HEAVEN'S FIRST HOUR




HEAVEN'S FIRST HOUR
(Philpp.1:21& 3:21, Prov. 14:32, I Cor.15:12-16, 35-58)

In death the righteous have refuge,
The departed have no pain,
The upright find peace and rest;
To die, therefore, is gain.

An end to an earthly finish,
Is also a heavenly start.
A family of saints await,
As our earthly kin we depart.

A perfect and glorious body,
Will replace the one on earth.
From the travail and labor of death,
We're delivered in a heavenly birth.

So, oh, Death, where is thy sting?
Oh, Death, where is thy power?
Jesus has swallowed it up forever;
There begins heaven's first hour.

Becky Wall

THE POUNDING OF THE NAILS

Easter morning rolled around,
And I was half asleep,
Unconcerned what day it was,
'Til something made me weep.

The crucifixion story,
Came to life that day.
I witnessed in my mind's eye,
The price Christ had to pay.

They laid Him down upon a cross,
His clothes already stripped,
A crown of thorns upon His head,
And stripes where He was whipped.

And then I heard an awful sound,
Along with Mary's wails.
The sound that changed my life,
Was the pounding of the nails.

Church means so much more to me,
For when I miss, I find,
The pounding of the nails,
Echoes through my mind.

Becky Overturf Wall



The Overturf Family's Easter Day Car Wreck




THE OVERTURF FAMILY'S 
EASTER DAY CAR WRECK
 
I want to begin with a short excerpt from my view of the family history and finish up with another excerpt. The two eventually tie together and show how God has worked in my family’s life. I probably ought to mention that I came from a family of 10. Two of our siblings (We call them brother and sister) are really our cousins (one now deceased). Mom and Dad took them in and raised them when their mother committed suicide and their father abandoned them. All eight of us kids were only 11 years apart in age. Those already born were ages 6 and 5 and the twins were 2 when our two cousins, 5 and 6 (?), came to live with us. We lived in a three-room house. The family would grow by two more. Naturally we made several moves seeking a big enough home.

We “big” kids would take walking trips around the town of West Frankfort IL where we were living at the time. We were very young and Mom was sometimes unaware of the places we were touring. And yet it was one of those trips that helped shape my life. One day the “big kids,” or the oldest siblings, started walking down railroad tracks that run through the town. There were few houses on either side of the tracks at that time. From time to time we would see piles beside the tracks where people would dump trash. We would go through them to see if we could find anything interesting. I’ve always loved books, so I latched onto one that I found in one of the heaps. It happened to be a book with testimonies of remarkable things that had happened to Christians, things that could only be explained as God’s intervention into their lives. There was story after story and they were quite moving. I knew then that’s what I wanted for my life – God watching over me and my family. Ironically, or perhaps by God’s design, I would one day write this, my own testimony of how God intervened in our lives.

The Car Wreck
The memory that supersedes all others during our growing-up years happened on Easter Day, April 2nd, 1961. We hadn't lived in Mt. Vernon very long. We had already attended church, ate our Easter dinner, then headed for our great-grandmother’s funeral in Benton still in our Easter clothes. All 10 of us were in the car. Casey was 2 and Jamie was 4. The two oldest, Linda and Sharon (Rosser), were in 8th grade, Butch/Billy (Rosser) and I were in the 7th and the twins, Carolyn and Marilyn, were in the 4th grade. As we were traveling Rt. 37 south and approaching Benton, my sister, Linda, was showing me a school picture of a schoolmate, Vernie Wittenbrink, and then BAM!! The next thing I knew the car was rolling and rolling, us with it.

Three teenage girls had been joyriding and passed on a combination hill and curve and came right toward us. Dad swerved and thought they would miss us, but they didn’t. They hit his side. The passenger side door in the front flew open during one of the rolls, probably the first. Mom and Casey, who had been sitting in Mom's lap, flew out of the car. I personally believe an angel carried them safely away from the car. What usually happens in rollover accidents is that the door opens, the passenger falls out and the car lands on them. It could only be by the grace of God that it didn’t land on Mom and Casey. Marilyn and Jamie were also in the front seat but stayed in the car while it rolled. I guess Dad hung onto the steering wheel. The rest of us were packed in the back seat like sardines, which meant we could hardly move around which made our injuries minimal. Cars had no seat belts or safety glass back then.

