MCC Sale!

We LOVE our MCC sale! For those of you not familiar with MCC (Mennonite Central Committee), they are an organization of Anabaptist churches dedicated to sharing God's love and compassion in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice worldwide. Fresno is one of a handful of cities in the U.S. that hosts a relief sale every year on the first weekend on April. It is held on the Fresno Pacific University campus (which is affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren church). Every year our family looks forward to the many things the MCC sale has to offer...great food, gorgeous antiques and quilts to bid on, connecting with old friends and extended "family" within the Mennonite community, the Run for Relief early Saturday morning, and much more! Here are some pictures from our weekend! My mom and dad now live on this side of the U.S. (hooray!) and came down to join us for the weekend. Here's Grandma Janice and Violet sharing a fritter (also called New Year's cookies). Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this photo are the shirt-wearer's personal views and do not reflect those of his friends or the author of this blog in any way. Fun with Levi while waiting for dinner! Is that another fritter I see in Violet's hand? I really have no idea how much my children ate last weekend! What a bunch of goofballs...a boy totem pole! Saturday morning...up early to run! Audrey ran last year with Auntie Christa. Christa was sick this year. But luckily, Audrey's friend (also named Audrey) and her mom, Marcy, wanted to run it with her. They finished just 2 seconds over 19 minutes! Fantastic girls! Randy signed up for the 10K run. He finished with a personal record, 43:23, 3rd in his age category. Way to go Randy! I walked the 2 mile course with Isaac and Violet (running parts of it). The 2 mile race, whether you run or walk, is a time-prediction. As we came back onto the track, Isaac decided to sprint the last lap and crossed the finish line only 8 seconds from his predicted time! He got a second place medal (only 1 person was closer to their prediction...only 1 second off)! Way to go Isaac! After the race was over and our tummies were full of pancakes and German sausage we wandered onto the green and found someone throwing bowls in front of the library. You could throw one, with his help, for only $1! Each of the kids made one. Mr. Dueck showed Isaac a tad more than what he showed the girls (he actually said that Isaac was a natural...since I have no clue how to do pottery I have no idea what he meant...but interesting to note, none the less). As I watched the potter work with my kids, my mind reflected on the words of Isaiah the prophet, chapter 45, verses 6-12. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things. Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the LORD, created them. "Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you are doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be!' How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father and mother, 'Why was I born? Why did you make me this way?'" This is what the LORD, the Creator and Holy One of Israel, says: "Do you question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command."

As clay in the hands of a potter, so we are in God's hands. I pray that my kids will look back on the MCC sales with not only fond memories, but the understanding that although there are terrible things that happen in the world, God is at work in it all. And as we share what God has given us, through wonderful organizations like MCC, we are being the hands and feet of Jesus.

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10