I have been working so many hours that I have not had a lot of time for keeping up on my postings. I have once again done more work on the church website. There is now an upcoming events page and a page of pictures from our first fifth Sunday. I have more plans for additional updates, and hope that they will be of interest to everyone.
I am going to be starting a series of posts about the songs of our heritage. I believe that it is an important topic that we neglect to our injury, but I will deal more with that at a later time. These will be songs that I can think of, and will include everything from hymns to regular gospel songs to influential choruses.
I have been taking in a bit of the news over the last several weeks. I was shocked to be proven wrong when Gov. Rick Perry joined the race just after the debate in Iowa. I was fairly sure that the field was firmly nailed down, and that people would be leaving. However, I was proven to be in error. This did shake up the field quite a bit, as did the departure of Gov. Tim Pawlenty. I still do not see Sarah Palin getting in the race, but it could yet happen. I believe that we still have a three way race between Romney, Perry, and Bachman, but with the moderators and the media focusing only on the first two, it will be more difficult for her to make her mark until the primaries begin or other candidates leave the race.
It is a facinating day in which we live. The PLO leader has petitioned the U.N. for recognition of statehood. There are many problems that accompany this request, not the least is the refusal of most Palestinians to acknowledge Israel's right to exist. Their children chant in the streets for the destruction of Israel. Their educational system does not show maps with Israel's borders but rather a united Palestine. Because of President Obama's refusal to project American power and determination, the rest of the world feels no qualm about curbing our participation in the region. Truly God is settting the stage for his soon return for His people and bringing time to its inevitable conclusion. Now is the day for us to get ourselves ready to meet Him.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Contemplations
I was reading the end of a biography of our Founding Fathers. (I do not always read books from front to back first.) As I finished, I was provoked to contemplate the legacies that we will leave behind us.
Some will build monuments for themselves, but these have a way of passing away and being forgotten. They end like the poem 'Ozymandias' by Percy Shelley. Their grand monuments fall and fade, and they are lost to the dust bin of history.
Then there are those who endeavor to build a legacy to pass down to their children. These are far fewer than the tyrants who heap unto themselves monuments in their pride and despair of death. These leave their marks on the nations that they have passed through. Lincoln, Washington, Adams, Roosevelt, and Reagan were all men of this quality. Such leave no monuments themselves, but others build them in their honor many years after they have departed. They give such an effect that for hundreds of years after they lived the ripples of their lives affect the currents of life for the world.
We then come to those who leave another legacy. These do not visibly affect their culture, their world, or any major figures of their times. Instead they pass on their teachings, lessons, and instruction to the next generation. They do not worry about any other form of a legacy. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, Barnabas, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Bro. G.T. Haywood, Bro. A.D. Urshan, etc. were such men. They did not appear to the world of their day to leave much of a legacy, but they passed their legacy, and their heirs became the great men who shook the world. Joseph ruled second to Pharoah in Egypt. Paul turned the Roman world on its head by starting churches that within 200 years would overturn the entire course of the empire. Aaron Burr, Vice-President under Thomas Jefferson (admittedly a controversial figure) was the grandson of Jonathan Edwards. Followers of John Wesley built the Methodist church, which for years dominated the American life by advocating a simple and holy lifestyle. Bro. Haywood gave support to men who would found an organization that would rapidly expand numerically beyond his in just a few short years after its creation, and Bro. A.D. Urshan was the father of the man who led that same organization for 23 years, the longest serving G.S. in the movements history.
I then considered, what are we going to leave to those who follow? Shall we raise monuments to ourselves and our greatness, or will we build something and leave it to the next generation? Will we give them the grounding to rise to those heights to which we are not able to reach? Are we going to give them the teachings that they will use to shape and shake the generations that follow long after we are gone?
In parting, if we are going to do any of this, we must act as Jesus once commanded Judas Iscariot, "That which you do, do quickly."