I remember my first concern after the accident was, of all things, the car radio. It was still playing upbeat music from the crashed car while we were all traumatized. I was so angry with that radio. I thought it had a lot of nerve. I couldn’t wait to turn it off. Then someone came running to me and said that Mom was hurt bad and might be dead. We all survived the crash, but Mom didn’t fare as well as the rest of us. She landed on her back, specifically her shoulders, still holding Casey, who was fine. The wind was knocked out of her and she appeared to be dead. When we got to her, her eyes had rolled back into her head. Within a few minutes she regained consciousness and said she couldn't breathe. Mom’s shoulders were fractured and she had cracked ribs. We were all in a state of shock, trying to make sense out of it all, even wondering if it was really happening.

The ambulance took Mom to the hospital and Dad rode with her. The state troopers probably took the rest of us. I was in too much shock to remember for sure.

It just so happened that Mom’s sister, Virginia, and her family were on their way to Mt. Vernon to visit us, not realizing we were going to a funeral. They passed the accident after we had gone to the hospital and just knew when they saw the car that most of us would be dead. They went to the Benton Hospital where Mom was taken. Grandpa Overturf, ironically, was making a similar journey to our house and he too ended up in the waiting room at the hospital. Granny and a few other relatives and friends soon showed up. Granny didn’t get to attend her own mother’s funeral and neither did other relatives who came from there.

Most of our backs were wrenched in the wreck. Butch had a broken nose and Dad had a limp in his left leg for the first day or two. Mom was in the hospital for several days.

God intervened several times that day, one time being that the doctor who repaired Mom’s shoulders knew exactly what to do because his wife had suffered similar injuries in a car accident and he had studied the issue. The doctor set Mom's shoulders without using pins and she had full use of her arms again, including playing the piano, but not for the six weeks that both arms were in a cast.

The state troopers who investigated the accident happened to be friends of Mom and Dad’s because they were co-workers with our then uncle, Andy Muzzarelli, also a state trooper. One of them said that being packed in the car like sardines was one thing that saved us. The other thing that saved us was that we were riding in an old, heavy Packard car. That’s all we could afford in the age of the new lightweight cars, but being poor and being many is what saved our lives. If our cousins, Sharon and Butch/Bill Rosser, hadn’t come to live with us when they were little, there wouldn’t have been as many of us and the outcome might have been different. God really does work all things to the good for those who love Him.

On a humorous note, four-year-old Jamie Jo stayed with family friends, Shirley and Walt Denton, the first night after the wreck. While Jamie was there, the Dentons noticed a red streak running down her leg from one sore to another. They immediately grabbed her up and rushed her to the emergency room in Benton. The doctors and nurses gathered around her leg trying to figure out what they were looking at, with the first thought being blood poisoning. Then one doctor called for a wash cloth with some soap on it. The red streak washed right off. The Denton's little son, Scottie, had drawn the red streak on her leg with a crayon. He connected the dots.

There were so many “ironies” that day, but I now know it was God doing His thing. He didn’t stop the car wreck from happening, but He and His angels were involved in so many aspects and helped us get through it. Mom wanted nothing more than to raise her eight kids and God refused to let the devil take that opportunity away. If the devil had his way, our spiritual lives would have turned out altogether different because Mom was our greatest spiritual influence.

