News, stories, events, updates, and all things Mount Olivet.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Pastor's Penpoint - "Peace - Run After It!" - January 2015

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

With all the violence in the U. S. and over the entire world so prevalent these days, I have turned my thoughts more and more to our responsibility to pray for and be examples of peace. In my studies, I came across Matthew 5:9 (written above).

"Blessed are the peacemakers" ...when the term "peacemaker" is used the initial thought is of someone who keeps the peace between two opposing parties. A "peacemaker" solves dilemmas often without the force of violence, although the threat of violence is sometimes present and to be used if necessary.

When I was growing up, I watched dozens of westerns where the sheriffs - or the good guys - were armed with the Colt 45 "peacemaker." How ironic that one of the most famous guns of the 1800's was named the "peacemaker." The idea is simply you can only have peace through strength.

When Jesus, the Prince of Peace (in Hebrew the "Sar Shalom") returns again, He will usher in the Messianic age of Shalom - His strength will be on display as He rules with a "rod of iron."

Interestingly enough, as I came across as I came across a translation in the Hebrew New Testament that said the word "peacemaker" has a completely different connotation than our understanding in English. The word "peacemaker" in Hebrew is the phrase "rod-fey shalom".

Shalom has a much richer meaning than simply the word peace. It can also mean completeness, prosperity, safety, contentment, health, blessing and rest. The word "rod-fey" in Hebrew literally means to "run after" or "to chase!"

So, in Hebrew it says "to chase after shalom" - to run after God's shalom! And one can only find God's shalom through our "Sar Shalom" - our Prince of Peace!

This new year, let's attempt to reach a new level of intimacy with our Lord! Let's run after a deeper knowledge of our Lord and in doing so, we'll experience new levels of peace, contentment, blessing and rest! With so much work to be done, isn't it good to know this is available to us NOW through our Sar Shalom!

God's grace and peace to you this new year, Pastor Todd

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

What's coming up at Mt. Olivet?

Here are a few things to put on your calendar:

December 24 - Christmas Eve Service at 6:30pm at the church

January 4 - Epiphany Sunday

January 7 - Commission Meetings at 6:30 and Administrative Board Meeting at 7:00

January 11 - Communion Sunday

January 25 - Ecumenical Sunday where the pastors of the North River Ministerial Association exchange pulpits. Charlie McFarlin will be coming to Mt. Olivet to preach and Pastor Todd will be at Parnassus UMC.

Monday, December 15, 2014

The Youth Christmas Program

Yesterday, the youth of Mt. Olivet were in charge of the morning worship service. 22 of them performed the drama, "A Christmas to Believe In."








 
 
Great job, guys!

Friday, December 5, 2014

Pastor's PenPoint - "Just You Wait" - December 2014

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait for the LORD." (Psalm 27:4)

"Now without faith it is impossible to please God for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

What's the longest you've had to wait for something? I imagine almost everyone has a memory of Christmas Eve as a child; squeezing your eyes shut, trying with all your might to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. For those of you with traditional parents, you knew that even opening one present before Christmas morning was the same as high treason. And so you counted sheep and waited.

Waiting is still difficult. We expect everything to be at our fingertips the moment we have the desire for it. It's a world we're growing into and it's addicting. We live in a world of downloads, high-speed email, on demand, and Hot Pockets. Yet God finds ways of making us wait. Waiting and faith go hand-in-hand.

  • We wait for the baby we've dreamed we'd hold in our arms.
  • Some wait for a prodigal to come to the end of himself and return home.
  • Some are waiting for the phone to ring so we can return to a job with a normal salary and benefits.
  • Others are waiting for a spiritual breakthrough that will open our eyes. Waiting is the embodiment of faith.
Advent is about faith and waiting. What are you waiting on God for this year? Remember the years of silence as God's people waited for the Messiah. Take time today, right now, to reflect on the fact that God's timing is quite different from ours. The story of Jesus' birth gives us assurance and joy because even though the waiting lingered for decades, God broke through at just the right time.

