The Stinker Family

There was a family, and their neighbors called them, "The Stinkers". That is the name they had lived with for many generations. There were times when they would gather together, and everything would be just great, but then, there would be times they gathered and boy! what a stink that would rise.

It seemed upon their once per week meeting everything went well. They would even bring in their dinners once per month, sit down together at their tables, talk and enjoy their meal. When there were new things to do however there would almost always be one stinker who would rise up and start calling the rest of the family.

Everything in these special things could be going really well, but because one Mrs. Stinker was not in charge she would call others who were not present telling them that another stinker was being mean to the kids, and treating them unfairly. Can you imagine one Stinker working against another Stinker. All you get is STINK.

It is a shame that one Stinker cannot get along with another Stinker. One Mrs. Stinker says to the other Mrs. Stinker, "Well that Mr. Stinker of our family, he really doesn't know how to be a leader." The phones start ringing and the ears of all the Stinkers start buzzing. Lips start yapping, and in the end there is no peace.

What are the Stinkers going to do? What is their Creator going to think about the stink that is being raised within the Stinker family? The domineering female Stinker will need to cease and desist in her stink making, and seek to yield to the leading of the Creator. As long as any of us Stinkers think we can control the family we will continue to stink.

Aren't we all stinkers at times?

Some Good Stuff

The past two weeks have been pretty busy for my wife and I. We have enjoyed the days though. On the fourth of July we had our Blankenship family, friends and neighbors celebration down at the swimming hole, with picnic, fireworks and all. On the weekend preceeding the ninth we had our kids and grandkids at the house for our annual family get together.

My previous writing was concerning produce in our garden, which has been greatly neglected. With the rain and lack of time to get to it it has only been tilled one time. Yet, it is producing. My wife Madge and I went on Friday and dug some new potatoes, picked some green tomatoes, some bell peppers and some cucumbers.

On the ninth Madge and I headed to Mt. Vernon, MO. to join others in the kitchen of Baptist Hill Campground for Barry County Southern Baptist Association's annual Children's Camp. We were about a dozen strong doing kitchen work, cooking, distributing salads, drinks, cereals, and such as that. It was a long day for about four days. The day started for me at 4 a.m. with my regular devotion times, then, at 5 would go to the cafeteria where some of the men would have a cup of coffee and fellowship a few minutes before getting breakfast started.

As soon as breakfast was over and the pots and pans were clean we started lunch, then as soon as lunch was over we started preparing for supper (dinner). There was rarely a time to relax. I don't mean that as a complaint. The time flew by. It was also a joy to see those 280 campers come by getting their meals. Many of them were saying "Thank you" as they went through the line being served the food for that meal. That was a great thing.

One of the best things was having a young lady tell of her receiving Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. An update from our Director of Missions was that there were 20 decisions for salvation. That is sure one of the worthy affects of camp. We praise our God of grace and mercy

A Producing Garden

It seems as though we have had plenty of rain this year, so far. The month of July, usually a hot and dry month has yet to produce much rain; some but not much. Of course, we are only 9 days into it.

Now concerning our producing garden. I have not seen it, but I have been told, that our garden is producing things like bell peppers, tomatoes, and that the potatoes are going to be ready soon. I have not seen it because I have not been in it recently. The abundance of rain has kept us from getting in the garden on our schedule. It has grown up with the weeds, but Hey! if it is producing let it produce. I am going to have to get over there and get some of the fruits of my labor.

My wife planted some tomato plants here at our home we are living in. I think three plants, and they are planted in buckets. They are doing well, and looking pretty decent. Tomatoes are growing on them. Our Creator is the one who gives the increase of produce. To Him alone we are grateful.

Every life should be like a garden. It should not necessarily be like ours. It looks neglected with the weeds growing. The ground grows hard and with it hard it is hard to pull weeds as well as being hard to run a tiller through it. Gardens should be worked at least once per week. The life of the Christian requires daily weeding, tilling and preparing for produce. One day Jesus Christ is going to come and gather His produce. What will He have to gather.

We are called to be diligent to the service of our Lord and Savior. If you are not, make a commitment today to get into God's Word. Read it. Study it. Most of all let God's Word read you.