My Father's Day blessing for my kids - June 2012

My Father's Day blessing for my kids yesterday:
Many many years ago, almost 400 years ago in fact, three Spencer brothers and one sister crossed the Atlantic from England to settle near what is Boston today with the first wave of the "Great Migration" of 1630. One of those brothers, Gerard Spencer, is the line through which my father came. Gerard's brother, Thomas, was a furniture maker - a trade my father has taken up in retirement. In 1686, just before Thomas died in Hartford, Connecticut - a town he helped establish - he wrote his last will and testament. The last part of the will is what I read to my children around the dinner table on Sunday afternoon, " Finally I leave all my children with the Lord and desire his blessing may be their portion, that they may love and serve Him, and live in love and peace one with another when I shall be gathered to my fathers....." I feel that would have been Bud's last wishes for my kids. I'm so grateful for the godly heritage in my forefathers. I pray that legacy will continue into future generations.

Mountains

Recently I've been going up to church during the week just to be alone for a little while in Bud's office. I go in and check the mail, answer phone messages, tidy up a bit, and just sit in his chair to think, to cry, to pray. I love it there. It's his place, his place to study, to pray, to think, to work. I find comfort there. As I'm there, I'm starting to go through his personal things and bring some of it home now to save. I found one of his posters that he loved. On it is pictured a rust-colored rocky cliff and two men rock climbing on it at dizzying heights. Also inscribed on it are the words, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2." Bud loved that poster.

It all started back in 1986 when he and I and little Jeremy took a trip to Yosemite National Park in California. While we were there for the week, he took rock climbing classes. I would wheel Jeremy in the stroller to the base of the cliff, look up at my husband way up there hanging only by ropes, and pray! On Saturday his dad came up from San Francisco to climb with him. That was the beginning. He went on to climb in many other places. Also he loved the challenge of hiking mountains. From the Colorado Rockies climbing peaks over 13,000 feet, to the autumn Catskills ablaze with color in every direction, to the blustery heights of Mount Washington. He loved the mountains. I used to ask him why? Why do you do this? It's a lot of effort. It's not safe." And he would say, "Because it's there." Not what my safety-loving heart wanted to hear. I like my feet on solid, low lands!

Seeing that poster again helped me to understand why Bud loved the mountains. They pictured for him his eternal God. Psalm 90:2 says, "Before the mountains were brought forth or before you had formed the earth and world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." The mountains reminded Bud of his own mortality. God was eternal, existed before those mighty mountains He created. The psalmist said he looked to the hills from where his help came. The mountains reminded Bud that God was his help, God was eternal, and His creation of the mountains declares His majesty to our own feeble minds.

Mountains....mentioned many times in the Scriptures. The mountain on which Moses received the ten commandments; the mount of Transfiguration of Jesus; Jerusalem on the mountain; the Mount of Olives on which Jesus prayed before His crucifixion.

The mountains....I'm glad Bud climbed them.

Occupation....Bus driver

The Evangel bus! I wonder how many miles Bud drove a bus or van full of teens? Has to be over 500,000 in the 22 years of being a youth pastor. Trips to Lake Ann Camp, all over the state for quiz meets and retreats, to Long Island and back many times for mission trips, out west with vans full of kids, to Arkansas to run a camp several times.....He loved it! On the long trips, he enjoyed chatting with various kids who would come up front to talk. Good times! I am just so thankful for the safety on the roads for those many many miles.

Algonquin - Father and Daughter

When I was pregnant with Janelle, Bud took his first Algonquin wilderness canoe trip. He went with people from North Baptist Church in Rochester, NY. When I went to drop him off to go with them, I got to reconnect with two former students of mine - Jay and Suzanne Hamilton. Fun! I found out they had married. Oh my, who would have dreamed that when they were my 6th grade students! After that week in Algonquin, Bud took many more over the years. He took teens, young adults, and even older adults like Everett and Elayne Biielby, Paul and Faith Harold  and others! It was a great week of canoeing about 80 miles, away from the trappings of life at home. No phones, no fast food, no media. Time in God's creation. Time alone with God. Great times with others, learning together. This picture is Janelle and Bud sitting alone by a lake there. A special time with Daddy all to herself! How I wish I now had a recording of their conversation!

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalm 90:2

If you went on an Algonquin trip with Bud, please feel free to share something God taught you through that experience and perhaps how that lesson is still helping you in your walk with God today. Thanks!

