Author: Ira Paine

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on
All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.”  –Ecclesiastes 6:7 (NLT)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     “Finegan!  What are you doing up out bed? exclaimed Doc, flabbergasted upon seeing the two men come through the door.
     There was a big smile on Finegan, or Copper’s face as Rev. Chapman helped him walk over to the table.  “What’s the matter, Doc?” asked the Preacher, “Don’t you believe in miracles?”
     There was a mixture of anger and frustration on Doc’s face as he pulled out a chair for Finegan to sit on.  “Sit down, and now please tell me, Preacher, what gives you the right to bring one of my patients out?  One who is confined to his bed!”
     Rev. Chapman was just beaming as he helped Finegan to the chair.  “Easy Doc, don’t get yourself all ruffled.  Doc, Miles, Molly, I was you to meet a new brother in the Lord.  This here is a new believer, Boyd “Copper” Finegan, formerly of New York.”
     “Wonderful!” exclaimed Molly.
     “Well, if that don’t beat all,” huffed Doc as he began to look his patient over.
     “Why don’t you all sit down, and we’ll tell you what happened,” suggested the Parson, as he pulled out a chair for Molly to sit.  “It’s not all that spectacular and yet it is.  Anytime someone comes to the saving knowledge of the Lord it is a spectacular event, but why should we be surprised?”
     I hadn’t said a word, I was just listening and watching.  Watching Copper, or Finegan’s expression, and watching Doc begin to hover around him looking him over carefully.
     “You know, walking over here could have killed you!” snapped Doc, finally beginning to settle down.  His gaze went to the Preacher, “Why would you do such a thing?”
     “Doc, it was my fault.  After we prayed, and I accepted the Lord as my Savior, the preacher here touched my stomach, and put his other hand on my head.  Something hit me, no, more like something was jerked from me.  I told the Rev. Chapman that I wanted to get up and walk.  He found my clothes, and we walked on over here knowing that you all would be here,” explained Finegan, touching his stomach and then looking at Doc.
     “Honestly, doctor, I feel fine, just a little weak,” then he turned his attention to me.  “And Marshal, I want you to know I’m not holding any animosities towards you,” and he reached out his hand.
     As I shook it, the Preacher asked, “Are there any charges against Brother Boyd?”
     “Uh, as far as I’m concerned Mr. Slocum is doing well, and unless Deputy Ramos wants to press charges, I reckon his time recuperating should cover his jail sentence.”
     “Wonderful!  Say, Doc, could Brother Boyd stay at your place for a couple of days until I find him a place to live?  He was crawling into the stables at night,” the Preacher paused, then added, “He’s rather down and out right now.”
     Doc was still looking at Finegan, then all of a sudden he poked where I had hit him with the Greener.  He flinched some, but it didn’t seem to hurt him.  “Doc!” yelled the Parson, “what are you doing?”
     Doc scratched the side of his face, then went back to his chair and sat down.  “I won’t question the good Lord, and I do believe in miracles, even though I am somewhat skeptical at times.  Yes, yes, let him stay,” he scratched his face again.  “At least that way I can keep an eye on him.”
     The Preacher was beaming.  Finegan spoke up, “I’ve heard about your Thanksgiving festivities, I’d be proud if I could be of help.”
     It got quiet, then I spoke out, “No one can say that the Lord don’t work in mysterious ways…”  

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You can know a man if you follow his trail, if you follow long enough. By his tracks on the land the ways of a man are made plain—his kindness or his cruelty, his ignorance or his cunning, his strength or his weakness.”
                    –Louis L’Amour  (The Key-Lock Man)

       “You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.”
                    –Psalm 18:39 (NLT)
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Ever have frustrations?  Trying to get people to do something, and then on top of that to do it right?  I know as a coach and principal I experienced that to some degree.  It seems that the more you expect, the more you prod, the less things get done.  It’s as if they are saying, “Try and make me.”  I would get frustrated with students and would tell them the problem is that I want you to succeed more than you want to.  As we look at the Song of Deborah, she found herself in that sort of situation.  Nobody was doing anything about the situation.  Keep that in mind as we look at the first part of her song in Judges 5.

