Seasoned Souls

Seasoned Souls



staring out windows,glass doors, and rusted screens
they wonder, they remember- they dream
they sit in their easy chairs
on cushions of fear
the summer is too warm
the winter is too cold
the hill is always too steep

once .. it was not so
but now...
the day begins- counting out pills
One, Two, three, four
Time is always there- needing to be killed
with TV game shows and "stares" out the door

walkers with wheels are no substitute
for strong legs and daring hearts
crutches and canes
can break and fall apart

the front step is too high
the rusted rail is too low
the porch is too shaky
if only they had known....

they sit in their easy chairs
on cushions of fear
staring out windows, glass doors, and rusted screens

the young walk past
singing songs of laughter
and selfish cold hearts
they can not see
that soon they will be...

sitting in their easy chairs...
on cushions of fear

AN OPEN LETTER TO CHRISTIAN PARENTS( TRUTH NUMBER THREE IS A TOUGH ONE)

My LOVELY bride and I have been married for 29 years... the Lord has tremendously blessed US in so many ways.. our two grown children are  at the top of the blessing list.. don't worry... this isn't going to be a " brag- a-blog" about how wonderful our kids are.. I do that all the time... ;) this is more of an admonition blog... a warning blog.... or as we in the "church world " say.... a word of " exhortation"( that's a nice way of saying... " listen to me... cuz I am about to tell you something you need to do...:) well... in this case... I want to tell you WHat NOT TO DO....

LIKE MANY PARENTS... we taught our children All the " basics"  of the Christian faith... you know... stuff like :

1.)God loves you and sent JESUS to keep the Law for you and to suffer for your sin

2.)His love is a free gift... He loves you with all His love.

3.) Whatever He calls you to do... He will equip you.. He will guide you... He will provide.. no matter what your life's calling turns out to be...whether you are a doctor lawyer janitor or missionary.. He will work it all out according to His plan

Maria and I taught our children these truths...our church family taught our children these truths....we were thankful that "truths 1 and 2" took root... and The Father lovingly gave them new hearts so that they could REST in His love...

But... when it came to "truth number three".???....well......

My greatest fear... ( although... I would have NEVER ADMITTED IT) WAS that they would BELIEVE " truth number three)... because... deep down in my heart... I didn't believe it... especially the "MISSIONARY " part...I mean.. after all... missionaries lots of times have to raise their own support... it's a tough job...we have all heard the stories...

" the THING THAT I FEARED THE MOST CAME UPON ME"- CLAY CALLAWAY( the day his daughter told him she was going into full time ministry )

" the thing I FEARED the most came upon me AGAIN) CLAY CALLAWAY( the day his SON TOLD HIM HE WANTS TO GO INTO FULL TIME MINISTRY)

 I had it all planned out... Hannah would graduate from college.. get a job teaching school...and ministry could COME LATER... I TOLD HER "my" plan. ... she saw between the lines...she saw the subtitles of the language of fear that I spoke... the words scrolling across the bottom of the screen said the following: " get a REAL JOB... WITH A SECURE PAYCHECK.. MAKE SOME MONEY AND DO MINISTRY LATER...OR PART TIME"

My lines betrayed my heart... a heart of unbelief...

I had to confess... repent... and believe truth number three...

When I STARTED BELIEVING IN OUR FATHERS LOVE AND PROVISION..we saw many miracles... Our daughter felt that she received " my blessing" for the Lord's calling upon her life... yep... she had to raise her own support.. the Lord provides each and every month.. miracle after miracle unfolds before our eyes... the students that she works with are being reminded of the greatest gift of all.. the love of our Heavenly Father... those who support Hannah in her ministry with their prayers and financial gifts feel blessed to be able to give and partner in the spreading of the gospel... They believe truth number THREE... THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS..

He really is our Loving Father.. He always provides... HE WANTS US TO TRUST HIM..

SO PARENTS... BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU TEACH YOUR CHILDREN... THEY WILL REALLY BELIEVE IT.. EVEN IF YOU DON'T...

" but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.. and all these things shall be added unto you"

Next post: a report on what our son John Calvin is doing... He believed truth number three as well......:)

DO children "BELONG" to their Parents? ( Where do the Goat kids Belong?)

