My Male Siblings

Glenn Dale Walker and Edward Lee Walker

Probably taken in late 1944 or early 1945, Ed and Glenn


Glenn

Glenn's high school graduation 1937 or 1938 from Wolf High School

Glenn and Doris Cox were married in December, 1943

Daddy, me, momma, Pearl, Betty, and Glenn - 1944

Glenn's retirement party from the USAF in 1961.  Also shown are his wife Doris and son Terry Wayne.  Glenn was a meteorologist in the Air Force and served in the Far East during WWII.  Other duty stations that I remember were Bermuda, Randolph AFB in San Antonio, Guam, Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, and then back to Randolph were he lived when he retired.

Just a few memories that seem as clear as if they happened yesterday.  Joyce and I discovered a truism many years ago that we apply to our memory - if we were emotionally involved in the event, our memory is in the 95-100% range.  If not affected emotionally, it is anyone's guess as to the accuracy of our retelling of what occurred.  Any way, here goes.  I remember visiting Glenn, Doris, and Terry at Randolph in the early 1950's at Christmas time with daddy and momma.  They had purchased me a suit, the first one that I had ever possessed.  I recall it was sort of a gray tweed color and about six sizes too big.  It seems like I was able to wear that suit 5-6 years later and it finally fit.  However, I was required to wear it often during that period and I can almost still feel the shame and embarrassment from having to wear something that was obviously too big for me.  I am sure that I used to have a picture of me in that suit but I seem to have misplaced it............

Another vivid memory was a visit to Glenn and Doris in Fairborn, Ohio which is where they lived when he was stationed at Wright-Patterson.  I think I was 15 which would have made it the summer of 1957.  I remember eating meals at the officer's club and I thought that was very special.  We attended an air show at the base and a jet crashed while performing.  The jet went down in the backyard of a nearby neighborhood and the pilot was killed.  They later found a wrench in the wreckage that should not have been there but I don't believe the cause of the crash was ever determined.   The trick that the team of four was performing entailed the jets coming toward each other and then doing a sharp climb in four opposite directions before they collided.  I watched the one that went over my head and subsequently saw some black smoke.  At that same instance, a fire truck with sirens blaring left the base headed for the crash scene.  I've never really enjoyed air shows since that time.  Guess I should get over it, huh?

A pleasant memory from that same visit included my helping Glenn and Doris in Vacation Bible School.  In God's providence, the theme song for the week was "It Took A Miracle".  I memorized the song then and it has been very special to me over these many years.  Look it up and read the words or find a You Tube and listen to it.  The lyrics describe the wonders of our marvelous God both in creation and in salvation.

On Tuesday, August 30, 1988, I went home early (around 10:00 AM) from work.  I didn't feel well and also sensed an urgency to go home.  Only later, would it become clear why I was at home that morning.  Less than an hour after I got home, Terry called and said that Glenn had passed away from a massive heart attack.  Later results suggest he might have even had two attacks back to back.  He had just come it from changing a flat tire on his silver Continental and sat down in the office.  The emergency responders were unable to resuscitate him.  Glenn had suffered a mild heart attack in his 40's but I know none of the particulars of that.  One of the hardest things that I have ever done was driving to Seminole to tell my mother that another of her children had preceded her in death.  Joyce, the kids, and I took mom to San Antonio for the funeral and Glenn had a military burial at Ft Sam Houston.

Ed

Ed and Daddy, 1940 or 41

High School Graduation picture, Wolf High School, 1943

Ed joined the Army Air Corps in August, 1943

Ed and me, don't think I had turned two yet.

 I have no actual memories of Ed, only pictures.  I was only 2 and 1/2 when he was killed in Germany during WWII.  Stories I have heard include his above average athleticism (nothing that I also inherited), his intelligence (he shared a small amount with me), his good looks (obvious from his pictures), his faith (he had professed Christ as his savior), and his love of country.  Word is that a failed romance caused him to join the service.  I am in possession of letters that he wrote from Belgium shortly before his death.  In those letters, he always assured everyone that he was in no danger and that God was by his side.  Documentation after his death indicate that he was killed after a head wound from shrapnel during the battle for Remagen Bridge on the Rhine River.  Below are bits of memorabilia from the time of his death through the return of his body from overseas.