Some will build monuments for themselves, but these have a way of passing away and being forgotten. They end like the poem 'Ozymandias' by Percy Shelley. Their grand monuments fall and fade, and they are lost to the dust bin of history.
Then there are those who endeavor to build a legacy to pass down to their children. These are far fewer than the tyrants who heap unto themselves monuments in their pride and despair of death. These leave their marks on the nations that they have passed through. Lincoln, Washington, Adams, Roosevelt, and Reagan were all men of this quality. Such leave no monuments themselves, but others build them in their honor many years after they have departed. They give such an effect that for hundreds of years after they lived the ripples of their lives affect the currents of life for the world.
We then come to those who leave another legacy. These do not visibly affect their culture, their world, or any major figures of their times. Instead they pass on their teachings, lessons, and instruction to the next generation. They do not worry about any other form of a legacy. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, Barnabas, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Bro. G.T. Haywood, Bro. A.D. Urshan, etc. were such men. They did not appear to the world of their day to leave much of a legacy, but they passed their legacy, and their heirs became the great men who shook the world. Joseph ruled second to Pharoah in Egypt. Paul turned the Roman world on its head by starting churches that within 200 years would overturn the entire course of the empire. Aaron Burr, Vice-President under Thomas Jefferson (admittedly a controversial figure) was the grandson of Jonathan Edwards. Followers of John Wesley built the Methodist church, which for years dominated the American life by advocating a simple and holy lifestyle. Bro. Haywood gave support to men who would found an organization that would rapidly expand numerically beyond his in just a few short years after its creation, and Bro. A.D. Urshan was the father of the man who led that same organization for 23 years, the longest serving G.S. in the movements history.
I then considered, what are we going to leave to those who follow? Shall we raise monuments to ourselves and our greatness, or will we build something and leave it to the next generation? Will we give them the grounding to rise to those heights to which we are not able to reach? Are we going to give them the teachings that they will use to shape and shake the generations that follow long after we are gone?
In parting, if we are going to do any of this, we must act as Jesus once commanded Judas Iscariot, "That which you do, do quickly."
Friday, September 9, 2011
Catching everything up to date
I promised that I would bring bring this blog up to date. I am now going to do so. If I miss anything important, I slept through it. That is the reason, I slept right through it.
About two days after Phillip and Kat went back to Missouri, I bought a new car. I really wanted to wait a little longer, but it just did not work out that way. I knew I had to do it sooner or later, but I really was hoping to wait until next year, but it was not to be. However, God granted me a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. I only wanted a car with a functional CD player, and cruise control. God answered that prayer, and gave me power windows and locks, heated leather seats, and a sun roof. I have two cigarette lighter ports, a USB port, and a auxiliary port, and the capability to access satellite radio if I want to buy the service. I can also subscribe to OnStar, if I want. I did not ask for all of these things, but I new that I would like them in a car. God gave them too me, and I am so very grateful.
A few days after that, Mom, Dad, and I went to a Triumphant Quartet concert in Morrison. We had a wonderful time. There were a lot of laughs.
Then on 8-7-2011, I went to the Talbot Family Reunion. I enjoyed my time there, and saw a number of family members that I had not seen in a year or so. That is because we get together about once a year at the reunion. As that was a Sunday, I then left and went to church that night. When we let out, I went to see my Grandparents, Aunt Sandra, Uncle Ron, and my Cousins with their spouses and assorted offspring. I then went over to my parents house for a few hours, and then life returned back to its normal schedule.
I set up the church website, and am maintaining it as best as I can. I have it pretty well set up, but there are a few things that I still want to try with it. Of course, it will need constant upkeep, but that is the easy part. The website for the church is www.fountainoftruth.org. I will of course be working on it often.
Well, that is all that I can think of for now. I will be posting again soon. Until then God bless and keep you.
