It's Time to Explain the Title of This Blog
When Joanna and I were discussing the beginning of this Blog, she asked me what I wanted to call it. My immediate response was: SAGEBRUSH, SANDHILLS, GRASSBURRS AND GOATHEADS. Then she suggested we use: carltonschildhoodmemories.blogspot.com. So this one I assume you can understand. But the first one, I wonder how many have understood what I've meant.
SAGEBRUSH: It's probably not hard to know the meaning, especially if you know I grew up in Southwest Oklahoma. That farm was a mile long, north to south and stopped at the Red River dividing Oklahoma from Texas. The north half was good farm land and the south half was sand hills, largely covered with Sagebrush. The farm was a half mile wide. The west edge was along a country road. The east side was divided from Mr. White's farm by a four wire, barbed wire fence.
Most of my days after school, included the chore of riding Old Silver to the pasture and bring the cattle home for milking. Silver was our small black and white Shetland pony. He was the perfect pony for a boy with an after school chore of bringing in the cows. That trip led from the barn yard to a lane about an eighth mile south to the farm pond where the cattle came, usually about 4:30 or 5:00 for a drink. Beyond that was the 160 acres of pasture. It consisted of undulating sand hills covered with grasses, spring and summer flowers, large amounts of sagebrush and trees of various kinds in different places throughout the pasture.
I always saddled Silver when I rode him. I sure didn't trust to falling off in the pasture that had coveys of quails to flush up and make him run unexpectedly or pitch me off. We had more than our share of rattlesnakes and I didn't want to be left high and dry, walking through the grasses and sagebrush.
SANDHILLS: They made it difficult to know where the cows were. The hills were different heights with valleys between. There was a row of them on the level of the farm land and below that the land dropped off to the river another quarter mile to the south. There were two rows of varying heights in the lower pasture crossing also from west to east. So if the cows hadn't come to the water pond, then it might be a half hour or more before I found them. Milking just had to wait.
GRASSBURRS: That's a different story. Grass is not just grass. There are so many different kinds of grass. And this nasty grass burr is no friend of man, or boy, at all. In fact, grass burrs are not even friendly to girls. Betty was the girl who lived over the barbed wire fence to the east. She was picking cotton with us one season when she reached for a burr of cotton, but her glove snagged a grass burr and with the other glove on she couldn't pick it out. She took off her glove and those little burrs have something like a fish hook on each of many little stickers reaching out to suck you in. Finally she stuck the gloved burr into her teeth to pull it free. That's the moment pain attacked. One of those many little prongs reached beyond her teeth and pierced her tongue. We all cringed in pain. I still don't remember how or who got the grass burr out of her tongue. Those clumps of grass burrs grew just where you didn't expect them. They stuck to your pant leg or your sock. They were just an awful mess to deal with.
GOATHEADS: Those were another kind of sticker waiting for the bear foot boy with checks of tan to come bounding across the hard packed yard. And then without warning the sharp pain pierced through the summer toughened sole of your foot. Your were instantly on all fours pulling out that tiny explosion of pain that brought you to your knees. Goat heads grew on a vine that ran flat along the ground. They had tiny leaves and pretty little flowers. Each flower produced a seed pod, or rather a clump of pods that were gathered together in a kind of fruit that falls apart into five nutlets or burs. Each had two very sharp stickers extending out about an eighth of an inch or long enough to puncture bicycle tires. So each segment looked like a goats head with his two little horns ready to gore you "to the bone."
One time when Daddy was about fifteen years old, he and Papa had been cutting those vines in an area of their pasture that was somewhat dry. Other weeds hadn't been growing there and in a bit of unusual rain, the goat head vines had taken hold and grew to eight or ten feet across. So they had cut and piled them to burn after they had time to dry up. After they were dry, the leaves fellow off and a bed of red ants in the area began to carry the little two horned seeds to their den. The seeds were a little too large to go down the hole into the den. So, wisely the ants carried the goat heads away from their hole and dropped them. But industrously they picked up new ones which also had to be moved away again.
