Remembering Nick

Last week I received news that was a shock to me.  One of the boys that I had in my youth class at church a number of years ago had been shot to death in Oklahoma City.  He was just 23 years old.

Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, police were called out to the apartment complex on NW 25th and Penn on a shots fired call with a man down.  On arrival Nick Scott was discovered in the courtyard of an apartment complex.

A neighbor told police that they heard 5 or 6 shots. "I ran outside, everyone says Nick, it's Nick! He's dead, he's dead!" the neighbor said.

Oklahoma City Police report that an arrest has been made in the shooting death of Nicolas Scott.  Sam Neal, 45, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon.

As the realization of what had happened sank in I was very upset.  I had been very close to Nick and his family.

Nick's family moved to our area and started attending the Mena Seventh-Day Adventist Church in 1999.  As the youth leader and the Pathfinder Club leader I got to know Nick and his sister Marci.  His parents had been missionaries in Africa and had adopted him there. When they retired, they moved back to the U.S. You can read more of the story of Nick's parents on my blog post written when Nick's mom, Tillie Scott, passed away in February 2011.

Nick enjoyed being a member of the Mena Wildcats Pathfinder Club. Pathfinders is a church based, co-ed, scouting type organization. Twice a year we would go on campouts, and Nick loved to go. He was a friendly boy and always made lots of friends. Every five years Pathfinders hold an International Camporee.  Nick was scheduled to go to the Faith on Fire Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Over 33,000 Pathfinders from over 100 countries attended.  Shortly before the Camporee he injured his foot and was afraid that he would miss out, but he was able to go with a special boot.

He had a great time at the Camporee and never complained even though we had to do lots of walking, (our campsite was almost a mile from the main events hangars), on his sore foot.  I'm very glad that he was able to be a part of  the Faith on Fire Camporee.

In 2004 Nick was a part of a mission trip that our church made to San Pedro Belize.  While we were in Belize we helped start the construction of the New Horizon SDA Chapel.  We spent a lot of time at the New Horizon School that was next to the construction site.  Nick was happy to be a part of the project, and carried lots of cement blocks to those who were laying block.  He loved the ocean.  This is one of my favorite photos of him taken while were were in Belize.

I am so saddened by this senseless loss of life.  I know that I will never forget Nick.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Sweetheart

The best decision I ever made was to marry the girl who stole my heart when she walked into Mr Brost's History class the beginning of my senior year of high school. I know that high school romances are not supposed to be forever and that when kids get married when they are in their teens the marriages aren't supposed to last, but we have proven those things wrong. It is still awesome to go through each day with my best friend.



This is the girl that took my breath away when she walked into class that morning. I was too shy to talk to girls, so it was almost a year before she had any idea that I was interested. I think that the good Lord knew that I needed all of the help I could get so he made it so that our paths crossed in a number of ways that year. Mr. Brost selected five students to work together each week producing learning packets for History class. Gina and I were both in the group. We both worked at the Harris Pine furniture factory. I worked on the dresser jig, and she made drawers. I would spend my breaks back with the drawer makers, but she still didn't catch on.

It came time for our High School graduation and I still had never gotten up the nerve to ask her out. Finally I mustered up every ounce of courage I could find and asked her if she would march with me when we graduated. She told me that she would like to but she had already told Russell she would march with him. If I would talk to Russell she would march with me. Once again summoning up every bit of courage I had I talked to Russell. He was very gracious and bowed out. I was on cloud nine.

The rest is history. After a year of a long distance relationship, five hundred miles, we were finally in the same place at the same time. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this girl. On June 15, 1975 we were married in the Denver First Seventh-day Adventist Church.  There hasn't been a dull moment since.

Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.
Let me hear you whisper that you love me too.
Keep the love-light glowing in your eyes so true.
Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.





To read many other great blogs or to become part of the ABC Wednesday family click here.

