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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/10/2006 3:09:27 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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The next morning Mary and Karen left the house early for her hair appointment, Wayne left for the store, and I hung around the house getting things packed. The plan was for me to go by the salon and get Mary at around 9:30 or 9:45. I ended up hitting it right in the middle - but the stylist was sitting in her chair and Mary was nowhere to be found.
Sheila, the stylist, told me, "You just missed them. They only left about 5-10 minutes ago." I asked her what caused the change in plans, and she told me that she'd finished faster than what she'd thought and also, Karen wanted to see my reaction. I thanked Sheila for doing this on such short notice, then went back to the house.
I walked in and Karen told me that I couldn't go back to the bedroom, because Mary was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. I merely put my hand beside beside my eyes to hide them and went on by. Keeping my back to the open door, I did some more packing. A few minutes later, I heard Mary say, "Okay, honey. Turn around." My first reaction was "WOW!!" I couldn't believe my eyes - she looked at least 15 younger! I grabbed her and just held on to her for a few moments, then pulled back so I could look her in the eyes. "Sweetheart," I said, you were always beautiful to me. But now, you really look amazing!" That was the reaction she was hoping to hear. Karen said, "Do you really like it?" To which I replied, "You'd better believe it! I can't get over how much younger she looks!"
It was about time, then, for Karen to go the bookstore and for us to complete the packing. She pulled her car out of the garage and I pulled ours in, then closed the door. Wayne had loaned me his remote control so that the house could be secured after we left.
At last, very reluctantly, we finished loading the Saturn. Before pulling out of the driveway, I took a couple of pictures of the house, then headed for the Lighthouse.
Wayne was helping a customer when we first walked in the door, so Mary kept herself hidden until he finished. She stepped out into view and said, "Well Wayne, what do you think?" His eyes got real big when he realized she meant her hair. He hugged her amd told her that he liked it, which pleased her to no end. We talked with Wayne for a few moments, then he introduced us to a young man who worked there, but hadn't been in the store on Monday when we were there. A phone call came in for Wayne, so while he answered it, Mary & I spoke with an older gentleman who'd come in. He was from Scotland originally, which delighted my ears greatly; I just love to hear a Scottish accent.
When he was ready to check out, we went to the other end of the counter so that we could say goodbye. We both thanked them profusely for all they'd done, then told them we'd come back again. They asked us to bring Mom the next time, and we said we'd try it but it all depended on her health. Waving farewell, we went out the door.
I looked at the clock on the radio as I started the car, and saw that it was 11:25. We quickly prayed God's blessings on The Lighthouse as well as Wayne & Karen, and for God's protection on the journey home, then pulled out of the lot. I've got to be honest with you all; there were tears in our eyes as we left. The stress that Mary & I had felt on the 15th as we'd left Charleston had long since vanished, and we felt so-o-o-o relaxed. That's what made it so difficult to leave.
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/11/2006 10:50:26 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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I made one last stop before getting on I-75. The gas tank needed to be re-filled and the gas was .10 to .20 cents cheaper per gallon down there. In fact, here's an interesting tidbit: at a BP station next to I-75 there in Calhoun, the price for Regular Unleaded was $2.74 while at a Citgo just down the road it was $2.95, and at a Wal-Mart in Dalton it was only $2.65. Talk about disparity! Anyway, I got the gas at BP and we hit the road.
When we'd been driving for about 20 minutes, I made phone call to RoseMary to ask her a question about something. Let me explain: on Monday evening as we returned from Woodstock, I asked Wayne if he had a DVD player at the bookstore. He said that he did, so I asked if he'd like to see his brother-in-law make a spectacle of himself. He was genuinely curious as to what I meant, so he agreed. Now comes the reason for purchasing the DVD that I told you about earlier.
During the show at the Smith Family Theater, they stopped to introduce the next segment, which required a bit of audience help. They needed 4 people (2 men, 2 women) to hold some lightweight props. Everyone in the audience is thinking signs or posters, so there's really no problem. Jim Smith came down into the crowd looking for the gents, while one of the backup singers chose the ladies. Jim picked a short, older gentleman off the front row, then came back to our row. My brother-in-law, Elvis, was on the end of the row, and...you guessed it, he was asked to lend a hand.
When the four victims, I mean volunteers, were on stage, Charlie sprung the trap. The "lightweight props" turned out to be Hula Hoops! They were going to have an old-fashioned Hula Hoop contest and the audience was to judge them on one thing - EFFORT.
I need to get to bed, so I'll tell you more later.
Duane
< Message edited by noblesinger -- 7/12/2006 2:19:18 PM >
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/12/2006 2:20:10 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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Before they could even get the contest underway though, one of the women jumped ship. She just shook her head and walked off the stage really fast. Charlie said to the singer who had picked out the woman, "Tim, you better get another one quick or you and me's gonna hafta do it!" But another woman was "volunteered" by her husband (she got him back later on in another segment) and the contest began.
One man vs. one woman was the premise, with these stipulations: the hoop must be twirled around the waist. No "ring around the collar," not out on the wrist, no going around the ankle, and no using it like a jump rope. The first man up was none other than my brother-in-law Elvis - and the music was an old Elvis tune, "Teddy Bear." How appropriate was that?
