Front Royal’s Festival of Leaves

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nother weekend has passed and another huge reason to thank God for our new home town has come to our attention—the Front Royal’s Festival of Leaves.

Soon after we moved here (about two months ago) we made plans to attend the 39th Annual Festival of Leaves in downtown Front Royal. It sounded like a fun day with many events, lots of crafts, and a ton of history. We were not disappointed.

Two Confederates in front of our town hall
protecting us from the Yankee marauders

Front Royal is a thoroughly southern town. We have noticed this a good bit since we moved here, but the Confederate spirit of this town was on full resplendent display this past weekend for the Festival of Leaves.

As we walked into the central part of the town we saw Confederate soldiers, ladies dressed in mid-19th century dresses, and Confederate National and Virginia flags waving in the breeze. Of course, we were armed with our cameras and ready to capture what we saw.

The marching band from David’s school

After visiting many of the vendor stalls along Main Street, we headed to the parade route and were treated to a fantastic parade that featured bands, gymnasts, and representatives from the the locals schools and other community groups. The Front Royal regiment of Confederate soldiers kicked off the parade and got a rousing response from the crowd as they passed in front of us. The folks on the floats threw candy to the kids in the crowd. It was fun to watch the interaction between the people in the parade and the people in the crowd. In a town as small as Front Royal, many of these folks know each other and interacted with each other as the parade progressed.

We enjoyed seeing the marching band from David’s high school along with many other Skyline High School representatives. These kids are very impressive and it was great to watch them in action. The representatives from Warren County High School were also impressive. There is obviously a tremendous amount of talent here in Front Royal. We hope that David will find some clubs at the high school to get involved in to help him focus his interests. There are many that he has already expressed interest in.

When the parade was over, we headed back to the central area of town to see some of the other features of the Festival of Leaves. And we were treated to a wealth of history about this town.

Miss Blue Ridge

The town of Front Royal was overtaken by Yankee troops and was under Yankee control during part of the War Between the States. On May 23, 1862, General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson captured the town back for the Confederacy and the state of Virginia. While the town was under occupation by the Yankees, one of the women of the town became a Confederate spy. Belle Boyd’s house was open to the public and we were able to see the room where Belle locked a Yankee journalist while she went to inform Confederate leaders of some important Yankee plans she had managed to pry from the man now locked in one of the rooms in her house.

Our local troops kicking off the parade

We got to tour the Warren Rifles Confederate Memorial Museum, where we saw an amazing assortment of artifacts from the War. Included among these artifacts were letters from Confederate soldiers to their families, bibles carried by the soldiers, cannon balls, mortars, swords, rifles, pistols, dresses and uniforms, and a portion of the actual rope used to hang John Brown in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. They also have some wonderful artifacts from Mosby’s Rangers, including wood from the tree a few of the rangers were hanged on under orders of Yankee Col. Custer. It is an outstanding museum.

Major General William Mahone [csafreemans.com]

A man and woman dressed in period garb sat outside the museum. David noticed that the man had the exact same sword that I have hanging on the wall of my library at home. This reproduction Confederate battle sword is a beautiful piece of work. But when I bought it I was surprised to find a small stamp on the back of the sword that says, Made in India. So I asked this man if he had noticed the same thing on his sword. He said, “Not much of anything is made in America anymore. That’s what happens when the Yankees take over.” Yep, I love this town!

We also got to tour another of the old houses there in town. In this house there was a woman spinning wool into thread. She explained the processes for wool, flax, and cotton to us and explained some of the economic impact of these processes as they contributed to the dynamics related to the War Between the States. It was fascinating and David ate it up. This living history really awakens David’s desire to learn.

Otelia Butler Mahone [csafreemans.com]

At the end of the day, David kept saying, “this was really fun,” and “this has been such a great day!”

Kim and I have always loved the south. Kim was born and raised here in eastern Tennessee and Virginia. But I was born in Maine. God, in his grace, saw fit to move my family to Virginia when I was only three years old. But it wasn’t until now that we have lived in a truly southern town and we really love it here. We’re praising God for his goodness and mercy.

Check out more pictures at my Festival of Leaves Facebook album.

 

The importance of gun control

 

Happy Friday - He's Alive!

 

God’s smiling face

 

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his morning David called us into the dining room. “Look at the sky,” he said, with awe in his voice. Kim went into the dining room and then called to me, “Rich, you’ve got to see this. It’s beautiful.” So I went to see what they were looking at.

