The Month of Thanksgiving – Fourteenth

I am thankful today for my third born child, who is our firstborn son.

Timothy named after me for his first name, and my Dad Mike for his middle name. He was born in Springfield, MO in 1979.  It was such a joy for Madge and I to be blessed with a son.

Timothy has a wonderful wife Sarah, and they have four wonderful children; Naomi, Josiah, Eli, and Lydia. Timothy is the pastor of the Baptist Church in Stott’s City, MO, and is employed by Baptist Hill Campgrounds near Mount Vernon.

Timothy, Sarah, and our grandkids are truly a blessing from the Lord and we are thankful for them, their love for each other and their children; and also the love and respect they give Madge and me.

Thankful from the banks of Flat Creek,

`tim

The Month of Thanksgiving – 12

I am thankful for each of Madge’s and my children who have grown into fine, strong, respectable adults. Today I will begin with our first born.

We named her Charity when she was born, because the name means “love” especially godly love.  That name is fit for her still.

I am thankful for her because she is my daughter, because of her faith in God, through His Son Jesus Christ, and she also loves her family, and has been strong, faithful, and loving in being a wife to her husband Paul; and a strong and loving mother to her three children – our grandchildren; Rachelle, Jonathan, and Caitlyn.

I am thankful for the Lord’s goodness in watching over her through the years; and especially these last two years.

Thank You Lord for Charity and her family.

The Month of Thanksgiving – 5

Today I want to express my thanks to the Creator who brought my wife Madge into my life. We have been blessed with 5 great children, and their spouses; Charity and her husband Paul; Monica and her husband Samson; Timothy and his wife Sarah L.; Philip and his wife Sarah J.; James and his wife Amber.

We have been blessed as well with twelve [12] grandchildren; four boys, and eight girls.

I am thankful that Madge and I have been together for forty six years plus some, and every day of each year was a learning experience, and a blessing for which I must thank my God and Savior.  Thank You Lord Jesus.

Thankful from the banks of Flat Creek,

`tim

Flat Creek is Still Rolling

This is a post just to let you know we are still here, and that Flat Creek is still rolling right along.

Many floaters; in canoes, inner tubes, boats, kayaks, etc. have come by.  I have not seen them all, but I have heard many of them as they float by and go over the small rapid behind our house.

With the rain we have gotten this Summer it has been a busy time just keeping up with the lawn mowing.  I have loved every minute of it.  I appreciate every drop of rain.  Thank the Lord for His blessings everyday.

My wife and I spent a couple of days with our son Philip and his wife Sarah and their daughters; Rene’e, Natalie, and Kylie in Booneville, AR. this past week.  It was kind of our family get together time.  However on July fourth we were with most of our kids at the family swimming hole for our annual Fourth of July get together.  It was a wonderful time, both times

Our daughter Monica, husband Sam with their two kids; Addyson and AlexZander were at Philip’s too.  All great kids.

Those Poplar trees we planted back in the Spring of 2011 are about twelve feet high now.  Some not quite there, but most are.  The Rose of Sharon’s we planted are just now blooming.  Some have not yet made any blooms.  Others are about to.

I have also built a Yard Deck, for our charcoal grill to set on.  I really like it away from the house where it will pose no problem with flames, yet not so far away as to be distant.  We have enjoyed the grill on the new deck two or three times this Summer.  Good food.

It is amazing how fast the Summer is rolling along.  School will be starting in just less than a month now.  I am sure no one wanted to be reminded of that.

From the banks of Flat Creek

-tim

Forever Thankful

I realize that it has been some time since I had a personal post here on Flat Creek Rolling.  There have been some events to take place in the life of my wife and I that could have been very horrific were it not for first of all our Lord GOD and Savior Jesus Christ; secondly family – all our kids, their spouses which we really view as our kids too; our grand kids, other family, and a wonderful hosts of friends.

This past Friday November 1 I was weedeating around the fence of our yard.  It had not been cleaned out since about June; so it really looked rough and needing it bad.  I was feeling pretty good, full of energy; so I grabbed the weedeater, filled it with gas, filled the head with cutting cord, and started to do just a bit of it.  Well, when I got that bit finished, I still felt pretty good, so I proceeded to work the bigger part.

I went all the way down to the creek, then started back up the hill toward the road.  About three fourths of the way up I started experiencing chest pains, but tried not to pay attention to it thinking it was a heart burn at first.  Since I was so close to finish I kept working.  Running out of gas in the machine I walked down the hill where I had left the fuel container, picked it up, took it back to the weedeater, filled it, then proceeded to the end of the fence at the road.  I finished.  Went and put the machine away, then fed the dogs, and went in the house.

After stopping the work the pain increased greatly, and spread to my arms and once in awhile to my upper back.

After all of this I ended up in the Emergency Room in Mercy Hospital in Springfield.  When we arrived there the nurses, doctors, and others proceeded caring for me, asking questions; and when I was questioned by a doctor on the floor; suddenly our youngest daughter cried out, “Mom, What’s wrong?”  I turned to see my wife passed out, then a nurse ran over, he could feel no pulse, rolled her in the floor, did some chest compressions, and after two or three of those my wife (I was told) knocked his hand away.  By this time they had rolled me into the hallway to care for my wife (Madge).

I was blessed when a nurse who had earlier entered my room mistakenly, came to my bed, in the hallway, and asked if she could pray with me, speaking comforting and encouraging words.  Now my wife was admitted to the hospital, and they are caring for her, trying to find what had caused this collapse.  This was all Friday night.

On Saturday morning they took me to the Cath Lab, and did an angiogram on me finding a stent I had done in April of 2011 with 100 percent blockage.  The doctor repaired that one, and found some more clogged arteries.  For those I am scheduled for more work on Monday.

