Leavell Chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary stands in floodwaters on Aug. 31. (Photo courtesy of Baptist Press. Copyright (c) 2001 - 2005 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press.)

When reality floods in: Impressions from the first 48 hours
Water pours through breaches in New Orleans’ levee system. Housetops become islands. People dot the rooftops. Others roam flooded streets aimlessly. They drag or float plastic bins containing all the possessions they could save. What do they guard in those treasure chests? Photos? Money? A Bible?

What is really important?

Tens of thousands pack the Superdome with no power and deteriorating conditions. Calm prevails as evacuees take the disaster in stride. A man calmly leaves a dominoes game, calls to people in the bleachers below, plunges to his death. Some say he jumped. Even reporters are shaken by the vast sea of devastation. What thoughts must overwhelm ordinary thinking in a pitch-black night, punctuated by screams and moans from thousands of people isolated and afraid . . . in America.

A 25-foot wall of water picks up and dumps tons of floating casinos on top of houses and businesses across the highway. Miles inland, huge ships dot fields and forests. Tarpaper shacks float into an upscale neighborhood. One woman calls the hurricane "the great equalizer". Mother and child safely ride out the storm on a shrimp boat. Lootings, shootings, but far more acts of heroism. Plucked from rushing waters, reeled into helicopters one by one, more than a thousand victims barely survive. The Coast Guard, continuing the search around the clock, sees hundreds of tiny lights in the night. Victims, invisible in the daylight, rescued in the depth of night. Our own family tried to contact a friend who recently moved to Biloxi. Last conversation was on Saturday. They hoped to evacuate. It would be almost a week before we heard from Matt: the family home destroyed but all lives saved. Thank God.

When life is at its bleakest how do we behave?

"I would suggest a day of prayer . . . calm our spirits and thank the Lord," says Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. "Life is the one common thing we all share." She asks that we recall Psalm 46. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble . . . ." God, suddenly, is real and tangible. In the back of a pickup truck, stranded on a small strip of road peeking above the water, a family kneels, asking God’s guidance. They don't know what to do next. Their lives may depend on it. Ancient trees, suddenly uprooted, litter the ground like a spilled box of toothpicks. In the middle, a statue of Jesus stands untouched.Tumbling out of news reports are sound bytes of raw feelings colliding with reality. "I just can’t fathom the intensity and power." "It has forever changed me." "We lost our soul." "Why did this happen?" "Where is God?" "It’ll be all right. I’m a deep Christian." "I’m thankful for a friend of mine, Jesus Christ."

Why do disasters captivate us?

Some of us welcome the chance to reach out selflessly to help. Some take comfort realizing that their own lives could be worse. Others are reminded that life is more than jobs and school and keeping on schedule. In America, our lives are often so padded with the fat of good living that we fail to see the fragility of life. Our safety nets can be blown away in a moment. Yet we go on with the fussy details of a crowded life not realizing God may call us home any moment. The whole human race owes its continuing existence to the love and patience of an almighty God.

God sent a calling card via Hurricane Katrina. We seem to be getting many lately. Victims of last December’s Tsunami are still struggling to recover their lives. The attacks of 9/11 permanently changed the way we see the world around us. A little-known article titled, "George Washington’s Vision," first published in the National Review, December 1880, shows the priorities which the father of America had: "Let every child of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land and Union."

The Chequamegon Bay Area local efforts
In the Chequamegon area, many local churches, businesses, and other groups are supporting the Gulf Coast victims. Here are a few:

Businesses like Ashland's Wal-Mart, Washburn IGA, and Bremer Bank have donation points for customers. Funds generally benefit Red Cross or Salvation Army.

At Washburn High School, the Business Education volunteers and the Family Community Career Leaders Association of America have come up with a number of creative fund-raising activities. The proceeds will go to the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

County Market has already donated bottled water and will contribute to the Ashland Truck Drive.

Many area churches like Saron Lutheran, Salem Baptist, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, Washburn Assembly of God, and Grace Bible Fellowship are collecting money, which will be sent to either major relief organizations or denominational headquarters for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Washburn Assembly held a fund-raiser and is also donating to Convoy of Hope both cash and needed items. "I would like to be a contact point for boxes," said Pastor Jon. "People can bring them to our church and can drop off donations. However, Convoy of Hope can purchase needed items at great discount, so your dollars will go much farther by sending the check or cash." Contributors can visit the Web site (www.convoyofhope.org) or contact Pastor Jon by phone (715-373-2939) or email: (jtarne@charter.net) for a list of items needed.

At Grace Bible Fellowship, several families have offered their homes for evacuees through their denomination, an approach which is available to many churches.

St. John's United Church of Christ is sending money to their UCC Mission, Back Bay in Biloxi while the area is still being cleaned and assessed.

The businesses of Ashland and other cities in the Chequamegon area are putting together a large effort:

Hurricane relief: Fill the truck...or two..or three initiative
The Chequamegon Bay Area will send a semi-truck load of needed supplies to Hurricane Katrina victims. The truck is sponsored by C.G. Bretting Manufacturing and Ashland Elks Lodge. Mary McPhetridge of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce and Stacey Adams from Northern State Bank head up the effort. ". . . many of the area businesses were extremely willing to be drop off points," McPhetridge said.

