Happy was his name.......Happy Ingram. And, yes, Happy was happy ! I never did see Happy at church camp when he wasn't happy. He had a smile from ear to ear from breakfast until lights out at night. Happy was just a happy person.

Happy wasn't a young man those years he was the night watchman at Siloam Springs Baptist Assembly but was Happy's job to keep everyone as happy as he could. There were times when someone did something wrong; he caught them catching crawdads in the stream when they were suppose to be in bible study. Or, they were playing sick and laying on their bunk while worship service was going on. Wherever they were, you could bet Happy would find them. They might not be happy when he did but before he finished talking to them about right and wrong, they were happy again.

The last person you would hear after lights out at night would be Happy. We always listened for Happy to come whistling up the hill shining his flashlight ahead of him. As he walked by our dormitory, he would shine his light up on the side of the building and in his happy voice,

"How's everyone in there doing? Are we all happy?"

"Yes, Happy, we're all happy," we'd say in unison.

Off he would go then to the next dorm, shining his light ahead of him.

I'm sure Happy had unhappy times just like all of us do. But, Happy had the Lord living inside of him and he showed it to us kids. He was an example of what a Christian should be. He always had time to talk in the afternoons during free time. You'd see Happy over on the bench by the Snack Shack enjoying a snow cone with four or five kids gathered around him laughing at his jokes. And, yet, Happy always took the time, when telling his funny stories, to witness to these young boys and girls about the love of the Lord.

A few years later when John and I were first married, Freeman Heights was a mission of First Baptist Church, that big, red brick church down the street from the post office. I played the piano and John led the music. When Freeman Heights became a church, Bro. Happy Ingram was their first pastor. It was so good to see Bro. Happy once again. He still had that smile from ear to ear and he wanted everyone else he came in contact to be happy , too.

How do you appear to those around you? Do you exhibit the love of Christ in your actions? Can those around you look at you and tell that you are a Believer?

"Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people,
who do not follow the example of sinners
or join those who have no use for God.
Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord,
and they study it day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream,
that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up.
They succeed in everything they do." Psalm 1:1-3 GNT

Church camp always provided a little bit of entertainment and a few headaches for the counselors, of which my mother was one for several years.

Upon arrival at Siloam Springs, our group of girls from the big, red brick church down the street from the post office, could hardly wait to be assigned a dorm. Having been there before, most of us knew whichever one we were residing in for those two weeks (yes, it was two weeks then, and not the five days it is now), we could count on the weather being either hot, cold, rainy or stormy.

The dorms, with open air screens all around and just enough holes for the mosquitoes and flies to find their way in, awaited us at the end of the long climb to the top of Girls Hill. Upon arriving, it was a mad scramble to claim your bunk. If the weather forecast was for hot weather, we all wanted the top bunk ; rainy with cold nights, we scrambled for the bottom bunks. And, of course, you wanted your best friend to occupy the bunk across from you so you could giggle and whisper to each other after lights out. Of course, some of us discovered the top bunk was always the best because, occasionally, someone in the top bunk would be sick and throw up, usually right on the bottom bunk.

This particular year, we were blessed (and I use that word lightly) with a group of girls from south Arkansas , who came without a counselor. They all huddled together on one side of the room in the bunks closest to the door. The beds could be "unbunked" so my mother chose the unbunked bed closest to the door on the opposite side. She introduced herself to the girls, who were all middle-aged teenagers and older than most of our group. Then, very politely, they introduced themselves to her and to the rest of us. Oh, it was going to be fun having these very pretty, older girls in our dorm. Little did we know then just how much fun.

After the evening worship in the open air tabernacle and a trip to the Snack Shack, everyone headed to their dorms for a devotional time before lights out. Two of the older girls offered to lead the devotional and my mother was thrilled. Our prayers were said and we all settled down for what we thought would be a restful night.

About midnight, my mother was awakened by giggling and a "Shhhhhhh......quite", whispered near her.

"Where are you girls headed ?" Mother said.

Startled, one of them said,

"Oh, well, we needed to use the restroom."

"Okay, just a minute and I'll go with you." Mother said as she searched for her houseshoes and flashlight.

Off down the hill the four of them went; Mother leading the way with her flashlight. After the trip to the restroom, the four of them trudged back up the hill.

