Mothers

I have been thinking this week about Mother's Day and the beautiful title we bestow on many women called "Mother." Many women have the title but not all are worthy of the title. This title is one that is revered and is sacred. The one who bears this title is one who is loving, selfless and dedicated to those under her care. If you need to see a better definition you will not find it in some dictionary. First, you can find it at Clay Street in Frankfort, Indiana. Daily you will find a young lady pour out her love for two little boys and her husband. She gives, loves and dedicates her entire being to the well-being of her family. She is willing to stay up late, get up early and do anything and everything that needs to be done for her family (and anyone else). Secondly, if this is a little to far for you to travel you can go to Adkins Street in Columbus, Indiana. You will find a little lady who is starting to grey. The grey is due to the fact that she has been a mother for over forty years. This little lady has given all she has for her family. She has never asked for anything but that her family is safe. This little lady taught me and loved me and believed in me when no one else did.

These two wonderfully loving women are the true epitome of motherhood. Thank Angie and thank you Mom for being the two most wonderful women and mother's in the world!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

I Am Alive

After seeing some dear friends at IHC and hearing how long it has been since I have posted I decided to take a moment and post.

So here I am...what should I say?????

Please send me your thoughts on subjects you would like to hear from me!!!!

Patience.... They Say Is A Virtue

I have heard that patience is a virtue and all I have to say (or pray) is "Lord help me and help me right now!"

This past week I was traveling someplace and I had both of the boys with me. I just happened to get behind a really poky person. I know that most of you will be surprised but I became very impatient. I began to groan and complain and say things like "Oh, come on. I don't have all day" and "Get out of my way!" Suddenly a little (3) year old boy in the back seat chirped up and asked "Whatz wong daddy?" I explained to this little bundle of questions that there was people in my way. Then out of the blue a little boy began yelling "Get out of my daddy's way people!!!!"

Oooops!!!!

You see I hate when people are poky and don't meet my expectations. Just ask my wife and kids...they would tell you that my patience is very short. I hate for things to slow me down or interupt my plans. Do you want to know what sends me over the edge...being late or thinking that I will be late. Now for the most part I think that I am an easy person....with the exception for those little interruptions in life.

And then it happened..........

This weekend we went to the Mark Lowery concert. It has been a long time since I have laughed as hard as I laughed that night. I think that I made an idiot of myself several times. You know that when you draw the attention of people several rows away with your laughter that there is a problem.

Then it happened right there in that large auditorium. God spoke to me in one of the most powerful ways. It was one of those times when you are sure that there must be horns and whistles going off and everyone in the crowd knows that what was just said was for you. It was like I was hit with a ton of bricks. It was like that moment in time was for no one else but for me. "What was it" you might be asking yourself.

Mark was talking about how he had traveled with the Gaither Vocal Band for years. He told how one day he asked Gloria Gaither what God had been showing her recently. Gloria told Mark that God was showing her that more often we can find God in the interruptions of our life more than He can be found in our plans. Mark said that Gloria went on to tell of a time when her son was about (4) years old and she was doing dishes. He said that Gloria told him that she was so focused and just wanted to get the dished done. The little boy began to beg her to come with him...he wanted to show her something. Finally, she said that she relented and followed her little boy outside all the while just wanting to finish the dishes. As she followed her little boy he lead her outside and there before her was the most beautiful sunset that she had ever seen in her life. Gloria went on to say that the thought struck her that she almost missed sharing the most beautiful sunset with her (4) year old little boy for some dirty dishes. She was interupted and what a wonderful blessing God had for her.

Wow!!!!

This began to make me stop and think about the interruptions in my own personal life. How often has God just been trying to get my attention because I had left him out of my plans? How many times have I missed God and God's lessons because even in the interruptions I don't take the time to learn what God is trying to teach and show me? How do I view the interruptions in my life... annoying, nuisances or just plan obstacles? I guess right there in the middle of that auditorium I saw that I to often have classified God's interruptions as annoying, as nusiance and as obstacles. God forgive me for my lack of patience when all you were trying to do is to teach me to know you.

I challenge you to look this next week at your life or those in the Bible who experienced some interuptions. Is it just an annoying moment in time or is it God trying to talk and teach you something special....just for you?

