Goodbye - June 5, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the June 5, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

“Wake up, wake up,” my sister-in-law hollered up the stairs to the loft. “I hate waking you, but you must see this.” I sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Looking out the windows that stretched across the entire end of the cabin, I saw an incredible sight. 

It was the last week of September 2020, and we were staying at the Wildwood Cabin high atop a mountain north of Ponca, Arkansas. Perched on a hillside, so high up on stilts that the deck is in the treetops, the cabin seems straight out of a fairy tale. Oversized windows provide a sweeping view of the upper Buffalo River wilderness.

The sun was coming up as I lay in bed, my heart filled with a profound sense of awe at the sight of the Buffalo River valley. The orange glow, like a majestic canopy, spread over the valley stretching below the cabin. White clouds filled the valleys, and it looked like a vast, white ocean stretching as far as my eyes could see. The wispy tops of the clouds added to the illusion of looking out over a body of water. I quickly dressed and went down the stairs and onto the deck, eager to immerse myself in this breathtaking beauty.

After a difficult spring and summer, we were on our first out-of-town trip since the COVID-19 outbreak. We visited our favorite place in Arkansas, the Ponca and Jasper area of the Buffalo River. I knew it would be a great day with the beautiful sunrise and the otherworldly view from our cabin. Today, we were going somewhere we had never been before: the lower section of the Buffalo River. 

After spending a couple of hours at the old, abandoned mining town of Rush, we headed to Buffalo Point. When we arrived, I pulled into a parking spot and exited the car. The views of the river and bluffs were terrific. The large bluff at Buffalo Point is named Painted Bluff. It gets its name from the water seeping over the top portion of the bluff, darkening the rock and giving it a painted look.

After taking in the spectacular view, I started walking down the steep path to the water’s edge to get a better look at the bluff. After taking only a few steps, my phone buzzed, alerting me that I had received a text message. I was surprised because there was no cell service, but I had a new message. As I read the text, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It said, “Hey there! You might not remember me, but I was the editor at the Star a couple of years ago. I’ve moved back to town, and the Pulse offered me a job as editor. I’ve been here for about two months now. In that time, I’ve noticed your column is no longer in the Star. I was really disappointed with that because I really enjoyed your column. I’d be thrilled, as I know readers would, if your thoughts were circulating again. I hope you’ll consider sharing your thoughts with the Pulse and let me know if it is a possibility.”

It had been over six months since I had written anything. I had gone from writing every time I had a chance to writing almost nothing. When COVID-19 sent the world into a tailspin in March 2020, the column I had written for over four years was one of the casualties. Like many other people, the pandemic turned my world upside down. I felt like nothing would ever be right again. It seemed like I was trying to swim upstream through molasses. This trip to the Buffalo River was starting to give me a new lease on life. I had always found solace in writing, a significant part of my identity. The absence of it during the pandemic had left a void in my life.

When I told my wife about the text message, she said, “That is an answer to my prayers.” “What do you mean,” I replied. “I have been praying that you would be inspired to write again,” she answered. I immediately knew what to do and quickly texted, “I would love to write for you.” With a new reason to write, I had an article finished in a couple of days, and my column, An Arkie’s Faith, debuted in the next week’s issue of the Polk County Pulse.

Writing again was a beacon of light in my life, lifting me out of a dark place filled with lethargy and depression. With a renewed sense of purpose and a weekly deadline, I started looking for the positive things around me instead of focusing on the craziness that still flooded the world. We can never know what might have been if something in our lives had never happened, but I am sure that the text message I received while looking at the breathtakingly picturesque Painted Bluff changed my life. I know that over 190 articles, 200,000 words, and a book exist because of that text.

Most people underestimate their ability to make a difference. They ask, what can just one person do? But we never know how our actions will impact someone’s life. Jude 1:22 (NKJV) says, “And on some have compassion, making a difference.” You have the power to make a difference. You can have compassion. You may not be able to change the world, but you can significantly impact someone's life. John F. Kennedy said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” In Zechariah 7:9 (GW), God tells us to “be compassionate and kind to each other.” Imagine the profound difference you could make by being kind and compassionate to others.

Just like a text changed my life in 2020, I recently received an e-mail explaining the changes at the Pulse that would affect me. Learning that the Polk County Pulse would no longer exist filled me with a profound sense of loss. The Pulse has been more than just a platform for my writing; it has been a community where I could share my thoughts and connect with readers. The news of its end felt like the loss of a dear friend.

Gentle Reader, I want to thank Jeri for sending that text and the Polk County Pulse for allowing me to share my thoughts with you for the past four years. I want to thank all the readers of An Arkie’s Faith, especially those who have contacted and encouraged me. “It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad, and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” – Ernie Harwell

Cathy's Corner - May 29, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 29, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

At 8:30 on Sunday morning, several family members left our hotel in Siloam Springs and headed to Cathy’s Corner for breakfast. My family was in town for my granddaughter's graduation. Several of us ended up staying at the same hotel. After a night full of anxiety from storms that produced tornadoes close by, we wanted to go out for breakfast before heading our separate ways.

Cathy’s Corner is a Siloam Springs landmark. We have been eating at Cathy’s for over 30 years. It is the place to be in Siloam Springs on a Sunday morning. I pulled into the crowded parking lot, searching for an open space. A space near the front door opened as a truck pulled out of the lot.

Inside, the restaurant was a beehive of activity. It looked a bit like an Arkansas farmhouse. There were setting hens on the wallpaper and signs that said such things as “Good food,” “Fresh eggs,” and “Friends are always welcome here.” The sign that made me smile said, “I apologize for what I said when I was hungry.”

After a few minutes, the hostess seated us at our table, and we looked over the menu. I ordered the Skillet Surprise, biscuits and gravy, and scrambled eggs. Although the restaurant was at capacity, the food came out quickly, and our waitress was friendly and attentive. She kept my coffee mug full and when I told her I liked lots of creamer, she brought me a tumbler full.

As we savored the last bites of our meals, our waitress approached with a smile. “I won’t be leaving you a check; someone has paid for your meals.” We were taken aback, our eyes darting around the room in search of a familiar face. Our waitress explained that it was a common occurrence. There was a customer who often picked a table and paid their tab. This unexpected act of kindness, like a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day, filled our hearts with joy and gratitude.

After leaving the restaurant, I was still thinking about the kindness of a stranger who had made such an impression on our group. Sometimes, I seem to focus on the wrong things in this world. Reading the news makes it appear that nothing positive is happening. In my life, I am much more likely to focus on bad things that happen to me and my family than on the positive things. Even though there is much evil in this world, many people are doing good things. But we tend to focus on the bad.

While researching Cathy’s Corner online, I found an interesting post on a Siloam Springs community Facebook page. “I was having breakfast at Cathy's Corner this morning with my nephew, and I learned someone was generous enough to pay for our meal. Thank you so much, mystery person. I will be paying it forward for someone else today!”  A comment below the post read, “The same thing happened to me at Cathy’s yesterday morning.”

Someone enjoys making random customers at Cathy’s Corner happy. I wonder how many people have left the restaurant with smiles on their faces, facing their day knowing that there are good people in the world. 

Reflecting on the anonymous benefactor at Cathy's Corner, I realized that such encounters were not isolated incidents. They were part of a larger pattern, a tapestry of positivity woven into the fabric of my life. These encounters, these moments of encouragement, have had a profound impact on my perspective. They inspired me to see the world differently and recognize the abundance of goodness that often goes unnoticed.

While at James Super Save Foods, a customer approached me and told me how happy they were with the windshield repair I had done on their car. I was surprised. That is not the kind of thing that usually happens. Anyone in business knows that a satisfied customer seldom lets you know they are satisfied, but a dissatisfied customer will tell you they are unhappy.

Last week, as they were dropping off their car for a window replacement, a customer asked me if I could buff out a minor blemish on the rear bumper. I told them it would only take a few minutes and that I would be happy to do it at no additional charge. When the customer sent someone to pick up the car, they sent a check for fifty dollars more than the price I had quoted. I told them the check was wrong, but I was told, “She appreciates you so much and wanted you to have it.”