Anyway, Elvis tried his best, but he just couldn't keep the hoop going. But that didn't stop him. Every time that the hoop hit the stage, he never quit wiggling his hips and shaking his legs! The sight was truly hysterical!! The whole audience was cracking up! The woman that went first was no better than Elvis; in fact, she broke the rules and went "jump rope." The older gent was even worse than Elvis - Jim Smith had to hep him even attempt to spin it. The second woman, however, was a different story. She was pretty good at it, in fact. The audience gave her a big hand.
When the contest had ended, we were asked to vote by our applause for who we thought had put forth the best effort. Of course, the men put forth a bit more noise when it came time to vote for the men's team. The act finished when Charlie, Jim, and Tim put their heads together and "discussed" (actually mumbled) the voting...and finally declared it a tie. Which is how all the contests at the Smith Family Theater end, frankly.
Meanwhile, back at The Lighthouse, we discovered that the DVD was defective; it wouldn't even begin playing, and an Error message kept flashing. This thoroughyl disgusted us, Mary especially. She so wanted her Dad to see it. But I told her that we'd go back to the Theater and have them make it good, so just relax.
Let's go back now to my phone call to RoseMary. She was glad to hear from us and thrilled to know that we'd had a wonderful time with Wayne & Karen. I asked her if their copy of the DVD had worked or not. She said that it hadn't, but that she'd taken it back to the Smith's and they had replaced it - no questions asked. I then begged a favor of her; to call the Theater and tell them of our problem, and that we're on our way home and would like to get it taken care of. She agreed to help us, so we hung up and continued our journey.
After a fast stop at a Wendy's for a potty break, we got our lunch to go and ate it on the road. Reaching Knoxville, I found the proper exit (making sure that the Sunsphere was on my right), and we hit the highway for Pigeon Forge. You know something, that purple cow wasn't at the underpass again - I think RoseMary was pulling my leg, don't you?
We got to the Theater and entered the lobby. A man behind the ticket counter greeted us and asked how he could help us. I explained the situation and a woman said that she'd gotten RoseMary's phone call. After giving them the DVD, they tried to play it and ended up getting the same results as we did. Another young man was enlisted to help us locate another copy of the performance. During the search, we discovered that the DVD wasn't properly formatted, which is why it wouldn't work. The search for another copy proved fruitless, so the young man went into the computer system, found the Master recording, burned & tested another DVD, and then sent us on our way with his heartfelt apologies after a 45 minute layover.
One thing I'd like to say about the people of Tennessee and Georgia: they are extremely friendly. All of the sales people, waiter/waitresses, check-out clerks, etc., were all well-mannered and eager to please. That is such a far cry from what we're used to here in WV. Many sales clerks seemingly could care less whether or not they help you, and if they do it seems to be such an inconvenience for them - all of which makes for some highly unpleasant shopping experiences. OK, I'm off the soap box and my mini-rant is over! I'll take my pills now. 
The remainder of our trip home was uneventful. From Pigeon Forge we went to I-40 (passing by Smoky Mountain Knife Works  ), on up to Bristol, VA, where we then hooked up with I-81, then I-77 to Bluefield, WV. We stopped for dinner there at Ryan's, and then lit out for home. One last stop at a Travel Plaza for the bathroom, and Charleston was in our windshield.
Mary asked me to stop at her Dad's so she could show him her hair. Eugene was watching TV in the dark (which we've told him is bad for his eyes!) when we knocked on his door. He hugged Mary (but not me) & told her that he was glad to see her, and then asked us how we enjoyed our trip. It took me finally asking him to take a good look at Mary's hair before he realized that it no longer had any gray in it. Eugene really liked the way that it looked, which really pleased her. We left his house and drove over to ours, pulling into the driveway at 10:30pm after 11 hours on the road. Mary & I both were two very pooped puppy dogs. I unloaded the suitcases from the car, but left everything else until the next morning. At long last, we fell into bed at around 11:15, exhausted but fully relaxed.
There's one more thing about the vacation that I'd like to share with you...next time.
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/16/2006 10:58:23 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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Remember a little earlier in our story when I told how Mary and I had fallen in love with the whole Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area? How we'd not feel too bad in moving there, if the Lord would send us there? Well, here's why I mentionede that.
After the show at the Smith Family Theater, we had a chance to speak with members of the group: Tim Matthews, the tenor back-up singer; and Jim & Charlie Smith. Mary & I told them how much we had enjoyed the show, and that we'd be sure to spread the word about them to everyone we know. It turns out that Linda & Bob know the brothers fairly well, so we ended up telling Charlie the story of how we came to be there in the first place.
I also took the opportunity to tell Charlie that he had one thing missing: "if you're going to sing Southern Gospel Music, Charlie, then you really need a bass singer." (Note: Some songs can be done as trios without the bottom sound, but most of them need a "bulldozer" to sound right.) He said, "Yeah, I know. We used to have a goodun', but he had to leave us. I try to kinda growl it out, but I'm only a baritone, so I can't quite pull it off totally." I then said, "I'm a bass, and I'd be interested if you decide that you need aonther one." Charlie said to me, "I thought I heard something deep rumblin' around down in your chest." "How does a low B-flat sound, Charlie? And I'm getting lower every day." He gave tme this funny look, like "You're kidding, right?" I said, "Honest, Charlie, that's my bottom range." He had to go right about then, but he told me that he'd keep me in mind. I'm going to send Linda a demo tape or CD, and put it in God's hands as to how it turns out.
