Sunday, June 24, 2007
Held Prisoner
Have you ever been held prisoner? I have, just yesterday afternoon.Back in April I had 4 teeth pulled and a new upper plate put in, because of the shrinkageof my gums after 2 weeks they put in a soft liner, then yesterday morning at 8 am I was back for a hard-liner which is to do me for the next several months until shrinkae is compile, at which time they will make a complete new plate.Well after some impressions yesterday morning they sent me home until 2pm at which time I was to pick up my plate and be off to do whatever I pleased.When I walked in the waiting room was full so I took a seat and waited, and waited, at 3pm I asked the receptionist if they forgot me. I was assured that it would be soon they where running behind.So practicing my sweet christian patience I sat back down and visited with others there. At 4pm I checked once again being very polite.Even though I was held prisoner, it was Friday afternoon fast becoming evening and if I left without my teeth I was done until Monday, SO I WAS HELD PRISONER.At 4:30 I began to worry that Bernaine would be worrying where I was at. So I ask to use the phone and call her, I told the receptionest that I didn't have my medication with me and it was overdue and my wife was worried. She asked me if my wife was going to bring my medication, When I told her it would take her awhile as it would be a 12 mile was a walk and I was going to start shaking very soon, she began to take action, took me right in and they went to work to get me out, they thought they might have to drive me home.So at 5pm I was released with my teeth. PTL.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Dream Fulfilled
Great Grandfather takes Great Grandson fishing. And the old man’s dream comes true.
Its almost Christmas 2001, our First (of five) grand-daughter Emily was going to give birth to our first great grand child, which would make our son Harold a grandfather. And since we had spent the last six Christmas in Florida we decided to fly home for the holiday and get to see the first Great Grand child. We were to get into South Bend airport in early afternoon on the 23 of
December. The great Grand child beat us there. We knew we had a boy but hadn’t been told his name.
Harold was at the airport to take us to see the new boy. It had snowed several inch’s of new snow and the plows had not cleared the parking lot yet. After getting in the van and still not finding out what they had named the boy we started out and hit a cement parking block.
So here we were freezing and helping change the tire, we finally head to Emily and Craig Sherwood’s.
We walked in and they put the boy in my arm’s and I said alright what’s your name, they told me his name was Jackson Dean and I was filled with so much joy and tears to think they had given him the same middle name as mine, (JD for short).
From that day forward I had prayed I would live to take JD fishing. Two weeks ago on a Saturday morning we picked him up for the day. How he has grown up this past winter, I remember when we arrived at the airport he was there to meet us and he helped me take one of my suit cases to the car. Back to fishing, we got the worms and poles and went to Mike and Brenda’s to fish off the sea wall. J D got baited up and cast his line out into the water. It hardly got there and JD had a fish on, Brenda was taking pictures, he caught 5 and lost one when the line broke. It got hot so we decided we had enough fishing for the day.
Mike took JD and the fish to the fish cleaning house and showed JD how to clean the scales off with a spoon, then Mike fillet them, explaining each step and told J D they were dead so it wasn’t hurting them.
So we took the fish home for lunch and Great Grandma Bernadine cooked the fish for us.
J D took a small fillet and ate, it then he had another on his fork when he looked at me saying, “they are dead aren’t they?”
That night when he went to bed his mother was telling him good night, but he wanted to talk, He said next time when I go fishing out at Mike’s I’m going to bring them home in a bucket and I’ll take the seals off with a spoon and you can cut them up. I’ll bury the heads and we can take the bucket back to Mike, then you can cook them for us. His mother told him she didn’t know how to cook fish. He said “well take a pencil and paper and We will go to Great Grand ma’s house and she will tell you how to cook them.”
What a boy and God is so good to have let met take him fishing and see him catch his very first fish.
Thank you God.
Great Grandpa Dean.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
THE CHURCH
“THE CHURCH”
What a study!
Just what does the church look like?
Is it a building? If so is it white wooden with a tall steeple or brick or some other stone, is it large or small , does it have stained glass windows?
Or is it people gathered together.
All white or all black, all speaking English or another language .
How it looks could go on and on, it has an easy beginning, but there’ll be no ending until Jesus Christ take’s the true church home to glory.
The true church is people who come together in the name of the Lord, no matter color, nationality, male or female.
He has said wherever two or three come together in my name I will be there.
THAT MY FRIEND IS THE CHURCH
He is to be glorified and worshiped, He will become greater while we become lesser.
He is to be loved with all your heart soul and mine, then love one another.
Now lets look at the church in the New Testament.
We did not see the church in scripture until the New Testament.
In Matthew 16: 18, And I also say to you, that are you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Next we see that Christ as the “Redeemer” laid down His life on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sin’s of the whole world. The grave could not hold Him, and on the 3rd day He came forth alive forever more. (Acts 1;3-8 3 To whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God: 4 and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, [said he], ye heard from me: 5 For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. 6 They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within His own authority. 8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth
Matthew 28:19 Jesus had given them a charge Yet In the above scripture He told them to wait. This they did, about 120 of them, taking care of business, seeking for God’s direction, praying and waiting.
And then the day of Pentecost came and the Holy Spirit came in “POWER”, after Peter told the people there what was happening and preach a powerful message, 3,000 repented and were baptized thus the church was up and running.
The body of believers had no building, yet the Spirit of God drew them together. The book of Acts in chapter 2 tells of one of the first practice of one group. Vs. 42-47.2
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need. 46 And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.
This was the very beginning of what we today call the church. There was harmony, and love for one another, they continued to go to the temple daily,(this would have been at 3 p.m. each afternoon.) They shared there meals, had respect for those in authority over them
There are 7 benefits of belonging to a church or maybe you like gathering together better.
At Citrus Hill Park where church was held on Sunday evening it was called
“Sunday Gathering.”
Notice the N T church came together for more than an hour on Sunday morning.
It was daily and they eat together, worshiped and praised the Lord, had teaching, shared there needs and spent time in prayer.
These were the benefits.
Instruction, apostles teaching
Fellowship
Communion (remembering the Lord)
Corporate prayer
Outreach (people being added daily)
Sharing of material goods
Fear of, respect and reverence of God. (He Is LORD)
Here are some more not mentioned in the above, worship, discipline, pastoral oversight. and obedience to God’s word.
The growth that came from the early believers is something we need to look at long and hard, it came not from planned programs but from there living out what the believed,
Come to think of it could that be what holds back the church today?
As the church grew, it began to spread trough out the then known world, some of the spreading came from the persecution they were receiving.
Then the Holy Spirit began equipping and edifying the body of Christ (church) with making some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, and some pastors and teachers, also by giving different gifts of the Holy Spirit such as word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gift of faith, gift of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. along the gift of giving, helping, and the list goes on for the Holy Spirit has equipped the body to be servants just as Jesus demonstrated with the disciples when he washed there feet.
“HI’ HOW MAY I HELP YOU?
No one gift or talent is more important that any of the others. In fact just this morning I read in 2 Timothy 2 from the Message “ In a well finished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets---some containers to serve fine meals and others to take out the garbage out. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guest for their blessing.”
We don’t do anything to our glory, everything id for His glory.
As the church grew, problems arose, why? Because of the carnal human spirit of man wanting it his way.
When Christian believers gather in churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does. So Christians churches are not, as a rule, not model communities of good behavior. They are rather, places where human misbehavior is brought out in the open and dealt
with. People when they become Christians They at the same moment DON’T necessarily become nice. Dealing with them is so much more that putting on a band aide or looking the other way.
Christians do not have to always agree with each other, but they need to learn to agree to disagree and respect each other in love, for love covers a multitude of sins.
God did not make us from one mold, but made each one to be different from any other living being. He did however give us leader that we are to respect and to be under there authority in the local church, and in doing that ‘HOW MAY I HELP YOU” become the building of the body of Christ is this world
There is much more, or is there, but this I believe would
What a study!
Just what does the church look like?
