tell you about is the gift that God gave to me today as I was rushing through the aisles, scrambling for ideas, and beating myself for allowing this to happen again.  There, almost hidden amongst a stack of knicknacks, bric-a-brac, odds and ends, and stuff, my eyes lighted upon a little picture frame, no larger than 3" x 3",  with a very familiar verse written upon it....

"Remember, When God closes a door, He opens a window."

Wow!!! I clutched it to my chest, and held it close...and said, "Thank you, Lord, for this little gift just for me today!"  Not only was it the exact saying behind the title of my Blog, "Closed Doors, Open Windows", but it was precisely the message that I needed to remember today.  You may wonder why, and I don't really have to tell you why, but just suffice it to say that I needed that reminder.  And yes, I added it to my purchases for the day...a Christmas gift to me from God....

God had already been preparing me for a message from Him earlier as I was aimlessly driving around, trying to figure out where to go next in my shopping dilemma, and I found myself literally crying not just about the shopping, but about life in general...and He gave me words of comfort and hope...that my days of sorrow and sadness would soon be ended, and that days of great joy and gladness were just around the corner...the verse quoted above from Isaiah 54 was written for the Israelites, when they were pictured as the "restored wife of the Lord".   They were going to be brought back to their own land from their places of captivity and years of barrenness as a nation.  Don't try to read too much into this as it relates to my own situation, but just know that it comforts me personally...and it all ties in with the little saying that I rediscovered in my journey..."Remember, When God closes a door, He opens a window..."...."Enlarge the place of your tent..."  Get ready for action and growth....God is getting ready to do something.  (Close a door? Open a window?)

How about you?  Do you need that message of hope and encouragement today?  Is all the scurrying about and worrying and fretting about what to do about this, and what to do about that, and getting ready for Christmas ( in the material sense) getting you down?  Maybe you need to be reminded that God is working behind the scenes in your life as well, working on a plan to give you new hope for the New Year... Why not take a few minutes out of your hectic schedule and sit down and let Him talk to you today? You may be surprised at the message He has for you.

May your Christmas be truly blessed with joy and gifts from "out of this world", and may your New Year be the beginning of many new open windows of opportunity.

Merry Christmas!!!

I thought it appropriate to place this little "gift" from God today right beside
the "real gift" from God...Jesus, the Babe in the Manger...My Savior...and Your Savior Too...that is, if you have
already accepted your free gift from God...I hope you have...That's what Christmas is really all about.

Christmas on Elmwood Street, Part Three -Reposted from Last Year

Again, this is a repost of last year's story about my Dad, "Billy Mursch", written from his own words.  I am so thankful that I took the time to listen and write down these stories as he told them to me...they are priceless and precious.  Little did I know that last Christmas would be the last Christmas he would spend with us here on earth.  This year he is rejoicing with the angels in heaven and enjoying the REAL celebration of Christmas with my mother...and most of all, with Jesus.    I hope you will enjoy this last episode from the story of "Christmas on Elmwood Street", reposted in memory of my sweet Daddy.

The Mursch House on Elmwood Street, Crafton, PA, 1929



Elva and Bill Mursch
(My Parents)

Billy Mursch

This is the third and last part of the mini-series of "A Chapter in the Life of Billy Mursch", Crafton, Pennsylvania, Circa 1929.  If you've missed the first two parts, please look back on my blog for the last couple of weeks to catch up with us!



Madame Schumann-Heink singing Silent Night
Click on the link above to hear her singing just
as it was back in 1929 on the radio.

On Christmas Eve our family gathered in the living room to listen to Madame Schumann-Heink sing Silent Night in German on the radio. This was a tradition for many families during those pre-WWII years, and one that was very special to my father especially as it reminded him of his German family heritage.

Then we would “hang up our stockings by the chimney with care”, and in the morning we would gleefully sing out "Merry Christmas!" to each other as we discovered the treasures of perhaps a new handkerchief, an apple, nuts and maybe some candy tucked inside! After opening our gifts ("The Boy Ranchers Among the Indians" YES!! A new pocket-knife? Wow, Gee Thanks, Santa! ) we would gather around the table for a delicious ham dinner with all the trimmings. My mother was a wonderful cook, and even when times were tough, she could create a meal that made our celebration a very joyous time together.

Later in the evening our family would take a walk around the neighborhood and see all the homes decked out in their glorious Christmas displays. It was truly a festive time on Elmwood Street! Such happy, happy memories.




