Category: General
Fellowship, Worship, and Cooperation

Fellowship, Worship, and Cooperation

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Last evening, our joint Good Friday service was filled with wonderful genuine worship and fellowship. As First Baptist and Northside Nazarene joined our worship teams, pastor Lynn Nichols led the Lord’s Supper, and I was privileged to preach the message. On Saturday morning, I’m still full of joy as I reflect on the service and prepare for Easter Sunday morning. So much so that I look forward with excitement the prospect of a joint service later this year with the goal of reaching out to the community. 

A Warm Welcome

As I arrived to preach, I was welcomed at the door of the Northside Church of the Nazarene by Pastor Rebecca Aleman and others. Pastor Rebecca was wonderfully warm and welcoming as she invited me into the foyer of their building. In fact, I’d say the Holy Spirit emanated from her countenance!

I am “complementarian” in my view on church leadership (though not as hardcore as some). The Northside Nazarene church is more “egalitarian.” Lynn and I had even touched on this over breakfast one morning. Does this issue preclude us from fellowshipping, worshipping, or evangelizing the community together? Absolutely not! It’s okay to hold differing views on some issues as we serve together in His kingdom. Believe it or not, not everyone at FBCW agrees on all points of doctrine – some of which are much more central to our faith.

I’m grateful that Pastor Lynn, Pastor Rebecca, Pastor Guy, the worship leader Colin, and others were so overwhelmingly gracious and generous to us cantankerous baptists as we worshipped our one true King together. (Pastor Lynn says we are not cantankerous, but “sweet and wonderful”). I only wish other baptists might be so gracious to one another. 

The Truth and Love that Matters Most

We can all agree that without the forgiveness extended on the cross to all of us, we’d be dead and doomed in our sin. Without the hope that we celebrate tomorrow morning on Easter, we’d have no future. Thank you Lord for the hope and blessings we share! And thank you that You love us all, even when we act foolishly, failing to love one another as You love us.

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

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This is a first hand account from Mildred Callahan, my maternal grandmother. Grandpa (George) Callahan had joined the US Navy in 1927 generally serving on several battleships. On this day, he was on a ship in the middle of the Pacific headed to the Philippine Islands.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
    Sunday, December 7, 1941 – As I woke up at eight in the morning, I had an uneasy feeling that something was wrong. I could hear my two daughters, Virginia and Doris, laughing and talking in their bedroom. I also heard planes flying low over our house. That was strange!! Although we lived just across Kamehameha Highway from the air force base, Hickam Field – they did not have a flight pattern over the navy housing.

Japanese Pilots

Curious, I jumped out of bed and went into the next bedroom which overlooked the harbor. On Thanksgiving Day, the girls and I had moved into the newly constructed Navy Housing. The houses were built as three bedroom, two story, duplexes with the bedrooms on the upper floors. We were fortunate to be only a quarter of a mile from the Navy Yard gate and, from the upper floor, we had a beautiful view of the harbor.

    As I reached the window, I heard another plane just over my house and I looked up – right into the eyes of a Japanese pilot!!! I immediately saw the red rising sun insignia below the cockpit on the side of the plane. I quickly followed his flight to the harbor just in time to see a plane in flames falling into the water. Horrified, I realized the Japs were bombing us.

Sailor Headed to Battle

  I yelled at the girls to get dressed and I threw on some cloths. The other half of our duplex was occupied by a sailor waiting for his wife to arrive from the states. I rang his doorbell and told him what was happening. He stepped out front where he could see the approaching planes and the harbor. Then he silently went indoors. A few minutes later, he came out fully in uniform and SLOWLY tying on his uniform tie, he took another look at the situation and continued activity. The last I saw of him, he was SLOWLY walking down to the navy yard.

    By this time the girls had joined me in the yard about 15 feet from our backdoor. It never occurred to me that they might shoot us! I had a brand new trash can by the back door. The next day I lifted the lid to throw in the trash and a small hole in the side of the can was allowing the sunlight to shine in. AND, on the bottom of the empty can was a bullet with a painted red tip!! In the yard where we had been standing the girls were picking up empty cartridge shells. One was much larger than the others.

The Immediate Aftermath

    After the Japs left, the Navy sent busses to take the wives and children into large buildings in Honolulu. The girls and I, along with several others decided to remain in our homes. Those that remained doubled up with others for a sleepless night. The next afternoon the evacuees were returned to housing with stories of their sleepless night. Kids were crying, women screaming all night and there was general pandemonium.

