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.

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.

Criticize or Encourage - The Mena Star

This is my article as published in the November 7, 2013 issue of The Mena Star

As we go through life, one of the constants seems to be criticism.  I'm sure that everyone has been the recipient of criticism and has more than likely been critical of others.  Criticism is not an effective way of solving problems.  What methods should we use in place of criticism? How about trying affirmation. During the Wednesday night prayer meeting at my church, we have been studying 1 Thessalonians. We have seen that even when Paul was addressing problems he included plenty of affirmation. It's been shown that, in order to neutralize the emotional impact of criticism, one must affirm five times.

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "so encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now". Are you encouraging those around you or are you criticizing?  Elizabeth Harrison, a pioneer in early childhood education in America stated, "Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize".

When I was in grade school I often heard the retort, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". That statement is not true. In fact, words may not break our bones, but they certainly can damage our spirits. In Proverbs 12:18 the Bible tells us, "sharp words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal".

When we speak words of criticism we are not following God's plan. Ephesians 4:29 says, "do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you". If we want to help someone we need to encourage them, not criticize them. I need to ask myself, "Am I encouraging others"?  God's Word certainly tells us to do so.

When we encourage and help others, we are showing God’s love. I encourage you to try it. Show someone how much you value them for who they are. Encouragement can drastically change a person’s life! I recently ran across a story written by Kathy Schultz. She said that, "pink is my granddaughter's favorite color. She had been telling me this since she first discovered colors. The other night as she chatted away, she added that yellow was another one of her favorite colors."

Kathy went on to explain why her granddaughter had added yellow as a favorite color. She said that when she asked about the new favorite color, her granddaughter began by telling her that when she went to music class, Mrs. Cooke, the music teacher told her she was a bright yellow crayon, bright as the sun.

Kathy wrote, "this is a wonderful description of my grandchild! The teacher was right. She is a bubbly, cheerful, child. Truly, she is a bright ray of sunshine." She concluded by saying, "words have such power. A small statement made by her teacher had truly inspired my granddaughter. It made her even list yellow as her favorite color. I doubt she will ever forget the teacher's kind remarks. This made me think of the words I say. Do I say kind, encouraging, inspiring words to others?"

The word ‘encouragement’ means to support. When we encourage we speak words that uphold someone to bring change for the better. By our words we need to let them know that we support their dreams, pursuits, and goals. We all tend to get discouraged from time to time and need encouragement.

Colossians 3:12 tells us, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” If we clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience we will be perfectly equipped to be an encouragement to others. We will not have a critical spirit.

To criticize or encourage, the choice is yours. I hope that your choice will be to encourage others. If you do, God will encourage you!

Criticize or Encourage?

As we go through life, one of the constants seems to be criticism.  I'm sure that everyone has been the recipient of criticism and has more than likely been critical of others.  Criticism is not an effective way of solving problems.  What methods should we use in place of criticism? How about trying affirmation. During the Wednesday night prayer meeting at my church, we have been studying 1 Thessalonians. We have seen that even when Paul was addressing problems he included plenty of affirmation. It's been shown that, in order to neutralize the emotional impact of criticism, one must affirm five times.

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "so encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now". Are you encouraging those around you or are you criticizing?  Elizabeth Harrison, a pioneer in early childhood education in America stated, "Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize".

When I was in grade school I often heard the retort, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". That statement is not true. In fact, words may not break our bones, but they certainly can damage our spirits. In Proverbs 12:18 the Bible tells us, "sharp words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal".

When we speak words of criticism we are not following God's plan. Ephesians 4:29 says, "do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you". If we want to help someone we need to encourage them, not criticize them. I need to ask myself, "Am I encouraging others"?  God's Word certainly tells us to do so.

When we encourage and help others, we are showing God’s love. I encourage you to try it. Show someone how much you value them for who they are. Encouragement can drastically change a person’s life! I recently ran across a story written by Kathy Schultz. She said that, "pink is my granddaughter's favorite color. She had been telling me this since she first discovered colors. The other night as she chatted away, she added that yellow was another one of her favorite colors."

Kathy went on to explain why her granddaughter had added yellow as a favorite color. She said that when she asked about the new favorite color, her granddaughter began by telling her that when she went to music class, Mrs. Cooke, the music teacher told her she was a bright yellow crayon, bright as the sun.

Kathy wrote, "this is a wonderful description of my grandchild! The teacher was right. She is a bubbly, cheerful, child. Truly, she is a bright ray of sunshine." She concluded by saying, "words have such power. A small statement made by her teacher had truly inspired my granddaughter. It made her even list yellow as her favorite color. I doubt she will ever forget the teacher's kind remarks. This made me think of the words I say. Do I say kind, encouraging, inspiring words to others?"