Drop off sites during regular business hours:

All Northern State Bank offices
Bremer Bank
Memorial Medical Center
Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce
C.G. Bretting Manufacturing
Ashland Elks Lodge
M & I Bank
Associated Bank
Country Market
Washburn IGA
Wal-Mart
Pamida
Bad River Casino
Ace Hardware - Ashland
Ace Hardware- Bayfield
Only the following items will be accepted:
Water and energy drinks
Toiletries including: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, washcloths, etc.
Diapers and baby care items
New blankets

For more information or cash contributions, contact: Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce (715) 682-2500 or Northern State Bank (715) 682-2772.

Some other ideas:

Women’s Ministries Unlimited of Houston, Texas, suggests that other women’s groups send gift cards for the evacuees to purchase items they need. National store chains – food stores, pharmacies, clothing, discount and department stores – often provide such cards.

Consider starting a bake sale, auction, or other fund-raiser setting to gather money to send to the reputable charity of your choice. Local businesses may be willing to host your activity or offer matching grants for the money you raise.

Remember "See you at the Pole" Wednesday, September 21. This could be a wonderful opportunity for prayer and support for hurricane victims.

Ministering in the Eye of the Storm: Project: To My Friend
Jill Rigby and Manners of the Heart--A Personal Appeal from Baton Rouge to Northland Christians

Jill Rigby, a Godly woman in Baton Rouge, found herself and her ministry, Manners of the Heart, at the heart of the storm of evacuees streaming out of a fallen New Orleans. The Women of Grace at Washburn's (Wis.) Grace Bible Fellowship Church sent an email to see how they might help. Jill Rigby’s replies were swift and urgent. It's not often Christians find themselves planted squarely in the middle of a disaster where the need for Christ's love in action is so desperately wanted. Jill is such a Godly person with a very specific set of needs. Jill Rigby and her Manners from the Heart curriculum have been endorsed by speaker and writer Elisabeth Elliot and featured through: Focus on the Family, The Advocate, Alabama Living Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Flowers are Forever, Independent Appeal, Good Morning Texas, At Home, LIVE!, and others.

Let the Northland pool our many creative minds and resources to:

LAUNCH a letter writing & pack-a-sack campaign for the children of the storm.

RAISE funds for the evacuees' urgent, immediate needs. Gift certificates from nationwide chain stores are a practical and more personal cash alternative.

SPREAD the word to others in the area to get a broader base of support for helping the thousands of children who have lost so much.

PRAY for this little-supported, person-to-person ministry!

To help meet the great need, Grace Bible Fellowship invites other schools, churches, and children's groups in the Chequamegon area to partner with them to send as many letters and pack-a-sacks to these thousands of "children of the storm " as possible. To meet the ever-changing need for items for the thousands of displaced people, a fundraiser will be held at Wal-Mart with the store generously providing a matching grant for all funds raised. The money will be mailed or possibly delivered in person to Jill's ministry in Baton Rouge to meet the needs of the day. Groups are encouraged to come up with ways to raise money independently as well so a weekly gift certificate can be sent as long as needed to help support this strategically positioned Baton Rouge ministry. Grace Bible Fellowship offers handouts for spreading the word and is looking for help, items to sell, and people to buy at:

Children of the Storm Craft and Bake Sale Fundraiser
Ashland Wal-Mart

Saturday, Oct. 1

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Kids can write letters, draw pictures, and help pack sacks.

Contact: Marilyn Jaeger (373-5663) vermarjae@charter.net

Leslie Wilson (747-2626) lwilson@wingsoverus.org

Emails from Jill Rigby to Northland Christians

Thank you . . . . We would greatly appreciate a gift certificate. The critical needs change daily. It would be a blessing to have that flexibility to purchase the "need of the day." Thank you for your forward thinking.

Our organization, Manners of the Heart Community Fund, a 501 c3 non-profit, has partnered with First Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge, to gather donations of the bare necessities to be distributed through our downtown outreach center at the River Center, currently housing more than 5,000 evacuees. We are a revolving door bringing folks in from the flooded areas of our state, New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and others, for shelter, food, and clothing, and assisting with long term aid. Each day the faces change as loved ones are found, homes are offered, and living arrangements are secured. This will be an ongoing need for weeks to come.

We continue to minister to the physical and spiritual needs. At the shelters of PRC Compassion over 750 evacuees accepted Christ this weekend. We have a worship service each morning at 9 a.m. with a special children's service in the afternoon at each shelter. To see faces darkened with despair turn to faces shining with hope is a blessing beyond words. God is in the midst of the suffering. Jesus as Savior has taken on an entirely new meaning for all of us in the aftermath of the storm. Please pray for a new beginning for all...We're praying that New Orleans will be rebuilt for God's glory, not man's indulgence. As the praise song says, "We want to see Jesus lifted high...a banner that flies across this land. That all men may see the truth and know...He is the way to heaven."