Are you struggling with a lack of faith? That's OK. It doesn't take much faith to get God's attention. Jesus encouraged his frustrated followers this way: "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20).

Most of us try to grow a forest in one day. Jesus, however, invites you to begin with a tiny seed. Watch it grow and wait for it to become all that you dreamed it would be.

  • An entire nation waited centuries before their eternal King appeared.
  • Mary wasn't given a full-grown son.
  • The wise men from the East didn't see the Messiah appear at their front door.
Are you willing to plant faith and wait upon God? Nothing seems to be appearing on the horizon today, but just wait! God always keeps His promises, even to those who have little faith. Just wait.

~ Pastor Todd

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Pastor's PenPoint - "Give Thanks" - November 2014

"Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:32-34)

It's that time of year again. Each fall we stop and think about the harvest and all we have to be thankful for. The farmers always stopped and looked at the bountiful harvest at the end of the long summer and gave thanks to God for helping them.

We too need to stop and five thanks to God for all He has given us. We are blessed. Everything we want may not be in our houses, but we need to be thankful.

David said in the Bible:
"I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous
things you have done. I will be filled with y because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High" (Psalm 9:1-2).
 
God loves to hear from us. He takes great pleasure in receiving our thanks and our love. He cares so deeply about everything that affects our lives. So, we need to talk to Him and tell Him whatever is on our heart. He understands and wants to meet our needs.
 
I read a story the other day written by a mother. It went like this:
"One day my daughter asked for me to clean a special outfit for her to wear to school the next day. I took the time and made sure it was ready for her. As is sometimes the way with busy tens, she did not say thank you. When I mentioned it to her, she seemed surprised. She felt it was my job as her mother to have her clothes ready. I was really hurt. I was expecting a "thank you."
 
I believe God feels the same way when we don't stop and show a grateful heart for all He does for us each day. He wants us to be thankful. W should not look at Him and expect that it's His job to bless us without a thank you in return.
 
Just like that daughter who needed a reminder to appreciate the things she has, the family she is blessed with, and to be thankful for the loving heavenly Father who watches over her, we too need to be reminded.
 
How great is the Father's love for us. How awesome are His deeds, Let us rejoice and be thankful to Him and bless His name. Give thanks to God for He is good and His mercy is everlasting. Great is the love of our God. Let's give thanks.
 
~ Pastor Todd

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Food Boxes for Kentucky

The MMI is collecting donations for Thanksgiving food boxes for Laurel Mission in Kentucky. Each box is $20 and will provide a meal for a family of 6. The goal is 75 boxes. If you would like to donate, please see Kevin Lam, MMI treasurer.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

Oct. 19: Election of church officers

Nov. 5: Commission meetings planning for 2015 and Administrative Board meeting, beginning with a meal at 6pm.

Nov. 8: Ladies Inspirational Fellowship Time at the Sangerville Towers Ruritan building. Registration at 9am. "Super Potato & Salad Bar" provided by the Master's Men International of Mt. Olivet.

Nov. 16: Thankoffering Service with Rev. Denis Casco as the guest speaker. He is Bishop of the United Brethren Church in Mexico.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Pastor's PenPoint - "God's Colorful Autumn" - October 2014

Winter, spring, summer, and fall are God's seasons. I have always been a big fan of spring and fall. Not too crazy about summer and winter due to temperature extremes! Fall is certainly my favorite. My father used to call it "sweater weather." I think it is something about those leaves of red, range, yellow, and burgundy that fall from the trees. I fell as if I have noticed them for the very first time.

I like driving and seeing people setting out pumpkins in the yard with hay bales and planting mums in the yard. Dona just planted mums and pansies ... and added a few pumpkins and gourds for decoration around the front of the house.

The other day, I went to visit a lady who had volunteered for over 10 years at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. She is now 84 and has been ill. She stepped out on the porch and noticed many yards on her street decorated for fall. She said, "I don't remember seeing this too much in the past. Maybe I missed this season all these years, or is it just that as I get older I appreciate Bod's world just a little more?"

