Autumn Greetings and Happy Oktoberfest!
Vaughnsville Reflections and What is Essential?: I'm doing these reflections, because I was so busy with grad school from first Monday in February 2021 to Sunday September 26, 2021 and I was unable to do my normal blogging, which I love to do. I'm on break from grad school until at least the first Monday January 2021, so now it's catch up time. We are getting close the end of the Oktoberfest Season, which is my Third Favorite Holiday, and the Vaughnsville Craft and Vendor Show is one month away on Saturday October 30, 2021 from 11 AM to 5 PM in beautiful Downtown Vaughnsville, Ohio at the Vaughnsville Community Center. This will be our second year of this yearly craft show and it is interesting, because I started this yearly tradition for the Village of Vaughnsville, my publishing company Ohio Irish Lutheran Press, my vendors, and our customers during the first year of Corona Virus situation and the last year of President Trump's Presidency right before the 2020 Presidential Election. The 2020 Presidential Election, which was sadly stolen by fake-President Joe Biden and the Democrats, was just a few days after the 2020 Vaughnsville Craft and Vendor Show. The major question and debate during 2020 in regards to the Corona Virus was "What is essential?" Before we get any deeper, I must admit, that I do not know, how all of my vendors feel about these things, but they have nice merchandise available making everything all right.
"What is essential?" What do you think? Food? Shelter? Money? Vocations? Clothes? Is going to church in-person essential? Is confessing our sins to Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit essential? Is singing hymns and chanting chants from the Liturgy during the Mass essential? Is hearing a pastor read and then preach on the Holy Scriptures essential? Is taking Holy Communion in-person essential? Is experiencing Holy Baptism essential? Is confessing our Christian Faith in the words of The Apostles' Creed and/or The Nicene Creed and/or The Athanasian Creed in-person and in church essential? I say, that all of those things are essential. We need to eat food to live, we need to live in some sort of shelter to be safe and sound, we need money to buy things and pay our bills, and we need to be able to make an honest living doing some sort of work; our vocations. The answer to the question is, "Everything is essential!" At least everything in that context is essential. Gathering together as families and communities for major holidays and Holy Days is also very essential: like Christmas, The Feast of Epiphany, The Baptism of Jesus, Saints Valentines' Day, Ash Wednesday, St. Patrick's Day, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Ascension Day, The Feast of Pentecost, Holy Trinity Sunday, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Donald Trump Day, Independence Day, Oktoberfest, Reformation Day, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Veterans' Day, and the list goes on and on! These things are all essential and they are all holy!
My goal in the near future is to write about Oktoberfest being a Gift to Christianity from the Holy Trinity on or before October 12, 2021, because that is the original date for Oktoberfest. I want to write about the importance of marriage and in particular in a Christian context. Yes, I want to used Oktoberfest to promote traditional marriage and to promote the idea, that Lutherans and Catholics are Christian brothers and sisters in Christ in spite of Pope Francis cancelling conservative Catholic clergy and liberal Lutherans cancelling conservative Lutherans. Sadly, both things are happening, as we speak.
Getting back to what is essential in our lives and during the Corona Virus situation, the Vaughnsville Craft and Vendor Show is essential, because it is all about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in music and OIL Press books, people coming together to celebrate all of the Triune God's Blessings to humanity, celebrating Martin Luther's nailing of his 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517, and giving the vendors an opportunity to live out and celebrate their vocations and for the vendors to serve their neighbors with good customer service. Jesus died on the True Cross on Calvary to save everyone from death, Hell, the grave, Satan, Satan's demons, Original Sin from Adam and Eve, and their own personal sins and Jesus resurrected from the dead, so our Faith would not be in vain. Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit bless every single person with Their blessings even in spite of people being sinful and, yes, I admit, that the Holy Trinity's Blessings vary from person to person, but I have no right to question Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther stood up for Biblical Truths in his day and we must follow his example of selfless devotion to the Holy Trinity and his love of serving others. Martin Luther basically followed Jesus' Example of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. Comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable is done within the context of our pastors preaching their sermons during the Mass, since Luther realized, that this is most of what we find in The Holy Bible. Vocations are Gifts from the Holy Trinity given to Christians in Holy Baptism and the vocations of non-Christians are Gifts from the Holy Trinity in the context of their lives. The vendors have many vocations and on October 30, 2021 they shall be serving our neighbors, as they come to shop at the 2021 Vaughnsville Craft and Vendor Show on Saturday October 30, 2021 from 11 AM to 5 PM. I am still looking for vendors for both of my October craft shows: the Lighthouse Baptist Church Fall Vendor Market Saturday October 16, 2021 and the Vaughnsville Craft and Vendor Show (Last Saturday of October) October 30, 2021 both shows run 11 AM to 5 PM. Vendor entry forms are found in the Blog section of my website and the links are in this blog post.