Is it a building? If so is it white wooden with a tall steeple or brick or some other stone, is it large or small , does it have stained glass windows?
Or is it people gathered together.
All white or all black, all speaking English or another language .
How it looks could go on and on, it has an easy beginning, but there’ll be no ending until Jesus Christ take’s the true church home to glory.
The true church is people who come together in the name of the Lord, no matter color, nationality, male or female.
He has said wherever two or three come together in my name I will be there.
THAT MY FRIEND IS THE CHURCH
He is to be glorified and worshiped, He will become greater while we become lesser.
He is to be loved with all your heart soul and mine, then love one another.
Now lets look at the church in the New Testament.
We did not see the church in scripture until the New Testament.
In Matthew 16: 18, And I also say to you, that are you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Next we see that Christ as the “Redeemer” laid down His life on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sin’s of the whole world. The grave could not hold Him, and on the 3rd day He came forth alive forever more. (Acts 1;3-8 3 To whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God: 4 and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, [said he], ye heard from me: 5 For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. 6 They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within His own authority. 8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth
Matthew 28:19 Jesus had given them a charge Yet In the above scripture He told them to wait. This they did, about 120 of them, taking care of business, seeking for God’s direction, praying and waiting.
And then the day of Pentecost came and the Holy Spirit came in “POWER”, after Peter told the people there what was happening and preach a powerful message, 3,000 repented and were baptized thus the church was up and running.
The body of believers had no building, yet the Spirit of God drew them together. The book of Acts in chapter 2 tells of one of the first practice of one group. Vs. 42-47.2
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need. 46 And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.
This was the very beginning of what we today call the church. There was harmony, and love for one another, they continued to go to the temple daily,(this would have been at 3 p.m. each afternoon.) They shared there meals, had respect for those in authority over them
There are 7 benefits of belonging to a church or maybe you like gathering together better.
At Citrus Hill Park where church was held on Sunday evening it was called
“Sunday Gathering.”
Notice the N T church came together for more than an hour on Sunday morning.
It was daily and they eat together, worshiped and praised the Lord, had teaching, shared there needs and spent time in prayer.
These were the benefits.
Instruction, apostles teaching
Fellowship
Communion (remembering the Lord)
Corporate prayer
Outreach (people being added daily)
Sharing of material goods
Fear of, respect and reverence of God. (He Is LORD)
Here are some more not mentioned in the above, worship, discipline, pastoral oversight. and obedience to God’s word.
The growth that came from the early believers is something we need to look at long and hard, it came not from planned programs but from there living out what the believed,
Come to think of it could that be what holds back the church today?
As the church grew, it began to spread trough out the then known world, some of the spreading came from the persecution they were receiving.
Then the Holy Spirit began equipping and edifying the body of Christ (church) with making some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, and some pastors and teachers, also by giving different gifts of the Holy Spirit such as word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gift of faith, gift of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. along the gift of giving, helping, and the list goes on for the Holy Spirit has equipped the body to be servants just as Jesus demonstrated with the disciples when he washed there feet.
“HI’ HOW MAY I HELP YOU?
No one gift or talent is more important that any of the others. In fact just this morning I read in 2 Timothy 2 from the Message “ In a well finished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets---some containers to serve fine meals and others to take out the garbage out. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guest for their blessing.”
We don’t do anything to our glory, everything id for His glory.
As the church grew, problems arose, why? Because of the carnal human spirit of man wanting it his way.
When Christian believers gather in churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does. So Christians churches are not, as a rule, not model communities of good behavior. They are rather, places where human misbehavior is brought out in the open and dealt
with. People when they become Christians They at the same moment DON’T necessarily become nice. Dealing with them is so much more that putting on a band aide or looking the other way.
Christians do not have to always agree with each other, but they need to learn to agree to disagree and respect each other in love, for love covers a multitude of sins.
God did not make us from one mold, but made each one to be different from any other living being. He did however give us leader that we are to respect and to be under there authority in the local church, and in doing that ‘HOW MAY I HELP YOU” become the building of the body of Christ is this world
There is much more, or is there, but this I believe would
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
My Struggle with the Churc in America
Winter in Florida is over for Bernadine and I, back in Michigan just in time for a spring snow and below freezing temperature.
Time to set and think about the things that stir your soul. One thing I seem to struggle with is the church in America, were is it going, and can I help to bring it to were I would have it to go. No not where I would have go, but where God wants it to be.
God could change it in and instant, but He will wait for man to come willingly of his own accord seeking God’s will for him.
Some churches put much into membership, I talked with a fellow last week who said the church he was a member of had a membership of seven hundred and some members and attendance of one hundred eighty to two hundred on a good Sunday.
Do you suppose the five hundred members who do not attend, with the exception of some who make it to a Christmas or Easter service really believe that its alright to belong but not participate?
The large churches that are called mega church draw people of all ages, You can get lost in the crowd and come and go as they please.
Studies show that the smaller church (eighty to one hundred fifty) produce more people to the ministry, both missions and pastors and others.
Its not really the size of church but what the content of what goes on in and trough the individual church that matters.
Jesus said that where two or three are together in my name I will be there.
My question is,
if Jesus Christ is not there is it church?
Jesus also said I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except
though me.
Another thing I see is that most people go to church to receive something from it.
But when we look at the old testament, we see men bringing an offering of different sacrifices to God. It started at home where the scripture was implanted into the children , also how important to go and offer sacrifices, that the Temple was holy because God lived there. Today the spirit of God lives in man.
Today people believe they should receive from the church before they give back.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if when Christians came together, they came in Jesus name.
Serving instead of wanting to be served
Its time we quiet putting band-aids on the wounded and hurting.
Everyone of us can be a real help by greeting people and asking, “HOW MAY I HELP YOU.”
Should not the church be a place where people that come together are greeted with, “How may we help you” being a real caring servant of the Lord, Jesus was constantly striving to meet the needs of the people, we are a part of the body. Let us use the part we are to help in leading each one to a deeper holy life in Christ Jesus.
Not what can you do for me. “How may I help you today.”
Sometimes all we need to do is walk across the room and make someone’s day.
Give an ear to listen, but keep what you hear to yourself and God..
It is so rewarding to see people come to the Lord and not be ashamed of Jesus Christ.
I’m not an expert on church growth or anything else as far as that goes, but my mind keeps going back to Jesus asking Peter “do you love me? Then feed my sheep.
Three times he asked Peter do you love me, then feed my sheep.
Why do sheep go to other pastures? Perhaps they are looking for better food.
So feed the sheep. Keep them feeding on God’s word.
Sheep produce other sheep.
Soon the sheep pen will be full to over flowing with healthy sheep.
Thrusday Morning. This helps tocompletewhat I had started yesterday
This morning as I read God's word it confirmed what I had said in the above post.
Reading from the Message.
Once again God through His word confirmed the ending How may I help?
Listen to what Paul says in Romans 15.
Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"
That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
So reach out and welcome one another to God's glory.
Let me say AMEN or as the Message puts it “Oh Yes”
If each one will step in and do there part the church will truly become the church of Christ.
Time to set and think about the things that stir your soul. One thing I seem to struggle with is the church in America, were is it going, and can I help to bring it to were I would have it to go. No not where I would have go, but where God wants it to be.
God could change it in and instant, but He will wait for man to come willingly of his own accord seeking God’s will for him.
Some churches put much into membership, I talked with a fellow last week who said the church he was a member of had a membership of seven hundred and some members and attendance of one hundred eighty to two hundred on a good Sunday.
Do you suppose the five hundred members who do not attend, with the exception of some who make it to a Christmas or Easter service really believe that its alright to belong but not participate?
The large churches that are called mega church draw people of all ages, You can get lost in the crowd and come and go as they please.
Studies show that the smaller church (eighty to one hundred fifty) produce more people to the ministry, both missions and pastors and others.
Its not really the size of church but what the content of what goes on in and trough the individual church that matters.
Jesus said that where two or three are together in my name I will be there.