The latter was what I felt was the case. The Bible says, "This is the day that the Lord hath made, and I will rejoice in it." Each day He has given me beauty to enjoy, so I think I should sit back and take in this glorious creation.

God is the best artist in the world, for only He can create such different themes. We see many artists that try to capture the seasons on their canvases by painting what they see around them, and they do a wonderful job. However, neither picture or paint could ever replace the real thing splashed across the sky and spilled over the earth like the Master's display of His finest artwork.

When people say there is no God, I know they do not see with eyes like mine. They must see a plain, write canvas or a black drop cloth and not the blue skies that fade into light pink in the evening over Round Hill in Bridgewater. Nor do they see the flowers that no paint on any artist's palate could attempt to match or the trees that were each given a certain color leaf to change into when autumn arrives. "No God?" - could it be that they don't know the Master of the seasons, the One who has created such magnificent displays of perfect art.

We too are part of that Master artist creation. As we assume our place within the beauty of His seasons, we need to see ourselves as God sees us. A masterpiece!

Blaze on God ... blaze on!

~ Pastor Todd

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Busy Summer at Mount "O"

Yes, this has been a busy summer at Mount Olivet. In June and July, 14 youth and children went to Rhodes Grove Camp during 3 different weeks.

Also in June, the UB sponsored medical team held medical clinics near Masaya, Nicaragua. They were able to treat over a thousand patients over a several day period.

 

 

During the June VIBES meeting of the youth, they worked on cutting plastic shopping bags to be used by "New Life Handbags", a UB family run business in Honduras. The family crochets the plastic strips into various types of handbags to sell for extra income. The plastic strips were delivered in July and 25 newly made handbags were brought back to Virginia to sell.






 


 



 

In August, a group of 23 from Mt. Olivet travelled to Laurel Mission in Kentucky to serve for a week. They scraped, stained, painted, mulched, drywalled, underpinned, stapled, sorted clothes, insulated, ran electric and rode 4 wheelers to see horses and elk on top of the mountain. The youth from our group also enjoyed meeting with Rockhouse Youth Ministries.







 

 
 
The youth led 2 worship services this summer, on Father's Day and on August 3. The girls led worship through dance.
 
 
The guys performed a skit called "The Heart Patient".



 
And McKinsey preached on the subject of "idols".
 

 
The summer ended with a wonderful and relaxing church picnic at Oakdale Park. Now we are ready to jump into Fall.


Friday, September 5, 2014

Pastor's PenPoint - "Too Little, Too Late" - September 2014

It's always this weekend, Labor Day weekend that I get startled awake. It's similar to the week between Christmas and New Year. During that week, I reflect back on the resolutions I made ( the typical ones like losing weight, getting more exercise, etc. ) and realize just how short I have come of my goal.

It's the same this weekend. Around May or June, Dina and I sat at the dinner table after our meal one evening and made out a summer "To-Do List". Included was everything from mulching and staining the deck, to doing some painting and planting grass seed.

We got off to a great start. The mulching was done, yard shaped up and even the deck has been finished. Unfortunately many walls are left unpainted, the bare spots in our yard are still bare and all the items on the list after that remain untouched. Bummer.

I guess time keeps moving, and even though I had the best of intentions, I did not get the work done because I did not stay at it.

Over the last month or so in worship, we have been focusing on Jesus' perfect gift of sacrifice and the plan of salvation. We'll continue that theme for a couple of more weeks before beginning our countdown to fall.

Although I have enjoyed preparing the messages and learned a lot myself, I am clear that I am far behind on my spiritual "To-Do List". I am still seeking more time in prayer and meditation, discerning God's call and daily leading in my life. I still grumble too much instead of counting blessings. I choose my own path instead of God's.

But there is good news for me ... and for you if you are experiencing the same feelings of things left undone. Lists can always be updated!

Our tasks, and our spiritual walk, cannot be completed at one time. Nor should they be. Attempting to may lead to rushing, frenzy and exhaustion. In the end, the result will not be at the level we expected, which is all the more frustrating.