  The Marines were ordered to patrol our housing and protect us. We were given black plastic to tape over our windows for a “black-out.” Extreme caution was to be used for a lighted match or cigarette could be seen for a distance of five miles. Printed forms were distributed to each family to fill out stating whether we wished to be evacuated to the states immediately or be deferred. Many of the women and children were so mentally disturbed – the girls and I signed to be deferred so they could be taken first.

The Marines took their assignment seriously. The girls told ours that we had a lot of empty shells. He immediately confiscated them, also insisting that he had to take my .22 target revolver and George’s shotgun. We had a medium size, long brown hair, dog that I offered to the Marines for a mascot when we had to leave.

Time to Pack

  The middle of March I went to town shopping. When I returned at four o’clock, there was a notice on the door that we were to leave for the states at eight o’clock the next morning on the British Liner (Her Majesty’s Ship) HMS Aquitania. At that time, the third largest ship in the world. It was beautifully furnished with a special room for the king and queen containing gold thrones.  Our country leased it with the understanding that only 500 evacuees would be taken on each trip. We were lucky to be included.

    So much to be done and little time to do it. First, I took the dog over to the Marines. As I was leaving I backed up and heard a terrific crack. Looking in the rear view mirror, I saw a telephone pole swinging back and forth. As I said, “There was very little time to do a lot of things” so I decided to go home, FAST.

I knew the name of the officer in charge of shipping cars to the states so I called the navy yard and asked for him. He wasn’t available so they told me to bring the car down to the office and check it in. (Another case of it being “Not what you know, but WHO you know.”) They didn’t know that I only knew his name. Luckily, the car was loaded aboard the Lusitania – the ship that traveled beside ours to protect us.

Preparing to Leave Pearl

    With the dog and car taken care of, I sat down to plan what I would put in the ONE trunk we were allowed to take. Clothing was at the bottom of the list as I decided my portable sewing machine, movie files and camera – jewelry – and other costly items would have priority.

Oh, yes, the guns. I walked down to the navy yard office and showed them the receipt I had insisted the Marine give me. They informed me that he had been shot and killed one night when he didn’t give the password at the gate. After numerous inquires, they found my revolver in an officer’s desk and also located George’s shotgun. I had both serial numbers on the receipt. I did something right for a change.

    Next, I called the Navy Club and they picked up my round dining room table and several other items they could use in their recreation room.

Grandpa had a passion for photography. Several of his photos are published with the credit to “US Naval photographer.”

    Don’t remember eating but I’m sure we did. I mentioned that we moved into the housing on Thanksgiving Day. We ate tuna fish sandwiches with a promise to the girls that daddy would be home for Christmas and I would cook a real holiday dinner then.

George is ALIVE!

    When Pearl Harbor was bombed, George’s ship was in the middle of the Japanese Mandate Islands. Our Navy kept broadcasting requests for them to identify their position and location. Their captain told the crew NO WAY and ordered complete silence and darken ship. As a result, after several weeks of silence the ship was reported as missing and presumed sunk. You can imagine the rejoicing when the day after this report was made, the ship arrived safely at Pearl Harbor.

Not All Came Home

  What happened to our neighbor in the duplex? Who knows? We never saw him again after he headed slowly to the harbor.

[The text is exactly as written by my grandmother. I simply included the subheading for ease of readability in a blog.]
Answered Prayer in a Deer Hunt

Answered Prayer in a Deer Hunt

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I am elated to have had the opportunity to harvest this beautiful “Wide 10” whitetail with my bow. In fact, this particular deer was an answer to prayer. After shooting a large whitetail last season on the first Monday of rifle season, I mentioned to several people that I’d like to hunt a wide rack this coming year.

Watching the Bucks

There were several that showed on camera in velvet. My favorite was a deer we call “Big O” that has been aged at 4 years old and is a No Shoot buck. Being new to scoring, this Wide 10 was one of the first I had scored. While still in velvet I wrote down that he scored about 137 thinking I was a little conservative. Because of other responsibilities, I couldn’t hunt the first couple weeks of bow season. Arriving on Thursday evening the October 10th, I committed that I would not shoot at any deer without the rest or our group here with the dogs to track. I planned to hunt hogs on Thursday. If an opportunity came to shoot a doe or cull buck after our group arrived for the weekend, I was open to give that a try. 