Wouldn't that be great? The chance to do what I've always wanted to do (sing for a living), and to be able to do it with family around me - too cool!
I can only pray that this works out, because I'm becoming more & more unhappy at my job. It's not the extra workload; that slacked off while we were on vacation. My new supervisor's first day of work was the 16th - our second day on the trip. So my job stress has eased, but the unhappiness has not. Politics plays such a huge part in any workplace, but it's even larger in state government. And there are so many sneaky, underhanded people around that it is very disheartening. That's the main reason why I'm so anxious to leave. Finding another job with the kind of benefits that I have is kind of hard in this state, so that's why I either have to leave WV...or win the $10 Million Dollar Publishing Clearing House Sweepstakes!! LOL!!
OK, my mini-pity party is over. You know, after all of that travelling that Mary & I did, we were back on the road a little over a week later. This time Mom was with us, which mad for a different kind of trip altogether. I'll tell you about that one soon.
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/19/2006 12:27:53 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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Our next trip was only an overnight one, and it's a good thing that it was, because Mom was along for this one. Let me set it up for you all:
Terry & Angela Sprague were a wonderful couple who began attending our church back in the early 90's. They had a lovely little girl, named Melody, who seemed far older than her age at times. After being with us for a couple of years, they were blessed with a son, Kenan. He became my "little buddy," and our two families grew very close. In fact, Angela began to call me "Unky Duane" in front of the children, and they soon picked it up.
Terry & Angela were one of the first families that I knew, personally, who home-schooled their kids. For a long time, I was skeptical of the practice, but I came to accept it in their case. Some families use an undisciplined child as an excuse to home-school; "They're very misunderstood," or "The teachers just aren't very good" are what they will tell you is their reasoning, but I know better - the kids are brats. But with the Spragues, I believed it was the right move. Angela had been a schoolteacher before she got pregnant with Melody, so she had the training; plus, she was a very attentive person, which made her a perfect candidate to home-school. And Melody was the type of little girl who dreamed of being a homemaker, so any studies could be worked around helping her Mom in the kitchen or other chores.
About 3 or 4 years ago, Terry's job required him to transfer from Charleston to the Akron, OH area. It was a sad day, indeed, when the Sprague family left us. But God had a plan --- doesn't He always?
Before leaving Charleston, Terry & Angela put in an application with the local Crisis Pregnancy Center to be considered for adoption. Later on, a young woman contacts the CPC "by mistake" (Yeah, right!  ) for some abortion couseling. What she got, instead, was pro-life counseling and she ended up calling back wanting to place the baby for adoption. She also wanted to look through portfolios to pick the prospective parents. Enter Terry & Angela. They were asked if they'd like to be included in her search. DUH! Of course they'd like to be included! Later on, the mother picks them as the new parents. See?! I told you that He had a plan! On August 2, 2003, Elijah Ethan Sprague came into this world. Evidently, he was anxious to live in OH because he was born 3 weeks early. LOL! Anyway, after an entire series of miracle incidents, his adoption became official on April 8, 2004. He even looks like Kenan!
Now that your're set up with the background info, I'll get back to the trip next time.
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/19/2006 3:10:12 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
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From: "Almost Heaven"
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Just before Mary and I went on our trip down South, we got a letter from Terry & Angela, inviting us to Melody's high school graduation ceremony/reception. In the envelope was a map with hotel/motel information, an official graduation announcement, and a picture of a beautiful young woman -- not the little girl who'd moved away. Mom, of course, immediately said, "Can we go?" Mary & I agreed, because Melody had helped serve at our wedding reception and we were thrilled to be invited.
Mary & I returned from GA on the 24th of May, spent the Memorial Day weekend here at home, I went back to work on the 30th, and on June 3rd we drove north on I-77 into OH.
Leaving Charleston, the weather was wonderful; bright sunshine and warm, but not overly warm, temperatures. We had hoped to set out early enough to eat breakfast at a Cracker Barrel near Parkersburg, WV, but Mom's body just couldn't move fast enough. So we stopped at a local biscuit place (Tudor's Biscuit World), and got some to go.
Crossing the WV-OH border, we immediately noticed the difference in the Interstate. The surface was much bumpier and in need of repair. In fact, a stretch of about 10-11 miles was down to 2 lanes, while the other two were being completely repaved. And I'm not talking asphalt paving, but dig-up-the-old-and-put-down-new-concrete-type paving. Being in a construction zone slowed us down a bit, but not so much that we fell behind schedule.
Going a bit further, we passed through a portion of Ohio's Amish Country. We couldn't see much from the Interstate, but we saw signs pointing the way. Making mental notes to stop on the return trip, we pressed on.
