A TEST FOR MY KNEE

On October 16th quite a number of our family were involved in the Waddell&Reed Marathon in KC. Mary and I signed up for the 5K. Our son, Roger did it with us to encourage us.It was good to be able to do that with Mary after the knee surgery. Here we are after the run.

ONE YEAR LATER

One year ago today I had surgery to repair an ACL. As I reflect on this past year I have much to be grateful for. When I injured my knee, Roger drove across Missouri to take me to Blue Springs. In the morning Julie took me from Roger's home to Lisa who then drove me to Hutchinson. Julie and Susan helped Mary with the Thanksgiving meal. I am so blessed with our family. They are there when you need them. Mary was super help in getting me back on my feet. She is a wonderful help mete. Our car insurance paid the medical bills and God had a wonderful surgeon in our church in time for the need. God has been gracious and my knee seems as good as new. I am sure I learned more patience and more understanding for those in pain. I am more thoughtful of avoiding those kind of accidents. It brought me closer to Brady, the fellow I was helping that day. There is no doubt good that God has worked that I haven't yet recognized. When I declare daily to the Lord that I accept all that He plans for that day, I realize I may not like all of it, but I have no hesitation for I know His plans are good. One year later I am grateful for His healing.

STILL STANDING

Whenever we make it to the meadow near LaVeta,CO we check on the trees we have labeled with the year we were there. Here is a picture of "our" tree and the one for the Tuckers. It is always good to see the Aspen standing tall and strong.

A TIME TO REMINISCE

Mary and I spent some time in Colorado last week (September 2010). We spent several days in the Spanish Peaks area where we have visited for many years. We have friends who have let us use their cabin over the years. Our times there date back over 30 years. There are so many memories there with our children and also Mary's parents. It is a good thing to return to areas where God has given you special memories and remember His faithfulness. We spent devotional times by the mountain stream where we spent times in the past. Our son Roger and I prayed and wept there over some heartaches in his life. One of those was the onset of rheumatoid arthritis that he was battling. God has healed him from that. We are so grateful. We visited our tree in the meadow about a mile upstream. We have been carving the years on the tree over the years. Mom and Dad Tucker made it to the meadow several times and also had a tree. We had worship times together several times. Dad Tucker has now "gone higher".
God is a faithful God and has demonstrated that to our family in so many ways. It was so good to take some time to reminisce. That has been such a special place to our family. We are grateful to our friends for making that available to us.

I HEARD THEIR CRIES

Something today reminded me of something God began to do in my heart during my last semester at seminary and the first part of the summer of 1966 as I was working in Chicago. Every once in a while it was as if I heard crying somewhere far away. I remember inquiring of God, "What is that all about?" I did sense it had something to do with my future and ministry, but beyond that I didn't know. Later that summer I received the call to teach at Central Christian in Hutchinson, KS. I thought maybe it would be the students there, but that was not it. God later got me involved in helping broken victims of abuse and ritualization. Now I knew where the cries were coming from. It has not been an easy work to help these to freedom in Christ, but it has been very rewarding. God said of His people to Moses, I have heard their cries and I will send you to bring them to freedom. I thank God I heard their cries and have been able to help some find relief and freedom. May I have a heart like His to hear the cries of hurting people.

Camp Gramma 2010

We have just concluded our sixth year of "Camp Gramma". We want you grandchildren to know in the days to come about our motivation. It is our desire to provide some fun things for you. We also want you to know that you are important to us, so we sleep with you in your tents. This year was different. Because of 5 inches of rain before we started, we housed you boys in the garage and you girls in the basement. We love to be WITH you. Our main motivation is to have a time to share our hearts desire for you to grow up and walk with God. As we prayed about a theme for this year, we were impressed with the importance of having the fear of God in your lives. We chose the theme from Hagar; Thou God Seest Me with the theme verse from Deuteronomy 5:29, O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever. We shared with you the wonderful promises for those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways. We know that you precious kids will face various temptations in the days to come, but if you are aware that God's eyes are on you and that you fear the Lord, you can come through those temptations in victory. We are committed to pray that God will develop the fear of the Lord in your lives. We are grateful that your parents are training you to walk with the Lord. We just want to lend our supporting voice with theirs. God bless you dear grandchildren!