“Wide 10” on Thursday Evening

I watched five 10 point bucks for over an hour. This Wide 10 came in early on the hand corn for over an hour. He then went to the back of the feeder circle and LAID DOWN for about 10 minutes. He then got back up and ate for a while before heading out. Needless to say, I got a great look at him. Still trying to learn, I field scored him at 142-146 and sent my brother a text about him.

I waffled between aging him between 4 ½ and 5 ½. Trophy deer must be 5 years old before we will harvest them. When Bart arrived, I found that our “experts” had settled on him being 5 years old and a shooter. Bart had initially scored him at 137 and decided to pass on him. Bart is part of our group who has hunted with my brother Robert for 20 years. 

Praying for Success

At that point, I decided that I would hunt this Wide 10. Being pretty inexperienced at bow hunting, I committed to myself that I would only take a shot at a trophy buck if the “perfect” opportunity presented itself. Because this deer had spent so much time on the hand corn, I thought he may be my chance. I hunted him at the same bow blind Friday morning and evening without him showing up. Friday night we knew the wind conditions were changing and it may make my hunt a little more difficult, but Robert felt he could hunt Lowbeam the next morning. Lowbeam was a nickname given to a deer that had appeared periodically on camera that looked like he may be the ranch record.

I am a pastor who believes that God who wants a personal relationship with His “kids.” I’ve never prayed for a deer harvest. But Friday evening, I prayed that the Lord would give Robert his chance at Lowbeam and that I could get my trophy as well. I woke up thinking about it during the night and each time I lifted the same prayer. When I woke at 5:30am, I prayed the same prayer. As I put my boots on, I told myself, “This is it. It’s the day we both get our trophies.”

The Hunt

It didn’t take long. It was a completely still morning. Just after the feeder went off at 7:15 I had 2 bucks come in. About 10 minutes later, 2 more bucks appeared to the right of the feeder circle. One looked pretty big and I thought it may be the Wide 10. I set up my camera to record the shot on video. In a few minutes, the Wide 10 came straight over to the hand corn at 18-20 yards. I had to wait several minutes for another 10 to clear from behind him and have him began to turn before I drew. 

When I drew, I brushed the back of the blind with my elbow and he alerted staring at me for a while. I held the draw until he dropped his head to eat and the buck next to him quit looking my way. I waited for him to get broadside and to step forward with his near side leg then I let go. Even though he jumped the string “bad,” at under 20 yards he didn’t have a chance. I got a near perfect shot that passed completely through his lower lungs.

The Wait and Recovery

I alerted our group by text and waited. We weren’t getting any feedback from Robert so we knew something may be up over at Crest. 20 minutes after I shot, we got a text from him stating that LowBeam was down. That’s when I paused to thank the Lord for answered prayer. We certainly don’t always get what we ask for. I’ll admit that the Lord often answers my prayer in His time and not in my time. This day He chose to bless this pastor with a clear, immediate answer. 

We assembled at camp and ate a bite, trying to temper our excitement until we finished the tracks and recovered the deer. It didn’t take long. Both tracks had great blood and each deer travelled less than 75 yards from the shot. Bart, Rick, and Earl all joined in on the tracks, helped load the deer, and get our photos.

Robert with Lowbeam and Dennis with Wide 10

I can’t imagine a better day hunting. The photo of the two of us together with our trophies, both with the biggest trophies of our lives, communicates a lot of the story. My first reason for joining the lease was to spend more time with my brothers doing something we all love. This tops it off!

One Final Request

When we were going out with the dogs to track the deer, I told the other men about my prayer. They all knew that I’d prayed and spoken openly about my desire for Robert to harvest Lowbeam. Bart jokingly said, “Why don’t you send up one of those prayers for me.”  As I left Saturday evening, I asked which deer he was hunting and told him I’d pray. Before going to bed, I prayed the Lord would let Bart know that he was a personal God by answering this prayer. Sunday morning as I awoke, I prayed, “Lord, I know they are in the bow blind right now. Show Bart you are a personal God by sending him this deer this morning.” When I got out of the shower, I had a text from my brother starting the “Kickerless” was down.  

