A Memorial Day Weekend Thought Worth Pondering!

Patriot Graves Always Reminds Us of The Terrific Cost of Freedom:

Monday marks Memorial Day, a national observance first known as Decoration Day. The first Memorial Day was observed on May 30, 1868, on the orders of General John Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.   Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Initially, it meant a time to remember those who fell during the bloody battles of our brutal Civil War; but, now, the holiday’s significance has been extended to honor all those who paid the ultimate price for our nation. As they have done every year since 1948, soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment will place flags at more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery outside our nation’s capital.  They will remain at Arlington National Cemetery throughout the holiday weekend making sure that the flags remain upright.

There will be similar observances at national cemeteries around the country. In Fredericksburg, Virginia, local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will place candles at more than 15,000 graves at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Taps will be played every 30 minutes.

By the way, there is probably a national cemetery right close to you that would be the perfect place to take your grandkids and share with them a few patriotic thoughts from your own experience and remind them that the graves they now see are those of men and women who paid the supreme price for the freedom we now enjoy! 

Over time, Memorial Day weekend has become more of an occasion for relaxation than for reflection about our patriots’ graves and the values for which they gave “the last full measure of devotion.” This weekend, I encourage you to do both — relax and reflect.

Have that picnic, hug your kids, grandkids and have some fun at the beach or in the mountains. But let’s also remind ourselves, and all our offspring, about what happened at Concord Bridge, on the fields of Antietam, the beaches of Normandy, the Battle of Hamburger Hill and why we are in Afghanistan today. Explain to them the price that was paid to stop fascism and communism, why there was a Berlin Wall, what happened at Iwo Jima, at Ground Zero and over the fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Every citizen owes it to our men and women in uniform today not to squander this right. Ask your pastor to have your church participate in Voter Registration Sunday. Take a moment this weekend to make sure your friends and family members are all registered to vote.

Lastly, take a moment this Memorial Day to teach our children and grandchildren to love the things we love, and honor the things we honor. Finally, let’s remind ourselves as well as our children and grandchildren that liberty is a gift from God, and that each generation has paid in flesh and blood to preserve it. As General George Patton said, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”

O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth, Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens!   Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.   When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;   what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?   For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor.   Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet.   Psalms 8:1 (ASV)  “To God Be The Glory, Great Things He Hath Done!”

May these words always echo in the halls of our minds and the inmost places of our hearts and cause us to remember whose we are and may each of us respond accordingly!  Amen and Amen!!

A Devotional Thought For The 3rd Week of May, 2012

May 21, 2012

Are we vigil in our watch for signs of the evil one seeking to devour us?

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. –2 Thessalonians 3:3

I heard about a prominent Christian pastor that was recently traveling by plane. He kept noticing a rather professional-looking man sitting two seats over from him. The man was carefully looking over a list and periodically would bow his head as if he were praying for the persons or items on his list.

This pastor, guessing the man was a believer, leaned over towards him and said, “Looks to me like you’re a praying man. I believe in prayer too.”

The man looked up with a nice smile and replied, “Yeah…but I have a specific assignment. I worship Satan, and I’m praying daily for the downfall of Christian pastors, missionaries and ministers on my list.”

The minister, having already introduced himself as a pastor, immediately said, “Well, that would include me, too, right?.  Is my name on your list?”

The confessed Satanist replied sternly, “No…not yet; but, it will be soon when I tell my boss.”

Many people don’t realize this truth…or they deny the fact…that spiritual warfare is real in our world today. But it’s true! There is an unseen battle being waged between the powers of heaven and the demons of hell every minute of every day and we can be assured that we are targets on the devil’s hit list.  Please don’t be led to believe otherwise!!

Here is a list of ways we can prepare ourselves for victorious battle according to God’s Word:  

1. Know our enemy is determined to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).  
2. Keep oursevles in the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39).  
3. Stand strong in Christ no matter what  (Eph. 6:10]).  
4. Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13).  
5. Be active in Christian witness and service (Matthew 28:19-20).  
6. Be quick to make right any of our wrong relationships (Eph. 4:26).  
7. Put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-20).  
8. Be in an attitude of constant prayer (Eph. 6:18).  
9. Praise the Lord in everything (Col. 3:16). 
10. Deal with your anger immediately today, not tomorrow (Eph. 4:26)

Be sure we are always alert and dressed for battle, and remember we are never alone for His promise is to always be with us where ever we go! (Joshua 1:9) (Matt. 28:20)

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would help you use the verses above to prepare you for spiritual battle today…and tomorrow and every day until Jesus comes to take us home with Him.  Amen and Amen!!!