Heralds of Hope

The Heralds of Hope Romanian Choir will be performing in Mena on its 9th Anniversary Christmas Tour.  They will be in concert at 5:00 P.M. on Saturday, December 21, at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Fairgrounds Road.  The Heralds of Hope repertoire includes Carols and Christmas Songs from around the world.  Their concerts offer a unique opportunity to lean, hear and enjoy the best of Christmas.

Pastor Florin Liga and his wife Livia are members of the Heralds of Hope and have been instrumental in bringing this world class performing group to Mena.  Pastor Liga has recently accepted a position as pastor of the Mena Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

The Heralds of Hope have performed across the United States and Europe.  They have held concerts in many of the great cathedrals of Europe.  Their travels in the United States have taken them to New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C.  Don’t miss this special opportunity to experience the rich music of Christmas.  Admission to the concert is free.  To reserve a seat or to get more information, call 501-627-8134.

Aunt Opal's Memories - Chapter 1 - Part 2

We lived with Grandpa and Grandma in Buffville for a while. Daddy and Uncle Pete made a living by driving to Joplin, Missouri, to buy fruit and vegetables to sell door to door. The landlord moved another house to replace the burned one and we moved back there. The first thing I can remember, ever, was there. I remember talking to Daddy and I think we were dressed for Church.  We did have a new Model A Ford. Daddy paid $600.00 for it. They made a platform of something and a bar that slid under the back of the car so they could haul more baskets of fruit.

Later we moved north of Altoona to a big old farm house and I remember a big empty silo. One Christmas Aunt Lola, Uncle Derral, Donald (his brother), Aunt Fay and Uncle Les, Aunt Jessie and Uncle John all came and had a wonderful fun time.  Some of the guys, in the night ate a pie and said it was Santa. They also tied some of the men's clothes in knots. 'We didn't have a tree but Mom gave me a small rubber doll. We had lots of hard Christmases. Daddy saved dimes so we would always have a little something at Christmas. To this day I have to have a little hard Christmas candy at Christmas. No one likes it and I have to throw most of it out, but it wouldn't be Christmas without it.

                     LLOYD, DELBERT, HAZEL, OPAL, BOB, BEN

We later moved back to Buffville. Grandpa and Grandma still lived there and a few other families and Fred's Store. We had a cow and sometimes Daddy would let me ride her when he took her to the shale pit for water. Bob was born there. We called him Bobby Bill as they couldn't decide what to call him-Bobby or Billy.We lived several places after that.

We never knew we were poor. Daddy worked anywhere he could, Hoeing corn or other farm work. Even on WPA awhile. After high school Lloyd was at the CCC camp (Civilian Conservation Corps).

We had a happy childhood, enjoyed our cousins and aunts and uncles coaxing us to visit. We also enjoyed wonderful family get togethers. I had many cousins I loved but I was closest to Uncle Pete and Aunt Osa's family. We went to church at the home of friends in Neodesha. We never had a preacher, just Elder Jones from Fredonia. Daddy was not an Adventist but usually went to church with us. Our other aunts and families that lived close were not Adventists at that time but did join later.

                                  BEN AND HAZEL LAWRY

Our happiest times were when we got to spend the night with each other. Vera and I were the same age and Viola a little older. Delbert and Ivan were about the same age and Leo a little younger. To me it was more fun at their house. We got to ride home in the back of the pick-up truck, go after the cows (which we enjoyed more than they as they had to do it all the time). We played in the water barrels, at the spring, and in the creek. Slid down the calf shed roof ate watermelon in the patch, climbed trees, and sometimes Aunt Osa would make us molasses taffy.

Once we started to get some molasses (they made their own) from a container outside the kitchen but someone or something had the lid off and a poor chicken had gotten into it. She was a sad sight but we rescued her and washed her off so she was as good as new. Once we begged to stay up till midnight and Aunt Osa let us, but it really wasn't that exciting.

