Author: Ira Paine

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

That’s what life’s all about, ain’t it? Lookin’ after each other.”

                    –Stephen Bly  (Beneath a Dakota Cross)

       “‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!'”
                    –Lamentations 3:24(NKJV)
—————————————-
The year is almost over so if you have things that needs doing in the year, you best be doing them or you won’t have time to be doing them.  Does that make sense?  In other words if there are things that must be completed before the year is out, get them done.  Things like fulfilling a vow or a resolution, writing a long overdue letter or note, calling a friend, sitting down with the family.  Let me harp on that for a moment.  The family, the first institution ordained by God, is often the most neglected.  Career, phones, school activities, church activities, and just plain old busyness can get in the way of family life.  Those are supposed to enhance and encourage and help families, not be a hindrance.  So think about it this Thanksgiving time.  Don’t just sit with them on Thanksgiving, be a part of each other’s lives.  If you can’t work your schedule around your family then perhaps you need to review your schedule.  
     I like to take time during the Thanksgiving week to reflect and remember.  Reckon I’ll sit by the fire next week and listen for those “Echoes” of other times, seasons, and places.  As the flames go upward and flicker my mind might wander to Thanksgivings of the past, or just other instances of which I need to always be thankful.  We must never forget that in times of sorrow and tears that the Lord is good.  In times of quandary and questions–the Lord is good.  In the midst of tribulations, storms, and battles–the Lord is good.  In the seasons of life and seasons of the year–the Lord is good.  In times of bounty and plenty–the Lord is good.
     One thing I’m thankful for is the love of my wife.  One of the people I’m thankful for is that same person.  I read something this week that struck me and I want to pass it along.  Husbands you better heed and ponder this!  “Your wife is the only person who has ever loved you for who you are.  Your mom loves you because you are her son, your siblings love you because you are their brother, your children love you because you are their father.  But your wife is on another level.”  Something I’ll be pondering and reflecting on when I listen for the Echoes from the Campfire next week.
     I mention a campfire since it has become a tradition that Annie and I along with Kimberly’s family go camping Thanksgiving week.  We have been doing this for a number of years.  Yes, I know that it is supposed to rain on Thanksgiving; it will not be the first time.  We have been at Lake Livingston the past few years, so Annie and I have become “day-campers.”  
     “Over the river and through the woods, To grandmother’s house they come…”  Not quite right, but it fits.  Except for the camping at Thanksgiving most of the time the grandkids come to Grandma’s cottage in the woods.  We’re so thankful that the Lord has allowed us to live where we do where three of the four grandkids can come out any time they are able.  The seasons of life have changed and Annie and I no longer travel to Grandma’s house, we are those folk.  So this Thanksgiving, listen for the Echoes; reflect on the goodness of the Lord and the seasons past.
          “Over the river and through the woods,
               Trot fast, my dapple gray!
               Spring over the ground,
               Like a hunting hound!
          For this is Thanksgiving Day.”
                   –Lydia Maria Child

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

It was true, there was in this world a class of people who never worked for what they wanted, who took what they pleased them no matter how.”
                    –D. B. Olsen  (The Night of the Bowstring)

       “True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and fairness and turned many from sin.”

                    –Malachi 2:6 (HCSB)
—————————————-
          10 — My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
          11 — If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
          12 — Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
          13 — We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil;
          14 — Cast in your lot amongus, let us all have one purse”–  (NKJV)

     Drive the pagans out of the land (Numbers 22:53-55).  While this cannot be possible in our country, we are implored to watch our company.   We are to beware of “friends” that could lead to habitual sin in our lives.  I used to tell my students that if I wanted to make them mad I would discuss their choice of music and friends.  Not only are we to be wise and cautious regarding the path we walk, but also those we meet along the way.  This is the wisdom of Proverbs 1:10-16.
     Verse 10 is a key verse.  Charles Bridges writes, “Consent constitutes the sin.”  The responsibility and choice is ours, but know this that “sinners take pains to pervert their companions.” (Niclas Brady)  It’s easy to follow the crowd.  That is why it is imperative that our children and grandchildren are grounded, firmly established, in the Word of God.  There is great pressure when they leave home whether it be college, military, career, or the workforce, to get involved with wrong companions.  “The sinner has a plan and a program to get something for nothing.  He lives off someone else and makes someone else suffer in order that he might prosper.” (J. Vernon McGee)  Do not get involved with this type of person.  
     It’s easy to follow the crowd; if you do so, you must make sure it’s the right and proper crowd.  “It’s easy to ‘goof off’ at work, to not put in a full day’s work for a full day’s wages.” (McGee)  It’s easy to say, “that’s good enough” when really the work is subpar.  To put it bluntly, that is stealing and shows a lack of integrity.  One of my pet peeves as an administrator was that teachers would claim they didn’t have to do any work on their “off period.”  I had to get across to them that it was not an “off period” but a planning period, a time for grading.  There is no time to waste, or to steal (so to speak) from God and kingdom work.

