A description of how we trained our children up in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6)  by one of them. 

WHY I ATTEND EVERY ASSEMBLY:  By Wendell Ingram

I have now been preaching full time for almost twenty years and a big part of my job as a preacher is being present at every assembly to present sermons and Bible class lessons for which I have spent the week preparing. Attending every assembly of the church could be considered a part of my job and certainly, if I were to be absent from the assemblies, it would be impossible for me to do the work the church is paying me to do. I must admit it is easier to attend every assembly when you are a full time preacher because your job requires you to be there. But I do not attend every assembly of the church simply because it is a part of my job to be there.

My parents became Christians when I was only a year old and they grew to understand the commitment they were making to Christ and to his church. I grew up in a family that would not even entertain the thought of being absent when the church met together. They impressed that commitment

upon me and when I was baptized into Christ at age 13, I understood the commitment I was making to Christ and to his church. Like all other Christians, my family faced the struggles of having to choose between work, family, and school activities and being at the assemblies. I can remember, when I was a sophomore in high school, walking

off of the ball field in the 6th inning of a district playoff baseball game because the game had been scheduled on Wednesday evening and it was time to be at the assembly.

That was a difficult thing to do because I had made a commitment to the team. But I realized that the commitment I had made to Christ was of higher priority.

(By the way, the boy that was sent in to take my place at

second base was later baptized into Christ and is a faithful

member of the Lord’s church today).

 

I grew up watching my dad earn a living for our family and not once allowing his work schedule to interfere with his being at the assemblies. One thing he always did when considering a job was to inform his potential employer of the schedule of assemblies and make it clear that he would not be available for work at those times. He was always honest and up front and I never once saw him compromise his convictions, though I did see him turn down some very high paying jobs.

When my Granddad (my mom’s dad who lived three hours away and was not a Christian at the time) came to visit on the weekends he would want us to stay home from church and visit with him. He refused mom’s invitation to go with us to church and he couldn’t understand why we wouldn’t just stay home and visit. Though mom loved her dad very much and didn’t get to see him very often she realized her love and commitment to the Lord had to exceed even her love for her own parents.

(By the way, my Granddad obeyed the gospel on my 21st

birthday. He said one of the factors that led to his conversion was my mom’s uncompromising dedication to Christ and his church).

When I got out of school and entered the work force, I was faced with these challenges of putting Christ first. The first really good job I was offered was driving a delivery truck for a

large milk company. My uncle had recommended me and the job was mine if I wanted it. The job came with a good salary and all the benefits that big companies have to offer, but when I went for the interview, I found that I would be working every other Sunday. I would have been unable to attend the assemblies on those Sundays so I politely refused the job. I’ll never forget how angry my uncle got with me. He couldn’t understand why someone would put “church”before making a living.

At age 19, I moved to Borger,TX, and went to work servicing heavy equipment for a dirt contractor. I had an agreement with the supervisor before I took the job that I would not miss the assemblies and he was always accommodating with my schedule. While living in Borger, I applied for a job with Phillips Petroleum Company. Three times I was offered a very good paying job with the company and all three times I had to turn down the offer because the work schedule conflicted with the schedule of assemblies.

After I got married and had children, the responsibilities of having a family made it even more challenging to hold to my convictions and commitment to Christ. While working as a mechanic for a truck dealership, my supervisor asked me to stay late one Wednesday evening and work on a truck. I told him I couldn’t stay, but I could come back after the assembly and work all night if need be.  He threatened to fire me, and though I now had a wife and family, I put my trust in God, held to my convictions and attended the assembly. I was not fired. The owner of the dealership honored the agreement we had made when I hired on, which was that I would not be asked to miss the assemblies of the church.

Throughout my working life, I have had a number of jobs and working experiences. I have worked for a number of small companies and I have worked for one of the largest companies in the world—Walmart. I have owned and operated my own business, both as a partnership and as a sole proprietor.

For the last 28 years we have owned and operated a small farm where we have worked with livestock, hay and produce. As our children were growing up they were involved in work, school activities and sporting events. We did not allow work, or the farm, or school, or sports to keep us from the assembly of the Lord’s church. I do not hold these convictions because I am a preacher but because I am a Christian and I want to obey the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33,  "...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,..."and because I believe and trust the promise of Jesus as he continues, "...and all these things (material possessions) will be given to you as well."

I have done my best, as did my parents before me, to put Christ and his kingdom first in my life. I have made every effort to pass these convictions on to my children and it is my prayer that they will put Christ and his kingdom first in their lives and pass these convictions on to their children as well. I have found that holding to these convictions is not easy and at times leads to persecution. But, I have also found that Jesus keeps his promise to those who seek first His kingdom. This is why I attend every assembly of the Lord’s church.   -Wendell Ingram

WHERE HAVE ALL THE MOTHERS GONE?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE MOTHERS GONE?