All was quiet for a time and then there was more whispering. Opening her eyes and flipping on her flashlight, Mother caught three of those same older girls sneaking out the door. Immediately the girls ran back to their their bunks with a stern warning from my Mother that night time was for sleeping not sneaking. Soon it was quiet again.

My mother was a very kind, gentle and patient woman but her motto was "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me". So, after the three girls were settled in bed, I heard a noise that sounded like something scraping across the floor. I sat up in bed; looked toward the screen door and my 5' 2" little Mother was slowly, but surely pushing her iron bed in front of the door, completely blocking the exit. As soon as her mission was completed, she removed her houseshoes, crawled back into bed, pulled up the covers and all was well the rest of the night. Oh, and for the remainder of camp I might add.

How often do we think we can fool our pastor, parents, our spouses, our children or our friends? We may fool everyone for a time; maybe even forever but we will never fool our Maker.

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you."

Psalm 139:7-12 NIV

"Avoid Sam At All Costs !"

The young kids and youth from the big, red brick church down the street from the post office made a lot of memories at church camp.

There was this young kid and I'll call him Sam. When I was about 12 or 13, he and his sister were at camp. They lived in a big city in Arkansas and their dad was a pastor. Sam was just a big old kid who seemed pretty dumb as far as I could tell. Sam's sister was a couple of years older than Sam. One day she came to me and said , "Sam would like to set with you at church tonight." Sam was in one or two of my morning classes and I knew he kept looking at me , smiling, and then dropping his head. Well, Sam wasn't exactly the cutest bug in the rug so I wasn't too impressed with him. I don't remember what I told Sam's sister, but I do remember what I told my best friend , who was also at camp.

" Tonight at church , you stick as close to me as you can. I'm going to see if I can get a seat next to the pole and you set beside me and DO NOT MOVE FOR ANYTHING!!!"

So, that's what we did. Sure enough, the rest of the bench filled up and I was squeezed in next to the pole. Sam came in and I hunkered down in my seat. He wandered all around and finally spotted me. Not having room to set beside me, he chose to set right behind me. I was MORTIFIED !! The rest of the week it was "Avoid Sam At All Costs". Finally, on the last night, he managed to set two people down from me. During the morning classes, I just tried my best to avoid him, which wasn't easy. Sam seemed to be everywhere I turned, even the Snack Shack.

That was sixty years ago and I hadn't thought of Sam since then. So, when I began thinking about camp, I thought about this incident and I wondered what ever happened to Sam. So, I googled his name and lo and behold, not only did I find Sam, but I found what he had been doing since I last saw him setting on that wooden bench in the tabernacle grinning and dropping his head.

Sam did alright for himself. He graduated at the top of his high school class of over 700 students; went on to Baylor, where he graduated again at the top of a class of 725. He went on to Yale, then to Penn State , where he got his Doctorate in Philosophy. He taught in colleges for 31 years; was affiliated with other numerous prestigious colleges and wrote numereous articles and several books with titles that I can hardly pronounce. He passed away a few years ago but he left quite a legacy.

The moral of this story is not that Sam was better than anyone else; I'm sure he put his pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. We shouldn't look at another person who is shy or not the cutest bug in the rug and just ignore them. We don't know what a child is capable of when they reach maturity. We don't know how our actions will affect a child. Apparently, my actions toward Sam didn't affect his ability to go on to do great things in life. But, we never know when our actions will affect someone so we need to appreciate people for who they are; no matter the age they are; no matter the color of their skin or nationality or background.

The bible tells us "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31 NIV.

What a wonderful world this would be if we all lived by that rule.

Can Anything Be More Exciting Than Church Camp?

One of the most exciting things that kids at the big red brick church down the street from the post office experiened was church camp at Siloam Springs Baptist Assembly. Each summer, we counted down the days and prayed for dry weather. I couldn't wait until I was old enough to go and that day finally came in the summer of 1950.

My mother, at 44, was a bit too old to go as a camper. However, she... was just the right age to be a camp counselor. I'm sure it had nothing to do with me being just 10 years old and my daddy being a bit protective.