God didn’t choose to save just half of us or 7 out of 10, or even 9 out of 10. He chose to save all of us. He obviously has a plan for each of us and that plan extends into the future through our descendants. As it is, Jamie’s son, Andrew Pearson, married a preacher’s daughter, has been one of the deans at the Christian camp, and is greatly involved in a ministry. Her other son, Adam, is a Licensed Counselor that includes Christian counseling. My son, John Wall, Jr., serves as an elder at Nashville Christian Church and his wife, Peggy, is the Manager of a Christian pre-school. Both of their kids, Jolie and Tyler, are active in church. My daughter, Diana Deering, is a licensed Christian Counselor. My brother, Casey, and his three children, Adam Emanuel, CaeLee Overturf Hall, and Levi Overturf, have been very active at South Hickory Hill Christian Church. All three are good singers and play instruments. Casey's (my youngest brother) daughter, CaeLee, and his daughter-in-law, Elaine Emanuel, sang and played the guitar on the Praise Team in the past. CaeLee, Kyle Minor (My sister Carolyn's son-in-law), Kyle and Mychelle's two sons, Gage and Isaac, and my son, John Wall have all been on out-of-the-country mission trips and my granddaughter, Hope Pradahn, and grandson, Devon Heisner, have been on short-term mission trips in the states. My sister, Carolyn Petersen’s, daughter, Mychelle Minor, and Mychelle's son, Isaac, did sing on the Praise Team at Central Christian Church in Mt. Vernon, IL but Mychelle is now more or less homebound with health problems. Her husband, Kyle, is actively involved there. Kyle took a short-term mission trip to Brazil and he and the boys went to Puerto Rico. Kyle is going to the Amazon soon. Carolyn's son, Brandyn, helps out wherever he can, especially in the kitchen, at the same church. The twins, Carolyn Petersen and Marilyn Cockrum, have sung in church since they were young but gave it up for the most part when Mom passed years ago. My sister, Marilyn, went on a mission trip that was intended for Mexico but by Providential intervention, ended up in the flooded area of Texas. Both of Butch's daughters, Gail Morris and Bethany Anderson, are active Christians. Bethany sings on the Praise Team at Woodlawn Christian Church. Gail and her husband, Ed Morris, were dorm parents at a Christian college and they now serve in disaster areas. Butch developed mental illness, largely because of serving in the Vietnam War, but he kept up a relationship with God until he died a few years ago at the VA Hospital. Sharon has maintained a strong relationship with the Lord and I know at least one of her children does too. Linda has a strong faith and is quick to express it. Her son, Scott Martin, has managed to maintain his strong faith even though he works in the non-Christian entertainment industry in Hollywood. As for myself, I have had six articles published in the Christian Standard and taught Sunday School in Nashville, IL for over 20 years. And Mom’s spiritual legacy goes on and on. THIS is what motherhood is all about. And this is how God has worked in our lives. I would love to add this, my testimony, to that book that inspired me so many years ago.




--Becky Overturf Wall

Footnote: My recollection of the accident was from my memory and from conversations I overheard during the course of the accident and events thereafter. Also, some of the activities of the descendants have changed in location or otherwise. We are all aging and multiplying and three of the siblings are now deceased: Butch/Bill, Carolyn and Linda. So is my grandson, Diana's son, Devon Heisner.

BLACKLISTED


I have lists all over my house. I have lists of things to remember; lists of places to go; lists of things to do; budget lists; lists for the IRS; lists of people, their addresses, and phone numbers; gift lists; lists, lists, lists. Though I have lists to help me remember errands I need to run, when I go to do those things, I discover I've either forgotten or lost the list. But there's one list I would do well to forget, and that's the record of wrongs I keep tucked away in a dark corner of my heart.

Every time I get tired, depressed, or stressed out, I pull out that list. I remind myself how I've been wronged, then throw myself a pity party or go sit on the pity potty. And when I am all done, do I feel better? There is a country song with a line that goes, "Go ahead and feel bad if it makes you feel better." But I never do feel better. Why is that?

If I store in my heart a "blacklist" of people who have wronged me, complete with details, it makes the rest of my heart dark. I become grumpy, spiteful, and bitter. My countenance falls and I am not much fun to be around. People I like sometimes wonder if I am mad at them. Or they wonder why I have such a bad attitude. My expressions, tone of voice, and actions reflect what is going on in my heart, carrying over into other relationships. A "blacklist" keeps me from loving my enemy and it causes many to avoid me.

