Dear Family and Friends,
I recently came across a thought from another person that came to the conclusion that "if the Lord Jesus Christ had not raised from the grave, we would not be having this conversation." It was intriguing to say the least and the conclusion of the matter was that He indeed did raise from the grave and so we are still recognizing Him in our lives even in this day and in this year, 2019. Before He rose from the grave, we can backtrack a little to the time of the first Advent, or what we call "Christmas." Oh, we can say that He is unimportant to us and not needed and is a crutch for many, but the fact remains We know from history that He appeared on this earth, was born, lived, died and was raised from the dead. I know they changed the name of the date from A.D. to CE, probably because people were offended by it but it is still true and the A.D. still stands, "The year of our Lord." The Babe in the manger made a difference in the world in just a short time of span, some 33 years. Maybe you don't believe in miracles such as the virgin birth, the resurrection and the ascension. I, for one, do believe in not only those miracles but many more as written the Word of God. We do hope that you have a Merry Christmas especially as you focus your attention upon Him during this time of the year.
Diane and I had, perhaps, a typical senior year. Our time in 2019 was spent in ministries to the Lord and going to doctor's appointment, x-rays, echo cardiograms, vascular scans, blood tests and trying to keep the pill boxes straight. Most of you know our children, Elaine and Andrew. They are slowly taking us under their wings to keep us fit and fancy in our senior years. Elaine now comes over once a week and straightens up the house, cleans it and offers suggestions on how to keep safe from one moment to the next. Since Diane quit driving, we are also being escorted to many of the visits of our medical concerns. Both Andy and Elaine accompany us to those visits when possible and keep records of what is going on, what is being prescribed and the asking of pertinent questions. Andrew, John Seiler and some of the grand children assist in much of the outside work such as bush trimming and weeds. We have been and are being blessed by their assistance.
Our ministry events consist of both Diane and myself singing in the Salem Senior Center choral group, which practice once a month and then sing the following three Tuesdays of the month at several of the nursing communities in the area. Diane got started in the group and then I came along later and joined up. It is a small choral group of about 20 seniors who can still hold a tune to some extent and who just plain like to sing. Our ministries will include about half sacred songs and the rest are popular tunes from the 40's and 50's. Dan is still able to preach twice a month at Our Lady of the valley retirement community and still leads the bell choir of about 8 seniors who minister at the quarterly memorial services, a once a year trip to another retirement community to play the bells and maybe a special presentation now and then at Our Lady of the Valley.
One highlight during the year was the completion of my autobiography. I published it through a self publishing group called lulu.com and it has its ISBN and can be purchased on Amazon.com and also Barnes and Noble. Isn't that thrilling. I put together for anyone who would want to know who I was. Mainly, I knew nothing of my grandparents on my father's side except he made beer in his basement. So, the story is out there now.
Life is a bit humorous at time with my being hard of hearing which makes Diane talk considerably louder and with both of us having memory issues. Car keys have been lost and turned up near the cat food and now my musical clock is playing strange music. I have a Rhythm Clock which we purchased about 20 years ago. It played 12 songs, one each at the beginning of every hour. At Christmas time, you can flip the switch and it will play three Christmas songs, Silent Night, You to the World and We Wish you a Merry Christmas. This year I slipped the switch and now and then the typical three songs are played. It has however added some songs such as Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Bridge over Troubled Water and one I don't recognize. They are nice songs, but have no idea how they got into the clock. There are no RF signals, blue tooth or WiFi present on the clock. The clock is now out of production and the people at the factory have no ideas concerning the new music. I refer to it as my "haunted Clock" and let it go at that and just enjoy the new music.
For many of you, we don't know when we will ever see you again this side of heaven if you plan on going there when you pass from this life. Diane and I still plan to be with the Lord as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 when we depart this earth which could be anytime soon. As one man recently said, "Us seniors that are over 80 years old are in 'overtime.'" May the Lord bless you all during this special time of the year and in the new year to come. If we ever happen to be in the same doctor's office, we will have a chat and a cup of coffee. We thank you all for your prayers and thoughts and may the Lord keep you safe . As my Dad would say, "Keep the shiny side up.
In Christian Love,
Dan and Diane Freeland
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