Tuesday, August 9, 2011

BETHEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, SEATTLE, WA 1920 - 2011

Last Service at Bethel Presbyterian Church
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The congregation merged with Trinity
Presbyterian Church, Seattle, WA
















Bethel Presbyterian
Church, Seattle, WA

Established 1920
Closed July 31, 2011
91 years

My Dad, Milton I. Henkle
helped to build this church
building in the 1950's.






Sign on the side of the
Educational Wing



















Rev. Waldo E. Hancock, Jr.




Corner of the Geneva Room and
looking toward the old manse
where the Rev. W.E.
Hancock family lived.





The Fireside Room








The Educational wing.








Front


Inside the Sanctuary





Back








All the pastors that
served at Bethel
through the years.
I was under
Rev. Charles Parrott,
Rev. William Floyd Kuykendall
and Rev. Waldo E. Hancock.




The old piano that
our youth group
spent many a fun
times around back
in the '50's.


The Bethel Mailbox!








The Ebenezer Pillar at Bethel.
My mom contributed a rock
for this.


Many memories were made in this church. Our family began attending Bethel in 1943 when the church met at 105th and Phinney. My mom and Dad and sister's memorial services were held here and Bob and I were married in this church. Bev was married here twice. I sang in the choir, was active in the youth group, taught 6th grade Sunday School here. It was our second home. It is hard to day good bye. But our memories will live on for ever.

ALL FAMILY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT SANDY HOOK


SANDY HOOK, WHIDBEY ISLAND, WA
Saturday, July 30, 2011












We had a wonderful time celebrating primarily my (Lynn) 75th birthday but also grand nephew, Tyler Chartrand who turned 6 on the same date as me. Also Karen's 36th birthday (June 29th) and Julie's 43rd birthday (August 3rd). We celebrate everybody's birthday and have one great big party however....we forgot to sing Happy Birthday...oooppps!!
Kevin surprised me and all of us really by flying up on my birthday July 29th to join us for the celebration.
The family members who came were:
Bob and me
Brian
Linda and Naomi
Julie
Karen and Steve, Rebecca and Sarah
Lisa and Kiera (Nik spend the day boating with his brother, Mark who, sadly is not expected to live much longer.)
Kevin
Lleana & Bud Davison (cousin)
Poppe Triance (cousin)
Kurt & Sandra and Spencer Chartrand (nephew)
Derek & Rose and Alexis, D.J. and Tyler Chartrand (nephew)




The Nephews:
Kurt and Sandra and Spencer Chartrand (right)
Derek and Rose, Alexis, Tyler and D.J. Chartrand
(left)











Cousins:
Poppe, Lynn & Lleana






The Self Kids all grown up!
Karen, Julie, Kevin, Lisa, Brian & Linda









The Original Self Family:
Karen, Julie, Kevin, Bob & Lynn, Lisa, Brian and Linda







Linda

Linda surprised me by playing her great grandfather's (Ira M. Henkle) handmade violin for me at sunset. She had new strings, bridge and one of the handcarved pegs Grandpa made installed on the violin and got a new bow to go with it. The violin was made 61 years ago and has never been played.

It was a lovely way to end the day!!!!

LYNN'S 75th BIRTHDAY SURPRISE! BEST BIRTHDAY EVER

I was disappointed that my cousin, Lleana postponed our annual
birthday celebration get together for the day of my birthday, but
shehad just gotten back from Eastern Washington the day before
andneeded some time to regroup and get ready for the big family
get-together over at Sandy Hook on Whidbey Island on Saturday.
So I was feeling rather bummed. BUT...I gave the day over to the
Lord and just let HIM surprise me with whatever He had in store
for me.

AND SURPRISE ME HE DID!!!!

Kevin called me and wished me Happy Birthday and I talked with
Rachel and Isaac and Nicole had her little baby sounds too.
Then Karen called and I chatted with her for awhile. Bob seemed
to have forgotten it was my birthday. When I asked him to take
my picture out on the front porch he asked why. Then he said "Is
today your birthday?" Well, Duh! Yeah! Not so much even as a
"Happy Birthday" from him all day. The bum. He was in my dog-
house.