A few days ago, I met someone in Wal-Mart. She said, “I have appreciated the columns you have been writing recently. I like the personal stories.” We are so used to criticism and negativity that when someone gives us affirmation and encouragement or does something special for us, it takes us by surprise. Most of us aren’t accustomed to hearing encouraging words.

Paul understood this when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV), "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 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.” Are you encouraging those around you?

Is there someone in your life who needs to know how much you love them? Is there someone who would benefit from your kind words and encouragement? Don't underestimate the power of your words. Sometimes, we think, “They know I love and appreciate them. I don’t need to say it out loud.” But we must tell them what we admire and appreciate about them. They need to hear it. Your words can be a beacon of light in someone's life.

Gentle Reader, even if you can’t afford to pay for a table at a restaurant, you hold a gift within you that is just as valuable: encouragement. When you share this gift, you are not only uplifting others but also empowering yourself. You are showing God’s love in action. So, go out and encourage someone today. You never know; your words might change their life! 

Colossians 3:12 (ISV) tells us, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” We can encourage others by being compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Who can you encourage today? 

My First Love - May 22, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 22, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

In high school, I was too shy to talk to girls. I was almost too shy to talk to boys. When I first went to high school, it was at a private school that only went to the tenth grade. When I transferred to another school at the beginning of my junior year, the only people I would talk to were those I knew from my previous school.

Although I was too shy to talk to girls, that didn’t mean I wasn’t interested. At the beginning of my senior year, a girl stole my heart the first time she walked into Mr. Brost's history class. Because I was so shy, it was almost a year before she knew I was interested. 

I think that God knew that I needed all of the help I could get, so he made it so that our paths crossed in several ways that year. Mr. Brost selected five students to work together each week, producing learning packets for history class. The special girl and I were both in the group. We both worked at the local furniture factory. I worked on the dresser jig, and she made drawers. I would spend my breaks with the drawer makers, but she still didn't catch on.

Just before graduation, I lost my job at the furniture factory. I was accused of doing something I hadn’t done, and the punishment was a two-week suspension. I told management I was innocent, and if they persisted with the suspension, I would never be back. My sense of justice caused me to lose a good-paying summer job. 

News of my trouble with management quickly spread around the factory. When I picked up my personal items from the jig I worked at, there was a soda can with a flower in it. It was from that girl back in the drawer-making section. As angry as I was with the situation, I felt warm and tingly inside because it became apparent that the girl who had stolen my heart at the beginning of the year cared about me.

When it came time for our high school graduation, I still had never gotten up the nerve to ask her out. Finally, I mustered every ounce of courage I could find and asked her if she would march with me when we graduated. She told me she would like to, but she had already told another boy she would march with him. She said she would march with me if I talked to the other boy. Once again, summoning up every bit of courage I had, I spoke to him. He was very gracious and bowed out. I was on cloud nine.

We went to an amusement park on our first date. I don’t handle motion well and quickly get carsick and seasick. As we were riding one of the rides, I kept feeling sicker and sicker. This was our first actual date, and I felt terrible. I didn’t want her to know I was too wimpy to ride amusement park rides. I said nothing and hoped that my nausea would pass. It didn’t. I threw up on the ride, all over both of us. She took me to her house and got some of her dad’s clothes for me to change into while she washed mine. After my clothes had been washed and dried, we returned to the amusement park but didn’t ride anything but the train.

The rest is history. I knew that if our horrific first date didn’t end our relationship, she was as awesome as I had always thought. After a year-long relationship, with five hundred miles separating us, we were finally in the same place at the same time. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this girl. In June 1975, we married.

I know that high school romances usually do not last forever and that when kids get married in their teens, the marriages aren't supposed to last, but we have proven those things wrong. It is still incredible to go through each day with my first love! I can't wait to see where this journey leads.

Many relationships don’t last. According to the National Vital Statistics System, one divorce occurs in the United States every 36 seconds. For many people, it seems that maintaining that first love isn’t possible. Many Christians also seem to have a problem maintaining their relationship with God.

Maybe your relationship with God isn’t what it once was. Do you remember when you first gave your life to Jesus? It was exciting to know that your sins had been forgiven. But have things changed? You still pray, sometimes. You still read the Bible occasionally. You talk about Jesus, but only if someone asks about your beliefs.

What has happened? Probably the same thing that happened to the church of Ephesus. In Revelation 2:4 (NASB), Jesus told the church at Ephesus, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

In 1677, twenty-seven-year-old Henry Scougal wrote this to a friend: “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.” Henry Scougal was right: the object of our love, the treasure we passionately want, measures the worth and excellency of our souls.

Jesus is the only one who can measure the worth of your soul. He did it with Peter at their seaside breakfast after Jesus was resurrected. Just days before, Peter had tragically failed at loving Jesus, denying that he even knew Jesus three times. When Jesus met him on the shore, he asked Peter three times, do you love me? 

After lovingly serving him a meal on the beach, Jesus “said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’” John 21:17 (NKJV)

Gentle Reader, are you beginning to leave your first love? Was there a time when you were closer to God than you are today? God is calling you back to your first love. He wants you to find your happiness in Him. He wants you to experience that first love. He asks you today, do you love me?

 

The Courtroom - May 15, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 15, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

A few weeks ago, while reading the Polk County Pulse, I saw a name in the Polk County Sheriff’s Log that piqued my interest. It stated that this person “was arrested by an officer with Probation Parole on a Body Attachment, a Theft of Property Warrant, and a warrant for Violation of Suspended Imposition of Sentence.”

“I need to call the Sheriff’s Office and find out what is happening,” I thought. Since we were leaving for a trip to Colorado, I made a mental note to call when we returned. This person had conned me out of a large sum of money back in 2021. I had a great time in Colorado, visiting family, celebrating Easter, touring Rocky Mountain National Park, and attending my brother-in-law’s ninetieth birthday party.

We stopped at a gas station in Oklahoma on our return to Arkansas. While I was gassing up the Maverick, I checked my phone messages. I had one voicemail. When I pressed play, I heard, “This is the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. I have a couple of subpoenas for you and your wife. If you could give me a call back, I would appreciate it. Thank you.”

“What could this be about?” I wondered. I hoped it had something to do with the con man who had been arrested. I immediately returned the call and learned that his court date had been set. We were subpoenaed to be in court on his trial date in May. I wanted some justice, and even though I wasn’t hopeful, maybe restitution.

In the fall of 2021, this con man bid to put a new roof on my house. We both signed a professionally printed contract form. I gave him money to buy the fifty squares of shingles needed to do the job. He had six squares of shingles delivered to my house and told me that he would start the work in two days. Instead of beginning work, he called and said he had contracted COVID-19. Many people in our community were sick with Covid then, so I didn't see a red flag. After two weeks, I called him to see how he was doing and when work would start on my roof. He would never answer the phone. I called the number of the other roofer, and he wouldn't answer either.

I decided to take my contract and canceled checks to the police department. They immediately knew I had been conned. The con man was well-known by the police, but not by the last name he gave me. He had used an alias in his dealings with me. I was not the first person in town to be scammed. 

This morning, I walked up the steps of the Polk County Courthouse, wondering what would happen in the courtroom. Sitting in the courtroom waiting for the proceedings to begin, I wondered if I would find justice. Was there any chance of recovering the thousands of dollars stolen from me?

When court began, and person after person went before the judge, I was saddened by the stories of lives damaged by breaking the laws of the land. When prison sentences were handed down, I knew those hurt by the lawbreakers felt a sense of justice. But it was still sad for me to realize that even though justice was served, someone had ruined their life by breaking the law.

After over two hours of court cases, the judge called for a break. I took the opportunity to talk to the prosecutor and see if my con man’s case was on the docket. He told me that it was, and the con man had agreed to a plea deal that included a three-year sentence. Because of the plea deal, my presence wasn’t required in court. Even though I felt better seeing that there would be consequences for the con man’s actions, the court-ordered restitution would take over twenty years to pay.

This is a sinful world, and many people can't be trusted. Con men and women are out there, ready to lie to us and rip us off. Lying is popular today. That's because we have believed the devil's lie that truth doesn't matter. Satan has convinced many Christians that there is no such thing as absolute truth, so there can be no absolute lie. The end justifies the means, and there are no lies, just alternative facts. 

