This post was started over a week ago when I was still in Florida. Coming back to Massachusetts and a rather unusual work schedule has made it hard to write.
One of the things I was most concerned with when I went to Florida for National Youth Convention/ Fine Arts was that I would lose the rhythm of the sacred office I practice. Honestly, I did not run into any trouble keeping the office until I came back. I expected coming back would be a piece of cake. I thought I would simply resume my old schedule which was pretty well established before I left. That did not happen. I will have to meditate on that and write more about it in the future.
For now, I am just looking back with fondness on those days in Florida in which keeping my sacred rhythm was surprisingly easy. I finished THE HIDING PLACE, by Corrie TenBoom and started this book by Joseph Castleberry on Wednesday and Thursday.
Amanda and I had an opportunity for an early lunch on Wednesday while Sadie and James went to the lazy river at our resort. We had fun taking pictures with Amanda scowling all week long. I will post this photo series we entitled “MURDERY ‘MANDA” at a later date. It started because I got a candid shot of her waiting in a long registration line at Fine Arts festival at the beginning of the week, and so we decided to make a series out of it.
Here is Sadie doing her best impression of Pennywise. Of course she had no idea who Pennywise was, this is just her looking “friendly”.
On Thursday we took the kids to Universal Studios.
While they road rides and shopped.I took some time to cool off in a shaded area of a cafe and pray the twelve o’clock prayer.
When Mom went into hospice last year our family circled the wagons. We knew it was going to take all of us to get through the storm of life we were facing. Brenda came home from the Netherlands and all the kids committed to pitching in and helping out.
One of the practices we instituted was family prayer. We chose Tuesday nights after ministry to gather around the dining table to pray our way through the difficulty. So from 8:30-9:30 we would share needs and pray together.
Mom passed in April. Brenda went back to the Netherlands. Amanda was diagnosed with cancer, and we kept praying on Tuesday nights as a family.
We took a break over the holidays so we could observe Christmas Eve and New Years. Then last week we celebrated James’ and Abigail’s birthdays. But last night we were back at it. Praying for the family. Praying for the church. Praying for the world.
Originally, I had thought I would host a family gathering in the summer, but with all the things that went on in our immediate family starting in April , that thought never materialized.
We decided instead, to host a family Christmas cookie party here at the Vicarage.
Nine bells just rang at the Old Murdock Senior Center, and I am just finishing my day. Snish is falling outside. Walking the dogs and putting the chickens to bed was a cold wet business tonight, but at last it is all done. I am dressed in the Christmas PJ’s the kids’ mom sent up just before Thanksgiving for all of us.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: JAMES FRANKLIN, ABIGAIL FRANKLIN, MELANIE FRANKLIN, DANIELLA FRANKLIN, PASTOR AMANDA LILLIE, SEVII LILLIE(JOSEPH E LILLIE VII), KRISTINE BARRAMEDA LILLIE (IN FRONT KNEELING), PASTOR J LILLIE(JOSEPH E LILLIE V), JOSEPH E LILIE VI
This was the beginning of our Christmas journey as a family. A lot of familial water has flowed under the bridge of life since this picture was taken.
There were all my birthday celebrations and Thanksgiving with the kids, grandkids and nephews. What a blessed day that was.
ABIGAIL FRANKLIN (FOREGROUND CENTER), TYLER NEWTON (FAR LEFT FRONT CHAIR), SEVII LILLIE (HOLDING BALL), RYAN NEWTON (RECLINER), JOSEPH LILLIE, KRISTINE BARRAMEDA LILLIE, DANIELLA FRANKLIN, PASTOR AMANDA LILLIE, MELANIE FRANKLIN… THANKSGIVING 2024
There was the decorating of The Vicarage.
PASTOR J AND THE GRANDKIDS
And the decorating of the church.
JOHN RUSSELL, BUILDING AND GROUNDS, PUTTING UP THE BIG TREE AT CORNERSTONE.
Then the celebration began in earnest.
SEVII AND SANTA
There was breakfast with Santa and the Cookie Crawl.
FRANCINE (AKA PASTOR AMANDA) AND ABIGAIL START THE COOKIE CRAWL
And the town tree lighting.
MRS. CLAUS, SANTA CLAUS, MEALNIE FRANKLIN AND THE GIRLS
This week has been a whirlwind of parties. It started Saturday with our Deacon, Staff and DLT leader Christmas party.
DEBBIE PARKER AND PASTOR AMANDAJOE AND JODY CLAPPTHE FEASTING TABLE
Yesterday was a full day of connection and celebrating. It started at 9 AM with a meeting of the town, pastors at Sippin Serendippity.
Then it was on to Cornerstone’s weekly staff meeting. With the upcoming holidays, this will be our last staff meeting for 2024.
After that, I went to one of our DLT groups to join their Christmas party, and to discover the prophetic words from God they received during our sabbatical.

The SOUL SISTERS AND PASTOR J
Then, after a brief rest, I was off to the cornerstone youth Christmas party.
FUN AND GAMES
Today, I spent the day finishing up the decorations at the Vicarage and cooking for a dinner party we hosted this evening with some missionary friends.
