ELMER'S THANKSGIVING POST

As you can see we have new pictures at the top this week.  I didn't know that I was in the candy business.  I'm not really.  A friend gave Marilyn a box of candy for her Birthday - a box of Elmer Chocolates.  When Marilyn saw that name, she said she had to put them on here - once she stopped laughing.  Well I have gone from a street sign to chocolate candy.  \

John and Sarah, Anna and myself wish to thank you all for the anniversary wishes.  Michael and I also thank you for our Birthday wishes.  It is so kind of all of you.  The are really appreciated.

We also wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  It hardly seems that 2015 is almost ending.  Where has this year gone?  That is why, we have to stop and thank the Lord for all He has done for us this year.

I know what Thanksgiving Day is like.  We have relatives that we haven't seen in a while.  Our whole family will be there plus some friends.  Of course, we can smell that dinner being cooked in the kitchen which makes us so hungry.  We also want to catch up on what our friends and relatives we haven't seen are up to.

But, we also have to stop.  We have to take time for the Lord.  It is His day.  Really every day is His day.  During the past year, we have had so many good times and some good things.  We have also had some not so good times and things.  All were for a reason.  We might not understand the reason,  being here on earth, but the Lord has a reason for everything good or bad.

He has been so good to us.  This year, we had a great year in crops.  We have a new Grandson which, by the way, is now allowed to come to church and family gatherings if he has his sleep time.  All of our family, except Anna's Mother, have been well this year except for colds, which we all came through well.  Anna's Mother, we are so happy, to still have with us as well as my parents.  There aren't two many children in their 50's that have both parents with them and Anna and I have have both of ours.  We were able to buy a new buggy this year - something we have wanted for a long time.  Also, we were able to give this year/  More than we have been able to in the past couple of years.

Our whole family did well this year.  John and Sarah were upset because of Baby John's hospital bill.  Between what they had saved, and how well our crops were this year we could cover the bill.  John paid what he could of the bill, the family put together what we could and paid the hospital without having to ask the church for money.  If we had not been able to pay the bill, the church would have paid the rest.  In fact, Bishop Eli planned on taking money to pay what John and Sarah couldn't of the bill.  But, a family discussion decided we had  enough to pay the bill and we did.  I got to the hospital and paid the bill before Bishop Eli did.  This is not bragging, but just telling how well the Lord has been to us.

We should thank the Lord.  Just stop and take a few minutes to thank the Lord. I know I said it before, at our house when everyone is seated for dinner on Thanksgiving - after prayer - I ask we go around the table and each person tell what we are thankful for this year.  Just one item.  Sometimes it is something like perhaps Baby John being born perfect, or one of our Grandchildren pleased that her marks have  improved in school to someone getting something they needed - on until we are done.  It doesn't matter if it is big or small as long as means something to the person that says it.

Anna and I also take time alone to thank the Lord.  We try to take time every day, but like everyone else we aren't perfect.  It seems we have time to ask the Lord, but sometimes don't have time to thank Him, which we feel is wrong.  But, we are not perfect.

Also we remember that the Lord forgives us, if we ask Him.  It is hard sometimes to understand that.  But the Lord created us, sent His Son  to teach us and be among us and His Son died on the cross for our sins.  So if He did that, He will forgive our sins, if we ask.  It is hard for us to understand, but that is the way it is.

So, please take time to thank the Lord.  Maybe the day before, on Thanksgiving Day and, if you forget, the next day.   In fact, try to say a thank Him every day.

I didn't mean to go on so.  This year has been a good year for us, but we have had years that were not so good.  Years, I wondered if we would make it from one end to another.  So, Anna and I, also know the hard times.

Didn't mean to go on so.  I asked Bishop Eli to give us a post for Thanksgiving and he said delegate, delegate, delegate and he delegated this to me.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer
'

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARILYN

TODAY IS MARILYN'S 67 BIRTHDAY.  IT TOOK SOME DOING TO SNEAK THIS ON HER COMPUTER.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
Elmer and Anna
Eli and Emma
Jean, David and family
Grandfather Albert and Grandmother Olive

SHE HAS CHOSEN HER NAME !!!!!!!

The decision was long and hard with lots of prayer.  There were many names that she liked.  She thanks you all for your submitting names.

Drum Roll, please !!!  Her final decision for her name is: RUTH.

I think we all had fun submitting names.  Also, it may have helped some of us in checking names in the Bible.  It got the biggest response on here, than we have had in a long time.

I asked Ruth if she really wanted me to tell this and she said she felt God wanted her to tell.  What is her name? Ruth.