That's the big con, and it started in the Garden of Eden. "The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" "Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied. "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'" "You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5 (NLT)

How can we ensure we don’t become victims of the most extraordinary con man in history? Knowing how the game works and how it takes advantage of our vulnerabilities is half the battle.  “So put away everything that is sordid, all that overflowing malice, and humbly receive the word which has been planted within you and which has the power to rescue your lives.” James 1:21 (NTE) 

Gentle Reader, con men are all around us. But the original con man is the devil. "He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44 (NLT) The Bible advises us to "be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP) Watch out for con men. They want to separate you from your money. But even more, watch out for the original con man, Satan. He wants to separate you from God. 

Perfect - May 8, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 8, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

My phone dinged, alerting me to a new message on Facebook Marketplace. I sighed and pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the message. For the past few weeks, I have received hundreds of responses to my ad for my 1937 Buick Coupe. Most responses are a simple, “Is this still available.” Quite a few make a ridiculous lowball offer without asking questions about the car. Even more, ask about making a trade and send me photos of something I am not interested in. 

But this message is a bit different. “I’m from Austin and really interested. I would love to get more pics of the underneath and door edges. I would love to take a look in person but would like to know what condition it will be in.”  After several messages, he messaged, “We can also get on the phone if you don’t believe that I’m really interested."

We talked on the phone for fifteen minutes while I described the car in detail. “It is an older amateur restoration with some scratches and flaws in the paint, but as far as I can see, the body is solid and rust-free,” I told him. After the phone call, I sent him more pictures of the areas he was worried about. 

A few days later, the man from Austin messaged me. “Could you send me your address? I think we would like to come take a look.” The next day, he sent another message. “We are on the way. We will be there tomorrow morning. We hope to make it into town late tonight.”

The following day, I received another message. “Good morning, sir. We managed to get to Texarkana. We are getting some breakfast now and then driving on. I think we should be there around 11.”

When the Ram pickup with Texas plates pulled into my shop, I was sure they were there to look at the 37 Buick. Two men got out of the truck and introduced themselves. I showed them inside the building where the Buick was stored.

They inspected the car thoroughly for the next hour, taking lots of videos. They were trying to broker a deal with a collector in Germany, sending him the videos and explaining everything they found out about the car. Ultimately, the German collector would decide whether to purchase or not. It looked like the Buick was heading to Germany.

After a detailed and meticulous inspection outside, I drove the car back inside. They wanted to get a better look underneath the vehicle. As he inspected the car, I could hear one side of the conversation he was having over the phone with the German collector. I didn’t understand the words, but I sensed something was wrong.

When he crawled out from under the car, he told me he had bad news. He had found some areas on the floor that had been repaired, and his customer wanted a perfect unrepaired floor pan. He apologized for taking up so much of my time, got back in his truck, and headed back to Austin.

Over the years, I have learned never to count on a sale until the money is in your hand, but this one seemed to be in the bag. Disappointed, I returned to work, trying to put the day’s events out of my mind. But I kept returning to the idea that the customer wanted the Buick to be perfect. And although the car is very nice, it isn’t perfect. Finding a perfect 1937 Buick Coupe would be very difficult, and the price would double or triple what I asked.

As I thought about the missed sale, I realized that far too often, I do the same thing when I think of people. It is human nature to look for flaws in other people. I was raised in a religious tradition that stressed living the perfect Christian life. I was taught that my salvation depended on my attaining perfection. When you have that outlook on life, you constantly see the flaws in yourself and others.

Social media has a way of bringing out the spirit of fault-finding, unlike anything else. We rarely compliment people for their good deeds but quickly criticize them and point out their imperfections. As humans, our first instinct is to point fingers at other people’s problems, sins, and character flaws. Yet the Bible teaches us that looking to ourselves before looking to others is wise. Jesus addressed the issue in Matthew 7:3-5 (VOICE)

“Why is it that you see the dust in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but you can’t see what is in your own eye? Don’t ignore the wooden plank in your eye, while you criticize the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eyelashes. That type of criticism and judgment is a sham! Remove the plank from your own eye, and then perhaps you will be able to see clearly how to help your brother flush out his sawdust.”

American writer and historian James Truslow Adams wrote, “There is so much good in the worst of us – and so much bad in the best of us – that it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us.” And Dale Carnegie penned these famous words. “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving!” It is similar to Paul’s words in the Bible: “Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

In modern times, being critical is almost a virtue. Critical thinking skills are essential to problem-solving, analysis, and reasoning. But what happens when we use our critical thinking skills to attack people? We become fault finders.

People with the habit of fault-finding are so overwhelmed with details of other people’s faults that they can’t see the positive. Our marriages, business relationships, friendships, and families would be stronger if we refused to allow ourselves to be preoccupied with the faults of others.

Gentle Reader, when we continually look for faults, we will always find them. In the same way, when we are looking for good things, we will find them. Finding fault with others is dangerous because you are assuming God’s role! Mother Teresa once said, “If you judge people, you will have no time to love them.” God is the judge, and he alone knows all the facts. Let’s leave it to him. Nobody’s perfect.

All the World's a Stage - May 1, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 1, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances.”  These words begin a monologue by the character Jaques in William Shakespeare's play, As You Like It. His speech compares the world to a stage and life as a theatrical performance. 

William Shakespeare's profound understanding of life's many facets is evident in his works. He was not only knowledgeable about the intricacies of royalty, but also about the harsh realities of London's inns and taverns, and the lives of rural folk. His insights extended to the complexities of warfare and diplomacy, among other spheres of life. Yet, it was his unique perspective on life as a theatrical performance that truly captivated him.

As I sat in the audience watching the play Just One More, the words of Shakespeare echoed in my mind, resonating with the scenes unfolding before me. The auditorium at Ozark Adventist Academy was filled to the brim, and even more were watching the live stream from an adjoining room. Witnessing the first performance of the play, written and directed by my granddaughter, Autumn Grant, was a moment of pride and joy. 

In the spring of 2023, Autumn embarked on a creative journey, envisioning a play that would bring to life the extraordinary story of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss. She spent months meticulously crafting the dialogue and devising innovative ways to portray this complex war narrative on the stage of a small high school with limited resources. 

The story of Desmond Doss is a testament to the power of conviction. Labeled a conscientious objector for his refusal to carry a gun, he believed in the justness of the war and was determined to contribute in his own way. For him, that meant saving lives, not taking them. He trained as a medic and described himself as a “conscientious cooperator.” His story, almost unbelievable in its courage and conviction, was the heart of the play.

Although Doss was a willing participant and felt himself to have as great a sense of duty as any man in his unit, boot camp was not easy for him. He was verbally harassed, with warnings such as, “Doss, when we get into combat, I’ll make sure you don’t come back alive.” Boots and other items flew his way as he prayed at night. He was ostracized by his unit and bullied by both enlisted men and his commanding officers, but Doss held on to his faith and was an exemplary soldier.

During boot camp, some men threatened to kill Doss, the Bible-carrying medic. However, these same men soon realized the value that Doss brought to the table. Doss demonstrated his bravery by treating wounded soldiers under fire during the fighting in Guam, which earned him a Bronze Star for valor. The 307th continued to fight at Leyte, where Doss again displayed his dedication to his comrades and bravery in combat. As a result, he was awarded a second Bronze Star.

But Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Okinawa on the Maeda Escarpment, known as Hacksaw Ridge. The Japanese had spent years entrenching their soldiers, creating a maze of tunnels in the hill. The Medal of Honor Citation told his story this way.

“He was a company aidman when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet high. As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them one by one to the edge of the escarpment and lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands.”

On October 12, 1945, President Harry S. Truman presented Doss with the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on the White House lawn. Truman shook Doss’s hand and told him, “I’m proud of you. You really deserve this. I consider this a greater honor than being president.”

As I sat watching Desmond’s life story unfold before my eyes, I was amazed at how my granddaughter had woven the elements of his story into an entertaining play. The play was a romance, a drama, and a war story. But even though it was gripping and thought-provoking, it had just the right amount of comic relief.