The sun had just begun to rise over the mountaintops. The clouds had taken on a beautiful orange and red glow with purple and magenta fringes. It was awe-inspiring. And it was God’s handiwork on display.

I grabbed my camera, went out to the porch on the side of our house, and took a few quick pictures.

William Cowper

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

This brings to mind a little bit of the conversation that Mary and I had regarding her last post updating us on her medical situation. Mary is facing some very difficult things right now. Fear of the unknown seems to raise its head over and over. My family just came through one of the most fear-inducing trials we have ever been through. And other friends of ours (mine and Mary’s) have recently been through similar situations.

But all of us who have been through these situations are believers and we recognize God’s goodness and faithfulness to his people. And we rest in that knowledge and surety. That doesn’t necessarily keep the fear at bay, but it comforts us to know that our God has things under control and he promises that he will work things out to his glory and to our benefit along the way.

Psalm 103:8–13

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

This morning’s sky is one of the unexpected and undeserved blessings that God has given my family after bringing us through our trial. For quite some time we didn’t even know if we would have a house to live in. And now we live in the most wonderful house we can imagine with a gorgeous view of the mountains and sunrises and sunsets that defy description. This is God saying, “you are my child and I love you.” Our trials don’t always end with obvious blessings or with things that we cherish in such a tangible way, but God’s blessings are ever-present before the deep waters, during the deep waters, and after the deep waters have been passed through.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord.
—Jehovah Jireh, as quoted by Jeremiah the prophet
(Jeremiah 29:11–14).

I trust to You my body and my soul

 

It’s been some time since I’ve updated our readers on my journey. Here’s a basic summary of what’s occured over the last three weeks:

I found a swollen gland in late spring under my left ear. I called the doctor to report it as Lance was concerned—I just figured it was a gland that hadn’t returned to normal after an illness. The doctor said it probably wasn’t anything, but to call him if it changed or began to bother me.

At the end of August I called because it had gotten bigger. I went in to see my family doctor on September 14th, and he ordered a CBC, and scheduled a quick visit to a surgeon. The CBC returned with normal results, which was encouraging, but not convincing. I saw the surgeon later that week, and he ordered a CT scan. I got the results several days later, and there was a definite mass on my parotid salivary gland (in front of the ear and below the back of the jaw). He recommended that I see an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.

Me & Lance

I visited Raleigh ENT, where Lanelle and Lance have seen allergists. Dr. McMahon performed a fine needle biopsy and recommended that we see the head and neck specialists at UNC. The biopsy came back without lymphoma, and the cells they found were benign, but that’s not 100% positive until they see the actual tumor. Dr. McMahon scheduled a visit for me at UNC hospital in the Head and Neck Surgery department, and I saw Dr. Weissler on Monday.

Dr. Weissler confirmed that about 80% of the tumors in this area are benign, so chances are good that it is not cancer. A pathologist will look at the actual tumor once it is removed and make a final diagnosis. If there is cancer, radiation follow up will be recommended.

Philippians 4:4–8

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

The major problem with this surgery, and why a specialist was recommended is that this gland surrounds the facial nerve. Damage to that nerve can cause facial weakness and even paralysis. Most of the nerve damage and resulting muscle weakness recover within a year, but sometimes it’s permanent. Since I am a voice and clarinet music instructor, it’s important that the nerve and muscles at my lips remain undisturbed. I did find out from Dr. Weissler that the corner of the mouth is the most common post-surgical weakness reported. I also play clarinet every week in the church orchestra, and every year I play in a series of concerts we put on at Christmas. Silly as it is, the "palsy" appearance is less of a concern to me than not being able to play in Christmas Sweet. So I'm specifically asking God to spare that nerve branch from damage. “Even if he doesn’t” as the three Jewish boys told Nebuchadnezzar, “I’ll still praise Him.” He will give me another area in which to serve should He choose to set this one aside. Still, He loves to bless His children, and He wants to hear our hearts in truth, so I’m asking specifically for this.

Dr. Weissler scheduled surgery for October 27th. It will be a four-hour surgery and require an overnight stay in the hospital. My Type 2 diabetes will be monitored during surgery and they will regulate my blood sugar as necessary. He said that I should be “back to normal” in a week from surgery, but there is no way to predict what the resulting nerve damage will be. During the surgery, they will remove both the superficial lobe of the parotid gland as well as the tumor. A cut will be made from the front of my ear, down my neck, and back up to the jawline (move over Frankenstein—I’ll be sutured just in time for Halloween to greet my guests at the door....). The scar should be nearly invisible at the end of a year. The pathology report will come back a week after surgery, and if it shows no cancer, I’ll be done with the whole thing.

