Cornerstone Goes Caroling

Every December our church goes Christmas caroling.  We generally go to people's homes that don't get to get out.  We sing and pray for them.  Everyone has so much fun!  We met after church Sunday afternoon at 2 pm in the parking lot of a local pizza place.  Some of us loaded up in a wagon for a hayride (minus the hay).  The rest followed in their cars.  I can't believe I didn't get a head count, but I think it was around 25 folk in all.

After we went to a couple of people's homes to sing, we went by Jeff Davis Living Center.  It is one of the two nursing homes in our town.  We walked down the halls singing and stopped by the room of a lady who came to our church.  We have special binders made up with all the Christmas carols in them, so we sing the first and last verses and sing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" before moving down the hall or to the next room.  

Jennings has a VA Home as well.  We walked through the VA home singing.  We went into the Alzheimer's Unit here.  It was amazing to see some of the residents singing along!  It's always very touching and moving to see.  The VA home was decorated very nicely.

We had one more stop at Camelot Brookside.  It is another nursing home in our town.  We have Services there monthly on the third Wednesday of the month.  It was to be our final stop of the day.  However, when we pulled up, there was another large group about to go in and carol.  We decided to come back on another day to sing for them.  We'll be there for services on the 20th anyway.  It was about to get dark and would be dangerous to be in the trailer going down the road.

We headed back to the Fellowship Hall at our church and sang one more time.  Then we asked a blessing over the meal and feasted on brisket, potato soup, shrimp mold, and a dizzying array of desserts!  Caroling is a simple thing, but it brings joy to people.  They remember old times and sing along and smile.  It was a great day for everyone involved, and I'm glad that we do it!

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men

We attending Morning Services this morning and then got home, ate leftover Thanksgiving lunch, had coffee, and then headed back to town.  At 2 pm we were to meet for our annual church caroling trip.  Our group got a little smaller this year.  One of the founding members of our church that attending the caroling last year passed away.

We first went to the Veteran's Administration Home in town.  We put on services every third Wednesday night at the VA, and it was nice to meet up and sing for these patriots that served our country.  One of the men who attends our services met us while we caroled.  He was so very appreciative of us coming.  He is 97 years old and is a WWII Veteran!  One of our members' granddaughters was caroling and he was so happy to see her singing.  He had the quote of the day.  He moved his wheelchair close to her, asked her name and told her, "You are prettier than a red heifer in a field full of clover!"  I gotta remember that one.

We went into the common areas of the VA Home and then the two other Nursing Homes in town.  One of the homes we have services the fourth Wednesday of every month and the other, we have services there on the third Sunday of every month.  We have gotten to know the residents at each place and it is such a joy to go serve them.

We went into the Alzheimer's Units and the residents sang along with us.  We walked down the halls singing and stopped at patient's doors and sang for them.  Even though we're Christmas caroling, one resident always has us sing "In the Garden."  People were so warm and welcoming to us.  Others cried tears of happiness as they sang.  It's one of those times where you go do something, intending to be a blessing and you leave receiving more of a blessing than you expected.

When we finished, we met back at the church in the Fellowship Hall and had a devotion, fellowship time and refreshments.  The whole day just left me with a warm feeling in my heart...  UNTIL -

It was dark by the time we got home and I headed out to the barn.  Rosie isn't going to milk herself.  I also had to gather eggs and feed the chickens.  I turned on the lights to the hen house, but surprisingly, the hens were cackling and running around in the corral.  Something was not right.  I walked int the hen house and saw a dead Rhode Island Red hen on the ground.

A huge possum was eating it!  I quickly grabbed a 2 x 4 and knocked the possum in the head and then quickly killed it.  I know varmints have to eat, too, but they are not going to each our chickens and get away with it, if I have anything to do with it.  

What an afternoon!  From singing Christmas carols to bludgeoning a possum.  The song says, "Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men."  It says nothing about goodwill to possums.