As it relates to your spiritual walk, the Lord calls us to spend time in prayer and meditation, studying His word and in listening for His voice. If there are things in your spiritual life that are still undone, this is the best way to continue working on them.

I can't offer advice on your task list ... mine continues to grow! But together let's all focus our energies on the Lord, and He will renew our strength.

~ Pastor Todd

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Pastor's Penpoint - "Days are getting shorter... in more ways than one!" - August 2014

I still remember an interview Katie Couric had with Anne Graham Lotz just a few days after 9/11. (Lotz is the daughter of  evangelist Billy Graham.) Though my quote may not be exact, it is very close to what was said.

Couric asked Lotz - "If there is a God and He is so loving and kind, why did He allow something like this to happen?"

Lotz responded by saying - "God is a gentleman and He will not force Himself upon us. For decades we have been telling Him that we do not want Him to be a part of our Government, our schools or our lives. Perhaps He is doing what we have asked."

Many see a strong comparison in the current condition of America and a time in the history of Israel. Repeatedly the Lord had tried to warn His people to return to Him, yet they continued to live sinfully and independent. Finally the day came when the Lord said that enough was enough.We read these sad words from Jeremiah's prophecy - with the continued bloodshed in Gaza, they have been on my mind a lot lately.

"Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved." Jeremiah 8: 20

We read in the first chapter of the book of Romans that there can come a time when God will give people over to a 'reprobate mind.' A reprobate mind is a mind that is rejected because it has become completely worthless. Some translations refer to this as an evil mind. Others call it depraved.

We learn from 2 Peter 3 that in the last days there will be many who will mock the possibility of the return of Christ and judgement of the world. Yet Peter tells us that the reason God delays His coming is not because He has forgotten or gone back on His Word, but because He is - 'not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' Christ still wants us to share the Gospel with those who are lost.

I noticed the days getting shorter this week ... as we see summer winding down and fall quickly approaching, let it be a reminder to us of the shortness of our time and our need to tell others about God's saving grace. One day the harvest will be passed. One day summer will be ended. Let us pray that when that day comes
 our friends and family will not have to say - "but we have not been saved."

~ Pastor Todd

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Pastor's Penpoint - "Christian Cola" - June 2014

I call it soda. Some call it pop. Still others call it soda pop. Cola is my favorite ... Coke actually. I think you know what I'm talking about. For many years now, Americans have had a love affair with soda. There's nothing that tastes better on a hot summer day than to come into the house from the sweltering heat, grab your favorite ice-cold soda, flop down on the couch, and just let the summer heat dissolve into that sweet carbonation.

As I was thinking about this article, the Lord began to speak to me about "Christian Cola." Don't write me off as a nut case just yet; stick with me. I have been feeling very dry lately with life in general. And it seems like the more I try to quench my thirst, the thirstier I get. It's as if some big joke is being played on me, and I don't have the sense to stop and figure out what's going on. But anyone who has ever felt that way and goes to God for the answers can tell you, He always puts His finger on the problem and helps you work your way out of it.

He began to show me that all the things I was filling my life with, trying to quench my thirst, are like soda. You know what I mean. It tastes great at first and at first, you are satisfied. But within just a few minutes of finishing the first one, your mouth gets all pasty again and you need another drink. The more you drink, the thirstier you get. 

God has created each human being with an inborn desire to reach beyond ourselves for fulfillment. He knows, and every true believer in Christ knows, that thirst is satisfied only in Him.

Jesus, in speaking with the woman at the well, said, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4: 13-14).

Since Adam and Eve sinned and were thrust out of God's perfect garden, mankind has been in a struggle to replace our need for God's living water with anything else. Satan is more than happy to oblige by giving us "soda" of every color and flavor. But God has been there all along, pleading with us, holding out His hands to us, longing for us to come back to Him. He knows, because He created us ... that only His water can refresh us.

