Over the past weekend our family was able to take a little road trip up into Michigan. While we were driving back down I-75 we passed the exit for Fenton. This is the where my Grandpa and Grandma Distler lived during my teenage years where my Grandpa pastored the Fenton Bible Church. Before that he had pastored churches in New York, Ohio and Illinois. He retired from the pastoral ministry at Fenton and went on to serve as a Superintendent at a Rescue Mission in Salinas, California before he went home to be with the Lord.
After seeing the Fenton exit sign I pulled off and put Fenton Bible Church into the GPS and 1.7 miles later we were sitting in front of this little church and the parsonage next door where Grandpa and Grandma had lived. We took some pictures that are posted above.
The last Christmas that I spent with Grandpa and Grandma Distler was here at this parsonage. Christmas at Grandpa and Grandma's was a bit unusual because Grandpa always insisted that we did everything, including opening all of the presents, on Christmas Eve. That made Christmas Day a pretty long day.
But being back at this little church and the parsonage next door brought back other memories. One of the first sermons I ever preached was from the pulpit of this church. After Grandpa died and I was going through all of his books and related boxes, I found the cassette tape of that message that Grandpa had kept all those years.
I guess that is one of the presents of Christmas that brings the most value - the present of Christmas memories. May prayer is that this Christmas will be one of those special holidays that my kids will remember long after I am celebrating Christmas in heaven with Jesus and Grandpa and Grandma Distler.
4 comments:
What I want to know is...why aren't you wearing a coat while you're standing out in the middle of the snow!!
Hi Amanda! Good to hear from you! The answer to your question is that real men don't wear coats no matter how cold it is outside! Actually the truth is that my coat was in the back of the JEEP and I was so excited to see my Grandpa's old church and parsonage that I didn't take the extra 15 seconds it would have taken to of grabbed my coat and put it on! Blessings to your family this Christmas!
Hi Scott and family,
What a Christmas memory !! The best gifts are those you can open every year.
You are exactly right, Beth! Thanks for reading and commenting! May God give you a very blessed Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!
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