Happy Birthday Odell

Yesterday was Odell's 78th birthday. Happy birthday, Odell!
The day day was jam-packed with activity. It was another Friday at Bates Furntiture Company. Added to the regular activities of taking care of customers and getting merchandise out, I also had my trucked towed to In Town Auto for some repairs. Being the Giver that he is, my Father-in-Law loaned me their Red Dodge Truck to drive to work. My truck was ready by the end of the day, but Graham preferred to drive it home, and I drove the Red Dodge on a few errands, including picking up signs for the church, and filling up the gas tank. Crystal and Monnie were in town celebrating Stephanie's birthday, and the boys were at Jiu Jitzu Class. Finally I headed for home. Just past Harold's House on Reed Road I met a woman who lost control of her car and swerved across my lane. I hit the brakes and turned slightly left to try to avoid hitting her, but no such luck. The right front fender of the pickup made contact with her right rear fender. I came to stop, but her vehicle went completely off the road to my right. and spun around at least 180 degrees, crossing part of one yard and a driveway and coming to rest facing the opposite direction in the next neighbor's yard. Since I was in their truck, I called Odell. He and Selva came to the scene. Before the wrecker arrived, Odell began checking the cab of his truck for anything he needed to retrieve.
He found his birthday present! What a way to celebrate! Happy Birthday Odell!

Miracles Still Happen!

In the early 1980’s (1981 or 1982), the Lions Club decided to sell their property and relocate. Since God laid it on the heart of our Founding Pastor to begin a full gospel work here in Tunnel Hill, he initiated efforts to communicate with them. He had purposed in his heart to make an offer on the property, but his calls were not returned. Then one morning on his way to work he prayed, “God if it is your will for us to begin this work in Tunnel Hill, have them to call me.” That very day they called. He prayed again, “Lord, if it is your will let them accept my offer.” Although they had to meet and get back to him, they accepted his offer. Still he prayed prayed, “Lord, let them accept my terms!” And again although he had to wait for his answer they accepted his terms of payment. To this day we rejoice that we are not here by accident! God established Christian Fellowship here in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, for the glory of His name.

Likewise, Monday was a pivotal day in the history of Christian Fellowship. I believe it was all together fitting that God would used our Founding Pastor again, at the Auction that morning. As you know, this past Sunday we passed motions to bid on the property and to place a certain limit on our bid. During that assembly I read a statement "If we could win the bid for less than $500,000.00 it would be a miracle." Several of us attended the auction to witness the proceedings. During the course of the bidding we experienced the death of a vision, when another bidder placed his bid for the exact amount of our authorized limit. We believed it was over. It was now impossible for us to win this auction for the authorized amount! Then our agent continued to bid on his own. Taking responsibility for whatever the outcome would be, he continued bidding until all his opponents ceased and won the auction for more than our limit. Then he wrote his personal check to the church for the exact amount he had bid over and above what was authorized. What was impossible became possible. That which died was alive again. The day was won. Miracles still happen! God has an awesome plan for us at CFA!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Here’s the question. Will we rise to the challenge of and seize this amazing opportunity that God is giving us? God asks us to cooperate with Him, and when we do, we allow Him to do miraculous things in our lives. This is our time! Together, we do great things for God.

But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11:32

This can be the greatest year in the history of Christian Fellowship, and God has chosen us to be a part of what He is doing here. Yes, there are challenges before us, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Philippians 4:13)

Renew Our Strength

My Blog, "The Lion's Den," has a new name, "Renew Our Strength." The old name haa some connotations that I do not want to be associated with my blog. My new title reminds me of the words of Isaiah, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles!" I want to share words of encouragement to to renew our strength in these challenging times. Blessings!

Merry Christmas Ricky Gene

After we opened the last present on Christmas Day, with Graham, Monnie and Jeffrey, we had some special notes to read we will treasure for a lifetime. In a note to her mother, Monnie wrote, “Mamas are the ones that keep families together.” I certainly have thought a lot about those words, and of course as I did remembered Mom. More and more I have been able to reach back and lay hold of precious things from our past and remember them savoring the sweetness of those memories. Some of those memories are so far back, that I am not sure whether I really remember the event itself, or if I heard it told so many times that I think I remember it.
The picture above may be from a little later on, but Mom had dressed her three boys alike again, and it definitely comes from somewhere near your toddler years.

This memory is also one of those that may fall in that category that has more to do with what has been repeated through the years than what I actually remember. We lived in an apartment above Aunt Janie, and again even though you are younger, you may remember this better than I.