Well...some have gone into the workforce by the hundreds and are leaving their little ones in the care of others... craving something they think that being a mother and taking care of their own little ones will not give them.

Not until I grew up and had two little ones of my own, did I fully understand and appreciate my daddy and his striving to fulfill the need of a father/mother figure in the lives of three little ones…ages eight, five and three. Being the youngest (and the biggest responsibility) when our mother died, I wouldn’t have had much choice if my dad had decided to “dole” us out to relatives as they had tried to persuade him to do. He would not even consider the thought of it!

I am made even more aware of his struggle to provide a normal home for us, as I sadly observe the modern home where the father is much too busy and the mother leaves her children in the care of others, in order to provide things for her children and herself that will perish with time. They do not realize until it is too late, the importance of things that will prepare their children for eternity.

I feel most fortunate that my childhood memories do not consist of being left to the care of other people, but of being with my daddy. The lovely, nostalgic fragrance of burning leaves and wood brings back memories of late fall, the year that I was four. My Daddy cut wood to earn money to carry us through the winter and we walked to the woods together. Sometimes it was cold enough that he would build a fire and let me sit close by while he cut wood and kept a watchful eye on me. He always made sure that we left in plenty of time to be home when my brother and sister came in from school. I see few homes today where the children get as much attention from two parents as we did from only one. My Daddy has had a vast amount of influence in the career that I have chosen…Mother-hood.

I don’t remember having much in material things, but what we had, was far above and beyond anything that is of a material nature. In one hundred years, no one will even know or care that we didn’t have the best clothes, toys and houses; however, what my Daddy instilled in my heart and mind will go with me into eternity. He influenced my life so greatly that it saddens me very much to see our mothers of America neglect their children in order to have more of this world’s goods.

Although my Daddy was not a Christian back then, he taught us respect for the Father in Heaven, not even bring himself to call Him “God”, but calling Him, with a deeper reverence, “The Good Lord”. These are the memories I have of my Daddy during my childhood days.
My husband and I were taught the gospel and were baptized into Christ (1 Corinthians 12: 13) when our first child was two months old. Beginning then, I prayed that I could show my Daddy the way to Christ. So with what little time we had to spend with him through the years, we planted the seed of the gospel a little at a time, and strove to be good examples by putting God first in our lives. My heart would ache when our visit would end and we had to travel the one hundred and fifty miles back home. It seemed like so little seed was sown and I would pray that we would have other opportunities to win him to Christ.

Well, it was a very happy day in September of 1977, that my Daddy himself, called to let us know that he and my step-mother had both been baptized into Christ. It just happened to be the same day that our first-born (my Daddy’s first grandchild) turned twenty-one. Twenty one years it took...so don't ever give up on anyone.

My story would not have been complete without the preceding information, but the point I hope to have made is this: If a daddy can be so much of a “mother figure” that his influence is carried over into the lives of other generations, how much greater influences can we mothers be? We, who can stay in our God-given places, can so train and mold young lives in a way that, “…When they are old, they will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

Think about it! Time is running out for many of our children. The adult years are approaching. The moldable years will soon be gone….
©Edna L. Scott Ingram: Via Christian Woman Magazine, February 1978

LETTERS TO OUR GRANDCHILDREN

Dear Angela, Tiffany and Daniel,
It has been said that families who really love the way God intended…think they are the only family in the world who loves that way.  Okay, it was me who said it.  Ha.  Only I have seen evidence that it may be true.  There are things that we want to say to you and a letter is the best way to convey it.

Dear Angela…Our first born grandchild.  How sweet you are!  We were at your Great Grandmother’s 80th birthday party on September 24, 1983, at the Tupelo school cafeteria when your Aunt Betty came in and said that your dad had called and was trying to contact us.  The message was too precious for us to hear second-hand, so he just told her to have us call him back.  We knew probably what it was about and we hurried home to call him.  Sure enough, you had made us grandparents!  What a wonderful feeling!
We hurried back to the party and told the great news!  We hurried home and packed our stuff and left for Fritch, Texas.  We got to hold you and take pictures of you when you were only23 hours old and you were already settled in at home.
We are so blessed and so glad that you all moved here in February of 1986.  It has been great following your progress through school and your growing up years…through your infant years, kindergarten, T Ball, grade school, soft ball, basketball, academics, spelling bees, graduation from 8th grade (valedictorian), Going to state several times in high school softball, home coming queen, high school graduation (Valedictorian), and college.  It has been a joy following you through it all. 