I wondered how the battle scenes where Desmond saved the lives of 75 soldiers by lowering them off the escarpment using ropes would be depicted. When the battle started, the special effects, including smoke machines, strobe lights, and audio, helped convey the American soldiers' desperate situation. As the smoke cleared, a spotlight shone on the escarpment, showing Desmond lowering a soldier down over the side to the waiting soldiers below.

The soldiers were lowered one by one, and the audience sat silently as the poignant scene played out. After each soldier was safely lowered, Desmond prayed, “Please, Lord, help me get just one more.” These words supplied the title of this incredible play.

When Desmond Doss saved the lives of 75 men on that fateful day in 1945, he had no idea that one day, my granddaughter would write a play based on his life. He didn’t expect to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. He simply wanted to save just one more.

But Desmond Doss and each of us are on a stage daily. People are watching what we say and do. All the world’s a stage. Paul expressed his feelings this way. “I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike.” 1Corinthians 4:9 (NLT)

Gentle Reader, the phrase "all the world's a stage" reminds us that our lives are like a theatrical performance. Each of us has a role to play, and we have the power to decide how we want to portray it. We can choose to be the lead character or a supporting actor. Our emotions, too, are in our control. We can choose to be happy or sad, depending on our outlook on life. 

We have the authority to create our own life's meaning. We are not mere actors playing predestined roles. We are the authors of our own stories. We can choose how we want to live our lives and positively impact the world. “Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love.” Galatians 5:13 (VOICE) 

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Just One More - Written and Directed by Autumn Grant. Performed by the Ozark Adventist Academy Drama Department

The Little MG - April 24, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 24, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The rain was pouring down as a customer pulled up to my business. A man got out of his van and entered my shop. “I am here to look at the 1937 Buick you have for sale on Facebook Marketplace,” he said. As we walked into the building that has several of my collector cars, he stopped to look at each one.

“ I am looking for another car for my collection,” he shared. “I love old cars, and I enjoy just looking at them. I have several cars on display on my property.” I learned he had a 51 Jeep Jeepser, a 1957 Ford Convertible, a 49 Mercury, a 58 Cadillac, and many more.

After looking at my cars and pricing several, he saw my early 50s MG replica. He immediately started talking about how great the MG would look under one of the display carports that dotted his property. After some back-and-forth negotiating, we negotiated a price and made delivery arrangements.

As Chad and I loaded the MG onto Chad’s trailer, I thought about all those years ago when my Daddy built the car from a kit. In the late 70s and early 80s, building kit cars on a VW chassis was trendy. In 1981, Daddy purchased a complete MG replica kit from MIGI. He spent many hours building the car. At about the same time he was building the MG, he built an addition to the side of his shop. When he completed the addition, the first thing he stored in the new building was the recently completed MG replica. The little MG didn’t move from that spot for 35 years.

Daddy never owned a car that wasn’t for sale. Over the years, he had many people interested in the little MG kit car. But the value of kit cars dropped dramatically after he finished the MG. They fell out of favor, and the market was flooded with them. He had paid a lot for the complete kit, which included the gel-coat fiberglass body, interior, convertible top, and all-new chrome bumpers and grill. No one was willing to pay the price he was asking for the beautiful little MG, which just sat in the corner of the new addition.

After a few years, the little car was covered in plastic sheeting to keep the dust and dirt from damaging the finish. As the years went by, more and more parts were stored around the little MG until it was barely visible. Several years ago, Daddy sold the MG to a friend. It took several days to uncover and get the little car out of the building. When we moved it outside, the MG saw the light of day for the first time in 35 years. Daddy’s friend said, “This is a real barn find.”

Under the dust and dirt accumulated in those 35 years was basically a brand-new car. The new owner of the little MG cleaned and detailed it and replaced the tires, and once again, the MG looked like it belonged in a new car showroom. When Daddy saw the newly refreshed MG, he liked it so much that he bought it back. Now, the car has a new owner, and  I’m happy it has found a new home with someone who loves and appreciates it.

In the business of classic cars, barn finds are the holy grail. Anyone with a healthy bank account and a computer can find the vehicle of their dreams, but barn finds are special magic. Barn finds are intact cars that have been untouched and out of sight for years. Finding a particular vehicle, left untouched for years or even decades, is rare. In the collector car world, barn finds come in all shapes and sizes. But one thing remains constant: a great barn find makes all the effort worthwhile.

In 2014, a remarkable barn find of rare automobiles was made on a farm in the West of France. After the owner had died, the children inherited the estate, which included a collection of old cars that had been untouched for many years. Wanting to determine the value of the vehicles, they called France's leading antiques auctioneer.

When the appraisers entered the property, they could see many makeshift shelters covered with tin. As they walked around the farm, they found more and more cars under the makeshift structures, and almost all of them were extremely rare. They found significant models from many legendary brands in European automotive history. The cars had been untouched for at least 50 years. The appraisers valued the cars at between 18 and 20 million dollars. The find was so significant that it was even reported in the U.S. press.

The Bible has a “barn find” story. Well, it is not exactly a barn find, but more of a field find. We read about it in Matthew 13:44 (NIV). “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

Jesus was telling a story about the value of the kingdom of heaven. A man found a treasure in a field. He stumbled across a “barn find.” He put together a plan. He was so excited about his find that he sold everything he had and scraped all of his money together to buy the piece of land with the treasure on it. He knew that the treasure was very valuable, and there was no question that he had to buy the field.

Can you imagine what his friends and family thought? I bet they thought he was crazy. Why would he sell everything to buy that piece of land? They didn’t know that he was gaining a priceless treasure worth far more by selling everything he owned. What is this treasure that is so important? Colossians 2:3 (GW) tells us, "God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ.”

Gentle Reader, are you willing to sacrifice everything you own to gain the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ? When Jesus was asked what the great commandment in the law is, he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 (NKJV) This is what it takes to gain the treasure found in Jesus. This is the ultimate barn find.

Tycho and the Solar Eclipse - April 17, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 17, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The young Danish boy waited in anticipation of the big event. An eclipse of the sun was predicted for August 21. Such a prediction seemed bold and miraculous to the 14-year-old student. But when Tycho witnessed the eclipse in 1560, he saw and believed. The fact that the event had been accurately predicted based on celestial observations profoundly impacted him. It inspired him to become an astronomer. 

Tycho quickly realized that the science of astronomy could only progress if it had systematic, accurate, and, above all, nightly observations. He refined old instruments, built new ones, and spent the rest of his life assembling one of human history's most significant bodies of astronomical data.

Tycho Brahe was a friend of King Fredrik II of Denmark. The king gave Tycho an island and practically unlimited funds to design, build, and operate an observatory. Tycho made many observations of the stars. Over his lifetime, Tycho completed a star catalog providing the positions of 1000 stars. His observations, the most accurate possible before the invention of the telescope, included a comprehensive study of the solar system.

His work supported the idea that the Earth revolved around the Sun, which Copernicus had developed earlier. Tycho made his observations using a compass and a sextant. He invented many instruments that helped him with his work, which were copied and improved by other astronomers.

On November 11, 1572, he suddenly saw a new star in the constellation Cassiopeia, where no star was supposed to be. Tycho carefully observed the new star, brighter than Venus, and showed it was a fixed star beyond the Moon. This phenomenon, a supernova, was an unsettling discovery to the scientific world. They regarded the stars as perfect and unchanging. The news that a star could change as dramatically as the supernova described by Tycho and the Copernican theory that the Sun, not Earth, was the center of the universe shook their confidence in the immutable laws of Greek antiquity. The new information challenged the prevailing belief in how the universe was organized.

Tycho’s discovery of the new star in Cassiopeia in 1572 and his publication of his observations in De Nova Stella in 1573 marked his transformation from an unknown, to an astronomer with a European reputation. Tycho Brahe’s lifetime of observational data was used by his assistant, Johannes Kepler, to develop Kepler's laws of planetary motion. In his scientific works, Kepler described the orbits of planets around the Sun and helped sway scientific thought away from an Earth-centered universe.

Many people may think of scientists as stodgy academics, but Tycho Brahe’s flamboyant lifestyle would have made some of today's wild celebrities look like choirboys. His life ended with as much craziness and intrigue as the life he led.

