Grandma's House

Over the meadow and through the woods to Grandmothers house we would go. Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together and partake of a mini-feast to kick off the Christmas Season while taking a few moments to return thanks to God for His goodness. I do not have any grandparents living today but I can certainly remember the Thanksgivings when I got to help my dad and his brothers kill hogs at Grandma’s. My dad’s mom, my Granny, was a little short lady with a large bun of white hair pulled up on top of her head and little round spectacles that sit on her nose. When we kids had our fill of stinking hog hides boiling in water we would go in the house where the women folk were. My granny would be sitting in her living room waiting for the others to get the big meal ready. We would gather round her and listen to her tell tales of past hog killings and Thanksgivings when she was a little girl. She was always smiling! She was full of fun it seemed. Her hearing and eyesight was excellent for her age. She would tell of the days when snow was up to their knees and they would have to help kill the hogs in blowing snow and wind. Explaining how each step was done and how that nothing was wasted. “We would even jug the squeal” she would say and chuckle. Then the time for the big meal came. The men folk came in and went to wash up, we had to wash up too. They would prepare the kids table close to the adults so the mothers could wait on us without having to travel to far. My cousins and I would always fuss over who got to sit closer to granny who was just right across from us. Someone would pray and make a little speech about blessings and stuff, and then we would eat. The house was full of laughter and noise and smelled like fresh bread and turkey.

I often wonder how many times my granny prayed for me. I wonder if she had any idea that I would grow up to be a preacher. She died when I was seventeen; she was ninety four. Over the years my dad and all his siblings have passed. Only my cousins are still around on my dad’s side. How many kids will sit at Thanksgiving tables this year with their grannies which God is planning on calling into the ministry or using for His purpose in different ways? I think about what Jeremiah wrote; [1]“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Regardless of how you or your family celebrates Thanksgiving, just know that each day we live we are creating memories for someone. We never know how God will use those memories; maybe even using them to help someone write a blog; 40 years later.

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[1] Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation, NLT).

Dogs Rule . . . (At least in our house)

Her name is Zoe, a 10+ lb. Toy Chihuahua. Of course the AKC classifies a toy Chihuahua as weighing no more than six pounds, but Zoe hangs with me a lot and we do not watch our calorie intake to close. She is eight years old with a white face after once being totally black all over. The other clown in the house is Boatey. A big gray tom cat that we rescued from the shelter when he was six months old; as my daughter Hannah says, “He came in a box.” It was a cardboard carrier the pet foster parent delivered him to us in. He is three years old. Now you may not be one that lives with pets in your house but if you do, then you know how much joy and fun they can be. Zoe knows she is the senior pet and exercises her seniority over Boat-boat (our pet name for our pet name). Boat loves to play all the time, whereas Zo-zo (other pet name for our pet name) plays only occasionally. When Zo is on the couch with me or my wife or daughter, Boat gets jealous. He tries to root his way in only to have Zo snarl her upper lip and let him see her teeth. He lowers his ears and glares at her. After a few seconds one or the other will flinch and Zo launches like a tiger; only thing is, she never bites him or hurts him, she just scares him real good. It is fun having them around as they can be very entertaining and both are good pets. The Bible teaches us that we as Christians should be good to our animals Proverbs 12:10. Some take it to far sometimes as believing animals to be on the same level as humans, meaning we should not kill any of them for food. God put man in charge, not dogs, cats, cows, or lions Genesis 1:26 . Our pets depend upon us when we keep them in our houses. They are good companions and we believe that they love us, as we love them. We cannot truly say what they “feel” toward us, but it seems like love to us. We love them with pet love and that love is real. That is why it grieves us so when one dies or is lost. God created all life for His pleasure, including the animals. Regardless of how you feel about animals God knows every one of them; just like He does the birds Matthew 10:29 .

Well, I have got to end this blog; Boat-boat is on my lap wanting to run the glare spot that comes from my cell phone when I put it in the sun. Zo on the other hand is just lying in the sunbeam on the carpet in front of the window with the sun on her belly; doggies rule.