I cannot imagine the horrible feeling of receiving a telegram such as this.

I don't think these two letters require any explanation.  Ed's body was returned to the US over three years later and a memorial service was held at the First Baptist Church in Seminole on May 10, 1948.  One of my deepest longings is to reunite with Ed in heaven and get to know him as a brother forever.

P.S.  He always signed his name Edd and his nickname growing up was "Jim".  I have no explanation for either of those.

Modern picture of Henri-Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium where Ed was buried from 1945-1948.

Songs that were sung at Ed's funeral include Precious Memories (mom's favorite song), Safe in the Arms of Jesus, and Nearer My God to Thee.  Every Memorial Day after that, we attended the military observance at the cemetery in Seminole.  My mother always cried when they blew Taps.

2 Cor 5:6-10  Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord —  for we walk by faith, not by sight —   we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.  Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad

Growing Up in the Walker Family

This is the family that I joined late in life (late in their life, not mine).  Back row, l to r, Glenn Dale Walker, 5-1-1920 - 8-30-1988, Oda Edward Walker, 1-17-1884 - 12-4-1960, Edward Lee Walker, 5-13-1926 - 3-19-1945.  Front row, l to r, Betty Mae Walker, 3-13-1927 - 3-21-1985, Nora Alice Epperly Walker, 0-14-1899 - 7-13-1992, and Louanna Pearl Walker, 7-2-1922 - 11-4-1945.  I am assuming this picture was taken in 1939 or 1940 since I was born in 1942 and am nowhere to be found.

My father was born in Romance, Missouri which is in the southwestern part of the state.  I know very little of his early history but I do know that he came to Seminole, OK during the oil boom of the mid to late 1920's.  He worked for Magnolia Oil which later became Mobil Oil and retired in 1948.  We were than living at 357 W Strother St in Seminole but moved to an acreage eight miles north of Seminole before I started the first grade.  Our address became Rt 3, Box 300, Seminole but we didn't have a zip code; they had not yet been invented!  Our phone number was 2011-J-1 and it was an eight party line.  This meant that you could hear any of the eight parties talking if they were on the line.  It always made a click when someone picked up the phone so you were careful to not give away any juicy tidbits.  You could always say to the others to get off the line and then you could hear another click when they hung up.  You identified your ring by the length of it.  the options were 1-4 short rings or 1-4 long rings, hence, the eight phone numbers were 2011-J-1, 2011-J-2, 2011-J-3, 2011-J-4, 2011-S-1, 2011-S-2, 2011-S-3, and 2011-S-4.  Ah, the good old days.

My mother was born in Wakeeney, Kansas which is located in the northwestern part of the state and had a population of less than 400 in the year that mother was born.  I know nothing of her early childhood but neither of my parents got past the eighth grade in school.  My mother was 19 and my father was 35 when they married.  During preparations for my father's funeral in December, 1960, I overheard a discussion of another child but it was evidently born dead and was never discussed.  No one that I know seems to know the particulars of this, only suspicions.

I have no memory of either Ed or Pearl.  They both died in 1945, Ed in Germany during the battle at Remagen Bridge during WWII and Pearl later that same year from surgery complications and infection.  Ed was single and Pearl left a husband with three children of age 4 or younger.  All of my grandparents except for my mother's mother had already died when I was born.  Her name was Anna Epperly but we all called her Granny-Annie.

Therefore, Glenn and Betty were the only siblings that I knew while growing up.  Betty was 16 and Glenn was 22 when I was born so they were more like an aunt and an uncle.  In other words, we did not grow up together and I saw them rarely.  I saw Betty more than Glenn because he was in the Air Force and had extended tours of duty in Bermuda and Guam.  When he was stationed in San Antonio or Dayton, Ohio I did visit him.  He retired in the 1960's and remained in San Antonio with his wife and son until his death in August, 1988.  Betty lived in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas so I visited her more often.  She died in March, 1985 and left two daughters, Paula and Pam.

Most of my memories growing up were pleasant but looking back, I can say that my life lessons were learned and not taught.  I am sure a lot of this had to do with the age of my parents (43 and 58 when I was born) but I must also take some of the blame for maturing late due to a lack of self-discipline.  Could really use the chicken and egg analogy but why fret over the past.  It too was covered by the Sovereign Grace of Almighty God and happened for a reason.  Some one has well said:  "We are too soon old and too late smart".  Amen to that.  I will cover my parents and siblings in more detail in future posts.  Stay tuned.

Gal 5:22-24  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Dachshunds and Other Dogs - Part IV

Sammy, Charlie, and Mollie

This is our current brood and they are all long-haired dachshunds.  Sammy was our first long-hair and he sold us on the breed although dogs are a lot like donuts, had to find one that I don't like.  Sammy was given to us and is the only dog we have ever owned that came with a pedigree (big deal).  He became an it before he discovered sex.  In fact, that has happened to all of our weinie dogs since Trixie.  Based on our current political scene, maybe we should sterilize all politicians...............Just joking, I think!

Sammy's personality bloomed late because of being raised with Mary Lou and Emi Lou.  He learned early on that begging really paid off in the Walker household.  Once he figured out that he wasn't very tall, he began sitting up like a bean-pole.  Can even do it on the hardwood floor if food is at stake.  He developed a raspy bark a couple of years ago and begins exercising his vocal cords about an hour or so before evening feeding time just in case we have forgotten.  Since he lived here when Charlie and Mollie arrived, he has his bluff in and has turned into a grouchy old man, sounds like another male that lives here.

Sammy turned 13 on April 19

Best beggar that we've ever had.  Taught himself to sit up.

Good old Molly as long as you don't bend down to pet her.  If you do, she turns on the faucet especially if Joyce or Sheri are the wannabe petters.  I have learned that you need to be stationary and let Molly come to you for petting.  With food, it is a different story.  If I had a stop watch, I would time her at feeding time.  Each dog gets 1/2 cup of dry food and about 2 tbsp of canned and I think Molly eats hers in about five seconds and waits around for the other two bowls to be empty so she can sanitize them with her tongue.  She fits right in with the Walker clan, heaviest of the bunch.  She spends the night in her crate and finally has the routine down when bedtime comes.  She gets a doggie treat but only after getting into her crate.  Old dog - new trick- some sort of miracle.

Molly turned 8 on July 28.  Charlie is her brother.

This is Charlie, my favorite living dog.  Also turned 8.

Charlie is my favorite living dog and is the sweetest natured dog that we have had in a long time.  Since Joyce still works part-time and I have been retired almost five years, Charlie follows me around a lot.  If I go to the home office, here he comes.  If I go to the family room, here's Charlie.  If I go outside (his personal favorite), he is through the doggie door and in the grass before I ever clear the patio.  If I water the trees and crape myrtles (almost 30 days of 100 or better already this year), Charley's eyes light up and when he hears the timer go off, he beats me to the door.  We have dogs on all three sides of the backyard and Charlie loves to goad the other dogs into barking and running along the stockade fence.  He doesn't care that he is smaller than the doberman, the akita, and the sheltie, he thinks he is bigger, faster, and louder.  He probably also realizes that none of them can get through the fence so his bravado stays inflated.

Charlie's tail is constant motion.  Best howler we've ever had.

Us guys gotta stick together.  Mollie is sorta shy.

You're looking at one of the three reasons that the carpeting was replaced.

Walker security system.  We have never been invaded by elephants.

They can't understand why dogs walking by keep ignoring their barks.

OK, there you have in four quick blogs, the Walker family dog history.  Do I love dogs?  Absolutely.  Will the current brood be replaced after they leave for doggie heaven.  My head says no but my heart usually wins where dogs are concerned.  Based on the average, Sammy doesn't have long left and in God's marvelous plan, perhaps Charlie and Molly will outlive me and I won't have to make the replacement decision.  I thank God that his creation included something so wonderful as dogs but I would be remiss if I didn't thank him for the greatest gift.  The blood of Christ purchased my salvation at Calvary and he offers that same salvation to you.  If Christ does not reign in your life, please turn to him today while there is still time.  For my fellow believers, lean on and live the following.

1 Cor 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.



Dachshunds and Other Dogs - Part III

You had to inspect every plastic bag that we brought home.  Never knew

when a toy might turn up.

If someone wanted you to get up in the recliner with them, all they had to

do was just get an afghan.

You loved to play ball but usually expected us to go get it the first time.     

I think your record was between 50-60 consecutive trips after the ball.

You used to wait behind the door facing when you wanted to try to catch

the ball in the air after it bounced.

What made you lick Joyce’s knees after we went to bed for the evening?

What made you bark in the evening when the TV set was turned off?

What tender feet you had, hated to go outside if the grass was wet. 

Would prefer to have been carried which you often were.

Why did you get up on the couch with your ball and then roll on it?

Lately, when we started to play ball, you would chase it once and then

head for the food dish.

When you knew we were headed outside to play, you always had to stop

and get a bite of dog food before going outside.

You had the quietest little ‘woof’ when you weren’t sure if you needed to

bark.

When we took you for obedience training, the instructor said that you were

the first dog who went through the training who walked with their front legs

and sat with their hind legs at the same time during the final walk-thru.

You whined every time you had to travel.  Once we took you with us to

get peaches at Stratford and you whined all the way there and back.

You were so strong-willed that your record was only about  75% when it

came to being house-broken. 

After the back surgery, you never complained.  You just refused to eat a bite

until we brought you home.

We were almost as happy as you were when we brought you home after

the surgery.. 

You did not seem to understand why you could no longer walk and you

tried anyway.

We loved you so much that we could no longer stand your suffering.

What a sweet licking good-bye that we celebrated!   We’ll never forget!!!

We never have and never will love a dog as much as you.

Sweet Mary Lou, We’re Still So In Love With You. 



I remember the day we got you.  Your first owners brought you out and you were on her shoulders.  You loved being close.

That never changed.  You started the night next to Dwayne and every morning you were pressed closely against Joyce.

You had to inspect every plastic bag that we brought home.  Never knew when a toy might turn up.

If someone wanted you to get up in the recliner with them, all they had to do was nothing – you slept on Joyce’s right, you slept on Dwayne’s left.

You loved to play ball and unlike Mary Lou, you would go get it yourself to get started.  

Mary Lou would play with multiple balls.  You preferred only one, even when it was all worn out, torn, and ragged. 

What made you bark at me if I walked or moved just a little out of the ordinary?

What a duo you made with Mary when howling at the sirens.  I just wish you had been able to teach Sammy how to howl.

Who could ever forget your cat-wag whenever Deo came in?

Joyce and I could never get over how you loved to tease Mary Lou whenever new toys would show up.  You had your bluff in, I don’t think she ever took one away from you.  (Good pit bull imitation.)

When playing tug of war with you and your ball, did you lose interest

and go to sleep and were you just resting?

You were a good traveler and never complained.  In fact, you never

complained about anything.  If having difficulties, you simply went under the couch.

You suffered a lot with back and bowel problems but you never refused

your medicine (provided it was wrapped in cheese).

Emi, your suffering caused you to leave too soon.  You have left a big void.

Thanks for your servant’s heart.  You always tried to please.   We’ll never forget you and you will be greatly missed!!!

Enjoy chasing those balls with Mary Lou.  I know she will be glad to see you.

Dachshunds and Other Dogs - Part II

It is now about 1981 and we have been living in the country since the fall of 1979 on 2.3 acres.  Trixie and Trooper have died (actually, I backed over Trooper with my LUV pickup and we had to put him down) and we decided to go to the OKC animal shelter to see what we could find.  We found a German Shepherd mix and named him Ranger.  We had not fenced our property yet and the place across the street had some cows.  The owner accused Ranger of harrassing his cows and calves and said that if we did not keep him at home that he would shoot him.  We had all grown very attached to Ranger but we had no choice; we took him back to the animal shelter on Saturday morning and shoved him through the door since the shelter was unattended on weekends.

The whole family cried at various times over the weekend so we were first in line on Monday morning to rescue Ranger for the second time.  Boy, was he glad to see us and vice-versa.

Other than never learning that he wasn't a lap dog, Ranger was the best non-dachshund dog that we ever had.  He and Mike and sometimes Sheri spent many hours roaming the woods around our house and we often went for walks together as a family.  How he loved his life and we certainly loved him.  He would eventually move with us to Edmond in 1987 but it was evident that he missed his freedom.  We built a chain link fence after his second rescue but he learned to climb out of it the first day and I refused to chain him up.  There were no more complaints from the neighbor across the street and they eventually moved.  Ranger was a lover not a fighter and I seriously doubted the neighbor's story.  The funniest incident that I can recall about Ranger was the time that the new neighbors up the hill came over with their Great Dane.  He had accidently gotten out and he chased Ranger around our house once and Ranger ran to us for comfort while profusely trembling.  I have never seen a dog so scared.  I'm sure Ranger thought it was a horse and the great dane was almost big enough to put a saddle on.  Ranger later became good friends with two dobermans owned by new next-door neighbors.  Those two dogs changed my opinion regarding dobermans because the family just kept having kids and the dobermans were as gentle with them as they could be.  Next non-dachshund was a beagle-basset mix puppy that we named Bailey.  He was one of the sweetest-natured dogs that ever resided at the Walkers.

Unfortunately, after a few years Bailey's personality changed drastically.  We took him to the vet and he suspected a brain tumor and we had to put him down.  I couldn't stay in the room while this happened but I did carry his body home in a garbage bag and buried him in the field out behind our house.  Bailey, you left too soon.  What a sweet boy.   In the interim, we had been dachshundless for too long so Heidi joined us before Bailey got sick.  First time that we had three dogs at once but it would not be the last.

Heidi was the most unmemorable of dogs but had a very sweet nature.  I think she might have been intimidated by the size of Ranger.  Heidi was our first and last 'no, you can't live in the house' dachshund.  After we moved to Edmond, Ranger and Heidi each had their own doghouse.  Almost every night, one dog would pull the other dog's blanket out of his house.  We suspected that it was Ranger but we weren't sure.  Ranger developed hip dysplasia and we could no longer watch him struggle to get up so we called a vet to pick him up and put him down.  Later, Heidi died naturally and Joyce found her in our garden next to a tomato plant.  The most memorable incident related to Heidi happened one Halloween on which occurred an early snowfall.  Someone had left the back gate open and Heidi turned up missing.  She was gone all night so we assumed that she probably froze to death because of the cold.  However, we searched a field across Broadway from where we lived in Timber Ridge addition and Joyce found her.  She did not appear to be any the worse for wear. 

For the first time in many years, we were dogless but within a month or so, we began dachshund shopping and ended up with Mary Lou and Emi Lou.  Long story short, they both developed back problems after about seven years.  Mary Lou went though about $2K worth of surgery and came out paralyzed so we had her put to sleep.  I handed her to the vet and we left, I just couldn't stand the thought of losing her.  Mary Lou gave her all to keep us entertained and I still miss her.  About four months later, Emi came down with back trouble and we had her put down.  I stayed in the room while the vet administered the drug - not sure why but felt that I needed to be there.  Mary Lou and Emi Lou are the only dogs that I have ever done a memorial piece on and those will be in Part III. 

Sammy came along quite unexpectedly as a gift from an acquaintance at work and he was the first long-haired that we owned.  He is still with us so his story is not completely written yet.  One year for Joyce's Christmas present, I took some dog photos of all three dogs to an artist that specialized in animal pictures and she painted the picture below of Sammy, Emi Lou, and Mary Lou.  The picture still hangs in our foyer but I think I like it more than Joyce.

Will pose for doggie treats!

 

Let me close with a question and one person's answer.

 

Will There Be Dogs in Heaven?

This is a matter on which we cannot speak with perfect confidence, but taking all the Scriptures together, my reply is: “Yes, there will be dogs in heaven, but not your dog.”