As we neared Canton, my heart started beating a little quicker. When I mentioned this to Mom, she immediately thought something was wrong. Mary laughed and said, "No, Lillie! It's just the football fan in him getting excited!" I had to explain to Mom that the Pro Football Hall of Fame is right alongside I-77 there in Canton, and that I'd love to visit it someday. She just looked at me sort of funny and went, "Oh."  She just doesn't understand my love for football, even though I'd gone to the College Hall of Fame years before while we visited Cincinnati for a Reds game.
Driving by the Hall, I pointed it out to her and showed her the field where they hold the Hall of Fame Game each year. Then something caught my eye: the retaining walls along the Interstate were not the normal grey concrete you see everywhere, but they looked like red bricks and had gray inserts that had an outline of the Hall etched into them. The look was quite striking; in fact, Mom even commented on how nice it loooked.
Soon, we came to the exit where our motel was located. After finding it and getting checked in, we had a quick lunch from a nearby Arby's, then changed clothes to go to the graduation.
More to come soon.
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/21/2006 1:01:44 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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As we drove to the place where the ceremony was being held, I passed a couple of homemade ice cream stands. Needless to say, Mary got a bit excited over that, so I promised her that I'd stop at one on our way back to the motel. After finding the building, we parked the car and went in. Once inside, we were greeted by the sight of Melody welcoming the guests. She was wearing a long, antique white dress (which she'd made herself, we found out later) that had lace on the sleeves, hem, and neck. It was a lovely dress and she looked so amazing, so grown-up in it. All three of us were shocked at how Melody had changed. The little girl was gone, and a young handmaiden of the Lord stood in her place. She came over to us, her face just beaming, and hugged Mom first. She said, "Miss Lillie, it's so good to see you! Thank you for coming!" I let Mary go next, then when it was my turn, I kissed her on the cheek and said, "Where has my little girl gone?" She just grinned and replied, "I've just grown up some, Unky Duane! I'm so glad you're here and that you brought Miss Lillie."
After talking for a few more minutes, we went into the reception room and saw Angela. She was thrilled to see us (even though I'd RSVP'd to her by phone) and hugged us all tightly, with she and my Mom sharing a few tears as they did.
Milling around the room some more, I spied my "little buddy" Kenan on the other side. The only problem was that he was no longer little; in fact, he was actually chest high on me. Ouch!  Another slap in my face, telling me that I'm getting older! He wanted to prove to me how strong he was, and tried to pick me up. I said, "Be careful there, bud. You might hurt yourself." After straining for several seconds, he gave up. So I proved to him that he wasn't quite as "grown-up" as he thought he was - I picked him up. Rather easily, in fact. His eyes got big as he rose off the floor. I put him back down so he could go back to passing out the programs.
We also saw another family from our church, Steve & Lisa Schwartz anf their children. The Schwartz and Sprague families were very close - still are, for that matter - as we attended Perrow Church together. In fact, Terry & Angela actually let Steve & Lisa, along with their oldest son Andrew, stay with them for awhile as they looked for a home. While they were there, Lisa had a stillborn baby girl. We had a small memorial service for her, and during that time of grieving, Melody (only 6 years old at the time) ministered to Andrew while her parents were seeing to Steve & Lisa. Since then, Lisa has given birth to 2 more children (Rachel and Michael), who are both very healthy.
Much to our surprise, as we talked to the Schwartz's about their trip up, in walked two other former Perrow Church families: the Staffer family and the Lorenzi family.
Rick and Daneen Stauffer came to us, fresh out of seminary, as our Youth Pastor. She was pregnant with their first child, Megan, at the time. After a few years, she gave birth to the spitting image of Rick, their son Andrew (What is it about that name to people from our church?) Rick has been gone for about 10 years now. He accepted a pastorate at a church near his hometown in PA, then moved on to take over the church that his brother formerly pastored (Tabernacle Church, Youngstown, OH) when he took a job working for our denomination (the Evangelical Presbyterian Church).
Bob & Diane Lorenzi, and their daughter Anna, were with us for about 6 years, until his job took him to the Cleveland area. Bob sang in the Choir, and Diane was active in Women's Ministry.
These unexpected arrivals were a great blessing to my family, and seeing us again was a blessing to them. We'd seen Rick & Daneen several times (he preached the funeral of our Assistant Pastor's wife), but Bob & Diane only one other time, so there was much to catch up on.
I think I'll stop for now. See you later!
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/23/2006 11:02:23 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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Soon, it was time for the ceremony to begin. This was solely for Melody, so her Dad was in charge. After a welcome & an opening prayer (Wouldn't find that in a public school graduation!), we sang 3 praise songs, watched an interpretive dance, Terry & Angela shared some memories of Melody (who in turn spoke to her parents & two brothers), heard a duet from Melody & a friend, listened to Terry's charge to Melody & any other graduates - that turned into a sermon - then sang a closing hymn. Whew! That was a lengthy ceremony!!
After blessing the food, we made our way over to the tables where everything was laid out. Her friends may have been doing all the serving, but Angela's hand was all over what we ate. She makes wonderful homemade ice cream, BTW. She makes wonderful breads, including S-F, so that was what the sandwiches were on. There were other finger foods for us to nibble on, all of them health conscious, - just like Angela.
