Step-by-Step

'We cannot see what lies before.
And so we cling to Him the more...'
a snatch of rhyme from an old quartet song we used to sing almost every night, was it more than 56 years ago? Anyway that's the way it works ...

and you know what?

It worked for Abraham . . . and it is the only way to go. God is faithful...

Bob K

This morning I got a notre from a friend I haven't heard from for years . . . I'm staying with my Son Steve in Ohio with whom I shared the brief e-mail comment on "Promises Promises". He told me to tell Bob K that he remembers hium and always thinks of Feb 2 as "Bob K.." Day. I recall how you were in our home often and alway welcome. We'd love to get in touch-- if you can.. Our sons thought o you as family...Bless you,
Russell Metcalfe

OHIO DESTINATION

It was exactly this time of year in 1962 that Helen and I, along with John, Stephen, Mark, and Russell, left Atwater, Ohio, to sojourn in the East. Yesterday Helen and I left Pepperell, Massachusetts, and turned westward to return to Ohio-- exactly 46 years later. We arrived in Mount Vernon last night to find our bed set up in a lovely room that is more like a hotel suite, where I'm sitting in a window overlooking a bird/flower garden.

Later today we will begin to 'thaw' and I'm sure we'll take a bit of time to adjust-- after all we're a little bit older than Abraham and Sarah were when they moved a few hundred miles to their west. But God has been in this move- we're 'homeless'- but not really at all-- not even for one day!

Mark set up a facebook thing for me- which I don't pretend to understand yet but already quite a few old (and young) friends have joined. I'll try to close this saga out soon on this blog and get back to pontificating, but today I am simply grateful to Almighty God for His goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men..and all the rest from Psalm 107! Bless you, too!

Russ

D-DAY!

I'm writing this in the Falmouth Toyota waiting room, about 8:01 a.m. where I am waiting for my car to have a new water pump installed. Helen is at Barbara and Jane's house where we stayed last night-- our last night in Falmouth. The house on Norris Path is cleaned out and ready for the new owner; we are scheduled to pass papers in Barnstable at 2 p.m. and then we are officially "homeless." We're hoping to drive four or five hours westward this afternoon on the way to Mount Vernon.

We've had the house in Falmouth 18 years- the last nine full time since our 'retirement' and we have been blessed with the privilege of keeping pretty busy for the Lord. And I certainly hope we're not finished yet!

Thanks for your prayers-- let us know how we can pray for you! Stay tuned-- we'll be right back, Lord willing!

Russ

TWO MORE DAYS!

...the PODS unit goes out of here Thursday! Yow!

Yesterday out of the blue Donald W. MacNeal and his wife Ruth Ann, from Pennsyklvania, dropped by for a brief visit (welcome!) and prayer on the back deck. They have been in their church just west of Pittsburgh (New Brighton ?) for 28 years! Faithful and good-- and a blessing to have them stop by.

Today Mark and Joy from Pepperell and Steve and Sharon from Mount Vernon are converging on us to finish packing and clean up. If you read this pray for us all--

and God bless you, too!

Russ

COUNTDOWN CONTINUES...

Yesterday we drove to Wollaston for their 8:30 service and a "goodbye" on our part- afterward we had breakfast at Cliff and Sue Hersey's. I remember my first worship services at Wollaston in the old Gymnorium as a freshman student in 1949, and the building of the basement church during that first freshman year. I led the singing Sunday evenings- many times-- it became a paid job before I left ENC- and I recall coming back to that basement as pastor in July, 1977. I recall the building of the current structure in 1980-- the dedication-- then 22 years went by and our 'retirement' in 1999-- a little plaque I could put on the wall that says I am "Pastor Emeritus"- although -- anyway-- God bless Wollaston Church of the Nazarene!

Now== off to Ohio-- if we can just get this house cleaned out by Thursday!!! Help!!

God is GOOD!

MORE OLD FRIENDS DROP BY . .

Today our guests were Jim and Marilyn Stark, now residents of North Carolina, but old Wollaston members-- I was their pastor more than 20 years... we had a wonderful time on the deck-- reminiscing, and laughing and praising the Lord for His faithfulness. Yesterday David and Ruth Trauffer, from West Virginia- great old memories . . .

...the PODS unit is getting loaded box by box and the countdown continues... we are due to have it removed next Thursday-- we are scheduled to pass papers Friday and, Lord willing, a week from today we will be "homeless" -- either at Mark's in Pepperell, or, more likely, in Ohio.

God is good!

MOVING MEMO

Yesterday a PODS unit was delivered, caty-cornered (sp?) across our front lawn-- 8 x 16 feet- and today we begin loading: piano, heavy furniture and boxes boxes boxes . . .it dawns that we really are leaving Cape Cod.

It has been a good ride here- God has been so good to us- we've had a place to serve and people to love- and they have loved us more than we can tell you in return. The John Wesley United Methodist C hurch here in Falmouth is one of a kind!

These last few days it seem that God has been sending in old friends and words from the past-- sometimes more than 40 years past-- just now David Trauffer is coming up the front steps so I'll finish this later ., . .

much later as iut turned out. We had a nice visit, David, Ruth, Helen and I out on the deck..hadn't seen Dr David Trauffer in years; he was speaking at Camp Taconic last week.

He was interrupted by the crew we had hired to move the piano and heavy furniture to the PODS unit out front.. and a lady from the (Methodist) church that came to help Helen pack the kitchen cabinet contents into boxes-- we're "camping" in our lovely Cape house for the last few days.

God is good!

PROMISES, PROMISES . . .

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I AM thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.

That's in King James language, which is how I first "discovered" it on September 2, 1949-- my first day away from home--on my way to college in Massachusetts from Ohio. It was 'alive' for me that night in a tourist cabin in upstate New York, half way on our journey. It was as if God was letting me know he knew where I was even if I did not-- and I literally did not.

Isaiah 49:2,3 "I will go before you and make the crooked placed straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut asunder the bars of iron; I will give you the treasures of darkness..." quoting from memory doesn't sound quite right-- but that was what gave me courage to move to New Jersey from Ohio in August, 1962, after seven years on the old Akron district Church of the Nazarene.

And you know, God has made a way for us-- these 46 years in the east.

I won't give you all the promises in between-- but now we are headed west again-- from the Cape to Ohio. When I retired from Wollaston nine years ago I got "You shall go our with joy, and be led forth withe peace." and I should look up that reference because I know it but my forgetter is working-- it is true and you can look it up yourself . . .

Now we need a promise to take us back to the heartland . . . "My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest!" That will do!

As thy day..so thy strength . . .

. . . and do I ever need that promise these days. My prayer for several weeks has been each day "Lord, help me through this day!" And you know, He has!

Helen and I are moving and that in itself is a stress producer.

But we have a grandson living with us who is potentially homeless once we leave.

We have the gatherings of 33 years in Massachusetts and 50+ years of pastoral and personal correspondence. Anybody want some personal notes handwritten by Bertha Munro? We've pitched out, tossed away-- better us than some poor folk who would have to bring shovels...

So-- in spite of it all-- this our adventure. I'm only two years older than Abram was when he left Haran to go-- westward-- as the Lord led him.