 

A Veteran's Story . . . . The Rock

Fort Leonard Wood Missouri; we called it “Fort Lost in the Woods.” It was a hundred miles from civilization in that day it seemed. While there in Basic Training I was standing outside the orientation depot where new troops were given shots and haircuts. Our Drill Sargent told us to rest and relax until we were called. I leaned up against the wall trying to stay warm as it was in the middle of January so I put my hands in my pockets. A First Sargent came walking up the sidewalk, stopped in front of me and began looking around the ground as though he had lost something. He found a rock in the edge of a hedge, picked it up, and pulled my hand out of my pocket and put the rock in it without saying a word. Then he said in that military tone; “Now see if that hand will fit in that pocket troop!” I tried it; “No First Sargent, it won’t.” About that time my Drill Sargent came out of the building; “Got a problem here?” He asked the First Sargent. The First Sargent said, “We did, but it’s solved.” My Sargent thanked him and he went on up the sidewalk. As my turn came to go in my Sargent stopped me; “You are not taking that dirty rock into my building,” he said, so I laid it down. “Oh no, troop. Don’t let me catch you without that rock. Take it around back and wash it. You will find a hose and trash can brushes there. Then come back in the building.” We went to the mess hall later in the day and while sitting there eating my meal my Sargent yelled out; “INGO! WHERE’S MY ROCK?” I had to stand up, show it to him (in front of all 300 guys in there) and say, “GOT IT SARGENT!” That evening when it was time for lights out, I laid the rock beside my bunk. He came in about an hour after I was asleep, tapped me on the shoulder and shined his flashlight in my face; “Where’s my rock?” I showed him. He said, “It may get cold, put it in the bed.” That went on for three days.

Now I know this is not much of a “war story” but I wanted you to know that every Veteran has a story; many are not as funny as this one. This one was not funny to me as it happened. I went on to train as a combat medic and learned many lessons and have more stories, but I never forgot “the rock.” If you have a chance today find a Veteran and thank them. Many will not share any stories and some will. If they are willing to tell you something; listen: listen close.

I don’t know what your opinions on war are and thank God I was never in one,  but regardless of what you think about it, don’t hold a Veteran responsible. God uses people in different ways to accomplish different things. He understands Veterans; many of them died and were wounded to protect our freedom. Jesus knows all about sacrifice but He was not accidentally killed; He died on purpose. He gave His life that we may inherit eternal life; and that is the ultimate freedom.

Quit Lying, You Worry

 In every life we have some trouble But when you worry you make it double Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy now.[1] So goes the song that was released in 1988. How many times has someone said that to you? “Oh, it will be okay, everything will work out, just you wait and see.” Ever had anyone say that to you? I bet you have, just as I have; hundreds of times.

Can you believe I have actually heard some Christians say that worry is a sin? Because Jesus said not to worry about things, they think if you worry then you are sinning. You tell me how not to worry and while you are at it tell me how to forget some things. I guess if worry is a sin then I don’t worry; I just get concerned about things. Lying is a sin. Remember; what we know, God knows. You can’t tell me that you never have, or never do, worry. It comes natural to us, just like fear does. A person gets a result from the MRI and the docs say, “It’s cancer.” I don’t care how much faith you have or how much trust you have in Christ; your mind automatically thinks two things; am I going to die and will I suffer. A person tries to get in touch with a family member in a city that has been hit by a tornado and cannot get through and has not heard from them; they worry.

Before we can ever learn to depend on God we have first got to accept our own weaknesses. Worry is one of them. The more we try not to worry, the more we do! Jesus knows what worry is; and what it is not. Worry is not rebellion against Him. The problem with worry is that it can overtake our thought process. The issue over which we worry can become the main focus of our entire life. Did you know that statistics indicate that ninety percent of the things we worry about never come to pass? Would you permit me to comment on that statistic Scripturally? And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.[2] It is not the ninety percent that we worry about; it is the other ten that gets our attention.

You are going to worry, face it. You are not sinning when you do. Only when we begin to think that God is not in control can we slip into the shadow of doubt; which would make us a fatalist, someone who thinks that things happen without any control. No, my friend, God is in control. Jesus said “do not worry about tomorrow” (because I already have it planned for you).[3]

 

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[1] Bobby McFerrin, Copyright: Almo Music Corp.,

[2] Romans 8:28, The Living Bible.

[3] Quote in parenthesis are mine and not Scripture.