My question is,
if Jesus Christ is not there is it church?
Jesus also said I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except
though me.
Another thing I see is that most people go to church to receive something from it.
But when we look at the old testament, we see men bringing an offering of different sacrifices to God. It started at home where the scripture was implanted into the children , also how important to go and offer sacrifices, that the Temple was holy because God lived there. Today the spirit of God lives in man.
Today people believe they should receive from the church before they give back.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if when Christians came together, they came in Jesus name.
Serving instead of wanting to be served
Its time we quiet putting band-aids on the wounded and hurting.
Everyone of us can be a real help by greeting people and asking, “HOW MAY I HELP YOU.”
Should not the church be a place where people that come together are greeted with, “How may we help you” being a real caring servant of the Lord, Jesus was constantly striving to meet the needs of the people, we are a part of the body. Let us use the part we are to help in leading each one to a deeper holy life in Christ Jesus.
Not what can you do for me. “How may I help you today.”
Sometimes all we need to do is walk across the room and make someone’s day.
Give an ear to listen, but keep what you hear to yourself and God..
It is so rewarding to see people come to the Lord and not be ashamed of Jesus Christ.
I’m not an expert on church growth or anything else as far as that goes, but my mind keeps going back to Jesus asking Peter “do you love me? Then feed my sheep.
Three times he asked Peter do you love me, then feed my sheep.
Why do sheep go to other pastures? Perhaps they are looking for better food.
So feed the sheep. Keep them feeding on God’s word.
Sheep produce other sheep.
Soon the sheep pen will be full to over flowing with healthy sheep.
Thrusday Morning. This helps tocompletewhat I had started yesterday
This morning as I read God's word it confirmed what I had said in the above post.
Reading from the Message.
Once again God through His word confirmed the ending How may I help?
Listen to what Paul says in Romans 15.
Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"
That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
So reach out and welcome one another to God's glory.
Let me say AMEN or as the Message puts it “Oh Yes”
If each one will step in and do there part the church will truly become the church of Christ.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Is the church losing this generation?
IS THE CHURCH ABOUT TO LOSE A GENERATION TO THE WORLD?
Let me take you back to the story of Joseph the son of Jacob. Whose name God changed to Israel after his wrestling match with the angel of God.
Joseph as a teenager had a couple dreams that he shared with the family, which mane his brothers angry, which added to there jealousy because he was his fathers favorite.
One thing lead to another, over the years He became second to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Was able to bring his family to Egypt were they settled because of a famine in there Canaan.
Now fast forward 400 years the children of Isreal had grown at a rapid pace, causing fear to the then present Pharaoh who said they need to be have birth control so they don’t over power us.
With that in mind he ordered all male Israel children to be killed at birth. Keep the men in slavery, don’t allow them to rise up and revolt against us.
God seen they needed a deliver
Moses enters the story. Born of one of Jewish ladies was able to keep him a secret for 3 months. Than putting him in a basket puts him in the Nile river, the basket is seen by pharaoh’s daughter who said he is so lovely, I’ll adopt him and called him Moses. Needing someone to feed him, Moses sister happens to be there and offers to find that someone to feed him, In those days one was not weaned until about five years of age.
Those first years being the most important one to establish the fundament way of life one would carry though life, even though Moses then was schooled in the best of the Egypt learning institutions, he cared the early learning of his mother.
Today the biggest percentage of youngsters are drop off at day care, and the percentage of those getting little if any spiritual training.
Oh you say, we take them to church and they are in the nursery may be true, 1 hour a week when they go.
I believe the church of Jesus Christ has a mandate that every single one would have a day care run by the church, supported by the church. Training up children in the way they should go.
Lets not lose them to the world.
Let me take you back to the story of Joseph the son of Jacob. Whose name God changed to Israel after his wrestling match with the angel of God.
Joseph as a teenager had a couple dreams that he shared with the family, which mane his brothers angry, which added to there jealousy because he was his fathers favorite.
One thing lead to another, over the years He became second to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Was able to bring his family to Egypt were they settled because of a famine in there Canaan.
Now fast forward 400 years the children of Isreal had grown at a rapid pace, causing fear to the then present Pharaoh who said they need to be have birth control so they don’t over power us.
With that in mind he ordered all male Israel children to be killed at birth. Keep the men in slavery, don’t allow them to rise up and revolt against us.
God seen they needed a deliver
Moses enters the story. Born of one of Jewish ladies was able to keep him a secret for 3 months. Than putting him in a basket puts him in the Nile river, the basket is seen by pharaoh’s daughter who said he is so lovely, I’ll adopt him and called him Moses. Needing someone to feed him, Moses sister happens to be there and offers to find that someone to feed him, In those days one was not weaned until about five years of age.
Those first years being the most important one to establish the fundament way of life one would carry though life, even though Moses then was schooled in the best of the Egypt learning institutions, he cared the early learning of his mother.
Today the biggest percentage of youngsters are drop off at day care, and the percentage of those getting little if any spiritual training.
Oh you say, we take them to church and they are in the nursery may be true, 1 hour a week when they go.
I believe the church of Jesus Christ has a mandate that every single one would have a day care run by the church, supported by the church. Training up children in the way they should go.
Lets not lose them to the world.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
#4 Yellow River
Tales from north of the YELLOW River.
I was one of the lucky one’s to be born during the Great Depression, lucky you say, what is so lucky about being born during extreme times? For starters, it made you appreciate the little you had. Parents of honesty and integrity, parents that loved you and only wanted the best for you.
Neighbors that where just like your parents. I learned the value of life, the importance of being responsible in doing my chores, and I had the great privilege of attending a one room school with eight grades and one teacher.
Those days we had no head start, didn’t need any, no kindergarten either. Since we had no cartoon’s on T V and not even a radio, we where taught all the beginning basics at home before we became old enough for the first grade.
We had no school bus to pick us up, it was walk, walk, walk.
Those eight years were good years, you knew all the others and even if we didn’t know it at the time, we were alike (poor). We didn’t wear uniforms to school but all the boys dressed the same,
In bib overalls.
How does this all connect to the Yellow River? Our family lived on a farm that joined the river on the north side. From our home about one-half mile to the north when we walked to school we crossed Eagle Creek and we were walking over water which flowed into Yellow river to the west of us. (seems we are always connected to the river) Now just a couple hundred feet on to the north was the school, your right the Eagle Creek school.
Red brick, wooden floor that got a coat of oil at the beginning of each school year, a pot belly coal burning stove right in the middle, a little room at the back for coats and a shelf to put your lunch on.
The average number of students was about 27 to 30 children each year. The teachers desk was at the front in the middle, with a black board that went almost all the way across the room.Rows of desk began with first and second grades on the west side and by the time you were in the eight grade you had made it to the east side by the windows, however you could not see out unless you would stand up, and in those days very few automobiles went by on the gravel rood, but when they did the dust would fly.
Oh yes the rest rooms, Ha! I mean the toilets were two hole out house’s and the water came from a pump outside, one with a handle that you had to work up and down. In the winter it was mostly froze up, made no difference who washed there hands anyway!.
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Glant my first teacher ever. Her husband was a preacher.
When I was in seventh or eight grade we had a hippy for a teacher, she wore a gold ring in her nose. We also had a nice young teacher right out of school, Willie and Marion Walkal who were twins just a grade behind me gave Miss Wonderlick (I think that was her name) a hard time, we found out one day that it was her birthday and we where going to give her a birthday spanking, we chased her around the outside of school house until we caught her. To day we would have been expelled.
The very best part of the day was recess and lunch time. I don’t think kids play the way we did, mostly made up our own games, like when it snowed we would play fox and goose.
The only paddling I got in school was for giving a boy a bloody nose for messing up our pattern for the game. IT WAS WORTH IT.
Well there is more but I’m wore out.
Later, My mamma named me Harold but then called me “Dean.”