The red ant queens were beginning to grow wings and fly away to build new dens. So Daddy came bounding along the path from the cotton field where he'd been hoeing, toward the barn to start evening chores. Being an observant young man he knew those ant queens needed to be stomped before they started too many more ant holes. So with brawn and might he leaped into the center of the ant hill. He came down onto a foot full of those awful goat heads. There was nothing to do but crawl on hands and knees out of the fifteen foot circle of pain.
For those experiences and more I have named my blog: Sagebrush, Sandhills, Grassburrs and Goatheads.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sunday, September 7, 2014
WE MOVED FROM IOWA TO ILLINOIS
This Was a Move I Had Never Expected to Make
The Lord called me to preach in November before I was 15 years old. A while after that, Daddy accepted a call to preach on his life. Sunday, May 18, 1952, our pastor, Rev. Ray Altaffer gave me an exhorters license to preach. Soon I was being asked to speak at local Cottage Prayer Meetings and then to supply the Pulpit for a near by Church whose pastor was on vacation. I certainly didn't preach every month, but the opportunities came. A near by Congregation asked me to preach a Week-end Youth Revival. By the time I was in college I was invited to speak quiet often. By the time I'd graduated from collage, I had been preaching 10 years.
In October 1961 I took my first pastorate at the small congregation of the Church of the Nazarene in Red Oak, Iowa. While there our twins were born. The Congregation grew and we sold our small building and bought a beautiful old Church with a five bedroom parsonage. It met the growing need of the Congregation for several years. After five years we moved to the West Des Moines Church of the Nazarene, next door to the beautiful Camp Grounds of the Church of the Nazarene in the State of Iowa. Our third and forth children were born while we pastored the West Des Moines Church of the Nazarene. Two and a half years latter we moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa Church of the Nazarene.
Our seven and a half years in Mt. Pleasant were years of joy and fulfillment. Our last child was born there, giving us two boys and three girls. There was a good moving of the Spirit of God in our midst. Several College age people became a part of the Congregation. During one period the young people became convicted by the Holy Spirit and ask if they could burn books, pictures, drugs and many items deemed to not be part of a Christian's life. We had a huge bonfire in the space behind the Church and
many participants sang hymns and songs as they rejoiced over the new victory in their lives.
During the last year or year and a half of those seven and a half, I had begun studying God's instructions to Moses for the Israelites to plan a Sabbacital year for their lands every seventh year. As I began to contemplate these passages, it occured to me that I had no land. Was I responsible for some kind of seventh year? As the months of prayer passed, I began to understand that my mind was the place where I produced my sermons and so my income. I prayed with concern about making such a move. Lilly and I now had five children. Four were in school and the last would began kindergarten in the fall. I didn't have enough money to support such a decission. I did have some job skills, but... so many questions. In my experience, or at least I thought, a pastor would seem threatened by a pastor suddenly moving into his congregation.
Over the last three years I had been invited by our good friends, Rev. and Mrs. Stewart Able to preach a couple Revival Meetings in their Congregation. It would not have occured to me to move there. But in earnest pray I felt confident the Lord was directing me to move our family to Oregon, Illinois and attend Stewart's Church. I had not told anyone yet about my thoughts and prayers. I put two propositions before the Lord. First: Stewart should call and ask me to come. Second: He would agree that he had no plans to leave or move from the Oregon Congregation during that next 12 months. I thought my Sabbatical would be over in one year.
Within 24 hours of my prayer to God in which I believed He had directed me to move to Oregon, Stewart called me. He said he had heard that I was planning to go on a Sabbatical. If so, he wanted to invite us to move to Oregon and become a part of the Congregation. Steward was Canadian and had pastored in Iowa and now in Illinois at least a total of 20 years. He was nearing retirement and now he was sure that he would not be making any moves during the next twelve months. I accepted this as a clear sign to leave Iowa and move out into the unknown.
After all bills had been paid, all good byes given, the gas tank filled, and Sabert Smith's moving van was loaded with our belongings, we were on our way. I had 47 cents in my pocket. It was a tough move. We had always made so many friends in each pastorate. Now, again we were saying good bye.