Thank you for reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need.

Beside you in Christ, Jill Rigby

Packages, messages, and donations may be sent to:

Manners of the Heart Community Fund
Jill Rigby
jrigby@mannersoftheheart.org
7608 Copperfield Court
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: 800-923-2881 fax: 225-926-0978
Web site: www.mannersoftheheart.org

Carnival of Hope
(Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit, Jill wrote this encouraging message.)

Saturday, 10 Sep 2005

I just got in from our "Carnival of Hope," sponsored by First Presbyterian, Healing Place Church, and Abounding Love Ministries at the River Center. We cooked 3,000 hotdogs and 2,000 hamburgers. We cranked out praise and worship music to draw the lost out of their dark prison into the light of day. The children ran to our stage with smiles and shouts of joy. Children became children again. Makeshift sleds made from cardboard boxes allowed the kids to "fly" down the steep hill from the levee. (For our Northern friends reading this...this is closest it gets to sledding for our kids!) We had games, puppet shows, face painting, sidewalk chalk art...and more. In the midst of it all, the sweet aroma of Christ.

Jill

Letters to the Children of the Storm
Project: To My Friend
(The need in Jill Rigby's own words)

Let me share another project that we're working on through Manners of the Heart for children to get involved... If you go to our website at www.mannersoftheheart.org, you'll find "Project: To My Friend." This is an opportunity for elementary school children to send notes of encouragement with Scripture to the children of the storm. You'll see the full instructions on the website. We've partnered with PRC Compassion (www.prccompassion.org) to distribute the "friend sacks" to children in the shelters throughout the South.

We would deeply appreciate any help you can offer. This is a way for all to be directly involved, no matter how small the group. Perhaps a children’s Sunday School class could write notes of encouragement for children that we could include in their package. A ladies’ class could help the ladies, while the men’s class could help the men.

From Jill's web site:

What is PROJECT: TO MY FRIEND?

A lot of kids were hurt in Hurricane Katrina. Many of them had to leave their homes and their friends and start a new life in a new school. They need a friend. They need supplies for school. You can send them a paper sack with a letter of encouragement and a few of the school supplies they need inside. PACK A SACK--Thank you for your help!

Who Should Pack A Sack?

Any elementary-school-aged child.

What to Pack in Your Sack?
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Comb
• Pencils
• Erasers
• Stickers
• Glue sticks
• Crayons
• Note of encouragement (see instructions below)

• Self-addressed, stamped stationary (see instructions below)

(Please don't include cash, candy, scissors, or liquid goods.)

Don't forget to staple the bag shut so it doesn't spill.

Please write on your sack 'Girl' or 'Boy' depending on whether you are a girl or a boy. You might want to put your grade. Example: Boy; Grade 5

These lunch bags will be hand delivered to displaced children in shelters across the affected areas.

Send to:

Manners of the Heart Community Fund
Jill Rigby
jrigby@mannersoftheheart.org
7608 Copperfield Court
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: 800-923-2881 fax: 225-926-0978
Web site: www.mannersoftheheart.org

Grace Bible Fellowship in Washburn, Wis. is also willing to mail the sacks for you.

I’ve been privileged to count one such woman as a dear friend. She is a Franciscan sister. Respecting her chosen path of humility, I’ll call her Mary. Beneath the blue denim covering her white hair, are bright eyes that twinkle when she gets excited about something in God’s world or when she laughs over His way of dealing with us wayward children. Her no-frills, joy-filled life of Godly simplicity inspired me to research this piece. Following a national article on a local hermit which appeared in the June 20 edition of Newsweek, I wanted to share a Christian perspective on this way of life with you.

From an icon written by "Mary" of the Holy Mountain of God, a professed hermit in the Diocese of ....The original work is that of the 16th century Greek painter, Theophan the Cretan. While leading a quiet contemplative life in solitude, Mary’s prayers and artwork touch the world. Her icons are carefully, prayerfully painted using ancient techniques and materials of acrylic gouache on birch with finishing touches of pure gold. While patterned after existing icons of antiquity, Mary’s personal touches bring special life and meaning to each piece. "The icon is an encounter with the holy," she writes in a short essay titled, "Windows to Heaven". "What the Gospel says to us in words, the icon announces to us in colors and makes it present to us in image . . . The grace and truth of God is not limited to the intellect; it can enter the soul through the eyes and the heart as well. The iconographer enters into a period of prayer and fasting, a time of preparation before beginning work on an icon; for divine inspiration is necessary in order to produce something that will be inspirational. They are the servants of God and the whole process is considered prayer." Each commissioned icon is a long and sometimes exhausting work. "I especially have difficulty keeping my hand steady at the end, when the delicate gold leaf detail must be applied. It takes a lot of prayer to get it just right!"

At home everywhere in God’s Church
BY Leslie Wilson

It amazes me how a child of God can travel anywhere and fully expect to find kin in Christ there. The last few weeks I’ve been enjoying my first trip to Nova Scotia, where my husband, Bob, and I plan to retire. Over the Internet, Bob discovered a church in Sydney, Nova Scotia, which seemed to be especially filled with the power of God at work. This New Year’s weekend, I was delighted to be a part of the worship service at Cape Breton Christian Fellowship Church.