At the age of 20, he lost part of his nose in a duel with another Danish nobleman. The duel started over a disagreement about a mathematical formula. The only solution they could devise was to try to kill each other. So the pair engaged in a drunken duel at night, in the dark. For the rest of his life, Tycho wore a prosthetic nose. His fake nose was made of copper, although he probably also had gold and silver noses for special occasions.

One day, Tycho saw a moose and instantly decided to get one. Since he was wealthy, he bought a pet moose. The moose liked him and would walk alongside him like a dog. It lived in the castle and joined in on Tycho’s parties. The moose would regularly get drunk with him. When people invited Tycho to a party, they also asked him to bring his pet moose. Unfortunately, the moose’s drinking was ultimately its undoing. It got drunk at one party and fell down a flight of stairs in the castle. That was the untimely end of the moose.

Tycho lived in a castle, keeping a rather unusual group of regular entertainers. He employed a little person called Jepp as his court jester. Tycho believed that Jepp possessed psychic powers and often consulted him on decisions. Jepp spent most dinners under the dining table.

But Tycho’s life seems almost mundane compared to his mysterious death. He died of a sudden bladder disease in 1601 while at a banquet in Prague. He was unable to urinate except in the smallest of quantities, and after eleven days of excruciating agony, he finally died. At least, that's the official story.

Before his death, Tycho wrote his own epitaph and summed up his life by saying, “He lived like a sage and died like a fool.” His final words were, "May I not seemed to have lived in vain."

Nobody likes to live their lives in vain. To live lives to the fullest, some people work hard to make money, build a successful career, and gain social status. Others focus on a happy family life. No matter what, people want to have a fulfilling life. 

Anne Frank wrote in her diary, “I don't want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to everyone, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death!”

God created our lives, so only when we restore a relationship with our Creator and His intended purpose for giving us life can we find a satisfying meaning to our existence.  “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” I Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

Sometimes, we all have days when we feel that our lives are in vain. You may think that your job is mundane. However, it's an opportunity to be God’s light in your workplace. Maybe you feel that you don’t make a difference as a homemaker or caregiver.

Author Stacey Pardoe writes, “As you rock your newborn, you are establishing a secure attachment that will be a foundation of strength for the rest of this little one’s life. You embody God’s love as you tend to an elderly loved one, a noisy room of preschoolers, or a cantankerous client. Additionally, your hidden work is shaping your heart. God is testing your faithfulness in the darkness of obscurity.  He is examining your willingness to serve others without applause.”

Gentle Reader, “We don’t know the results of our efforts for the Lord, but in faith, we can trust that obedience is never in vain. In other words, there is no real failure, properly understood, when the Lord is on our side. Our labor for Him will never come up empty.” - Dr. Bradley Baurain 

Eclipsed - April 10, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 10, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

As we drove up the mountainside to my cousin’s house to attend an eclipse viewing party, clouds filled the sky. “Oh my,” I thought; “After several days of back-and-forth weather forecasts, I thought today was going to provide a cloud-free sky for viewing the eclipse.” 

We set up on the deck with a great view of the sky. The sun was almost peeking through the clouds, and then it disappeared. I put on my eclipse-viewing glasses and looked toward the sun. Occasionally, I could see the shape of the sun through the clouds. It was twenty minutes until the eclipse began. Hopefully, the clouds will clear by then.

A few minutes later, the sky cleared, and not a cloud was near the sun. I sat back in the reclining chair and put on my eclipse-viewing glasses. Excitement built in our group as the reality set in that the eclipse was beginning. When the first tiny black crescent appeared on the sun, everyone quieted as they focused on the sight before them.

After an hour of watching the black disc march across the face of the sun, our excitement built again as we prepared for totality. Suddenly, the tiny crescent disappeared, and there was a single, spectacular, bright point of light. We took off our viewing glasses and looked directly at the sun. Circling the blackness of the Moon, we saw a brilliant light, the Sun’s corona. Totality had begun!

My first view of totality was mind-blowing: excellent, beautiful, delicate, fantastic, and powerful. It left me with no words to describe what I was seeing. The air temperature dropped noticeably, and the sky darkened. A soft red glow like a sunset hovered over the mountains in the distance. The sun was a perfect circle of iridescent white light around a dark marble. 

Eclipse totality is magical. It was an ethereal experience, like seeing a window into another dimension. The moon's blackness was circled by the corona’s beautiful gossamer plumes of iridescent light. Jupiter and Venus appeared in the sky near the sun. The light on the horizon took on a lovely, soft yellow-orange color.

I watched in awe, trying to record what I was seeing and experiencing mentally. But all too soon, the moment of third contact came, with a burst of light as the sun broke back through. We put on our eclipse-viewing glasses. I took a moment to soak in what I had just experienced. 

Watching the last half of the eclipse was fun, but there was no anticipation. The experience of totality was over, and I will never experience it again. After such a wonderful experience, I felt terrible for the many naysayers I have seen posted on social media over the past few days. One that resonated with me was the post, “I’m not sure how many eclipses there have been in my lifetime. I’m 74, and I fail to see how anyone can get excited about the planets doing what they do. It’s just another, and it will carry on happening occasionally.”

While total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth about every 18 months, they are an unusual event in the U.S. The next solar eclipse with a path crossing the U.S. will happen on Aug. 12, 2045, and will span from California to Florida.

On April 8th, large numbers of people across North America watched the eclipse. Because of the attention the eclipse received from the news media and the information that went viral on social media, it is predicted that more people observed and photographed this eclipse than any other eclipse in history.

Even though many people viewed the great American eclipse of 2024, I know of a celestial event that will have many more viewers. Shortly before Jesus was crucified, “His disciples came to him privately and said, ‘Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?’” Matthew 24:3 (NLT) After giving His disciples many signs and much information, Jesus told them, “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30 (NLT)

No event in the history of the world has been more anticipated than the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. Every generation of believers has believed that Jesus would return. When He was on this earth, Jesus promised His disciples that He would return. He told them, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3 (NKJV)

This promise was reaffirmed when Jesus ascended to heaven. He had gathered His disciples and given them some final instructions. In Acts 1:9-11 (NLT), we read, “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!’”

From that moment until now, those who believe in Jesus have been waiting for the world’s most astounding celestial event. It will be the most viewed event in the history of the planet. “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him.” Revelation 1:7 (NKJV)

Gentle Reader, Jesus is returning to this earth to reward His people just as He promised and take them to the beautiful home He has prepared for them. My prayer is that on that day, you will be among the people who say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9 (KJV)

Ninetieth Birthday - April 3, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 3, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The wind buffeted the little Maverick pickup as we drove through Western Kansas on Interstate 70. My wife and I were on our way to Denver, Colorado, to attend my brother-in-law's ninetieth birthday. The road seemed to stretch on forever as the wind continued to blow. When we crossed the state line between Kansas and Colorado, a sign read, "Welcome to Colorful Colorado." 

I surveyed the landscape around me and saw nothing but brown, tan, and beige. There was nothing colorful that I could see. The Eastern Colorado plains are among the most sparsely populated areas in the continental United States. The dry grasslands stretched before me as far as the eye could see. Occasionally, there would be a farmstead with a few trees around it to break up the monotonous tan of the dry grasslands.

But I knew that three hours down the road, rugged mountains and city congestion spread out along Colorado's front range. Before long, we would be meeting family and preparing for a weekend of birthday activities.

The birthday weekend started Friday night with a party at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Over forty family members from as far away as Oregon and Arkansas met for a fun evening celebrating Duane's milestone ninetieth birthday. It was great to visit with family we hadn't seen for some time. The family reconvened for a wonderful meal at Vista Ridge Academy in Erie, Colorado, on Saturday afternoon. 

Spending time with family and celebrating Duane's ninetieth birthday was the perfect way for me to spend Easter weekend. Easter morning, I reflected on the final week of Jesus' life. One of the stories that I remember from that week is Jesus crying for the city of Jerusalem. If He wept over the city of Jerusalem, can you imagine how He is crying over the world today?

When I was growing up, my family attended a small church in Fort Lupton, Colorado. The small church shared a pastor with another church. Sometimes, when the pastor wasn't there for the mid-week prayer service, those in attendance would take turns reciting a favorite text. Being a smart aleck, I thought it was amusing to say that my favorite verse was John 11:35. "Jesus wept."