Will I still get frustrated at poky drivers...you bet. Will it send me over the edge when I think I am late...most definitely. Yet I think that I just might stop for the moment and think "Lord, what are you trying to show me." I know that I did not do justice to this post and explaining what God is trying to teach me. I hope that some how God can take these meager words and use them to help you see that the interruptions of life are some of our greatest moments and blessings.

Happy Birthday To My Beautiful Wife

Ladies and Gentlemen

Please join me in wishing my wife a Happy Birthday. I will let you all guess at her true age!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE!!!

The Truth

Ladies and gentlemen who read this blog (all 2 of you). I am taking just a few minutes to tell the truth and to tell the "Rest of the Story." As many of you know this weekend the Davis family traveled to Columbus to celebrate Bro Bob Thompson's 40 years of dedicated service as the pastor at Bethel Holiness Church. I must confess that at times I felt overwhelmed by being back in the church where it all started spiritually for me. To be there once again with people who I grew up around and love and have the highest respect for as both mentors and as friends. People like Sis Amour, Bobbie and Wanda Greathouse, Dottie Roth, Bro and Sis Hight, Sonji Osborn, Janie Wetheral, Harold and Annette Killinger, Chuck and Mary Jane McGuire, Bro and Sis Vernon Shockley, Jay and Brenda Pitcher and of course Bro and Sis Bob Thompson. I also enjoyed being there with some of the younger people (clear my throat) like Jonathan and Karen Walden, Paul Armour, Amy (?) Speers, Darin and Amy Shear, Randy and Missy Dunn and of course my beautiful young and attractive wife (that is Angie).

In the morning service Bro Avery did an outstanding job as he always does with his message. The afternoon meal was wonderful and the ladies of the church truly did a wonderful job.

Now there is rumor out in the blog world concerning one very distinguished visitor that I feel I must protect his honor. It has been mentioned on a certain blog that spreads false things that Bro Steve Hight was a frequent flier at the dessert table. I know for quite certain that this saintly man was not partaking in such false activities as are alleged on certain doodle blogs. This saintly man was deep in prayer and how do I know you ask...because he was standing next to me. This man prayed like no man has ever prayed in a fellowship hall....God bless his dear soul. My prayers are for that wicked, worldly blog site that spreads false accusations on godly people such as Bro Hight. Speaking of spreading false things and worldly doodling blog sites.....Another false rumor being spread is about another godly man....Jonathan Walden. This dear man worked so hard on the afternoon service and what did he get for all his hard work....phewwwww. People criticizing all the time and energy that Jonathan put into putting together this wonderful program. People then making fun of his ability to inject humor into the service by staging a time where a made light of the fact that someone snuck in and changed his pages....I think that I heard some snickering coming from the back of the church from someone in black and hot pink suit....that evil person I have a feeling works with that evil doodle blog person knocking down spiritual people that just try to do good. I peronally liked the page tearing effect it brought a sense of ..........turning a page in history..,.it was almost made me want to cry. Needless to say my dear friend Jonathan did an outstanding job and I personally think that his mother-in-law (Shelia Thompson) also did an outstanding job with her part of the day. Over all the weekend was a great success and when I finally hit 40 years of service I hope that Bro Hight and Jonathan are there for me...because I know that after a couple of people read this they will be doing my eulogy. And folks that is the "Rest of the Story."