The word ‘encouragement’ means to support. When we encourage we speak words that uphold someone to bring change for the better. By our words we need to let them know that we support their dreams, pursuits, and goals. We all tend to get discouraged from time to time and need encouragement.

Colossians 3:12 tells us, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” If we clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience we will be perfectly equipped to be an encouragement to others. We will not have a critical spirit.

To criticize or encourage, the choice is yours. I hope that your choice will be to encourage others. If you do, God will encourage you!

Class of 73

One week ago my wife and I attended our 40th High School reunion. We both attended Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado and graduated in 1973.  It had been 30 years since we had been back for Alumni Weekend - we attended our ten year reunion.  As we pulled onto the campus of Campion Academy we were a bit nervous.  What would our old classmates be like?  Would we have anything in common?  Would we recognize them?  Would they recognize us?

As I parked the car and walked up to the registration table my apprehension was confirmed as I couldn't place the first person who spoke to me.  I'm so sorry, Ted.  Within just a few minutes all uneasiness melted away as old friends greeted us.  I was amazed as classmates bridged the forty years like it was no time at all. Conversations came easy even though I hadn't seen most of my classmates for at least thirty years.  

  

Classmates weren't the only people we reconnected with.  We also saw a number of people we had no idea we would see there.  The most fun for me was seeing Marlene Fernandez who attended the Fort Lupton SDA Church with her family when I was growing up.  It was great to see her and catch up on her family.  The extended Fernandez family were some of our closest friends during my childhood. 

Lunch for our class was provided by the current Junior Class of Campion Academy.  We had a great meal and continued our conversations.  

After the meal we gathered for a group photo.  There were 73 in our graduating class and 40 who made it to the reunion, an amazing percentage.  

During the afternoon we sat in a large circle and each person spent a few minutes telling about their lives after high school.  The most common topics seemed to be grandchildren and dogs.  It was a wonderful afternoon of reminiscing.  Some great stories were told and mysteries solved.  Six members of our class are no longer with us. We spent some time remembering each one of them.  As tired as we were of sitting in those chairs, no one seemed in a hurry to leave.  

That evening we gathered again in the home of Larry and Paula Howard and continued our conversations over a great meal from Qdobe Mexican Grille.  The day had been so wonderful that no one seemed to want to leave.  It was well after 11 before we said goodbye to old friends.  Promises were made to keep in touch, and I hope that we will.

The next morning we went to breakfast with friends not wanting the weekend to end.  It seemed like no time had passed and we always had Sunday morning breakfast together.

Before we left Loveland and headed back to Denver, I looked up my old friend, Vern Tscheuschner.  When I lived in Campion, he lived just a block away.  He was a great friend and we spent a lot of time together.  It was nice to be able to be together again like old times even if it was only for an hour or so.  We reminisced about many things including our muscle cars; Vern's six cylinder Ford Falcon and my Nash Metropolitan. 

I can't remember when I have had as much fun as I did on this trip to Colorado.  I wish all of my old friends, that is long time friends, the very best.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church

This article was published in the June 26, 2013 issue of The Polk County Pulse.  The article was written by Michael Reisig.  I sat down for an interview with him last week.

The mission of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Fairgrounds Road in Mena is to make disciples of all the people, communicating the everlasting gospel in the context of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12, leading them to accept Jesus as their personal Savior, discipling them to serve Him, and preparing them for His soon coming.  The Seventh-Day Adventists believe particularly in the soon coming of Jesus Christ and that is essential to their philosophy. The history of the area church goes back over a century, to 1905, when it was first organized by Elder L. W. Feltner.

In 1957, the congregation purchased the old school building in Dallas Valley.  The church met there until 1990 when they moved to the current church building on Fairgrounds Road.  The construction was funded entirely by the congregation and was debt free at its completion.

The church has a pastor that serves several Seventh Day churches in the area, but the Head Elder of the church is Richie Lawry, who has been with the organization for over three decades.  Lawry grew up in Colorado, graduating from high school in 1973 and becoming involved in the auto repair industry.  He met his wife, Regina, in high school and they were married in 1975.

"My dad came to Mena to visit a friend and he liked it so much he ended up buying two houses," Lawry recalled.  "My wife and I visited here and liked it just as well so we moved here in 1981.  Shortly after settling here, I became involved with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and have been with them ever since."

Within a few years Lawry became an elder and went on to become head elder in 2000.  "To me, and to us here, it is the worshiping of Jesus on the 7th day that binds us," Lawry explained.  "Jesus, when he attended the synagogue, went on the Sabbath.  I want to live my life by the 10 Commandments, and one of those is to worship God on the seventh day.  We are also a church that has a passion for missions and helping the community.  We have a soup kitchen each Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and anyone and everyone is welcome to come by for a free meal.  We generally provide meals for over 130 people.