The "gang" from Perrow, current & former, sat together and shared what we'd been up to. There were laughter and tears (both joyful & sad) along the way as we talked of mutual friends, our families, and what God was doing. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and our time with the Spragues, Stauffers, and Lorenzis was no different. With pictures taken and goodbyes said, we went back to out motel - but not before that promised stop for homemade ice cream/frozen yogurt.
When we got to our room, I changed back into my shorts and T-shirt so I could walk to a nearby convenience store for coffee & cold drinks, After watching some TV, we turned the lights out and went to sleep.
I'll have more for you all later.
Duane
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 7/25/2006 1:03:24 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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The next morning, we lounged around in our room a little too long and missed the complimentary continental breakfast, so we ended up checking out and driving back towards home in search of a restaurant. We'd not gone very far when I spotted an IHOP - YUUUMMMM!!! - so that's where we stopped. I wasn't going to complain! It was located next door to a shopping plaza, so we killed a little time looking around to see what stores were there. Finding a Borders bookstore, Mary and I went in to browse awhile, and then we left and got back on the road to WV.
Mary ended up falling asleep, so Mom and I talked for a good bit. I asked her if she wanted to look around the Amish Country some, even though everything would be closed. She said she would, so I got off at the proper exit and drove until I found the town. Sure enough, almost every business was closed (except for a convenience store/gas station - obviously owned by a pagan ) even though not all the residents were Amish. My only problem with "blue laws" is that drug stores should be exempt from them. What if you need some kind of medication that you don't keep around your house all the time? Do you go without and take a chance on getting sicker, or drive 30-40 miles to a non-Amish town? I think that an exception should be made in this case - it's a "work of mercy" that's not a violation of Sabbath law.
Anyway, as we toured the town, a horse and buggy turned out of a side street in front of me. It was black and had a reflective safety orange triangle attached to the back. Mary jokingly said, "Follow it, honey!", but Mom thought she was serious and said, "Yeah! Maybe we can see where they live!" I couldn't believe my ears! My Mom wanted me to invade somebody else's privacy by tailing them to their home? Not cool, Mom! I had to convince her just how wrong that was, but I promised to bring her back when she could actually see their shops and such. We'll probably try it in the early fall so we can catch the color changes.
Unlike our trip up, the weather did not cooperate. It began drizzling rain as we left the motel and never really stopped, occasionally turning into some fairly hard showers. Mom and Mary were both a little bummed by that fact, so I came up with a way to cheer them up. As we neared the border, the sun started breaking through the clouds and the rain ceased. Thanks, Lord! I said, "How about changing the route home, you two?" Mom asked me what I meant, and I replied, "I was just thinking how good a hoagie from Twin Oaks would taste right now. Let's detour over to Clarksburg, OK?" My two ladies were in favor of that, so we got off the Interstate and moved over to US-50 for the trip from Parkersburg to Bridgeport and our favorite meal.
Before we got to the exit for Bridgeport, Mom asked me to drive out to our old house. It had been a long time since I'd done that, so I told her I'd give it a shot. Getting off the highway, I headed in what felt like the proper direction at first, and then seemingly it didn't feel right. Just as I thought about turning around (or asking directions!), we came to a stop light - at a very familiar intersection! It was one that I passed through every day on my way to & from school, as well as any other time we went into town. I was on the right road!
As we kept going, we were amazed at the many changes along the way. There were new housing developments, shopping centers, and stand-alone businesses that weren't there the last ime we came this way. In fact, the differences were so drastic that Mom was concerned that I'd gotten lost. But the farther I went, the more landmarks I receognized. Finally, after another "Are you sure you're going in the right direction?" from Mom, I stopped at a traffic light, pointed out the passenger window and said, "That's the church where June and the kids went, Mom. Remember it?" BTW, June was June Gaynor, our neighbor and good friend. Mom said that she remembered it then, so she was happy.
When we turned onto the road that our house was on, Mom started recalling all of our friends who used to live out that way. I could hear the melancholy in her tone of voice, because she was also remembering my Dad at the same time. Rounding a curve, I saw the large pond where my grandmother taught me how to fish. The pond belonged to some friends of ours, so it was easy to get permission to fish there. Passing by their house, I saw the curve where our house sat...or used to sit. We lived in a wonderful Perma-Stone house with a semi-finished basement, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, living room, TV room, kitchen/dining room, oak trees in the front yard, and pine trees on either side of the driveway entrance. There was also a chalet-style playhouse that my Dad and grandfather built for me. It was just a great place to live.
At least it was in 1969. I didn't expect the playhouse to still be there, but the changes were too much for me. Now, in place of the Perma-Stone ranch was just another ranch-style house. Not that it was a bad-looking place - it just wasn't my place. And the old farm house & barn next door where June and her kids lived? Gone. In it's place was an entire sub-division, filled with nice semi-upscale ($200,000 +/-) homes. One good thing about the "old home place", though; the driveway, pine trees and oak trees were still there. At least something looked familiar to me.
Driving on further, Mom & I pointed out to Mary the homes where many of our friends used to live. She had been out that way once before with us (the first time we dated), but only as far as my godparents home, so what she was seeing now was all new to her. Finally, we came to the Clarksburg Country Club, which was a good place to turn around and head back towards our dinner.
