An Arkies Musings

An Arkie's Faith column from the May 29, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. Back in 2016, I purchased a 1960 Rambler American. I have always loved these little cars. They are very simple with a small flathead six-cylinder engine that produces 90 horsepower. When I bought the car, the previous owner told me he had cleaned out the gas tank and rebuilt the carburetor. He assured me that it was drivable. The first time I drove the little Rambler, it quit running. I was able to pull over to the side of the road. Just as I got out of the car to see what was wrong, a friend of mine stopped to see if I needed help. He pushed me back to my shop with his 1961 Pontiac. I can only imagine what the passers-by thought, seeing an old Pontiac pushing the little Rambler down the road. Since the gas gauge didn’t work, I thought that it might just be out of gas. I put several gallons in the tank, and the little Rambler started right up. That night I was driving it home, and once again the little Ra...

An Arkie's Faith column from the May 22, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. Last weekend, I made a trip to southeastern Kansas with my Daddy to the area where he grew up. We went to church at the little church in Thayer, Kansas, where his family attended church. I have many fond memories of the Thayer church. When I was a child, we always attended there when we were visiting my grandparents. I still have cousins who attend there. While we were in the area, we visited places that are nostalgic for Daddy and me. We tried to find where the Morehead School had been. My Daddy attended grade school there. We found the road it was on, but everything had changed so much in the seventy years since he had been there that he wasn’t able to tell exactly where the school had been. We looked for familiar places in the small town of Altoona where my grandparents, great grandparents, and many other family members had lived. I had a wonderful time reliving old memories. My cousin, Don, drove u...

An Arkie's Faith column from the May 15, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. I was busy installing a windshield when the phone rang. I laid down my tools and picked up the phone. “Last night the window was broken out of my Lincoln,” said the voice on the other end. “I need to get it replaced. How much will it cost?” “Let me get into the office where I can look it up,” I answered. After getting all the information and pricing the glass, I told him, “that is an expensive piece of glass. It will cost 550.00 for the glass and installation. I can have the glass here on Tuesday.” “Well, I have to have it,” he answered. “Go ahead and order it.” “Do you want me to come by and pay for it before you place the order,” he added. I told him that it wasn’t necessary to pay for it before the job was done. About an hour later, the customer with the Lincoln drove up to my shop. “I want to pay you for the glass,” he said. I told him that it wasn’t necessary, but he insisted. “Thank you,” I said. “T...

It seems like a day doesn't go by that someone doesn't talk to me about the condition of our country and the world. What I have noticed in the past few months, is that it seems like the people I have talked to who have been the most worried are Christians. I have gotten numerous e-mails from Christian people who are sure that doom and gloom are right around the corner. I can't believe that God wants us to live that way. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says "may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way." I do believe that we are living in the last chapter of Earth's history, but I am puzzled by many of my fellow Christians. Does God want us to worry about the future? I saw something the other day that puzzled me. I was in a Christian bookstore, and I saw that they had Christian worry stones for sale. According to tradition, a worry stone is a smooth, polished stone that when rubbed is believed to reduce one's worries and add a sense of calmn...

An Arkie's Faith column from the May 8, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. It was a beautiful spring evening with blue skies, fluffy clouds, and a perfect 70-degree temperature. The redbuds and dogwoods were in bloom, showing off their glorious beauty. I had not driven my little Rambler American for several weeks, so I decided that this evening would be a great time to take a drive. I headed for Wal-Mart to pick up some things that I needed. The sun was shining as I drove along with my window down. I pulled into the parking lot, found a space, and headed into the store. When I had finished shopping, I put my purchases in the trunk of the Rambler and then slid behind the wheel, getting ready to start the engine and head home. I slipped the key in the ignition and pushed on the clutch. The clutch went to the floor with no resistance. “Oh no,” I thought, “what am I going to do? With no clutch, I wouldn’t be able to drive home.” The car in the parking space in front of me pulled...