Summer Part 2

Part 2 of a very busy summer was this...whenever a certain blond would head to take a shower (by herself, locked away for a couple of hours...or at least it seems like it) a certain little boy would starting crying hysterically for no reason. The first time I was completely caught off guard. We were at Rock Lake camp and I was in our room with the boys while Ang was in the shower. Kent started to cry inconsolably. Now this was not just a tired cry or I want your attention cry. This was a true cry that started just out of the blue. While I picked him up to console this crying child I soon learned what was disturbing his little world. You see what was disturbing his little world was soon disturbing my world. For I had a little boy barfing a puddle or more like a little lake in my lap. Of course I yelled for Connor to go get his mother but there was no way he was going to go to the women's bathroom...and there I sat trying to calm a barfing child and to sop up little Lake Michigan on my lap. The only consolation that I got out of any of this was the waves that crashed off my lap splashed onto a certain blond's side of the bed. You see when she returned she had very little sympathy for what I had to endure. A couple of weeks later while we were in Kingston at her cousin Joe's house my wife once again left for her shower. I was again left with both boys and again Kent out of the blue started crying hysterically. This time I knew what was coming and that I did not have much time. Like any great Olympian doing the hurdling I quickly leaped over bed and suitcases and grabbed up the crying child. Realizing that I had nothing to catch what I knew was soon to be erupting and that we had to sleep in this room I did what I had to do. I turned the child toward me put my knees together and prepared myself for what was coming........and like Old Faithful it came. Again I found another Great Lake on my lap and once again a wife who was less than sympathetic to my situation. From that point forward I refused to let her take a shower and if she did she had to take Mr Barfy with her. And I thought that vacations were suppose to be fun and relaxing.

Our Summer: Part 1

As I prepare to start school for the fall tomorrow I thought that if I was to tell the Rest of the Story I better do it sooner rather than later. Actually there is so much to tell that I thought that I would break it up in different parts. I felt that I need to start this entire series with a question that I have spent a lot of time thinking about this summer. This post just to warn you will be serious and the funny ones will follow. This summer has been busier than most summer due to many factors. Such things as my brother's death got our summer off to a rocky start, the number of camps and VBS's were more than most years, and the increase in responsibilities of my new job causes a different set of stresses. But the thought here at the end of a very exhausted summer has been "Is it really worth it?" Is doing all these camps and VBS's worth the exhaustion, fatigue, the money, the time..is it really worth it. Please bare with me for just a few moments.

Over the last several months the Davis family has travels thousands of miles in a summer when gas prices were sky rocketing. we have ate at every Mcdonald's, Burger King in North America (this too is not cheap). We have spent countless hours in a confined space called a vehicle with two adults, two children and one useless computer (I will explain my thoughts in a moment). While many of our friends and family spent fun filled vacations in Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee and other exciting places we were in church basements, schools, and camps. There were no four star hotels for this family.......we rushed to get hot showers at camp and was awakened by the melodic sounds of fire alarms. We were not lulled to relaxation by the sounds of waves crashing onto the beach but by the sounds of two certain little boys asking "Are we almost there?" "I have to P*#!!" and from my other passenger who is not a little boy but a big girl " You better stop soon because I have to go to the bathroom." Is it really worth giving up over three weeks of vacation to do what most people run from and call us crazy and tell us we need to get our heads examined? Is it worth sitting night after night in a hot sweaty tabernacle and be flocked by hot, sweaty children covered in dirt and candy day after day and night after night? Is it worth being tired and worn out and getting excited to return to work for some rest (now that is pathetic)? Is it worth living out of a suitcase for days upon end and corralling kids yours and other for hours and hours? Is it worth singing "God's not dead" till you feel like you your self are about to die? Is it really worth it I have asked my self?

The answer comes from a tired and worn out soul. Out of exhaustion my answer is yes. I know that there will be those who go back to the "are you crazy" and "you need to get your head examined."

There is no price to put on a child's smile and a sticky hug from an innocent child you have just ministered too. There are no words in the human language that can describe the love and the joy I receive when I can share with kids that God Loves Them just the way they are and that they are special to God. You can take your fancy vacations to exotic places because my boys are spending time with some of the godliest people in the conservative holiness movement. They are making memories and friendships that money could ever buy. These are things that I never had growing up. I may not have stayed in four star hotels but we have shared our time with family and friends. We have been treated better and feed better than any four star hotel could ever treat the best patron. We have shared meals and lots of laughter and have stayed in the homes of people we love and respect.....again better than any four star hotel. I think of the time (although at times frustrating) that we have spent together as a family...in the car, in McDonald's and yes even in a grave yard at one point (another story to tell)...all of these special because we were together as a family. Laughing together when Kent shouts "we eat at cheeze a wheeze" that is chuckie cheese or at Connor and one of his funny antics. So you ask me is it really worth it? A million times over I'll say YES!!!!!