JEFFREY SWAINSTON, CHAPLAIN
872 S. Waverly Road
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
(616) 405-6921
revjeff82@gmail.com
"COME TO ME, ALL WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST." - MATTHEW 11:28 IN MEMORIAM 2014
Geraldine Bailey - North Adrian #721
Philip Clipfell - Colon #215
James Hazel - Home #129
George Huffman - Home #129
Margaret Wetzel - Home #129
Richard Kelley - Rome #293
Kenneth Murray - Fredonia #1713
Rita Orlowski - Barnard Grange #689
Doris Ely - Lime Creek Grange #712
Marge Wagner - Summit City Grange #672
Gary Hallock - Burns Grange #160
Mary Carson - Burns Grange #160
Dick Wooters - Summit City Grange #672
Alvin Thelen - Capitol Grange #540
Jerry Dennert - Oceana Center Grange #1047
Alice Beebe - Rome Grange #293
Charles Johnson - North Adrian Grange #721
David Armstrong - Adams Grange #286
IN MEMORIAM 2013
Ed Schwartz - Fredonia #1713
Joanie Miller - Fredonia #1713
Eva Grant - Home #129
Esther Pfister - Rome #293
June Ohlman - North Adrian #721
John Baldwin - Oceana Center #1047
Margaret Beardslee - Community #1675
E. Marie Dean - Summit City #672
Eva Grant - Home #129
Ruth Strebbing - Plymouth/Westand #389
Donna Jean Hauri - Studley #1174
Dean Yoder - Torch Lake #1840
Vivian Foor - North Adrian #721
Jody Barnes - Gratiot #1898
Peg Brown - Burr Oak #1350
MAY/JUNE 2026 GRANGE NEWS
In the next couple of months, we will honor parents by reflecting on God’s sacrificial love, focusing on nurturing, guidance, and grace. Mother’s Day highlights selfless nurturing, while Father’s Day celebrates sacrificial guidance. Both days offer opportunities to thank God for parental figures who mirror divine love, acknowledging that earthly parenting is a calling supported by grace.
A godly father takes pride in seeing children walk in wisdom and righteousness. This mirrors the Heavenly Father, who welcomes his children with open arms and celebrates their return. Fatherhood is a calling to protect, guide, and love, reflecting God the Father's steadfast nature. Even when children stray, the father’s heart, like God's, remains open, ready to offer grace and mercy. It's about building a home anchored in the Lord.
God does not ask parents to be perfect; He asks them to be present and loving. Thank God for the hard work, sacrifices, and nurturing that parents and parental figures do. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are opportunities to honor those who have played a parental role in our lives, recognizing that family extends beyond biology.
Honor Our Parents
In the next couple of months, we will honor parents by reflecting on God’s sacrificial love, focusing on nurturing, guidance, and grace. Mother’s Day highlights selfless nurturing, while Father’s Day celebrates sacrificial guidance. Both days offer opportunities to thank God for parental figures who mirror divine love, acknowledging that earthly parenting is a calling supported by grace.
A mother’s love is often sacrificial, reflecting Christ’s love through relentless service and care. Like the mother who sacrifices the best for her children, God uses mothers to demonstrate unconditional love and nurture. "Mom" is a title that reflects the love given by Jesus to the children entrusted to her care. It’s a call to be a representative of Christ, not a perfect parent. Whether through biological birth, adoption, or spiritual mentorship, Christian mothers represent God's tenderness.
A godly father takes pride in seeing children walk in wisdom and righteousness. This mirrors the Heavenly Father, who welcomes his children with open arms and celebrates their return. Fatherhood is a calling to protect, guide, and love, reflecting God the Father's steadfast nature. Even when children stray, the father’s heart, like God's, remains open, ready to offer grace and mercy. It's about building a home anchored in the Lord.
God does not ask parents to be perfect; He asks them to be present and loving. Thank God for the hard work, sacrifices, and nurturing that parents and parental figures do. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are opportunities to honor those who have played a parental role in our lives, recognizing that family extends beyond biology.
MARCH/APRIL 2026 GRANGE NEWS
Spring Is Just Around the Corner
To everything there is a season, and as winter’s frost begins to thaw, spring arrives as a divine invitation to renewal, restoration, and growth.
Just as the earth awakens from its wintry slumber, our souls have "spring seasons" where God invites us to step forward into fresh beginnings. This transition teaches us several core spiritual truths.
Spring serves as a powerful metaphor for the resurrection, showing that God can bring life out of what appeared dead or dormant. While winter is often marked by silence, spring is marked by noise, the audible call of the Lord to get up and "get your hands dirty" in the work He is doing.
We cannot force the seasons to change. Only God changes the times and seasons. This shift reminds us to rest in His sovereign timing rather than our own. To embrace this spiritual spring, consider these intentional steps. Just as a gardener removes dead debris to allow sun to reach new growth, ask God what "dead leaves" of old habits or negative thought patterns need to be cleared away. Growth often happens underground first. If you don’t see instant results, trust that God is working in the "subterranean" places of your life. Spring is an invitation to sow seeds of faith. Take time to be in communication with God through prayer to hear where He is calling you to plant next.
Prayer for the Season
Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness that remains steady even as seasons change. Thaw the places in my heart that have grown cold or dormant. Give me the courage to arise with the new life You are bringing and to trust Your timing for every bloom. Amen.
Song of Solomon 2:11-12: "For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come.”