Let us read St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians Chapter 1:1-11:
"1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now; 6 Being confident of this Very Thing, that He, Which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the Day of Jesus Christ: 7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel, ye all are partakers of my Grace. 8 For God is my Record, how greatly I long after you all in the Bowels (Heart) of Jesus Christ. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things, that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the Day of Christ. 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the Glory and praise of God" (KJV 1611).
2021 Vaughnsville Craft and Vendor Show Vendor List 2:
(Vendors are listed in the order in which they signed up and paid for their tables and booths.)
- James O'Flannery
- President and Founder of both Ohio Irish Lutheran Press (OIL Press) and Ohio Book Mart & More (OBM&M): Local Author and Used Book Dealer
- Lima, Ohio
- Larry Wren
- Local Author
- Elida, Ohio
- Colleen Spoltman
- Independent Paparazzi Consultant: Jewelry Dealer
- Lima, Ohio
- Rachael Scheele
- Independent Wreath Maker
- Lima, Ohio
- Charlie "Rock" Rohrbacher
- Independent Antique Dealer
- Delphos, Ohio
- Heidi Pence
- Independent Home Décor Dealer
- Fostoria, Ohio
- Kelley Powell
- Independent Sewing Lady Making the Following Items by Hand:
- Baby Bibs and Burp Cloth Sets, Potato Pockets, Bowl Cozies, Eyeglasses Cases, Rice Heating Pads, Women's Scarves, Baby Hooded Towel and Wash Cloth Sets, Coasters, and Mug Rugs
- Findlay, Ohio
MAILING CHECKS TO ME FOR BOOKS: I am now accepting checks through the mail for $15 for copies of each book: The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1, The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2, and The Rising of The Moon Book 2: Faith, Hope, and Love. $15 checks will cover the cost of each book and shipping. Please include a note with your check saying, which books you want to buy off of me with your check. Checks may be written out to me, James O'Flannery, and mailed to James O'Flannery 1524 Crayton Avenue Lima, Ohio 45805. I also can meet up with you, if you live in the following Ohio communities, Lima, Cridersville, Vaughnsville, Fort Jennings, Columbus Grove, St. Marys, Minster, New Bremen, Delphos, and Ottoville, and sell you books directly. For my latest book Martin Luther, William Tyndale, James Ussher, and their Work in Classics: With Other Christian Essays, I will be accepting checks for $20 and $25. The checks must be for $25 ($5 covering shipping if you don't live in Lima, Cridersville, Vaughnsville, Fort Jennings, Columbus Grove, St. Marys, Minster, New Bremen, Delphos, or Ottoville. If you live in any of those communities and if you're willing to meet up with me in any of those communities, then $20 checks via the mail or $20 cash in-person or credit cards and/or debit card payments for $20 in-person work too.
My Green Irish Angel Statues: My Green Irish Angel Statues are really cute! They are only $1 each and they make great gifts. I have three kinds: 1. Cross-Bearing Angels, 2. Praying Angels, and 3. Angels Holding Butterflies. I like the Cross-Bearing Angels the best, because they are carrying Crosses. Each one bearing a Cross reminds us, that Jesus died on the True Cross to save every single person from death, Hell, Satan, Satan's Demons, Original Sin from Adam and Eve, and their personal sins. They're available exclusively at The Menagerie behind Beer Barrel in the St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio.
Stores Carrying My Books: My books, which I’ve written and published, are also available at the following stores: Brunner News Agency on Flanders Avenue in Lima, Ohio, Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in St. Marys, Ohio, The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue behind Beer Barrel in the St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio, Readmore Hallmark Stores out at Eastgate Plaza and on Elm Street in Lima, Ohio, and in the Shop section of my website ohioirishlutheranpress.com .
Thank you!
James W. O’Flannery, President and Founder of Ohio Irish Lutheran Press (OIL Press)