" We haven't had a very collective notion of" these are our children".. so part of it is we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids BELONG to their parents, or kids belong to their families, and recognize that kid's BELONG to whole communities, once it's everybody's responsibility and not just the households, then we start maker better investments" - Melissa Harris Perry MSNBC host speaking of the need for increased spending on public education.

Belong- definition- (THE FREE DICTIONARY by FARLEX- )

                             1.) to be the property or possession of
                              2.) to be bound to( a person, place, or club) by ties of affection, dependence, allegiance, or membership
                              3.) to have a proper or usual place

      when the MHP video hit the internet... those of us who consider our selves RIGHT wingers started SPEWING.. and as we say down here in the southland.., we started spewing a right smart.. I mean after all... here this woman seems to be saying that children dont REALLY BELONG to their parents... or to their families... well... I started studyin a right smart  on this here notion...... I took some time off from cleaning the barn to do a little googlin.. yep.. we git WI-FI down at the barn. and wouldnt ya know it?? I found  a dictionary... yeah.. look up there( or thar) ^. no .. a little HIGHER....

            well... if we use definition NUMBER ONE... we have to say that KIDS DONT BELONG to PARENTS, FAMILIES, OR COMMUNITIES. children are NOT PROPERTY.. they are NOT OWNED by anyone except the CREATOR GOD.

           If we use DEFINITION NUMBER TWO-.. we have to say YES,,, "kids" belong WITH their Parents, IN THEIR FAMILIES, and TO WHOLE COMMUNITIES...

          The QUESTION is: " who has the PRIMARY RESPONSIBILTY to raise, nurture, educate, and care for any child??? Which "entity" has been given that charge by the Triune God??? OF COURSE.. It's the FAMILY... the Family was instituted BEFORE THE CHURCH... and before GOVERNMENT FUNDED educational systems....

           OK.. thats all.... I gotta get back to the Goat barn... one of KIDS broke through the fence. he thinks he belongs in the other barn with the SHEEP he is such a young little kid... easily influenced..... I hope he does'nt get confused by hanging out with them.. before ya know it... he will forget that he's really a goat... he'll start acting like a sheep...and would'nt that be a collective shame???


                                                                       

A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM.( Valentine Lessons)

My wife and I work in Children's Ministry. I lead the Children's Church Team and MOST Sunday's I am not in the congregation with the " old people"..I am with the little Presbyterians.. leading THEIR Worship Service.. singing the hymns and Praise songs and reminding them that God's Love is a FREE GIFT- and that HE loves them with all HIS Love.. what a blessing to have such a joy-filled calling..  yes.. SOMETIMES.. I am in the service with the "old people".. and ok.. a little CONFESSION HERE : while the congregation is singing the songs.. I am looking down upon them from my place in the Balcony.. "checking on" some of my FORMER Little Presbyterians.. the children who have grown up under my ministry.. and watching the ones who will be with me in the Children's Worship in the years to come.. 

Yesterday.. there I was watching from my lofty perch.. my old eyes wandering to and fro .. looking for those who USED to be LITTLE Presbyterians.... yep.. there on the platform I see young people playing their instruments and lifting up their voices in song.. ALL for HIS Glory.. , helping the congregation to Worship.. My heart is warmed and my eyes are watery..

Then I see those who will be joining me soon.. Little boys and girls still small enough to be held in mom and dad's arms as the congregation stands and sings Praises.. Little Voices... proclaiming His Goodness... Little Hands raised toward heaven... ready to receive the Blessing that Jesus PROMISED them: " Let the little children come unto me and forbid them not.. for of such is the Kingdom of God"... I saw a sermon being "played out" before my eyes....

a darling little brown haired angel was being held by her mommy.. raising her hands.. singing His Praises...
she stopped singing.... then she leaned close into mommy's ear.. and whispered something... Mom leaned down to the pew with the little one.. and the tiny precious hands grabbed something from the seat of the pew... and held it up high as she began singing and praising again...   It was a Valentine Heart that she had surely made in Sunday School that morning... she held it up toward Heaven each time a Praise song was sung..
 
I know what the little Girl whispered to mommy... yep.. I could'nt hear from my place in the Balcony.. but my Heart told me... the little one whispered..' Mommy.. I wanna give my Heart to Jesus"...

