MARRIAGE IS MEANT TO BE FOR LIFE

MARRIAGE IS FOR LIFE

I was ironing a dress the other day and for every little wrinkle that I ironed out...about 5 more were ironed in!! I thought it was just me and a bad day to iron, but then I realized it was the material. It was just not good dress material.

 You know...marriage is like that. Some people are just not good marriage material.

 People though, unlike that dress material, can change. If you are planning to marry, make sure you are good marriage material and make sure the one you are marrying is also. If you find otherwise, postpone that wedding until you grow up, because divorce destroys homes, not just a relationship between two people.

I heard a sermon the other day (from one of my favorite people and my very favorite preacher) that compared a home to a garden. A home is where God intended for a family to be nurtured and in which little children grow up. Those little plants need tender care and attention to grow up as God intended.

 He said: "What if you had a beautiful garden and some one came across it with a bulldozer, and just plowed it up and crushed it down!" Divorce does that to homes and families. No wonder God said in Malachi that He hates divorce.
A family broken by natural sickness and death is left in better shape than one broken by divorce. My brother, sister and I were raised in this kind of home situation and I can tell you that as bad as death is, it is much kinder than a divorce in the home.

Malachi 2: 10-16 is very interesting. God tells why He instituted marriage: Because He was seeking Godly offspring.He is talking to Judah and telling them some of the mistakes they have made as His chosen nation and as individuals:

"Have we not all one Father ? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another? Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the LORD cut him off from the tents of Jacob —even though he brings offerings to the LORD Almighty." Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands."

"You ask, 'Why?' "

"It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant."

"Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth."

"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith."

 So if you are contemplating divorce in your life, please think again. Do everything possible to keep that from happening. Forgive, if that is necessary. Don't let pride keep you from asking for forgiveness if you are at fault. Especially if you have children, don't let this 'bulldozer' come rampaging across your family. 

©Edna L. Ingram

 

 

    

　

 

 

 

SELF-DENYING OR SELF-SEEKING

In Matthew 22:34-36, Jesus was asked a very simple but profound question concerning the Law; “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus gave a very simple but profound answer to the question in verses 37-40. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

Much could be said and volumes have been written concerning this statement by Jesus, but I would like to focus on two points.  First of all, Jesus did not give just the greatest commandment, he gave the two greatest commandments.

 

Secondly, Jesus says that the Law and the Prophets hang, not just on the greatest commandment, but on the two greatest commandments. Jesus indicates that these two commandments are inseparable and that one cannot make a legitimate claim to be obeying the first commandment if one is not making every effort to obey the second commandment.

 

The apostle, John makes this very clear as he writes in I John 4:20-21, If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.  

 

The love spoken of in Matthew 22 and I John 4 is “agape” love and the apostle, Paul gives the characteristics of this “agape” love in I Corinthians 13:4-8. Again, much could be said about each of these characteristics of agape love but I would like to bring your attention to the seventh characteristic which is listed in verse 5; it (love) is not self-seeking.

 

When we consider this characteristic of the love that God wants us to have for Him and for our neighbors it becomes obvious that to truly love God is to seek what pleases Him not what pleases me. To truly love my neighbor is to seek my neighbor’s good and well-being ahead of my own good and well-being.

 

Jesus makes this characteristic of love an imperative for discipleship. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus states, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself…”  Why is self-denial so important to discipleship? Because as long as we harbor a self-seeking attitude, we will never attain the “agape” love that fulfills the first and second greatest commandments from God.

 

As Christians, we should take an objective look at every word that we speak, every deed that we do and every decision that we make and ask ourselves the question, “Is this self-denying or is this self-seeking.

Wendell Ingram

A friend has this huge dog, named Brody, tied up in his yard. One day Brody was sound asleep and two little puppies were walking by and came up into his yard. My friend hollered "Brody!" and the huge dog woke up and started barking really loud.

 The two little dogs took off running as fast as their little legs could carry them. They didn't realize the big dog was tethered and couldn't get at them unless they got closer.

It made me think of Satan, and how he can't get at us either, unless we get too close and/or let him.