To say the camp was a bit primitive in 1950 as compared to the beautiful campus and accommodations of Siloam Springs Baptist Assembly now was an understatement. When shown our accommodations for the two weeks, wonderful would not have been the word we would have used. Our dormitory looked like a chicken house but was two story; no windows , only screens all with a few holes to accommodate the flies and mosquitoes. Along the sides were heavy drop down wooden covers that were to be used in case of rain and there were iron bunk beds with thin mattresses. At one end of the long room was a shelf with a bucket and a wash pan, which was the first clue that there was no running water except for a hydrant down a very narrow path. The showers were primitive as well and were located further on down the path and shared with other campers in other dormitories on the hill. Of course, there was no hot water and the water from those showers surely came from a spring somewhere within that mountain.

The experiences of church camp are something, once experienced, will never be forgotten. That summer in 1950 was the beginning of camp each summer for seven years for me. What we learned, the friendships we developed and the increase of our faith in our Heavenly Father more than likely would not have been found at any other venue.

There is just something about summer church camp that changes lives.

" But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." Luke 18:16 KJV

BOOM!! BOOM!! I had never heard anything that loud in all my life and it literally shook my insides.

I was outside wandering around by myself when the thunderous roar came. I thought at first the sky was falling so I covered my head and ran screaming toward the door. On the way inside, my idea of a falling sky was replaced by the idea that it was the Lord who was returning.

"Mother, Mother !",... I screamed as I flung open the door, " Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming!!"

"That was only a sonic boom, Honey. Didn't you hear the plane fly over?" She took me in her arms and held me until my shaky legs quit shaking.

It was a Sunday and we had just returned from church. Our pastor had been preaching about the second coming of the Lord. He had told us that Jesus would return suddenly out of the east . He said there would be the blasting of a trumpet and He would return with all of His angels.

I looked up at my Mother and said, "Well, that BOOM sure sounded like Jesus' trumpet and I thought He was coming back to take us to Heaven. I sure am glad I'm ready, aren't you?"

Mother smiled down at me and hugged me a little tighter,

"Yes, Honey, I'm glad you're ready, too."

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first" 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 KJV

How many of us are too caught up with the cares of this world to think about the Lord's return? A lot of us are like the people who were caught in the flood back in the time of Noah.

"For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Matthew 24:38-29 NIV

One of these days when we least expect it, we may all hear that "sonic boom" and be caught off guard when we look up and see the Lord descending from Heaven.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone in our neighborhood planted a garden. No one tried to compete with anyone else for the prettiest garden, it was just that growing your own vegetables helped a lot with the grocery bill and no one who planted a garden in our neighborhood was flush with money. Besides, homegrown just tasted better.

One of the things that Daddy was always proud of was the corn he planted. He had a cultivator he pushed by hand that furrowed out the rows leaving room to hoe between the plants to keep out the weeds. He and Mother worked every evening it seemed to keep that corn growing and the weeds out. The stalks were beautiful; dark green and over twice as tall as I was at seven years old.

 

One of my favorite things to do on a summer day was play between the rows of corn. The tops of the stalks shaded the narrow rows and if there was a breeze, the leafy part blew back and forth. I thought hiding in those corn stalks was so neat. I could get back in them and just knew that no one could see me or would know where I was. I liked to pretend I was being chased by someone and I would race between the stalks, holding my breath until the imaginary person passed. The only problem with playing in the corn stalks was what they did to my delicate skin. My little sleeveless pinafore didn't cover my arms or legs and after only a few minutes of running through the stalks, I would begin to sting and itch terribly.

Mother always knew what the outcome would be. I'd come running in the house, screaming and jumping up and down flailing my arms about with tears running down my cheeks.

"You've been playing in those corn rows again, haven't you?" She would say as she washed my arms and legs with soap and water. "I don't know why you insist on playing in there when you know how badly you will itch when you get out."

When Mother has sufficiently washed me enough that I could stand still and not cry,

"But, Mother, it's just so much fun.", I'd say, "I can hide from those people and they just pass right by and never see me."

You know sin is a lot like that. We can hide and play in the corn rows of sin because it's fun. But, there will be painful, stinging consequences of sin to pay. Jesus died on the cross to take away the consequences of our sin. The blood he spilt for us there will wash away those consequences much like my Mother washed my arms and legs to take away the sting of my playful fun.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:7 NIV

 

 

 

 

"I'll get a jar and we'll catch lightening bugs, okay?"

"Okay, but punch holes in the lid because we don't want 'em to smother while they're in there." I said to my friend as she headed across the street.

"I'll have Dad punch the holes. He won't let me use his knife. And, I'll put some grass in there so they'll have something to eat. I'll be right back."