They made their own molasses. They squeezed the juice in a big mill run by a mule walking round and round. Then they boiled the juice in a large pan about 3 x 10 with three divisions over an open fire until it was of the right consistency. Aunt Osa would pick wild mushrooms and fry a whole skillet in butter. Yum, Yum!

Daddy always smoked a pipe. But gave it up and joined the SDA church when I was in seventh grade. We attended meetings in Chanute and he became a believer.

When they were first married he went to the Methodist church. Mom would go with him and he would go with her. Lloyd didn't much like that. He never did accept Adventism, but after Jane Ellen was born when he looked at her said, “There has to be a God", so he and Aunt Kathy became Baptists.

                                    BOB, OPAL, DELBERT

When I was in seventh grade we packed all we could in a trailer hooked to our old model A Ford and started for Popular Bluff, Missouri. Uncle John and Aunt Jessie lived there and daddy could work in a greenhouse where he worked. Lloyd drove us. I remember him saying as we drove out of a service station, "If a fly sits on this load we'll never make it." But we did!

Lloyd didn't stay but went to Dallas, Texas, to some cousins and did well. He worked at several jobs then got on with Braniff Airways and stayed until he retired.

We stayed there that winter. We shared a house with Jessie and John, Leland and LeRoy. Tom was born that year. Delbert, LeRoy, and I went to school there (interesting to me, here in Collegedale I met and became close friends with the lady, Thelma, who ran the greenhouse back in Poplar Bluff and her sister was married to Uncle John's cousin).

That Spring Mom and Daddy decided to follow the fruit harvest (John and Jessie had done it.). We started out picking strawberries and went on up to Michigan to peaches, pears, apples, and grapes. Mom was really fast at it and the rest of us did what we could. I had to start school in Hollywood, Michigan.

While there I got my first perm. The curlers were on long electric cords. We got a different car and headed back to Kansas. Guess they did pretty well. They bought an eighty acre farm.


CLICK TO GO BACK TO CHAPTER 1 PART 1

CLICK TO GO TO CHAPTER 1 PART 3

Cardboard Boat Race

Today we had a great time at the annual Arkansas-Louisiana Pathfinder and Adventurer Cardboard Boat Race held at Dierks Lake. My grand daughters and their cousins were participating.  They spent the night before the race at our house and had an cookout and ice cream party followed by a slumber party.

To enter the boat race the kids had to build a boat with only cardboard, duct tape and paint.  It was amazing how durable the girls boats were.   After the race they spent quite some time just paddling around in the boats.  They all had a really good time.

The girls were excited to win trophies and medals for their efforts.

Grandma and Papa had a lot of fun spending the day in such a beautiful place and seeing the girls have such a good time.  After the race we had a picnic and then the kids spent the afternoon swimming.

On our way back home we took a "shortcut" over gravel mountain roads.  Within just a few miles of the highway we came across a bridge that was impassable because there was three feet of water flowing over the bridge.  We had to turn around and go all the way back to Dierks Lake so we could take the paved roads.  On our way back to the lake we followed our GPS and were stymied three different times by locked gates across the roads.  After an hour we finally made our way back.

What an awesome day!

A is for ADRA

The ABC Wednesday Meme starts it's 12th round  this week.  Since it is the start of a new round, the letter this week is A.  I would like to spotlight the organization known as ADRA.  ADRA is one of the charities that I support on a regular basis.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA, was started by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a way to follow Christ’s example of serving and caring for those in need. Put simply, ADRA improves the lives of people around the world. The agency searches out deprivation, social injustice, and need—then works to eliminate them.  ADRA has projects in more than 120 countries

ADRA is lowering the incidence of horrific diseases by promoting health and wellness. And by improving sanitation and access to clean water, ADRA helps prevent many of the common medical problems that plague communities.

One of the ways that ADRA raises money for these projects is through the ADRA Gift Catalog.  On the ADRA Gift Catalog website you can browse projects and donate to whatever projects you would like.