I injure myself more than my offender hurt me when I store an active list of wrongs in my heart. Every time I review my list, I not only nurture a grudge against the offender, but become bitter and angry toward that person. Then I turn that bitterness and anger back on myself, injuring my self-esteem and robbing myself of the joy and peace that comes from focusing on the good God has done in my life. There is great wisdom in the words of I Corinthians 13:5: "Love...doesn't keep a record of wrongs." (NIV) Lists of wrongs keep us from loving our neighbor, ourselves, and God.

If I keep a list in my heart of things I hate about myself, such as #1 - stupid, #2 - ugly, #3 - a loser, only then am I a stupid loser. My list may be based on what the devil whispers in my ear or what I perceive others think about me. My opinion of myself and corresponding blacklist may be based on times others hurt me, on times I hurt them, and/or on times I sinned against myself and cannot accept the forgiveness Jesus offers. I am commanded to love both my enemy (Matt. 5:44) and my neighbor (Matt. 22:39), but it is understood in the latter verse that I am also to love myself. If I don't love myself, I will show less love to others.

Exposing my blacklist to the Light brings insight, an additional measure of spiritual maturity, and humility. For it is I who put the "black" in my list. "Losing" that list has brought joy, peace, healthy relationships, and has taken me into a closer relationship with God. If you have blacklisted yourself or others, lose the list. You'll be a better person for it.

--Becky Wall

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN, PRESERVE YOUR SANITY

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN, PRESERVE YOUR SANITY

Training your brain is as important as training your body. I have to be very protective of my mind because Alzheimer’s runs in the family. So, I have put a lot of thought into how best to train my brain. The most important reason to train my brain is because it is in a constant battle between good and evil, and if I am going to win out over evil, my brain must remain in a state of constant training.

The Bible has a lot to say about training your brain, and though the Bible cannot prevent a disease like Alzheimer’s, it can often prevent mental illness and help you get your brain back on track. Training your brain and the brains of your children can prevent death and disease. It will help you prosper, improve your relationships and, most importantly, God will delight in blessing you.

I know it isn’t right to misquote Bible verses or use them out of context, but I have taken an Old Testament verse (Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Prov. 22:6), revised it some, and made it my motto. It goes like this: “Train your brain in the way it should go, and when you are old, it will not depart from you.” Either way the verse is worded, the concept is the same. While I need to train the brains of my children so that when they are old, they will remember the Bible's teachings, I also need to train my own brain. I need to use it or lose it.

How many times has the comment been made, “Have they lost their mind?” This is usually said when a person is has committed a sin or has done something illogical and detrimental to himself and/or others. Other comments include “His/her mind is warped,” “He/She is plumb crazy,” or “No one in their right mind would do that.” When any one of those statements is made, it is usually because a person has ceased to condition their brain to keep it mentally fit. An unconditioned brain leads to mental and spiritual illness.

How best can the brain be trained? Scripture answers this question. The first verse that comes to mind is “Philippians 4:8:  “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” Romans 12:2  says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

I Timothy 4:7b-8 says, “…rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Training yourself to be godly can only be done by training your brain. This involves putting healthy thoughts and information into it and keeping out evil thoughts and useless information.

The best way to train your brain is to study the Bible, listen to sermons, read literature that is consistent with Bible teaching, and read books that set a good example of how one is to live nobly. Other important factors are the movies and TV shows one watches and the music one listens to. The company a person keeps also plays a role in what one allows to be planted in their brain. 1 Cor. 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." The language and comments of close cohorts are going from their brains into yours. It’s the equivalent of second-hand smoke. Over a period of time, you develop the same “sicknesses” as the company you keep. In this case, they are mental sicknesses. If your peers or loved ones engage in wrongful thinking, they can lead you down a path that will lead to drug-related illnesses or to sexual diseases, which could lead to death.