Mom was making gravy in some kind of hot plate skillet on the kitchen counter. You may not have had a full set of teeth yet, but you wanted your tooth brush out of the cabinet and was trying your toddler best to retrieve it when it happened. Somehow you managed to jar that hot skillet of gravy off the counter and on to your face and neck. Mother ran and grabbed her baby, but as she tried to wipe the hot sticky gravy off, burnt skin came off with the gravy. What a scene. You were badly burned and screaming, and Mom did what any sane mother of three little boys would do under the circumstances, she grabbed you up in her arms and ran, or flew, down the stairs. I remember her sharing that she came to herself on her knees at the foot of the stairs, with you in her arms, saying, “My baby, My baby." Being the very sane older brother that I was, I responded,

Mommy, Mommy are we going to throw Ricky in the hole?

Oops, sorry, I seem to have confused my stories. That was Johnny. Now where was I? Yes, the ambulance came, and I guess Aunt Janie watched Johnny and I, because I don’t remember much of anything else except when they brought you home wrapped up like a mummy.

I recall how Mom took such diligent care of you, physically, by sleeping with you, with her arm across your arms and your little body, so you wouldn’t scratch at your burns. She also took such diligent spiritual care by asking everyone to pray for you. What an amazing miracle of God’s grace to answer the prayers of a young mother, and heal my baby brother. Her love for us and her diligent care have always been a reflection of God’s diligent care and love for us. We are so blessed.

This Christmas I want to thank you for all you are doing to keep the sweetness of our memories alive. I love you little brother, and thank God for the awesome revelation of his love through you.

Merry Christmas, from your big brother, Danny Ray

Merry Christmas Johnny Dean

After we opened the last present on Christmas Day, with Graham, Monnie and Jeffrey, we had some special notes to read we will treasure for a lifetime. In a note to her mother, Monnie wrote, “Mamas are the ones that keep families together.” I certainly have thought a lot about those words, and of course as I did remembered Mom. More and more I have been able to reach back and lay hold of precious things from our past and remember them savoring the sweetness of those memories. Some of those memories are so far back, that I am not sure whether I really remember the event itself, or if I heard it told so many times that I think I remember it. This comes from a time when we had Mom and Dad to ourselves. We were so young that in terms of memory, it probably falls in the latter category above. The picture above come from near that time in our lives.

We lived in house on the Hyatt farm, and we would walk to Granma Hyatt’s house across the pasture. Even though you are so much younger, you may remember this better than I.

There was only one bathroom at Grandma’s house, and my later remembrances recall that it was often occupied whenever I needed it. We would often take the path behind the house to the old “outhouse” that sat over a really big hole in the ground. Well, not only was “the hole” the site for Grandma’s outhouse, it was also a place where we threw away broken or useless things because it was so big.

Well, back to my story. Mom was peeling potatoes and doing her best to watch the two of us, when your interest in what she was doing brought you much to close to her work with the paring knife. Her knife poked you in the corner of your eye. There was blood coming from her baby’s eye, so she did what any other sane, young mother of two boys like the two of us would do. She grabbed you up in her arms, and ran (or maybe just walked really fast since I had to somehow keep up with my short little legs) toward help at Grandmother Hyatt’s. Along the way It is reported ‘til this day that I uttered the infamous words of that serious question,

Mommy, Mommy, are you going to throw “Bubby” in the hole?

We are grateful today that the knife missed your eye. Otherwise you might you might have a bionic eye to go with your bionic hip. I certainly am glad that Mommy didn’t throw you in the hole.

We shared so much growing up so close in age, from playing together as toddlers, to sharing a room together at College. I count it a blessing that God allowed us to grow up together, and be so close. You were often the peacemaker after Ricky Gene came along. In fact, in my young mind you were so good and so godly. I was convinced when we lived in Midvale, Ohio and the three of us shared the one bed upstairs, that if Jesus came at night, all I needed to do was to catch hold of your ankle and ride out the rapture of the church. Well, although I know now that my young idea wasn’t theologically sound, the thought speak volumes about what I thought of you.

Through the years, you have made so much effort to get our family together, a task that has become more complicated as our families have grown. Through those efforts you help to keep Mom’s spirit very much alive. This Christmas I want to say thank you, John. I love you so much.

Merry Christmas from your big brother, Danny Ray

What a Blessed Christmas!