I was one of the lucky one’s to be born during the Great Depression, lucky you say, what is so lucky about being born during extreme times? For starters, it made you appreciate the little you had. Parents of honesty and integrity, parents that loved you and only wanted the best for you.
Neighbors that where just like your parents. I learned the value of life, the importance of being responsible in doing my chores, and I had the great privilege of attending a one room school with eight grades and one teacher.
Those days we had no head start, didn’t need any, no kindergarten either. Since we had no cartoon’s on T V and not even a radio, we where taught all the beginning basics at home before we became old enough for the first grade.
We had no school bus to pick us up, it was walk, walk, walk.
Those eight years were good years, you knew all the others and even if we didn’t know it at the time, we were alike (poor). We didn’t wear uniforms to school but all the boys dressed the same,
In bib overalls.
How does this all connect to the Yellow River? Our family lived on a farm that joined the river on the north side. From our home about one-half mile to the north when we walked to school we crossed Eagle Creek and we were walking over water which flowed into Yellow river to the west of us. (seems we are always connected to the river) Now just a couple hundred feet on to the north was the school, your right the Eagle Creek school.
Red brick, wooden floor that got a coat of oil at the beginning of each school year, a pot belly coal burning stove right in the middle, a little room at the back for coats and a shelf to put your lunch on.
The average number of students was about 27 to 30 children each year. The teachers desk was at the front in the middle, with a black board that went almost all the way across the room.Rows of desk began with first and second grades on the west side and by the time you were in the eight grade you had made it to the east side by the windows, however you could not see out unless you would stand up, and in those days very few automobiles went by on the gravel rood, but when they did the dust would fly.
Oh yes the rest rooms, Ha! I mean the toilets were two hole out house’s and the water came from a pump outside, one with a handle that you had to work up and down. In the winter it was mostly froze up, made no difference who washed there hands anyway!.
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Glant my first teacher ever. Her husband was a preacher.
When I was in seventh or eight grade we had a hippy for a teacher, she wore a gold ring in her nose. We also had a nice young teacher right out of school, Willie and Marion Walkal who were twins just a grade behind me gave Miss Wonderlick (I think that was her name) a hard time, we found out one day that it was her birthday and we where going to give her a birthday spanking, we chased her around the outside of school house until we caught her. To day we would have been expelled.
The very best part of the day was recess and lunch time. I don’t think kids play the way we did, mostly made up our own games, like when it snowed we would play fox and goose.
The only paddling I got in school was for giving a boy a bloody nose for messing up our pattern for the game. IT WAS WORTH IT.
Well there is more but I’m wore out.
Later, My mamma named me Harold but then called me “Dean.”
Friday, January 26, 2007
The Rodgers Group
Ma (Bernadine) and Pa (Dean) Rodgers
Our three children
Harold (Barb), Brenda (Mike) and Linda (Jim)
Our five Grand-daughters
Emily (Craig), Andrea (Joshua), Jennifer (Derek), Kim and Kristin.
Our four Great Grand children
Jackson Dean (JD), Kate, Ella and Jordan.
Twenty in all for the time being.
I was born near Knox, Indiana, our farm was on the
north bank of the Yellow River
Herman and Hazel had bought seventy acre’s and I’m not sure
of the year but think it was just before my brother
Joe was born or just after which put it at between 1915 to 1919
My Brothers & Sisters.
Don , Chuck, Joe, Lois, Dean and Marilyn.
Just two of us left, Marilyn and me.
Bernadine was born in South Ryegate Vermont.
Our three children
Harold (Barb), Brenda (Mike) and Linda (Jim)
Our five Grand-daughters
Emily (Craig), Andrea (Joshua), Jennifer (Derek), Kim and Kristin.
Our four Great Grand children
Jackson Dean (JD), Kate, Ella and Jordan.
Twenty in all for the time being.
I was born near Knox, Indiana, our farm was on the
north bank of the Yellow River
Herman and Hazel had bought seventy acre’s and I’m not sure
of the year but think it was just before my brother
Joe was born or just after which put it at between 1915 to 1919
My Brothers & Sisters.
Don , Chuck, Joe, Lois, Dean and Marilyn.
Just two of us left, Marilyn and me.
Bernadine was born in South Ryegate Vermont.
She has four brothers, Ellsworth, Calvin, Charlie and Hamilton
and a sister Pauline. All but Ellsworth are living.
We met in Arizona, it was 1949 in December, Bernadine
was a waitress and I a room service waiter.
At Camel Back resort in Scottsdale.
In early January of 1950 we were on a double date, except we were
not dating each other, Bernadine was with my friend Jr.
And I was with this fat girl (but she was pretty)her name was Phyllis
Somewhere along in the evening the girls decided to change places,
thus started our love affair, which lead to our being married,
April 16 on the porch of a Baptist preacher.
The season was over for work so we honey-mooned across America
Spending our second night on the rim of the Grand Canyon, then on to
Nebraska for a stop to visit my Aunt Mabel, my mother’s sister, then
on to Knox where Bernadine got to meet my family and friends.
Then it was on to Vermont and Bernadine’s family who received me really
nicely. Then it was on to Whitefield New Hampshire where we worked
at the Mountain View House Resort, then in October we went
To Pass-a-grill Beach, Florida where we worked at the Rellum Hotel.
This was our way of life for the first 4 years, then we bought
a Drive Inn Restaurant which we called Dean’s Drive Inn.
In the late fifties I went to school to become a hair stylist and
in 1960 we bought a Salon at 2119 Miami St. South Bend, Indiana
Fifteen years later after multiple salons and other parts of the
beauty business we sold all of the business, with nothing ahead or planned
we took it easy for a few months.
Then I went to work for Georgia Boy Motor Home Company in Edwardsburg
Where we had moved to Eagle Lake in 1962,
In 1980 I went to work for PHM School district as a custodian, I was lucky and got assinged to Else Rogers Elementary School where I worked until I retired on December 31,1995. And four days later we were in Florida at Citrus Hills Park
Which has been our home for the winter months since then..
Now I’ve said all that to say how the Yellow River blog got started.
The last of our Great Grand children was born on August 20, 2006
And my cousin Rose Ann husband past away, at this time I wrote about New life and the ending of life along the River.
dean
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Yellow River #3
The old swimming hole.Yellow River is a quiet shallow slow moving river with sandy and grave bottom on the sandbars.She can also be ugly after a big rain, then she’s brown and dirty, fast moving, not safe for swimming then.When we went to the river the older one looked after the younger one, plus we looked after one another. How refreshing was she on those hot, dog days of July and August.May 30th school was over for the summer, shoes came off and kids went barefooted,There was always someone who tried to be the first one in the water for the summer and someone to be the last swimmer of summer.Skinny dipping, oh yes but never in mixed company, many a time we would take a bar of soap along and have a bath. I remember one summer a friend John Paul Thompson a I played softball in a night league, we both worked on the farm so we would need to clean up before we went, he would pick me up and to the river we would go. Quick bath, we both jump into the car one driving while the other got dressed, switch drivers and the other would just be finished dressings as we got to the ball park.
The old swimming hole.Yellow River is a quiet shallow slow moving river with sandy and grave bottom on the sandbars.She can also be ugly after a big rain, then she’s brown and dirty, fast moving, not safe for swimming then.When we went to the river the older one looked after the younger one, plus we looked after one another. How refreshing was she on those hot, dog days of July and August.May 30th school was over for the summer, shoes came off and kids went barefooted,There was always someone who tried to be the first one in the water for the summer and someone to be the last swimmer of summer.Skinny dipping, oh yes but never in mixed company, many a time we would take a bar of soap along and have a bath. I remember one summer a friend John Paul Thompson a I played softball in a night league, we both worked on the farm so we would need to clean up before we went, he would pick me up and to the river we would go. Quick bath, we both jump into the car one driving while the other got dressed, switch drivers and the other would just be finished dressings as we got to the ball park.