The Celebration

Susan had Monday off work so we had planned to spend the day on the lease riding 4 wheelers and doing a little work. This gave us the opportunity to celebrate with Bart as well. Sometimes the Lord who loves us gives us much more than we need or deserve. For that, I am grateful. I will remember this special weekend for a very long time and I will give thanks to the Lord upon every remembrance. 
Katie, Rosie, and God’s Love

Katie, Rosie, and God’s Love

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Katie had been back on dialysis for months and her prognosis was not great when I got the call from my mom. She wanted to purchase Katie a puppy to be a companion during the difficult days ahead. I wasn’t sure that was a good idea and told her I’d talk to Susan about it. The next week mom showed up at our house with Rosie.

A Special Companion

61700795_10219276001594528_7682383512451678208_oKatie quickly fell in love with Rosie and they became best friends. During long hours on home dialysis, Rosie was always a faithful companion. She tolerated Mickey Mouse ears and doll dresses. She was a mixture of high energy when chasing a ball and calm comfort to her master. Rosie would sit with Katie, play with Katie, and sleep with Katie. She’s the first dog I ever let live in the house.

When Katie passed away, it took a while before Rosie stopped going into Katie’s room looking for her. Of course, Rosie was a part of our family and was loved by Katie’s sisters. She has also been a part of Katie that remained with us for another decade and a half. She survived a copperhead attack that left a scar on her nose, a bite from a huge rattlesnake, and a near drowning.

Rosie’s Last Days

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In recent months, we’ve known that Rosie was nearing the end of her life. She had mostly good days. However, she was having more difficulty getting up and down. As she aged, she lost her hearing and was developing cataracts.

Just last week I talked to the vet about bringing Rosie in for a wellness check and possibility of putting her to rest. Susan and I are preparing to take a summer vacation and we didn’t want Kari and Libbie to have to deal with things if Rosie passed while we were gone. When I got home that evening, Rosie was running around the back yard like a young pup. We decided that it wasn’t time to make that trip to the vet.

https://dennishester.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/IMG_1547.mov

Our Heartfelt Prayer

62238268_10219276001874535_3790148707022798848_oSusan and I simply prayed the Lord would take care of us as He has so many other times in our lives. We prayed that when it was time, she would pass easily. We prayed that we wouldn’t have to make the decision to put her down. We also prayed that the girls wouldn’t be left to deal with Rosie’s passing when we were gone.

The Lord answered all of our prayers the beginning of the next week. On Monday, I left Rosie outside with Koda and Bo on a beautiful sunny day. She always seemed to do best on the warm sunny days outdoors. At lunch she was busy barking at the neighbor’s dogs! When I came home from the office in the evening, she had passed away and it was clear she had only been gone for a short time. Susan and I loaded her little body in the truck and headed to May to put her to rest.

Another Chapter Closes

61996593_10219273370568754_5467972694748168192_nWhen Katie passed almost 15 years ago, we had Katie’s two favorite images etched on her stone – a panda bear and Rosie. We arrived right at sunset. The Lord had softened the ground by weeks of spring rains. It only took a few minutes and Rosie was laid to rest under her image near Katie’s body. As the sun set on June 3rd, another chapter in our lives was closed.

God’s Grace is Abundant

61940602_10219273370488752_9045583549264035840_nThroughout this chapter, we found more gentle reminders that the Lord is with us. The book is not finished on Katie’s impact on this world. The Lord is still using her life and memory to teach us and touch others. I am grateful for the Lord’s gentle reminders in large and small ways that He is with us and He loves us. His grace is enough. His timing is perfect. When the sun sets on my life, I’m confident He will be there still guiding and providing.

My Thoughts On Halloween

My Thoughts On Halloween

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So today is Reformation Day. It is also the popular secular holiday called Halloween. What are Christians to do on this day? My mind is filled with thoughts – dissertation length thoughts, deep thoughts, and shallow thoughts – but I don’t have the time or energy to write them all down here. I won’t answer all your questions here, but I hope to provide some balance. If you don’t have time to read it all, READ the FINAL TWO PARAGRAPHS!

What I Won’t Do

I won’t turn off my lights and hide upstairs because this is “Satan’s day” and I am afraid of him. He doesn’t have a day unless we give it to him! The Psalmist cries out in Pslams 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” I believe the Lord created each day and blessed me with the breath to enjoy it.

Further, Jesus tells us that forces of hell take a defensive posture when His church marches forward and the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church (Matt. 16:18). Next, I will choose not to walk in fear of Satan’s schemes. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” In summary, the only way that Satan wins a day is if we allow it. I will not “give” Satan this day. I will choose to seek my Lord’s direction in how to press forward His kingdom agenda.