Arriving in Oregon, Illinois at the Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Able and friends helped unload our furniature and "things" into an unused Sunday School room in the Church basement. It was early in the month of June 1976. In those fifteen years of pastoring Churches, our only vacations had been to Lilly's parents in Indianapolis, Indiana or to my parents in the mountains of north west Arkansas about thirty miles north east of Fort Smith.
Our plan had been to drive with our children to visit our parents and see where the Lord might lead us in our hope to introduce our family to lots and lots of relatives they had never meet. After our few days with the Able's and the Sunday Service, we loaded back into our still relatively new Voyager Van. We were ready on Monday morning to head out for Noblesville, Indiana were my brother Ray was pastor. Stewart wanted to check the oil in my van motor and he handed me his credit card for gas in the event we might need it. He said," I'm just afraid you won't have enough money." A small delay. Everything under the hood was in order. I got in my side of the van and there swirling around the corner of the Church and screeching to a dusty halt was Nancy. In a near panic, she leaped out of her car and handed into our drivers window a small brown paper sack. It felt rather heavy. Nancy said, "I've been throwing pennies in for a while. I have no idea how many are there. But I felt the Lord told me to bring them. And I was afraid I might miss you." We thanked her and praised the Lord.
As we drove away waving good bye to wonderful friends, I still had the forty seven cents in my pocket. While we drove along toward De Kalb, Illinois, Lilly counted those pennies. There were thirteen dollars. At a Mac Donald's in De Kalb we gave each of the children their alotment and all went and bought our breakfast and drinks. When we started away, everybody had what they wanted, the pennies were all gone and I still had that forty seven cents.
About 5:00 that Monday afternoon we were driving into the west edge of Noblesville and there coming down the highway toward us was Ray and his family. We waved, they pulled over, we chatted. We were passing through, they were going to a Church board supper. He had been doing some carpentry work for a Church family and would be hiring help the next day. Could I help? Yes I could. We drove on to Lilly's Mom and we stayed the week. I drove every morning to work with Ray, we had great fellowship during the day and the Lord had arranged to supply our need. Sunday we went to Church with Grandma Owens and Monday started the long drive to Arkansas.
Arriving at my Parents in Arkansas, my Dad was happy to announce all the jobs he had lined up. There were two or three houses to roof. Mrs. Bruce had ask him to build a goat barn with five or six stalls. Each would hold the doe and her kids. So this was something of a major job, though not like building a new house. We would be there seven weeks, then Lilly and I with family would drive to my home town where Lilly and our girls would stay with my Grandmother Shumaker. As we drove through Oklahoma City we stopped to see my sister, Linda and family. Driving west from the City on I-40 I began looking for a place to refill the gas tank. President Nixon had put a closing time on gas station by 6:00pm. So the farther we went closing time got closer. We turned south toward Altus our county seat, 60 miles away. We prayed and drove, then drove and prayed. The gas guage stopped going lower and we kept going and praying. Finally we drove into the small town of Blare, Oklahoma thirteen miles north of Altus. There was a filling station with its lights on. We pulled up to the pump and a young man came out to fill the tank. Finally he had it filled. He said, "You must have been running on fumes. This tank only holds 23.5 gallons and that's how much I put in." And then he said, "My boss left this morning for Wichita Falls and took the keys with him. If he doesn't get back I'll be open all night." We drove on praising the Lord, our God.
Lilly and our girls would visit my Easley Grandparents and several other aunts, uncles and cousins while the boys and I would drive on to Denver City, Texas where we'd meet Daddy and my four brothers. We were there to build a new bedroom onto my cousin Edwin's house. I don't remember how many days we were there. On Saturday night we all drove to Clovis, New Mexico to see a fabulous Rodeo. Sunday morning we attended their morning Church service. Edwin paid us well. Our boys had lots of fun getting to know Edwin's boy.
