I Lift Up My Soul

Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee. Let me not be ashamed. Let not mine enemies triumph over me. Psalm 25: 1-2

As we meditate on these verses, we can lift them to God in prayer, something like this:

Lord, I lift my soul up to You, this needy soul of mine. You are my God, and I trust You, even though there are times when I don't act like it very much. Forgive me for worrying about so many things, when I know that I can TRUST You. Let my attitudes and words reflect my confidence in You, O Lord. Please, Lord, don't let my hope in you be disappointed. Don't let my enemies win. Whether they are physical enemies or spiritual enemies, Lord, let every weapon formed against me fail, that the world may know that You are MY GOD, and that I confidently rely on You."

Perhaps, today, this prayer may be yours. May you be encouraged and lifted up into His awesome presence where you will find help, rest, strength, comfort, or whatever you need. For He will provide whatever we have need of according to His abundant riches in glory.

Blessings.

Happy Father's Day

He stomped his foot and brought his clenched little fist down upon the seat of the wooden piano bench that served as his pulpit. Although he was only five, the strong gestures and serious countenance of the little lad added to the attraction and folks would come out early to the revival meetings just to hear the boy preacher. “Take your shoes off, Moses, because you’re standing on holy ground!”

His dad was a preacher, an itinerating evangelist, and I can imagine the joy and the pride he felt when his little boy stood behind that piano-bench pulpit to preach.

Now even a preacher boy has to deal with temptation, and this little lad was not so different from so many others. The imagination is a wonderfully strange thing. Now what do you expect a little guy to do with a paint brush and motor oil? Well, when you add a little imagination, the oil quickly becomes paint and before you know it, he is giving a fresh paint job to his little pedal car. Of course, oil is rather messy, and the result of all this imagination is not something you could easily hide even if you were so inclined. Needless to say his mother caught him. Reminded of his sin he quickly exclaimed, “Mama, I just backslid the saved off me. I didn’t backslide the preaching.”

His imagination and attraction finally led him through the door of little white church in Kentucky to see that pretty Hyatt girl. The Hyatt’s granddaughter, Mary, was living with her grandparents, and she was quite active in the little church, teaching Sunday School when she was only a teenager herself. The attraction he had for her could not be quenched, so just before either of them reached their twenties, they were married.

Do the math. They were married in September, and nine months later, “a son of passion” was born in the month of June. As that “Hyatt girl” gave birth to their first-born son, the boy preacher was transformed! He became a father!

That was fifty-three years ago today. Now with four sons, (six, when we count the two boys he is raising now), fifteen grandchildren, and sixteen great grandchildren,* he’s still the greatest dad. On this anniversary of your fatherhood, I want to wish you a Blessed Father’s Day. I love you, Dad, and I am so proud to be your son.

*Emily’s gift to a childless couple makes fourteen and when you count the two on the way, there are sixteen great grandchildren.

Flag Day

June 14th is Flag Day, and as we celebrate this year I want to reflect on our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," by Francis Scott Key. Although we often sing it together at patriotic events and include it as part of the opening ceremony at baseball games, have you noticed that most of us only know the first verse?

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

There are three more verses to our national anthem, and we should not only learn them, but teach them to our children. Here are the next two.

On the shore dimly seen, thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines in the stream;
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Recently we were reminded by the stunning performance of one tea party member that our national anthem also has a fourth verse, which I am including here along with the youtube video link to hear the resounding performance of this verse at a recent rally.

Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Listen here to an impromptu performance of the last verse of the Star Spangled Banner.
Just click on the the words Star Spangled Banner to go to the link.

As I listened to the old marine sing this verse my vision blurred as my passion for God and country swelled in my heart. Have a Blessed Flag Day.

Teamwork

This past weekend was the Highway 41 Yard Sale. All along Highway 41 from Calhoun to points north including Tunnel Hill, Georgia, folks set up their tables and tents for the biggest Yard Sale day of the year! The ladies of Christian Fellowship decided they would join the fun in a big fundraiser for the church. Well, our Yard Sale grew into a Yard Sale - Hair Cuts - Car Wash - BBQ Lunch Project! To quote Odell, "It looked like the whole church turned out!"

Hey, the teamwork was awesome! So many people gave their time and effort to make the day a success that it's hard to stop when you get started trying to say thank you to all the folks. The fellowship was wonderful. We worked together like the team we are, each doing what they could to help make a difference. I hope you enjoy the Video Report, that Janet prepared to help us remember this awesome day. Thank you CFA!