Peace

There's a peace I've come to know

Though my heart and flesh may fail

There's an anchor for my soul

I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome

And the grave is overwhelmed

The victory is won

He is risen from the dead.

From "I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin

With the Lord - Baptist Bulletin article

Leland “Bud” Hall, 54, went to be with the Lord in his sleep on April 14. He was serving as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Bay Shore, N.Y. Prior to his ministry in Bay Shore, he served on staff at Evangel Baptist Church, Taylor, Mich., for 22 years. He graduated from Baptist Bible College, Clarks Summit, Pa., in 1980 and from Baptist Bible Seminary in 1984.

Bud’s foremost ministry was to his family. He was a faithful husband to Sandy for almost 29 years, and a devoted father to his five children: Jeremy, Joanna Syroteuk, Jason, Janelle, and Joseph. They will always remember how supportive and involved he was in each of their individual sports and pursuits, as well as how he and Sandy taught them to walk with God daily and love Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Pastor Bud’s passion for the local body of Christ was evident to all. His greatest pursuit in church ministry was evangelism and discipleship. While pastoring at Evangel Baptist in Michigan, he became trained to teach Evangelism Explosion and devoted much time to equipping believers of all ages to share their faith. As a youth pastor, Bud’s vision for those in his youth group was to be servant leaders in their own sphere of influence; he accomplished this by encouraging the teens to step out of their comfort zone and take responsibility in ministry even at a young age. A large percentage of those teens, many who are currently training for or are in full-time ministry today, have attributed their spiritual walk with Christ to Pastor Bud’s example, vision, training, and equipping.

As pastor of Calvary Baptist in New York, Pastor Bud’s passion for discipleship in ministry involved a greater emphasis and involvement in preaching and teaching. Through corporate worship, men’s or couple’s Bible studies, or one-on-one relationships, Pastor Bud encouraged believers to take the next step in their spiritual walk with Christ—whether baptism, sharing their faith, getting involved in the body of Christ, reaching out to brothers and sisters in Christ both local and around the world, or becoming spiritual leaders in their own families. Although he ministered in Bay Shore for only five years, he had an incredible impact in both the local church and the community.

In his community, Bud conducted many devotions for Christian Youth Soccer League, Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., and was a fixture on Saturday mornings, cheering on the kids. The soccer league says, “Truly we have been blessed by knowing this man and his ministry. We give God the glory for his wisdom, kindness and grace which was so evident in the life of Pastor Bud Hall.”

Bud’s family says, “Though in our perspective his life was brief, as a man of integrity, wisdom, vision, and devotion, Leland ‘Bud’ Hall has left a rich legacy for the glory of God.”

Home!

Home! so many memories of home. Bud asked me to marry him the summer of 1982. Knowing he was headed for ministry, he prefaced his proposal with a reminder to me that we might never own our own home. If I married him, I was stepping into ministry with him....whatever that meant for us and wherever that took us. Was I willing? Yes, a thousand yeses! We married July of 1983. Graciously the Lord took us to Evangel Baptist Church in Taylor, MI, the summer of 1984 when Bud finished seminary. We moved into our home in Woodhaven in October. What I thought might never happen became a reality. We owned our own home! Little did we even guess then that we would live there for 22 years. All five of our children were born while we lived there. The neighborhood was wonderful with other families with young children.

Home! Meals, diapers, repairs, guests, discipleship, music lessons, books, chores, homeschooling,toys, loving, prayers.....home. I am so grateful for the many memories of our first home. My heart was to make it a refuge for Bud and for my children. A place of training, education, growth, safety.

Home! now the memories flood my mind.....
Doing dishes at the kitchen sink and looking out the window to suddenly see my 2 year old Janelle on top of the monkey bars. How on earth did she get up there?

A 15 year old son Jeremy heading out the door for a mission trip and remembering to come back in to say goodbye to Mom and give me a hug.

Jason sneaking into the girls' room at night after lights out to talk with Joanna and Janelle. They wonder if I knew?

Bud praying with Joanna in the living room in the very early morning before her knee surgery.

Joseph up on the ladder at 6 or 7 years old helping hold a piece of siding in place for Bud as he worked to reside the house.

Bud desperately trying to turn off the water to the house while a pipe in the utility room had sprung a leak. Water spraying everywhere....Bud soaked! Little vignettes of sweetness!

Home! I quote Henry Beecher, "Home should be an oratorio of the memory, singing to all our after life melodies and harmonies of old remembered joy."