          2 — When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the Lord!
          3 — Hear, O kings!  Give ear, O princes!  I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
          4 — LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens poured, the clouds also poured water;
          5 — The mountains gushed before the LORD, this Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.
          6 — In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the day of Jael, the highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways.
          7 — Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arome, arose a mother in Israel.
          8 — They chose new gods; then there was war in the gates; not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
          9 — My heart is with the rulers of Israel who offered themselves willingly with the people.  Bless the LORD!  (NKJV)

Why, bless the Lord!  I can imagine the feeling when the people got together to purposely fulfill God’s will under the call and leadership of Deborah.  A leader’s joy is when others do their duty without being told and they do it right–the first time.   Hmm, perhaps the Lord looks down on us and thinks the same thing–“I wish they would just do what they are supposed to do”.  
     A little background on Deborah is necessary at this point.  You may find that you relate to some of her responsibilities.  “Deborah wore three hats:  a judge, a prophet, and ‘a mother of Israel.’  Israel desperately needed all three right then.  They needed a judge to bring law to a land that was falling apart.  They needed a prophet to bring them God’s message when they thought God had forgotten them.  And they needed a mother to call everyone together and get them moving.” (William Petersen)  Look at it more again, and bring it closer to home.  That seems to me to be the role of the Christian mother in the home.
     Because of Deborah’s actions, Israel was rescued from the Canaanites.  How many times have mothers rescued their homes from the onslaught of the Canaanites–the enemy that seeks to destroy the home.  It is not easy, and it often is not appreciated.  Saying an emphatic “No” is hard, but often it must be done.  Saying, “get busy” and then making sure it happens takes time, effort, and follow through.  Without Deborah the Israelites would most likely have just continued on with cultural compromise losing their identity and purpose.
     Now is the time for us to get busy with what our Lord wants us to be doing, using our gifts and talents to the best of our ability.  Doing the work He has called us to do, and doing it in the place where we find ourselves.  Work as unto the Lord and submit to His leading and know that He has armed us with strength for any battle we face.

               “Lead on, O King Eternal, we follow, not with fears;
               For gladness breaks like morning where’er thy face appears;
               Your cross is lifted o’er us; we journey in its light;
               The crown awaits the conquest:  lead on, O God of might.”
                       –Ernest W. Shurtleff

 

Coffee Percs

by Ira Paine, Posted on

He finished the pie, drank another cup of coffee, and pushed back from the table.”

                    –Louis L’Amour  (Conagher)
 