The testimony of one mother in particular moved me. She stood before the large congregation in the borrowed school auditorium thanking God for bringing her husband to Christ recently. Then she shared a deeply moving hymn, while her husband, Paul, accompanied on the guitar. I approached her when the service ended. After introducing myself and sharing a copy of Living Stones News with her, I asked if she would be willing to share her testimony with others in Christ back here in America. At that point, I did not realize the full depth of the testimony she would later share.

I stopped her when the story touched on great tragedy. I told her she needn’t fill in all the painful details. Still, she gladly related the full story. "I feel God allows such tough times so we can relate better to others in their difficult times," she said. Obviously, she had shared her testimony so many times that the pain of the telling had been replaced with the joy of God’s healing.

On a Bible search Web site on my laptop, we looked up the scripture of Romans 8:38-39 which helped keep Melanie going through this dark period: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God’s love shined through the testimony of this woman I had grown so close to in less than 24 hours. There are times when God's world seems so small and closely knit. Times when we realize that all who love Him are our brothers and sisters. Times when we realize He works in their lives just as He works in our own.

(Read Melanie’s story. Click here)

Wishing you a Blessed, Imperfect Christmas
BY Leslie Wilson

It was no honeymoon, that’s for sure. The newly weds traveled in silence for most of the long trip. This was not the bright and joyous event they had planned. It strained their relationship when he found out she was pregnant. They had looked forward to being man and wife for so very long. He shook his head even now at the memory of that moment when he found out she carried a child not his. His whole world shattered.

Did he really believe my explanation? she thought to herself. It seemed so unbelievable even to her. Like a dream. More like a nightmare. What a wonderfully good man God has given me, she thought. I pray I can win back his trust.

No, this was not the way it was supposed be.

Many others were on the road now. Feeling safety in numbers, they traveled into the night on the last day of the journey. The starry sky was unusually bright.

"It feels good to be out in the cool night air," she said.

In their first real conversation in quite a while her new husband replied, "Yes, it does. And we should arrive soon." He glanced guiltily as she shifted with some discomfort. "You’ll finally have a real room with a bed for the night." She flashed him one of her beautiful smiles which he had almost forgotten. It had been so long since he’d seen one.

"And just in time," she said, "I think the baby will come soon."

All their hopes for a joyous event had been foiled by circumstances beyond their control. Even a real bed at the end of a hard journey would be denied them. The world was reeling out of control but they were calm in the center of the storm. For at the center stood God, and God had come to them. What a gift that first Christmas night! For, to Mary and Joseph, a child was born who would be the Savior for a desperate world.

God Almighty became God Incarnate, God hidden in this weak vessel of flesh and bones and blood. Blood that all too soon would be spilled to save His wayward people. Love brought God to earth that first imperfect Christmas. If God had let us plan the event it would have been so much better, perfect and beautiful. Flawlessly executed, planned to the last detail, there would have been no sad moments, hard feelings, misunderstood actions, doubt, regret, or pain. But those tough times were every bit as important as the angels over the shepherds that glorious Christmas night. God shakes us out of our comfy surroundings. He reduces "normal" to rubble at our feet. Why? So we can be freed from all that binds us to this earth. So we can see only him. Rely only on Him. Praise and worship God alone.

Should our Christmas be any less imperfect than that most sacred Christmas above all others? Why should we expect perfection in our Christmas planning? So the kids fuss because they didn't find what they wanted under the tree. The carefully planned feast fell through, and Grandpa is so grumpy he’s hiding out in his room all day.

Forsaking all else, let us simply come and adore Him this wondrous, imperfect Christmas.

Learning the Fine Art of Giving Thanks
BY Leslie Wilson

As we approach Thanksgiving, are you finding it hard to be thankful? Does the approach of winter leave you cold? Or maybe the bustle of holiday activities stresses you out. How can you summon the strength to give thanks not only on Thanksgiving but every day of the year?

We all tend to be guilty of putting the cart before the horse when it comes to giving thanks. It's not just for when things go well. According to Paul, we should be ". . . always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20) Thankful for everything? Obviously, he never met that meddlesome neighbor or quarrelsome boss.

Yet the New Testament, set in difficult times, overflows with thanksgiving. Jesus thanked His Father for bits of food that fed thousands. When only a Samaritan returned to thank Jesus for healing, He wondered, "Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:18) Knowing He would soon become the Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus thanked God for the bread and wine of Passover. Paul seems to be the most grateful of the New Testament writers. He gave thanks continually, unceasingly, even in prison. Instead of immorality and impurity, Paul said there should be thanksgiving. Darkened hearts and rotted wisdom came from not giving thanks to God. Nearly every letter to fledgling churches Paul seasoned liberally with thanks. Thanks for growing faith and
increasing love, for God's grace abounding, for Christ at work in lives, for generosity and service resulting in others thanking God, for work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, endurance inspired by hope in Jesus, for
being qualified to share in the inheritance, for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, for standing firm in the Lord, for freedom to receive all things with thanksgiving.