Because my daughter has started raising chickens, the last project that I chose to support from the gift catalog was #12, Give Chickens to Orphan Caregivers in Tanzania.  Many widows and grandmothers are caring for orphans, often several at a time. Feeding and educating these children is very difficult. ADRA will provide each household with 10 hens, one rooster, training in poultry production, and tools—everything needed to sell eggs and become self-sufficient.

By providing food and water and the ability for families to grow their own, ADRA gives people the nutrition they need to not just survive, but to thrive.

In the wake of emergencies such as famines, floods, or earthquakes there are often thousands of people needing basic necessities. ADRA works to get them back on their feet again by not only responding quickly, but following up with long-term support.

ADRA is currently one of the leading non-governmental relief organizations in the world. In 1997 the agency was granted General Consultative Status by the United Nations, a unique opportunity giving ADRA added voice in the international community. Last year ADRA assisted nearly 24 million people with more than US$159 million in aid. More than 4,000 ADRA staff members currently work in 125 countries. As new challenges and needs arise, ADRA continues to strive to realize its mission of reflecting God's love through compassionate acts of humanitarian service.

Even Our Adversaries

I recently read an editorial in the Adventist Review written by Steven Chavez titled, Even Our Adversaries.   It made an impression on me and this post borrows heavily from it.

Not long after He had washed His disciples’ feet at the last supper, Jesus spoke to them.  His words are recorded in John 13:35: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”.  His words still challenge us with a nearly impossible goal: to demonstrate our loyalty to Jesus by the way we love and serve each other.

Jesus didn’t say that proper doctrine would prove we are His disciples; Even though understanding the Bible is important.  He didn’t say that our understanding of Bible prophecy would prove that we are His disciples. Jesus said that people would know His followers by their commitment to love everyone—the lovely and the unlovely.

Aren’t there more important things to worry about?  What could be more important than the one thing that shows the world that we are disciples of Jesus?  Apparently it is too much to ask of Christians because by and large we are known much more for those we hate than those we love.

But if loving one another is too difficult, I’d settle for just a little civility from Christians. I’m tired of the incivility in both words and actions among those who find themselves on opposite sides of the many issues facing our country. I’m not asking people to ignore their differences, or that they should not take principled stands; I’m only asking that our conversation and correspondence—both public and private—be done in a spirit of Jesus.

We can disagree with one another without resorting to name-calling, baseless rumors, and innuendo, but we can’t call ourselves Christian unless we love one another—even our adversaries.

I'm So Sleepy

I'm so sleepy yeah
I'm so sleepy yeah
I could lay my head
On a piece of lead
And imagine that
It was a springy bed
Cause I'm sleepy, sleepy
Yeah

As I was working late one night this week, this old Cat Stevens song kept going through my mind. I don't ever remember being as tired as I have been these last few weeks. Since a F3 tornado devastated Mena on the 9th of April I have been busier than I have ever been in my life. During the last four weeks I have installed over 175 pieces of Auto Glass. My life has consisted of going to work early in the morning and coming home late at night, showering, and crawling into bed, just to do it all again the next day. I think that I will soon be able to work more normal hours.

One of the disadvantages of working so many hours is that it leaves no time for blogging. Hopefully I will be able to take time to blog.

Last weekend we took time away from Mena to go to Keene, Texas to attend Graduation at Southwestern Adventist University. Gavin's girlfriend, Rachel, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in English. She had the biggest smile of any graduate.



Gavin and Rachel look great together. They looked very happy all weekend. We had a great time visiting with Rachel and her family. We were invited to their home for a great meal following the worship service, and we all went out to eat at Olive Garden following graduation.





Also graduating were Gavin's friends Roxie and Luis. We try to spend some time with Roxie and Luis when we are visiting in Keene.



Gavin has been friends with Luis for as long as he has been at Southwestern.



It's time to go to bed and get some rest.

I'm so sleepy yeah
I'm so sleepy yeah
I could lay my head
On a piece of lead
And imagine that
It was a springy bed
Cause I'm sleepy, sleepy
Yeah