The Glorieta Volunteer Summer of 2012 Is Offically Underway!

Covenant greetings to our far-flung Volunteer Family from the campus of our Glorieta Conference Center.

Last night, we offically kicked off our summer session with a pot-luck dinner held in our Volunteer Center and a game night to follow.  A good time was enjoyed by all who attended this function; in fact, some of those in attendance stayed on to enjoy the fellowship until after their bed time.  Of course, I won’t call any names here!

The menu included beans and sausage; one (or was it two) alarm chili; delicious corn-bread; rice; cheese; and a complement of salads and desserts that included Strawberry Shortcake topped with Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream!  Wow, we all trust that this is a very good omen as to what is yet to come throughout the summer each Thursday night as scheduled!

Those of our family in attendance were: 

Bob and Gloria Cassily; Bill and Linda Luce; Charles and Barbara Pollard; Tom and Sharon Cole; Keith and Betty Eatough and their special guests:  Carl and Lois Baker and Judy Murphy, a new volunteer from Quartzite, AZ; Richard and Martha Wagstaff;  John and Marion Work;  Olen and Joyce Smith; Jim and Carolyn McAtee; Retta Dennig; John and Sherrie Hoogendoorn; Hal and Mary Kay Hill and our three summer interns already on campus: Curtis Howland; Daniel Washington and Ryan Cash.  (I trust my memory served me well and I didn’t overlook someone that came?)

Eli Tate, who had been on campus earlier in the week, but, now has taken another “home-health” job down in West Palm Beach, Florida for these 3 summer months coming, wasn’t able to be with us for the kick-off meal; nor, will he be on our campus this summer.  He will be dearly missed!!

Just wanted to use this opportunity to whet your appetites concerning our beloved Glorieta campus in hopes that will generate a growing interests among our far flung family to prayerfully consider coming back this summer, if you haven’t already let us know that you are planning to come.

Sherrie Hoogendoorn is our Volunteer Coordinator again this summer and told me yesterday that we are still short of the  total needed for these dates this summer:

June 10—30 and July 29—August 11.  The dates inbetween have sufficient volunteers already committed to that time.

These shortages are in the dining hall (which will be much lighter & shorter work slots than we’ve experienced before—see the explanation below), the grounds and maintenance!

This year our dining hall is under the supervision of a Caterer from outside whose plans are to handle everything in the kitchen, the dragon & on the serving line wiht the help of our summer staff colleagians and not volunteers.  That which our volunteers will be responsible for are:  clicking the tickets of guests, wiping tables, carper vaccuming, condiment bar (not to include the milk exchange), the trash, the desserts & the carousel placement of trays.

In addition, we have Gary Banks and Chaney Gregory(both of whom have helped us in this capacity before in earlier years) who will supervise 2 teams of 12 people each that will assign the volunteers on those 2 teams to no more than 7 meals each/week.   They will see to it that no one has more than 7 meals/ week)  The reason for that has to do with the fact that the major meals each week will start with Monday night dinner and run through Saturday morning breakfast.  Our volunteers will have off from Saturday morning breakfast until Monday night dinner.  That has never been true before now.

Okay, enough from my end; now, it is your turn; what’er U say!

Jim

A Devotional Thought For The 2nd Week of May, 2012

May 14, 2012

Material and Spiritual Boasting Is A Dangerous Profession and Needs To Be Avoided At All Cost!

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  –1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Despite what our culture tells us, worldly success is temporary…and it will never bring about complete nor lasting satisfaction. The number of people who have come to ruin after experiencing the world’s idea of fame and fortune is overwhelmingly astonishing.   Here are just a few:

• A well-known multimillionaire named George Vanderbilt killed himself by jumping from a hotel window.  
• Lester Hunt, a two-time governor of Wyoming and U.S. Senator elect, ended his own life prematurely.  
• Actress Marilyn Monroe, writer Ernest Hemingway, and athlete Tony Lazzeri represent a growing number of well-known Americans who were dissatisfied and took their own lives.
• This number is growing exponentially with each passing day! 
• When will we ever learn? 

Solomon, the wisest person to ever live, constantly warned those who were striving for success without God in his day:

“The hopes and desires of the wicked come to nothing” (Proverbs 10:28).