God commands us, as well, to be overflowing with thankfulness and gratitude, to be watchful and thankful as we devote ourselves to prayer, to give thanks in all circumstances. Peace comes from giving all our requests to God by prayer and petition with thanksgiving instead of yielding to anxiety. Thankfulness not only reaps peace, but also spiritual gifts, according to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, faithful theologian killed in a concentration camp for
his Nazi resistance work.

"We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. . . We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?"

I recently heard an interesting perspective on thankfulness. Lacking an exact quote or source, I scribbled my own version:

Thanks, God, for dirty diapers and long night hours. It means I have a child.
Thanks, God, for flat tires. It means I have a car.
Thanks, God, for nine-to-five blues. It means I have a job.
Thanks, God, for housework. It means I have a home.
Thanks, God, for weeds. It means I have a garden.
Thanks, God, for aching bones. It means I'm still alive.
Thanks, God, for all who read Living Stones Newspaper. Please bless them

BY LESLIE WILSON

Leap Frog Faith

So much to do. And there I was flat on my back. Done in by a double dose of infections, compliments of an insignificant tick. I came into the hospital unprepared for a three-day stay. Try as I might there was no computer, much less Internet connection, to be found. Restless to be doing something productive, I pulled out the ever-present Bible in the drawer and searched for a psalm that spoke to my situation. Psalm 37:7 glared off the page at me: "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."

Yeah. That was me. Wait. Waiting. But for what? When we "wait on the Lord" what are we really doing? If you’re like me, it’s an impatient wait. Chained down by sheer determination to follow God’s Word, my mind chomps at the bit to put ideas into action. I pray, "Lord, give me patience to endure this wait," and suddenly realize this is not what God has in mind at all.

I like the way Oswald Chambers, in the Christian classic, My Utmost for His Highest, looks at waiting: ". . . don’t wait sulking spiritually and feeling sorry for yourself, just because you can’t see one inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our own spiritual fits of emotion to ‘wait patiently for Him’?" I always forget that "patient" part.

I wait a lot like I worship at times. The praying and the praising and the singing are all fine, but I’m sure God would much rather see me out working for Him. You know, really accomplishing something lasting. Something meaningful. Something you can see or point to, as humbly as possible, and say, "I did that for God!"

Wrong.

These examples may sound a little ridiculous. However, somewhere in the back of our minds we tend to fall into this mind set. Americans are result oriented. We push to accomplish "things". Unfortunately, little of what we do has any eternal value. Even when we do things in God’s name, He must wonder why we never inquire of His plans for us, why we short change worshiping and waiting to get on to working. Again, Oswald Chambers puts his finger right on the problem: "Rushing in and out of worship is wrong every time -- there is always plenty of time to worship God . . . There are not three levels of spiritual life -- worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed; it will not happen overnight."

Ah, the light dawns. I hop around from work to worship to work to waiting and back to work again with little accomplished at any leap. But I do remember a brief time -- a single work day, actually -- when the three came together in just that way. It was shortly after I had accepted Jesus as my Savior. The day had started with an awesome quiet time, deeply centered and rested in God. Then I got dressed, ate, drove to work, had my usual busy day. However, that worshipping and resting attitude, with which I had started the day, never ended. I felt as if I were looking down on someone else scurrying about doing all that work while I enjoyed a calm, heavenly perspective looking down on the everyday world. "This is what the Christian life is meant to be!" I said to myself. Naturally assumed every day, or most days anyway, would be like this.

Wrong again.

I have yet to enjoy another day like that one. I’m not after some sort of spiritual high. But shouldn’t there be a better balancing act of worship, work and wait such as Reverend Chambers described? It is a discipline which I would like to master -- if for no other reason than to stop this incessant leap-frogging faith which wears one down.

Worship, wait, work. Sometimes the wait allows no room for work. Sometimes we find ourselves in the desert. It’s a time for prayer, for centering ourselves on our God, for waiting on Him. Oswald Chambers has one more piece of advice on waiting for times like these: "He works where He sends us to wait . . . to wait is not to sit with folded hands, but to learn to do what we are told." Work is being done in the desert. But it’s done by God, not us. We’re fortunate God invites us to work in His name. But He doesn’t need our work. He’s God. All He needs is our love and devotion and obedience.

Take time to be holy,
the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret
with Jesus alone.

Take time to be holy,
be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive
beneath His control.

These lyrics are from the old hymn "Take Time to Be Holy". For those who like to surf the ‘net let me recommend a couple of faith-building sites from which I pulled the material for this article:

The Hymn Site
http://www.hymnsite.com
Free hymn texts, tunes, sheet music, free downloads, music store and more. Featuring MIDI hymns and psalm tunes from "The United Methodist Hymnal".

My Utmost for His Highest Official Website
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/
Each day’s text from the daily devotional book is online. The site can be searched by keyword so try plugging in the word "wait" to see all the day’s entries that deal with this topic.

