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By Ruth Gadberry
Last week was busy, busy at Stringtown First Baptist Church, but what fun, what fun. Kolby King was there for a crusade. It was especially designed for the kids but the adults who attended enjoyed it too. Kolby and Jay, his monkey friend puppet, entertained as well as shared the love of God with kids of all ages. Kids of all ages were there. Dozens and dozens of them. Kids everywhere! Wonderful! Oh my. You never saw so much wiggling, giggling, squirming, jumping, bouncing, singing, shouting; it was all there.
The evening started for the kids with a meal in the fellowship hall. Add a few cartwheels to the above mentioned actions and you’ll get an idea of how the kids reacted to the evening’s activities. The adults went home tired, just from watching the kids. Do you think maybe that energy is wasted on kids? Maybe if they had a little less energy and the adults had a lot more…. Anyway, their wiggles and squirming didn’t seem to bother their listening; they heard every word. It was so plain and clear to them that they understood what God meant for them to understand. Many of them asked Jesus to take charge of their lives and help them live for Him.
Preacher Joey baptized several of the kids Wednesday night and several more Sunday morning. It was definitely a successful week. Now lots more kids are on their way to Heaven. Thank you, Kolby King, for being such a special part of our lives last week.
The weather is supposed to get cooler again this week. Sunday was pretty warm. Almost like summer again.
Wasn’t last Wednesday a fabulous day? Fall days just don’t get much better. It was fantastic if you happened to be working outside. Baling hay, brush hogging the pasture, taking a walk in the woods, burning trash, or whatever it is you have to do outside.
It was a glorious day for taking a trip. That’s just what Rickie Thompson did. The trip she had always dreamed of. The trip where she didn’t even have any packing to do, plans to make, tickets to buy or anything. She didn’t even need to take her pajamas or toothbrush. Everything would be provided for her.
Her reservations had been made a long time ago. She was going first class. Her ticket had been bought and paid for many, many, many years ago by Jesus. It wasn’t any little cheap, bargain sale, promotion kind of a trip. We told you it was definitely first class. It was expensive; very expensive. It cost Jesus everything He had to purchase her ticket; it cost Him His life. He bought and paid for Rickie’s ticket on a cross at Mount Calvary.
Here lately Rickie’s body had begun to wear out. That body had seen her through a lot of living. It had lasted for a lot of years. That body had seen her through many experiences of life. Marriage, children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, and so many other relatives and friends? Don’t even try to count the friends Rickie knew and loved all those years.
But why would she want to take such a wonderful trip with a worn out body? Ah-ha! She didn’t! That was a part of the trip package. She was to receive a brand new body! That one will last for all eternity and not wear out. Not ever.
So, when God said, ‘Rickie, it’s time to come home’ she was off like a rocket! Past the moon, the Milky Way, Mars, all the way to Heaven. Carried by God’s angels to her new home! She was seeing Jesus face-to-face for the very first time! That’s about as first class as you can get, don’t you think?
It was good-bye for her family and many of her friends. But not forever. They will be joining her in Heaven when God calls their names.
Did you realize that Jesus also bought and paid for a ticket for you too? A home in Heaven with a new body that won’t ever wear out? It’s all yours. IF you will accept it from Jesus.
Yes, Jesus died that you might have a way to enter Heaven. But He didn’t stay in the grave. He is ALIVE! Now and forever. And you can talk to Him, even though you can’t see Him. Tell Him you are a sinner and you’ve made a mess of your life and you are headed for-well, not for Heaven. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins and tell Him you want to do things His way from now on. You will be accepted as God’s child with a home waiting for you in Heaven.
Maybe you’d like to talk to somebody about this. Rickie’s husband, Loyd, could help you out there, or Preacher Joey. Or lots and lots of other people are available to help you understand.
Good-bye Rickie. But not forever. Watch for us. We’ll be there when God calls us.
A celebration of Rickie’s life was held Saturday afternoon at Stringtown First Baptist Church. Preacher Joey shared lots of things people remembered about Rickie. Some of these memories were associated with her driving. Whenever she went somewhere with one person or with a group, Rickie wanted to drive. They had some interesting experiences. No, she didn’t have wrecks or run into people or anything like that. Could that be because people learned to stay out of her way?
