A Weight

When I got out of bed this morning there seemed to be a weight on me which I had no explanation for. It may just be concern for my Dad, as he is having problems with his foot once again, and they want to amputate, but he doesn't.

Dad believes that the Lord has assured him that he is going to keep his foot. If Dad has that assurance I believe him, and that is how I prayed last night as we met and had prayer.

We, ie., my wife Madge, Mom and Dad, Judy (my sister), her husband David, Dave and Edna Eaton (David's Mom and Dad), Duffy and Dawn Guyton (David's sister and her husband from Memphis, TN.) got together at the Eaton's home and had a time of prayer specifically for Dad's foot and leg. I am believing that God is going to renew that foot and leg.

Dad has said he is willing to receive God's will in the matter, as am I. God's will and plan is the most desired plan of all.

As for that weight on me; I really just don't know why it is there. The spiritual condition of the Nation, the world. I am anxious for the return of Jesus for His Church. I pray that the many whom I am praying for for salvation will be saved.

It is not God's will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

May the Lord help me with this weight. As I write this and express it I can feel some of that weight lifting. Thank YOU Lord.

If you are a Christian; in your time of prayer would you pray for my Dad. I would appreciate it, and pray for God's will and glory.

One more item I want to write about is that I drove the School bus for the last day of Summer School. My cousin Marie called a couple of days before and asked me if I would fill in for her on Friday. I told her I would. I drove the bus my granddaughter Naomi rode for Summer School. She will be in Kindergarten when School resumes in August. She will not be riding my bus at that time. When Naomi got on at the morning run, she gave me a great big hug. Those hugs are great.

Another Funeral

On Saturday morning sometime before the rising of the sun, there was a deadly car accident in or near Rogers, AR., and it was the daughter of a cousin of mine. There was no alcohol or drugs involved, it appears just to have been the affects of a tired young lady.

I received notice of this on Saturday morning from my Mother while I was in Booneville, AR. helping our son and his wife move to their new home. It seems that my cousins daughter pulled out in front of an oncoming vehicle, and she died at the scene. She was only 26 years of age, not married, and had no children. She did have loving parents, a sister, and grandparents [my aunt and uncle], and they will all miss her greatly.

I attended the funeral today, and to me it was a sad event. They gave her all the accolades of praise they could think of, such as, "She always had a sunny disposition, was always smiling, and that she enjoyed life". I guess that is all they could say about her. There was no testimony of faith in Jesus, nor of any commitment to a church. I wept as they applauded her, and were silent about Jesus.

The pastor spoke a very good message concerning having the right foundation, and that foundation being Jesus Christ. I applauded. I hurt and I ache for my cousin, and her parents, and grandparents. If Sunni did not have Jesus, she is no longer smiling. I only pray that she met Him, but has been silent about it, if that is possible.

A Parable Continued

The story of a Certain Man, Speaks Out, and Sister Not Present; hopefully now is a story that can be put to an end.

When there is conflict in a family that is not good. The good Lord never intended conflict, at least not to the point of causing confusion, hurt and distancing one's self from the rest of the family.

The family met for its weekly gathering twice on the first day of the week. The Certain Man was calling for a time of talking with the Father of the family. Before going into the talk Certain man called out a couple of things which needed to be dealt with before addressing the Father. It was not a pleasant thing to do, but it was a necessary thing to do.

Certain Man mentioned the annual family outing to grow the family, and the charges which had been made, and was used to harm the feelings of Speaks Out. The charge was that Certain Man and Speaks Out had gotten together and planned the event without Sister Not Present. Certain Man informed the family that that charge was not true, that it in fact was a lie. The brother who did this was simply trying to cause a family problem.

Certain Man also addressed another issue which had recently came up. That is a charge that he was getting his weekly addresses from electronic devices. Certain Man made it clear that he had not, nor will not do such a thing, but in fact makes posts of these address outlines on the electronic device.

Will the problem be solved? Will the family begin to grow, and put aside all bitterness, wrath, malice, and anger? We can only rely on the Father of the family. He will give us peace.

Rain, Be Thankful for the Rain

For a few years around the parts of Missouri where I currently live and grew up it has been dry during these months with farmers bringing little crops of hay. Ponds have gone dry, and even heard of a well going dry now and then.