I was released from ICU on Sunday morning.  Then went directly to Madge’s room and spent the rest of the day with her and the kids.  It was pretty much determined that her collapse was due to her allergies, asthma, and other oxygen issues.  Madge did not get released until Tuesday afternoon.  We are now home FOREVER THANKFUL for God’s wonderful presence, power and glory through all of this.  He is our Healer, Sustainer, Friend and Savior.

Thank GOD for the doctors, nurses, aids, housekeeping, and all who were there in our time of need.  May God richly bless you all.

-tim

Refreshing Rains Have Come

I guess you could say that it is that time of year for rains to come.  Nothing, however, is for certain here in the Southwest Missouri Ozarks area.  We have, however, been blessed by God with some nice, easy rainfall.  Easy meaning there has not been a whole lot of runoff which would be filling creeks, and ponds; which we also need.

I finally got away from Flat Creek for a while  yesterday.  My wife and I went to the Queen City of the Ozarks – Springfield, Missouri for two of our grand children’s Birthday parties.  Jonathan, our oldest grandson turned 14; and Caitlyn is about 9, I think.  Of my grandkids ages I am not real certain with some of them.  I mean when you have been blessed with 12 of them… you know what I mean.

Anyway, it is good to get the rain.  We were driving down Interstate 44 yesterday as it was coming down pretty good there.  I am thankful for the rain.  There is more on the way.

-tim

The Hot of Summer

Now, with most of the country at or near drought conditions it is amazing that anything grows.  It is, however, good to see that even weeds; at least some of them; even struggle during these hot, dry periods.  It is a wonderful thing to have air conditioning in your home.

Last weekend, our family [Madge’s and mine] had our annual family get together – I guess you could call it a “Family reunion” – but that does not seem quite right for us, since we see one another quite often.  It seems to me a Family reunion is when the family comes together, after having  not seen one another for a year or so.  Our family seems to get together often.

From July 6 -8 we were on our way to our son Philip’s and Sarah Joyce’s  home in Booneville, AR. for the gathering on the 6th; eating, activitying various things, like Frisbee golf, swimming at the city pool, and bunches of other things; going to church on Sunday, and coming home.  We had a good time with Philip and Sarah Joyce, their three daughters; and our other kids, their spouses, and the other nine grand kids.

When I arrived back home my wife packed me up and marched me out the door :), for Children’s Camp at Baptist Hill, near Mount Vernon, MO.  We always try to get there the night before camp starts, so we can have all the kitchen supplies, food stuffs in order.  It is quite an experience preparing food for nearly 200 children and workers at camp.  Try cracking 35 dozen eggs for scrambling; and watch the guy, pour 2.5 dozen eggs into a cast iron skillet and cook them.  Actually it was two cast iron skillets he kept going while Jerry and me were cracking them.  Preparing gravy for that number was my responsibility, and I goofed up one meal; but all worked out fine; and with a few compliments on how good the gravy was.  That first time was for the evening meal of ham, mashed potatoes and gravy.  the second time was for breakfast biscuits and gravy and that evening was fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy.  I also helped with the potatoes.  It was a time saver to use packaged dried potatoes.  They were “real potatoes”, and tasted quite good.

It is good to be home.  It is a blessing to be able to serve the kids of camp, and have fellowship with some fine people around the area who are devoted Christian people.

The Summer is hot.  Thank the good Lord for the cool spots, and the rain we have received.

Now back along the banks of Flat Creek for awhile.

-Tim

More Trees and Some Rain

For an early Father’s Day gift my son Timothy and his wife Sarah and their children, Naomi, Josiah, Eli, and Lydia got me three new trees to plant.  They brought them down to me on Saturday.  Timothy helped me plant them.  One is a Tulip tree, one is a Red bud, and the other is a Crape Myrtle.

I had watered them this morning; pretty early, a little while before the sun rose over the hill to the East of our house.  After breakfast I went and built some fence to keep cattle from coming in through out back yard.  When I finished that I came to the house and cooled off, sat on the front porch, feeling the coolness of the cloud cover moving in, with some wind.

After I came in the rain came, and it fell rather heavily, and for a period of thirty minutes or more.  It slacked off a bit, but as I write it started pouring again.  Praise the LORD for the rain.

-Tim

The Creek is Still Rolling

Flat Creek is still rolling and so am I.  I have even continued to keep up my journal since the end of August.  I think I have missed one day.  I cannot say that it would not bore you to tears, or put you to sleep though.  My journal writing is usually only about one hand written page each day.  I tell the temp outside; what my daily Bible reading is, the scheduled reading I give our church, and what verses I will possibly post on the church blog.

The six puppies are really growing.  They will be six weeks old Sunday/Monday [December 4&5].  One of the males I have called “Butch”.  He acts like Butch; the one I had to put down the other day.  He comes wagging his little tail; of course the other five do as well, but he does it in a different way; looking a small bit like Butch, yet much smaller.  He even almost appears to be the runt of the litter.

I have one of the females named “Spot” because she is black and white with a black spot.  One is named “Fuzzy”, because her hair stands out fuzzier than the others.  One of the males I call “Spoiled”, because he likes to be cuddled; and just soaks it up.  I am trying not to get too attached to them. 🙂

They would be free to a good home.  They would make a good Christmas gift for your children or grand children; even great grand children.  Maybe even someone you do not like?  Just a thought.

Email me if you are interested; and I will get back with you.

t.a.blankenship@gmail.com

Flat Creek is still rolling right along.  Just as it has for thousands of years; and will continue many more, as the Creator ordains it so.

-Tim