LET THE PROCESS GO ON

I did have surgery on November 19 and they found that I had tore things up significantly. They restructured my ACL, repaired my meniscus and something with my MCL. I am now over three weeks after surgery and involved in therapy. I have a leg brace that I wear 24-7 and probably will till the end of December. I guess the knee is doing well, but I have had digestive problems along with recovery and have lost 18 lbs. That's good, but not the best way to do it. The first couple of weeks after surgery are kind of hazy. The hardest part for me physically is sleeping or try to with this brace. Harder than that is being set aside and not able to take care of things like I would like to. It’s a blessing that it is happening in the winter.

In college days I memorized from James 1 in the Phillips paraphrase. When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. I have tried to look at this experience in that light. The thing I am trying to focus on is the Let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed. I do want to learn the lessons God intends me to learn. I think it important to look at life's experiences as his schooling. He is always at work to conform us to the Lord's image. I am sure that God wants to teach me patience and how to behave when things are out of my control. God is good and I do choose to accept the things God has for me.

DEALING WITH PAINFUL SITUATIONS

When I began this blog, I intended to do it chronologically but then things pop up that need to be addressed. Tuesday, November 3, 2009, I went with Brady Sult in a box truck 440 miles to northeast Missouri to haul their household goods back to Kansas. I prayed and felt clearly from the Lord that I should help him. When we were nearly loaded, I slipped somehow and got in a tangle with a hitch affair on the truck. The result was that I tore things in my left knee very severely. I am now looking at surgery and probably a slow recovery.

For many years I have been blessed with reading how Andrew Murray faced a difficulty in his life. It seems appropriate for me as I face the uncertainties of my situation.

He was staying where Amy Carmichael could observe his life. She said she wanted to see if his life was as good as his writings. She said when something painful came into his life, he was quiet before the Lord for a time and then he wrote the following: "First God brought me here, it is by His will that I am in this difficult place, then He will keep me here and help me to behave as His child, then He will teach me the lessons He intends me to learn, and finally He will bring me out again, how and when He knows. Let me say, I am here by 1. God's appointment - 2. In His keeping - 3. Under His training - 4. For His time."

I am claiming that prayer and perspective for my days ahead.

Our Firstborn Girl is 40

Julie was a beautiful baby. She was born in the days when they didn't let fathers into the delivery room. It was a painful time waiting for her birth. At last I heard a baby cry. Julie was here. The nurse had to carry her by me on the way to the nusery. She turned away and would not let me see the baby. This was getting a little much for me. I didn't know Mary had told her not to let me see that we had a girl. She wanted to tell me. At last I was able to see this beautiful gal with lots of dark hair.
Julie was always on top of things. When she was about Malia's age (her oldest girl), she was watching our gas gage on a trip to Colorado. She started to warn me that we were going to run out of gas. Guess what, we did! Julie you have been a joy. We are grateful to God for trusting us with such a special girl. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

GOD BLESSED US

Our firstborn, Roger, turned 41 yesterday. You will be amazed how fast those years go by. Mary had always said she wanted a dozen babies. I really hadn't thought a lot about how many children I wanted. I know we were both committed to having the children God purposed for us. When John was born(#6), we believed our quiver was full. We have been so grateful for our wonderful children.

Over the years, we had our share of criticism for the size of our family, but we were more interested in God's plan for our family.

Mary was blessed in her pregnancies by not suffering morning sickness. She also was not limited much in physical activity. The night before Roger was born, we walked/ran to the bowling alley a mile away. On the way to the hospital in the morning, we drove around the block several times. We were so new at this and Mary didn't want to be sent home. She looked so "unpregnant" that when we walked in at 6 a.m. they wondered what they could help us with. When she said, "I think I am ready to have a baby", they went into action. Son Roger was born at 11:57 a.m. (just in time for lunch)

He has been such a blessing to our family. He has also been a good role model for the 5 siblings that followed him.

We were very happy for his arrival but he sure changed our life. He was colicky and always hungry. This was a new kind of living.

We are forever grateful for our children and consider them a gift from God. One's family should be the centerpiece of one's ministry.

NO GOOD THING

I just returned from 5 days of fishing in Manitoba, Canada, a very special birthday present from our son Roger. This was something I always thought would be a special thing to do.

Psalm 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." Satan will tempt you to think, If I follow the Lord and serve Him, I will never get to do the things that would be special to me. In addition to serving the King of Kings, He will add those things that are in your heart. There have been things I have pondered that would be special but have never asked for them. Among them, visiting Quito, Ecuador, from where the gospel was introduced to me, a cruise to Alaska, and fishing in Canada. I consider these to be some of those "good things" which had been in my heart. Don't ever think you will come up short by giving your life to serve the Lord. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

A SPECIAL HONEYMOON

I had somehow heard about the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. It was advertised as the "good life". I had enough money for reserving two nights at $50 a night I remember. Then we moved to a less expensive motel. We were like two kids on an adventure. This was different life then we knew. An attendant in a tux met us at the front and took our car. I had reserved a honeymoon suite and it was nice. Why did they turn our bed down? They rolled a table in with a linen tablecloth for our breakfast. We noticed that not many of the guests seemed that happy but we certainly were. To us this was the beginning of the "good life". It was worlds of difference from the two room apartment over a garage in Emporia, KS that we rented for $60 for six weeks for some summer school classes after our honeymoon. The place really didn't matter. We were just so happy to be married.