When I dropped Lilly and the girls off at Eldorado, my Aunt Kathryn asked, if I could re-roof her house when I got back from Texas? Her son Carroll could help when he got home from school each day. The Lord kept providing funds without my asking anybody for work. And I still had forty-seven cents in my pocket. From Eldorado we drove up through the panhandle of Texas to stay over night with my cousin Yvonne and her family at Johnson, Kansas. Next morning we drove on the Saint Louis area to stay the week-end with our dear friends, Rev. Les and Doyle Ray Jeeter. Monday was Labor Day. We drove home to Oregon, Illinois that day, Sept. 6, 1976. And just knew, and then found out for sure that the Great God of Eternity had us and His plans for us, firmly in the palm of His hand.
The Lord called me to preach in November before I was 15 years old. A while after that, Daddy accepted a call to preach on his life. Sunday, May 18, 1952, our pastor, Rev. Ray Altaffer gave me an exhorters license to preach. Soon I was being asked to speak at local Cottage Prayer Meetings and then to supply the Pulpit for a near by Church whose pastor was on vacation. I certainly didn't preach every month, but the opportunities came. A near by Congregation asked me to preach a Week-end Youth Revival. By the time I was in college I was invited to speak quiet often. By the time I'd graduated from collage, I had been preaching 10 years.
In October 1961 I took my first pastorate at the small congregation of the Church of the Nazarene in Red Oak, Iowa. While there our twins were born. The Congregation grew and we sold our small building and bought a beautiful old Church with a five bedroom parsonage. It met the growing need of the Congregation for several years. After five years we moved to the West Des Moines Church of the Nazarene, next door to the beautiful Camp Grounds of the Church of the Nazarene in the State of Iowa. Our third and forth children were born while we pastored the West Des Moines Church of the Nazarene. Two and a half years latter we moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa Church of the Nazarene.
Our seven and a half years in Mt. Pleasant were years of joy and fulfillment. Our last child was born there, giving us two boys and three girls. There was a good moving of the Spirit of God in our midst. Several College age people became a part of the Congregation. During one period the young people became convicted by the Holy Spirit and ask if they could burn books, pictures, drugs and many items deemed to not be part of a Christian's life. We had a huge bonfire in the space behind the Church and
many participants sang hymns and songs as they rejoiced over the new victory in their lives.
During the last year or year and a half of those seven and a half, I had begun studying God's instructions to Moses for the Israelites to plan a Sabbacital year for their lands every seventh year. As I began to contemplate these passages, it occured to me that I had no land. Was I responsible for some kind of seventh year? As the months of prayer passed, I began to understand that my mind was the place where I produced my sermons and so my income. I prayed with concern about making such a move. Lilly and I now had five children. Four were in school and the last would began kindergarten in the fall. I didn't have enough money to support such a decission. I did have some job skills, but... so many questions. In my experience, or at least I thought, a pastor would seem threatened by a pastor suddenly moving into his congregation.
Over the last three years I had been invited by our good friends, Rev. and Mrs. Stewart Able to preach a couple Revival Meetings in their Congregation. It would not have occured to me to move there. But in earnest pray I felt confident the Lord was directing me to move our family to Oregon, Illinois and attend Stewart's Church. I had not told anyone yet about my thoughts and prayers. I put two propositions before the Lord. First: Stewart should call and ask me to come. Second: He would agree that he had no plans to leave or move from the Oregon Congregation during that next 12 months. I thought my Sabbatical would be over in one year.
Within 24 hours of my prayer to God in which I believed He had directed me to move to Oregon, Stewart called me. He said he had heard that I was planning to go on a Sabbatical. If so, he wanted to invite us to move to Oregon and become a part of the Congregation. Steward was Canadian and had pastored in Iowa and now in Illinois at least a total of 20 years. He was nearing retirement and now he was sure that he would not be making any moves during the next twelve months. I accepted this as a clear sign to leave Iowa and move out into the unknown.
After all bills had been paid, all good byes given, the gas tank filled, and Sabert Smith's moving van was loaded with our belongings, we were on our way. I had 47 cents in my pocket. It was a tough move. We had always made so many friends in each pastorate. Now, again we were saying good bye.