About two days after Phillip and Kat went back to Missouri, I bought a new car. I really wanted to wait a little longer, but it just did not work out that way. I knew I had to do it sooner or later, but I really was hoping to wait until next year, but it was not to be. However, God granted me a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. I only wanted a car with a functional CD player, and cruise control. God answered that prayer, and gave me power windows and locks, heated leather seats, and a sun roof. I have two cigarette lighter ports, a USB port, and a auxiliary port, and the capability to access satellite radio if I want to buy the service. I can also subscribe to OnStar, if I want. I did not ask for all of these things, but I new that I would like them in a car. God gave them too me, and I am so very grateful.
A few days after that, Mom, Dad, and I went to a Triumphant Quartet concert in Morrison. We had a wonderful time. There were a lot of laughs.
Then on 8-7-2011, I went to the Talbot Family Reunion. I enjoyed my time there, and saw a number of family members that I had not seen in a year or so. That is because we get together about once a year at the reunion. As that was a Sunday, I then left and went to church that night. When we let out, I went to see my Grandparents, Aunt Sandra, Uncle Ron, and my Cousins with their spouses and assorted offspring. I then went over to my parents house for a few hours, and then life returned back to its normal schedule.
I set up the church website, and am maintaining it as best as I can. I have it pretty well set up, but there are a few things that I still want to try with it. Of course, it will need constant upkeep, but that is the easy part. The website for the church is www.fountainoftruth.org. I will of course be working on it often.
Well, that is all that I can think of for now. I will be posting again soon. Until then God bless and keep you.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
My Promise Part 3: Fifth Sunday
It is now time to bring this narrative to its inevitable close.
Sunday 7-31-2011 was the first fifth Sunday at Fountain of Truth Church. We started service at 10:00 as we always do, but my Phillip delivered the message that morning. We had a couple who had never been to our church before, and the Spirit moved in a very sweet way. After service, we adjourned to the parsonage for food, games, and fellowship. My brother, sisters-in-law, Nick, and I went over to the parsonage first to prepare the tables and set up. After a short time, our pastor and wife, and Phillip joined us and started preparing the grill for the hamburgers and hot dogs.
There was a very careful watch kept over the most valuable table at the parsonage.
Sunday 7-31-2011 was the first fifth Sunday at Fountain of Truth Church. We started service at 10:00 as we always do, but my Phillip delivered the message that morning. We had a couple who had never been to our church before, and the Spirit moved in a very sweet way. After service, we adjourned to the parsonage for food, games, and fellowship. My brother, sisters-in-law, Nick, and I went over to the parsonage first to prepare the tables and set up. After a short time, our pastor and wife, and Phillip joined us and started preparing the grill for the hamburgers and hot dogs.
The food is on the grill and fixing to come off. It was good.
More hovering around the food waiting for the main course.
Rearranging the layout of the items on the food table (Nick got an early start on the food).
Hmmm. I do not know if that is blessed yet. Nevertheless, it made us hungry.
Bridgette following Nick's example. That pasta might be gone before anything else.
The food is now on the table and it is time to dig in. No certain path around the table was followed.
Anthony is trying to decide where to start, and Phillip is only focused on his drink.
Pastor Talbot has his drink and plate. Has he already started?
After eating for a while we play a few games of Catchphrase (a game where you attempt to describe a word or phrase which your team tries to guess in a certain amount of time.) Kat is having trouble with her word.
Bridgette is waiting for her turn to guess.
The photographer's turn. I think that I got to reset the timer for my turn.
Even the dog was having a good time. Rex has been a member of the Pastor's family for roughly 13 years now.
Time to clean up the yard. It sure went by quick. A lot of fun was had by all invloved.
This is where the picture must end, but not the fun. There was a lapse of a few hours, and then we met at a min golf course in Davenport. We played two rounds of golf. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and then had to rush through the second round so I could get ready for work. Therefore there are no pictures of this great and fascinating time. All I can say is that you should have been there.
I have more, but they will have to keep for a short time longer. They will bring me up to date where major events are concerned. Until then, God bless.
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