Parts run ... Eph. 4:16

BIL, who was a missionary in Russia for many years, preached about Ephesians 4:16 at church yesterday ... about all parts of Christ's body, the church, working together. I've always pictured that as body parts and had kind of an "eww" reaction.

But BIL recalled traveling with a Russian friend to a church conference. In their free time they visited a museum. His friend did a double-take when he saw an old-fashioned home movie projector. "I had forgotten -- how could I forget somethign like that?"

His friend explained that various cells of the underground church in Russia would each obtain one part of the projector. If any group ordered a whole projector, or even more than one part the state would become suspicious. At an appointed time, the groups would gather, assemble the projector and then they could watch a Christian movie for encouragement or teaching.

That really illustrated how all of us are parts of Christ's body. Perhaps I am only a cog or a lever or a wire ... but without every part working perfectly, the whole thing struggles.

Breakdown list

I forgot to update the breakdown list.

The wooden hay wagon is now in pieces. I have a pile of plywood up here for improvements in the chicken barn. DH can use the running gear over again and contemplates making it into another flat wagon.

Everything else (touch wood) seems OK

Surviving the flu

We did all survive but I was starting to wonder. The flu has been going around at school but the kids seemed to be shaking it off until this weekend. First, DS1 got sick. Later we learned half of his classmates were sick at the same time as well as his teacher. Then DH and I and DS2 all got sick at the same time, which was a lot fun for me to clean up. (But, as I told MIL with a dramatic gasp and weak voice trailing into a whisper, "But ... I got 'er done.")

I do believe I was the worst off. High fever and slept all day. Poor DH hoped I could go out and do his chores for him but couldn't wake me up.

DS2 bounced back almost immediately. Our perpetual-motion machine read books and colored all day instead of running. He must not hav felt 100 percent.

When the "big kids" got home they ended up feeding the cows and calves and cooking supper. They fixed plain spaghetti coated with parmesan cheese, served with Gatorade.

Finally the next day DD got sick. She had the lightest case of all, thankfully.

So ... all better just in time to go back to work.

What are the life lessons here? Pretty proud of the kids for pitching in and helping. DD also thought to run to grandma's and borrow a can of soup. One of DD's friends called later to ask if we were all right. Basically we are grateful to be well.