Arriving in Oregon, Illinois at the Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Able and friends helped unload our furniature and "things" into an unused Sunday School room in the Church basement. It was early in the month of June 1976. In those fifteen years of pastoring Churches, our only vacations had been to Lilly's parents in Indianapolis, Indiana or to my parents in the mountains of north west Arkansas about thirty miles north east of Fort Smith.
Our plan had been to drive with our children to visit our parents and see where the Lord might lead us in our hope to introduce our family to lots and lots of relatives they had never meet. After our few days with the Able's and the Sunday Service, we loaded back into our still relatively new Voyager Van. We were ready on Monday morning to head out for Noblesville, Indiana were my brother Ray was pastor. Stewart wanted to check the oil in my van motor and he handed me his credit card for gas in the event we might need it. He said," I'm just afraid you won't have enough money." A small delay. Everything under the hood was in order. I got in my side of the van and there swirling around the corner of the Church and screeching to a dusty halt was Nancy. In a near panic, she leaped out of her car and handed into our drivers window a small brown paper sack. It felt rather heavy. Nancy said, "I've been throwing pennies in for a while. I have no idea how many are there. But I felt the Lord told me to bring them. And I was afraid I might miss you." We thanked her and praised the Lord.
As we drove away waving good bye to wonderful friends, I still had the forty seven cents in my pocket. While we drove along toward De Kalb, Illinois, Lilly counted those pennies. There were thirteen dollars. At a Mac Donald's in De Kalb we gave each of the children their alotment and all went and bought our breakfast and drinks. When we started away, everybody had what they wanted, the pennies were all gone and I still had that forty seven cents.
About 5:00 that Monday afternoon we were driving into the west edge of Noblesville and there coming down the highway toward us was Ray and his family. We waved, they pulled over, we chatted. We were passing through, they were going to a Church board supper. He had been doing some carpentry work for a Church family and would be hiring help the next day. Could I help? Yes I could. We drove on to Lilly's Mom and we stayed the week. I drove every morning to work with Ray, we had great fellowship during the day and the Lord had arranged to supply our need. Sunday we went to Church with Grandma Owens and Monday started the long drive to Arkansas.
Arriving at my Parents in Arkansas, my Dad was happy to announce all the jobs he had lined up. There were two or three houses to roof. Mrs. Bruce had ask him to build a goat barn with five or six stalls. Each would hold the doe and her kids. So this was something of a major job, though not like building a new house. We would be there seven weeks, then Lilly and I with family would drive to my home town where Lilly and our girls would stay with my Grandmother Shumaker. As we drove through Oklahoma City we stopped to see my sister, Linda and family. Driving west from the City on I-40 I began looking for a place to refill the gas tank. President Nixon had put a closing time on gas station by 6:00pm. So the farther we went closing time got closer. We turned south toward Altus our county seat, 60 miles away. We prayed and drove, then drove and prayed. The gas guage stopped going lower and we kept going and praying. Finally we drove into the small town of Blare, Oklahoma thirteen miles north of Altus. There was a filling station with its lights on. We pulled up to the pump and a young man came out to fill the tank. Finally he had it filled. He said, "You must have been running on fumes. This tank only holds 23.5 gallons and that's how much I put in." And then he said, "My boss left this morning for Wichita Falls and took the keys with him. If he doesn't get back I'll be open all night." We drove on praising the Lord, our God.
Lilly and our girls would visit my Easley Grandparents and several other aunts, uncles and cousins while the boys and I would drive on to Denver City, Texas where we'd meet Daddy and my four brothers. We were there to build a new bedroom onto my cousin Edwin's house. I don't remember how many days we were there. On Saturday night we all drove to Clovis, New Mexico to see a fabulous Rodeo. Sunday morning we attended their morning Church service. Edwin paid us well. Our boys had lots of fun getting to know Edwin's boy.