Heed the Warnings

Satan does want to drag you into His world – of course not just today, but every day. It would be absolute idiocy for a believer to attend a séance tonight. We ought to avoid the sacrificing of cats, drinking of blood, and all other means of directly worshiping the enemy. Ouija boards are out and so are pentagrams. I say this only partly jesting. I have seen Christians who unknowingly walked into Satan’s traps and became entangled in His web. The devil is real and real people really do worship him year round, but especially on this night. Stay out of that garbage.

I don’t believe that precludes a believer from every aspect Halloween. Susan and I plan to hand out candy and a special tract sharing the Gospel of Jesus to every neighbor kid who comes by our house. I hope to meet a few parents and open a few doors to share His kingdom. Maybe I end up shaking hands and fellowshipping with tax-gathers and sinners. Some Christians will take a different approach tonight. I’m not too worried about it, I just want to do my best to follow my Lord’s example and spread his message of Good News. Besides, what other day of the year will I have over 100 kiddos come to my door where I can put the message of Jesus in their hands along with a couple pieces of chocolate?

Don’t let this Day be a Stumbling Block

Some Christians have been given clear convictions that they are to stay clear of this day. OBEY the direction from your Lord Jesus. He knows you best. You may have one of those personalities that would take things too far if you got started. You may have people in your sphere of influence that need to see you completely abstaining from any hint a connection with this holiday. If so, abstain. If you have had any connection with the occult or witchcraft in the past, you may be one who needs to stay home and watch the World Series tonight! I would not encourage a recovering alcoholic to go evangelize in a bar. Likewise you probably need to stay completely away from the “bad” part of this night.

What We Can’t Do

First and foremost, we (the church) cannot let our differing opinions define us and distract from His kingdom work. On social media this week I have seen earnest evangelical Christians regularly post opposing viewpoints. This is okay! Thankfully I have seen very few inappropriate arguments. It’s okay to disagree, but we must be cautious. Jesus made it clear that the world would know that we are His disciples by our love for each other – not by our doctrine.

People are Our Priority!

We must maintain balance in our relentless pursuit of the “truth” and our willingness to offer “grace.” This is tough! Some of us are prophets and teachers by nature (or giftedness) and it is our gift to hammer home “thus saith the Lord.” Others of us are more gifted with the tender hearts of mercy and service. It is our nature to love and come along side of our hurting brothers. Only Jesus was the perfect picture of both “grace and truth” (John 1:14).

I lean more toward the “thus saith the Lord” crowd, but I and the kingdom need the mercy folks. Sometimes I think that they are wishy-washy, but that comes out of their God given desire to show compassion. Sometimes, they think I am too rigid and hard-hearted. I hope they see that comes from my God given nature to preach and speak truth. The bottom line is that because none of us can display all of the characteristics of Christ by ourselves, we need each other. Jesus was the only one who perfectly expressed grace and truth, mercy and justice, leadership and encouragement. If the lost world is to see Christ on earth it will only be when we serve together, putting all of His characteristics on display to form a unified “body of Christ.”

Let’s get Busy with Show and Tell

Let’s show the world what love looks like. And let’s tell them how much God loves them! I won’t be celebrating Halloween, but I will celebrate Jesus on this day. I hope to “redeem the day” by engaging the lost (and saved) who come to my door with a smile, a handshake, and a word from God.

Happy Reformation Day! No tricks, just treats!

Glorify God in Unity

Glorify God in Unity

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When we work together in unity, we are all better for it and the Lord is glorified. In the past couple days, I’ve had the privilege to witness beautiful examples of God’s kingdom work. God’s love shines especially bright in contrast to the darkness of racial division that presently covers our nation.

Unity in Service – Back 2 School Rally 2017

  • >650 Backpacks distributed Saturday
  • Hundreds more going out the door this week
  • 1000 slices of pizza
  • 560 hot dogs
  • 180 free haircuts
  • Eye Exams, Hearing test, balloon animals
  • Hundreds of free Bibles distributed
  • Dozens of Gospel conversations and families lifted in prayer

This list could go on and on! Saturday evening the Baptists, Methodists, Holiness, and other churches in Watauga came together to serve the children of Watauga and the surrounding community. Over 250 volunteers from many different churches and organizations gathered to serve for a common purpose. People of all races gathered as we served the Lord and serve each other.