During New Testament times, when Jesus walked the earth, Satan and his demons could enter a person and dwell in them and cause great

suffering. Jesus healed many of the people during that time and cast out the demons. But since His church began, Satan has to have our permission to dwell in us, and many are willing to give him that permission.
Zechariah 13: 1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

DEER SEASON and...DEAR SEASON

 

Our son purchased a new deer rifle and when he got home and really got a good look at what he had bought...he discovered that it is a dangerous gun. The way he explained it, he could use the gun and it would be okay, because he is aware of the flaws and the way it is made.   But...he is thinking on down the line when his grandchild may want to go hunting with it and he may not be around to warn him about it.

 

He brought it by and showed it to his dad today, but he is taking it back to the store to get his money back...hopefully. His thinking of his future generations.... made me thing of King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20, who was not thinking of his.

 

King Hezekiah was a good king. Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king of Judah and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. Here is what the Bible says about him in Chapter 18: "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, because the Israelites had been worshipping it and burning incense to it. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow Him........"

 

But...he let his pride get in his way later. He was so proud of the treasures in the temple that he showed them off to the messengers of the King of Babylon. Then Isaiah the prophet went to him and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?" "From a distant land, "Hezekiah replied,. "They came from Babylon." The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them."

 

Isaiah then told Hezekiah what the Lord had said. "The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."

 

Do you think Hezekiah was upset because of this? It didn't sound like it. He said, "The word of the Lord you have spoken is good," Because he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?" How sad...coming from such a great king of Judah.

 

You can read all about Hezekiah's reign from 2 Kings 18 through chapter 20. It is very interesting! Good King Hezekiah shows how we can walk with God...and still displease Him at times too. It calls for careful thinking on our part.

 

Thank you Wendell, and Kathy too, for thinking of our future generations with the situation of the gun...and also much more important stuff! DEER SEASON comes once a year for a few weeks...but DEAR SEASON is always open.

 

 

FOOTSTEPS

As we trace the steps of Jesus,
May ours also be so plain;
'Cause the little ones who follow...
May be walking in the rain.

For the world will cast its shadow
As they walk along the Way;...
Like it did upon our Savior
On that dark and hateful day.

For that day to Him was grievous,
Plain to all who were there to see;
But that day turned in all glorious...
For the likes of you and me.
©Edna L. Ingram

COMMITMENT IN MARRIAGE. By Wendell Ingram

My favorite picture of Wendell & Kathy.

 

 

COMMITMENT IN MARRIAGE

 

There was a couple who had two little children. They lived on a farm and it was in the early 1900's. She usually didn't go to town with him on Saturday afternoons, because of having to get the two little ones ready and it was not an easy chore keeping up with them while they were in town, and buying what they needed. So most of the time her husband went alone and did the shopping.

 

One Saturday afternoon when he went to do the shopping, he came back later that night, and then every Saturday he came back later and later.

 

One of her neighbors told her one day that he was going to the dances and dancing with a lot of the young women there. This young wife and mother didn't know what to do about it and her neighbor told her to get herself fixed up and when he came in from the field to be ready to go to town with him.

 

She said that she couldn't...she had those two little children to take care of. The neighbor pleaded with her to let her come get them and keep them that night. So that is what she decided to do.

 

The next Saturday when her husband came in from work at noon, she had his lunch all fixed and she was dressed to go. He asked her what she was dressed up for. She said, "I'm going to town with you today."

He said, "You can't...What about the babies?" She said, "Our neighbor is taking care of them all night." He got really mad.

She said, "I know you have been going to the dances and I am going to go to the dance with you."

 

Her husband said, "Wouldn't you be a pretty thing to take to a dance?"

Can't you just imagine that remark felt like a knife cutting through her heart?

She swallowed her pride and the lump in her throat and said, "I'm just as pretty as the day you married me...and if you are going to the dance, I am going with you."

 

He just went back outside and harnessed up the team and went back to the field. He never went to the dances again.

 

They stayed married and raised those two children plus they had 6 more children. They all married and raised families of their own and stayed together. None of their 8 children were ever divorced. Most now have grown old and passed away.