We are proud of your current endeavors and pray that you reach your dream in life…that of realizing your dream of wanting and being able to help people as much as you can.  What a great way to spend your life.  We are so proud of you and we love you so very much!

Dear Tiffany,
Our second born grandchild. If anything is sweeter than a granddaughter, it has to be two of them!
We didn’t get to go to Fritch quite as soon when you were born, but you were only two weeks old when we got to hold you for the first time.  What a joy it was!  Aunt Ke Ke once had told your dad, because he complained at times of her being so moody, that she hoped that he had six girls just like her.  LOL  When he had two baby girls in a row, he was beginning to think she had put a jinx on him.  LOL   But he was really proud of his two little daughters.
It has been great following you through the years too.  You have gained many honors also…T ball, kindergarten Queen, spelling bees, 8th grade graduation, (valedictorian), high school (Valedictorian), college, marriage and four precious children.  You and Beau are doing a wonderful job of rearing them up for God.  We are so proud of you and we love you so very much!

Dear Daniel…It’s so great having a grandson too!  Baby boys are sweet too...as you well know now.  You were about 20 minutes old when we first laid eyes on you!  We saw you turn over in your little hospital crib before you were 30 minutes old.  You had already gotten tired of lying on your back. 
You had a big audience that day.  Your dad, Angela and Tiffany, Pa-Pa and me, Maxine, Brenda, Janice and Maggie and I think Jared was there.  We have pictures of all of us there.  Nanna and Granddad came a little later.
You have always been a tough one.  We all think you had to be …the way your big sisters roughed you up all your little life.  (But Dan, as rough as they were on you, we have proof that they loved you.  We have a picture of you as a tiny (Well…you were never really tiny)  little baby…and Tiffany is up in bed with you and Ang is on her way up and they are both there with little puckered up lips…ready to give you sugars.)
We are proud of your accomplishments, Daniel.  You have also excelled in whatever you were involved in.  Drug poster contest winner...and getting to go see the governor, baseball, basketball, 8th grade graduation (valedictorian) winning state baseball in 2005 your senior year,  high school graduation (valedictorian), college years.
We are proud of you and Shanelle and the way you are raising your 3 precious sons.  We love you so very much!  

Pa-Pa and I and your Mom and Dad speak often about how very blessed we all are in you three Grands.

PREPARATION

Bobby goes through a lot of preparatory stages before he puts the knife to the wood in his carving of guns or airplanes. Here is a picture of the specs of the one he is working on now. Not comparing him to NASA but they go through even more preparation in building space shuttles, satellites, etc. This reminds me of a spiritual thought:

Not comparing God to NASA and Bobby...but God went through much, much more preparation in the building of His church. He prepared a nation and then a tribe for His beloved Son to come through. This Son would come in human form and have the name of Jesus...and it was prophesied that He would die upon a cruel cross in the fullness of time. It was prophesied that this would happen during the Roman empire.

If Jesus had been guilty of what they accused Him of, the Jewish Law's penalty would be stoning. During the Roman empire, the penalty was crucifixion. It all comes together just as it was prophesied. He was born, he lived about 33 years, he told about His kingdom for about 3 years and then He was crucified for the sins of the world, because of His great love for us.

Then on the third day, He was resurrected and after He had left instructions for His apostles that He had chosen, He ascended back to heaven... and they remained in Jerusalem until power came from on high. On the Day of Pentecost after the resurrection (50 days from the Passover) the church began and 3,000 heard the apostles teaching, believed, repented, confessed Christ and were baptized into Christ on that first day. Since that day many more have been added to His church by being obedient to the gospel of Christ.

Sadly, there is another prophesy that will come true someday, stated in several places in Scripture and in different ways. This one:

(2 Thessalonians 1: 7-12) “... And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed ) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

OUR FLAG

Thanks to Janice Parks Hudson & Maxine McWethy
for helping me to rhyme this poem.

 

Do you think our flag is weeping
As it floats along the air?
Does the way our country's going
Throw it down in deep despair?

 

It's amazing how things change
  When so many want their way;
And it leads us on as blinded
And it's plain we have no say.

 

Many soldiers felt encouraged
As they fought to keep us free;
When they saw Old Glory waving
They did this for you and me.

 

All our founding fathers wanted
Were things to stay the way we've heard;
When we honored God and family...
And obeyed the written Word.
©Edna L. Ingram.


ISLAMIC JIHAD: WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION? By Wendell Ingram

ISLAMIC JIHAD: WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION?