Honestly, I didn’t even think about the various races represented until this morning. Sure, there were many from El Buen Samaritano who were specifically helping communicate with the hundreds of Spanish speaking families who gathered. But, nobody’s skin color or country of origin made any difference! That’s the way it is when we put our focus on the Lord and serve His Kingdom together.

The common theme from Saturday evening were SMILES. I saw joy on the faces of the parking lot volunteers, the registration team, evangelism team, and puppet show team. The firemen, policemen, and police explorers all served diligently without complaint. Of course, there were the hundreds of smiles on the faces of the kids with new backpacks, popcorn, and pizza!

As I reflected on the Rally this morning in my personal prayer time, I was struck by the stark contrast between what I saw at the event and what I had seen on the news. Those focused on divided agendas in Virginia brought shame on themselves and on their causes. Those serving the Lord and the community in Watauga will likely never make the national news, but they brought honor to the Lord and to the groups they represent.

How Great Thou Art – Worship in Two Languages

As encouraged as I was after reflecting on Saturday evening, things got even better at noon on Sunday. My friend and fellow pastor had contacted me early in the week about using our baptistery to begin their worship time on Sunday. Often, we have our congregation finish up and move out so the congregation of El Buen Samaritano can use the auditorium for baptism. I felt the Lord prompt me to ask Br. Elias to allow us to finish our service with him baptizing so that we could celebrate together this week. I had no idea the events that would darken our national news this weekend.

Immediately after concluding our invitation, El Buen’s congregation began to enter the sanctuary. To my joy, the congregants of FBC Watauga began to clap and welcome our brothers and sisters as they joined us finding their seats. As Br. Elias baptized two new believers, the entire congregation celebrated with shouts of “amen” and “praise the Lord” with cheers and clapping.

To my surprise, Br. Mario who I had meet as he was sharing the Gospel at the Rally the evening before, stood with his guitar to lead us in worship. He chose “How Great Thou Art” so everyone could sing in their own language. What followed was a stirring time of heavenly worship with English and Spanish blended together as we sang in unison to the One True God! One of our congregants tweeted this sentiment after the service.

Assisted by a translator, I closed out with a short “Thank You” to El Buen for their wonderful service in the Back 2 School Rally. I gave a short reference to how beautiful it is when we come together under the banner of Christ to serve Him and our community. What a stark contrast to what we had seen and heard on the news! As we closed the service together in prayer, the Spirit of God was evident in the exuberant joy that filled the “amens” along with the smiles, hugs, and handshakes that followed.

Praise the Lord that in Him we find common ground!

  • Unite in Service
  • Unite in Love
  • Unite in God’s Word
  • Unite in His Redemption
  • Unite in Worship

Let the name of Jesus be praised and lifted up in our words and in our actions!

Thanks Dad for the Hard Lessons

Thanks Dad for the Hard Lessons

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I Didn’t Always Like It

Dad, I didn’t really enjoy cleaning all those car parts when I was a kid. The smell of kerosene on my hands and the grease under my fingernails weren’t the most pleasant. It seems I was only 6 or 7 years old when you’d hand me those wheel bearings and a butter tub half filled with gasoline and have me get them shiny clean.

Hard Work

You didn’t buy me a car when I turned 16, but you helped me get one on the road. You stood by as I overhauled the engine just like you’d showed me when you made me help with yours. You taught me to sand off all the rust spots on the body, covering the big holes with fiberglass, and “bondo” and sand and “bondo” and sand until each spot was smooth.  You called in a favor from a friend to help rebuild the transmission. We then chose the paint and painted it together. Then mom let me pick out the material and she re-upholstered the seats.

Some of my friends were driving much nicer vehicles purchased by their parents. I received much greater gifts. I learned the value of hard work. I learned the love of a mom and dad who helped me grow by teaching me skills. I gained confidence that I could take care of problems when they arose.

Lessons Learned

Painting “Old Blue” – My first car was a ’71 Ford Maverick bought from my bother for $50.

I wasn’t driving a flashy new car. I was driving ’71 Ford Maverick. It was over a decade old and put back together with hard work and sweat accompanied by lessons learned from two loving parents. Parents who loved me enough to provide what I needed and not give me everything I wanted.