 

Now, can you just imagine what would have happened if this woman had let her pride hurt her enough to end their marriage. How many lives would have been changed? Commitment in marriage meant something to her. It needs to mean something to us today.

 

This lady was 90 years old when she related this story to us. I thought she was just telling this for her own benefit...maybe she was still hurting from it, but I realized later that she didn't tell it for her own benefit. She told it for the sake of myself and my wife.  We had at that time, just recently married and she wanted us to know the meaning of commitment in a marriage.   

 By Wendell Ingram 

HOW I MET BOBBY

 



The year was 1955, the middle of May…the morning of our high school class trip. My best friend, Melba Ingram had her brother bring her to my grandma’s house. He had just come home from serving our country in the US army. My grandmother lived across the street from the school building and we were supposed to be on the school bus by 7:30 a.m.

 

That was the first time I had met Bobby, and it was only for a few seconds…long enough for Melba to introduce us and get her stuff out of the car. Melba’s birthday was later that week and Bobby told her that he would take her and a girlfriend to the movies for her birthday…if he could choose the girl friend. She said ok…and that was the beginning of our ‘friendship.’ That ‘movie night’ Bobby asked me for a ” real” date.

We were engaged three months later, on Bobby's birthday August 20, 1955... and in another three months we were married. This next November we will have been married 58 years! It seems like such a short time. I’d opt for 58 more if it were possible.

Another part of this saga.  Exactly one year earlier, on the last day of school, one of Bobby’s friends that wrote to him while he was in the army had just gotten married and she brought his picture and gave it to back to his sister, Melba. Melba asked me if I wanted it.  I thought that was kind of strange…since I didn’t know him… but he was just sooooo handsome, so I told her yes.  The picture above is the one she gave me.  I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get to date him…much less marry him!  This was about a year before I met him. I took it home and put it on a table in our living room.

When Bobby came and picked me up for our first date… he was very surprised that I had a picture of him on my little table!  It had been right there for a year.  I hadn’t even thought of it that night. So I explained to him why I had it. Happy and funny memories! We laughed about this last night…again! I kept this picture until we married and then his mother wanted to trade me an 8 X 10 for the 5X7…because she didn’t have a frame to fit the larger one.
 
"Now…many happy years and two children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren later …life is still wonderful!  By God's wondrous grace and His guidance and providence, we are where we are today!

Late Note of August 2013: When Bobby was in from the army, there was farm land with two houses for sale about 15 miles South and he wanted to go look at it. His dad told him he needed to go to Ada first, so Bobby took him to Ada. When they finally got to go look at the farm, another man and his wife were there looking too…and they purchased it. 

So…if Bobby’s dad hadn’t needed to go to Ada that day…I might never have met Bobby. He would probably have bought that farm and moved over there and worked it…so thank you Grandpa Grady Ingram for that. Bobby didn’t need to farm anyway. He needed to be a barber.  His career was also by God's grace because he was always available to his children whether at work or at home.

 

Picture courtesy of Lois Stone

 

 

Just a glimpse in the night

While the moon’s shining bright,

Brings me thoughts of the ones up above.

They have fought the good fight

Standing up for the right....

And they did it because of His love.

©Edna L. Ingram, 08/2013
 



VACATION 2013

 

 

Vacationing with Wendell and Kathy is so much fun!  I hate to tell this on me and Kathy but it is too funny to keep to ourselves:

We spent 3 nights, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in Springfield, to spend time with Angela and then left for St Louis early Monday morning.  Getting there, we looked for a motel first thing and Wendell went in to one to get the price and info on it and in the meantime, Kathy is looking on the internet at a site where you can get it cheaper. She found that same motel and it was $40 something per night.  Wendell came back out and of course it was $60  coming in right off the street.

 Kathy had planned on going in and renting and leaving Wendell outside, cause they would recognize him.

We discussed it a bit and then decided to just go look at another one.  Kathy and I went in this time.  She went with the guy to look at a room while I waited…cause it was downhill and I don’t walk too well going down hill.     Well they came back and she said the room was fine, so we told him we’d take them for 2 nights. 

We paid with our credit cards and went back to the car to tell the guys.  The first thing they asked when we told them we rented them, was:  “How much are they?”