Reaching Twin Oaks, we placed our order and awaited the opportunity to tickle our taste buds with a truly wonderful sandwich. And once again, we were not disappointed. Everything was just perfect, and the three of us left totally satisfied.
The rest of our journey was uneventful once we left the restaurant. I made one stop along the way for coffee and, uh, ..., well, you know what I mean, then we had to go over and put Mary's foster sister to bed. At last we arrived at our house, tired but happy for having the opportunity to see some old friends and to sahre in the joy of Melody's graduation.
God, I ask that You would continue to pour out Your Spirit upon Melody. Cause her, O Lord, to grow more and more conformed into the image of the One who died temporarily so she might live eternally. Give her joy unspeakable and full of glory. Grant her the deepest desires of her heart and, if it's your will, throw in some surprises along the way. She is such a lovely handmaiden, O Lord. Use her for Your glory and Kingdom in a great and mighty way. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!
I'll get back to sermon notes soon. Thanks for indulging e as I recounted our recent trips!
Duane
< Message edited by noblesinger -- 7/25/2006 2:17:34 PM >
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"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 8/31/2006 10:34:44 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
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From: "Almost Heaven"
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Sorry for not Posting anything for so long gang, but I've been rather busy lately. In fact, I was so busy that Mary and I did not get the chance to go on our annual Church Family Retreat to Bluestone Lake. That was a real disappointment to us, as we always look forward to going and fellowshipping with our friends and getting to know some of the newer folks in the church.
The reason for my busy-ness that weekend? CSX Railroad. They began working on replacement of a crossing on Sunday morning (Which meant I had to miss Sunday services, too!  ), August 6, at 8 am. The worst part of this, other than missing Church, was the fact that so many people kept coming up the street to the crossing wanting to get through. The Div. of Highways had put out 8 - 6' x 8' message boards all around the Valley on the major roads to let people know way ahead of time that the closure was going to happen, and they'd been there for 2 weeks. But did people read them? No-o-o! They kept coming, about 400-500 per day, for the entire 6 days that we worked there, asking "Can I get through here?" Some of them even sat and waited for minutes at a time, expecting us to jump up and move Heaven and Earth to let them get by. I will never understand the stupidity and arrogance of the American driver!
It's getting late, so I'll get off for now. See y'all later!
Duane
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"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 10/4/2006 2:29:14 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
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From: "Almost Heaven"
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As I told you all last time, I'm reading The Pleasures of God by John Piper. I am finding his writings to be the closest to Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon that any modern preacher has come. Because of that, I have begun collecting his sermons from his Web site Desiring God. As I begin to share some of my favorite quotes from the book, I will also give you my thoughts on some of them. In order to maintain proper credit, I'll give the page numbers for each passage and place each one in quotation marks.
1) "...savoring the supremacy of God in His own affections and in ours is utterly crucial for the strength of the church and the suffering required to finish the Great Commission." p. 11 God's own affections? Affections for what? This was the first question that popped into my mind, and after reading a bit more I found that it was God's own affection for Himself. See for yourself.
2) "Grace is the pleasure of God to magnify the worth of God by giving sinners the right and power to delight in God without obscuring the glory of God." pg. 11 AMEN!!
3) "Grace is radically and joyfully God-centered." pg. 11 I really can't add anything to that.
4) "Since only God can satisfy the soul forever, His freeing us to make much of Him is the deepest act of love possible - especially when it happens at the cost of His Son. To feel loved in this way, one must savor God as the most excellent of all beings." pg. 12
5) " '... the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.' I argue that since God loves the infinite value of His glory above all things - since He loves being God above all things - therefore He is the most excellent being that exists. To be given the privilege and power to know and admire and make much of this person, with ever-increasing joy, is to know what it means to be loved. This is the meaning of God-centered grace." pg 12 Do you see it? God loves being God so much that the very act of loving Him gives worth and excellency to our souls. Hallelujah!
6) [The following is part of something addressed to his children.] "If there is any legacy I want to leave you, it is not money or house or land; it is a vision of God - as great and glorious a God as one could ever see. But more than that, I want to leave the legacy of passion for this God. A passion far beyond flowing from the very heart of God. Never forget that God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him. ... In God's time, may your satisfaction in Him be without measure, as it becomes the very pleasure of God in God." pg. 14 Is that not an amazing legacy for a father to desire for his children? And that last phrase, "the very pleasure of God in God", is one that should be trumpeted across all of Christendom. God derives great pleasure from Himself!! He enjoys being who He Is!
Believe it or not, all of these just came from the Preface of the book! Just wait until I get to the actual meat of it!! I'll see you later!
Duane
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"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 10/27/2006 10:07:42 AM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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Well folks, I still haven't gotten to the "meat" of The Pleasures of God, having gotten stuck in the Introduction for the last 2 weeks. I cannot get over how much depth there is this book, even in something as innocuous as the Introduction! BTW, I must apologize for an error. I mis-credited John Piper with the phrase "...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." It actually is from a book written in 1677 by Henry Scougal, who at the time was only 27-years old, entitled The Life of God in the Soul of Man. It is still available for purchase (in reprinted form, of course), so I'm planning on picking up a copy for myself. Here are some of the gems that I've mined lately:
1) "the soul of man. . . hath in it a raging and inextinguishable thirst. . ." - Henry Scougal (pg. 16) Boy is that ever true! Unfortunately, our thirsts are too often for all the wrong things. I can only pray that as I read this book that God would change those thirsts that rage in me from non-spiritual things to those that are spiritual.