After supper was over and I had helped... Mother by drying the last dish, permission was granted for me to go outside.

"Now, don't go so far that you can't hear me when I hollar for you, okay?" My Mother said. And I assured her I wouldn't.

It wasn't difficult to entertain the kids in my neighborhood on any given summer evening. Most of us had front porches and those porches were the gathering places for us. It was a peaceful neighborhood. The only sounds in the late evenings were the sounds of kids laughing, the jar flies making their sawing noises, occasional barking of a dog or a mother calling their child in for bedtime. We would ride our bicycles around the block until dark. Sometimes the boys would hide their bicycles and then jump out at us as we wheeled by, insuring a blood curdling scream from us girls.

Parents would set out on their porches watching their children play, swatting an occasional mosquito, and talking with some of the neighbors who had wandered over to visit.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if neighborhoods were once again like this? If everyone took time to visit with neighbors and children were free to run and play until night settled in? If there were no threats of kidnappings or shootings in the neighborhood schools?

If doors could be left unlocked without the threat of thieves? If people would mingle with other people instead of being entertained via a television screen? What if we really got to know one another? What if we watched out for our neighbor's children as though they were our own? Have we become a people who cannot be satisfied with the small pleasures in life?

I know the verse below is written to encourage Believers to not give up meeting together in a church like setting. But, could it not also apply to us getting together with friends and neighbors to encourage each other in our daily lives; to show love toward each other by taking time to listen to the problems someone might be facing or the praise that another might want to share? And, most of all, to be there for our kids as they play together in carefree abandonment?

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

 

 

 

 

Sunbonnet Sue

"Grandchildren are a grandparent's link to the future, and grandparents are the child's link to the past." Author Unknown

When I was about five , my grandpa came to live with us for a while. He was a jolly man; laughed a lot and we played a lot of games like Hide-and-Seek and Ring Around the Rosie. I loved the feel of his big hand holding mine while we walked to town.  We looked in all of the store windows and, of course, he bought both of us an ice cream cone. I remember that he liked chocolate and, if my grandpa liked chocolate, then of course, I did.

One of the things I remember the most about that visit was how he taught me to make a bed. My mother had a Sunbonnet Sue quilt that I loved. It was used as a spread on the bed where my grandpa slept because it was one of the nicest quilts we had. My grandpa told me to get on one side of the bed at the foot and he would be on the other. Then he said,

"Now, honey, you see those little girls that are walking toward you? Try to get this one in the middle to come over your way."

So, I would pull the quilt toward me and Sunbonnet Sue would move my way. My grandpa would then make a game out of it by pulling Sunbonnet Sue toward him. Then we would move up to the next Sunbonnet Sue and I would pull her toward me as he pulled her his way. We worked our way up to the head of the bed and as I looked down toward the foot, there was not a wrinkle to be found!

"And, that, honey, is the way to make your bed. You just pull all of those wrinkles toward you and they will disappear."

I think of that occasionally when I make our bed today. That Sunbonnet Sue quilt is but a memory yet I can imagine it laying there as I pull out those wrinkles. I can even imagine my grandpa standing on the other side of the bed, the sun shining on his white hair and, his contagious laugh filling the air.

I loved spending time with my grandpa in our home while he was there. I wish I had gotten to spend more time with my grandparents but that wasn't possible. However, I look forward to spending an eternity with them in their Heavenly homes in the future.

"Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home." Genesis 31:55

In As Much As You Have Done It Unto The Least of These

Perhaps it was the smell of mother's homemade vegetable soup that brought them. Or maybe it was the chicken she was frying up for our supper that night. I suspect after the first one came, word spread like wildfire about the sweet lady who lived in the white house with the green roof. As soon as the whistle blew , the hobos would hop off the train trying to get away before they were caught by the conductor.

Most hobos had a way of corresponding with other hobos by developed a system of symbols, or a code. Hobos would write this code with chalk or coal to provide directions, information, and warnings to other hobos. The symbol for "nice lady lives here" was the drawing of a cat. I feel sure there was a cat drawn somewhere very close to our home.

A couple of times a week it seemed, as soon as we would hear the train whistle blow, we could expect to see at least one hobo or maybe two approach our screened in porch. Mother never seemed to be afraid of these men even though she did keep the screen door latched when my daddy wasn't around. The men would tap gently on the back screen door and mother would stick her head out the kitchen door,

"What can I help you with?" she would ask.

