It's On My Mind

March 9, 2020 (Monday)
Continue reading “Quarantine”

March 8, 2020 (Sunday)

Today I will preach at Bethel Baptist Church in Ingleside as supply preacher in the absence of their new pastor, Brandon Galbreath. His first Sunday was on January 19th. As soon as he became the pastor, I began attending First Baptist Church, Rockport, as a member in the pew. I think I have finally retired.

Before becoming pastor at First Baptist Church, Rockport, I was pastor or staff member of six Texas churches over a period of 14 years. I
served as pastor in Rockport for 31 years. I retired from that church 24 years ago. Since retirement from Rockport, I have supplied the pulpit in several churches, been interim pastor or pastor nine times in four churches. During those times, I conducted 288 funerals and 36 weddings.

A few weeks ago, at the age of 88, I finally retired for good. I thank the Lord for giving me opportunities of Christian service for an additional quarter century beyond retirement.

March 7, 2020 (Saturday)

Some movies, not based on fact but on imagination, teach a few things about God’s relationship to us humans that are worth noticing. The basis of one story is the experience of an ordinary man who hears God giving him instructions. There were several movies about the same general idea. In one of them, God puts a man in charge of a neighborhood. He takes the place of God (remember this is fantasy) and hears prayers.

Well, people have problems and they pray about them. The guy hears those prayers, but he is overwhelmed by the huge numbers of prayers and all he can hear is a jarring sound of discordant voices crying out for help. There are so many, many cries that the man cannot understand the words.

The movie makes the point that God hears all our prayers. A mere human taking his place in only a small neighborhood is overwhelmed by that, but God hears our prayers every minute of every day.

When I pray, I am confident that God hears me, but God hears the prayers of billions of human beings, all at the same time. He does not make us “wait our turn,” but places us at the head of the line, as it were, and hears us, dealing with us personally.

Made me think of a chorus, “God can do anything, anything anything; God can do anything but fail.” A similar song appears below.

They are just fantasy movies that got me to thinking, but some of the stuff surely is worth thinking about.

March 6, 2020 (Friday)

Today is an important day in Texas history. It is the anniversary of the battle of the Alamo. The army of General Santa Anna attacked the Texians for 13 days before breaking through and killing all but a handful of women and children who were sent to Sam Houston as a warning not to keep up the rebellion against Mexico.

The Alamo deaths were followed in a few weeks by a massacre of hundreds in Goliad, prompting cries of “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad” at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Santa Anna and his forces were defeated in that battle and the Republic of Texas won its independence.

Wanda’s Great Grand Uncle, Jonathan Lindley, one of the “Immortal 32” from Gonzales, died at the Alamo and her Great Great Grandfather, John Sadler, fought at San Jacinto.

The Alamo is maintained as a Texas shrine and is visited by more than 2.5 million people each year.

Here’s a picture of young turistas David, Danny and Debbie Fake, during the summer of 1962, I believe (58 years ago). Proud Papa was holding the camera, and Mama was back in the hotel in San Marcos because she was feeling ill that day. Dianna and Dwight had not yet arrived on the scene. Later that day, at Breckenridge Park, Danny was pushed into the San Antonio River by a mentally ill lady. He was not injured or harmed in the incident, but he had a story to tell his mother later.

Please view full screen:

March 5, 2020 (Thursday)