Of course, like many teenagers, I didn’t appreciate those lessons immediately. It was during the following years that the full value of those early lessons was realized. I vividly remember my first year in college. It was a very cold winter morning and the choke hung on that Maverick like it was prone to do in cold weather. I was in a hurry to get to class on the Daniel Baker campus, so I grabbed a pen cap, opened the breather cover, and stuck that cap in the butterfly to hold it open.

Life’s Curveballs

Sure enough, the engine started right up, but because I had used the cap and not a whole pen, I immediately knew I had a problem. The cap got sucked right down into the intake manifold and stuck in one of the valves. I made it around campus, but I knew I couldn’t make it back home to see my girlfriend the next day.

There weren’t many of my college friends who would have the confidence or the experience to take care of that problem on their own. That afternoon (after giving you a call) I purchased a gasket kit from the local auto parts store. I borrowed a torque wrench from a friend (the only tool I didn’t already have in my tool box). Right there in the parking lot of Jennings dorm on the Howard Payne University campus, I took the engine apart, removed the troublesome pen cap, and got the engine up and running. The next day I drove back home and never missed my date with that beautiful young lady.

Dad, I Miss You

I miss you, Dad. Life has thrown me many more difficult and painful curveballs than the pen cap in the intake valve. It has been 2 years since you took your last breath on this earth. I don’t work on my own cars as much as I used to. However, I still have the confidence and knowledge to do many things with my own hands that many of my peers don’t. I hope you were proud when I stood next to your casket and honored you as best I could.

Thanks for the Lessons, Thanks for Your Time

I didn’t always like the hard work or the dirty jobs, but I’m grateful you made me join you in the garage and under the shade tree. I am thankful for the lessons you taught. It wasn’t just about cars. I can clean my own fish, butcher my own deer, tile a floor, repair a waterline, build a fence, and take care of many other things. I am grateful for all the things you taught me.

I’m most grateful for the time you spent with me. Time that flies by much too quickly.

Thank you, dad.

I miss you.

Why “Mountains and Ministry”?

Why “Mountains and Ministry”?

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As I set out to begin this blog, one of the most difficult decisions was what to title it. So, I decided I would make that the subject of my first post.

Mother’s Day Memories

Today is Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend. Tomorrow will be the first Mother’s Day I have attended a worship service with my mom since I began serving in the pastoral ministry almost 30 years ago. This is a special weekend. Two years ago on Mother’s Day, my brothers and sister were visiting mom when dad apparently had a mild stroke. He spent the next few days in the hospital before passing away on May 16th. One of my more difficult and fulfilling “assignments” from the Lord was officiating his memorial service.

But what does this have to do with a blog title? I was blessed with wonderful parents — not perfect parents. I don’t believe those exist. But I had a mom and dad who loved me, sacrificed for me, and taught me the value of hard work and sacrifice for others. They both served their community as volunteers in the local fire department and medical services.

A Man and the Mountains

My favorite memories with dad are in the outdoors. There are photos of me at his hunting camp in Colorado when I was only three years old. Of course, I don’t remember much of that trip, but it must have planted something in me. We spent many days fishing together with my younger brother, mostly on Lake Travis. He taught us to hunt with integrity, giving us a healthy respect for all that God has created. I also gained a love for camping in the mountains and the national parks as we camped all over many of the western states. As I sit in the backyard of my childhood today, I remember many days working with him in the garage and watching him haul in fish with the rod and reel that sits next to my chair.

One of the largest deer taken in Colorado in the Fall 1970.

A Mom Pointing to Jesus

Mom introduced me to Jesus. She took me to church when I was very small. It seems we were out of church for a few years. When I reached junior high age, mom began to take me to New Hope Baptist Church not far from our home. As I look back at that time, I’m guessing that mom was getting worried. My older siblings suggested that I was getting a little wild (of course, I’m sure that is an exaggeration). We hadn’t been attending very long when the Gospel pierced my heart. I remember talking to Mom about it on the way home. The next day I surrendered my life to Jesus as my Savior and Lord. It was only a few years after that when the Lord called me to a lifetime of pastoral ministry. I will be grateful for her influence for all of eternity!

Mountains, Ministry and God’s Glory

Mountains and Ministry – Dad filled me with a love for the outdoors – a love for all the incredible things that God has created. Mom pointed me to Jesus. Today, I am filled with many memories of dad. Dang it I miss him! Tomorrow, I will worship with Mom at the church where I surrendered my life to Christ. Today, I start this blog.

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” – Ps. 19:1, 14