The Parson's Second Blog

"persistance:" (Web.) - A persisting stubborn continuance.
"persist" - A refusal to give up.
Now this parson knows that everyone is familiar with the meaning of these words, but I believe that many times we use words without real "oomph" - irrepressible, spirited vigor.

Let me tell you about a spirited, stubborn tree with lots of oomph. About six or seven years ago a tree came up in the parson's front flower bed. The first mistake the little sweet gum made was its "choice" of a home. Well, not really. You will see what I mean. Promptly this undesirable was pulled up and headed for the compost pile, bare root and all. It was then that one sweetheart said to the other sweetheart . . . The next thing we knew, we had a beautiful 6-inch tree in our back yard. To make a long story short (parsons have a problem with that), we watered, nourished and watched the little feller.

While the parson was away in Africa, his wonderful neighbor (I really mean that) cut his yard for him. The rest of the story is history. But . . . that little creation of God didn't give up. It began to sprout, then proudly grew to be a stately 12-inch tree. The parson left town . . . the rest is history. You guessed it; with persistant oomph that stump sprouted up with a vigor irrepressible. We were so excited about and thankful for a beautiful stately 3-foot tree that was sure to be at least 35 feet tall by the time we have been dead for 25 years!

One day . . . one day . . . This one is really difficult to tell. Well, here goes. One day the parson was really crunched for time and decided to buzz over the yard with the church's tractor mower. Well, the rest of the story was history when the stump wouldn't accept the beautiful full-leafed graft; well, maybe that is the wrong term. Maybe it was the kind of tape the parson used to wrap it.

You guessed it. With persistant oomph that stump said, "Get out of my way; here I come." And it did! Twelve feet tall and still "oomphing." That beautifully shaped tree is shouting the glory of the Mighty Creator.

Lord, make me like that sweet gum, always looking up to you. With persistant oomph, may this parson bring glory to You, even in the face of opposition, knowing that is the purpose for which I am created.

Today? Perhaps! Perhaps Jesus will come today!

The Parson

Blog???

So one day out of the blue a dear brother of mine said, "You need a blog." Well, I thought, I'm really not sure about "needing" a blog. What is a blog anyway? If it's something to eat, it will probably put on pounds; if it is another gadget, I have a drawer full of those; and if it has a really good purpose, I probably can't afford it. So, I passed it off, but he didn't.
The next time I saw this brother, he said, "I have set up a blog site for you." Now this is confusing. I'm certainly not marketing something of which I have no knowledge. So at this point I figured I'd better do a little research. Good old Webster, 1939 edition. No definition for that word. (Web. unabridged for that year by the way.) So what about Webster 1974, Student Handbook edition. No help. So, I fetched my computerized, hand-held, Seiko, American Heritage Dictionary. So what did it say? "You've got to be out of your mind!"
Warning: The above has been altered to the express mindset of the ancient and mature generations. Leave the first descriptive out for me though.
Now, on the serious note-- (Wait a minute, don't change stations now; oh, I mean sites. I have a "blog" for you.)

I Am Reminded
Looking around my nice, comfortable study, I am reminded of the grace of my Lord. To my left on my desk is a picture of a beautiful girl with frosty brown hair, a smile that draws like a magnet, and eyes that twinkle like stars on a dark, clear evening. This is not an ordinary girl, nor is the picture ordinary because if you look very carefully you will note some purple markings placed by the radiologist. You see, this special lady had throat cancer. (No, she never smoked.) But our Lord had a purpose. That was to show Himself great in our behalf. You see, the picture is that of my bride of 48 years. This is one blessed guy! After 38 high voltage treatments and 18 years, she is still totally free from this dreaded killer. Oh, yes, she has been delivered from another totally nonrelated cancer since that time. Much praise to a gracious and wonderful Lord.
The next picture is across the room in the left hand corner. What a reminder of God's hand at work in this parson's life. You will note: a church building, a music staff, a cross, a Bible, and a stained glass window. But that one will have to wait for later.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Today? Perhaps!

Until later,
The Parson