Bible Gateway
http://bible.gospelcom.net
A free service for reading and researching scripture online. Many languages and translations to choose from. Advanced searching capabilities based on keywords or scripture references, and various tools to enhance your study of the Bible

Finding Time to Labor for the Lord
By Leslie Wilson, Living Stones News

When this time of month rolls around, I’m always amazed at how much more I learn about God’s workers so busy in the Chequamegon area.

For example, many area churches joined Saron Lutheran in Ashland to hold a Bible day camp during the first week of August.

While researching future articles, I talked with Bayfield’s Deanna Asbell. She and her husband, Michael, adopted two Columbian orphans, Nicolas Dean and Kiana Jean. They are now devoting themselves to raising their chosen family, not only grounded in their Columbian and American heritage, but established in the ageless, nation-less Christian faith.

Then there is the constant surprise our Ashland distributors send my way. It seems that each time I talk with the Merilas I learn about an encouraging activity they’re involved in. This month I discovered that Rick, assisted by his wife Chris, conducts a weekly Bible study for the mentally and physically handicapped. That faithful people like the Merilas also find time to deliver and spread the word about Living Stones News is a constant encouragement.

When we think of God’s people at work, we often think of major activities in our churches. However, the smaller, individual efforts of each person in Christ are the stones which most comprise His Church. In the Bible there were many lesser pebbles among the mighty stones, some mere grains of sand. I’d like to think my life is like Paul’s helpers in Roman 16:12, "Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord." There are many times, though, when I’m much more like Demas, of whom Paul said in II Timothy 4:10, ". . . Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me. . ." . Just grains of sand in God’s vast, spiritual landscape.

You know, it’s a funny thing about sand. Each grain is really a stone in miniature: a central core, hard as rock, virtually impossible to chip or break. But pile them by the millions to create a beach, squiggle your toes down into the sand and it yields easily under the pressure. As individual grains without anything binding them together, they are an ever-shifting landscape, without direction or stability. But add water to hold the grains together and you can mold it into castles or sculptures, each grain --part of a grander scheme -- willingly takes on a new form. Each shapeless grain joins with thousands, even millions of other nondescript chunks to form exquisite structures under the skilled hands of a master crafter. Christians are much like these grains of sand. Add the Living Water which bind us all in Christ and we can be molded together into a spiritual structure formed by the Master Crafter of all.

Look closely at the New Testament’s epistles like Romans, Corinthians, Colossians and all the others letters to the early Church. Even insignificant greetings and names dropped so casually in joyous thanksgiving or reprimand are filled with meaning for our lives. If God deemed it important enough to mention in His Word the name "Tryphena", it should have importance in our own spiritual walk. How many Tryphenas and Tryphosas are around us laboring in the Lord? What name from the Bible best fits each of us? Is it Tryphena or is it Demas? We may be just grains of sand, but we are important enough to be written in God’s Book of Life. Beyond that, what kind of name our attitudes and actions throughout life earn -- how useful a pebble, a grain of sand, or chunk of clay we are in God’s hands -- is up to each of us.

Chequamegon Bay Events
Once again, here’s a sampling of some of the many activities going on in the Chequamegon area:

Bayfield "Mostly" Schubert Festival Chamber Concert Music
When: Summertime Thursdays, Aug. 12 and 19, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Last concerts of the season.
Where: Christ Episcopal Church, 125 North Third Street, Bayfield, Wis.
Phone: (715) 779-3401
Comments: Doors open at 4 p.m. and seats generally fill up quickly. No tickets or reservations are required. Concerts are free; however, an offering is taken to help defray expenses. A reception follows in the English garden. For more information visit www.bayfieldschubertfestival.org or email: dennis@ncis.net.

Annual Church Bazaar and White Elephant Sale
When: Thursday and Friday, Aug. 12 -13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ice cream social (basement) and hot dog & brat sale (tent):

Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Silent auction: Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: St. John’s United Church of Christ, Madeline Island, LaPointe Wis.
Phone: (715) 747-3945
Directions: approximately ½ mile south of town dock on the main street.
Everyone is invited to contribute items of all kinds for the sale. Drop off donations in the parsonage garage. Most of the sale items will be in the church basement. Electronics and silent auction items will be under the tent between the parsonage and church. Winning bids for auction will be announced around 2:30 p.m.

Summer Pot Luck Picnic
Bayfield Presbyterian Church
When: Aug. 15, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: East Dock Park near Coast Guard Station, Bayfield, Wis.
Phone: (715) 779-5490
Comments: All are welcome. Bring a dish to pass around.

Annual Faith Baptist Church Picnic
When: Aug. 22, caravan leaves church 12:30 p.m.
Where: Long Lake - cars will be available after Sunday
Service departing from church parking lot.
Phone: (715) 779-5855
Comments: Map with directions will be available a few weeks before. Swimming, boating, water skiing. Pot luck, so bring a dish.