When I dropped Lilly and the girls off at Eldorado, my Aunt Kathryn asked, if I could re-roof her house when I got back from Texas? Her son Carroll could help when he got home from school each day. The Lord kept providing funds without my asking anybody for work. And I still had forty-seven cents in my pocket. From Eldorado we drove up through the panhandle of Texas to stay over night with my cousin Yvonne and her family at Johnson, Kansas. Next morning we drove on the Saint Louis area to stay the week-end with our dear friends, Rev. Les and Doyle Ray Jeeter. Monday was Labor Day. We drove home to Oregon, Illinois that day, Sept. 6, 1976. And just knew, and then found out for sure that the Great God of Eternity had us and His plans for us, firmly in the palm of His hand.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
THE SUDDEN PAINFUL BLOW OF DEATH
How Could We Comprehend the Pain that Was about to Strick
As we struck camp that Friday morning and loaded to leave our first wonderful family vacation in the friendly country of Canada, it was with joy and gladness that we drove away hoping for another such outing in another year or two. Not far from our campsite we merged into the long line of travelers going over the border from beautiful Canada into the Good Ole United States of America.
After we left the last gate giving us the freedom of home, we settled back to enjoy the scenery and ride through the Michigan landscape. We were in Carlene's van. She rode behind the front seat passenger. I rode shotgun. Joanna had the wheel. The Kids were settling into their favorite spots. After an hour outside Canada, Joanna's phone rang. She answered, spoke a word or two then want silent for a few seconds, then pulling onto the shoulder of the road she looked at me and said with a terribly broken voice, Dad I don't know how to tell you this; but, Jeremy's no longer here. Jeremy died this morning. I was uncomprehending. We all wept sourly at the awful, unbelievable report that Jeremy, our believed 46 year old son had suddenly died of a heart attack.
We were on an interstate with plenty of traffic and no proper place to pull over or get out. In a short way along the road we came to a parking area. There we pulled off and climbed out. The six of us hugged and cried individually and in a circle, just what ever seemed to met our needs at the moment. Joanna told the story as she had heard it from the police man, a boy who had been in her graduation class from High School. Jeremy, our second son, the middle of our five children, lived in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. He had been Minister of Music at the First United Methodist Church of Hopkinsville for several years.
Jeremy had a degree in Forestry, but loved music just a little bit better. He was an avid bicycle rider. He connected well with the city bike shop and the men and women who gathered there often to ride the roads and by-ways of Christian County. Friday was his day off and those days he and others often took longer rides. Early every day available, before work, he / they got in a few miles. After several years of riding, he was working his way up to 100 to 150 mile per week. Over the years he had gained weight and saw biking as a way toward health as well an excise and good fellowship with many friends. Gladly, over time, he had lost many pounds of weight.
Some bikers ride racing bikes and some mountain bikes. Jeremy's were racers. Some friends liked mountain biking. He had fixed up a mountain bike and was excited to have his first experience on the big tires that day. Only one friend was available that Friday. They were prepared and ready. Bikes were secured in the back of his pickup. They drove west from Christian County to the Land between the Lakes, parked the pickup, unloaded and started up the trail.
After a while they saw a Welcome Center ahead. Jeremy said to his friend, "My chest is hurting a little, I think I'll stay and rest a while. You go on, I'll catch up." But the friend waited around a bit, then said he'd go back and bring up the pickup. By the time he returned, Jeremy had collapsed. Someone immediately began CPR, 911 had been called. By the time Pickup and Friend arrived an ambulance was on the seine. The ambulance crew did their best and the Paducah, Kentucky hospital did their best for two hours to no avail.
It was Jeremy's day to move from Hopkinsville to Heaven and live with God forever. We can't tell you our pain. We can tell you we know where he is and we can go there, too. Not every body goes there. But any body can go there. The requirement is to believe Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. Ask His forgiveness of all your sin and let Him become King of your heart and life.
As we struck camp that Friday morning and loaded to leave our first wonderful family vacation in the friendly country of Canada, it was with joy and gladness that we drove away hoping for another such outing in another year or two. Not far from our campsite we merged into the long line of travelers going over the border from beautiful Canada into the Good Ole United States of America.