          15 — My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path;
          16 — For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.  (NKJV)

     Do not walk with the world.  We must be separate from those of the world and its system.  Paul tells us, “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.  Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17, NKJV)  Charles Bridges warns us about the world and those in it, “How can substance be found belonging to a world of shadows?”  He further states, “Every step on Satan’s ground deprives us of the security of the promises of God.”  Therefore refrain from the first step.
     We see in the above verses their plot:  shed blood, especially of an innocent person and to do it just for fun; take precious possessions, in other words become a thief and filling your houses with unlawful gain; then they have the “all for one and one for all” attitude, but I would ask, is their honor among thieves?  I will repeat, do not take the first step.  As we can form sinful habits, we can also develop a habitual resistance to sin.  Part of that resistance is to not fall in with the wrong type of companions.  If we do, “The tender conscience becomes less sensitive by every compliance.  Who can stop himself in the downhill road?  One sin prepares for another, pleads for it, nay, even makes it necessary for concealment.” (Bridges)
     Be aware, it can happen to anyone who is not guarding themselves.  Look at Aaron who was led astray by the crowd.  He foolishly made a golden calf, an idol to worship in pagan revelry.  The crowd welcomed Jesus and a week later they were clamoring, “Crucify Him!”  We need to walk the pathways of God’s wisdom, be fully persuaded of our doctrine, stand firm in the faith, and find friends from among God’s people.  I am reminded of the chorus written by an unknown author:

          “Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true,
          Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true,
          There’s a race that I must run,
          There are victories to be won,
          Ev’ry hour by Thy pow’ keep me true.”

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The river went on and on, growing dimmer, becoming a mere thread, to vanish in a blue haze out of which the Rocky Mountains rose, first obscure and like low masses of clouds, and then clear blue, to rise up and up magnificent reaches to pierce the sky with their snow-like peaks.”
                    –Zane Grey  (Wyoming)

       “For behold!  He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth–the LORD God of hosts is His name.”
                    –Amos 4:13 (NKJV)
———————————-
               “Life’s troubles can function as signpost warnings.”  –Lloyd Ogilvie

Amos, after dealing with the women and the apostates, now turns his attention to the people, the nation as a whole.  He speaks five oracles, or better–five calamities that the Lord has attempted to use to draw their attention back to Him.  I’m one who says that most natural calamities and disasters are just that–natural.  God created the law of physics and nature and put them in place so things just naturally happen.  Weather and climate are part of the natural course of things.  However!  God often uses His creation in various ways and for various purposes.  I remember when Katrina was heading for New Orleans.  I heard a preacher say it was not from God because God does not miss.  If you remember, the storm did not hit New Orleans straight on.  However!  Perhaps it was not judgment, but only a warning.  2001, the attack by terrorists, was it a warning or judgment?  Amos points to the warnings that have come from God and notes that each concludes with “Yet you did not return to Me.”
     Verse 6 — famine.  “Cleanness of teeth” means hunger, or empty stomachs.  There was famine in the land.  Not on everyone, but enough to bring hunger.  Ogilvie says that “no particular famine is focused, but a general period of hard times.”  Times were tough, the people probably grumbled.  As Wiersbe points out, “When farmers can’t grow crops, food is scarce, food prices go up, and people suffer and die.”  Hmmm, have you noticed in the recent year how high your grocery bill has become?
     Verses 7-8 — rain comes and goes.  Cities that received rain did not turn to the Lord in gratitude; those in drought did not connect it to God’s judgment.  “The people had become insensitive to Yahweh’s control of nature and their lives.” (Ogilvie)  This also shows that God is in control.  Rain or no rain; it is up to Him.
     Verse 9 — pestilence.  Blights, scorchings, mildew, locust came upon the land and the food supply.  Crops were destroyed, but it did not bring repentance.
     Verse 10 — plagues and war.  It would do us good to review Deuteronomy 28; there we see the results of obedience versus that of rebellion.  Sickness and disease were on the scene. (Hmmm, COVID possibly?)  War came upon them, enough so that there was death and that brought a stench.  I wonder if it was not just the stench of decay and death but of the system they were living in, a way of life that opposed God.
     Verse 11 — destruction.  Some cities were destroyed, others were saved.  In all of this the people maintained their “stubborn infidelity” to Him. (Ogilvie)  Warnings had been given, but were not heeded.  This shows “their ingratitude and hardness of heart was even more wicked.” (Wiersbe)
          YET YOU DID NOT RETURN TO ME
     These were all warnings.  These miseries and calamities were sent to bring the people to repentance and get their focus back on the Lord.  Since they ignored the warnings, God will “unleash full punishment of the whole nation.  If Israel will not meet God with humble repentance, she will meet Him in judgment.” (Ogilvie)  
          “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12, NKJV)  
Too late to repent.  Today is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)  Verse 12 gives a description of the Lord of Hosts.  “This is the God who was coming to judge His people, and they were not prepared.” (Wiersbe)  Craigie makes mention of the people singing, “O come, all ye faithful.”  Amos would blast and say that they were singing, “O come, all ye faithless.”
     As a nation we should look back at the message and warnings of Amos.  Do they fit our country?  Are we doing the same things?  Even more important, perhaps we should turn inwardly to ourselves.  “It never hurts, and frequently it helps, to reflect upon the dramatic events of our lives, to consider the road we are taking, to ask if it is still the road in which we walked when we first embraced the faith with joy.” (Peter C. Craigie)  Let each of us examine ourselves.  Ogilvie helps us along the way with these words, “Consistent fellowship with the Lord helps us know what He is seeking to give us in the ever-changing drama of our lives.  Daily, moment by moment, God-centered worship makes for worshipful living.  God is constantly calling us to worship Him.  This requires a contrite spirit and truthfulness about our lives.”