Marilyn

BARNS - AGAIN

I took these pictures back in August and forgot I had them.  When cleaning out pictures that I had and found them.  The are all kinds of barns Amish, Old Order Mennonite and Englishers.

I will have another post today when Thomas' lady decides on her name.  She promised she would decide today.

OLD ORDER MENNONITE - ROOFING, SIDING AND CONSTRUCTION

I saw a group of Old Order Mennonite putting a roof on a house, a while ago and of course, I didn't have my camera.  I was looking where the man's house, where he lives, and I finally found it.  Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed finding them.

Thomas and his lady are still taking new names on the previous post.  She will decide what name she will use on Friday.

NAME THOMAS' FUTURE WIFE !!!!

Thomas called me this morning.  He has a rye sense of humor.  Thomas told me, as I said before, his future wife does not want to use her real first name on New York State of Mind, and I understand that.  As yet, she has not picked a named and Thomas is getting tired of having her Thomas' lady.  So he came up with the idea of seeing if the people on New York State of Mind could come up with a name for his soon to be wife, that she approves.

Now here are the rules:  Most Old Order Mennonite and Amish names are from the Bible, so Thomas would like it to be a name from the Bible.  Also, it must be a name different from anyone else's on New York State of Mind.

I asked Thomas if he has her permission and he put her on the phone - she agreed to this.  So here is a bit about her.  She is 18 years old, as is Thomas.  Of course she is Old Order Mennonite as is Thomas.  She is a hard worker, Thomas says. She is kind and does for others.  Also, she does quilting, sewing, canning, crochet, and more.  What put her at the top of my list is she loves dogs and cats - especially dogs.

So here it goes.  What do you think her name should be?

BISHOP ELI ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

I will try to answer some of your questions today.  Don't know if I will get through all of them or not.  If not, I will do another post.

Are their rules to become a Bishop?  Yes.  They must be baptized, married, being in good standing, and be raising their children in the way of the Lord. Now to get a little off here, if someone is Bishop and their wife dies - they don't have to marry again.  If they find the right person, they marry again, in fact most do.  But you don't have to. Only a man can be Bishop in our church.  Women can not be Bishops or Deacons or Ministers.

Does the Bishop have to be a certain age?  No.  Most Bishop's, that I know were in their 30's on up when they became Bishop.  I was in my 40's when I became Bishop.

Does the Bishop require special training?  I believe you mean like going to school, taking courses, etc.  No,  Although I do a lot of study of the Bible.  I try to get an hour or two every day, alone, in my office to read, study and pray.  This doesn't happen every day especially during planting and harvest season.  But I do try.  Emma and I also read the Bible and pray together. We also discuss Bible passages.

How is Bishop elected or chosen?  Our way is the same as when Bishop Joseph became Bishop.  We have a Bishop, deacons and our ministers there.  To start each person who is a baptized member of the church in good standing goes in the room and tells who they feel should be the Bishop. Men and women both do this.  When this is done, if there are more than 6 people chosen, the Bishop tells who the men are.  The Bishop usually has a time of prayer.  Then he asks the people to come through again and chose which of the ones they feel is chosen.  If they get done and there still are over six men, the people with the highest counts  go on to the next.

There are six Bibles.  In one of them, the Bishop puts a note with a Bible passage in it.  The six men are asked to come forward.  Usually they sit at a table in the front of room.  Bishop then mixes the Bibles, the deacons mix the Bibles and the Minister mix the Bibles.  Sometimes the Bishop mixes them one last time.  Then the Bibles are laid side by side on the table.  One by one the men chosen open the Bible.  If there is no Bible passenger, there are not Bishop.  The man that opens the Bible with the passage in it - is the Bishop.  We feel that God chose the person He wanted for Bishop.  I went through that - so I hope I put everything in there.

Do I perform marriages, yes I do.  Do I have to be licensed in the state?  I didn't really check into it.  When I became Bishop, I was given a beautiful certificate signed by the Bishop, deacons and ministers that took part.  Before I had to do my first marriage, I took it down to the county seat in Pennsylvania and they copied it.  When I came to New York, I did the same thing and they copied it.
Being Amish, I don't think I HAD to do that, but I did it so there wouldn't be any problems with the state or county.

I know there are more questions, but I think I end here for this post.  Will see if I can talk Emma into putting a post on here.

Honor the Lord,
Bishop Eli

THOMAS, JEAN AND DAVID'S SON, CALLED ME.  WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT ON TOMORROW, WE HOPE YOU ENJOY.  WE NEED YOUR HELP.