"Ma'am, I'm kinda hungry and I jest was a wonderin' if you might spare a slice or two of bread."

Mother, of course, never settled for just giving them a slice or two of bread. She would pour a glass of water then dish up whatever she had available, take it to the screen door and unlatching the door, hand them a drink and whatever there was to eat, then latch the screen door again. I have watched them many times set down on our back porch steps and eat with gusto whatever she served. When they were finished, most of the time, they would tap gently on the screen door and say ,

"Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate yore good cookin' " and they would trudge off.

I have wondered many times since then as I looked back on those days why my mother was always so willing to help out those dirty, smelly hobos when she received nothing in return. We were not wealthy people. There were weeks when I know mother wondered if there would be enough food for the three of us. But, my mother was a woman of faith. She read her bible and she knew what God had ask all of us to do. And, my mother did it.

" I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matt.25:35-40 NIV

Taking a Ride on the Train

 

 

 Sunway Charters.com

I guess all little kids are intrigued by the sound of a train. When it came rolling into the depot, blowing it's whistle, about three blocks from our home, it was rather eerie, but exciting. My mother and I would occasionally walk up near the depot to watch it roll in. I would hold her hand, walk, slightly behind her and peer around her as it pulled in.

One day my Mother told me I needed to clean up a bit; wash my face and hands and put on a dress. She didn't tell me why but I soon discovered the reason. Our neighbor, Mr. O. had asked if he could take me, along with his daughter, who was younger than I, to the train depot. Once there, we were going to board that big train and ride to the other side of Eureka Springs and back. To say I was excited would have been wrong; I was estatic ! Imagine me getting to ride on the same train that I had been hearing for ages.

As we boarded the train, I felt my knees shake just a wee bit. I wasn't afraid, only excited. I had never imagined being able to set in those red leather seats and look out the window. My mother had walked to the depot with us and she waved at me as the train picked up steam. The whistle blew and I almost jumped out of my seat. As the scenery flew by, I could hardly contain myself. I know I was talking a mile a minute; asking questions by the dozen. Meanwhile, Mr. O's daughter was setting on his lap, not quite knowing what to make of all of this. I recall Mr. O. telling us we would approach a tunnel and everything would go black outside for just a bit but not to be frighened because we would soon be on the other side. Sure enough, darkness enveloped the passenger car and the conductor blew his whistle as we exited the other side.

The ride back home was just as exiting. I could hardly wait to tell my mother and daddy about my experience; particularly, about the tunnel and the darkness that it caused, but how we had come out on the other side and the light coming in the windows seemed even brighter than when we had entered.

All of us experience periods of darkness in our lives. However, if we put our trust in our Heavenly Father, He will bring us through that dark period often into a life that is even more fulfilling.

" There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" Romans 5:3-5

The Message Translation

My First Day of School

There was no kindergarten so first grade awaited this six year old.. There was no "Meet the Teacher" or Open House before school started like there is today. I had no idea who my teacher would be or where my classroom was. And even though we only had half day classes because of the number of children, all I knew is my mother wasn't going to be there so I was not a happy camper.

Conveniently, I think, my soft hearted daddy had to go to work early. My mother didn't drive so our neighbor , Mr. O., would be taking me. I can still see him now, pulling into our driveway while I stood hanging onto my mother's apron for dear life. After much carjoling, I was finally seated in his red pickup and off we went. I remember looking through the back glass and seeing my mother wave. That's when the tears began to flow.

Arriving at school, I refused to get out. Instead, my tears turned to bawling. Poor Mr. O. didn't want to forcibly carry me to the school, so he turned the pick up around and headed back to my house. Two trips later after hearing from my mother that staying home was not an option but a paddling was, I found myself in a classroom of kids my age, most of whom I didn't know.

After the tornado in 1942 that blew away most of the school buildings here, old CCC buildings were moved from just behind Berryville Ford and to the east of the elementary school, to a location just southwest of what is now known as the Old Gym on the grounds of BHS high school. My first grade classroom was in one of those old buildings. There was an old pot bellied stove in the middle of the classroom that kept us warm during the cold winters. However, on that September day in 1946 , it would not have mattered if we had been meeting in the governor's mansion; not mattered that Mrs. Roberts was a kind teacher ; not mattered that I knew one or two of the kids, I was afraid and I wanted the security of my mother and home.