This weekend, the Vicarage is hosting a cookie swap for the Tenney side of our family. I have to say I am really enjoying this Christmas journey.
Last night I was hosted by one of our church groups for a birthday party for me and their leader (she and I share our birthday). The cake and the conversation were wonderful! Thank you to the people of the Strengthening Circle!
Today I came into the office to a gift of fruit slices a twenty five dollar gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts and an invitation to dinner with another of our Doing Life Together groups! After our staff meeting we took Kim Stowell, one of our missionaries out to lunch at William’s Restaurant.
I have received so many messages from family and friends wishing me a very happy 57th birthday. Y’know what? I am happy!
Tonight I will finish off with a family prayer circle at my son’s house. It has been a great day!
The holidays are upon us, and with the holidays comes holiday preparations and celebrations! Our region is becoming more and more like a Hallmark movie every year.
Gardner is hosting a special Thanksgiving market this coming Saturday. I think I shall have to go and take a peek.
Meanwhile Winchendon is hosting its annual Festival of Lights on December 7th. Here is a list of all the events happening.
Don’t Miss The Festival of Lights: Saturday 12/7!
Kick off your holiday season with a day full of family fun and festive cheer! Here’s what we have planned for you:
Pictures with Santa by Rustic Lens Photography:
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM & 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Breakfast with Santa:
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Suggested donation: $8 per person
Holiday Craft Fair:
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Come support local vendors
Gingerbread Man Decorating:
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
$8 per kit
GNOME PAINTING
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
$8 per gnome
Letters to Santa:
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
$10 per kit
Tree Lighting at Grout Park:
5:00 PM
(The park with the big metal bicycle near the bike path!)
The night before last my grandson awoke from sleep crying and wheezing. My son and daughter-in-law packed him up into the car and were off to the emergency room at 2 A.M.
The day before he had been bitten by a mosquito and the bite had swelled up into a giant egg on his leg, so the chief concern was all the fall viruses that come in our area with mosquito bites, like West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
Several towns in our state have put restrictions on afternoon sports programs and other youth activities because of an increase in the number of cases of these dangerous diseases.
As it turns out Sevy does not have West Nile or EEE. He has Covid. And Kristine is also displaying symptoms. Amanda has also tested positive. Amanda has just completed radiation treatments, and so the concern about her immune system’s ability to fight the sickness is pretty high. She also cannot take the medication for Covid offered to many immuno-compromised individuals because of the kind of cancer she had.
Everyone is doing OK this morning. Sevy’s breathing seems to be good now that he is on steroids. Kristine has mild cold systems, and Amanda is experiencing more flu like symptoms but no breathing issues. Joe and I are testing negative, symptom free and feeling fine.
This morning I got up and sanitized both bathrooms and all the living room and dining room furniture.
Amanda is quarantining in her room with Bakari, her kitten.
Kristine and Sevy are quarantining in their bedroom and the playroom.
Joe and I are doing the household chores. Yesterday I made a corn chowder for lunch and a macaroni salad and hotdogs and cheeseburgers for supper. We bought some ginger to make tea along with all the medicines we will need over the next couple of days.
It feels like a throwback to 2020, but it is different. Back then the whole world went quiet. This time we are stepping aside a bit but the world is still spinning.
I AM WONDERING, IN THE NEW NORMAL DO YOU FEEL GUILTY WHEN YOU HAVE TO PULL BACK FROM THE WORLD TO QUARANTINE OR TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF OR WAS THAT ISSUE SOLVED FOR YOU BACK IN 2020?
I woke up this morning and noted that the house was chilly. For the first time in three months I can say I was cold. I was tempted to turn the heat on and then I realized….”THIS IS FALL WEATHER!”
WELL WE DON’T LOOK LIKE THAT YET! but the signs that The Vicarage is heading into an early fall are everywhere. The temperature is falling (today it is not slated to get out of the sixties around 18 for those of you who live in the metric system). Last week I noticed that the sumac in my back yard is already going orange, and the vegetables are slowing down in the garden. I have watched my YOUTUBE weather channels and they are leaning with me towards an early fall for New England.
With that knowledge, there are several mindset changes that I need to begin making:
Vicarage projects that were slated for the summer need to get done. It’s time to finish spreading the pea stone for the right hand drive. It’s time to finish the chicken paddock. It’s time to start burning that brush I collected all summer.
It’s time to get ready for the fall projects at The Vicarage. It’s almost time to put away the prayer tent and all the solar lights. It’s time to start thinking about winterizing the Vicarage again. It’s time to start thinking about what parts of the garden I will move inside. It’s time to start preparing for fall canning and freezing.
At church, fall always brings a shift in the mindset of people. Vacation is over and it’s time to get ready to get back into fall/ winter/ spring routines. Disciplines put by the wayside by many will be picked back up. As the back to school rhythm is restored some will also begin to experience a back to church rhythm. The church needs to be ready to minister to people who have been a bit out of the loop for the last twelve weeks.
We are also heading into high holiday season. Now is the time we begin making our Thanksgiving and Christmas plans. I will be on sabbatical for the month of October. This means September will be our planning month for the fall and winter holidays.