Kathy and I just looked at each other.  We had forgotten to ask.  lol lol   So….we looked at our receipt…and they were about 67.00 each.  It was soooo hard to believe that we hadn’t thought to ask the price…especially Kathy, since that was the big deal on the other one.

Here is Wendell’s made up conversation that we had with the motel manager:  “How much for a room?   No, we won’t take it for that.  Charge a little more and we’ll take it.”
Anyway we all had a good laugh…not to be our last one on that trip either.





 

During my lifetime at certain points I tended to read certain Scriptures and not think too much about them, but at the various seasons of life, some tend to have very special meaning. Here are my favorites for the seasons of my life.  Precious Promises!

1. Early Spring of Life:
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2. Late Spring of Life:
When we first learned and obeyed the gospel…(About 11:00 one night back in 1956)   Luke 1:32-33: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” My overall favorite!

3. Summer of Life:
When our children were growing up: Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

4. Autumn of Life:
Romans 8:37-39 “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

5. Winter of Life:  (Favorite at this point in time.)
2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
©Edna L. Ingram

Have you ever eaten an icicle when you were a child?  We did.  We broke them off the house and enjoyed eating them when they are clear as crystal.  Sometimes though, they had been made with muddy water, like forming off the running boards of cars, and muddy ones are not very good to eat.

 

Kenny Ray had a devo tonight about icicles and built his devotional around how icicles AND how our influence is built drop by drop...a little at a time.

 

I also want to consider influence and how it affects our little ones day by day and drop by drop...as they are growing up.  It takes approximately 18 years to form a child into an adult person...and each day we are either a good influence on them or a bad influence. 

 

Day by day and drop by drop, we are either influencing them to be good moral people and faithful followers of God or we are just letting any kind of environment form them.  It happens gradually...whether we are doing a good job or a bad one for them...so gradually that we may not see the evidence until it is too late.  We need to be thoughtful and caring parents in order to form them into what God wants.   ©Edna L. Ingram

 

 

AN AMAZING LOVE LETTER

If someone loved you dearly...and wrote you a long, long love letter, you would read it with great anticipation. You would read it over and over and over again and cherish every thought...every word.
 
NO! You would only do that if YOU loved the SENDER dearly!

It's been proven to be that way for a long, long time and still is proven today with what we call The Bible.

Cara Lynn's Calendar was full even after her illness began.



 Cara Lynn reading to Ang, Tiff (by her) and Daniel on our way to Branson, MO in 1988.

 

 



Cara Lynn's last professional picture she had made.

 

Cara Lynn and Wendell acting like the monkeys they were & taking their own picture.

 

 

Cara Lynn's Diary Calendar (1990)

 Front Page:

C ONCERNED

A BOUT

R EACHING

E VERYONE

 People we know who were mentioned on her calendar:  Coleen Hooper, Tony Lalli, Liz Denton, Angela, Tiffany, Daniel, Wendell & Kathy Ingram,  Stewart & Claudia Gillespie, Kay Neel, Michael Phelps, and Mike Kouba.

January 4:   Kathy’s birthday

January 5-22    (Incidentals)
January 23, 1990   (Ramona’s Shower ; Vicki’s birthday)
January 25    (Decorate tonight for Sweetheart Banquet)
January 26    (Sweetheart banquet for couples at Johnson Park church of Christ)
January 27,   Chili Cook off  6:30, Canyon, Texas.
Sunday,    February 4   (Teachers’ Meeting @ 2:30 p.m.
February 8    Devo at Liz’s
February 10,   Rebecca’s shower
February 11,    Combined youth reach
February 14,    Study with Laura
February 16, Friday:  Go home
February 24:  LCU  High school day
February 25: Special Sunday; fellowship dinner
February 27:   Dr Elston @ 4:15....dinner with Gillespies
February 28:  Dr Powell
March 3:  paint the room;  chili cook off at 5 p.m.
March 4:  Teachers’ Meeting
March 7:  Ladies Lunch at Pizza hut @ 12:30
March 10:   AIM students; Mom and Dad;   Youth Rally @ 3:00
March 16:  Kay Neel @ St Anthony’s Hospital
March 18:  Youth Reach
March 23:  Ski Retreat
March 28:  Stewart’s Class begins
March 29:  Tulsa Workshop; Vacation
April 3:        Leslie’s shower
April 7:   Boles Home Reunion; Bus meeting and wiener roast; knock doors for Amazing Grace.
April 8:    C A R E
April 13: Friday:   Go home; holiday
April 19:  Dr Baker, Diagnostic clinic @ 3:15  (The day we found out the seriousness of Cara Lynn's illness.)  Primary Pulmonary Hypertension.   Only cause known at that time was 'inherited'.  