Our Lord wants us to enjoy life on the earth that He prepared for us. However, our true happiness and security is in Him. He wants us to be prepared for our Heavenly Home when our life on this earth is complete. And, just as my mother was waiting for me with open arms when I returned from school that first day, our Heavenly Father is waiting with open arms so that we who are Believers can live with Him forever.

"There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." John 14: 2-3 NLT

 

 http://www.arkansasties.com/WhatsNew/2010/10/civilian-conservation-corps/ For those wondering about the CCC camps.
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  Civilian Conservation Corps - Arkansas Ties

  www.arkansasties.com
  

  Camp staff: Standing (l-r): H.S. Linden, O.A. Stanley & H.M. Ford, all foreman.... Seated (l-r): CPT Charles Craig, commanding officer, H.M. Dodds, project superintendent; LT Oliver Harvey, second

   

 

 

Who Are Your Heroes?

 

Did you know you are someone's hero? I was reminded of that this past week when our revival pastor brought it to our attention.

There were a lot of heroes of the faith in the bible. Hebrews 11 is called by some the faith chapter since it mentions great men and women of faith. When you tell yourself that you could never be anyone's hero because you aren't perfect, remember David , who committed a...dultery and then had the woman's husband murdered to cover up David's sin; Rahab was a prostitute, yet she was an ancestor of Jesus. And Abraham went against God's promises many times. These are listed as people of faith.

Who are your heroes? When I was a kid, my heroes were people like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. As I have grown older, my heroes have changed. My mother was one of my heroes because of her faith that never wavered. She was a true prayer warrior and after almost 95 years on this earth, God took her to her Heavenly home one night while she was sleeping.

Today is my husband's birthday and he is definitely my hero. Though he is not perfect, in my eyes he is very nearly so. He is a man of faith, a wonderful husband , father and grandfather. I know his daughters would say he was one of their heroes and so would his grandchildren.

Last Christmas, the grandchildren who were with us, wrote in the front of a book about Grandfathers and gave it to him:

"Granddad, I am so blessed to have a granddad that is so honest, hard working, kind, Godly, selfless and loving. I hope one day I will have a husband just like you."

"I love you, Granddad, because you know how to make everyone of your grandchildren smile. Your stories guide us through life and on to our future home in the clouds."

"Granddad you are simply amazing and have had such an important influence on my life. I love being with you. You are a godly role model for all of us."

"Granddad, you are the greatest man I know. Whenever I think of men I want to be like, I think of you."

We all need to take inventory of our lives. Are we the kind of person that we would look up to as our hero? Are you someone who would inspire someone to live a life of faith? A hero doesn't need to be perfect but children and young people in particular need someone they can look up to; someone who is a moral person; a consistant person; someone who doesn't waver in their faith.

Yes, we all have someone who is looking to us as their hero; someone who has a steadfast faith in God. Sometime when you have time, read Hebrews 11 and see what kind of men and women God says were people of faith; people to be looked up to as heroes.

How do you measure up?

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

 

 

 

 

She Was Such A Sweet Kitten

She was such a tiny, scrawny, little yellow kitten. And, her "meow" was so weak. She was setting at our screen door looking longingly with those beautiful green eyes. I was hooked from that moment!

"Can I give her just a little milk, please?"

"You know if you do, Sis, she won't go home where she belongs."

"But, Daddy, what if she doesn't have a home?"

"Well, she came here from somewhere an...d she needs to go back" was his reply.

So, I sat down in front of the screen door just to talk to her. She rubbed against the door and began purring. In about thirty minutes, I suppose my Mother and Daddy had decided I wasn't going to give up so Mother brought a little milk in a saucer. I opened the door and she sat the saucer down. Immediately, the saucer was licked clean and kitty was begging for more.

Daddy came outside; picked the kitten up and looking her over, determined she didn't have fleas, so I was allowed to go out on the porch and play with her. She was my first and sweetest pet, I named her Blondie, and I loved her dearly.

Blondie and I spent a lot of hours playing. I was eight years old and loved playing with my dolls. I had some doll clothes that just fit Blondie and she would lay very still while I dressed her up, including tying a little bonnet on her head. Blondie just fit exactly in my little doll buggy. So, after dressing her up; placing her in the buggy, she and I made a lot of trips up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. Never once did she jump out; never once did she scratch me when I dressed her. If there ever was a perfect pet, Blondie was. All Blondie wanted to do in life was please me; her master.