After we left the last gate giving us the freedom of home, we settled back to enjoy the scenery and ride through the Michigan landscape. We were in Carlene's van. She rode behind the front seat passenger. I rode shotgun. Joanna had the wheel. The Kids were settling into their favorite spots. After an hour outside Canada, Joanna's phone rang. She answered, spoke a word or two then want silent for a few seconds, then pulling onto the shoulder of the road she looked at me and said with a terribly broken voice, Dad I don't know how to tell you this; but, Jeremy's no longer here. Jeremy died this morning. I was uncomprehending. We all wept sourly at the awful, unbelievable report that Jeremy, our believed 46 year old son had suddenly died of a heart attack.
We were on an interstate with plenty of traffic and no proper place to pull over or get out. In a short way along the road we came to a parking area. There we pulled off and climbed out. The six of us hugged and cried individually and in a circle, just what ever seemed to met our needs at the moment. Joanna told the story as she had heard it from the police man, a boy who had been in her graduation class from High School. Jeremy, our second son, the middle of our five children, lived in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. He had been Minister of Music at the First United Methodist Church of Hopkinsville for several years.
Jeremy had a degree in Forestry, but loved music just a little bit better. He was an avid bicycle rider. He connected well with the city bike shop and the men and women who gathered there often to ride the roads and by-ways of Christian County. Friday was his day off and those days he and others often took longer rides. Early every day available, before work, he / they got in a few miles. After several years of riding, he was working his way up to 100 to 150 mile per week. Over the years he had gained weight and saw biking as a way toward health as well an excise and good fellowship with many friends. Gladly, over time, he had lost many pounds of weight.
Some bikers ride racing bikes and some mountain bikes. Jeremy's were racers. Some friends liked mountain biking. He had fixed up a mountain bike and was excited to have his first experience on the big tires that day. Only one friend was available that Friday. They were prepared and ready. Bikes were secured in the back of his pickup. They drove west from Christian County to the Land between the Lakes, parked the pickup, unloaded and started up the trail.
After a while they saw a Welcome Center ahead. Jeremy said to his friend, "My chest is hurting a little, I think I'll stay and rest a while. You go on, I'll catch up." But the friend waited around a bit, then said he'd go back and bring up the pickup. By the time he returned, Jeremy had collapsed. Someone immediately began CPR, 911 had been called. By the time Pickup and Friend arrived an ambulance was on the seine. The ambulance crew did their best and the Paducah, Kentucky hospital did their best for two hours to no avail.
It was Jeremy's day to move from Hopkinsville to Heaven and live with God forever. We can't tell you our pain. We can tell you we know where he is and we can go there, too. Not every body goes there. But any body can go there. The requirement is to believe Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. Ask His forgiveness of all your sin and let Him become King of your heart and life.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
MULTI FAMILY VACATION TO NIAGRA
We Gathered from Italy, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Iowa
Sometime early this year our girls had the great idea to visit the Canadian Niagara Falls this summer. The farther the ideas progressed the more exciting the plans became. Finally all was in order. I left with Lydia's family for a visit with Keith's family in eastern Pennsylvania. They had great fun touring Brandon's place and I stayed about three nights with Keith and Annette. I spoke briefly at Keith's Church that Sunday. Following the service they had the Christening of a sweet little boy. Several family members of each side of his family were present.
We had lunch with Brandon's family. That afternoon we visited some of the beautiful Cottages in the wooded hills of the Leigh High Valley where a very old Methodist Tabernacle had conducted and still conducts Camp Meetings and religious services for many years. It seemed that in a matter of moments we pasted from the hubbub and rush of modern American life to the peace and calm of Pioneer peoples in centuries long past.
Monday morning we loaded into the three vehicles bound northwest to meet with the van filled with luggage and wiggling, squirming life, two Mamma's and three kids filled with lots of vinegar from the corn fields of Illinois. All aimed for a marvelous camp ground near the Niagara River. Before nightfall, all family groups had made it over the border and found the next door camp sites where we pitched three tents and made use of one nicely supplied motel room. Breakfasts and suppers were prepared around the campfire. Wonderful fellowship was shared from memories long past: stories, games, fun and laughter filled the night air. The seven young cousins with Mamma's, Papas, Grand Mamma's, Grand Papas, and a Great Grand Papa, all from three continents, three states of the United States of America and two nations of the world were all camping in the beautiful Canadian countryside for a great four days of joy near the great unbelievably spectacular Niagara Falls.