Rickie loved people. Babies, little people, teenagers, adults, old people; she loved them all. They knew it and loved Rickie.
Music was important to Rickie. She loved to listen to music and she loved to sing. In addition to singing at First Baptist Church, forming and directing choirs, music with kids and all sorts of things, she was also a member of the Singing Church Women of Oklahoma and went on several singing tours with that choir.
Rickie loved her husband, daughters and their families, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But she had plenty of love left over for all her other relatives as well as her many friends, if saying goodbye to someone you love is hard, even when you know you’ll be together again someday. Rickie’s family and friends already miss her but they are certain that death is just the doorway into Heaven and they’ll all be together again when Gods gets ready for them to join her.
Worship services Sunday morning began with Rickie, up there on the screen, singing. What a blessing.
Beth and Ray spent a few days in Oklahoma City last week. They were there for the Oklahoma State Girls Softball tournament. Some of you were there, cheering for your favorite team. Kiowa girls were there but they didn’t quite make it another championship this year.
Beth was working in one of the ticket booths. Ray was telling people where to park; and where NOT to park. But he got to see all the games too. Sometimes he just walks around, looking important, and available to help with any rule decisions and things like that. Unless it’s a world or international tournament or something like that he isn’t needed so much as an interpreter but he is available if they need him.
When Beth gets home from a trip she rushes out to check on her ‘babies’; her six guineas. She lets them out of the pen now; all day if she happens to be home. They are roaming farther and farther from home. She’d rather they patrol the yard and clear out as many ticks, grasshoppers and other insects as they can find. But they like to roam and explore their neighborhood.
Sunday night it was dark when she got home. Her guineas weren’t back in their pen where she wanted them but on top of the pen. On the wire covering the pen. She tried to get them into the pen but they refused to budge. It seemed they wanted to camp out or something. Monday morning they followed her back into the pen for breakfast. Later, something must have scared them. They took to the air and flew to the porch. Then they were off on their adventures again. Beth’s mom told her they would eventually probably roost in the tree above the guinea pen. They kinda like the wide open spaces. One of their favorite places now is on the back porch, or patio. That ISN’T where she wants them to be!
JC’s pasture has been getting it’s fall haircut. Brush hogging the weeds. Hopefully in time for them not to seed for next year, but doubtful. Roy has been cutting it pretty short because the cows have the grass eaten down pretty low. Ray has been cutting the grass in the pasture behind the house and not cutting it short at all. There is still lots of grass there so he is just cutting the tops off the weeds. You know, those flowers blooming in the pasture. Then they’ll turn the cows back in that pasture and they’ll take care of the grass quite quickly.
News Bulletin! Last week Kenneth Barfield saw the doctor who did Jan’s knee surgeries and they aren’t going to do surgery on his foot. Not right now anyway. Instead they put a cast on his foot and leg to try to make that Achilles tendon or whatever you call it, grow back together on it’s own. They bent his foot down as far as they could bend it; ouch, ouch, ouch! In a couple of weeks they’ll push his foot down again, as far as they can get it and put on a new cast and do that every two weeks. Hopefully they will see some improvement in about ten weeks.
Kenneth is supposed to stay off his foot as much as possible but he still has hay to cut, bale, and haul so that isn’t working too well. He is supposed to sit with his foot 17, or is it 18 inches above is heart? Ruth told him to lie on the floor with his foot on top of the refrigerator. Well, he does have long legs. But maybe something else would do better.
Several things will be happening at Stringtown First Baptist Church. The ladies will meet on October 25 at 6:00 o’clock.
October 31 is Trunk or Treat on the parking lot at Stringtown First Baptist Church. Fun for kids of all ages, including adults.
Get ready; November 1 is when we ‘fall back’. You know, when we set our clocks back one hour? Time change time?
November 16-23 is the date when we must have the Samaritan’s Purse shoe boxes turned in. You remember; the shoe boxes we fill for children almost anywhere in the world. This is a fun way to be a missionary. Try it; you’ll like it.
If you are a child of God, remember whose kid you are and act accordingly.
