The winner of last week's giveaway, a copy of the latest issue of the Daughter's of Promise magazine, is Nolita Stoltzfus! Email your address to christopherbethany@juno.com and I will get it sent your way!
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I feel like last week's giveaway was a bit of a "niche" giveaway, and this one probably is too. I guess that's ok. It doesn't have to be something everyone's dog and neighbor is clamoring to win. I had decided ahead of time that the giveaways would be simple -- things I already have or can make. This week, I am giving away a copy of the book my sister and I put together in memory of my mom.
I've already written about the book here, so I won't spend a lot of time talking about why we put it together.
Shady Lawn is the small, Mennonite church in the hills of Arkansas that I grew up attending. It began back in 1955 when one family felt called to find a rural area to share Jesus with. These Stones includes the stories of a number of the first families who helped with Shady Lawn's beginning. The stories are written by the families themselves, and have fascinating details about the "pioneer" days. Their stories of grit and ingenuity in a new community, so different from the places they grew up in, are interesting and (sometimes) downright entertaining. Their enthusiasm and love for sharing Jesus with the neighbors around them is inspiring. This book is definitely enjoyed most by those of us who have connections to Shady Lawn, but I think other people would find it interesting and inspiring as well.
If you would like to be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment telling me a childhood memory that has something to do with church. Here's mine: When I was a little girl, for years there were only boys around my age. On Sunday evenings, we would often have children's class, where the children would go up and sit on the front bench and then someone would tell a story or teach a short lesson. I remember how they would often say, "Good evening boys and girl", because I was the only girl up there!
I hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day and that you're weathering the wintery weather these days. February has certainly brought Ohio an abundance of snow this year!
A good week to you....
**The winner must have a US address the book can be shipped to.
13 comments:
That's a fun memory Bethany! Sadly we didn't go to church when I was a little girl but I remember my mother would turn on the radio and the local black churches would be broadcasting live. There would only short 30 minute segments from the various churches but I enjoyed listening to them. I remember we moved next door to a church and I would see the little black grandmas all dressed in their Sunday best and pretty hats and I so desperately wanted to go to church with them. To be honest I often thought about sneaking over to the church but I would have to explain why I'm there without my parents.
I remember how since you were the only girl when my children were little you loved to hold my babies after church! -Sharon Mast
I don't have many memories of being a little girl in an Amish church, but I suspect one reason I think coffee smells so good is that it reminds me of how it smelled in church. Maybe it was because I was looking forward to after church, because the coffee smell likely happened just before dismissal time. LRM
Oohhh. I want one of these books sometime; better give it a try. :) :) I have a not-so-nice memory from when I was a young girl in a church service, of a piece of candy going down my throat when it was still really too big! :( Thanks for the chance to win this book, Bethany!
As a preschooler, I sat with Dad. After church I'd weasle under the bench to get out of Dad's view. Just as i was about to be out of there, Dad's fingers would click. And I knew better than to go any farther.
One church memory I was recently talking with about with my daughter is how we used to have week-long missionary conferences every summer. They were wonderful; it was so exciting to get to hear from the missionaries who were home each year! Before the evening programs began you could always find me in the little corner of the basement temporarily set up as a bookstore. I guess I'm perennially on the lookout for good stories - so thanks for your giveaway!
- Suz
Growing up the last Sunday of every month was really special because they had “children’s church” instead of a sermon. Pretty much a sermon geared towards the children.
The book your giving away looks fun to read!
Dorcas
I grew up in the Catholic church. I remember in 1st or 2nd grade CCD (Sunday school) the teacher told us that Adam and Eve bit into an apple. Even at that age I knew that apples as we know them today did not exist back then. It caused me to doubt everything I was taught about God for the next 20 years. If you are going to alter the Bible, at least tell your listeners that you are doing so.
Congratulations Nolita.
A memory for me is when we had church in our garage, we were with the New Order Amish in Lancaster County at that time.
The church I grew up in was located in town, just a block from the train tracks. The building was old, therefore not air conditioned, so the windows were opened in the summer time during services. When the train went through town -blasting its horn & loudly clickety clacking- the preacher had to pause his sermon until it was past. We were used to it, but visiting ministers occasionally got derailed (no pun intended) by the noise.
When I was growing up, we had church in people’s homes. One family lived an hour away. My mom would often take along an ice cream bucket of pretzels to snack on as we drive home. I love love love pretzels to this day!
I must have been about three, and I remember my dad taking me out during church because I'd misbehaved. Well, I was crying and saying I promise I'll be good, but he still took me out and spanked me. Apparently, I was really bad that day because he took me out six times. What can I say, I was a slow learner, but I don't think he ever had to do that again. MZ
Joy said
Cotton stockings, white ones worn with black patent leather shoes every Sunday morning. Hot summer evenings we were allowed to go barefoot. My Sunday School class of girls was in the basement and each Sunday we could recite from memory the verse on a ticket that we took home for the week resulting in a prize after so many weeks.
I remember swinging my legs while sitting on the bench and making "twins'' in a hammock using a pretty hankie during the sermon. Songs learned from congregational singing are some of my favorite memories .
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