We have been getting rain. Today (June 11, 2007) it has rained nearly all day long. There have been flood situations near Joplin and some roads closed, and holding trucks back from making their important deliveries. Now, I can undertand their frustration, because that is their livelihood, and others are dependent upon their getting their good through to them. Let's all remember that many of those goods could not be delivered without water, and in some cases, actually in most cases, that means rain.

Even out in California, where they irrigate most of the time and some of the farmers don't even want it to rain, because that messes up their schedule of irrigation, that water they use comes from somewhere, and some of that comes from the Sierra Mountains, of snow run off coming down to them, and that snow comes from the same place rain does, and God Almighty gives it all.

The aquifer which is really the underground water supplies, [underground lakes, rivers, streams] are supplied by rain, which the good and gracious Lord gives to us all.

Whether we like it or not we all need rain. When it comes in too heavy for our liking or when it comes in little bitty doses; we must be grateful for it all. Without water, without rain, we die.

Rain, Be Thankful for the Rain.

Tilling the Garden

We have a garden this year. It is down at the place where my Dad grew up. There are several rows of Potatoes - yes I spelled that with e-s, because it is in the plural. It seems as I have mentioned this in a previous article. However, I have not mentioned this before.

Last evening I went and used a tiller, you know, one of those things that has two wheels behind some metal tines which spin under the power of a 5 horsepower engine, or whatever horsepower. It is supposed to really be an aid to keeping the soil around plants loose where it can receive and retain moisture, thus, grow faster and better. You may be thinking, 'This guy grew up on a farm, and he has never used a tiller'. That is because we always either used a hoe, or it was cultivated with another implement behind a tractor, set for the width of the rows.

This was the first time I ever used a tiller. I quickly learned that you do not just walk behind one of them. The operator must maintain control. It would be so much easier if you could just hold the handle bars and walk behind it, but then, what good would that do the garden. The ground does not get broken up that way.

This garden really needed a tilling too. It was weedy between those potato rows, and that was basically all I got done. I was ready to quit by the time I got to that final row of potatoes. Of course, I was ready to quit after the second row was finished, but there were about six more rows to do.

When I did finally quit for the time being, I was as wet as if I had jumped in a shower with all my clothes on, but it was only sweat. My hands, even as I am writing, are hurting from new blisters, and the muscles are acheing as well. I must say that I am thankful to be able to do this. I was there with my Dad, a couple of nephews, and they were planting tomatoes, and peppers, I think. I am not so sure about the peppers.

Just like a garden needs tilling once in awhile to get rid of the weeds, tear up the soil, and such as that, so too, do we who are Christians need to have our lives plowed and the weeds destroyed so that we might better grow, and produce fruit; that is, if the bugs don't get it.

Death - Not a Pleasant Topic?

My wife just had an older sister to die. I am not afraid of using that word die, because that is what happens when these bodies stop breatheing and the heart stops beating and the mind stops functioning. From the day we are born, and even before, our destiniy on earth will be death. It is not a pleasant topic, but it is a reality of life.

As I said, my wife's sister died on Friday, May 25, 2007 in Fairbanks, AK., and actually I should say in Two Rivers, AK., because that is where Estell and her husband Kidrick lived. Estell had been battling with cancer for several years, and when they sent her home from the hospital the last time they knew it was to die. All knew it was going to come. From all things that I heard of her and her battle with cancer, even to the final day, she held on to her faith in God.

We had her funeral today in Walnut Grove, MO.. It took them that long to get her body shipped on a cargo plane to Missouri. Isn't it amazing how slow a cargo plane is? Pastor Gene Terry preached a wonderful message of grace and everyone's need to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. At the gravesite he pointed out that Estell is not with us any longer, but that she is in heaven with our Lord and Savior, and the only way we will ever see her again is if we know Jesus.

I am very thankful for the grace of God and am glad to say, By the grace of God I know I will see her again, as well as her mother, my grandparents, and some friends who have gone on before me. Most of all I know I will see Jesus, my Lord and my Savior.

I pray all who comes here will know Him. Death isn't so bad, when you know it has been conquered by the resurrection of Jesus, and that He is alive today.