April 20:  Mom’s birthday

April 21:  Teachers’ Workshop @ Gardner Street  cofC @ 8:30-400:  Mark and Colleen
April 28:  Door knocking @ 10:00 
April 29:  Worldwide day of prayer
April 30:  Dr Baker @ 3:45
May 2:   Bible study with T. J. @ 6:00 p.m.
May 6:   Amazing Grace @ San Jacinto cofC at Civic Center in Amarillo.
May 7:  Gospel meeting with Steve Flatt.
May 9:  Bible study with T. J.
May 10:         Michael’s ball game @ 6:00 p.m.   (Michael Phelps is the one who gave Cara Lynn his   first home-run baseball.  We still have that ball.  It was special to her.

May 15:    Michael’s ball game @ 6:00

May 17:    Dr’s apt @ 3:00 p.m.
May 18:    Michael’s ball game @ 8:00 p.m.
May 19:    9:30 Mrs. Dorsett’s
May 20:    CARE GROUPS
May 23:    Dr Polk, 9: a.m.
May 24:  Michael’s choir concert.
May 25:  Go home
May 28:  Singles Meeting @ 7 p.m.  (my note:  Cara Lynn’s birthday)
May 31:  Dr Baker @ 3:45   Michaels Game
June 2:    Go home.  Vacation.  Tony Lalli, gospel meeting at Tupelo. She made her     vacation special for this time of our gospel meeting.
June 8:  Back to Borger from vacation
June 9:  Vacation Bible School
June 13:  Charlie and Rebecca’s last day
June 21:  Summer youth Series:  leave at 5:45
June 22:  Call Dr Chamber at San Antonio.   Call Oak Crest Congregation.  Update resume.
July 2:  Dr Baker;  Tiffany’s Birthday; Ramona’s surgery
July 12: Vacation:   Wendell & Cara Lynn left for:
July 13.     Appt at San Antonio to discuss heart and lung transplant.  9:00 a.m.  
July 28:    Youth Rally
August 3:   Dr Baker 3:45
August 13:   Lisa’s shower @ 7:30 p.m.
August 15;   Stewart & Claudia’s anniversary
August 18:   Church Bus Meeting and breakfast@ 9:30
August 20:  Daddy’s birthday
August 22:  Dessert fellowship & pounding.   My note:  (Must have been for new minister, doesn't say.     
August 25:     TCC
August 28:   Rebecca
September 6:  Acapella @ Palo Duro
September 7:   Dr Baker @ 3:00 P>M>
September 9:  Sandwiches; Youth Reachers;  Care group at Liz’s
September 11:  Dr Baker @ 4:00 p.m.
September 13:   Wendell’s birthday
September 15:  Trash off; Men’s breakfast;  Joy bus door knocking;  Mom and Dad here.
September 18:  TRRC Seminar
September 19:  TRRC Seminar:  Brown bag lunch
September21:  Game at Clovis, N.M.
September 22:  Saturday  Ladies’ Day
September 24:   Angela Dawn’s birthday
October 2:        My Note:   Cara Lynn passed away about 9:30 p.m. at her apartment. 

Her calendar continues though.  

October 5:   Homecoming       (My note:  day of Cara Lynn’s funeral at Tupelo.  The one at Borger was  Thursday the 4^th.)

October 6:    Yvonne’s wedding
October 9:    Dr Baker @ 3:15
October 25:  flight to San Antonio @ 6:00 p.m. Arrive @ 9:45 p.m.
December 9:  Daniel’s Birthday
 No more entries    We still miss our sweet little girl but God saved her from a bunch of misery when he took her home that night.