We buried Blondie in the back corner of our yard a few years later. Daddy found a box just the right size and I dressed her in a little doll dress complete with bonnet and we laid her to rest under the spirea bushes.

How willing are we to please our Master? When He returns for us will we be like the song says "dressed in His righteousness"?

"When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne." William Bradbury-1863

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
Isaiah 6:10

 

 

 

 

 

Moppin' and Grumblin'

"Would you rather sweep dirt floors or have no floor at all?"

It was definitely His voice; not audible , but there none the less.

"Remember, this home is not yours; the floor you're mopping is not yours; in fact, nothing you have is yours. It is loaned to you by Me."

I found myself once again, mopping the floor and grumbling under my breath.There are a lot of things about housework I don't min...d doing but mopping floors is not one of them. Getting the dirt out of the corners with that little mop can be so frustrating. Often I find myself down on my hands and knees digging the dirt from those corners.

Do you find yourself down on your knees cleaning out the dirt in the corners of your home more often than down on your knees cleaning out the dirt that has found it's way into your heart? When our hearts are clean, our lips will be also. Bad language and negative talk have no place in the life of a Believer.

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 NKJV

And cleaning up our mind is a part of spiritual cleaning. My mother use to always say to me,"Garbage in; garbage out." In the world we live in today, we must be careful concerning what we see and read and this isn't an easy thing to do.

"throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 WEB

When I begin to complain about mopping up the dirt in my home, I need to be reminded that my soul needs a good cleaning also.

Have You Started Any Fires With Your Tongue Lately?

In my eyes, my daddy had no faults. Well, he might have had one; he smoked. But, he didn't do a lot of other bad things. And, he didn't like to hear gossip. At different times, my mother worked at a grocery store and a five and dime. Occasionally, she would come home with a juicy bit of news she had heard from customers who frequented the stores.

" Today I heard that......." and my dad would immediately stop her.

"Now, Mother (he always called her Mother when I was present), do you know that for a fact?"

"Well, no", my mother would say, "but........." and again he would stop her.

"If you don't have proof of that then, how do you know it's true?" He would look at her as only daddy could and my mother knew it was time to let that rumor die right there.

"Would you appreciate it if someone was spreading gossip about you?" he would ask.

And, of course, my mother would shake her head in response.

Exodus 20:16 says "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." I think that has more than the legal meaning of a witness in court. I think it also means to put aside lying, gossiping, and little white lies.

How many people have had their reputations and lives ruined because of gossip or lying? How many of us have been known to stretch the truth if it meant making someone look worse than us?

James 3:3 in The Message version says:

"A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!"

" It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell."

Have you started any fires with your tongue lately?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Bringing God Your Scraps?

A very dear and busy lady in our church loved giving what she could, including her time, and was diligent to see that everyone's needs were taken care of.

Like most Baptist churches, we loved to have pot luck dinners. We had them for every occasion and if there wasn't an occasion, we invented one.

So, it was on a certain Sunday, at the red brick church down the street from the post office, a bountiful dinner would be served when the worship service was over. This dear lady rushed around very early Sunday morning preparing a casserole. She covered it carefully with foil and set it on her cabinet while she finished preparing for church. She was running late so rushing out the door, she grabbed the casserole, her bible and purse and hurried to the car thinking all the while that people would be so pleased to see their favorite casserole among the dishes served.

The final "A-men" was said and everyone gathered in the fellowship hall. The men stood around visiting; the kids were peering at the cakes and pies at one end of the table while the ladies bustled around setting out their contributions of food and uncovering them. As the dear lady uncovered her dish, she was horrified to discover that in her rush , she had picked up the bowl of scraps she had put into an identical bowl over the last few days.

As I recalled this incident, I wondered how many times we rush off to God's house bringing Him the scraps. We are so busy tending to our own and others needs that we fail to bring our very best to Him. I'm reminded of the story of Moses leading the Children of Israel out of the wilderness. God promised to provide manna for their needs daily telling them not to worry about gathering the leftovers. Did they trust Him to provide? Do we gather up the leftovers in our lives and bring them to Him?