You may be saying the same thing the woman said to Jesus some 2000 years ago: "Sir give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus is the Living Water. If you are tired of chugging the Christian Cola that never really quenches your thirst, all you have to do is stop wherever you are and cry out to God from your heart. Everyone who sincerely looks for God will find Him.

Come. Take a drink of the water God is offering you.

~ Pastor Todd

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Rest in Peace, Nancy Daggy

Nancy Lee Daggy, 96, of Staunton, passed away Sunday, May 11, 2014 at Legacy at North Augusta in Staunton. Nancy was born in Mt. Solon, VA, on April 15, 1918, and was a daughter of the late Nancy Rose (Sandy) and Jacob Lee Props. She retired from Bridgewater Garment Factory, and was a member of Mt. Olivet United Brethren In Christ in Mt. Solon. On November 24, 1945 she was united in marriage to Leon Edward Daggy, who preceded her in death on September 12, 1994. Nancy is survived by a daughter, Faye Graham and husband Curtis, of Staunton; two step-grandchildren, Debra Wenger and Daniel Graham; two great step grandchildren. She is preceded in death by a son, Jesse Lee Daggy. A funeral service will be conducted 11 a.m. Wednesday May 14, 2014, at Mount Olivet United Brethren In Christ in Mount Solon, with Rev. Todd Lilly officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at Johnson Funeral Service in Bridgewater.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mount Olivet United Brethren in Christ, C/O Ellen Rawley, 827 George Walton Rd., Mount Solon, VA 22843

We will miss you.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

The Market Animal Show

Congratulations to Garry, Victor, Rudy, McKensie and Austin for their success at the Augusta County Market Animal Show last week. They put in a lot of time and hard work with their animals and each won ribbons. Great work guys!!














Friday, May 2, 2014

Pastor's Penpoint - "In the Dust of the Rabbi" - May 2014

And when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,"Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you." Luke 10: 10-11

There were many parts of the April 27th Homecoming Service that made an impact. For me. one of the most significant was a comment made by Bishop Whipple while he was preaching. He mentioned the notion of walking so close to the rabbi, that you become covered in their dust. I had never heard this before, and it got me thinking of another time that Jesus mentions dust in scripture. But first, back to  the rabbi.

It was customary for a rabbi to select a group of disciples to be trained to follow and imitate him. His shoes were fitted with a flap which kicked up dust when he walked. His disciples would walk in a line behind him and the one closest to him would be covered in the dust kicked up by the flaps on his shoes.

It was such an honor to be covered with the dust of the rabbi that they would not wash it off but rather show it off. This dust symbolized the blessing of the rabbi's influence and it was used as a verbal blessing spoken over people, "May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi."

By contrast, Jesus instructed His disciples to wipe of the dust of a town that would not receive them. He did not want them to be influenced by the attitudes of hardness expressed by that town's rejection of them. They were His representatives. What they said and did was what He said and did because He identified with them completely in their ministry. Therefore if the people of a town rejected His disciples, hey rejected Him and His Father.

There is a lesson for us in this teaching of Jesus. If we are disciples of Jesus, we take part in His labor, His way of interpreting the scriptures and His way of living the Word of God. We will live under His influence, covered with His dust, if we walk close behind Him. But if we allow the influences of an ungodly world - their dust to cover us, we will shake off that dust on other people as we go through life.

Jesus said that we are to shake off the dust of an unbelieving world because it will affect the way we carry His dust in the world. We need to ask ourselves daily, "Whose dust am I covered in today?"

~ Pastor Todd

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Welcome, Jordyn!

Jordyn Elizabeth was born at 2:17 pm on April 8. Congratulations to Josh and Beck, and also Jacob!!



Thursday, April 3, 2014

Pastor's Penpoint - "Simon, the First" - April 2014

Simon grumbles beneath his breath. His patience is as limited as space on the Jerusalem streets. He'd hoped for peaceful Passover. The city is anything but quiet.
"There he is!"
Simon's head and dozens of others turn. In an instant they know.

