Everybody wants to be different. They have different hair, cars, clothes or manner of speaking. It sometimes funny to see how far people will go to be different. Most of it is just fads. But everyone has a story that needs to be told. You see when your story is told, you make a difference in this world. It like a tale being told. It is funny how some authors are not recognized until they are dead. The same happens to a lot of people. Some are never recognized. But people go on being different. It sad that people think they will be ordinary if they don’t do something outrageous. Where are all the people that did spectacular things in their lives? Most of them are living quiet lives with their families. I’m not saying don’t be different. What I am saying is affect the world around you for the good. If you are a farmer, teach people to grow food. If you are a businessman, help those that are struggling. Whatever you are doing, do something about the needs that you see in your community. Everyone has a story that needs to be told. You have a story and don’t think for a minute it isn’t worthy of being told. God doesn’t make junk. Man makes junk out of lives. I just have to laugh at the things people do to be different. It always makes me realize how precious in God’s sight His people are. You see we are all the same, even though we look different. For God isn’t a respecter of persons. Everyone is the same to God. He looks on the heart, not the outward appearance. And we are the image and likeness of God. So differences don’t really matter to God and shouldn’t to us. So do unto others as you would have others do to you.

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He is an American Icon. There are very few people who know what he was about. It is true that he walked about with a pot on his head. It was the easiest way to carry his supper pot. He was a vegetarian. He was single handedly responsible for creating the apple industry in America. He did it one tree at a time. He would plant orchards or nurseries in the wilderness of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. He had a supplier of apple seeds in Pennsylvania. He would go there and load up on apple seeds. Then walk to Ohio or Illinois. The American Indians believed that he had the Great Spirit with him. They left him only. He never wore shoes or had money on him. He did own the nurseries that he planted. It was the wilderness and was given the land. He was a Christian man that spread to gospel to the Native Americans as well as the pioneers. He would sing hymns or read from the bible and people would feed him or give him a place to sleep. Most times he slept outdoors. This simple man, who never married, had an adventure with God. He traveled most of the Ohio River valley. He didn’t see the big picture, but was willing to follow God wherever. Just think if you followed God on an adventure what would happen. You will never know what God has planned for you until you are willing to surrender. Once you do surrender, God will transform you into a person who will conquer your world for God. This humble man died before the Civil War. God spared him the horror brought on by man. John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

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The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. Mathematically it is correct, but not always in life. You have heard the sayings, I take 1 step forward and 2 steps behind. It seems that harder the task the behinder I get. It took me 2 years to research a book. The next one took me 5 years. And that’s not the longest. I took 25 years to research my best one. It sometimes get frustrating when I don’t receive the reward up front. But I know that the reward isn’t always measured in monetary gains. I am a distance runner. I am in for the long haul. I like to run also. When I began running, most people would double over in pain after a mile. I developed a resistance to pain. I wouldn’t even be breathing hard. I enjoyed running. No one could catch me. So I ask you the question again, How far is far? I was watching a movie where children were walking across a wilderness to reach to other side. They commented how far it was. And the people responded and said, what did you expect, it is the world. Do you ever think you will reach the other side? Where will your travels take you? Some people end up across the street from where they started. Some end up across the world. To get to the other side of where you are going is always a journey. I like to do that in a hurry. But it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes I receive my reward instantly. Sometimes I receive my reward after 25 years. But I always know that I will not stop until I get to the other side, come hell or high water. So how far is your far?

Crain Blanchard.

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It is what we have in common with a star and an elephant. If you don’t believe me just eat some greasy food. Humor has been used to get people interested enough to start talking to each other. Laughter makes us feel good about ourselves and others. Do you know how many muscles it takes to smile? It takes 2 muscles and it takes all the muscles in your face to frown. I was in the grocery store the other night shopping and watching people. A woman picked up a pack of paper towels. She looked disgusted and throw them into her buggy. I started laughing. She looked at me and smiled. I said, it was late. And she said, and it has been a long day. Laughing made her day. She walked away laughing. Life is serious enough and there needs to be a way to let our stress and anxiety out. God gave us an outlet, laughter. Let me tell you a joke. What is a syllabus? It is what clowns use to go on field trips. I told my family this joke to make them laugh. It worked. Even God likes to laugh. I have believed a scripture that Solomon wrote almost 3000 years ago. It says that a merry heart works good like a medicine. A merry heart is what will keep you young and alive. So look around at this world and laugh. And keep a smile on your face and people will respond.

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There is a bumper crop of babies. All the babies I knew are having babies. On social media, there are pictures of every mood babies go through and also cats. Those babies are cute and cuddly. They are as tender-hearted as they will ever be. We seem too prize tender-heartedness. We will do whatever is necessary to protect those babies from being hurt. So what happened? Why are we as hard-hearted or hard-headed as we will ever be? If we prize tenderheartedness, what happened? We can look back and see exactly where it started. Being hurt by your first relationship. Or being betrayed by a friend. It develop in our lives to the point where we don’t trust or want a relationship. And yet those babies want and need us unconditionally. That is what we want out of our relationship. To be accepted completely, warts and all. It gets to a point where there is no return. Where we become so hard-hearted that we won’t listen to anyone. But this road only leads to destruction, our own. How do I know? Because that was my life. I grew up in a normal home with regular expectations. But they all wanted me to be what they wanted me to be. I was looking for someone who would accept me for me. My cry for help was so loud, it reached heaven. And heaven answered. And a person who I had known about all my life, reached down and touched my life. I never expected Him to even take notice of me. But He showed me that He loved me just as I was. And that He accepted me into His family. And you can know Him too. All you have to do is to call upon Jesus. I have never been hard-hearted or hard-headed since.