The old swimming hole.Yellow River is a quiet shallow slow moving river with sandy and grave bottom on the sandbars.She can also be ugly after a big rain, then she’s brown and dirty, fast moving, not safe for swimming then.When we went to the river the older one looked after the younger one, plus we looked after one another. How refreshing was she on those hot, dog days of July and August.May 30th school was over for the summer, shoes came off and kids went barefooted,There was always someone who tried to be the first one in the water for the summer and someone to be the last swimmer of summer.Skinny dipping, oh yes but never in mixed company, many a time we would take a bar of soap along and have a bath. I remember one summer a friend John Paul Thompson a I played softball in a night league, we both worked on the farm so we would need to clean up before we went, he would pick me up and to the river we would go. Quick bath, we both jump into the car one driving while the other got dressed, switch drivers and the other would just be finished dressings as we got to the ball park.
Yellow River #2
More on the River.My sister Marilyn who I mentioned yesterday as the family historian lives just one mile south of where our folks first lived on the river.My brother Joe live for years just half a mile east of our folks but his property did not reach all the way to the river, his daughter Joan lives within just a couple hundred feet to the west of where her dad lived.Bob and Gerry’s daughter and her husband own and live on the land where Gerry was born and lived until she became the wife of Bob.Laura Gates Lil & Don’s daughter lives half a mile to the east of where Lil still lives on the farm her and Don farmed & milked cows, I’m not sure but I think Laura & Audi’s property goes to the river, if not, it is very close.So the Yellow River has been a big part of the family.The great grand father of both Bob & I migrated from Oshawa, Canada, to Chicago by foot as a young man. His son, our grandfather moved his family to Washington Township.Bob’s father William (Bill) and my mother Hazel had a secret saying, They didn’t dare swear or they would get there mouth washed out with soap so they would say Acbabacaca. less than four mile stretch of Yellow River is covered by those written about yesterday and today.Meet me at the River. will talk about it next time.
#1 Original Yellow River
#1 Sunday evening Our forth Great Grand Child Jordan entered this world.Yesterday we went to the funeral of Wayne, the husband of my cousin Rose Ann.A celebration of a new life and of one being called to his heavenly home.Many wonderful memories will be made by Jordan’s life and many memories were where brought to mind at the gathering of friends and relatives at the funeral. There’s a river that runs through the rest of the story. Yellow River has its Beginning North and East of Plymouth, Indiana and runs through Washington Township and Knox, to the West where it joins the Kankakee River So the Yellow river is is not a long river but has a lot of family ties to it.Back in the early years of my mother and fathers married life’s they moved to a house on Yellow river with three young boy’s may have been only two ( my sister Marilyn is the historian) and somewhere around 1920 moved one miles east to a farm on the north side of the river. Now if you go part of a mile on east my cousin Bob Trigg , lives on the river,Bob’s father and my mother where brother and sister. Bob’s wife Gerry’s folks live on the river just east of my folks and she was born on May 3,1930 they named her Geraldine, I was born just 27 days later on May 1930 and my folks named me Harold Dean. So we grew up together, walking to school together, etc.Bob’s folks lived about a mile of east on the north side of the river, which is now called the Yellow River Farm, where they grow produce for the market they run, Rose Ann and Wayne’s home joined the market on the east,With one house between there and my brother Don and His wife Lil’s farm is on the north side of the river, Oh yes Lil had live with her folks back to the west of my folks, only on the south side of the river.The story goes that once you get your feet wet in Yellow River you will never Leave or at least you will return. More on the river someday.Now for Jordan just 3 day old and a lot of living ahead for him, he’ll have many memories and stories of his growing up with his mother Jennifer and father Derek,Not only is he a first for his Mom and Dad, also a first for his grandparent’s on both sides, Hang in there Jordon, keep them on there toe’s for great grandpa Dean: Blessings my little one. And also to all other readers.
#2 YELLOW RIVER
#2
More on the River.My sister Marilyn who I mentioned yesterday as the family historian lives just one mile south of where our folks first lived on the river.My brother Joe live for years just half a mile east of our folks but his property did not reach all the way to the river, his daughter Joan lives within just a couple hundred feet to the west of where her dad lived.Bob and Gerry’s daughter and her husband own and live on the land where Gerry was born and lived until she became the wife of Bob.Laura Gates Lil & Don’s daughter lives half a mile to the east of where Lil still lives on the farm her and Don farmed & milked cows, I’m not sure but I think Laura & Audi’s property goes to the river, if not, it is very close.So the Yellow River has been a big part of the family.The great grand father of both Bob & I migrated from Oshawa, Canada, to Chicago by foot as a young man. His son, our grandfather moved his family to Washington Township.Bob’s father William (Bill) and my mother Hazel had a secret saying, They didn’t dare swear or they would get there mouth washed out with soap so they would say Acbabacaca. less than four mile stretch of Yellow River is covered by those written about yesterday and today.Meet me at the River. will talk about it next time.
More on the River.My sister Marilyn who I mentioned yesterday as the family historian lives just one mile south of where our folks first lived on the river.My brother Joe live for years just half a mile east of our folks but his property did not reach all the way to the river, his daughter Joan lives within just a couple hundred feet to the west of where her dad lived.Bob and Gerry’s daughter and her husband own and live on the land where Gerry was born and lived until she became the wife of Bob.Laura Gates Lil & Don’s daughter lives half a mile to the east of where Lil still lives on the farm her and Don farmed & milked cows, I’m not sure but I think Laura & Audi’s property goes to the river, if not, it is very close.So the Yellow River has been a big part of the family.The great grand father of both Bob & I migrated from Oshawa, Canada, to Chicago by foot as a young man. His son, our grandfather moved his family to Washington Township.Bob’s father William (Bill) and my mother Hazel had a secret saying, They didn’t dare swear or they would get there mouth washed out with soap so they would say Acbabacaca. less than four mile stretch of Yellow River is covered by those written about yesterday and today.Meet me at the River. will talk about it next time.
ORIGINAL YELLOW RIVER
#1 Sunday evening Our forth Great Grand Child Jordan entered this world.Yesterday we went to the funeral of Wayne, the husband of my cousin Rose Ann.A celebration of a new life and of one being called to his heavenly home.Many wonderful memories will be made by Jordan’s life and many memories were where brought to mind at the gathering of friends and relatives at the funeral. There’s a river that runs through the rest of the story. Yellow River has its Beginning North and East of Plymouth, Indiana and runs through Washington Township and Knox, to the West where it joins the Kankakee River So the Yellow river is is not a long river but has a lot of family ties to it.Back in the early years of my mother and fathers married life’s they moved to a house on Yellow river with three young boy’s may have been only two ( my sister Marilyn is the historian) and somewhere around 1920 moved one miles east to a farm on the north side of the river. Now if you go part of a mile on east my cousin Bob Trigg , lives on the river,Bob’s father and my mother where brother and sister. Bob’s wife Gerry’s folks live on the river just east of my folks and she was born on May 3,1930 they named her Geraldine, I was born just 27 days later on May 1930 and my folks named me Harold Dean. So we grew up together, walking to school together, etc.Bob’s folks lived about a mile of east on the north side of the river, which is now called the Yellow River Farm, where they grow produce for the market they run, Rose Ann and Wayne’s home joined the market on the east,With one house between there and my brother Don and His wife Lil’s farm is on the north side of the river, Oh yes Lil had live with her folks back to the west of my folks, only on the south side of the river.The story goes that once you get your feet wet in Yellow River you will never Leave or at least you will return. More on the river someday.Now for Jordan just 3 day old and a lot of living ahead for him, he’ll have many memories and stories of his growing up with his mother Jennifer and father Derek,Not only is he a first for his Mom and Dad, also a first for his grandparent’s on both sides, Hang in there Jordon, keep them on there toe’s for great grandpa Dean: Blessings my little one. And also to all other readers.
Friday, January 19, 2007
MY FIRST CAR
MY FIRST CAR
May 30th 1946 I became old enough to legally drive. I worked for my brother Don who was the oldest of us six children of Herman and Hazel (Trigg) Rodgers.
