January 11-14, 2013

Warmer Weather

 

A little longer weekend but easier to depart for simply because we were headed to a much warmer climate.  Easier, because warm weather meant packing was lighter and warm weather was a welcome break from the mid-January blues.  We could have waited until early Saturday morning to leave but leaving on Friday and only driving 8 of the 12 hours to Auburndale, Florida made a lot more sense, especially when given the fact that our van has 310,000 miles on it.  We sang at Central Assembly of God’s coffee house that meets one Saturday night each month.  They served chili dogs and desserts as well as iced tea and coffee.  A good-sized group gathered and we had a lot of fun.  Justis debuted his thrift store guitar and what a show he put on.  The little man, all of 21 months, has his daddy’s moves down pat.  After getting his guitar strapped on with assistance from big brother, Landis, he waited for his daddy to hand him a pick.  I can’t say there was much ministry done that night but there sure was some great family entertainment!  There was a lot of laughter in the room as Justis watched and mimicked not only his dad, but his siblings as well.  The best part though, was when Justis took a few steps around mic stands but tripped mid-song, got a little help from Faith in getting back to his feet and jumped right back into his guitar playing and lip syncing.  I wish I could say I have video but I was kept busy at a corner table feeding Grace.

We drove nearly 2 hours to Ocala to sleep and then sang Sunday morning in Citra, an impoverished community with 80% unemployment.  Pastor Joe and his family live in the parsonage which was formerly the church fellowship hall.  In spite of the fact that the area was poor the church interior was very attractive and well-cared for, and the folks were very friendly. 

After church I met a woman whose son had been killed while riding a bicycle at age 15.  In tears she told me of how she was very angry with God but eventually repented.  However, she still questioned God about “why” this happened to her son.  “He was a good son!” she reasoned with God.  She was having one of these conversations with God as she worked on her property one day when she said the presence of God came into the woods where she worked and the Spirit of God spoke to her clearly saying, “What about MY good Son?”  She repented fully that day and has been testifying of His goodness and mercy ever since. 

That wasn’t all to her story.  The Lord gave her a husband about 3 years ago and within the last year, her husband’s 20-year-old son also died unexpectedly.  She was there for her husband, knowing exactly what he was feeling.  He, too, has struggled with anger at God and questioning Him but she has encouraged her husband and continues to do so. 

Our Sunday evening concert was at a Nazarene Church in De Land where I met yet another woman who approached me and told me she wept more during the concert while watching Justis imitate his dad than she did at her son’s funeral 3 years ago.  Hers was a healthy little boy that had a brain aneurism while running across the yard after being called to dinner.  Through her experience she and her husband started a ministry helping children with handicaps obtain the equipment they need.

We had to buy all of our meals with the exception of our coffee house dinner Saturday night and all of our lodging for the weekend. (And we ate cheap. Taco Bell, $1 items from Burger King’s value menu, $5 Little Caesar’s pizza).  The greatest expense was our fuel which was more than a whopping $500.  Bobby told me on the way home as we were passing through Chattanooga that for the first time in 5 years of traveling and ministering across the country, we were actually coming home with less money than what we started out with.  About $50 less.  In spite of this he hasn’t been a grouch on the drive home like I might have actually expected based on similar situations. 

Oh, and Bobby (and I) had our talk with Landis as we drove north of Atlanta and the rain poured down.  Bobby asked him some questions about his choices he’s made of sticking things in his pocket that didn’t belong to him and told him to write letters of apology to the offended and buy them more of what was stolen and send it to them.  This didn’t please Landis but I think he accepted his father’s words.

January 5-6, 2013

BY GEORGIA!

I wrote several things down from last year but never got them published.  Somehow I will record some of the highlights from last year but there are several things from last year that I’d just as soon leave where they are ….in 2012.  A new year, even though we’re just going from one day to the next – new year’s eve to New Year’s Day – causes us to resolve to put the past behind us and make a new start.  I praise God that He collectively takes all of the things we experience, good and bad, and weaves them together with His promises for us and creates a beautiful future that benefits us and glorifies Himself…when we love Him freely and trust Him completely.

The first weekend of 2013 out with the Bowen Arrows started with a bang.  I forgot my phone and this laptop that I blog on. The blog that in December I had resolved to begin writing again.  So much for a great start. 

On Saturday, January 5, we drove to Cumming, Georgia to get a good night’s rest.  We always intend to get a good night’s rest on Saturday night but so many times Grace refuses to sleep until well after midnight on Saturday nights.  I’m not sure if it’s the anticipation of a big day the next day or what.  Midnight was the last time I checked the clock and didn’t know anything else until the alarm went off. 