Christmas morning began here very much like so many others through the years. Crystal and I were asleep in the living room, when the kids came down the stairs. With our oldest three married, that left Graham, 20, Monnie, 18, and Jeffrey 12 (until next month, when he becomes a teenager). We always let the kids get into their stockings, that are hung on the mantel, right away. My biggest job is to run the camcorder and take pictures. After checking the contents of the stockings, I open the Bible and read the Christmas story form Luke, chapter 2. Next we all kneel and pray together, giving thanks to God for the Savior and for the hope we have as we put our faith in Him.

If you read my last posting, "Christmas on a Shoestring," you will remember that I commented on how difficult these times are with wo many struggling this year, unable to buy Christmas presents because they are out of work. Many have lost their homes in foreclosure and are just trying to survive. In times like these, much of what we often associate with Christmas seems so materialistic.

Well, Christmas giving was certainly interesting at our house this year. Our oldest at home, Graham, bought a couple of big gifts for Monnie and Jeffrey. However, the other two were certainly not short on creativity. Jeffrey, gave his mother a gift with a homemade, folded note that read on the outside, To: Mother, Don't read until after present is opened.
Opening the package she found a box of Godiva chocolate inside. Then she read the inside of his note:

Mother, Sorry! I didn't know where to find Godiva, so I gave you mine. I gave you something of mine this Christmas that was special (that you would like) because of God's gift to us. P.S. Sorry 'bout the pieces missing.

Wasn't that grand?

Then after all the presents were opened our daughter, Monnie, had some notes she had written. There was one for each of her brothers, her mother, and me. She really touched our hearts with her words. She wrote these encouraging words to Jeffrey, our youngest:

You are no longer the little boy I helped take care of but a young
man who has become one of my closest confidants. Who would
have thought? Jeffrey, your kindness and thoughtfulness towards
others astounds me at times. I am so very proud of you.

Then to Graham she penned these words,

You've been my comrade so long, it's crazy seeing you step into the
older brother role....Thank you for being there for me Graham and
listening to all my woes. You are a great big brother to Jeff and I.

Then her letters to her mother and I brought tears to both our eyes. With words like these to her mother:

Thank you for showing us Christ's love through your own. I feel like that one song "Trying to write a classic but I can't, these words are my own, from my heart flow I love you."

Then these words addressed to me:

Father Dear, Have I ever told you how proud I am that you are my "Daddyo?" Thank you for being one who encourages us to be the best we can. ...I want you to know how very much I do love you.

What a blessed Christmas!

Celebrating Christmas on a Shoestring

The way the economy is these days there are lots of folks suffering. Unemployment is at an all time high. Rumor has it that Santa ‘s Work Shop may have to file bankruptcy! In times like these we need to remember what Christmas is really all about, and share some practical ways to have a wonderful Christmas on a shoestring budget (or maybe even less). Let me share some ways to make Christmas special that will cost you little to nothing, except maybe a little time and effort.

It certainly doesn’t cost much to say, “Thank you.” Why not take time on Christmas morning to say thanks to those you love. You’ll need to take a little time a day or two before. You might write a note, expressing your love and appreciation. Those are things that everyone needs and are too often lacking. Maybe you could write a poem, or a song. It can be loads of fun to make your loved one the theme of a parody on a Christmas Carol, or ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. I can imagine how it might begin:

‘Twas the night before Christmas and up in my room,

I was trying to figure what I could do.

Santa was broke and so was I,

And Christmas morning was drawing nigh.

If you’re the artsy type you might do a craft, a drawing, or a painting. Use materials you have laying around your house or in your garage. Add a little imagination, and invest a little time. Maybe you’re handy in the kitchen and have the ingredients to make a special treat. It may seem a little old-fashioned, but you’ll find it very rewarding.

You might search through your things, looking for some items that are meaningful to you that may have some deep sentiment attached. Use the opportunity on Christmas morning to pass them on to a son or daughter as an expression of your love and confidence in them. Give your daughter a favorite scarf, or item of jewelry that will mean something special to her, just because it was yours, or your mother’s, or your grandmother’s. Pass on a favorite pocket knife to your son, or something that belonged to your dad or grandfather. Share the awesome blessing of being together with your family, and discover the priceless things that will bring depth and true riches to your Christmas celebration.

Finally why not take time to worship with your family on Christmas morning. Share a prayer, and sing praise to God. Remember this is the real meaning of Christmas. Thank God for sending Jesus to save us and give us hope in this world so full of hopelessness. Experience His presence as you celebrate the birth of your Savior. May you have the merriest Christmas ever!