Anyway I got checking my e-mail and facebook greetings from
friends, writing letters and then I was dozing in my chair when
I heard Brian knock at the door so I went to let him in and he
wished me Happy Birthday and gave me a hug. Then he wanted
to take my picture. I told him I wanted to change into my
"birthday blouse" (I have had my picture taken in this at 60, 70,
and now 75) before he took my
picture. I did that and as Brian
was taking my picture I heard
a loud knock at the door. I
went to look through the peep
hole to see who it was but,
I couldn't tell who it was.
It looked like some salesman
with a clipboard.


So I shrugged my shoulder and opened the door anyway and it was KEVIN at the door with a big bouquet of roses and the card he told me that I should probably get that day. I was speechless!
Brian video taped the surprise then posted it on facebook and tagged the girls so they could see it. I was still holding the roses and I hadn't had time to put them into a vase yet when Julie called me to wish me Happy Birthday. She asked me if I had had a good day. I said "Oh, yes
I had a VERY nice day!" (Oh, and what did you do today?) "Well I got a nice bouquet of roses for my birthday." (Who did you get the roses from?) I looked at Brian and whispered "Should I tell her?" He nodded "yes". So I said "I got them from Kevin!....and he just happens to be standing right behind me!" She let out a scream of excitement. Linda called and she said she cried when she saw the video. Karen did too.
Later Lisa called to wish me Happy Birthday and she and Nik and Kiera "mowed" Happy Birthday to me. She said she had been gone all day so I figured that she didn't know so I didn't
tell her. Brian and Kevin went shopping and got some salmon for the next day and instead of coming back to our place to put it in the fridge likethey said they would they went to Lisa's.
Brian has been living at Lisa & Niks for over a year so when he came in and wanted to put the salmon in their fridge it was no big deal. Lisa was busy chopping vegies for the next day when she heard a noise and when she turned around there was Kevin standing there and she about dropped her teeth. Nik heard the commotion from the office and came out and said "NO WAY!" So they were completely surprised as well.

I have to add that Rachel found a good price on an airline ticket and bought it and called Kevin and told him that he was going to Seattle (from Arizona) for the week-end. Bless her heart. She is THE BEST daughter-in-love anyone could have.

So God blessed me many times over for my 75th Birthday!!
The best birthday ever!
THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER FOR BLESSING ME!!!



SURPRISE: BOB & I ARE DISTANT COUSINS















What a surprise! To find out that Bob and I are distant cousins!
How did this come about?
Well Bob's twin brother, Dick had sent us 6 copies of the Smith
Family Tree and I remember as I glanced through it several
years ago that I thought I saw a "Henkle" mentioned in there
somewhere.
Since we moved and I think I have given each of the kids a copy
of the Smith Family Tree and didn't have a copy for ourselves I
asked the kids if they could look this up for me. They couldn't
find their copies as they too, had moved about.
So I e-mailed Janet, my sister-in-law and asked her to check the
Smith Family Tree for a "Henkle" that might be listed in there.
She didn't think so at first but later she sent me another e-mail
and YES they had found it. She sent me the 4 names that were
in there and I looked them up in the big red Henckel Family
Geneaolgy book and there were the names. I had a little time
trying to figure out the generations on those 4 names but finally
got them straight after using the number system for the different
generations and got to Anthony Jacob Henckel. He had a son,
John Justus Henckel, Sr. and he had two sons, one John Justus,
Jr., and the other Jacob Henkle. (The spelling of the name
changed even within the same families.) But Bob is downline
from Jacob and I am downline from John Justus, Jr. And that
is how we are distant cousins.
What a trip for us!!!!!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

God vs Science


'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.'

The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'

'Yes sir, 'the student says.

'So you believe in God?'

'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'

'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'

'Yes'

'Are you good or evil?'

'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!’ He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you.. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good...!'
‘I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'

'Er..yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'

The student falters. 'From God'

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'

'Yes, sir..'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil..'

Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'

The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'

'No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'

'No, sir, I have not..'

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Yet you still believe in him?'

'Yes'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'

'Nothing,' the student replies.. 'I only have my faith.'

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat?'

'Yes. ’

'And is there such a thing as cold?'

'Yes, son, there's cold too.'

'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation.. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor.. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.' 'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself.. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

If you read it all the way through and had a smile on your face when you finished, mail to your friends and family with the title 'God vs. Science'

PS: the student was Albert Einstein.

Albert Einstein wrote a book titled God vs. Science in 1921...