Rev. Richard Phillips is the chair of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology and senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church Coral Springs, Margate, Florida.

 



Dachshunds and Other Dogs - Part I

Joyce and I were married on June 18, 1966 and were well enough acquainted to know that we both loved animals.  She loved dogs and cats, I loved dogs - almost the same thing.  However, unless guilt overtakes me, you will never read a blog written by me that pertains to felines.  Anyway, back to dogs.

In December of 1966, we decided the time for a puppy had come. My brother had a dachshund named Rusty whom I had seen and enjoyed on several occasions. Joyce had met him just once but must have been impressed because we started looking at the ads for dachshund puppies. Being the sage shoppers that we are, we bought the first one that we saw from a place in Edmond on Boulevard just south of Danforth. Everything north of Danforth was still country at that time. We named her Trixie for no apparent reason.

This is Trixie at about four months.  Yes, I used to smoke but I quit in 1975.  I will save the details of how that occurred for another blog.  We had Trixie bred probably when she was around a year old and her marriage to Sir Frederick Von DeeWee produced five beautiful puppies.  I must admit that this was the only time in my life that I have witnessed a live birth.  It was miraculous to see how Trixie nursed and cared for those puppies until we auctioned them off.  I gave one to my niece and we sold three of them but the last one was hard to get rid of so we decided to keep him and named him Trooper.  We later decided that living with your mother all of your days is probably not too healthy from a mental standpoint.  Trooper never seemed to develop any traits other than loyalty.

Trixie's main talent was playing with a tennis ball.  She wasn't much interested in chasing it, but she loved to chew it and tear the fuzzy cover off.  All that was left then was a slimy soft thin-skinned rubber ball.  She obsessed over those and she tore the ruffle off of more than one couch trying to get a slimy ball that she had pushed under the couch on purpose.  Thankfully, we couldn't afford expensive couches but we went through at least three before deciding to buy one without a ruffle that she could crawl under to retrieve her ball

.

This is Trixie and Trooper inspecting Mike in November, 1972 when he came to live with us at 29 days of age.

Same dogs when Mike was four or five.

Mike will have to explain this one since that is his canteen and his skateboard.

Trixie and Trooper moved to the country with us in 1979 when we purchased a new house on 2.3 acres.  As I recall, they both died within the first couple of years after we moved.  Before we moved, we did have one other dog that we rescued from the city pound.  We named her Tricia (seems to be a pattern in our naming of dogs) but Mike called her Tricia Bends.  Again, he will have to explain that to you.  Here is Tricia.

She could best be described as gregarious and, as my dad used to say, full of piss and vinegar.  Sheri arrived in December, 1975 and Tricia had arrived a little before that.  Tricia did not understand gentleness and we were fearful that she would accidentally hurt Sheri so we called adopt-a-pet and she was gone.  After we moved to the country, I often wondered how much Tricia would have enjoyed the wide open spaces. Oh, well, such is life.  We weren't without a dachshund for very long but that story will be the next blog.

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Is Jesus Christ your greatest love?  Today is the day of salvation.  His hands of love and mercy are out-stretched to you.  Please accept his grace while there is still time.

Man's Best Friend

Show me a man that doesn't love dogs - well, maybe you better not because I would have no use for him.  I have always loved dogs and this blog and the next few will discuss dogs that I have lived with and loved for most of my life.

My first dog was Blackie and we got him from our preacher who kept a littermate.  Blackie was part chow and part shepherd.  The chow part manifested itself by a black tongue and a propensity for fighting, usually with his littermate who lived about one-half mile away and would visit with his owners, the preachers sons, David and Richard.  I remember how afraid I became whenever the dogs would fight and I always felt helpless.  David or Richard (Busbee) would try to grab the dogs' tails to separate them and I guess it finally would work.  Here is what Blackie and I looked like in the 1950's.

These pictures were taken in 1955.  The first one was on the front porch of the house I lived in from age 5 until age 18.  It was at Little, OK which is half way between Seminole and Prague.  The second one was taken in the back yard and the window on the right was my bedroom window which was actually an enclosed back porch that was neither heated nor cooled.  I later moved into the inside bedroom and slept with my dad.  I had a floor fan for cooling but just added extra covers for heating in the winter.  I'm not sure central heat and air had been invented, at least not in Oklahoma. 

I remember that we gave Blackie away after my dad died and mom and I moved to Seminole.  We gave him to the Coates family (Harry and Cuba and their seven kids).  Harry Jr is a state senator and has made the news recently in a not too pleasant way.  You can contact me if you need more info.  Anyway I never saw Blackie again but he was my good buddy for many years even though he couldn't do any tricks except fight, eat, and sleep.  Reminds me of a growing number of our U.S. citizens.  Whoops, trying to not become political on my blog.  That just slipped out.  Watch out for more of my Dog and Pony, I mean Dog and Dog show in future blogs.

Acts 16:31

Why I Haven't Posted Lately

I've been scanning in old photographs off and on for the last several weeks and have just about completed the project.  Now I have to organize the pictures on my PC and will then begin a series of family blogs.  I'm not quite sure how I will organize them but stay tuned.

Hope you had a great Independence day celebration.  We had hot dogs, hamburgers, and Corvettes (the OKC Corvette club members had six sleek 'vettes on display) at Jefferson's Garden, the new assisted living residence for Joyce's mother.  She has been there for just over one month and seems to be adjusting nicely.  Since it is only one-half mile from our house, both Joyce and I drop in more often and that seems to be helping.  She has really bounced back from the bad shape that she was in back in April and May.  We are both convinced that it was a medication problem.

Over the years, I have collected quotes and pithy sayings that are meaningful to me.  I will share them in hopes that they become meaningful to you.

Meaningful Quotes 

Sin in the life of the believer is always forgivable but it is never acceptable.  (Russ McKnight, 2-84)

To sin without feeling the sting of God’s disciplinary hand is the sign of illegitimacy.  (Sam Storms, 5-07)

When you care for someone enough, you make the time.

‘Tis one life, will soon be past.  Only what is done for Christ will last.

You cannot fill a spiritual need with a material substance.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.  Winston Churchill

The spiritual man is a generous man.

Everything God requires, He provides.  R McKnight

All of salvation is all of God.  R McKnight

Mercy is medicine for the discouraged soul. The recommended dosage is daily.

S Storms 10-07

Judging another believer regarding a secondary issue, is not a secondary issue.

Russ McKnight 5-86

The first victim of self-righteous arrogance is tolerance.  RM 8-86

Punishment for consistent unbelief is hardening.  D Cotten 9-07

I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all.  But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.  Martin Luther

We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.  C. S. Lewis

We must trust in God’s heart even when we cannot see the trace of his hand.  Spurgeon

Aim at Heaven and you’ll get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you’ll get neither.  C S Lewis

Contemplate the patience of God, think of how he has borne with you.  J I Packer

H. Richard Niebuhr famously once distilled liberal theology into this sentence: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.”

From Volume 1 of George Whitfield’s biography by Arnold Dallimore.

Whatever men’s reasoning may suggest, if the children of God fairly examine their own experiences – if they do God justice, they must acknowledge that they did not choose God, but that God chose them.  And if He chose them at all, it must be from eternity, and that too without anything foreseen in them.  Unless they acknowledge this, man’s salvation must be in part owing to the free-will of man; and if so, . . . Christ Jesus might have died, and never have seen the travail of His soul in the salvation of one of His creatures.  But I would be tender on this point, and leave persons to be taught it of God.  I am of the martyr Bradford’s mind.  Let a man go to the grammar school of faith and repentance, before he goes to the university of election and predestination.

High levels of assurance cannot exist alongside low levels of disobedience.

What is a True Christian?
One who desires not only to be right before God (not trusting for his acceptance upon what he does but upon what Christ has done), but also desires to do right before God by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.  Marty Brown, July, 2011.

In closing, I wouold like to share one of my favorite passages (There are so many!)

2 Cor 4:16-18
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. 17 These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won't last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God's richest blessing upon us forever and ever! 18 So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.
TLB