With the increasing Islamic Jihad activity in the Middle East there is a phenomenon that is occurring in many western countries. From many countries, including our own, young people are traveling to the Middle East to join the Islamic Jihad movement. Young men are joining to become Jihadist fighters and young women are joining to become wives of Jihadist fighters to raise up the next generation of Jihadists. Many of these young people were not raised as Muslims but have been converted to the religion of Islam and attracted to the radical Islamic
ideology through Internet propaganda. But what is attracting these young people to such violent, barbaric and oppressive groups as ISIS and Al-Qaeda?

Finding the answer to this question is imperative to stopping the spreading violence that is propagated by these and other Jihadist groups. This question is being discussed and debated by many in our society but no definitive
answers have been found.

It seems to me that this question is closely related to other questions that have been raised concerning young people in our society. Questions such as, why are so many young people in our society attracted to destructive behavior like drug abuse, violent crime, gang activity, cults and even suicide? The answers to such questions are never simple but I would suggest to you that our society has adopted and promoted philosophies that are encouraging these destructive behaviors. Several decades ago our society began to reject the principles of God and the Bible and replace them with the principles of Darwinian evolution.

Though the principles of evolution directly contradict established laws of science, they have become the foundational principles of our education system with the youth of our society being taught these principles in every level of public education from kindergarten to college. The principles of evolution are being propagated by our government and the media and have so permeated our society that those who challenge them are deemed to be simple minded and uninformed.  Darwinian evolution begins with the denial of a Creator and the logical conclusion of the principles of evolution is that we are all products of a series of cosmic accidents with no purpose and no destiny. When young people grow up with this mindset, it is no wonder that they look to drugs, alcohol and even suicide as a means of escaping a perceived meaningless life.

As acceptance of the principles of evolution has steadily increased and church attendance and Bible study have steadily decreased. With the knowledge of God and biblical principle on the decline, it is no wonder that the youth of our society are desperately looking for something in life with real purpose and meaning.

As knowledge of the Bible declines, Christianity in our society is being reduced to little more than a family tradition and a weekend hobby. The devotion, commitment and sacrifice that Jesus demands of his followers is not often preached and even less often practiced. The abundant life that Jesus came to offer has been stifled by hypocrisy and materialism. When the young people of our society see the growing hypocrisy in the Christian religion and experience the futility of living life for pleasure and material possessions, many seek fulfillment elsewhere— many are turning to Islam. In spite of the oppressive nature, the violence and brutality of radical Islam, it is impossible to deny their devotion, their willingness to sacrifice and their deep commitment to a cause in which they strongly believe. These qualities are rare in American society.

As our nation desperately searches for solutions to the growing and spreading violence of radical Islam, we need to understand that we ourselves have created the atmosphere that encourages our youth to be involved in such activity.

As long as our nation’s predominant philosophy is founded in the principles of evolution... as long as Christianity is treated as a weekend hobby instead of the abundant life that Jesus came to offer... as long as Christianity is devoid of devotion, commitment and sacrifice... as long as Christians are willing to compromise with the worldly principles of Darwinism, humanism and materialism... as long as we continue to raise our children with the perception that life has no real purpose or meaning, we will continue to see an increase in young people turning to drugs, alcohol and suicide to escape a perceived meaningless life and we will continue to see an increase in young people turning to gangs, cults and violent religions in search of a life with meaning and purpose.       -Wendell Ingram

 

Dear Father
The children that you loaned to us
And helped us raise so true
The ones we love and treasure so…
Are faithful still to You.

 

The one You took away from us
At young age thirty-two;
We have her in our hearts today
Though she is now with You.

 

The one you’ve let us keep till now
You’ve blessed with many days;
He has three precious ones to love
And has trained them in Your ways.

 

Thank you, Dear God, if it be short…
Or long on earth we’ll be;
We’ll try to do Your will always
And live our lives for Thee.



BE VERY CAREFUL WHERE YOU BUILD YOUR NEST!

 

Our dad sang this song a lot while we were growing up, but this chorus is the only part he sang to us.  I guess it is the only part he thought we needed to hear.  :)   I bet this part was a life lesson for him...I know it was for me.  :)   We need to be careful where we build our nest and who we build it with, and we certainly need to teach our children how to... marry...the 'who' is actually more important than the 'where'....

 Now if I were a little bird
I'd never build my nest on the ground;
I'd build my nest in the high oak tree,
Where the bad boys could never tear it down.
 