Here yuh go, Pard.  Nice and hot, and plenty strong.  Sure hopin’ it puts yuh in a good mood, yuh know what they say.  What?  My coffee is strong enough to remove a tattoo?  Well, Pard, I wish it was, there’s shore enough of them bein’ painted on folks anymore.  What a sight!  But no, here’s what I was goin’ to say, this mornin’s good mood is sponsored by coffee good and strong.  No cinos, just plain coffee.  Ahhh, that’ll fix yur mood right up.  Fact is the only thing better is to add some time with the Lord to it.  My, how I enjoy sittin’, readin’, lookin’ out in the trees, and drinkin’ my mornin’ coffee.  Life is good, God is good.
     Pard, Thanksgivin’ is right around the corner.  Time for some nostalgia, time to be thinkin’ of times past, and more importantly, it’s time to be makin’ new memories.  Yep, the missus will be makin’ several pies, some pumpkin pecan, a German chocolate, maybe an apple, a cherry-berry, and of course that Thanksgivin’ staple, plain ol’ pumpkin.  Whoop!  The stomach is jumpin’ already in delight just a-thinkin’.  Then we’ll be with friends and family at the campsite.  Looks like no campfire this year as we’ve got a burn ban goin’.  Shame we have to have those, but folks just don’t know how to be good woodsmen.  Think it sorta ties in with the fact that they don’t know how to be good stewards. 
     People get sloppy, careless an’ many don’t even care ’bout what they’re doin’ an’ what could happen.  I’ve seen plenty a fellow burnt, or cut, or walk away leavin’ a fire burnin’.  They don’t care, or if’n they do they don’t show it.  Same ways with the things of the Lord.  He gives a blessin’ an’ it’s ignored, or used wrongly.  Some folks don’t take care of the things He gives ’em, they waste, they disfigure, they abuse those wonderful blessin’ of the Lord.  Some of the things they do with the gifts from the Lord are worse than diggin’ a hole and buryin’ it.
     But ‘nough of that negativity; it’s Thanksgiving.  Time to be rememberin’ our blessin’s and thankin’ the Lord for them and all that He has done.  My mercy, Pard, that shore a heapful!  An’ what’s more–He keeps on a-givin’ an’ a-blessin’.  Take a deep breath, no, there’s not a pie in the oven, but go ahead.  Now, think, He has given you the breath of life, and even more so because of Jesus He’s given us the breath of eternal life.  My, my…
     So Pard, be enjoyin’ all the blessin’s that are part of Thanksgivin’.  Some don’t have it so well.  Some lost it all, like ol’ Job.  But then remember, that old man got more than before.  It’ll be the same when we walk through the gates of that heavenly city, an’ sit down at that table.  My, I wonder if’n we’ll find out that manna was really apple pie?  
     Be havin’ a good week, and bein’ thankful.  Don’t spoil it all by not checkin’ yur cinch.
     Vaya con Dios.

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The heavy curtain of dark grey overhung the pale blue that faded to blushing orange and pink, reflecting the brighter colors on the silhouetted landscape. It was his favorite time of the day. Quiet, still, cool and constantly changing moods as the palette of colors was dipped with the Creator’s brush to be splashed across the horizon. He looked heavenward and spoke a silent prayer, the words coming deep within his grateful heart.”

                    –B.N. Rundell  (Saguache)

       “Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.”
                    –Mark 14:23 (NKJV)
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               “Give thanks with a grateful heart,
               Give thanks to the Holy One…”
                      –Henry Smith

Thanksgiving, a time when we remember and are reminded to be thankful.  Shame that we have to have a special day to remind us, but then again, it is a wonderful idea that we do set aside a day to be thankful.  Far too often we take things for granted; we don’t even think about being thankful.  I understand that we don’t have to be constantly saying, “I’m thankful for the squirrels running up the tree, I’m thankful that I can walk, I’m thankful for…”.  I understand that, but at the same time we need to have a heart of gratitude, an attitude of thankfulness.
     I received at the beginning of the month a little reminder to be thankful.  It is called 30 Days of Thankfulness, and I have used it every morning in my little inspirational thought or jab at the grandkids.  I have enjoyed it, and it is a little different as it identifies some things that I really never thought to be thankful for.  For example, be thankful for a gadget.  It made me think of the tools we use in the kitchen, i.e., just the gadget of a can opener.  Another day, be thankful for a scent.  Mmmm, the smell of baking bread, of coffee, of bacon frying.  (How come they all related to food?)  The fresh smell after a rain.
     The idea was to get our minds geared to the idea that we are to “give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18.  Let’s take a look now at some things in the Bible that we are to be thankful for.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!” –1 Chronicles 16:8
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”  –1 Chronicles 16:34
“Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.”  –2 Samuel 22:50
“Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.”  –Psalm 30:4
“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.” –Psalm 75:1
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!”  –Psalm 105:1
“Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”  –Psalm 106:1
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  –1 Corinthians 15:57
“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”  –Colossians 1:3
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.”  –Revelation 11:17

There!  That gives you an idea of the reasons why we should give thanks.  There are plenty more, but just notice how being thankful draws our attention to God.  An attitude of gratitude–remember that.  And most of all, let me finish the lyrics of Henry Smith:
             
               “Give thanks because He’s given
               Jesus Christ, His Son.”

Just think, contemplate, recognize, meditate upon the goodness of the Lord and what He has done for us.  Yes, Give Thanks!