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Understanding the true meaning of Christmas

Where is YOUR heart?


Let us stop and ponder for a moment (or as long as it takes for us) to REALLY understand the deep significance of Jesus birth.

It isn't WHAT WE can DO for God, rather it is WHAT HE has done for us.

There is nothing that we can do to buy our way to Heaven. We could give to missions til the cows come home, we could give tons of money and time...yet that won't get us any closer to Heaven.

So what WILL?
It is giving of our HEART to Jesus. It is in SURRENDERING our will, our life, our heart over to Jesus and allowing HIM to have control over us in every area of our lives....our choices, our desires, our wants, our relationships, our habits and so on. It means to humble ourselves before Him. That means to empty ourselves of our self-centeredness and allow HIM to have complete control over our tongue, our actions and our focus in life.

So many people just go about life as if God didn't exist. At least from all appearaces of their actions and what comes from their lips is concerned. How is YOUR life compared to what God wants from YOU? This would be a good time to reevaluate your WALK and see if there is something that needs to be tended to. Let this New Year be a time of renewing of your mind, heart and life.

Psalm 139:
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Monday, November 8, 2010

A VETERANS DAY POEM











A POEM WORTH READING 
And sharing!
(Author unknown)



He was getting
Old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly *
*For they knew whereof he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For old Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won t be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.

 When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Someone who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?>
Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end?

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY." *
*
*
*Pass On The Patriotism!
YOU can make a differen*

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Devine Coconut Cake

This cake was first served at our monthly W.O.W. (Women of Wisdom)
luncheon on April 2, 2004 at Northshore Baptist Church in Bothell, WA.
It was THE most TO DIE FOR cake I have ever tasted. (Originally From
Your're Invited (The Junior League of Raleigh, North Carolina) )
Lynn

Devine Coconut Cake

1 box butter cake mix (Duncan Hines)
1-3/4 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
4 cups (about 1 medium) grated fresh coconut or 2 (6-ounce) packages
frozen coconut, thawed
1 package whipped topping, prepared according to package directions
OR
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, thawed

* Preheat oven to 350F
*Prepare cake mix according to package directions *Spoon batter into 2
greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
*Bake in center of oven for 30 to 34 minutes or until wooden pick inserted
in center of cake comes out clean.
*Cool in pan for 10 mintues. Remove to wire rack and cool completely
*Split cake layers in half. Combine sugar, sour cream and coconut.
Reserve 1-cup sour cream mixture for frosting. Spread remainder of sour
cream mixture between layers, split sides up.
*Combine reserved sour cream mixture with whipped topping. Blend until
smooth. Spread on top and sides of cake
*Seal cake in an airtight container adn refrigerate for 3 days prior to
serving.

Yield: 16 servings

Suggestion for container: Find one tall enough to accomdate the cake as it is
taller than many cake containers.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Crabby Old Man by an old man in Nebraska

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing
home in
North Platte, Nebraska, it was believed that he had nothing left of
any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager
possessions,
they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff
that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the
hospital. One nurse took her copy to Missouri .

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared
in the
Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association
for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on
his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the
world, is
now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. .. . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .. . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .. . . . .. you're not looking
at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . .. with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now .. . . .. . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . .. my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . .. that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . .. . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . ... . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . .. . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me .. . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . .. . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . .. . .. young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . . . and the love that I've
known.

I'm now an old man . . .. . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . .. . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . .. .. grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass .. . . . . a young guy still
dwells,
And now and again . . .. . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . .. . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . ... . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact .. . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man .. . . Look closer . . . see ME!!


Remember this poem when you next meet
an older person who you might brush aside
without looking at the young soul within.
We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM

The best and most beautiful things of
this world can't be seen or touched.
They must be felt by the heart.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

50th Anniversary Celebration

August 5, 1960 - 2010
Our wedding photo.
Our 50th Anniversary photo.

Linda made our anniversary cake to emmulate our wedding cake. This was her first attempt at making such a big fancy cake! She did a fabulous job and it tasted better than our wedding cake too!







































The Whole Self Family on the left and the extended family on the right! Pastor Steve sharing and Marilyn Mitchell sang "Find Us Faithful" for us.












Find Us Faithful


We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

CHORUS:
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

REPEAT CHORUS

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful