MY SON JOHN


MY SON JOHN

My son was riding through the little town of Nashville on his bicycle on his way to school one day looking upward at the sign his dad had made for a business there in town. Because he wasn't watching where he was going, he ran into the back of a truck and landed sprawled across a big machine part in the back of the truck. Fearing the owner would come out of the business and wonder what he was doing in the back of his truck, he climbed out in a hurry and walked his bike the rest of the way to school because it was no longer rideable. When he got home he told me what happened in his laid-back way and when he finished I asked if anyone stopped to help him. He said, "Yow one man stopped but he just laughed and laughed."

My older sister and I, my two kids and her son were walking through the woods my older sister and her then husband had just purchased in Millstadt, IL. They were going to build a house on the property. My youngest sister was also with us. She went on ahead with my little son then all of a sudden she came running back to us terrified. We asked her what was wrong but she could hardly speak. Finally she got the word "snake" out and that was enough. I took off running toward my son who had stayed where they were and was standing perfectly still. We knew there were Copperhead snakes on their property but we failed to take that into consideration. I had to slow down before I got to my son so I wouldn't startle the snake. It was coiled and was having a staring contest with my son, who was standing there peacefully. I stood back as far as I could from my son and grabbed him from behind and got away from it. We had had enough of our tour of their woods so walked back to the car, but I had to put my son down because my knees weren't holding both of us. They had gone weak and shakey.

A more humorous life experience: My older sister, Linda, and I were looking for a parking place in Belleville, IL. Traffic had stopped at an intersection and a nun walked across the street with her habit flowing behind her in the wind. She had just purchased a broom. My son, just a toddler at the time, exclaimed, "Look, Mom! There's a witch!" Trying not to laugh I responded with "That's not a witch, honey, that's a nun." He said "Yes it is too. See she even has a broom." About that time we found a parking spot but we were laughing so hard we could hardly walk cross the street. 

My dad loved to fish. Several of us older siblings were visiting our parents with our kids. They were still young. Dad decided to take my son and one of the youngest of his cousins out in the boat to fish. While they were fishing, a sudden storm came up -- a gullywasher. I was at home worrying and so was my youngest sister, the mother of the cousin that went fishing with Dad and my son. They ran into a small problem when the storm hit. The car was on the other side of the lake. So Dad headed for the other side. My son is laid-back and doesn't panic easily, or at least he didn't back then. He has his own kids now. That changes things. Back to my story, When they finally made it home I asked my son if he was afraid. He answered "No." I said, "Well, didn't water get in the boat? He replied, "Yes, but we just poured it out.

Many years ago I had a pair of scissors in my hand about the time company came through the door, so I laid the scissors on the kitchen counter thinking that since the counter was taller than my son was, he couldn't reach them. I went to greet our company while going back through the kitchen. I looked down the hall and there was my young son running down the hall with the scissors pointed up. I just about had a heart attack. I couldn't get to him fast enough -- literally -- because he tripped and fell with those scissors pointed up. I picked him up while imagining the worst, but God must've sent an angel because all he had was a crease in the protective film on his eye. God has blessed that kid and us so many times. Don't you know his guardian angel is exhausted, though.

My then husband and I were in the kitchen doing our normal kitchen things when all of a sudden we both saw a bright flash of light come from our little son's bedroom at the end of the hall. We ran as fast as we could to his room to see what happened. He was just lying in his bed with eyes as big as saucers. We looked around the room and saw a melted nail under an outlet. I couldn't tell he was shocked in any way. Not even his fingers were burned. Once again, thank you God. He is now in his 50s and a grandfather.

We lived on an acre that was narrow and long. My son was playing in our back yard. He was a little more than a toddler. He was in the company of a bumble bee. Somehow he made the bumble bee madder than a hornet and the bee took out after him. I was surprised at how fast his little legs could run. He almost made it to the far end of the property where pine trees were growing and he tripped. When he did, the bee lost track of him and whizzed over him. All I could do was watch from the sliding glass doors in the dining room nurturing near heart attack #400. He was fine.

My two kids, two of their cousins and the mother of the cousins were at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. We mothers let the kids go on the rides while we stayed on solid ground. We were chatting away when all of a sudden my son and his sidekick ran up to us and said the girls were on a ride. He could hardly get the words out. I wasn't concerned at first because I thought maybe they were scared on the ride and my son was scared for his sister. As it turned out, all four kids were scared because the roller coaster ride the two girls were on had stopped on the highest part of the roller coaster with a broken wheel The girls discussed whether or not they were going to die because they didn't see how they could possibly get down. They were terrified. Part of what confused me when my son told me they were stuck on the ride is that he expressed his fear as anger. So my mind went the wrong direction. I wondered why they were into it this time. He wasn't and isn't an angry person, never threw tantrums, didn't throw things or get mouthy, but he was angry then. He actually taught me a psychology lesson that day. Just because a person acts angry doesn't mean the person is truly angry; they may be afraid. My son expressed that same anger when he thought his sister had been kidnapped while sprinting down the country road. She went out of our sight, which was unusual, but she had just turned a corner and went farther than usual. Fortunately the girls weren't stuck on the ride too terribly long and we could all relax.




DEALING WITH A PERSON WITH DEPRESSION


DEALING WITH A PERSON WITH DEPRESSION

Dealing With a Person With Depression
Encourage the person to pour his or her emotions into an art form such as singing, playing an instrument, writing, sculpting, etc. or if the person is into sports, give it his/her all. An art form without emotions poured into it is like the difference between creative writing and a newspaper article.