GOING THE DISTANCE

As Mary and I headed toward Colorado after the wedding, I could not help but weep. God had done a special thing in bringing us together. As I looked toward the future now, with the wife that I had prayed for, I was very sobered with the life set before us.

I am writing this 42 years later after just finishing one of our "Camp Gramma(s)" with 21 of our 23 grandchildren. It was a wonderful time with these special children.

I keep the pictures of our growing family through the years on the wall where I counsel those struggling with problems - some who cannot see going on in their marriage. It is a pictorial message to the value of going the distance. Trials come, Satan will do all he can to destroy, the way ahead at times may look hopeless, but God has such blessing for those who will go the distance. Mary and I have been so blessed of God with our children, their marriages, and their children. What a special heritage. I pray for those who will face difficult times and will be tempted to quit. I speak to you down through the years, IT IS ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT! May God help you go the distance.

OUR WEDDING

I am writing this blog on May 27, 2009, forty-two years after our wedding. Last Tuesday, May 19, 2009, I was giving a message at Mary's Dad's funeral. All sorts of thoughts flooded my mind while being at the pulpit where we were married. I thought back to that night I first visited Salina Bible Church, as I sat by Mary. Unknown to her, I visualized our wedding. Then I remembered Mary's Dad giving her to me after walking her down the aisle. Now he was in heaven and his body lay in a casket where we declared our vows of intent to each other.

All of this reminded me of how important it is to live for the Lord and allow God to develop a legacy that honors Him. Today, 42 years later, we have 6 grown children and their mates seeking to raise their 23 children to walk with the Lord. God has been gracious!

Our wedding was a real answer to a long time prayer of mine for God's choice for me. Mary was beautiful! Francis Grubbs challenged us from Eph. 5 to live out the picture of a husband picturing Jesus Christ and His care for the church and a wife serving her husband as the church does Christ. I remember his prayer for us that God would bring the right balance of pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow, good days and difficult days into our lives in order to mold us into His image. Before he introduced us, he shared a poem somewhat as follows:

Two ships afloat on the sea of life,

Each launched from each its separate port.

Two lives, two lights and then they merge into a larger light.

One life, one light, to Glorify Thee O God.

We then sang a duet, "To Glorify Thee". It was very emotional for me. As we left Salina on the way to Hays for the night, I wept in gratitude to God.

Now, 42 years later, I am filled with gratitude to God for His grace to us. God blessed us with family. He has graciously brought us through storms that Satan intended for our destruction. Sunday, May 24, Mary and I sang "To Glorify Thee" in our service as a recommitment "to go the distance" for God.

To my Grandchildren: Be sure God is leading you to His choice for you. Then purpose by God's grace "to go the distance". Believe me, it is worth it. God be praised!

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

It did not take very long after meeting Mary, that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. It must have been when we were at my home in Iowa at Thanksgiving that I bought a ring for her. I tried to keep it a secret but I guess she looked in my checkbook. I suppose a check to the jewler there was a give away. On December 4, 1966, I set out to ask Mary's parents for permission to marry their daughter. For hours on that Sunday afternoon I waited for a good opening while Mary took a nap. That opening never came, so I finally just had to blurt it out. I received their blessing and gave Mary the ring after her folks left for church. We showed up a little later and Mary surprised her folks showing them the ring. I was engaged to that girl I had prayed for so many years. I was one happy guy!

MY FIRST YEAR AT CCHS

I entered my first year of teaching with a lot of enthusiasm. Probably more enthusiasm than good sense. I took the responsibility of being dorm dad to about a dozen high school boys. I taught a number of math, science and Bible courses. I didn't have my teaching certificate, so I took night courses at Wichita State University and practice taught in McPherson High School. Mary and I directed the senior class play. And then there was the time I spent getting to know Mary. What a year that was!

I was very enthused about the Lord and about spiritual things and was disappointed that I didn't find that kind of heart in many of the students. On the other hand, I was excited to be able to start classes with prayer and talk about things of the Lord. I know God was beginning to show me the importance of education that is Christian. God was preparing me cocerning the education of our children He would bring into our lives.

CONCERNING INTERRUPTIONS

Over the last several months, I have experienced an interruption to my project, but I am determined to get back to the project of Journaling My Journey. I have found in my life that whenever you set out to do something consistently, there are often interruptions. A good exercise program might be interrupted by sickness or injury. A devotional life may be interrupted by unexpected circumstances. It seems to me that Satan will try to interrupt the things in a Christian's life. I have learned that it is important to get back at it. If it was worth starting, it is certainly worth continuing and finishing. God has used thoughts in V. Raymond Edman's devotional on the discipline of determination to encourage me on in times of need. He wrote, "Transfer if you must; catch another wave-length; change your level to a higher one, but don't quit-- it is always too soon to quit."
God has put a desire in my heart to share my journey with those who come after me so I am getting back to the task.