 

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Charlie had found no paperwork regarding a will or his daughter.  Mostly it was ledgers concerning the store, invoices, statements, and other such things.  There was a picture of his wife and Agatha taken some time before the mother had died.  For the life of me, I can’t remember her name.  I didn’t know them well when the epidemic swept through. 
     He pronounced that the Peabodys could move in.  And with their few possessions it wouldn’t take them long.  They didn’t need furniture since Martin’s was already in the apartment.  As soon as they could start working and making money they would be able to feed themselves on a better diet than just beans, then warmed up beans and if they were fortunate, eggs from the widows.
     Marshall Peabody was a little concerned about doing his community chores.  Lucas said he would cut wood for the widows and Darnelle and Mateo said that Alejo was old enough to do most of the other work.  He wasn’t a carpenter, but he could repair things such as chicken coops, chop wood, clean up around the town so that was a relief to Marshall.
     The very next day, I went by to find the store open.  Lois was dusting off the shelves and items on the shelves.  Marshall was doing inventory and acquainting himself with the products.  When I came in he laughed, “First time I’ll be able to come home from work looking half human.”
     The miners up in Silverton that worked in the larger mines made a decent salary, but much of it went to pay rent for the company houses.  Those that didn’t waste their money on booze had to pay exorbitant prices for food.  It was really much like the sharecropping system–go broke, stay broke, die broke.
     Lois ran over to me to give a large hug.  With tears in her eyes, she just repeated, “Thank you,” over and over.  Standing back and wiping the tears away, she said, “That nice young girl, Miss Foster, said she would come by and show us how to set up ledgers and order.  Then after we’d been working a month or so, she come by to see how things we going and help organize better.”
     “Darnelle is a good girl,” I replied.  “I don’t know much about storekeepin’, but Molly and I’ll help in any way we can.”
     As I left the store, the thought struck me.  “Darnelle isn’t a girl any longer.  In fact, she is in her upper twenties.  I just don’t figure how some guy hasn’t swept her up and married her.”  Then I laughed as I walked getting strange looks from a couple of people on the street.  “Course Darnelle might have a say in the matter.”
     Entering the diner, I saw Mateo sitting with Doc.  Mateo doesn’t come by to make himself at home like Charlie and Doc does.  He is friendly, but stays busy working the streets.  In fact, it’s hard to find him in the office sitting down doing the paperwork that comes with the job.
     I grabbed a cup and filled it before sitting.  Molly was in the kitchen having a meeting with Marta and Emelda while Lola was wiping down tables.  Doc started right up with the conversation.  “Heard that we’re having beef this year for Thanksgiving.  I don’t know why you don’t go out and get a few turkeys.”
     “Nothin’ from Grizz?” I asked.  Grizz usually showed up around this time with elk and venison for the dinner, but we hadn’t heard a word from him this year.
     Mateo was shaking his head.  “Lots can happen traveling alone, especially in those mountains.”
     Both Doc and I nodded our heads, then I began to drink my coffee.  “Molly was telling us that Cecil Thompson and Bert Winfield would supply the diner with beef for the dinner.  Emelda’s eyes lit up when she heard; she wants to make menudo and barbacoa.”
     “Cecil said that he’d sent his cook, Reese Donovan over to bbq the steer along with a couple of cowboys to help him,” Doc informed me.  “He further stated that he might send his whole crew into town for the feast.  That along with the miners and townsfolk that come by could mean quite a crowd.”
     I smiled, finished my coffee, then pointed with cup in my hand at Mateo.  “Our illustrious marshal should be able to handle them readily enough.”
     “I thought I heard you in here,” came the voice of Molly walking towards me with a piece of pumpkin pie in her hand.  “Figured you might want a taste.”
     Just as I was ready to take a bite, there was the sound of gunfire across town.  Mateo glanced at me, then took off towards the sound.  I thrust a large piece of pie in my mouth and followed after him with Doc on my coattail.
     Lola came to Molly.  “What could have that been?”