2) "Never doth a soul know what solid joy and substantial pleasure is till, once being weary of itself, it renounces all property [and] gives itself up to the Author of its being." - Scougal (pg. 16) How can you add to something that profound?!
3) "How else do we assess the beauty of an invisible heart than by waht it loves? Someone might suggest, 'By what it thinks.' But clear and accurate thought is beautiful only by the service of right affections. The devil himself is quite an able intellect. But he loves all the wrong things. Therefore his thinking serves evil and his soul is squalid."
"Or perhaps someone else would suggest that we cann assess the beauty of a soul by what it wills. Yes, but there is half-hearted willing and whole-hearted willing. You don't judge the glory of a soul by what it wills to do with lukewarm interest, or with mere teeth-grinding determination. To know a souls proportions you need to know it's passions. The true dimensions of a soul are seen in it's delights. Not what we dutifully will but what we passionately want reveals our excellence or evil." (pg. 18) Oh God! Please change my passions into those that are pleasing in Your sight! I know that, right now, there are things inside me that are ugly, but I implore You to turn them beautiful!
4) "The love of God is a delightful and affectionate sense of the divine perfections which makes the soul resign and sacrifice itself wholly unto Him, desiring above all things to please Him, and delighting in nothing so much as in fellowship and communion with Him, and being ready to do or suffer anything for His sake or at His pleasure." - Scougal
"Therefore, when love is well-placed, the soul's pleasures are unsurpassed: 'The most ravishing pleasuresm the most solid and substantial delights that human nature is capable of, are those which arise from a well-placed and successful affection.'" - Scougal
"And when the pleasures of a 'well-placed' affection are unsurpassed, its excellency is revealed." (pg. 19)
I'm going to stop for a bit, so that this doesn't get too long. Whew! This is such a life-altering experience for me. I'm so far from where these two dear brothers are (and were) in their Christian walks - but there is hope! I'll share where it comes from in my next Post.
Duane
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"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/9/2006 11:00:28 AM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
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As I said in my last Post, I am going to show you where my hope comes from concerning my change. Aside from the obvious answer (Ps. 121:1-2 - "... From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, ..."), I hope that you can begin to see what I mean by the fact that I have hope for great change in my life. Let's begin:
1) "So the most excellent soul is the soul that loves God most. And to the degree that such love is openly manifest, to that degree is the loving soul revealed in its worth and beauty."
"So it is with God. The worth and excellency of God's soul is to be measured by the objects of His love. It is even more true for Him than for us that love is that powerful and prevalent passion of the soul on which both its perfection and happiness depend. So if God's love is His powerful and prevalent passion - the omnipotent energy of His approval and enjoyment and delight - then "the pleasures of God" are the measure of the excellency of His soul." (Pg. 19-20)
2) "He who loveth mean and sordid things doth thereby become base and vile; but a noble and well-placed affection doth advance and improve the spirit unto a conformity with the perfections which it loves. - Scougal (pg. 20)
3) "If the excellence of God could be admired in His pleasures, and if we tend to conform to what we admire, then focusing on the pleasures of God could help me be conformed to God. This made sense not only from experience but also from Scripture." Now we're getting into where that hope for change comes from. Read on, my brethren.
"For example, in 2 Cor. 3:18 Paul says, "We all, with unveiled face, BEHOLDING the glory of the Lord, are BEING CHANGED INTO HIS LIKENESS from one degree of glory to another." Beholding is a way of becoming. So, if the pleasures of God are the mark of His excellency, or His glory, then meditating on these pleasures holds out great hope for being changed into His likeness." (pg. 20) There it is! The hope that I was talking about! I can be changed more and more into His likeness by meditating on how God is most pleasured. And it all starts with Him. Let me show you what I mean
4) "We need to see first and foremost that God is God - that He is perfect and complete in Himself, that He is overflowingly happy in the fellowship of the Trinity, and that He does not need us to complete His fullness and is not deficient without us. Rather we are deficient without Him; the all-sufficient glory of God, freely given in fellowship through His sacrificed So, is the stream of living water that we have thirsted for all our lives." (pg. 22)
5) "But the gospel is the good news that God is the all-satisfying end of all our longings, and even though He does not need us, and is in fact estranged from us because of our God-belittling sings, He has, in the great love which He loved us, made a way for sinners to drink at the river of His delights through Jesus Christ. And we will not be totally enthralled by this good news unless we feel that He was not obliged to do this."