 
 Bobby told me the name of it and I didn't believe him, but I looked it up and he was right.  Here is the rest of the song:
 
Katie Kline

Now who else knows Katie Kline
She lives at the foot of the hill
In a cool shady nook, by an old babbling brook
That runs by her dear old father's mill
 
Chorus
So tell me that you love me Katie Kline
Tell me that your love's as true as mine
Tell me that you love your own turtle dove
Tell me that you love me Katie Kline

Now if I were a little bird
I'd never build my nest on the ground
I'd build my nest in the high oak tree
Where the bad boys could never tear it down
 
[chorus]
 
Now if I were a little bee
Away from the hive I would fly
I'd steal me a kiss from my true lover's lips
And back to the hive I would fly

FORGIVENESS

One of the most difficult commands that we have been given by our Lord Jesus is the command to forgive.  Sometimes it is very difficult to forgive those who have done us wrong.  But obedience to this command is so important that we are told in Matthew 6:14-15 that our own forgiveness from the Father is connected directly with our willingness to forgive those who sin against us.

 

At times we all thoughtlessly do and say things that hurt others.  James tells us in James 3:2:  “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”  Many times the ones we hurt the most, are those with whom we share fellowship in Christ.  If we cannot learn to forgive, this fellowship in Christ cannot exist.

 

If someone has said or done something that has hurt you physically or emotionally, and you are finding it difficult to forgive, remember the words of Jesus as He prayed for those who had just hanged Him on the cross:  “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” 

  -Wendell Ingram in House to House Publication

A DOG AND HIS TREASURE

 

A DOG AND HIS TREASURE: By Wendell Ingram

Kathy and I have been working the last few weeks getting her late parent’s home ready to sell and one of the jobs that had to be done was to clean out the freezer. Much of the food that was stored in the freezer was out of date and had to be discarded and a lot of it was meat. Not wanting to be wasteful, we brought the outdated meat home, removed it from the wrappers and piled it all in the back yard to feed to our dog and four cats. This abundance of meat created a rather comical situation with a number of object lessons that I would like to share. Our dog "Hank" is a Blackmouth Curr that weighs about 75 pounds and is at the top of the food chain at our place. He immediately claimed all the meat for his own and while he is tolerant of our cats he is not willing to share his food with them.

After eating all the meat he could hold and burying a few pieces in the garden, he spent his days guarding that pile of meat with the cats all laying a safe distance away, waiting for Hank to doze off so they could sneak up and steal a few bites of his treasure. At night the cats were not a problem because they feared the local coyotes which also got wind of the meat. Hank had to spend his nights keeping the coyotes run out of the yard. Hank’s abundance was literally wearing him out. I am reminded of Solomon’s observations in Ecclesiastes 5:12, The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

Hank is a very loving and personable dog and every time we come home he meets us in the driveway and walks with us to the front door wanting us to scratch his back, but after acquiring his pile of meat, his allegiance was divided. When we would come home he would run to meet us in the driveway then run to the back yard to make sure the cats weren’t stealing his meat, he would again run to the front to get a quick petting and then return to the back to check on his stash of meat. He wanted to cultivate his relationship with us but he just couldn’t leave his meat unattended for fear of losing some of it.

As I watched Hank’s obsession with his pile of meat, I wondered if this is the way Christ sees his disciples who are so obsessed with accumulating and protecting their possessions that they don’t have time to cultivate their relationship with God or fellowship with his people. Jesus had a lot to say to his disciples on these matters. He states in Matthew 6:19-21, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Again in Matthew 6:24 Jesus states, No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. And then Jesus promises in Matthew 6:31-33, So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Well, that pile of meat that became Hank’s obsession is now gone. In spite of Hank’s best efforts he could not protect or preserve his treasure. As with all material possessions, it perished with the using. Proverbs 23:4-5 tells us, Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Hank’s treasure of meat resulted in physical exhaustion, made him a target for potential physical harm (coyotes can be vicious) and it interfered with his relationship with his master. Paul warns in I Timothy 6:10-12, But godliness with contentment is great gain. For For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Since the loss of his treasure, Hank is certainly sleeping better, not having to protect his treasure from the cats and other critters. He can now meet us in the driveway, wait patiently as we get out of the car and get all the scratching and petting we will give him without him being preoccupied with protecting his treasure. Once again Hank trusts his master to provide him with his daily food each morning. Once again Hank is a content and happy dog!

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of the sower and he explains that the seed that fell among thorns is the man who receives the word but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it making it unfruitful. Let’s be careful not to make the same mistake as Hank and allow ourselves to become obsessed with our abundant possessions and allow our obsession to interfere with the relationship with our Master. Hank has an excuse—he’s just a dumb animal following his instincts, but God has given us the ability to think and to reason and he has given us ample information in his word so we can make wise choices that lead to an abundant life here and eternal life with God in heaven.  -Wendell Ingram