Satan is always messing with our minds. He encourages us to sin because it will provide the so-called “fun” we think we missed out on in the past or are missing out on in the present. He reminds us of our failings, our sins, and negative events in our past (while under his influence). He tries to convince us that these are good reasons for us to cloud our brains with substances such as booze and drugs. The Bible tells us to “forget about the past… To use the language of today’s counselors, don’t “play the tape” over and over. No rewinding. Kick the devil out of your brain, whether he is sitting on the throne or crouching in the corners. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 Train Your Brains, Save the Nation

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 says, “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 that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow--to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him--then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.” That’s a powerful promise. By training our brains and the brains of our children, collectively we can drive out nations larger and stronger than ours. But then who is larger and stronger than our nation? Does this promise not apply to other nations? If we fail to train our brains, they could drive us out.

We are to write the words on our doorframes and gates. We are supposed to make God’s Word our source of conversation wherever we are. We are to fix His words in our minds and hearts. (Whatever is in our heart comes from our mind, travels out of our mouths and comes alive in our actions.) These scriptures suggest that we learn through many different ways: we learn visually, we learn orally, we learn by repetition, and we learn by developing good habits. The question is, what do we choose to learn, and what do we choose to teach our children.

 Train the Brains of Children

I refer back to the verse, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” That verse tells us to fix God's words in the minds of our children. Great care should be taken not to lead them astray. “Matt. 18:6-7 tells us why: “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!” Take care in the way you train their brains.

Another way we train children is by example. I recently showed my granddaughter a large bruise I got on my arm when I ran full-force into something. Her first question was, “And what did you say?” I told her that I probably only said “Ouch!” because I never cuss. I let her know those words don’t even come to my mind. Because I never got started saying those words, I have no problem avoiding them. I have trained my brain never to think of them. (I was greatly relieved I could say that about this particular situation. We each have our own strengths and weaknesses. I have to battle other thoughts that try to become regular visitors and would make a nest in my brain if I would let them.)

On a more serious note, when a child is molested, certain feelings and thoughts are awakened that were not due to be awakened until much later in life. Hormones and body chemicals are released in the child’s body at the time of the act and the child has to deal with adult matters at a time in their lives when their brains and bodies are not fully formed or equipped to handle the situation. Their thinking becomes distorted and even under the best of circumstances, never fully heals. Sex happens more so in the brain than any other body part. The scars are permanent. Woe to the men who mess up the minds and bodies of a child, forever changing their lives in a negative way.

Train Others

Switching to another brain training situation that is far less ugly, we women are commanded to “…train the younger women to love.” That suggests they don’t always have a mind to do so. We older women have figured out that men and women differ in the ways they think and respond. We know what is normal and what is not. We can oftentimes help young women sort this all out and see that their mate usually falls into the normal category, no matter how aggravating he can be. We are also to spread the Good News and to evangelize. Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Teaching is synonymous with training, and training is done in the brain, just as is done in a school situation.

Consequences of Letting Satan Train Your Brain

The computer-related motto “Garbage In, Garbage Out” also applies to the brain. Whatever goes into your brain is going to travel to your heart and come out of your mouth and manifest itself in your actions, the same path as thinking good thoughts, but with opposite consequences. Dominant attention to sports gives birth to a sports addict who has poor family relationships. An excessive amount of attention spent chasing money makes money your master and also develops vices such as greed, oppression, failed relationships, etc.

A man who looks at pornography can easily be hooked; it is highly addictive. He may have control over it in the beginning, but it will eventually take over his mind, holding captive every thought, creating mental illness. It will become his master. He will live in a fantasy world, and will eventually be unable to distinguish between reality and the fantasy. Because his focus is elsewhere, he will let many other things slide. His work habits will suffer, as will his family relationships. His view of women will be abnormal. His relationship with God will eventually be cast to the wind. When he is no longer able to process thoughts properly, when his logic is warped, when he cannot control his own actions, and when he is unable to focus on what is important, he will be mentally ill and spiritually dead.