This has been an interesting journey for our family. Moms tend to be taken for granted. You just suppose that they will always be there. I have been blessed with some incredible kids, and they are praying for me, encouraging me, and doing special things for me. My husband, who has always been my best friend and very attentive, has gone even further, making me feel cherished and indispensible. The news that we are not facing lymphoma and that it is most likely a benign tumor has set us at ease some, but the last three weeks have cemented our relationships in a special way.

 

This past weekend, Lance “wife-napped” me to the mountains and some of our dear friends took the kids for three days and two nights so we could get away alone to celebrate our 22nd anniversary. Other friends loaned us their cabin for the weekend. It was an amazing trip as we NEVER get away alone. He spoiled me ROTTEN, too! Praise God for the generosity of the Castros, Blacks, and McKays.

Me & Burl

I’m also thankful that God has given me a sense of humor. It really makes these rough waters easier to navigate. As Lance and I visited a museum on Grandfather Mountain, we found an interesting exhibit of a burl bowl. The picture above shows the article that was posted at the exhibit. It explains that a burl is a tumor, and how it is formed. I showed the exhibit to Lance and said, “I think I’ll name it ‘Burl.’” I stuck out my neck and had Lance take a picture of “Me ’n Burl.” Some of you might find that repulsive, but for me, it is hilarious. I believe that humor is the foundation of sanity. Learning to laugh at life instead of letting it bury you in its burdens is a discipline worth the pursuit. A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. —Pr. 17:22

Thank you, friends, for praying for us as we weather this current storm. God has already answered many prayers and afforded us things we weren’t even asking for. Your continued prayer will strengthen us for whatever this journey holds in the next few weeks and months as well.

Click here for pictures from our anniversary weekend.

Blog Header - October 5, 2009

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oday’s header photo is from the amazing National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. This large memorial is beautiful, respectful, and informative. It is well worth the trip to see it, even though Bedford, Virginia is quite rural and not near much of anything else.

This memorial is donor-supported rather than federally-funded, which is probably part of the reason for its excellence. The presentations of history at this memorial are also not tainted with political correctness or party affiliations. It’s just plain and accurate history about the amazing bravery of the soldiers who fought to save the world from Nazi tyranny.

Should you plan a trip near Central Virginia, make sure you include a stop at Bedford, Virginia, to see this memorial. You’ll be glad you did.

Where He leads me I will follow

 

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eemingly a lifetime ago I had a very good friend. This friend of mine helped open my eyes to a wider world, became a positive catalyst to my rebel spirit, caused me to seek the truth in God’s Word, and convinced me to question man’s traditions whenever they came in conflict with God’s commands or with God’s graciousness. Dean was an amazing friend who greatly impacted my life.

In those days it was much harder to keep in touch than it is now. Dean and I lost contact with each other about 25 years ago. Then, by God’s grace and through the medium of Facebook, God reconnected us. It has been a joy getting reacquainted and finding out what has happened over the past two and a half decades.

Even while I have tried desperately to move out of the Washington, D.C., area, God has kept my family here. But God moved Dean from where I left him (Clark Summit, Pa.) to a new location. Many twisted and difficult paths took him across the country, but just as God used pain and pressure to bless my family greatly by moving us to a beautiful and wonderful town, God has blessed Dean with the responsibility of shepherding a flock of believers here:

Reconnecting with old friends is gratifying in many ways. But it is especially sweet to see God’s sustaining grace in the lives of my old friends and to see that God is blessing them in peripheral ways, just because he loves us all and his character shines through in his blessings.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

Blog Header - October 1, 2009

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love to use Photoshop to create composite images. A composite image is actually two or more images merged together. I began to experiment with composite images at our previous church (Old Forest Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA—recently renamed Redeeming Grace Baptist Church [rgbaptist.org], obviously so named in honor of R.G. - Rich Gelina), when the pastor wanted to use computer projection for the praise music lyrics and for rolling announcements during the prelude. I researched projection systems and software and in a few weeks got things rolling for projection in the services. But the backgrounds were boring, so I decided to dress things up a bit.

I took photos around the church grounds and merged other elements into these photos. I placed our church’s logo or name into well-known scenes. I even merged our VBS posters into scenes from famous movies such as Star Wars.

These experiments gave me a taste for the power of Photoshop’s compositing capabilities and I thoroughly enjoy working with photos this way.