Have you ever really noticed this?  According to biblical accounts, God didn’t generally use successful and popular people to accomplish His work. Instead, he used everyday people like Paul, Nehemiah, Rahab, Mary, Jonah, Joshua…and the list goes on. 

What’s wonderful to note is this:   God doesn’t require us to be “big shots” to make an impact for Him. The fact is He uses ordinary people who are “nobodies” to do extraordinary things for His Kingdom in times past and yes, even today.

Consider these “nobodies, until He made them somebodies!” ………

Caleb, Gideon, Elijah, Jeremiah and Simon Peter to name just a few!

In fact, I believe that is exactly the reason God chose the Jews to be His own chosen people………..they were absolutely “nobodies” without a single thing to call their own……….including no land…………………slaves in bondage……….but, God had other plans and now we know the rest of the story, huh?

And, like all of these, the greatest success we’ll ever achieve here will be clearly revealed one day when we meet Him and all the others in heaven at the final judgment of the righteous!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Submit yourself therefore to the will of the Lord and ask Him to use you for the work of His kingdom alone, for none of us have any right to boast about anything except Jesus Is Lord of All or He is Not Lord At All!   Amen and Amen!!

 

What Has Been Happening This Spring On The Glorieta Campus?

Everything was quiet and the campus pretty well deserted throughout the winter months, but all that changed in March and April when the campus was inundated with huge sound and lighting trucks bringing in ultra modern movie equipment along with a Hollywood cast and large crew to begin work on a movie series made for television called “LONGMIRE!”

This film company and crew were in and out of our campus throughout these 2 months shooting episodes one, three, four and five (I’m told) of this made for TV series that will begin airing on the A & E channel each Sunday night starting on June 3rd at 10:00 p.m. eastern time.

I don’t know myself the storyline, nor whether or not it will be fit for Christian audiences, but, I’m told that there will be ten episodes in all.

Among the sites you might recognize in this series called LONGMIRE will be Hal and Mary Kay Hill’s “ranch” house; the  red barn; Taylor Memorial Baptist Church “cabin;” the Carlson “Cabin;” Thunderbird “K;” New Mexico Hall; and Chapperal to name the ones I saw them filming around.  Also, there will be a scene of a car accident off the north edge of our major playing field where the big culvert is located one the way to our RV Park.  Those are the ”sets”  where I saw them filming during their stay on campus.

To give you an idea of what the campus looked like during these past two months, take a look at the following collages:

 

Welcome To Glorieta after a Cold Winter and Long Awaited Spring of 2012!!

 Since you all were last on campus, we’ve been through a lovely, but cold and snowy winter as can be seen in the colleages below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that cold and icy winter, we were thrilled to see a delayed spring that can be seen below in a collage of color photos:

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve said all of that to say we’re ready for you all to come join us for a fantastic summer, okay?  Ya’ll come on now, ya’ h’re!!

A Devotional Thought For The 1st Week of May, 2012

May 6, 2012

Remember:  “the fear of the LORD, is the beginning of knowledge!”

                                             Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. –Psalm 34:11

Have you noticed that many people come to God irreverently.  They seem to be completely oblivious to the dangers of so behaving before Our Awesome, Mighty God?  We will never get very far in our relationship with the Lord unless we understand He is to be respected and feared.

One of the greatest examples of fearing the Lord can be found in the infamous set of stories called “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

In those stories, which is an allegory written by C.S. Lewis, we find two girls, Susan and Lucky, who are preparing to meet Aslan the Lion, who represents Christ.

A story mostly made up of talking animals, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver help to prepare the girls for their first visit with the lion king. “Ooh,” says Susan, “I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie,” replied Mrs. Beaver. “And make no mistake, if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just crazy.”

Mr. Beaver goes on to tell the young child, who questions if he’s safe, “Don’t you listen to what Mrs. Beaver is telling you?  Of course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king, I tell you!”

The psalmist understood better than anyone what Mr. and Mrs. Beaver were trying to explain to Susan and Lucy.

He wrote, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, all you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing” (Psalm 34:8-9).

We aren’t to live in terror of the Lord, but we must always fear Him in reverence and awe of His goodness, Lordship and kingship. Our God is awesome beyond what we can ever imagine.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: In your prayer, praise God for who He is and worship Him with trembling hope and repentant, heart-felt tears.

AMEN AND AMEN!!!