Bob’s Backyard BBQ
Faith Baptist Church
When: Sept 1, early evening
Where: 25 North 6th Street, Bayfield, Wis.
Phone: (715) 779-5855
Comments: Open to everyone. Bring a side dish to pass. Meat to grill, buns, dishware, cake and ice cream will be provided. Music, games and activities.

By Leslie Wilson

Whatever happened to those lazy days of summer?

It seems many of us are off on vacation or busy with outdoor activities and events of all sorts. But how often do our summer plans include God? In II Timothy 4:2 Paul exhorts us to "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season." In this season of summer travel it’s often a challenge for churches to find ways to reach and preach the word to an ever-changing congregation.

At Bayfield Presbyterian Church, outreach includes monthly summer picnics.

"These are designed for visitors especially," said Pastor Ray. "The church’s activities are open for all people who just happen to be around."

Father John, who watches over the Catholic churches of Bayfield, Washburn, Red Cliff, Cornucopia, and La Pointe welcomes the new additions as part of the church family. He said, "Our cluster of five churches sees a large population of visitors in the summer. Early July is especially busy. Many look forward to the two-day, annual dinner and auction fund raiser to benefit Washburn Catholic School." A few days before there’ll be a farewell picnic for Father Gary Bernhardt, to be followed in mid August by a welcoming for Father Nick Baxter.

Fiftieth anniversary celebrations kicked off summer activities for Faith Baptist Church in Bayfield. "It’s difficult to schedule much in summer. Some people go away to camp. Faith sponsors many local kids, whether church members or not, to attend summer camp.

"It’s a time of transition," said Pastor Bob Ross. "Local people are often away vacationing in the summer. But it’s a chance to get out among the community."

In fact, Bob’s Backyard Barbeques, planned informally at the pastor’s house, are open to anyone who happens to be in the neighborhood. That often includes visitors to the area. To minister to this transient group, Faith Baptist is trying a more informal, vacationer-friendly approach to Wednesday evening Bible studies. They now break up into small groups for a one-day topical Bible study. These self-contained studies are perfect for vacationers who may only be there for a single meeting.

"Visitors are not intimidated by small groups," said Pastor Ross, "People are more willing to share. We’re excited about that."

This season of vacations gives us a breath of fresh air. A time to renew body and soul. Shouldn’t it also be a time to renew the spirit? To show others the living God living through our every activity? Our churches’ creative efforts help us to put God in the middle of our best moments. In return, let’s remember to support and encourage those who minister to us whether during the work year or our not-so-lazy summers.

Bob’s Backyard BBQ

Faith Baptist Church
July 7 and Sept 1, early evening
25 north 6th street, Bayfield, Wis.
Phone: 715-779-5855
Open to everyone. Bring a side dish to pass.
Meat to grill, buns, dishware, cake and ice cream will be
provided. Music, games and activities.

Annual Faith Baptist Church Picnic

August 22, 12:30 p.m. caravan leaves church Long Lake - cars will be available after Sunday Service departing from church parking lot.
Swimming Boating, water skiing. Pot luck, so bring a dish.

Phone: 715-779-5855
Map with directions will be available a few weeks before.

Summer Pot Luck Picnics

Bayfield Presbyterian Church
* July 15, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., 141 South 9th Street, Bayfield, WI
* August 15, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., East Dock Park near Coast
Guard Station, Bayfield, Wis.

Phone: 715-779-5490
All are welcome. Bring a dish to pass around.

Ashland Area After Five Club Dinner Program
Special Music: Kathy McGovern will sing and play the harp
Featured Speaker: Sandy Cook of Lake Shore, Minn. Topic "You Are Special"
Special Feature: Mary Warbolow shows how to make a no-sew basket

Tuesday, July 27, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Deep Lake Lodge, 67975 E. Deep Lake Road, Iron
River, Wis.
Directions: Hwy 2 north of Iron River 2-3 miles. Turn on
Deep Lake Road. The road splits, stay left and then turn
right. Watch for signs.

Cost: $10 covers dinner, programs, entertainment.
Phone: Sharon 715-278-3390 by Monday, July 19
Comments: This is a non-denominational group affiliated
with Christian Women’s Club. No dues or membership fees.
First-time guests welcome. Reservations & cancellations
are absolutely necessary!

The Foundation Quartet Concert
Saturday, July 17, 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 18,10 a.m.
Grace Bible Fellowship Church, corner of Hwy 13 N.
& Wedal Rd., Washburn, WI
Phone: 715-373-1175
This Burnsville, Minn., group are members of the
Midwest Quartet Association. They combine Southern Gospel
style music and testimony. The public is invited.

Five Day Club for Kids Ages 5-12
Theme: Mission Possible
July 12 through 16, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Grace Bible Fellowship Church, corner of Hwy 13 N.
& Wedal Rd., Washburn, Wis
Phone: 715-373-1175
Sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).
There will be Bible stories, Bible memorization, songs,
missionary stories, etc.

Bayfield—Schubert Festival—2004
Christ Episcopal Church
125 North Third St.,
Bayfield, Wis.

July 8 - 5 p.m.
July 15, 5 p.m.
July 22, 5 p.m.
July 29, 5 p.m.
August 5, 5 p.m.
August 12, 5 p.m.
August 19, 5 p.m.