"We have also funded and helped build a church in San Pedro, Belize, and funded the building materials for 29 churches in Africa," Lawry continued.  "We work with a company that offers kits to build open-walled churches that can be framed in if desired.  The kits are delivered in large boxes and can be assembled in a day."

Lawry added that his is an extremely generous congregation, willing to help and to give, and although they are not generally a wealthy people, they always give from their hearts.

"If you'd like to see what the Seventh-Day Adventist philosophy is all about, we'd love to have you come out and visit with us and meet the people of our congregation," Lawry added.  "We meet on Saturday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., which includes a Bible study period and a church service at 11 a.m., and as of July 1 we will be meeting on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. studying books of the Bible.

38 Wonderful Years

Today, June 15th is a special day. 38 years ago I said "I do" to my very best friend. 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 seldom last 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 met in the library and worked on  producing material to go along with the following weeks lessons.  As I think back on it, that Mr. Brost was a smart teacher.  We helped produce his lesson materials and did it willingly.

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.  Because she was clueless that I was interested in her and I was far to shy to let my feeling be known we were able to become good friends but that was all.

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. I'm pretty sure that she never thought I would actually do it.  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.

I had a great graduation weekend, but after it was over I didn't know what to do.  I was definitely in uncharted territory.  I guess she figured that I would never ask her out, so she invited me to attend the Porter Hospital company picnic at Elitch Gardens.  I don't handle amusement park rides well, but I wasn't going to tell her so we rode the rides.  My stomach couldn't take it and I ended up throwing up on her.  I was sure that the relationship was over at that moment, but she took me to her home where she let me borrow some of her Dad's clothes while she washed mine.  We then went back to Elitch Gardens but didn't ride anything other than the train.  I definitely knew that she was a keeper.

Our relationship was a long distance relationship for a year. She was attending Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska and I was living in Loveland, Colorado. We wrote hundreds of letters and I called her every Wednesday night while my family was at prayer meeting; the only time I could have any privacy.  The next year I packed up my things and went to Lincoln.  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. The last 38 years have been an interesting and very fulfilling time.  There is nothing I would rather do that take a road trip to someplace I have never been before and spend time with my best friend.  I'm looking forward to the next 38 years together.

Happy Anniversary Gina!

Mexico Revival

In the fall of 2007 I traveled to the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico with my friends Mike Easton and Tony Murrell.  From October 15 through 20, we held nightly revival meetings in three locations. Mike held meetings in Rio Bravo, mine were in Valle Hermoso, and Tony’s series was in Reynosa. The meetings were coordinated by Nic Garza with help from Pastor Trevino and Pastor Martinez of the East Gulf Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists in Mexico.

I had a wonderful time and met so many great people.  I was truly humbled by the people I met.  In Valle Hermoso the people treated me like royalty and everyone wanted to feed me.  Every night the church was packed even though the temperatures were in the 90's and there was no air conditioning.  I have wanted to return to the area, but there are safety issues.  Someday I hope to return.

Here are some photos that we took on our trip.


LOOKING OVER THE REYNOSA MEETING SITE




TONY VISITING IN NUEVO PROGRESSO




REYNOSA MEETINGS




TONY MIKE AND NIC




RICHIE DELIVERING A FOOD BASKET




VALLE HERMOSO SABBATH SCHOOL




TONY SPEAKING




BAPTISM AT VALLE HERMOSO




NIC AND RICHIE HELP PREPARE FOOD BASKETS




RIO BRAVO MEETINGS




MIKE GIVING OUT FOOD BASKETS




MEETING CONFERENCE PRESIDENT PEREZ




PASTOR MARTINEZ




CHILDRENS MEETINGS IN RIO BRAVO




ISABELL WITH HER NEW BIBLE




TONY VISITING WITH KIDS




MIKE MAKING NEW FRIENDS




BAPTISM AT VALLE HERMOSO




RICHIE AND A FELLOW BODYMAN




YOUTH AT THE VALLE HERMOSO SDA CHURCH




RICHIE PRESENTING YAHAIRA A NEW BIBLE




RICHIE AND NIC PRAYING WITH BAPTISMAL CANDIDATES



RICHIE MIKE AND TONY AT THE VALLE HERMOSO SDA CHURCH




RICHIE FINDS A CAR JUST HIS SIZE




TONY INSPECTS THE FACILITIES




MIKE AND FRIENDS




NUEVO PROGRESSO SABBATH SCHOOL




NUEVO PROGRESSO SDA CHURCH




NIC AND RICHIE EATING BREAKFAST




VALLE HERMOSO MEETINGS




TONY SPEAKING




POWER BREAKFAST




PASTOR TREVINO




RICHIE GIVING AWAY A CD

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