"It's a crucifixion," he hears someone whisper. Four soldiers. One criminal. Four spears. One cross. The inside corner of the cross saddles the convict's shoulders. Its base drags in the dirt. Its top teeters in the air. The condemned man steadies the cross the best he can, but he stumbles beneath its weight. he pushes himself to his feet and tilts forward before falling again. Simon can't see the man's face, only a head wreathed with thorny branches.

The centurion grows more agitated with each declining step. He curses the criminal and the crowd. "Hurry up!"

The cross-bearer stops in front of Simon and heaves for air. Simon winces at what he sees - the beam rubbing against and already raw back. Crimson streaks the man's face. His mouth hangs open, both out of pain and out of breath.

"His name is Jesus," someone speaks softly.
"Move on!" commands the executioner.

But Jesus can't. His body leans and feet try, but he can't move. The beam begins to sway. Jesus tries to steady it, but can't. Like a just-cut tree, the cross begins to topple toward the crowd. Everyone steps back, except one. Simon instinctively extends his strong hands and catches the cross.

Jesus falls face-first in the dirt and stays there. Simon pushes the cross back on its side. The centurion looks at the exhausted Christ and then to Simon and needs only an instant to make the decision. He presses the flat of his spear on Simon's shoulders.

"You! Take the cross!" Simon dares to object. "Sir, I don't even know the man!"
"I don't care. Take up the cross."

Simon growls, balances the timber against his shoulder, and steps out of the crowd onto the street and into history ... and becomes the first in a line of millions who will take up the cross and follow Christ.

He did literally what God calls us to do symbolically - take up the cross and follow Jesus.

"If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me" (Luke 9:23).

~ Pastor Todd

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Upcoming Events in March and April

March 9 - April 13, Sunday Evenings at 6pm - COMING ALIVE 2014 Lenten Bible Study at Sangerville Church of the Brethren
April 5, 8:30am - Trash pickup along Freemason Run Road and church cleanup day
April 6 - SKIDS and VIBES youth meet after the morning worship
April 20, 7am - Easter Sunrise Service at Natural Chimneys Park
April 27, 10am - Homecoming Service with guest speaker Bishop Phil Whipple. A carry-in meal will follow in the fellowship hall.
 

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Pastor's Penpoint - "Limping to the Cross" - March 2014

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation." ~Psalm 51:12

I know how you feel ... cold temperatures, brown grass and nature lying dormant has taken a toll on us all. Surely it was years ago since we lamented "Can't we just make this Christmas thing last?" Now here we are, creeping through the months following the holiday season, looking for signs of hope, renewal and life. It seems as if we are limping through these days, looking for something.

I wish I could fast forward a little, move past these "blah" days and get to the good stuff, the warm breeze of spring, the greening of the foliage and the beginning of a new life cycle.

Truth is, that is how every disciple of Jesus Christ feels this time of year. Can't we just fast forward past this dark and horrific time? Can't we just skip the stories this year of Christ's tempting, suffering and death? Can't we just fast forward to Christ emerging victorious from the grave? The answer, thankfully, is "no".

To do that, we may know the ending, but not why the ending is so powerful and complete. That would be like reading only the last chapter of a book ... we would know what happens - but not why it matters.

During this time, we journey with Jesus, behold his ministry, witness his betrayal and death and will get swept up in the joyous news of His victory over death.

During this time of repentance and self denial, may we be attune to Christ's suffering for our sake, and be renewed again. Sisters and brothers, we must first limp to the cross to be able to run to the empty tomb.

Grace and strength this season of Lent,
 ~ Pastor Todd

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Heart For Hunger Spaghetti Supper Benefit

There will be a free will offering dinner at the Mt. Olivet fellowship hall on Saturday February 8th from 4:00 - 7:00pm to benefit the Stokesville Area and Verona Community food pantries. The menu includes spaghetti, salad, rolls and butter, assorted desserts, coffee, tea and water. Combined, these two agencies serve over 2,800 households in the Stokesville, Mt. Solon, North River area and beyond.