I started by working on Saturdays cleaning barns, chicken coops, digging post holes for fence to keep the cows in and many other odd jobs around the farm He always gave me a list that had enough for two days work on it so I never had to worry about something to do.
I must have been only eleven or twelve when I harnessed the horses and drove them, they were a small team of sorrels mare’s named Molly and Florrie. The first time I was hooked up to a riding mowing machine, Two wheels with a seat between them and a sickle bar off to the right, pulled by the team. Boy was I big stuff.
Now when I go through the Amish country I see boys younger than I was driving a team of four and five hourses.
One time while I had the team hooked to a wagon and was picking corn by hand so the tractor and one row picker could start with out running over the first two rows, I hit one of the mares with an ear of corn, they ran all the way around the field before they stopped.
That was my second experience with run away horse’s. (hang on I’ll get to the car soon).
I was about six years old and had gone to the field with my cousin Norman Eigmy to harrow a field, I was riding on one of the big black mares, It was time to go to lunch so we stopped to unhook, Norm lay down the driving lines to unhook, no sooner had he unhook, something spooked the team and off we went as fast as they could go, Norm was yelling hold on, when they went right by him after circle ling the field out the gate and couldn’t make the turn, right into a big ditch where they stopped.. Then one Saturday Ermal Eugene Cory my sister-in-laws brother and I was cleaning my mothers chicken coop when the team took off and headed home to my brother don’s, I ran in and called and My sister-in-law Lil got in the car and headed toward us. The team had gone a mileand stopped in Leatha Whites yard. Lil got in the wagon and brought them back as fast as they could run, They weren’t ready to run off again.
There she is my first car, a 1938 robin egg blue Plymouth Coupe. The original color was battleship grey, it had some dents in it the the owner Lou Hurt, a farmer who was know to tip a few. The Crider brothers body shop made it look like new.
The first week-end I had it I was very careful as it had rained and on the gravel roads it could get pretty dirty. I managed to miss the puddles until Sunday night. I was up the road to the east of home visiting with a girl whose family lived in the old Robert home. The girls name was Alice Reinhold (I think the last name is right but not sure) I was just one of several who showed some interest in her. We sat out front along the road and talked,
Baldy Risner was trying to impress her and kept going by as fast as he could and as close as he could, made my coupe rock every time, thank God he never made contact. Anyway I was told to be home by 10 o’clock as it was school the next day. I was running late and had the peddle down, didn’t see the puddle, splash, the next morning it looked like a brown egg.
One Saturday night I went to a midnight movie in Knox and on the way home one of our young cows was standing in the road, when I saw her she looked like the monster in the movie, bang I hit her, off she ran, but caved in my fender. (cars don’t have finders like we had in those days)
One Saturday morning on my way to work, I was reaching behind me for some thing, when the next thing I knew I was up a small sapling tree. Along came Chet Emigh with his dump truck, he hooked a chain to me and pulled me back in the road. Boy dean you better start watching where your driving, this Plymouth is not a tractor.
Then one Sunday night I took Alice for a ride, went by Juanita’s house, (she was my girlfriend) the car brakes locked up just a half mile from her house, was nothing left but to go and ask her father Claude the preacher to take us home. ( I didn’t know if I had just sat there for awhile they would cool off and we could have gone on.)
Then there was the morning before school that I took my brother Chuck to Kingsburry where we had land we farmed, so on the way back to Knox, I was trucking pretty ood so I wouldn’t be late for school. The car engine was knocking so I pulled into the Cox brother’s Texico gas station, you guessed it, a rod was making the knock.
All in all had a lot of pleasure driving it to school everyday, which there were not to many
students that had a car in those days.
Then came the day in November 1948, I barrowed $100 from Chuck and left for Arazona with Jr.Vanasdaall, left the Plymouth parked in the yard.Sure glad cars can’t talk.and the water in Yellow River has long flowed into the ocean.
When I got home the next spring on my way to New Hampshire I sold the car to Ermal and paid my brother Chuck off.
O to be young and care-free. Sounds good, but life’s been good and what more could ask for. How about a Chariot. Riding on a cloud. Letting God do the leading casting all the problems on Him knowing He does all things well.
May 30th 1946 I became old enough to legally drive. I worked for my brother Don who was the oldest of us six children of Herman and Hazel (Trigg) Rodgers.
I started by working on Saturdays cleaning barns, chicken coops, digging post holes for fence to keep the cows in and many other odd jobs around the farm He always gave me a list that had enough for two days work on it so I never had to worry about something to do.
I must have been only eleven or twelve when I harnessed the horses and drove them, they were a small team of sorrels mare’s named Molly and Florrie. The first time I was hooked up to a riding mowing machine, Two wheels with a seat between them and a sickle bar off to the right, pulled by the team. Boy was I big stuff.
Now when I go through the Amish country I see boys younger than I was driving a team of four and five hourses.
One time while I had the team hooked to a wagon and was picking corn by hand so the tractor and one row picker could start with out running over the first two rows, I hit one of the mares with an ear of corn, they ran all the way around the field before they stopped.
That was my second experience with run away horse’s. (hang on I’ll get to the car soon).
I was about six years old and had gone to the field with my cousin Norman Eigmy to harrow a field, I was riding on one of the big black mares, It was time to go to lunch so we stopped to unhook, Norm lay down the driving lines to unhook, no sooner had he unhook, something spooked the team and off we went as fast as they could go, Norm was yelling hold on, when they went right by him after circle ling the field out the gate and couldn’t make the turn, right into a big ditch where they stopped.. Then one Saturday Ermal Eugene Cory my sister-in-laws brother and I was cleaning my mothers chicken coop when the team took off and headed home to my brother don’s, I ran in and called and My sister-in-law Lil got in the car and headed toward us. The team had gone a mileand stopped in Leatha Whites yard. Lil got in the wagon and brought them back as fast as they could run, They weren’t ready to run off again.
There she is my first car, a 1938 robin egg blue Plymouth Coupe. The original color was battleship grey, it had some dents in it the the owner Lou Hurt, a farmer who was know to tip a few. The Crider brothers body shop made it look like new.
The first week-end I had it I was very careful as it had rained and on the gravel roads it could get pretty dirty. I managed to miss the puddles until Sunday night. I was up the road to the east of home visiting with a girl whose family lived in the old Robert home. The girls name was Alice Reinhold (I think the last name is right but not sure) I was just one of several who showed some interest in her. We sat out front along the road and talked,
Baldy Risner was trying to impress her and kept going by as fast as he could and as close as he could, made my coupe rock every time, thank God he never made contact. Anyway I was told to be home by 10 o’clock as it was school the next day. I was running late and had the peddle down, didn’t see the puddle, splash, the next morning it looked like a brown egg.
One Saturday night I went to a midnight movie in Knox and on the way home one of our young cows was standing in the road, when I saw her she looked like the monster in the movie, bang I hit her, off she ran, but caved in my fender. (cars don’t have finders like we had in those days)
One Saturday morning on my way to work, I was reaching behind me for some thing, when the next thing I knew I was up a small sapling tree. Along came Chet Emigh with his dump truck, he hooked a chain to me and pulled me back in the road. Boy dean you better start watching where your driving, this Plymouth is not a tractor.
Then one Sunday night I took Alice for a ride, went by Juanita’s house, (she was my girlfriend) the car brakes locked up just a half mile from her house, was nothing left but to go and ask her father Claude the preacher to take us home. ( I didn’t know if I had just sat there for awhile they would cool off and we could have gone on.)
Then there was the morning before school that I took my brother Chuck to Kingsburry where we had land we farmed, so on the way back to Knox, I was trucking pretty ood so I wouldn’t be late for school. The car engine was knocking so I pulled into the Cox brother’s Texico gas station, you guessed it, a rod was making the knock.
All in all had a lot of pleasure driving it to school everyday, which there were not to many
students that had a car in those days.