Today’s header photo is of the sidewalk clock that stands at the center of our hometown—Front Royal, Virginia. Last Saturday, when we were exploring the town and taking pictures, I tried many different angles for this clock, but none of them really showed what I wanted. Then, while waiting on the side of the road for my wife to check out some of the local shops, I noticed the clock framed by two large trees. I liked what I saw and took the picture from right there.

Then, when I got it onto my computer at home I realized that it might make a nice header photo. So I created a sign of the blog title and merged it with the clock photo. I angled it 3-dimensionally and placed it over the shop behind the sign. I applied a slight blur to meld in with the out-of-focus background of the photo and reduced the opacity so the white of the lettering would not stand out as brighter than the other white areas of the picture. And today’s header photo is the result.

I love Photoshop!

BTW: Today we are visiting the National Zoological Research Facility here in Front Royal. The facility hosts many endangered species and they open their gates one day each year for visitors to come and see these unusual animals. Today is that day. Photos are forthcoming.

3 steps forward, 2 steps back

 

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remember being taught to lift weights differently than I had thought I should when I first began. I had been trying to lift the most weight I possibly could in order to gain bragging rights. But then someone pointed out that you gain very little by lifting the most you can only one time. Much more is gained by significantly lower weight, but many repetitions. Eventually, the bragging rights go up because the consistent up and down of the lower weights significantly increases the total weight you can lift at one time.

I have noticed a parallel in life. I have goals and desires that I want to accomplish immediately. I already have the skills and abilities for some of those goals, but I would need the cooperation of others to achieve them. That cooperation is part of the lower-weight/many-repetitions process of life.

Some progress comes in one area and it looks like I am headed toward the accomplishment of a goal, but then in another area I hit a set-back. So I adjust my focus to this other area and begin to see some success and accomplishment toward the goal and the previous area where I had seen prior success hits a roadblock or setback. It’s a never-ending process of gaining a few yards, dropping back and punting. Then waiting to get the ball back, struggling for a few more yards, dropping back and punting. Then waiting....

It can be frustrating, especially so when the ultimate goals have been in place for decades and when I get close the set-back hits and discouragement sets in. And I think discouragement is the true battle—not the set-backs or roadblocks. I have to keep lifting the lower weights over and over again with each repetition bringing on greater strength—each repetition moving me a few inches closer to the ultimate goal.

I’m reading a book that is a bit of a departure for me in my casual reading and the following passage from that book brought these thoughts to mind:

I argue because I must. Sometimes I argue to discover the efficacy of a thought or the validity of a plan. Sometimes I argue to tap the knowledge of others. We constantly affirm ourselves. A single corn plant growing in the basement cannot pollinate. It requires other stalks, the sun, the wind. Life—the search for truth, the pursuit of justice, the explosion of creativity—cannot bloom in isolation....

Without argument the nation becomes a wasteland where nothing grows, nothing blooms, nothing is created, nothing lives.... The art of argument is the art of living.

How to Argue and Win Every Time, by Gerry Spence

A harvest meditation

 

Seasonal wisdom from Spurgeon

Song of Solomon 7:13

Choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

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he spouse desires to give to Jesus all that she produces. Our heart has “all manner of choice fruits,” both “old and new,” and they are laid up for our Beloved.

At this rich autumnal season of fruit, let us survey our stores. We have new fruits. We desire to feel new life, new joy, new gratitude; we wish to make new resolves and carry them out by new labours; our heart blossoms with new prayers, and our soul is pledging herself to new efforts.

But we have some old fruits too. There is our first love: a choice fruit that! and Jesus delights in it. There is our first faith: that simple faith by which, having nothing, we became possessors of all things. There is our joy when first we knew the Lord: let us revive it. We have our old remembrances of the promises. How faithful has God been! In sickness, how softly did he make our bed! In deep waters, how placidly did he buoy us up! In the flaming furnace, how graciously did he deliver us. Old fruits, indeed! We have many of them, for his mercies have been more than the hairs of our head.

Old sins we must regret, but then we have had repentances which he has given us, by which we have wept our way to the cross, and learned the merit of his blood.

We have fruits, this morning, both new and old; but here is the point—they are all laid up for Jesus. Truly, those are the best and most acceptable services in which Jesus is the solitary aim of the soul, and his glory, without any admixture whatever, the end of all our efforts.

Let our many fruits be laid up only for our Beloved; let us display them when he is with us, and not hold them up before the gaze of men. Jesus, we will turn the key in our garden door, and none shall enter to rob thee of one good fruit from the soil which thou hast watered with thy bloody sweat. Our all shall be thine, thine only, O Jesus, our Beloved

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening Devotional