Watery Eyes... and a Warm Heart.. Happy Valentine's Day

Wrapped in Tears, Heartache and Pain( tied with a Ribbon of Selfishness)

The mom looked tired and stressed. The little girl was probably three years old.. smiling and  laughing and talking and singing. Innocence and joy danced in her voice as she belted out the words," Away in a Manger". .. my wife and I were in the booth behind them...enjoying our meal and our serenade .. It was almost Christmas and our little friend in the neighboring booth was our early gift..  a gift that was wrapped in tears, and heartache, and pain... the bow was a ribbon of selfishness.. but for a moment, our little friend boldly and bravely cast off that ugly wrapping.. and shined the Light of a Christmas Star..

I saw the wrapping of selfishness and sadness from the start.. it was the aura that hovered over their booth like a fog... it was all around them.. .the mom was doing her best to encourage her little singing star..her affirmations were uttered between sobs and tears as she talked with the man that was with them. The conversation told me that he was NOT the little girl's Father. He was NOT the Step-Father.. He was the Boyfriend...the one who tied the bow..while the mom held her finger on the ribbon.

" I just want you to know. Mama said she is cooking and we can get there anytime we want.. I told her that you like to sleep late on Christmas Day.." as the mom spoke these words the little girl continued to sing...." No crib for a Bed".......

" mama just said we can't spend the night there together.. you know how mama feels about that..."

" the little Lord Jesus lay Down His sweet Head".....

I glanced at the boyfriend who sat there eating his food in silence....as if he were a million miles away... but he was there.. he was busy.. sharpening a sword...

" the Stars in the sky...." before the little girl could finish the line.. a cruel fist pounded the table.... the connected booths vibrated as the boyfriend's anger was felt by all of us... he looked at the little girl and barked," let me tell you what YOU are going to DO. you are gonna sit there and shut up... ".. the words that spewed forth were vulgar and angry.. Evil was speaking.. berating innocence .. inflicting eternal wounds upon an already scarred and aching heart..

the little girl quietly cried... a "whimper" was faintly heard from time to time as they finished their meal in silence... My wife and I finished our meal in silence .. we left the restaurant before they did... on the way home we prayed for a miracle for this "family"... NO.... really we did'nt...  ACTUALLY we prayed that a MIRACLE would occur... and that they would BECOME a FAMILY..


Christmas is about family.. it's about children... it's about giving and love and all the good things... ALL the "GOOD" that is found in the Story of God's Love for Mankind...When that LOVE finds a home in the heart of any man, woman, or child .the wrappings of tears , heartaches and pain are cast off... the tight ribbon of selfishness is broken... the shroud of death and darkness is discarded... and the LIGHT SHINES...


Shine His Light this Christmas. Pray for the Children.EVERYWHERE..!.

THE DEMOCRATS, C.S. LEWIS, and EPISTEMOLOGICAL SELF- CONCIOUSNESS.

" If you dip into any college,or school, or parish, or family- ANYTHING you like- at a given point in it's History, you will always find that there was a time before that point when there was more elbow room and contrasts weren't so sharp; and that there's going to be a time after that point when there was even less room for indecision and choices are even MORE MOMENTOUS, good is always getting better and bad is always getting worse, the possibilities of even apparent neutrality are always diminishing."

                                                                                                            C.S. Lewis-
                                                                                                        That Hideous Strength

Down here in the country we heard that the Democrats decided to take the word " GOD" out of their platform... and I also heard there is a CLEARER, STRONGER support for abortion.... The quote from C.S. Lewis explains WHY this happened... there WAS a time in the Democrat Party when there WAS "more elbow room"; " contrasts were'nt so sharp"..... there was a time when PRO-LIFE , orthodox Jews and theologically conservative Christians could pull up a chair at the Democrat Party .... and let their voices be heard... that TIME HAS PASSED.... there is " Less room for indecision", "choices are even more momentous" ,"the possibilities of even apparent neutrality " have disappeared... The VOICES of the extreme left are dominating.. they have shouted down the blue dogs, the yellow dogs, or what ever you want to call them... It is a cry thats loud and shrill..." Choose YE this DAY who Ye will SERVE"....

The Christian Apologist Cornelius Van Til insisted that as time marches on... People will begin to be epistemologically self concious.. They will begin to act on what they KNOW( or what they THINK THEY KNOW)... they will begin to live consistently with their presuppositions.Now I am just an old goat barn cleaner.. so I have to break these jaw breaking words down a little.. I did a little thinking... consulted Mr Webster... and the best I can tell... all that means is this:   PEOPLE WILL START LIVING AND ACTING ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY SAY BELIEVE.