Oh yes, one more little adventure to share with you:

Our Christmas Tree (before the needles fell off)

Our family faithfully attended church at St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran in Crafton. My mother was quite involved in the Ladies’ Circle of our church, and this particular year she was to host their meeting at our home shortly after Christmas. Unfortunately, our Christmas tree had shed its needles rather prematurely, and the tree stood quite bare in our living room. She was embarrassed at its nakedness, but hadn’t had time to take it down prior to her meeting. While she was out doing her errands before the meeting, I happened to notice that one of our neighbors had already discarded their Christmas tree and had left it on the street for the trash men to pick up. That tree still had many more needles on its branches than ours, so I thought it would be a wonderful surprise for my mother if I switched the trees and redecorated it before she arrived home with her lady friends for the meeting! I quickly made the exchange and cleaned up the mess just in time for the ladies to arrive at our door. Much to my chagrin, my mother was mortified that I had taken this tree off the trash heap and brought it in to our home, but the other ladies all laughed and thought it was just wonderful of “little Billy” to be so ingenious and creative! So she recovered from her embarrassment and praised me for my thoughtfulness. (Whew! That was a close one!)

Introducing my fiance' Dorothea Tedlie to my family.
l to r:  Ruth Mursch, Dorothea Tedlie, Marion Mursch, Mother Elva
Mursch, (back row, l to r): Dad William H. Mursch,
Me "Billy" William F. Mursch, and brother Paul Mursch, circa 1940
(click on pictures to enlarge view, then use back arrow to go back to
blog)

Yep, growing up during the depression in the outskirts of Pittsburgh had its difficult moments, but all in all, God had truly blessed our family with His peace and joy. Not too many years after that I introduced my beautiful fiancé Dorothea Tedlie to my family in that same house, and then a few years later brought our own four children home to visit their grandparents so that they could taste the Anise cookies and the Sand Tarts and experience Christmas the way I had growing up on Elmwood Street.

Looking back, I have to stop and thank the Lord for all His wondrous blessings to me for the past ninety-two years. I am so thankful to have had Godly parents who brought me up in a Christian home so that I could pass on that same heritage to my children and to their children and to all future generations.

It is my Christmas prayer that each and every one of you will cherish your family and treasure the gift of the “Prince of Peace”, Jesus Christ, that precious Baby in the Manger and our Saviour today.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

"Billy Mursch"

William F. Mursch and Family





The Mursch Family a few years later, circa 1952
in the dining room of the house on Elmwood Street.



Some of the Mursch Family, 1982



The "Billy Mursch" Family, 2005 (most of it)

The Very Distinguished "Billy Mursch" today,
2010, age 92.  What a guy!!!  (UPDATE: THIS
WAS TAKEN LAST YEAR, AS HE ENJOYED HIS
LAST THANKSGIVING WITH HIS FAMILY.  We are all really missing his wit and charm this year...)

Link to "Christmas on Elmwood Street, Part One"

Link to "Christmas on Elmwood Street, part Two"

Have You Not Known? Have You Not Heard?

"Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The EVERLASTING GOD, the LORD, The CREATOR of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak, and those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall,  But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31



Eagle in Flight...photos taken by my sister Doris E. Hutchinson,  near our Dad's property last year

 I saw an eagle soaring above the treetops today...out of the clear blue (actually the skies were a bit grey and cloudy). He just lifted up his mighty wings and flew above the noise and clatter below.  He reminded me of this verse...a reminder that I needed today.  I was not feeling particularly strong...actually I am tired and weary and feeling a mite weak.  Maybe a bug...or perhaps just exhaustion...either way...I needed a day of rest...so I took it.  Yep, I called in sick today...and legitimately so.  We took a little ride out into the country just to get away and talk and think and allow ourselves to dream a little.  Sometimes that is better than staying in bed or sitting in my recliner in front of the TV all day sipping hot tea and eating soup.  Especially when I saw the choices on daytime TV...I thought to myself, "I'd rather be at work than sitting here watching this junk."  So I was glad when my hubby suggested we take a little ride.

Anyway, it was therapeutic to get away from the must do list and the mind that won't let me rest because of the constant reminders of all the things I should be doing, both at work and at home in this, the busiest time of the year.  I don't believe that Christmas was intended to be a time of exhaustion and stress. It should be the happiest and most joyful time of all.  Christmas...the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ...should give us reason to sing and shout hallelujah and break out into a dance of pure joy.  It should cause us to "soar with the eagles"   in our hearts and minds and spirits. 

Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth...thank you for giving me the strength I need to carry on during this busy time. Thank you for helping me to run and not be weary...and to walk and not faint.  I am placing my trust in YOU, Oh Lord, and claiming this promise by faith today. Oh, and I promise to try harder to wait on YOU for the answers to my questions and the power I need to move ahead.  In the precious name of Jesus, the baby in the manger Who grew up to be a man and sacrifice His life for all mankind...Amen.

How about you?  Do you need to soar with the eagles today?  Why not let go of whatever is holding you down in spirit, and let God lift you up, up and away!  You will be able to return to earth feeling rested and renewed in strength and ready for whatever lies ahead.  Try it...He will not fail you.  He promised.

(Credit due to my sister Doris for her photographic skill in capturing

these pictures!)