Does the person have ADHD? Persons with ADHD have excess energy and emotions and therefore when they become adults, they fit right in with the teenagers. They have the energy to lead them while the rest of us have lost energy. They have trouble focusing but when they do, they can take their thoughts to a level others don't. Having ADHD is not a bad thing. Encourage the person who has it to use it for the good.

People who have had bouts of depression are more empathetic toward others, especially those who are going through a bout of depression. Sometimes just talking it out makes a big difference. People who have had situational depression are better equipped to handle a future situation because they have been through a storm or storms and realize the sun will shine again. They actually become stronger.

Self-discipline is needed in order to be an overcomer of suicidal thoughts, depression or anxiety. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" I Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV. Focus on serving others and give it your all. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." Eccl. 9:10a.

BEST FRIENDS UNTIL DEATH

 


BEST FRIENDS UNTIL DEATH
(I Samuel 18-20)

Jonathan’s dad was King Saul,
The son was therefore a prince.
David and Jonathan were very best friends,
Which made the surly king wince.

For Saul had come to hate David,
He was jealous of his fame.
He badly wanted to kill him,
He hated his very name.

God’s Spirit had left King Saul,
And so he became depressed,
He asked David to play the harp,
When he could not rest.

One day Saul lost his temper;
He tried to spear the young man against a wall.
Though David had served him well,
That didn’t matter to Saul at all.

Jonathan helped David escape,
His father’s murderous quest.
He knew his friend’s heart was good;
He thought of him as the best.

He reasoned with his father,
And convinced him David should stay.
So David returned to the castle,
Until fear again drove him away.

The two friends stayed in touch,
They vowed to be best friends forever.
But Jonathan was killed in a battle,
Their “forever” only death could sever.

--Becky Wall


There's more to the story. I encourage you to read I Samuel 18-20. 

THE FIRST KING





THE FIRST KING
(I Samuel 10-11)

Israel wanted a king,
Which made God feel rejected.
He decided to grant their request,
Even though He greatly objected.

He instructed the prophet Samuel,
To anoint Saul the first king.
Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin;
Both good and bad he would bring.

Samuel prepared a dinner,
And put Saul at the head of the table.
He gave him the choicest leg of meat,
Though as king, Saul felt unable.

Samuel anointed Saul the next day,
More or less against Saul’s will.
He thought himself not important enough,
For such a role to fill.

But God filled Saul with His Spirit,
And he appeared like royalty.
He was a head taller than everyone,
But he lacked loyalty.

Though anointed, Saul kept it quiet,
‘Til Samuel showed up one day,
And had each tribe march before him;
Much to Saul’s dismay.

After every tribe and clan had passed,
And Saul was named as king,
He could not be found,
For he was cowardly hiding.

The Lord revealed his hiding place;
He was cowering behind the supplies.
Though he stood a head taller than everyone else,
He was small in his own eyes.

Samuel talked him up to the crowd,
Then they shouted, “Long live the king.”
Samuel stated the rules of kingship,
Only trouble would such power bring.

Saul would obey the Lord,
But rarely all the way.
He liked to do things differently,
Which caused God much dismay.

His confidence grew stronger,
So much so that he became evil.
Eventually he was full of himself;
And turned into a weevil.

He tried to take the life,
Of the boy who played a harp.
He even tried to spear his own son,
But his son was a little more sharp.

Saul’s moods often changed with the wind,
For God’s Spirit was no longer with him.
He was nice one minute; the next he was not;
He knew his future looked grim.

The boy that played the harp for him,
Would one day take his place.
Because Saul did things his own way,
His life would end in disgrace.

--Becky Wall  

 

 


FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS



FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS



23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Genesis 2:23-24

To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

"For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just." Genesis 18:19 This is the Lord speaking about Abraham, but the same message applies to today's households.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time. Deuteronomy 4:40

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! Deuteronomy 5:29

Deuteronomy 6 - the whole chapter

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16

Do not be like your parents...who were unfaithful to the Lord,...II Chronicles 30:7

1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,[b] get understanding.
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.”
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.

18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. Proverbs 17:6

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Proverbs 19:14

The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness. Isaiah 38:19

13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. 
15 Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty.
So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful. Malachi 2:13-16

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” John 9:2

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. John 9:3

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32

Corinthians

Exodus 20, Deut.

 


THE LORD’S “TOP TEN” SET IN STONE

(Ex. 20:1-17 & Deut. 5:6-21)

 

You shall have no gods before me.

Do not make or pray to an idol.

For I am a jealous God,

On your heart I want a bridle.

 

Do not misuse my name;

In a way without true meaning.

I am outraged when my name is exclaimed,

I think of it as demeaning.

 

Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy;

Six days you shall do all your work.

The seventh day is mine alone,

So relax; your work you can shirk.

 

For in six days I made the heavens,

And all life in the earth and sea.

I rested on the seventh day;

I blessed it and declared it holy.

 

Honor your father and mother,

So you may live long in the land.

Do not murder, be true to your spouse,

And do not steal with your hand.

 

Do not lie about anyone.

Don’t covet what belongs to your neighbor.

If you will keep these commandments,

With Me you will find favor.


--Becky Wall

 


WHEN NATURE IS FULLY ALIVE


WHEN NATURE IS FULLY ALIVE

God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” Psalms 65:1-13 NIV

Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Habakkuk 2:11
The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

1 Chronicles 16:33
Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

Psalm 96:12
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Psalm 98:8
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hailsnow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hillsfruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattlesmall creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and womenold men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Isaiah 44:23a
Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees...

Isaiah 49:13
Shout for joy, you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;
    burst into song, you mountains!

Isaiah 55:12
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.

Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Luke 19:40
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”




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