Those caught in the throes of any sin can develop mental illness. Sin leads to guilt and depression. Depression causes a loss of interest in things that were once important. It produces an excessive amount of negative thoughts. It can even lead to suicide.

Here’s the Good News 

Fortunately for all of us, true repentance can set us free. Baptism can wash our sins away. We can start new again. We are offered a fresh slate on which to write our thoughts. I don’t mean to make starting new sound easy because often it is not. But it is an opportunity made available to us by Christ’s death on the cross, an opportunity that gives us hope and joy once again. It brings peace that passes understanding. On a larger scale, when a nation repents and changes its thinking, the action can save the nation. So, be transformed by the renewing of your minds, give up the insanity, and collectively you will transform the nation.

So, what’s in your mental library?

Are you storing away information that is trashy or wholesome? Does your mental library need a good cleaning? If one who has spent the majority of his/her time focusing on unwholesome thoughts and decides to “clean house,” that person should take care to fill the house with wholesome thoughts or the end result could be worse. Luke 11:24 says, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." What person wants an evil spirit taking up residence in his brain, little own seven of them. What a pitiable existence when the choices one makes are controlled by an evil spirit and the person cannot make healthy decisions without a major battle going on in his/her brain. I Peter 4:7a says, “Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled…”

Conclusion:

Train your brain and the minds of your children to be wholesome and do it with all the enthusiasm and vigor you can muster.

Buck & Eve: In the Beginning

The following story is true. Only the names, dates, and circumstances have been changed. 
       

        In the beginning was Buck. And God saw that Buck was lonely, so he made a deep sleep fall over him--which wasn't too difficult. God took one of Buck's ribs and made him a mate, and what a beauty she was! Buck woke up and cried, "I've been robbed--I mean ribbed!" Then he took one look at God’s new creation and said, "Whoa, man! Wo-man. That's it. I'll call her ‘woman.’ What a piece of work God made out of the flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones.” And this all came to pass on the eve of the first decade, the eve of the first century, and the eve of the first millennium, B.C., so Buck called her "Eve" and it stuck. Little did Buck know that the name Eve also means the "mother of many, the giver of life."

       Now Buck and Eve were placed on the bank of a beautiful lake called the Lake of Egypt. There they had nothing to do all day but eat, drink, fish, and be merry. God let Buck and Eve fish the lake, but He warned them not to catch and eat the big fish which stayed on bed in the middle of the lake or they would be punished.

        One day while Buck and Eve were fishing from a boat a good distance from shore, a big frog floated by on a lilypad. He called out to Eve, "You'll never catch the biggest fish in the lake with that skinny bug. So he handed Eve a can of worms and ate the bug himself. "Oh, no!" exclaimed Eve. "If I catch the big fish God warned us about, I'll be punished." "You will not be punished," said the shifty-eyed frog, as he snatched a fly out of the air with his forked tongue. "God is just afraid you'll beat Him to it."

        So Eve opened the can of worms, took out a big one, and baited her hook, not realizing she too was being baited. She cast out the line and it wasn't long before she felt a bite. The worm felt the bite even more. Eve reeled in her line as quickly as possible and, lo and behold, on the end of her line was the biggest fish she had ever seen. She could taste it already! "Look at this, Buck," she cried out. When Buck saw the fish, he ran as fast as he could to heat up the skillet.

        And it came to pass that when they had finished picking the bones clean and were wiping their lips, Buck looked down and realized he was naked! It was Eve's words that followed that gave us our term "buck naked." They both panicked. What to do! What to do! When they heard God walking on the water, they got so scared that they ducked down in the water to hide but found they couldn't breathe underwater. When they came up for air, God saw them. "Why are you hiding from me," God demanded. "We weren't hiding; we were just swimming underwater," Buck sputtered. Then he decided he had better come clean, so he told God they didn't want Him to see them naked. "How did you even know you were naked?" God questioned. "Did you eat that fish!?" "That woman that you gave me made me do it, Lord," squeaked Buck as he squirmed around in the water. Eve quickly retorted, "I didn't want to, but the frog pressured me into it."