We walked along the cliffs of the gorge in awe and amazed wonder as tons of water fell over the two sets of falls ever second. As night came on vary colored lights shown onto the cascading river falling into the great abyss. Boats in the river below sold rides for the bold and the courageous. We were each furnished with thin, sturdy rain wear with head covering. The strong blowing mist from the mighty river drove us to cower in the shelter of our over coats. The long exhausting walk from the boat up the great incline to the elevators was near more than I could handle. The girls helped me to some chairs under a canopy. Niagara attendants brought cold water and energy drinks. With the careful care of family and strangers I soon recovered and made it to the upper street where we waited for the strong among us to bring the cars. We saw many of the same sights over and over each day but were also amazed at all the new views we had overlooked before.
One of the great breakfasts were the skillets full of scrambled eggs that Brandon turned out on the bon fires each morning. "O what great flavor and taste!" An old mother coon and one of her young made their way under our table every night to scrounge up some food we had dropped. But their main goal seemed to be our trash bag. We very quickly learned to dispose of all trash as soon as we could carry it away. After a night or two I took courage in hand and started chasing them away. It was lots of fun to keep chasing until they stayed up the tree for longer than five minutes. Not all of us found the midnight trip to the shower house to be of any great fun. We all had good flash lights for that purpose, but some times the light had vanished at the time of greatest need.
The last morning was a bit slow at the start. We had to get the coals left in the ashes of last nights fire dug out and new wood lighted so breakfast could start. But it wasn't long until motion began to pick up. Dressing, packing, rolling bedding, folding cots, emptying the tents, dropping and folding the tents were all in process while breakfast was finishing. Last trips to the wash house, loading the vans and storing the kids in their niche brought us out to the departure point. All was excitement. Kids calling out
good byes to cousins, aunts, uncles, grams and gramps. It might be a long time till we meet again.
Little could we know what sorrow and sadness awaited us an hour over the border. But all in all we'd had a remarkably wonderful and joyful four days with faraway living family here together in the gorgeous Canadian country side.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
ANOTHER PRAYER IN THE BIBLE
Hezekiah Is Healed
Isaiah 38:1-8 (NASB)
4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying,
5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David,
“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’
7 “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord,
that the Lord will do this thing that He has spoken:
8 Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway,
which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.”
So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.
Isaiah 38:1-8 (NASB)
38 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill.
And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him,
“Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,
3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David,
“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.
6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’
7 “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord,
that the Lord will do this thing that He has spoken:
8 Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway,
which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.”
So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.
Do we believe God still answers prayer?
ANOTHER PRAYER FROM THE BIBLE
Daniel's Prayer for His People
Daniel 9:4-23 (NASB)
Daniel Confesses the Sin of the People
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.
6 Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.
7 “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.
8 Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
Daniel Confesses God's Compassion and Forgiveness
9 To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.
11 Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.
12 Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth.
14 Therefore the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked.
16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.
Daniel asks God to hear prayer
17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Maybe we also ought to pray as did Daniel and the Prophets of old
Daniel 9:4-23 (NASB)
Daniel Confesses the Sin of the People
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.
6 Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.
7 “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.
8 Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
Daniel Confesses God's Compassion and Forgiveness
9 To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.
11 Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.
12 Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem.
13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth.
14 Therefore the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked.
16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.
Daniel asks God to hear prayer
17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Maybe we also ought to pray as did Daniel and the Prophets of old
MORE PRAYERS FROM THE BIBLE
Ezra a Priest of Israel Prays a Pray of Confession
5 But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God; 6 and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day.
8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and with their impurity.
12 So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’
13 After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this, 14 shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape?
15 O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this."
Ezra 9:5-15
5 But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God; 6 and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day.
8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and with their impurity.
12 So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’
13 After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this, 14 shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape?
15 O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this."
[The Question in My Mind?]
Have we sinned these sins?
Are we accountable to God for such behavior?
Does the Word of God and His Commands apply to us?
Should the Churches of America be confessing the sins of America?
Ought we to pray for revival?
Is revival possible in our day?
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