After a decent night of sleep I realized that my phone wasn’t the only thing I had forgotten on this first trip of the year.  I was without the appropriate shoes for church.  I had my suede snow boots but they just didn’t look right with my black slacks.  We’d already stopped at Walmart across the street from the hotel the night before to get yet another pacifier for Justis as…well, we forgot that too.  Bobby talked like I was going to have to wear the hideous tan suede boots with my black slacks because we did not have time to spare but when he made a “wrong” turn after leaving the hotel I questioned where he was going.  He told me he didn’t want me mad at him the rest of the day because he didn’t stop and allow me to get another pair of shoes.  I thanked him, relieved, but asked him not to be mad at me for causing all the trouble. 

I always meet people that I can relate to or admire or am lead to pray for and this first Sunday of the year was no exception.  I met Carrie who tried for many years to have a child and finally, after totally giving up on ever having a baby, conceived and had a beautiful daughter that is just a year younger than Grace.  Then her second daughter came along 13 months later, also very beautiful.  Finally, she and husband, Keith, had their son who, at 6, is quite handsome and talented as well.  While Keith played drums in the worship service, his son stood nearby and played percussion never missing a beat. 

After service at the CD table, a lady approached me, shook my hand and asked me to pray for her daughter who has tried for years to conceive.  I was able to acquaint her with Carrie’s testimony and suggest that she ask Carrie to pray for this need as well.

We enjoyed a fine lunch with the pastor, his family and a few more church friends.  The pastor introduced us to a drink enhancer called Mio.  Just add a few drops of whatever flavor of Mio you prefer and viola!  You have an instant flavored tea/drink.  Pastor’s daughter borrowed one of his Mio bottles and set it down on her table right next to ours.  When we’d finished eating and were leaving our tables, Landis noticed the Mio drops still sitting on the table where the pastor’s daughter had left them.  Since no one remembered the drops Landis felt they were fair game and put them in his pocket. He had plenty of opportunity to give them back to the pastor but chose not to. I found the drops after we’d said goodbye and had driven several miles north to Chatsworth.  To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.  This was not the first time he’d taken something that wasn’t his but it had only happened at home.  I knew this was getting serious and that something had to be done.  Bobby is not usually one for confrontation and that carries over to disciplining the children.  He would just as soon, tell them not to do something again and go on with life.  I’m just the opposite and want contracts written, oaths taken and blood drawn.  Bobby and I talked on the drive home from Chatsworth after the children were asleep and discussed the “problem.”  I couldn’t emphasize enough to him how I believed this could turn into a huge societal problem with Landis if we didn’t nip it in the bud now and discipline him in a way that he’d never forget. 

We arrived home at 1:00 A.M. and after making sure the girls got to bed I came upon Bobby standing just inside Landis’ bedroom and I could tell the conversation was serious.  Come to find out Bobby had just discovered that some cash he’d thrown into a jar wasn’t there any longer.  He asked Landis about it right then and Landis confessed he’d taken it.  I stood there, jaw agape, not believing what I was hearing.  I wanted to say, “I rest my case.”  But I didn’t. 

I had a little trouble falling asleep in spite of the late hour because my heart was troubled and when I awoke the next morning, Landis’ “condition” was the first thing on my mind.  I washed my face, donned a robe, grabbed my Bible and sat at my desk.  After sharing my heart with God and laying Landis on the altar, I spent some time looking to see how God handled theft.  In the Old Testament in the book of Proverbs it talks about returning seven times what was taken and in Matthew we read how the converted tax collector returned four times the amount he’d stolen. I took some notes and showed them to Bobby later that morning and he agreed to look it over and consider everything.  I also handed Bobby a book that he found and purchased at a home school convention in May of 2011.  I’d noticed the book recently and thought what a shame for such a great book to not be put to use.  The book is written by a dad with 6 sons and 1 daughter who wanted to put together a biblical study for fathers and their sons of what it means to be a man complete in Christ.  Not only did the author write a book, but he started an organization similar to Boy Scouts, with chapters all over the country.  The organization is called, “Teleo Scouts.”  Bobby had forgotten the book and, that night, brought it to bed with him to look over before going to sleep.  On Wednesday, our day off school, he planned to take Landis to breakfast and start their weekly study together.

At Bobby’s suggestion I printed out a Bible study on stealing and put it in a binder to present to Landis to use in his morning devotional time.  And when Bobby announced to him that the two of them would be going to breakfast the next morning, Landis couldn’t help but grin but questioned why.  Bobby explained to him what his motives were and I couldn’t help but be amazed at the excitement that showed on Landis’ face at the thought of his dad wanting to spend time with him.  Powerful stuff.