        God turned to the frog who was now sandwiched between two lilypads in hopes he couldn't be seen. "And what do you have to say, you big toad?" said God. Well, the frog nearly croaked. With his eyes bulging from between the two trembling pads, he squeaked out a froggy cuss word that came out "Ribet." "Cursed is the pad you sit on," said God. "From now on you will be eaten by snakes and alligators. And 'Ribit' is all you will ever say." By then the frog was hopping mad, but he couldn't say a word--literally. "Ribit" was all he could say from then on.

        As Buck’s punishment, God said to him, "You will toil to scale and skin fish until you need nitros to carry on. You will eat little of your day's catch, for you will have eight children to feed. Then when they are older, they will come to your house and carry your fish away--but not until you've cleaned, scaled, and filleted them."

        To Eve He said, "And you, young lady, will have to first raise the eight kids that eat the fish and carry them away." "The punishment is too much to bear," Eve said. "But bear them you will," God said, "including twins. You will both be required to do double duty."

        Then God made coverings for their bodies out of the fish scales, so they looked like a walking mermaid and merman.  Then He encouraged Buck and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, and they complied.

        And all of the things God spake came to pass. Buck and Eve raised eight children who ate the fish Buck caught so that their father was forced to fish by the sweat of his brow until, in his later years, he had to take nitros to carry on. Meanwhile God taught Buck and Eve to be fishers of men, and in that way they most surely did double duty, though they thought God's prophecy concerning “double duty” referred to the twins. And in fact God's prophecy about double duty did have a double meaning.

The moral to this story is: Don't open a can of worms, and don't go fishing for trouble or your troubles might be multiplied eight times over. --Becky Overturf Wall

HANDICAPPED



     Many years ago I worked for a program that taught simple vocations to handicapped people -- people now known as having special needs. Most of the workers in the program had mental and physical handicaps. I felt so sorry for those people when I first started the job. "How unhappy they must be," I thought. However, I was to learn a lot about life from them. I left there with a completely different perspective.
     The handicapped people I saw were no less happy than other people. They just had a different standard of happiness. They found it in the simple things of life--a touch, a smile, good company, good food, simple fun. In fact, they may be happier than the rest of us so-called "normal" people. The dispositions of those in the work program were what one would expect in any other setting, allowing for differences in personalities. They laughed and loved as much as anyone--probably more so. They were friendly, affectionate, and readily accepted people.
     There were no prejudicial barriers--not black or white, rich or poor, cute or ugly, young or old. I never new what combination of people I would see holding hands next. Yet prejudice is so much a part of other people's lives that we all eventually get caught up in its web. And oh, what a terrible, tangled web it weaves. But there at the vocational workshop I saw a little piece of heaven where prejudice is an unknown word.
     Can it be that we so-called "normal" people are the ones most handicapped? Not only do we have social handicaps, but unlike those called handicapped, we are blind to the free things of life that could bring us true happiness--a touch, a smile, good company, simple fun with family and friends. Instead we pursue money and "things" and overlook those who really care about our happiness. The handicapped are not overly concerned about money and material possessions. They just want acceptance.
     I also learned a spiritual lesson from the "handicapped" workers in the program. Before then I never had an answer to the question, "If there really is a God, why are there handicapped people?" That changed when one day I overheard one of the workers singing, "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know." This special person wasn't blaming God or doubting that there is one. He could not understand the complex theological issues, but he knew Jesus loves him, and that was enough for him. His simple faith far exceeded mine. He certainly had no spiritual handicaps.
     In later years my mother developed Alzheimers disease, which robs the  memory. I have come to appreciate people with mental deficiencies even more. Though her mental faculties gradually faded, she still had much to offer throughout most of the progression of the disease. And through the experience she taught me I still have much to learn.
     I challenge each of you to get involved with the "handicapped" if you get a chance. You'll be surprised at  how much they teach you. --Becky Wall

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