IT’S ALMOST CHRISTMAS FOLKS! WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FALL?
Now that said, there has been so much water under the bridge since that post was written in 2019 that I have to say it hardly applies anymore. The world has changed, the town we live has changed, our ministries have changed, the Vicarage has changed and my family has changed.
These last few months have caused me to do some deep introspection. I have been asking the question “Where do we go from here?” over and over in my time of prayer.
So let me introduce you to the changes in the way I see the world. Let me introduce you to the changes that have taken place in our town, in our church, in our ministries, in the Vicarage and in our family.
LET’S START HERE:
WHAT IS THE VICARAGE?
The Vicarage is a Queen Anne style house co owned by Rev. J. Lillie (that’s me) and Rev. Brenda J. Lillie (that would be my sister). It sits on a piece of property in North Central Massachusetts that is currently what I call an out of control micro-forest garden.
WHAT IS “NOTES FROM THE VICARAGE”?
“Notes From the Vicarage” is a blog about the Vicarage and its micro-forest gardens and all the projects going on there.
It’s a blog about the characters connected to the Vicarage, both human and animal.
It’s a blog about what we believe and the ministries we all oversee.
And it’s a blog about the towns we live in and how they are changing with the times and how we are becoming influencers in them.
WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS OF THE VICARAGE?
PASTOR J. LILLIE- Part owner of the Vicarage. Older brother of Pastor Brenda J. Lillie, father of Joe, Pastor Amanda and Melanie; father-in-law of Kristine and James; Oz (grandfather) to Lela, Abigail and Sevy. Lead Pastor of Cornerstone Church. Currently resides at The Vicarage.
PASTOR BRENDA J. LILLIE- Part owner of the Vicarage. Younger sister to Pastor J, Aunt to Joe, Pastor Amanda, Melanie and their families. Missionary to The Netherlands where she currently resides.
JOE LILLIE VI- Son of Pastor J., husband to Kristine, father to Sevy, nephew to Brenda J, brother to Pastor Amanda and Melanie, Brother-in-law to James and Uncle to Lela and Abigail. ESL teacher in Jr. High School, Gideon, and missions team member at Cornerstone Church. Currently resides at The Vicarage.
KRISTINE BERNADETTE BARRAMEDA-LILLIE- Wife to Joe, mother to Sevy, daughter-in-law to Pastor J, sister-in-law to Pastor Amanda, Melanie and James, Aunt to Lela and Abigail. Teller at Athol Savings Bank and Administrative Assistant Cornerstone Church. Currently resided at The Vicarage.
JOSEPH LILLIE VII (SEVY)- Son to Joe and Kristine, Grandson to Pastor J, Great nephew of Pastor Brenda J., Nephew of Pastor Amanda, Melanie and James, Cousin to Lela and Abigail. Spends time being a little kid. Currently resides at The Vicarage.
PASTOR AMANDA LILLIE- Daughter to Pastor J, niece of Pastor Brenda J., Sister of Joe and Melanie, Sister-in-law to Kristine and James, Aunt to Lela, Abigail and Sevy, Next Generations Pastor of Cornerstone Church. Currently resides at The Vicarage.
JAMES FRANKLIN- Husband to Melanie, father to Lela and Abigail, son-in-law to Pastor J, brother-in-law to Joe and Kristine, uncle to Sevy. Pizza chef. DLT leader and Royal Ranger Commander at Cornerstone Church. Currently resides about 5 minutes from The Vicarage.
MELANIE FRANKLIN- Wife to James, mother to Lela and Abigail, daughter to Pastor J, niece to Pastor Brenda, sister to Joe and Amanda, sister-in-law to Kristine. Medical records transcriber. Worship leader and DLT leader at Cornerstone church. Currently resides five minutes from The Vicarage.
DANIELLA FRANKLIN (LELA)- Daughter to Melanie and James, Granddaughter to Pastor J, niece to Pastor Brenda J, Joe and Kristine and Pastor Amanda, sister to Abigail and cousin to Sevy. First grader! Currently resides five minutes from the Vicarage.
ABIGAIL FRANKLIN- Daughter to Melanie and James, granddaughter to Pastor J, niece to Pastor Brenda J, Joe and Kristine and Pastor Amanda, sister to Lela and cousin to Sevy. Practices being a little kid. Resides five minutes from the Vicarage.
SNUG AND MERCEDES: Elderly Maltese dogs owned by Pastor J. Currently reside at the Vicarage.
SUNSHINE, PARTLY CLOUDY, EGGPLANT AND SPOT-The chickens who live in the Forest garden at Tye Vicarage.
SO… This is us. This our home. This is our story. I encourage you to join us on the journey.
Kick off your holiday season with a day full of family fun and festive cheer! Here’s what we have planned for you:
Pictures with Santa by Rustic Lens Photography:
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM & 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Breakfast with Santa:
Suggested donation: $8 per person
Holiday Craft Fair:
Gingerbread Man Decorating:
Letters to Santa:
(The park with the big metal bicycle near the bike path!)
“The Night Before Christmas” Reading:
Caroling at Grout Park:
Notes From the Vicarage 