As I have grown older, it has become a favorite verse of mine. The simple words "Jesus wept" may reveal as much about Jesus as any words ever written about Him. I'm sure that you remember Lazarus's story. When he became ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, the one you love is very sick." Jesus chose to wait until Lazarus had died before He came. We read the story in John 11:33-35 (NLT). "When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled. 'Where have you put him?' He asked them. They told him, 'Lord, come and see.' Then Jesus wept."

Why did Jesus cry? Was it because of his love for Lazarus? He knew Lazarus would be alive in a few minutes. Jesus was crying because his friends were sad. Their sorrow moved him. Jesus is painfully aware of your suffering. Psalms 56:8 (NLT) tells us, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book."

A few days before he died, "Jesus came near Jerusalem. He saw the city and began to cry for it." Luke 19:41 (ICB): Why was Jesus crying? Was He crying for a city? Luke 13:34 (NLT) gives us some insight into this story. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me." Jesus was crying for the people of Jerusalem. He had come to save them, but most were unwilling to be saved. Even though they had rejected him and his salvation, He had compassion for them.

If we follow Jesus' example, how should we, as Christians, relate to sinners? We should have compassion. It seems to me that many Christians have lost their compassion. Looking around, I don't often see Christians dealing with others with understanding. I am more apt to see hate than compassion.

Consider a few hot-button topics and see your response toward the following groups. LGTBQ, Muslims, Adulterers, Abortionists, Thieves, Drug Dealers, Illegal Aliens, Prostitutes, Atheists. Do you have compassion for them, or is your response something different? Can you hate someone while you are praying for their salvation? Should we hate someone that Jesus died for because he loves them

Following the example of Jesus and having compassion for sinners is very liberating. It allows us to leave the judging up to God while practicing the self-sacrificing love He demonstrated on the cross. It will enable us to hold ourselves to a high moral standard without feeling that we must hate those who do not see things the way we do. 

Daniel Darling writes, "We must not allow our protest against values with which we disagree to overshadow our responsibility to show Christ's love for the world. It may very well be the person who offends us the most whom God is in the process of saving. And our gracious response might be the bridge that the Spirit uses to usher him from death to life."

A trendy catchphrase in Christianity is, "What Would Jesus Do?" WWJD is found on jewelry, emblazoned on bumper stickers, and has entered popular culture. The only way to determine what Jesus would do is by learning what Jesus did. Romans 5:8 (NKJV) says, "God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Gentle Reader, Jesus cried for a city of sinners who rejected him. He asked his Father to forgive those who tortured and killed him. We should love the sinner as Christ loves us. After all, we are sinners too. Holding a sign that says "God Hates You" is not an effective way to witness. Let's follow the example of Jesus, love sinners, and hate sin in our own lives. John, the disciple that Jesus loved, tells us in 1 John 4:8 (NKJV) that "he who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 

Kerr Nature Center - March 27, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the March 27, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

After a few days of rain, overcast skies, and drizzle, I awoke to sunshine and a beautiful blue sky. As I sat on my deck and looked out over the grass that was turning green and my dogwood tree in bloom, my phone buzzed with the notification of a text. 

I read the text from my cousin, “Do you want to go Jeeping.” “Sure,” I answered.

My cousin picked me up in his Jeep, and we headed out for an adventure. We decided to drive the Talimena Scenic Byway and, on our way back to Mena, drive down Polk Road 100. The views from Talimena Drive were spectacular, and the clear skies and low humidity combined for excellent visibility.

As we drove the Oklahoma portion of the drive, we entered the Winding Stair National Recreation Area. Shortly after, we came to the Kerr Nature Center. We pulled into the center and parked. It had been a long time since I had been there. But memories flooded my mind as I looked out over the flowering trees and the center's impressive pavilion.

When my kids were young, the Kerr Arboretum, as it was known then, was one of their favorite places to go. Many weekends, we would drive to the Arboretum and spend an afternoon hiking the trails. The trails were easy for the kids and just under a mile long. 

We got out of the Jeep and walked towards the pavilion. Barricades prevented us from entering. When we looked up inside, we saw rotted support beams. It made me sad to see how the building had deteriorated. 

The nature center is named for Robert S. Kerr. Kerr was the most influential politician in Oklahoma for many years. He was the first governor of Oklahoma to be born in the state. He was a three-term Senator and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952. A powerful and influential Senator, he was a close friend of President John F. Kennedy.

In her article, A Wonderful Life: Remembering Robert S. Kerr, Maura McDermott wrote. “Kerr used his political power for conservation. He sponsored bills making these water projects possible, not only in Oklahoma but across the nation. He also co-authored the Pollution Control Act, which provided money for adequate sewage treatment and water pollution research.

For him, conservation equaled national security. How could America compete if she had to feed a growing population on eroding farmland? How could she meet the housing needs of her people if timberland was vanishing or provide pure water to them if rivers were polluted?

In the ‘50s, Kerr had discovered the wild beauty of the Poteau River Valley and the Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma. The ridge tops and south-facing slopes of these mountains were originally heavily forested with shortleaf pine. Hardwoods such as sweetgums, oaks, and maples thrived on moist, northern slopes and along rivers.”

Robert S. Kerr’s love of nature was evident to anyone who knew him. Although he passed away in 1963, I'm sure he would have been pleased when President Ronald Reagan designated Winding Stair National Recreation Area in 1988. The area comprises 26,445 acres and includes numerous campgrounds, an equestrian camp, an eighty-five-acre lake, and many hiking trails.

As my cousin and I walked the trails at Kerr Nature Center, I was captivated by the forest's beauty and stillness. The quiet was broken by the calls of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, who seemed to be answering each other. 

Nature can bring me peace in a way nothing else does, even if it is just sitting on my deck looking at the trees and the creek below my house. One of the reasons I love living in this area is that I can be in the national forest surrounded by nature in just a few minutes and feel that I am many miles from civilization. Or I can be atop a mountain ridge with amazing views stretching for miles.

Spending time in nature has profoundly affected my spiritual life. Something about a towering tree, a colorful wildflower, or a rushing waterfall reminds me that my God is incredible! The more time I spend in God’s wonderful creation, the better I know Him. In Psalms 19:1,2 (NLT), David wrote, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.” Nature can show us God’s beauty, glory, power, presence, and creativity if we pay attention. In Romans 1:20 (NLT), the Bible tells us that “ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

I enjoy studying about God in His book, The Bible, but that isn’t the only way to learn about God. One of my favorite ways to see God is in nature. His creation is for us to enjoy and is a way for God to show us his excellent work. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by the beauty of our world. Every little detail is stunning and serves as a reminder of all God is capable of.

Gentle Reader, I love being outside and awed by God’s creation. In our technologically advanced world, we often relegate God to an accessory that improves our lives. We’ve lost sight of God’s majesty. Looking for God in nature helps us understand his majesty. David wrote of God’s majesty in 1 Chronicles 29:11 (VOICE): “All that is great and powerful and glorious and victorious and majestic is Yours, O Eternal One. Indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to You.”

More than 60 years ago, A.W. Tozer wrote, “With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence.” The next time you are out experiencing God’s majestic creation, whether here in the beautiful Ouachita Mountains or some other place of natural beauty, wrap yourself in the feeling of God’s majesty and presence.

Momma's Memories - March 20, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the March 20, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

While cleaning the garage, I found a notepad in my Momma’s handwriting. Before she passed away, she had started writing down a few stories from her childhood. When Daddy was going through Momma's things after she passed away, he found this notepad and gave it to me. I was happy to see the notepad because I had misplaced it, and it had been a few years since I had seen it. There were only four handwritten pages, but I noticed a theme connecting the stories. 

I want to share a few of those stories with you. Momma grew up in California during the Great Depression. Her family had moved to California from Michigan to find work. She was eight or nine when her family moved back to Michigan.

Momma wrote in her notepad, “In Carmel, California, we lived in a stone house with a stone wall around the property. One day, we were left alone and told to stay in the yard. Dot and I were at the end of the driveway when a car came by. Dot picked up some gravel and threw it at the car. The man stopped the car and told us he was going to call the police.

