Have we become God?
What did the serpent say to Eve? "Eat of this fruit and you will
be like
God, you will know good from evil!" Looking at many of our leaders in
Con-
gress, Religion, Education, and society's influence points, we might
see actions as
if they became Gods. Statements like we will legislate the price you
pay for fuel
or we will demand better health care, or we will talk with terrorists
to not attack,
or we will protect self esteem by not scoring the tests or we will
play the game
but not keep score. I have run across many of the above comments,
maybe you
have also.
At the same time we hear that man is to blame for all the
pollution, green
house gas, climate change etc. It is man, not woman, which is another
means of
laying the ground work to over throw authority and create hostility
in the natural
complementary order of husband and wife ... family, the building
block of so-
ciety. By throwing over the natural law we "create" disharmony and
eventually
push the real authority, GOD, out of our calculations, thoughts and
minds. We
can solve all problems and if we can't we will have government do it.
Government doesn't do it good or cheap or right. "Only fifteen
cents of
each dollar spent gets to the problem in the most efficient
government run program" says a
Government audit. Jesus is never know to have asked Peter to
go to Pilate and get into the budget to care for His "lambs and
sheep." He has
been known to say: "render to Caesar what is Caesar's and render to
God what
is God's." In this day of "enlightenment" maybe we need to see if
even the God
fearing people have been lulled into belief that they have become
Gods because
of the power they can wield. This is more true with the virtual
reality games,
and programs being used by people. Could this be a reason that we see
more and
more murder and mayhem? Senseless crime and perversion; change and
hope for
the sake of change and hope, but neither really grounded in God.
At our judgment can you or I say we have run the good race?
For over a
quarter of a century, your help, prayers and concern for the
residents of The
Vineyard have made the race worthwhile. God Bless you all!
Update on Vineyard Home Status
The front page of this newsletter was written for the last issue.
The Holy
Ghost must have decided it would be better in this issue since it was
never printed
the last time. "Why?" you ask. Because of the status report on The
Vineyard
Home as follows.
Background
For nearly twenty of the twenty five years of operation, Ruth and
I along
with the Board of Directors have sought out religious groups or lay
people who
would be able to continue the care and living experience with the
Vineyard
residents. We found such a group at Our Lady Help of Christians
Monastery in south eastern Tanzania. Their bishop, Bishop Mole
of Tanzania, asked that our bishop send an e-mail stating he had no
objection to the two Sisters helping out. Our bishop said no.
Maybe because we did not have an endowment large enough and maybe
because these sisters were more traditional. We did get these two
sisters placed with Fr. Blaney's facility in the Gary Indiana
Diocese. They have been such a help. Fr. Blaney has a commitment for
several more.
In the meantime, we have been able to limp along with the care of
the
residents of The Vineyard Home until our Volunteers were exhausted
and had no
hope of any Religious Group to help. Our volunteers are mostly in
their late sev-
enties and several in their mid-eighties. This past January we have
had to sus-
pend full-time care for the handicapped residents after finding
places for them.
There was just no further reserve strength left in our volunteers to
cover the time
when the staff was not available. That included all evenings,
weekends and bad
weather times.
Thus you see that even with the best of human plans such do not
always fit
with the plan of God, which we sometimes forget. Even though we have
prayed
for assistance in the past we are now asking everyone to ask St.
Joseph to inter-
cede. He was charged by God to protect and provide for the Holy
Family and as
the patron for families we are asking Him to intercede with God to
find some one
or group that will use the facility for God's plan. It is hoped that
God's plan will
include care for His people who called The Vineyard their home. The
latest info is that the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph may be able
to send two sisters from
Sharing Meadows, Indiana to help reactivate The Vineyard. Sharing
Meadows is
an affiliate that we helped with Benedictine Sisters. We·
will keep you posted.
News bits
Lyle Suzanne Liebno was found to have a heart valve that was not
allow-
ing the blood to be pumped through her lungs. She was observed at The
Vineyard
having a difficult time "catching her breath." These observations
triggered the
tests and eventual diagnosis. Tests showed a drop to 68% reading of
her blood/
oxygen level. With only a one in four chances of coming through the
open heart
surgery, Suzanne said she wasn't worried. "If God wants me, I am
ready." With
that trust she came through the operation with flying colors although
it took some
time to overcome Pneumonia that set in right after the operation.
Pete, Ruth and
Bob visited her in her new care facility and found her in the best
shape in many a
month.

Sister Claire Marie
and Sister Gloriosa
Linda Louise Combs popped up at Our Lady
of Grace Catholic Church on
May 2nd and introduced her friends Kathy and Rosa from the facility
she occu-
pies. She also looks happy but doesn't seem to be getting the
exercise that kept
her in shape at The Vineyard.
Clara Jane Youngblood, our former senior resident
and Mike Viands both
are anxious to return to The Vineyard but are doing fine at their
respective homes.
Running
across the Winter 1983-1984 issue of the Grape Vine we noted
The Vineyard Home's first WV apple butter production, Candy making and the
planning for the First Eastern Wine Auction all projects to support The
Vine yard Home. Twenty five years later many charities are doing what
The Vineyard
Home started as fund raisers. You can be happy that the ideas you
supported have helped many others. Now we would like your
prayers to discern God's plan for our folks and for The
Vineyard Home.
Sister Alice lends a hand.