The Democrats believe that " God" has NO PLACE in political life or in Government.... they acted according to what they believe... they "voted Him out"

The Democrats believe that the baby in the Mother's Womb is NOT a person... They acted according to what they believe... they voted to proclaim their total support for abortion...


The time for sitting on the fence is over for the Democrats, the" Half hearted ", the "moderates", the "blue dogs", "yellow dogs" ;all those who believe in absolute standards of morality and ethics must now march in lock step with those of the extreme left.. those who adhere to a philosophy of situational ethics and relativism. This is the "PLATFORM" they stand on.... this platform is built of such weak and frail material-. the dregs and remains of societies and cultures long since passed.; Societies and Cultures that were built on the shifting sand of relativism and a rebellion against a culture of Life...

The Democrats are living and acting according to what they SAY they believe...

what about US??? what about those of us who claim to believe in absolute standards of morality?? those of us who SAY we believe in a culture of life...

will WE have the courage to really LIVE OUT what we SAY we believe???

May we be so blessed, so bold, and courageous...

                                       

I know that JESUS loves the Little Children- but He wants ME to LOVE THEM TOO???.

Hey Ya'll.. its time again for some crumbs from the poor goat barn cleaners table. but let not your heart be troubled.. I love sharing...

can you believe that Summer is almost over and school will be starting soon??? It's been a great summer for Church Activities.. you know.. Vacation Bible School.. Mission Trips.. Maybe you got some letters from folks asking you to "partner with them in sharing the Gospel and building relationships".. Maybe you supported with your financial gifts and prayer.. what a Blessing.. The Lord will Bless that GIVING...

I always enjoy the thank you letters from friends that I have "partnered with".. Lots of times they will include photographs of the children they blessed with God's Love.. Sometimes... I want to send a letter back to them.. and say.." I want YOU to join me in sharing the Gospel and building relationships... not just for a few days for the summer.. but for year-round.. -enclosed are pictures of the children we will be working with.. I have enclosed YOUR CHURCH  PHOTO DIRECTORY- You recognize the children??? Yep... Thats right.. they are the children who run past you in the Church Lobby while you are talking to your friends... they are the CHILDREN OF YOUR CHURCH...and they NEED YOU and YOU NEED THEM...


In our Church, we baptize our little children- Other churches have "baby dedications" No matter what YOU do... ALL Faith communities PROFESS to be just that: a COMMUNITY... there is Privilege and Responsibility that is goes along with it...

when we baptize a child- the Minister asks the congregation if THEY will promise to assist the Parents in raising the child in the" nurture and admonition of the Lord"... Hmmmm..???. Now I am just a feeble minded Goat Barn Cleaner... but I think I can think of some ways to HONOR that VOW...

NURSERY( rocking chairs are fun... and reading books with BIG LETTERS and Pictures is EASY)

Sunday School- I really love the CREATIVE excuses that people give for NOT wanting to teach Children's Sunday School: I am too old, I don't have the gift of teaching, I really need to be in the Adult Sunday School.. blah blah.. ok.. I have heard ALL the Excuses for people NOT WANTING TO HELP OUT IN CHILDREN'S MINISTRY and as the YOUNG PEOPLE say, I am gonna break it down for ya brother.. here's what they REALLY MEAN:

      1.) I really enjoy arguing about Supralapsarianism for the 6789th time...it gives me chill bumps when I slap down a sub-lapper...

      2.) I have been reading lots of stuff from the confessions, Calvin, Luther.. the adults NEED me to enlighten them.. I am way above teaching children...

     3.) I  don't like being around children

     4.) I do'nt want to be around children(.. Yep... I think I found an itch.. so I will keep scratching)


      The SAD thing is... EVERYONE says AMEN.... everyone raises their Hand... and says they will help nurture the children in the Faith... there is NO ASTERISK in the Book of Church Order...

     The Saddest thing is... and this is a little secret.. psssttt. I ain't supposed to tell ya this.. but I will... IT's EASY to get folks to TEACH ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL... after all... lots of folks been studying greek and hebrew and Calvin and Luther... they can't wait to lay it on ya....


    But the children of your church run past you in the Hallway. you don't notice them.. you are busy talking with your friends., you are arguing about supralapsarianism for the 8765th time, or....
planning your mission trip to some other state... or some other country... to share the Gospel and build relationships.. with OTHER children....