I took Dot into the house and made her get under the bed. When our folks came home, I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t let the police take Dot away.”

On another page, she wrote, “While we were living in Bonsall, California, Dot and I went to the neighbors. When we were called home, we didn’t go right away. Daddy came after us. I ran ahead, and Daddy spanked Dot’s legs all the way home.”

I want to share one last story that she wrote. “One day, I slammed the door, and Mommy made me sit and wait for Daddy to get home and punish me. 

I was told that if I was unhappy at home, I should leave. I walked down the road a ways but came back and stood outside the door. I asked my mother what I would eat, what I would wear, and where I would sleep. She told me that would be my problem. So I decided home was the place to stay.”

I felt sad as I read the stories. I missed my Momma, but that wasn’t why I felt sad. I was heartsick that my Momma’s childhood memories seemed to all have the common theme of fear and punishment.

Unfortunately, Christians often view their Heavenly Father through the same lens of fear and punishment. Many people see God as someone who will treat anyone who is against Him with terrible cruelty. Some Christian writers and speakers spend a lot of time focusing on the wrath of God and how He will torture sinners. I recently read an article by John Burton titled, "Is it Time for Hell Fire Preaching Again?" In the article, he stated, "We need hellfire preachers to emerge and announce to the church and the world the reality of their situation and the measure of God's wrath and judgment that is coming. Contrary to popular belief, a very real revelation of hell, of torment, is needed to draw people to the Lover of their souls."

I'm afraid I have to disagree with the idea that a very real revelation of hell, of torment, is needed to draw people to God. Instead, I want to lift up a gentle God. In Matthew 11:29 (NCV), Jesus describes himself this way, “Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.” Why would Jesus describe himself as gentle? We find the key in 1 John 4:18 (NKJV), “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

I’m not saying that there are no consequences. There is a judgment. Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV) tells us, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." But 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) tells us that God “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

Does God use fear as a tactic to lead us to repent? Many Christian preachers and writers use fear. Fear spills over into our outreach efforts. We feel that we must warn the world of judgment, the Second Coming, and hell. Shouldn’t it rather be our privilege to announce to the world the Good News that Jesus is almost here? We can all be ready for that because of what He’s already done before we were born. If we choose Him daily, we have nothing to fear from judgment and hell.

Undoubtedly, the world needs to come to repentance, but does God use fear to motivate us? The Bible says in Romans 2:4(NASB), "Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" What leads us to repentance?  Is it fear?  No, we are led to repentance by the kindness of God. When we experience God’s kindness and feel his love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, we want to love him. When we love God, we want to please him; we want Him to live in us and work through us.

Seeing God’s kindness towards us makes us sorry for our actions that hurt Him. It leads us to repentance. It doesn’t lead us to fear Him. Jesus doesn’t want us to fear Him. He wants to be our friend.

In John 15:15 (AMP), Jesus says, “I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you My friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.” A servant is afraid of his master, but a real friendship should not involve fear. Jesus wants to be our friend and to dispel our fears. He wants to cast out fear.

Gentle Reader, God doesn’t want you to fear Him. He wants to save you. Do you see God as a harsh, demanding, cruel God or a loving God? Psalms 86:15 (NKJV) says, “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Do you see God as a gentle, compassionate, and gracious God? A God who wants to save you. I hope so!

The Doctor's Coupe - March 13, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the March 13, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

As I was visiting with a long-time car collector friend, he told me that he was going to sell his 1926 Ford Model T Doctor’s Coupe. I had a couple of cars that he was interested in and wanted to know if I would be interested in making a trade. I told him that I wasn’t interested in Model T’s. They were too old for me, and I knew nothing about them.

A few days later, he posted the Doctor’s Coupe on Facebook Messenger. When I saw the photos, I fell in love with the car. I had never seen a Model T coupe before. I decided to call my friend and see if we could make a deal. I made him an offer, and the Model T Doctor’s Coupe was mine.

A few days later, my friend delivered the Model T to my shop. He gave me a quick driving lesson after driving the car off the trailer. Model Ts are different from modern vehicles in the way they drive. On the floor are three pedals, just like the manual transmission cars of today. But the pedals serve very different functions.

The left pedal is the clutch on the cars I am used to driving. When you push on the clutch, the car’s transmission disengages from the motor. But on a Model T, you press hard on the left pedal, bands tighten on the transmission, and the car moves forward in low gear. When you have built enough speed, you let off the left pedal, and the car shifts into high gear. This car has only two speeds forward.  Push down for low, and lift for high. 

On the right-hand side, you have a conventional brake pedal. When you want to stop, you step on it, just like in a modern car. The only difference is the location of the pedal. In the vehicles that I am used to driving, the right pedal is the gas pedal that controls the engine's speed. But on a model T, the right pedal engages a brake band on the outside of the transmission and slows the car.  The brakes on a Model T are weak, and you must be very careful when driving.

Now, can you guess what the center pedal is for? When you want to back up, you step on the center pedal, and the car backs up. The dual-purpose, hand-operated Emergency Brake and Clutch Release are also located on the floor to the driver's left. It is pulled back toward the driver and serves as the parking brake. But pushing the handle halfway into a vertical position puts the car into Neutral, essential for stopping and reversing.  Moving the handle toward the driver’s feet puts the Model T in top gear.

Modern drivers will not be used to two controls on the steering wheel. These two levers are positioned under the steering wheel. This one on the left is the spark advance, retard in the up position, advance down. On the other side is the hand throttle. The Model T has no accelerator on the floor; instead, the engine speed is controlled by this hand throttle. As you move it down, the engine goes faster and faster.

After driving around at my shop for a few minutes, I was ready to try the Model T on the highway. I needed gas in the fuel tank and headed for the nearest gas station. The highway heading into town from my shop has a fairly steep incline. The Model T struggled to make it up the hill as I mashed down on the low-gear pedal. I chugged along at around five miles an hour.

When I reached the gas station, I opened the flap on the cowl and removed the gas cap. When I could see the gas nearing the top of the tank, I put the gas nozzle back on the pump, replaced the gas cap, and got back in the Model T. I was still nervous while driving. The controls were so different, and the little car was so slow that I worried about the traffic passing me at highway speeds. 

That evening, I watched many YouTube videos explaining how the Model T transmission and pedals worked. My new purchase intrigued me, and I wanted to learn all I could about it. I was also fascinated by the tremble coils the Model T uses in its ignition system.

As I was getting ready for bed, a thought suddenly came to my mind. I didn't pay for the gas when I drove the Model T to the gas station and filled the tank. I am used to using a credit card for my gas purchases, but the station nearest my shop doesn’t have card readers at the pump. As I thought about it, I clearly remembered driving off without paying. 

I didn’t sleep well all night, tossing and turning, knowing I had not paid for my gas. First thing in the morning, I drove to the gas station to pay for the gas. I was embarrassed and apologetic as I walked into the station and told them what had happened. I felt like a thief, even though it had been unintentional.

I thought about the passage in Leviticus 5:17(NCV), “If a person sins and does something the Lord has commanded not to be done, even if he does not know it, he is still guilty. He is responsible for his sin.” I wondered, can we be guilty for sinful responses that seem to happen to us automatically? Can we consider sin voluntary if it is not consciously chosen? What if I unintentionally drive off without paying for my gas?

As I was paying for the gas, I had the assurance of God’s forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (ESV)

Gentle Reader, God has promised to forgive us if we confess our sins. Part of confession is making things right. I hold on to the promise found in Hebrews 10:22 (NCV): Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith because we have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

The Rearview Mirror - March 6, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the March 6, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

As a windshield installer, one of the things that I am often asked to do is glue the rearview mirror back onto a windshield when it has fallen off.  

One day, a friend of mine came by my shop. “My rearview mirror fell off my Bronco’s windshield. Can you glue it back on,” he asked. I assured him I could and got the rearview mirror adhesive kit off the shelf. After removing the mirror from the windshield bracket, I carefully cleaned and prepped the windshield and the bracket. I used the two-part adhesive and activator to reattach the bracket to the windshield. After the adhesive cured for a few minutes, I reattached the mirror to the windshield.