Then came the day in November 1948, I barrowed $100 from Chuck and left for Arazona with Jr.Vanasdaall, left the Plymouth parked in the yard.Sure glad cars can’t talk.and the water in Yellow River has long flowed into the ocean.
When I got home the next spring on my way to New Hampshire I sold the car to Ermal and paid my brother Chuck off.
O to be young and care-free. Sounds good, but life’s been good and what more could ask for. How about a Chariot. Riding on a cloud. Letting God do the leading casting all the problems on Him knowing He does all things well.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
CHRIST CENTER
During the late Sixties two couple’s ( Jim & Dixie, Paul & Becky) who where going to Asbury Seminary discovered a two or three story old school house in Lexington Ky. That had not been in use for several years. It was in an area where the youth had nothing to do but hang out on the streets.
The two couples had no money, but felt the Lord calling them to open a place where they could minister to the needs of the neighborhood. After climbing in through open window to look at the inside they decided to look for the owner. When they found him he rented it to them for $400.00 a month.
Still no money, they began to pray and believe God to provide. He provided the first months rent and they began to work to make it usable. It needed plumbing repaired, Electric service worked on, furniture such as beds and chairs, tables, china to eat off of if they had food.
More pray, more faith, and workers began to show up, furniture came from a hotel that was remodeling. Silver and china from a restaurant that had just completely redone the inside, food would be sitting on the door steps in the morning. Truly God was supplying
There basic needs.
This is where we entered into the picture. Along with Norm & Donna Fisher, Bernadine and I began to get involved by taking the youth group of Granger Missionary Church on long week ends where they would help paint and do other work in what had become an inter-city mission, then at night we would join in the service that was held. I remember one of the courses that they sang, it is Psalms 48;
Great is the Lord
And greatly to be praised
In the city of our God
On the mountain of His holiness
Beautiful the situation
Is the joy of the whole earth
Is mount Zion on the side of the north
The city of a great King.
The presence of the Holy Spirit was present
I remember setting around the table with Jim & Dixie and others, a total of six, we each had a cup of hot water and one tea bag for the six of us to use, we pasted it from person to person. It was like the changing of water to wine ,except this was water to tea.
It wasn’t long until the Jimison’s were involved, Dick recruited John Linn to do some electrical work and this made a great impression on John, That he could be involved doing something for the Lord.
I was able to purchase big cans of fruit and vegetables from a canning plant in Michigan at a real good price. And the people of Granger donated clothing, so each time we went we tool a load with us. Then there was the time that Dick J., John Vargo, and myself drove down during the night getting there in time for breakfast. We started to
put ceiling tile up an Jimison being a little worry said boy my drass is agging just as two of the girls walked in, they said what did you say mister Jimisons, O nothing, nothing at all.
We all grew in the Lord from the experience we had. Jim & Dixie spent several times with us at the Living water camp north of Cassopolis Michigan onetime we all remember was the time it got to 20 below digress.
The center no longer exist, the Parkers are in California, and don’t know where Paul & Becky are. So sometimes we are only there for a period of time then the Lord moves us on, we just need to be ready to do what he calls us o for the time being
It was a great and wonderful time of serving and growing in the Lord.
Now for me, it’s helping the chaplains do visitations at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Florida, and doing the Sunday Evening service at Citrus Hills Park.
Still growing. & trying to glow for Him,
The two couples had no money, but felt the Lord calling them to open a place where they could minister to the needs of the neighborhood. After climbing in through open window to look at the inside they decided to look for the owner. When they found him he rented it to them for $400.00 a month.
Still no money, they began to pray and believe God to provide. He provided the first months rent and they began to work to make it usable. It needed plumbing repaired, Electric service worked on, furniture such as beds and chairs, tables, china to eat off of if they had food.
More pray, more faith, and workers began to show up, furniture came from a hotel that was remodeling. Silver and china from a restaurant that had just completely redone the inside, food would be sitting on the door steps in the morning. Truly God was supplying
There basic needs.
This is where we entered into the picture. Along with Norm & Donna Fisher, Bernadine and I began to get involved by taking the youth group of Granger Missionary Church on long week ends where they would help paint and do other work in what had become an inter-city mission, then at night we would join in the service that was held. I remember one of the courses that they sang, it is Psalms 48;
Great is the Lord
And greatly to be praised
In the city of our God
On the mountain of His holiness
Beautiful the situation
Is the joy of the whole earth
Is mount Zion on the side of the north
The city of a great King.
The presence of the Holy Spirit was present
I remember setting around the table with Jim & Dixie and others, a total of six, we each had a cup of hot water and one tea bag for the six of us to use, we pasted it from person to person. It was like the changing of water to wine ,except this was water to tea.
It wasn’t long until the Jimison’s were involved, Dick recruited John Linn to do some electrical work and this made a great impression on John, That he could be involved doing something for the Lord.
I was able to purchase big cans of fruit and vegetables from a canning plant in Michigan at a real good price. And the people of Granger donated clothing, so each time we went we tool a load with us. Then there was the time that Dick J., John Vargo, and myself drove down during the night getting there in time for breakfast. We started to
put ceiling tile up an Jimison being a little worry said boy my drass is agging just as two of the girls walked in, they said what did you say mister Jimisons, O nothing, nothing at all.
We all grew in the Lord from the experience we had. Jim & Dixie spent several times with us at the Living water camp north of Cassopolis Michigan onetime we all remember was the time it got to 20 below digress.
The center no longer exist, the Parkers are in California, and don’t know where Paul & Becky are. So sometimes we are only there for a period of time then the Lord moves us on, we just need to be ready to do what he calls us o for the time being
It was a great and wonderful time of serving and growing in the Lord.
Now for me, it’s helping the chaplains do visitations at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Florida, and doing the Sunday Evening service at Citrus Hills Park.
Still growing. & trying to glow for Him,
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
UNFORGIVENESS, A TOOL OF SATAN
UNFORGIVENESS, A TOOL OF SATAN,, A STRUGGLE TO BE FREE
Why the struggle? First of all the devil lost his right to take a Christian to hell when Jesus went to the cross.
Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan, and has passed that work on to the Christian, who if they do not understand that they have the ability and power through the Holy Spirit, then are no treat to him.
We are told we must forgive, the bible says we must forgive and our leaders in the church are good at telling, “we must forgive’ In fact we have become experts at telling others they must forgive, But don’t how to forgive. First of all
Satan is a liar, a thief, he want to kill destroy every Christian: and he and his demons are experienced at keeping the Christian from living in victory.
Hebrews 12:14 and following shows some links that.
will make up a chain to keep one bound and defeated
14. Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord
So UN-forgiveness means no peace, link number 1, no peace, no holiness, another link, without seeing the Lord, no vision, verse 15. fall short of the grace of God, another link, root of bitterness springing up cause trouble and many being defiled, now the chain is long enough to go round and around leaving the person walking in defeat instead of victory that God has called us to.
What happens when we tell someone they must forgive is they dig a hole in the soil of there soul and bury it, they get up off there knees and say I am a good Christian I’vie forgave, they haven’t forgiven, they just buried it and what happen is that root will begin to grow and come up and every time it comes up they take a hoe and cut it off, never getting victory and being set free. The root of bitterness keeps growing and they will be like a rabbit in a brier patch that leaves fur on everything they touch.
Now here comes the good part, No one can forgive successfully until they learn to hate intelligently .
In this life it is impossible to live without hate so we must learn to direct our hate on the right one. TO hate is not all bad in fact the right hate can be very helpful, if
Done in the right way for the right reason and at the one responsible for it.
Genesis 3:15 Satan had deceived Adam & Eve God says to the devil, “I will put enmity between you and the woman.” Now enmity is a strong word for hate.
God gives us the gift of hate to battle our enemy the devil. That is hard for us to comprehend, but it is the truth of Gods word.
Can you see it is really not the person who hurt you, it is
Satan who used that person to get at you.