"He was not coerced or constrained by our value. He is the center of the gospel. The exaltation of His glory is the driving force of the gospel. The gospel is a gospel of GRACE! And grace is the pleasure of God to magnify the worth of God by giving sinners the right and power to delight in God without obscuring the glory of God." (pg. 22)
Can you see it, my brothers and sisters?! The hope that permeates the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope that we can be changed! We can become like God in character; we will never have His omnipotent power - I'm not saying that - but we can have His character as the driving force of our lives! And that can not help but change the world around you as people see the changes in you. Oh, that we would get a hold on this concept quickly!! Oh, that I would grasp it quickly, for I am so tired of being a badly polished mirror that barely reflects His glory! One last entry from the Introduction:
6) "... a meditation on the words: 'You have hidden these things from the wise nad intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight' (Luke 10:21). God's pleasure is to display Himself to 'infants' and not to 'the wise and understanding.' In this, the excellency of God shines forth: He hides it from those who pursue their own glory, and reveals it to those who long to see it amd savor it. God's delighting to do this shows that His delight is finally in Himself. Therefore His worth and excellency are without measure, for the object of His delight is infinitely glorious." (pg. 22)
I hope that you will forgive me taking so long to get to Chapter 1, but I just have been amazed at how much I am gleaning from the Prologue and Introduction that I could not rush myself. It turns out that I'm not alone in this experience, however. A dear friend at my church told me that she experienced the same "phenomenon" (for lack of a better term) when she was reading a book by Frances Schaeffer. Finally, at the advice of another dear sister, she put it down and left it. It was too much for her at that point in her walk. She hopes to pick it back up and start reading it soon, though. We'll start looking at Chapter 1 next time. I promise! God bless you all!
Duane
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"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/12/2006 10:59:59 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
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I don't have much time to Post anything tonight, but I just popped in to ask for your help. If you have been blessed by what I've been Posting lately, then I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know by way of an e-mail or a PM. It's not a big deal, but I am curious if this means as much to you all as it does to me. Thanks for your indulgence.
See you all later!
Duane
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"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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RE: Songs of the Noblesinger - 11/25/2006 3:48:41 PM
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noblesinger
Posts: 869
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: "Almost Heaven"
Status: offline
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OK, I promise that this time I'll be Posting my thoughts on quotes from Chapter 1. This book is just so-o-o amazing! Let's begin, shall we?
1 Tim. 1:11 - "...in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted." When you dig up that phrase "...the glorious gospel of the blessed God..." in the Greek, you get this: "The good news of the glory of the happy God." What does that ruly mean? This is the premise you'll find as we delve into Chapter 1.
1) "A great part of God's glory is His happiness." This is inconceivable to me, and it was to Paul as well. "It was inconceivable to the apostle Paul that God could be denied infinite joy and still be all-glorious. To be infinitely glorious was to be infinitely happy. He used the phrase, "the glory of the happy God," because it is a glorious thing for God to be as happy as He is. How wonderful to think that God is so self-sufficient that He doesn't need us to be happy...but He desires to have us enter into that happiness and joy! That all-encompassing happiness that would kill us if we experienced it now, but will not in that Day when we see Him face to face! And that joy that is "unspeakable and full of glory" - it would cause us to virtually explode is we were filled with even a portion of it! But we will be able to contain it because we'll be like Him! "God's glory consists much in the fact that He is happy beyond our wildest imagination." And I've got a pretty wild one![color/] (pg. 26)
2) "As the great eighteenth-century preacher, Jonathan Edwards, said, 'Part of God's fullness which He communicates, is His happiness. This happiness consists in enjoying and rejoicing in Himself; so does also the creature's happiness.'" (pg. 26) Our happiness - true happiness - consists in, and extends from, God's own fullness in Himself! That is so freeing to know; that I don't have a cotton-picking thing to do with my happiness...because IT ALL COMES FROM HIM!! Yes!!
3) "And this is the gospel: 'The gospel of the glory of the happy God.' It is good news that God is gloriously happy. No one would want to spend eternity with an unhappy God." Amen! Could you even imagine spending it with one that was? "If God is unhappy then the goal of the gospel is not a happy goal, and that means it would be no gospel at all." After all, the word 'gospel' does mean "good news." "But, in fact, Jesus invites us to spend eternity with a happy God when He says, 'Enter into the joy ofyour master' (Matt. 25:23). Jesus lived and died that His joy - God's joy - might be in us and our joy might be full (John 15:11; 17:13). Therefore the gospel is 'the gospel of the glory of the happy God.'" Wow! The joy of God can be in us - both now and for eternity - if we only come to grasp this concept. And, to be sure, one could only want to grasp it by the Holy Spirit working in the heart of a Believer. Oh God, please work that desire in me. In Jesus' Name. (pg. 26)
4) "...the happiness of God is first and foremost a happiness in His Son. Thus, when we share in the happiness of god, we share in the very pleasure that the Father has in His Son. This is why Jesus made the Father known to us. At the end of His great prayer in John 17 (the REAL Lords' Prayer) He said to His Father, 'I made known to them Your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them and I in them' (17:26) He made God known so that God's pleasure in His Son might be in us and become our pleasure." (pg. 26) How absolutely amazing! Jesus desired that God's delight in Him would become ours. But far too often, our delight is on so many other other things. May His prayer be answered in my life! Amen.
Well, I need to be going now. Mary is at Sign Choir rehearsal and I'm on the Sanctuary computer. See you all later!
_____________________________
"...the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." - Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man
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