By Leslie Wilson

Of Fathers and Children

What do we remember most about our fathers? As adults ourselves, how does our relationship evolve?

It was my friend Karen who gave me the idea for this month’s topic. She related how she and her father were
recently able to help each other when health considerations limited his activities. He was able to
nurse along seedlings for his busy daughter’s garden. As happens to most of us in middle age, there is never enough time for all of life’s activities. For seniors there is often too much.

As I sought thoughts from others around the Bay, another friend took time to read and reflect on Psalm 78:1-7.
Marilyn e-mailed me saying that these verses talk of ". . . not concealing the instructions, parables, sayings of
old from our children. Fathers are commanded to tell the generations to come of the praises of the Lord and His
strength and wondrous works so their children might put their confidence in God and not forget His works but keep His commandments." She added, "I thought about how fathers who haven't done that might feel like failures,
yet with God there is always a new day, and a new start. Fathers have a wonderful chance with future generations in their grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or other children they may mentor, whether in a formal setting such as Sunday School or just in their neighborhood."

Regarding her father she adds, "My dad was a dairy farmer and one thing I deeply respected about him was that the Lord's Day was kept Holy. It would have been so easy to go by the adage ‘make hay when the sun shines’, even if that happened to be on Sunday, but he saw to it that God was put first every single Sunday. Except for necessities like milking the cows, work clothes were laid aside that day, we went to church, and remembered the Lord's Day."

My own father was often an uncomplaining chauffeur for me and my high school companions. I recalled these times when I had a last chance to return the many favors a few years ago. By ambulance, I escorted him from the hospital for a few precious hours at home with family before he died. I have no doubt he was then escorted the rest of the way home by angels.

My husband most remembers his father as a close friend and valued counselor throughout his life.

For my daughter, soon turning 20, it will be memories of the fishing trips they took together. "Also," she adds,
"Sitting in on college classes and working along side the students." Bob took an active role in her home education,
frequently bringing her to campus with him.

Fatherhood never ends. Nor does childhood. As Christians, we are to live the life of a child no matter how old we
are.

Perhaps the love of our heavenly Father is best expressed in a letter. I received a timely copy of one today "quite
unexpectedly" from a dear lady of a Secular Franciscan Order.

The following excerpt is used by permission of Father Heart Communications, Copyright 1999. The full text is
well worth the Internet trip to www.FathersLoveLetter.com.

It’s supposed to be the quiet time of year in the Northland. Time for reflection. Time for rest. Time for
catching up. Not so at the churches around the Bay.

I’ve been calling many of the Chequamegon area churches to see how they feel about the new Christian newspaper for the Northland. I’ve gotten wonderfully encouraging comments about the quality and inspirational nature of the stories, admiration for the professional appearance of the layout. Most of all, they’re glad to finally have the kind of newspaper Christians want to see in their communities. It’s been encouraging how eager churches have been to help at getting the word out. Pastors are letting their congregations know about the good news circulating to the communities of the Northland.

However, I’ve been surprised at the number of churches who have been so busy that they haven’t had a chance to look at the paper yet. There have been annual meetings, school activities, important matters of life and death and everything in between. It seems the heartbeat of life itself keeps God’s people ever busy.

While churches minister to their own flock in particular, they have many outreaches to the community as well. From Pastor Kurt Koeshall I heard about Maximum Impact which will be presented April 30 at host sites around the
country including his own church, First Assembly of God in Ashland. This nationwide, live simulcast event, put together by John Maxwell, will be a day-long seminar on the qualities of a leader. Some of the foremost business leaders in America will be speakers. According to Pastor Koeshall, “While not overtly Christian, Maximum Impact wants to make church relevant to the community.”

How much of the heartbeat of a community comes from the work of God’s people?

I found many such leaders on a trip through downtown Ashland. Tentatively at first, I carefully selected businesses I thought would be interested in displaying copies of the free paper. I soon discovered the people behind the business fronts who were excited about Living Stones and had ideas of their own for its future.

“Now this is the kind of news people want to hear.”

“I know someone who would love to see this.” Places I hadn’t thought of popped into the minds of people I met.

“I know a great story for the next issue.” The sight of an uplifting newspaper inspired others to share their own stories or stories of people they knew.

I’ve been blessed this month to see a hunger for good news satisfied by Living Stones News and to catch a glimpse of the vital role God’s people play in the world around them along the Bay.

Event: Family Bible Week: Creation Seminar
Sponsor: Faith Baptist Church of Bayfield, Wisconsin
Dates: April 4,5,6,7
Time: Sunday - 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Monday through Wednesday - 6:30 p.m.
Location: 10 South Sixth Street
Phone: (715) 779-5855
Comments: Each session is 1 ½ hours long. There is no cost
but a love offering would be appreciated. The seminar will
feature creation science lecturer and geologist Russ
Hanson speaking on topics such as dinosaurs, the age of
the earth, and the fossil record. A children’s program for
ages 4 - fifth grade as well as a nursery will be provided.