OVERCOMING EVIL

We are familiar with Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." It is a wonderful thing God does when He is given something that is very painful and destructive and then weaves it into a thing of beauty in our lives.
When Andrew Murray faced a painful thing that came into his life he penned these words. He brought me here, It is by His will that I am in this difficult place. Next He will keep me here and give me grace to behave as His child. Then He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He means me to learn. Last He will bring me out in His time. Let me say I am here by God's will, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.
I remember Bill Gothard doing a chalk drawing in his seminar that made quite an impression on me. He did a beautiful drawing and then took a heavy black chalk and made a large black mark across the drawing, and then proceeded to incorporate that black mark to make an even more beautiful drawing. He pointed out that God can take those destructive things that come into our lives and produce greater beauty.
Satan brought one of those destructive black marks into our life. I feel a responsibility to testify to God's grace in taking that thing and producing a beauty that I doubt would have ever been in our lives without that black mark. It is truly amazing what God can do with that which is placed into His hands.
I am not saying that God purposed that black mark, but I am saying that God has taken it and produced a thing of beauty beyond the ordinary.
The awful treatment by Joseph's brothers opened the way for God to do a wonderful thing in Joseph's life and in his family. Joseph's godly response opened the way to a thing of beauty. Joseph told his brothers after God's mighty working in his family: "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive." Gen. 50:20
If some painful thing comes into your life, place it into God's hands and allow Him to weave it into His greater plan for your life. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

GOD LED ME TO BEREAN

I just returned from our Saturday night prayer time at Berean Baptist Church. It so happened I was the only one tonight. Now days there are 2-4, but this was a rare occasion. I found myself thinking back over the years and what has taken place there. It was probably 40 years ago this fall that I was asked to fill the pulpit on a Sunday morning. Then they asked me back on Wednesday night and here I am 40 years later. Berean is a small place, but much has taken place there. I read years ago: "Is your place a small place, tend it with care, God set you there". I would never have dreamed then, that I would still be there so many years later. I thought of some of the special privileges God has given me there. It seemed God was helping me reminisce.
It was there that our children were dedicated to the Lord
It was there I had the privilege of baptizing them.
I baptized my mom and dad there.
I married our four daughters there.
I married our dad to John's mother-in -law.
I married my sister to Don.
It was there that God opened my eyes to the spiritual battle.
That opened up a ministry that has become a part of the churches ministry
We have seen some of our people head to the mission field.
This "small place" has been of significant blessing my life and in my families life. I am grateful for what God has done there. I have learned how important it is to wait on God's leading. It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps. Whatever God has accomplished there, He is to be credited.

MAKING COMMITMENTS

Forty-three years ago tomorrow, Mary and I stood in front of Salina Bible Church and vowed to one another before God. We made our commitment to each other, but we also made out commitment to God. We were very grateful that God had led our paths together to be husband and wife and desired that we would honor Him with our marriage. At the close of the wedding ceremony we sang the following duet as our commitment to Him. "O may our life be to Thy praise O Father, In all we do may Thou be magnified; Thou chosest us before the world's foundation, Thine own to be, that Thou be glorified. To glorify Thee, this is our prayer; Work out thy purpose, Thy plan to share; A yielded vessel, Thine own to be, Thy praise and glory, to live for Thee."
Over the past 43 years Satan has challenged this commitment, but God has faithfully kept that sacred commitment before us. I am so grateful for Mary and the family God has given us. In the days that God yet gives us we are trusting Him to keep us faithful to our commitment.

God Protected Our Family

Sunday night June 14,1982, we took the family to Lake Cheney to camp in our tent. We had all of our children and our son John was a toddler. During the night a storm moved in from across the lake. I tried to listen to the radio for a weather forecast but the static made it impossible. I thought about loading up the family in the car and move to a safer place, but I saw that the storm was already on us. I asked our son, Roger to help hold against the side of the tent from inside to keep it from collapsing. It was then that we noticed the tent was puffed out in all directions like a balloon. We were in a tornado. We huddled together in the middle of the tent and I remember praying,"Lord Help us!" It was soon over and we were safe. As we looked around in the dark I noticed a large (10-12 inch) limb laying on each end of the tent. God was watching over us that night. In the marina nearby boats were piled up to a height of 30 feet. My brother, John and his boys were with us in a camper. A limb pierced near his head but they were safe as well. That could of been a night of tragedy for our family, BUT GOD gave His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways.
God had more plans for our family. THANK YOU GOD!

