Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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"Well done thou good and faithful servant…" Matthew 25:21 Another treasure of our community went home to heaven last week. Allene McMurphy led a long, active life until only a few days before her death. Even as she lay dying, she was still thinking of others. I can truly say she was a faithful servant of God and served Him to the end. Allene taught me much about service to the Lord, but also how to reach out to others making them feel special. I was one of those people who felt special when I was around Allene. I met her when I came to T...
"For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past ..." Psalm 90:4 I love the crisp mornings and warm afternoons of the fall season of the year. It is time for football and falling leaves, pumpkin pies, and comfort foods. It is also a signal the year is winding down and will soon be only a memory. It is the season to prepare the garden and the home for the cold winter months ahead. This is where my problem begins. I am no longer able to accomplish all of these tasks by myself. Gone are the days when I would spend hours...
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God…" 2 Timothy 3:16 "Say it ain't so Joe," is a famous quote, but where did it originate? I heard it all of my life so that should make it true. This quote popped into my head once again the other day when I was reading something improbable and not what I think should happen. I surprised myself by saying the quote out loud.a Later I wondered how different quotes and sayings lay dormant in my brain until they pop out on their own. I decided to Google this quote and was sadly disappointed to learn it w...
"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise" Proverbs 6:6 It doesn't take much to entertain me. Oh sure, I love a huge fireworks display as much as the next person but I don't always need excitement that is over the top. No, most of the time it is watching the clouds or looking at my flower garden that floats my boat. The other day it was ants that caught my interest. I fed the cats a little extra and after they were through eating there were a few kernels of cat food left. I was enjoying the change of weather and especially...
"To everything there is a season..." Ecclesiastes 3:1 Where did summer go? It seems as though we were just celebrating Memorial Day and already it is time for the last hurrah of summer with the approaching Labor Day holiday. We experienced an especially hot and dry summer and now many are predicting an early fall. Everywhere I go I hear about the drought that holds most of the country hostage. Is there no end in sight? Will our land ever be green and lush again? I think so. Recently I watched a show about the 1930s and was especially touched...
"Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statues..." Technology is a wonderful thing which makes life easier for us (most of the time). Typing this column is much easier than writing it with pen and paper, and sending it by email is much easier, except the times one's computer fails to cooperate. When I started writing this column almost 20 years ago, I had to go to the office, type it out on the computer, print it out, and paste it on the template that would become the printed page. Now it is a matter of sending it out through email where new...
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:08 Imagine you are out for a casual ride without a care in the world and you come around a bend to discover a skunk right in the middle of the road! What do you do? Do you A: plow on ahead and run over that stinky varmint (after all he shouldn't be there)? What about Plan B: go off the road around him through the weeds? Finally there is Plan C: quickly turn around and go the opposite direction? Mark, Gracie and I...
"I will run the way of thy commandments". Psalm 119:32 In a matter of days U.S. athletes will compete in the London Olympic Games. Each one has practiced long and hard in their event hoping to win a gold medal. There are numerous events, like track and field and gymnastics are well-known to the average spectator. However there were some like badminton and canoeing that are lesser known Olympic events. With all of these athletes, I know there will be at least one that will stand out due to their performance. Perhaps they will win several gold...
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord..." Psalm 33:12 A hundred years ago every community gathered for a big Fourth of July celebration that included parades, contests, speeches, and lots of food. People came from miles around to celebrate the birth of our country with flags waving. They celebrated the country they not only loved, but that God blessed from its founding. In New York, a man by the name of George M. Cohen wrote many patriotic songs including "It's A Grand Old Flag", "Over There", and "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Also in New York...
"...I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm 139:14 The last few weeks I thought we were running a kitten nursery around our house. Three stray mother cats each had kittens. We didn't see them for a long time but eventually they started darting around the garage. The mother cats were weaning them and ready for them to go. I don't mind a couple of cats around to take care of the mice, but I didn't need that many kittens. It was fairly easy to catch the first six kittens and each of them went to a good home. One kitten wasn't so compliant...
"Be strong and of a good courage..." Joshua 1:6 This past weekend I watched a documentary covering the time period from the stock market crash through the 1930's. It was interesting as it incorporated actual news reels of the day. Updated, much of it was the same subject material of today. One of the reasons the stock market suffered was due to greed and people buying on margin. However it survived and is still in existence today. During the 1930's our part of the country was in the midst of a severe drought, even worse than what we are experie...
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love". 1 John 4:8 In an experiment to find a substitute for milk I bought soy milk. I couldn't stand the taste of it so it was given to the cats. The first cat started lapping on it and stopped suddenly with her tongue going in and out like she was trying to get rid of the taste. None of the other cats liked it either, but I laughed and laughed at their reaction. They knew the taste of real milk and weren't about to settle for anything less. Despite the claims of the product, my taste buds knew th...
"Trust in the LORD...He shall direct thy paths". Proverbs 3:5-6 Do you believe in divine intervention or that everything happens by chance? The last time I wrote I described the heroes and villains from the Titanic. What about those who missed being on board for one reason or another. I am sure they were thankful for missing the boat. The sudden illness of their wives prevented Henry Clay Frick and Reverend J. Stuart Holden from boarding the Titanic. Both men had plans and wanted to get to New York, but cancelled their trip. Milton Hershey,...
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me"... Psalm 23:4 One hundred years ago 2,223 people sailed on the "unsinkable" Titanic bound for New York. They put their faith in the largest man-made object in the world at the time as they set out from Southampton England on this ill-fated voyage. On board were people of all walks of life from the firemen shoveling coal in the bowels of the ship to the richest man, John J. Astor IV. In between were people of various classes and...