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I never understood the sacrifice my parent made for my brothers and I. Growing up we would get most of the things that we wanted. But I never looked on the other side of the story. My dad worked for the Post Office and my mom was a school teacher. We had a comfortable life. Our 1^st home was a 2 bedroom and I bath single family home. It wasn’t big. My 3 brothers and I shared a single bedroom when we were kids. My younger brother, who died a year ago, used to sings songs before we went to sleep. We shared 2 beds. But we didn’t see it as a sacrifice. When I was 12 years old, we moved into a large house where we had our own bedroom. Sometimes it was lonely sleeping on my own bed. I was always nervous about having children. When each child was born and came home, I was visible shaken. I was responsible for another life. I held each child in my arms and prayed for God’s help. A peace came to me and I did for each child what was necessary. Whatever my sons needed, I did for them. I never looked at it as a sacrifice. I didn’t have a lot of extra money to spend on myself. Because I had spent it on my family. I gave my life for my God and my family. But it was never a sacrifice for me. Because I died daily to serve my God and my family. And a dead man doesn’t feel pain. I have found that sacrifice is the only way to live a full and productive life. And I am glad I did.

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Have you ever stopped and looked at nature. All the plants and animals in this world are very interesting. I stopped on my way home yesterday and took pictures of clouds. The sun was behind a formation. It had an opening and the sun shone through. It was quite striking. I like to look at clouds right before a storm. That is when then are the most beautiful. I talked about the Cherokee Roses on my street. There is an innate beauty about them. You want to guess why? It not because man put fertilizer on them. You know that is what man does a lot in this world. Guess why nature is so beautiful. It is because God created it for Himself and for us. You know that God create all things to share in His life. This includes us. But have you ever considered the Lilies of the field which are beautiful today and thrown into the fire tomorrow. We can’t grow anything by command. We can’t speak to our hair and change the color. We can’t add any years to our lives at all. But God who created all of this can. And He will see to our needs as well or better than the lilies of the fields. For we are worth more to God than anything. Trust and believe Him.

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A crucible is a trial by fire. It is where a person is tested to the limit of their endurance. Sometimes they are tested beyond their limit. It is to find out what the person is made of. Even if the person fails, it still shows what is in your heart. It is a trial that you don’t want to go through. For the most part it is always necessary for the person’s future life. Fortunately or unfortunately, we go through many crucibles. It is a simple as leaving home or starting a family or joining the military. Sometimes it is as hard as watch a relative die of cancer or your parents dying. Your life will never be the same again. For better or worse, it will change the way you look at life. When Cain told God after he had killed his brother Abel, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer to the question is yes. Are we linked together in some invisible way? Again the answer is yes. God says we are watchmen on the wall and if we don’t sound the alarm to protect our brother and sisters. We are guilty of their blood just like Cain was guilty of Abel’s blood. So what is your crucible? Are you able to make it to the other side?

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There is a John Steinbeck short story called “Flight”. A young man kills a man and flees for his life. They chased him to the top of a hill. There he knew he had to face the truth. He stood up and the police shot him dead. The tragic story is about taking courage even though it may kill you. We are placed on this earth to prove the truth that we are the image and likeness of God. We walk in this world trying to figure out what is the best way to live our lives. Not everyone succeeds. The only way we can possibly live this life is by taking courage. Our parents tried to teach us how to live the right way. They wanted the best for us. When I was a teenager, I thought my parents were brain dead. As I got older, I saw the wisdom of my parents. My dad died 31 years ago. For the longest time after his death, I heard my father’s voice. Whenever I had a problem, I could hear inside me my father’s voice giving me wisdom. As I discovered my father wasn’t as stupid as I thought. That wisdom always gave me courage to face whatever I needed to. And I would take courage and face life as I am supposed to.

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This is the last part of a letter my mother wrote to her grandchildren. She was a school teacher all of her life and tried to instill in her children and grandchildren the love of books.

Of course schooling is very important but not the most important. To learn to love and serve God is the most important. My grandchildren are almost all active members in the church of their own. Some are more understanding than others. But as long as they go to church and follow God’s teachings, it doesn’t matter which church they go to. My dream of schooling of course is that they all go to college. The 2 oldest ones are in college now. Seven are in second grade to twelfth grade. I dream that all will have a satisfying working job. My oldest granddaughter is choosing classes to help her if she does become a TV Commentator. My oldest grandson is in college learning to be a doctor of sports medicine. Of course I don’t know too many people who graduate in that field. I dream that all of my grandchildren will make their way in life with love and joy in all people. Especially my great granddaughters that may come along someday. Well after you have four sons and seven grandsons and two granddaughters, you start thinking daughters again. I do wish for my grandchildren, a happy married life and loving wives and husbands and children. And a beautiful walk with God.

MOM

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