 

 

 

 

Wilted flowers and wilted spiritual life....

 

I neglected all season to look out and see this crape myrtle  in full bloom on the other side of Gabby's pen …and now the flowers are withering and it is too late.  It shows to have more blooms than it has ever had.  How could I have not thought about it?  Even when I was outside on the porch, I didn’t think to look over a few yards and see this tree and its beauty.  Now it is too late.

 

There is something even more important that people neglect and that is their spiritual life and the spiritual lives of their offspring, until it is too late.   How tragic that is!  How can they not think about it? 

 

I will try to remember next year to enjoy this tree and all its beauty.  I look forward to it.  I also look forward to seeing my children, grandchildren and their offspring and all of our generations, on down to eternity…in heaven.  It can happen if none of us drop the ball. 

  

We MUST not drop the ball!

A CHASING AFTER THE WIND....

 

 

Solomon, by inspiration, paints a gruesome picture in the 4th and 5th chapters of Ecclesiastes, about how meaningless life here on earth is. Of course he is writing about the physical side of life.

God wants us to see and to understand that if we are not developing a firm spiritual life...then it is dismal indeed...even our whole existence and reason for being here on earth is being neglected by ourselves...and it becomes meaningless...a chasing after the wind.

He did not intend for it to be that way for us. Just as He has given us the means to sustain our physical existence...He has given us the means also, to develop and sustain our spiritual life through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

It would be good for us to not neglect it.

Spider Lilies

We trained these spider lillies to grow all around this tree. How did we do that? We planted them there. Will they ever move away? No...they will die someday, but as long as they live, those plants will be around that tree, unless someone digs them up and moves them.

If we plant our children around God and His Word...and train them properly there, that is where they will stay. There are some who... will want to move them away from that but, unlike these moveable flowers, if they are trained properly... they will have learned to love God so much, that they will not want to stray from Him.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 And the result is "....they WILL not depart from it." I'd rather have a "will not" than a 'can not" any day! I think God had too...that's why he didn't make us robots. He will not over-ride our free will, but it is the 'will' of our children that God wants us to train!

Little Rock Garden

Little Rock Garden



 

THE WINDS OF LIFE

 

While traveling down the road one day,
We saw a wondrous sight;
The wind was from the north that day,
And blowing with all its might!

But it didn’t phase those old elm trees
That grew along the road;
They still leaned toward the north
And kept their true abode.

Yes the north wind blew but it didn’t change
The form of those old trees;
Because they were already formed
By the regular southern breeze.

God, Who created your little one,
Has plans for your child’s life.
And no matter how well you do your job,
There will be winds of strife.

For Satan and his helpers
Will try to change his ways;
But if he is grounded in Jesus Christ,
You will have cause for praise.
So train your little one for God
And when life’s strong winds blow,
He will be formed as God desires
And his heart be white as snow.

Then when he grows up and leaves your side,
For sure will come the breeze;
But he’ll be grounded firm and strong
Just like those old elm trees!
© Edna L. Ingram



 

 

I Love This.

Bobby took a piece of wire and bent it to spell LOVE.  I LOVE this!

In The Beginning: God

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth..... 

 

Scientists, archeologists, astronomers and such like, try to educate us about the earth’s layers and the age of the fossils and such, but have you ever thought about where they learned what this terrestrial ball that we live on is called?

Just where did they learn that it is called ‘Earth’? The oldest and only authority in all the earth is God’s Word. The first 5 books of the Bible were penned by Moses and inspired by God Himself!

In Genesis, the land where He created and placed man, He named it ‘Earth’. Then man comes along later and deems himself so smart, he tries to tell us that the earth is older than it is.
He had to get the idea that it is called ‘Earth’ from the Bible. There is no other authority for it.

The smart men could also learn from the Bible, the approximate age of the earth if they would look up the generations and add them up. It isn’t too hard to do…and they would not come up with millions of years…not even hundreds of thousands of years. It is just a few thousand…not much over 6,000. But then they would be forced to admit there really is a God.
Strange indeed are the thoughts of men!