PRECIOUS MEMORIES


Saturday, December 21, 2013

Merry Christmas to Marion in Heaven Above


To my precious Marion - I miss you so much, not being able to give you a loving touch.

I have to fight really hard not to be sad, because I know this will be the best Christmas you've ever had.

Able to walk those golden streets – not in a power chair, but with your own feet.

Oh, what a joy it must be to have no more pain, wish I could hear you in detail explain.

Most of all, seeing your Jesus face to face, and feel His loving arms giving you a “welcome home” embrace, and seeing your family – what a glorious reunion that must be.

Oh, what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see – and He takes me by the hand,
And leads me to the promise land – He will lead me straight to you, and what wonderful memories to renew.

There will be no more parting there, just an eternity, all of Heavens glory to share.
For loved ones who are left behind, for each there will be a time, when we’ll all greet them with a “welcome home to be with us in our eternal home.

Can’t imagine or grasp the meaning of eternity,
But someday we will experience the reality.

Oh, what a day - glorious day - that will be!

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Buddy & Carol's 41st Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to Carol, faithful and loving companion of 41 years! How can I begin to express how wonderful you are? You are a beautiful, sweet and loving woman of God whom I am so proud to call my wife. You are also a wonderful mother to our two children and Grammy to our four grandchildren. There is no one who could fill that special place in my heart as you do from day to day. God has blessed our covenant and the longer we are together the more I love you. Happy 41st Anniversary to the woman who makes my life complete! Click Here to read 'Til Death Us Do Part

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Thank God for our Mothers: Mary Louise Erwin & Joan Smith

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. —Proverbs 31:28


On Mother’s Day 2013, Carol and I wish to thank God for the godly influence of our mother’s upon our lives. It has been said that no other forced in the life of a child is as strong as influence as is his mother. Down through the centuries, the mother has been a stabilizing factor in the shaping of history. “The future destiny of the child,” said Napoleon “is always the work of a mother.”

Theodore Roosevelt put it this way: “The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, businessman, artist or scientist.”
Those of you whose mothers have died will appreciate this poem entitled “A White Carnation” – To a mothers love I witness bear, by this fragrant flower I proudly wear. Tis snowy white to some who see, but it’s a brilliant red to me. Although her lips I cannot kiss, I feel her presence. Though I miss her loving touch, her tender care, she’s always with me everywhere.”
Here are excerpts from the May 13, 2007, Our Daily Bread devotional: Many people have been richly blessed by what they learned at their mother’s knee. Consider John and Charles Wesley. Their names would probably never have lighted the pages of history if it hadn’t been for their godly mother who taught them that the law of love and Christian witness was to be their daily guide.

Susannah Wesley spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. In addition, she took each child aside for a full hour every week to discuss spiritual matters with him or her. No wonder John and Charles were used of God to bring blessing around the world.

Here are a few rules she followed in training her children: Subdue self-will in a child and work together with God. Teach him to pray as soon as he can speak. Give him nothing he cries for and only what is good for him if he asks for it politely. To prevent lying, punish no fault that is freely confessed, but never allow a rebellious, sinful act to go unchecked. Commend and reward good behavior. Strictly observe all promises you have made to your child.

Let us honor our godly mothers today, not only with words of praise for them but with lives that reflect the impact of their holy influence! —Henry G. Bosch
Of all the earthly things God gives,There’s one above all others:It is the precious, priceless giftOf loving Christian mothers. —Anon.
The late great Erma Bombeck wrote the classic piece on mothers, and this ought to be required reading every Mother's Day.
"When the good Lord was creating mothers he was into his sixth day of overtime, when an angel appeared and said, 'You're doing a lot of fiddling' around on this one' and the Lord said, 'Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable but not plastic; have 180 movable parts, all replaceable; run on black coffee and left-overs; have a lap that disappears when she stands up; a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair; and six pairs of hands.'
"'Lord,' said the angel, 'come on to bed. You can work on it more tomorrow.' 'I can't,' said the Lord. 'I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have fixed her so that she can heal herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger, and can get a 9-year-old to stand under a shower.' The angel circled the model of the mother very slowly. 'It's too soft,' said the angel. 'But it's tough,' said the Lord excitedly. 'You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.' 'Can it think?' asked the angel. 'Not only think; it can reason and compromise, said the Creator. Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. 'There's a leak,' she pronounced. 'I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.' 'It's not a leak,' said the Lord. 'It's a tear.' 'What's it for?' asked the angel. 'It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.' 'You are a genius,' said the angel. The Lord looked somber and replied, 'but I didn't put it there.'"
Some mothers complain that our society looks down upon stay-at-home moms, as if they are not really employed. I love the story from Tony Campolo who says that when his wife was a full-time mom, she had a great answer ready when she was asked at a party, "And what do you do, dear?" She would reply: "I am socializing two homo sapiens into the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition so they might be transformers of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia God willed for us from before the foundation of the earth." Then she would smile and ask, "And what do you do?" The inquirer would usually look flustered and reply rather meekly, "Oh, I just teach sociology."

It has been said that no other forced in the life of a child is as strong as influence as is his mother. Down through the centuries, the mother has been a stabilizing factor in the shaping of history. “The future destiny of the child,” said Napoleon “is always the work of a mother.”

Theodore Roosevelt put it this way: “The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, businessman, artist or scientist.”
God bless my mother; ... all I am I owe to her. -Abraham Linclon