We are lean mean hating machines, these hands are designed by God to do the work of God and destroy the works of the devil. you must believe you are who God says you are.
1 John 2:20 says “you have an anointing from the Holy One.” a few verses later He says that anointing remains in you. I’ll tell you who believes that more than you do. The devil knows it, but if he can keep you in chains he’ll take your victory from you.
Romans 16:20 The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet.
That is God’s purpose for you. Destroy his works by knowing what he is trying to do.
Hebrews 10:12 This man after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
So He waits, and waits, and waits.
We can do it, yes we can do it.
Remember this the devil has planed every negative thing in your life.
God’s purpose for you is not just to get you to heaven, but use you to destroy the works for the devil right here on earth for you to live in victory, set free and setting others free.
Remember we have become experts in telling people what to do,
But also in showing and telling them how to be free.
Check out Col.3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may
have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Remember, anger, hate, and bitterness has no place in the life of a Christian.
We are called to live in victor
To bless and not curse
To pray for those who persecute us.
You be the one to reach out and say I forgive you and watch God do something beautiful in your life..
Why the struggle? First of all the devil lost his right to take a Christian to hell when Jesus went to the cross.
Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan, and has passed that work on to the Christian, who if they do not understand that they have the ability and power through the Holy Spirit, then are no treat to him.
We are told we must forgive, the bible says we must forgive and our leaders in the church are good at telling, “we must forgive’ In fact we have become experts at telling others they must forgive, But don’t how to forgive. First of all
Satan is a liar, a thief, he want to kill destroy every Christian: and he and his demons are experienced at keeping the Christian from living in victory.
Hebrews 12:14 and following shows some links that.
will make up a chain to keep one bound and defeated
14. Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord
So UN-forgiveness means no peace, link number 1, no peace, no holiness, another link, without seeing the Lord, no vision, verse 15. fall short of the grace of God, another link, root of bitterness springing up cause trouble and many being defiled, now the chain is long enough to go round and around leaving the person walking in defeat instead of victory that God has called us to.
What happens when we tell someone they must forgive is they dig a hole in the soil of there soul and bury it, they get up off there knees and say I am a good Christian I’vie forgave, they haven’t forgiven, they just buried it and what happen is that root will begin to grow and come up and every time it comes up they take a hoe and cut it off, never getting victory and being set free. The root of bitterness keeps growing and they will be like a rabbit in a brier patch that leaves fur on everything they touch.
Now here comes the good part, No one can forgive successfully until they learn to hate intelligently .
In this life it is impossible to live without hate so we must learn to direct our hate on the right one. TO hate is not all bad in fact the right hate can be very helpful, if
Done in the right way for the right reason and at the one responsible for it.
Genesis 3:15 Satan had deceived Adam & Eve God says to the devil, “I will put enmity between you and the woman.” Now enmity is a strong word for hate.
God gives us the gift of hate to battle our enemy the devil. That is hard for us to comprehend, but it is the truth of Gods word.
Can you see it is really not the person who hurt you, it is
Satan who used that person to get at you.
We are lean mean hating machines, these hands are designed by God to do the work of God and destroy the works of the devil. you must believe you are who God says you are.
1 John 2:20 says “you have an anointing from the Holy One.” a few verses later He says that anointing remains in you. I’ll tell you who believes that more than you do. The devil knows it, but if he can keep you in chains he’ll take your victory from you.
Romans 16:20 The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet.
That is God’s purpose for you. Destroy his works by knowing what he is trying to do.
Hebrews 10:12 This man after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
So He waits, and waits, and waits.
We can do it, yes we can do it.
Remember this the devil has planed every negative thing in your life.
God’s purpose for you is not just to get you to heaven, but use you to destroy the works for the devil right here on earth for you to live in victory, set free and setting others free.
Remember we have become experts in telling people what to do,
But also in showing and telling them how to be free.
Check out Col.3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may
have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Remember, anger, hate, and bitterness has no place in the life of a Christian.
We are called to live in victor
To bless and not curse
To pray for those who persecute us.
You be the one to reach out and say I forgive you and watch God do something beautiful in your life..
Monday, January 1, 2007
THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT
LETS ALL GO DOWN TO THE RIVER AND SEE THE MAN WALKING ON THE RIVER.
IS IT BECAUSE HE HAS THE POWER TO WALK ON WATER THAT YOU FOLLOW HIM?
i FOLLOW HIM BECAUSE HE DIED FOR MY SIN'S AND GIVES TO ME NEW LIFE.
PHILLIPIANS 4:4-13
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Thanks for Their Gifts
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12 know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
WHAT A WONDERFUL SCRIPTURE TO START THE NEW YEAR.
BE ASSURED THAT THE LORD IS NEAR, JUST A PRAYER AWAY.
HE HAS PROMISED OVER AND OVER IN HIS WORD “I AM WITH YOU”
A JOYOUS SPIRIT verse 4
A GENTLE SPIRIT verse 5
A PRAYERFUL SPIRIT verse 6
A GRATEFUL SPIRIT verse 8
A FOCUSED SPIRIT verse 9
A FAITHFUL SPIRIT verse 10
A DEPENDENT SPIRIT verse 13
1 CONTENT WITH WHO I AM
(BERNADINE SAYS SHE IS MORE SO
THAN I AM)
2 CONTENT WITH WHERE I AM
(I LOVE THE SONG ‘HIGHER GROUND’
I’M PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY
STILL PRAYING AS I’M UPWARD BOUND
LORD PLANT MY FEET ON HIGHER GROUND)
(EXCEPT WHEN I TAKE MY EYES OFF HIM AND LOOK AT SELF)
3 CONTENT WITH WHAT I HAVE
(MOSTLY)
I HAVE A SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
AND A WONDERFUL WIFE,
THREE GREAT CHILDREN
FIVE GRAND DAUGHTERS
AND FOUR BEAUTIFUL GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN
WHAT MORE COULD A MAN HAVE NEED OF.
KNOWING THAT THE LORD IS NEAR
OVER AND OVER THE SCRIPTURE PROCLAIMS
I WILL BE WITH YOU
WHAT A PROMISE!
IS IT BECAUSE HE HAS THE POWER TO WALK ON WATER THAT YOU FOLLOW HIM?
i FOLLOW HIM BECAUSE HE DIED FOR MY SIN'S AND GIVES TO ME NEW LIFE.
PHILLIPIANS 4:4-13
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Thanks for Their Gifts
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12 know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
WHAT A WONDERFUL SCRIPTURE TO START THE NEW YEAR.
BE ASSURED THAT THE LORD IS NEAR, JUST A PRAYER AWAY.
HE HAS PROMISED OVER AND OVER IN HIS WORD “I AM WITH YOU”
A JOYOUS SPIRIT verse 4
A GENTLE SPIRIT verse 5
A PRAYERFUL SPIRIT verse 6
A GRATEFUL SPIRIT verse 8
A FOCUSED SPIRIT verse 9
A FAITHFUL SPIRIT verse 10
A DEPENDENT SPIRIT verse 13
1 CONTENT WITH WHO I AM
(BERNADINE SAYS SHE IS MORE SO
THAN I AM)
2 CONTENT WITH WHERE I AM
(I LOVE THE SONG ‘HIGHER GROUND’
I’M PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY
STILL PRAYING AS I’M UPWARD BOUND
LORD PLANT MY FEET ON HIGHER GROUND)
(EXCEPT WHEN I TAKE MY EYES OFF HIM AND LOOK AT SELF)
3 CONTENT WITH WHAT I HAVE
(MOSTLY)
I HAVE A SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
AND A WONDERFUL WIFE,
THREE GREAT CHILDREN
FIVE GRAND DAUGHTERS
AND FOUR BEAUTIFUL GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN
WHAT MORE COULD A MAN HAVE NEED OF.
KNOWING THAT THE LORD IS NEAR
OVER AND OVER THE SCRIPTURE PROCLAIMS
I WILL BE WITH YOU
WHAT A PROMISE!
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