God's Faithfulness

One of the testimonies that I desire to leave with my family is God's faithfulness to supply our needs through the years. Mary and I taught in Christian Schools where the income often did not supply all that we needed, but God has always been faithful. It also was a help when I began to minister at Berean. With a growing family it was often a challenge. I'm sure our children remember the food showers given us at the church. It was quite a sight to see our table piled high with food. When I was challenged to live debt-free at the Gothard Seminar, I was soon tested on my commitment. Our water heater at 1905 started leaking. I remember praying, Lord I am going to trust you to provide instead of buying on time. It quit leaking for a week or so. This went on for about a month. One day I received a call from a hardware store telling us they had a water heater paid for for us. What a blessing. It encouraged me on in trusting the Lord. I have not always been faithful but God has. Our children helped out a great deal with paper routes, to take care of things like braces and education. We learned early on how important it was to give first to the Lord. I have seen Him honor that. I just want to pass on to my family, God cares for His children and is worthy of your trust in Him. One can raise 6 children while in the ministry even though it often meant 2 drinks at McDonalds & 4 courtesy cups.

HEAVEN IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER

As I was on a mission to find flowers for Mary, I was hit with a strong impression that I was to get flowers for Mom Tucker. In the last several years Dad Tucker would always get my attention on Mom's birthday, anniversary, mother's day and Valentines day and tell me to get flower's for Caryl. By some means he got my attention again. I was to put: Dad remembers you and wants you to be remembered. The seeming right ones had a bear and some carmel chocolates (which I later learned were his favorites). Somehow God must have passed on his request and it did seem to make heaven a little bit closer.

We Needed a Home

After several years in the dorm, I realized that with a growing family, we needed a place of our own. We began to look for a home to buy. We had nothing for a down payment, but we looked anyway. We were so discouraged with what we saw that was inexpensive. I remember pouring out my heart to God on the matter. We made little at the school and now we had two children and another on the way. I remember the day when God directed my attention, while standing by the dorm house on the hill to a home across from the school on 30th street. I saw there was a house for sale sign in the yard. It was a very decent 2 bedroom house with a basement and garage on a one acre lot. It was immediately across the street from Central Christian. I think they were asking $12,250, but I still didn't have anything for a down payment. At that time we received a check from Mary's grandma Burkholder for $1500. (I need to say that was out of character for her and she knew nothing of our situation.) It was enough for the down payment and to pay for some of the furniture the homeowners were selling. As I look back I am so grateful for the kind hand of the Lord in providing when we had no might of our own. It was perfect for us. Room for our kids to play and a building for us to raise chickens and across the street from work. God found us a home. Many good memories at 1905 East 30th.

Dorm Ministry

After teaching at Central Christian two years, Mr. Grubbs asked if Mary and I would consider being dorm parents to the girls that came to the school from other communities. I said we would pray about it. When I asked Mary what she thought, she cried. I told her to just ask God what He wanted us to do. After some time that summer, she said it would be OK. That's what I loved about Mary, she so much wanted to please. They moved in the principal's house over a large basement, and were just completing the project when school was scheduled to start. Mary was 8 months pregnant with Roger. What a time to begin a new venture. The girls lived in the basement and in a room over what had been the garage. We had about 12 teenage girls. I thought girls would keep their rooms neat, but I was so wrong. Mary said I told you. At first we tried to keep our place and their place. We soon realized we needed to approach it as their home. They really needed parents. When God began to show us how to minister to the girls, we had a good ministry in their lives. We still have a good relationship with some of those girls. We learned a lot about raising girls. God surely was preparing us. Thank you Mary for being willing to get out of your comfort zone. I know it was not easy with the birth of our firstborn. And a year later Julie was born. It was not easy, but we did see fruit in those 4 years in the girls dorm.

PROGRESS

Tomorrow will mark 8 weeks since the surgery on my knee. Having looked at this experience as God's purpose for good, I want to give a progress report. I am out of the brace most of the time and have been able to walk a mile. I am able to sleep quite comfortably now. I see some good things that are results to this point. I have lost 13 pounds and purpose to keep that down. I am monitoring my blood sugar and am close to where it should be. Mary and I are more consistent on our devotional life and reading through the Bible this year. Those are some tangible things. I am trusting that some of the spiritual results will become evident such as patience, compassion, more zeal for the Lord and more sensitivity to God's Spirit. Though this was a painful experience, I again see that God works all things together for good.