A few days later, my friend returned his Bronco to the shop. “The rearview mirror has fallen off again,” he said. I glued the bracket back on the windshield and reattached the mirror. I could never figure out the issue with his windshield, but over the time he owned the Bronco, I reattached the rearview mirror four times. The Bronco’s rearview mirror became a running joke with us, and he still gives me a hard time.

Have you ever driven a car without a rearview mirror?  It can be uncomfortable.  Why do cars have a rearview mirror?  Sometimes, we need to know what is behind us.

Do we need a spiritual rearview mirror? Yes, we need to know what is behind us. When Moses presented the Feast of Unleavened Bread to his people, he said, “Remember this day, the day you left Egypt. You were slaves in that land, but the Lord with his great power brought you out of it.” Exodus 13:3 (NCV)

We need to look back and see what God has done for us in the past. It gives us something to base our belief on. God wants us to remember. The word remember is used 230 times in the New King James Version of the Bible.

Psalms 105:5 (VOICE) says, “Remember the wonderful things He has done, His miracles and the wise decisions He has made.” Just like a glance in your car's rearview mirror can put your mind at ease, remembering what God has done for us is very reassuring.

A rearview mirror is excellent for checking out what is happening behind you, but there is something that a rearview mirror isn't good for. Would you want to be on the road with me if I spent all my time looking in the rearview mirror? That would be very dangerous. Spending all our time in the past is also dangerous in our spiritual lives.

In Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT), Paul wrote,” I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Paul says the first step in pressing forward is forgetting what is behind.  We are to remember what God has done for us in the past, but we are to forget our own past. The past can be a terrible enemy.   John MacArthur said about Paul's statement in Philippians 3, "Churches are full of spiritual cripples, paralyzed by the grudges, bitterness, sins, and tragedies of the past.”

Writer Max Lucado likens holding a grudge to being in quicksand. When we have a grudge, we can't seem to get out of its grasp. The more we think about and struggle with it, the deeper we sink. I think the only way we can get ourselves out of the quicksand of holding a grudge is through the power of God. In Ephesians 4:26,27 (NLT), Paul writes, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Our conflict with the devil is hard enough without us intentionally giving him a mighty foothold.  Don’t look in the rearview mirror at all the wrongs done to you.

The Bible makes it clear that Christians should forgive, not hold grudges. In Matthew 6:14-15 (NCV), Jesus says, “If you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”

Can forgiveness change the past? No. What will forgiveness do? It sets us free from the past so we can move into the future. 

Sometimes, I think that accepting forgiveness is the only thing harder than forgiving. When I was growing up in Colorado, my pastor was Pastor George. I still remember his teaching on the scripture 1 John 1:9 (KJV). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 became my favorite verse.

Over the years, I have come to realize that there is a problem with this verse. The problem is not with the verse but that many Christians don’t believe it. They say they believe, but their actions show they don’t feel forgiven.

In Isaiah 43:25 (NASB), God tells us, “I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” David wrote in Psalms 103:12 (ISV), “As distant as the east is from the west, that is how far he has removed our sins from us.” And Micah 7:19 (NIRV) says, “You will completely wipe out the evil things we’ve done. You will throw all our sins into the bottom of the sea.”

When you are forgiven, God wipes out your sins; He has removed them as far as the East is from the West and thrown them into the bottom of the sea. Don’t be looking in your rearview mirror for your sins.  

Gentle Reader, we must learn how to use our rearview mirror properly. We need to look back at how God has led in our lives and how he has blessed us. But don’t look back at our sins that God has promised to forgive as we forgive those who have sinned against us. 

Erfurt, Germany - February 28, 2024

My An Arkie's Faith column from the February 28, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

Someone who knew I had traveled to many places recently asked me a question. They wanted to know my favorite destination I would recommend visiting. That was a difficult question because many areas have left a lasting impression. The answer to that question might change from day to day, but the answer I gave that day was Erfurt, Germany.  

I still remember my first impressions of Erfurt. The tour bus drove down the narrow cobblestone street and stopped in front of an old church. Our tour guide, Bernd, told us that the church was St. Augustine's Church, built over 700 years ago. In 1277, Augustinian Hermits started to build St. Augustine's Church and the monastery complex. He said, "We will spend the weekend inside the historic walls and rooms where monks, including Martin Luther, once lived and prayed."

Our tour had arranged for us to stay at the Augustinerkloster in Erfurt, Germany. It's a working Lutheran church and cloister used as a conference center with 51 visitor rooms. As I walked toward my room, I soaked in the history of the place and tried to imagine what it would have been like to live here as a monk over five hundred years ago.

After settling into the room, I headed out to explore the old town of Erfurt. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years, but no one knows precisely how old the city is. The earliest written records of Erfurt were from 742 A.D. when a diocese was established there.

German writer Arnold Zweig described Erfurt's charming old quarter as a "picture book of German history." Somehow, the medieval city center emerged relatively unscathed from World War II, after which it became stuck in the strange cocoon of East German communism for half a century. Because of this, Erfurt has a surprising time-capsule quality. Walking through the jumble of narrow alleys and open squares, I tried to visualize the same places during medieval times.

The picturesque beauty of the Krämerbrücke, or Merchants Bridge, struck me. It's the oldest secular building in town and the longest-inhabited bridge in Europe. Half-timbered houses flank a beautiful cobblestone street. The bridge was constructed in 1325, though most houses date to the 15th century.

My walk through Erfurt culminated in the vast Cathedral Square, dominated by two old churches. As I sat down and soaked up the scene, The sounds of a busy German square enveloped me. Conversations surrounded me as people ate and socialized at the many open-air restaurants around the plaza. Children squealed with delight while they played. I sat on a bench, watching couples quietly conversing and teenagers congregating nearby. 

Even though I was alone, I felt part of a vibrant community. I sat quietly and tried to imagine what it was like five hundred years ago when Martin Luther lived here. The medieval charm of the old city made it easy for my mind to engage in flights of imagination and fill it with the sights and sounds of the 16th century.

After spending the night in the modernized rooms of the over six-hundred-year-old Augustinerkloster, our tour group met the following day to worship in St. Augustine's Church. We had been permitted to worship in the old church Martin Luther had attended as a monk. The church was closed to tourists for one hour, and we had it all to ourselves. Sitting in the beautiful old church and singing Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress, I was filled with awe and the history of the place. 

I was reminded of why Martin Luther became a monk who worshipped in this church. The day was July 2, 1505. Martin had recently completed a Master's degree and started his law studies at the University of Erfurt. He was returning to Erfurt after visiting his parents when he was caught in a terrible thunderstorm. Lightning struck near him, and he was thrown to the ground. Fearing for his life, he called to Saint Anne: "I will become a monk!" Much to his father’s dismay, Martin left law school and entered the monastery.

In 1517, Martin Luther wrote a document attacking the Medieval Church’s corrupt practice of selling indulgences to absolve sin. His “95 Theses” had two central beliefs. The first is that the Bible is the central religious authority, and the second is that salvation is only by faith in Jesus and not by works. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9 (NKJV)

As Christians, we want to make Jesus the center of everything. We shouldn’t focus on just portions of the gospel of Jesus; we should teach Jesus in the completeness of his life. Paul addressed this concept in 1 Corinthians 2:1,2 (NLV): "Christian brothers, when I came to you, I did not preach the secrets of God with big sounding words or make it sound as if I were so wise. I made up my mind that while I was with you, I would speak of nothing except Jesus Christ and His death on the cross."

Martin Luther was a champion of the Bible. He spent many years translating the Bible into the vernacular German of the common man. He believed every Christian should read the Bible for himself and that with God's help, each Christian could understand the truths it contained. He wrote, "We must make a great difference between God's Word and the word of man. A man's word is a little sound that flies into the air and soon vanishes, but the Word of God is greater than heaven and earth, yea, greater than death and hell, for it forms part of the power of God, and endures everlastingly." 

Gentle Reader, I want to leave you with these words penned by Luther. "There is no other interpreter of the Word of God than the Author of this Word, as He has said, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ John 6:45 (NCV). Hope for nothing from your own labors, from your own understanding: trust solely in God and in the influence of His Spirit. Believe this on the word of a man who has experience."