"The People of Israel went to work and started gathering, some more, some less, but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren’t short—each person had gathered as much as was needed. Moses said to them, 'Don’t leave any of it until morning.' But they didn’t listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad. And Moses lost his temper with them." Exodus 16:18-20 The Message

 

Tragedy Brings Repentance

 

We were meeting back in our church after the devastating lightening strike and fire that almost destroyed it.

" Hey, let's walk down the hallway and get to church that way." Said my friend one Sunday night after training union as we walked out of our room at the big red brick church down the street from the post office.

"Are you crazy?" said another," I wouldn't walk down that hallway right now ...for anything! Can't you see those boards up there?", she said, pointing to the beams that were hanging from the cindered ceiling. "One of them might fall on me and kill me ! You can walk through there if you want to but not me !"

Hearing my friend's conversation brought about a sudden realization that she was right ; If one of those boards fell on my head, it might kill me. And, for the first time in my almost 10 years, I realized that should I die, I would go to hell. Oh, I had heard about being saved and I knew that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. But, for the first time, that realization became personal.

I was usually allowed to sit with my friends during church if I promised not to talk but I didn't want to sit with them tonight. My daddy was usually there but this night, he was having to work and my mother was sitting alone. So, there we sat, my mother and me, on the second pew from the front on the left of the sanctuary. That night was the first night of a revival and the preacher was Dr. E.P.J. Garrett and his message was about the cross. All I could think of when I listened to him was the conversation of my friends and the horrifying thought of my eternal destination if I died. He shared how Jesus died for the sins of each of us personally. He said if there had been only one person on the earth, Jesus would have still died for that person. He said we were all born sinners and until we told Jesus we were sorry for our sins and asked Him to come into our hearts and live forever, we would be destined for an eternal hell.

I could hardly wait for the closing prayer because I knew what I wanted to do; what I had to do. When the invitation began, I looked up at my mother and said "I'm going, are you going with me?" I didn't wait to see if she was or not, I just stepped out and walked the few steps to the front and told Dr. Garrett I wanted Jesus to come into my heart. He did and He still lives there today.

Tragedy may be the very thing that God uses to get our attention and bring us to repentance. The tragedy of our church being struck by lightening was the very thing that brought my attention to my need of a Savior. Would I have received Jesus into my heart later on if not that night? I don't know. But, I do know that there are good things that can come out of bad situations. Sometimes God allows tragedy, even the tragedy of a church fire, to teach us lessons we would never learn any other way.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

It was early one Sunday morning when I was a young child and we were getting ready for Sunday School and church when it came. What thunder and lightening and pelting rain we were having ! In the distance, I heard the fire truck's siren. Surely with all of this rain there wasn't a fire somewhere. Daddy opened the front door and we could see and smell smoke. In a few minutes, our telephone rang.... It was a fellow member of our church with the news; the big red brick church down the street from the post office had been struck by lightening and it was burning. We hurriedly finished getting ready then made our way to the church; this was OUR church and it was burning.

What a heartbreaking site with smoke bellowing out the windows and doors and under the eves of the church. Firemen were frantically trying to put out the flames on the roof. Some people had carried song books and bibles from the sanctuary and they lay soaked to one side. People were crying and praying and comforting each other. Why had God allowed this to happen to our beautiful church and on a Sunday morning even?

I later learned that the "church" is not the building. The church is the body of believers who inhabit the building. The word "church" comes from the Greek "ekklesia" which means "gathering" or "assembly." So, it's not a building; it's a group of Believers who come together in one location to fellowship with each other , worship God and hear from His word ; the bible. Christ is the head of the church and we are the body; the members.

Even though this big ,red brick building would eventually be smoke and water damaged and part of it's roof would fall and it would be inhabitable for a short time, the true church ; the body of believers would still stay strong and once again meet together to glorify God in that big, red brick building down the street from the post office. Even now, sixty four years later, there is still smoke blackened evidence high up on the eves of this church building. But, inside, there is still a body of Believers meeting together each week to worship God.

God can allow material things to be destroyed but He will not destroy the hearts of His people. And , just as each member of our physical body is important , so are the members of the body of believers. God has given each member a special gift. If that member is missing, the body can't function as well.

Is there a body of Believers somewhere that needs the spiritual gift God has given you? As our visiting evangelist said "You may be just that kid with the five loaves and two fishes". But, God can take even the smallest thing we possess and use it to His glory when we turn it all over to Him.

"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually". 1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 NIVSee More