The Month of Thanksgiving – Fifteenth

On this the fifteenth day of November  2019 I am thankful for our fourth born child, our second son Philip.

Philip was born in  Springfield as was the first and the third child.  He is married to  lovely young woman name of Sarah Joyce; and they have three beautiful daughters. They live in the State of Arkansas, the town of Booneville.

He is the pastor of at least one church, and has his own business as a financial adviser. He loves God in His Son Jesus Christ, His wife, and their three daughters.

So Lord, I do thank You for giving him to Madge and I, and thank You for the great things he has brought into our lives.

Thankful from the banks of Flat Creek,

`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

Feeling the Heat?

There have been record setting temps, or near record breaking temps for the past 15 days or so; and it does not look like it is going to cool down for at least another week at least.  I told my wife, Madge, yesterday, “I thought we left the desert in California when we moved back here twelve years ago.”

The way our grass looks is dead, not dormant like it gets in the Winter months, but dead.  I am working on getting us an irrigation system of sorts, so we can use the Creek, and get some things growing and green again.  I found a shallow well pump on Craig’s List last week, drove to Springfield, and bought it fairly reasonable; at least I think so.  Now I need the pipe for the syphon end of the pump, then electric wire to reach, and water line to get to the sprinklers.

Anyway to the topic I started.  For the past two days it has been 114 degrees at our house.  That is right: 114 degrees.  That is pretty near desert temps.  Last year we had one day that reached that temp, but this is twice that.  Though I like the heat of Summer much better than the cold of Winter; I think I could stand a bit of a cool down; and much rain.

It will rain one of these days, and we will get so much many will be asking, “When is it going to stop?”  Looking forward to the rain coming.

Hope everyone stays cool, safe and healthy.

-tim

Marriage of a Country Boy and a City Girl

In 1973 a young, teenage country, dairy farmer boy was in love with a beautiful city girl.  The country boy would drive 55 miles every weekend to spend time with her, and stayed the weekend with his cousins who lived a short distance away, so they could go to church together.  It all began in 1972 right after this country boy graduated from High school, and had returned from a trip to Florida with three friends.

She was only fifteen when they started dating, but shortly thereafter turned sixteen.  The country boy was just seventeen, out of school, and no intentions of going on.  Without making the story too long; he proposed to her in December of 1972, and they determined to wait until she graduated from High school.  That, however, was not how it turned out.  They wanted to be together so much that they moved the date up to July of 1973, and married on July 28, 1973.

The wedding took place at Dale Street Baptist Church in Springfield, MO.  After five children, and now having 12 grand children [two with Jesus in Heaven] we have been married for a blessed 38 years.  That country boy and city girl of course is Madge and I.  Secret exposed :).

How things have changed in those 38 years.  More couples living together without marriage. They will say things like, “Marriage is only a piece of paper.” or “If we aren’t married then we won’t have to go through all the legalities of divorce when it happens.”  As for the first one it’s much more than a piece of paper; it is a bound, a commitment to one another.  It is held together by much more than a piece of paper or law; it is held together by genuine love, no lust, but love.

Genuine love is much more than “feeling” it is a decision you make when you get up every morning.  I am going to love her/him today, no matter what.  I am going to demonstrate that love, no matter what.  One doing something for the other without expecting anything in return.  Genuine love is a God-like love; sacrificial.  Loving even when the other may show hate.

Madge and I have had our ups and downs, however, for my part it has been thoroughly worth it.  I have learned more about God’s love for me, and for all by our marriage.

As for the second part of what I wrote above;  You have no love, just lust, and it will not last.  You cheapen yourself, you cheapen one another to nothing more than a source of your pleasure.  Most of all you cheapen marriage.  O yeah!  Marriage is between a man [one man] and a woman [one woman].  Faithfulness to one another is a blessing and not a curse.

From the banks of Flat Creek; Happy Anniversary Madge.  I love you today and always.

-Tim

A Nice Little Shower

As I write this morning a little rain shower is bringing some much needed water to our soil, grass and garden.  It’s probably not a whole lot as of yet, but much appreciated.

The clouds are keeping things cool for a while longer.  The sun has risen, but is out of view behind the clouds.  Looking at the grass it almost looks greener already.  Of course, that means mowing will be coming up soon. Of course I haven’t mowed my yard in nearly a month; and it needs it.  It looks scraggly and dusty.

Yesterday afternoon our outdoor thermometer was showing 126 degrees with the sunlight hitting it; and when you were in the sun it felt every bit of it too.

I still like Summer.  Its heat can be deadly if we don’t take precautions such as drinking a lot of water, not overdoing ourselves in outdoor activities – whether it’s work or play.  What ever you do never leave your children or any disabled person in the car.  It gets hot enough inside a car to bake cookies.  I saw a news report where a man did just that in Springfield, MO. yesterday afternoon.

Thank the LORD for the rain shower we’re getting now; and for the ones to come.

We need them on the banks of Flat Creek, and every where else.

-Tim