He had always told him that a man owed it to his neighbors and to his country to serve when duty called, and he should never ask about reward.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Buckskin Line)
“That each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor [being available for God’s purpose and separated from things profane].”
–1 Thessalonians 4:4 (AMP)
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There was no “Echo” yesterday, I hope you noticed, as it was a day to celebrate the birthday of this great nation of ours. Despite the problems, and there are some, this has been the greatest nation on earth–end of argument.
In my last two decades of teaching I always prayed that the Lord would guide me to have three words for the students that I would emphasize during the year. No more than three, for I wanted to keep it simple, and give them something to remember throughout the year, and hopefully into the future. For example: dedication–honor–faith. One thing almost never changed, the second word–Honor. Honor is one of those words that has made America great. It was something the founding fathers understood as they attached it to their signature in the Declaration of Independence.
“We mutually pledge, to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
What then is “honor”? It is one of those words hard to define. Go to the dictionary and it would say, “something that is honorable.” It is easier to say what honor is or what it is not rather than to define it. Honor–one does not lie, cheat or steal. Honor–is a life of service and sacrifice. Honor–is courtesy, manners, and proper bearing. Honor–is a sense of humility as you understand that you are a part of a larger picture. Honor–is obedience, loyalty, and steadfastness. Honor–is being faithful.
When you see someone kneel during the National Anthem or when the flag passes by–that is not honor! That is someone with a chip on their shoulder; someone with arrogance and mockery in their heart. Someone who despises the sacrifice of others so that they can live in this great nation. Problems, and through the hardship and the years many have been solved. Are there still problems? The answer is yes, and if we continue to be a people of honor, through hardship, sacrifice, and time they will be worked on and solved, but not if we are people who are not men and women of honor.
I would like to close the Echo for this date with the words from General Douglas MacArthur.
“Duty–Honor–Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points; to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn… The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and, I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule…
“They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success, not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm but to have compassion on those who fail; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future yet never neglect the past; to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength. They give you a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life…”
As the world, and this country continues to move toward globalism and our basic foundational truths are being challenged, it is time for us to again regain honor. As our flag is being mocked so is the cross of Jesus Christ and the Word of God. It is time to regain honor and be steadfast in our resolve to stand, and after having done all to continue to stand–that is honor!
Author: Ira Paine
Echoes From the Campfire
Joy of life, radiance of creation, peace and solitude, wholesomeness and sweetness of nature, the exquisite beauty of woodland and wasteland at the break of day, and a marvelous, inscrutable, divine will pervaded that wilderness scene.”
–Zane Grey (Nevada)
“So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.”
–Hebrews 10:23(AMPC)
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How hard it is for us to get in a spot of quiet anticipation. The world is in so much turmoil, and our lives seem to be so busy, we cannot find time to rest properly. Even when there is that moment, we turn to social media. The mind is constantly being flooded with information. In the midst of all of this, Jesus is trying to talk to us; trying to remind us.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
–John 14:1 (NKJV)
Perhaps we should make it our prayer and then a priority to be given a quiet mind, a mind that trusts in God. We need to put the things that worry our mind aside, especially those things that have not happened and our worry for the future. Begin a practice of trusting in God, for He is on our side. There was a grand song in the church in ages past that should be revived. Seldom have I heard it played or sung, yet the truth of this magnificent song can put our souls to rest, “Be Still, My Soul.”
“Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side,
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain,
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”
–Katharina von Schlegel
“I don’t have patience,” you may cry, but if you are a Christian, there is patience within you. It is part of the Fruit of the Spirit. I believe one of the snares of the devil today is to keep us so busy, to constantly keep us moving and not waiting on the Lord. How many times do you get on your phone when there is an opportunity to get alone and quiet with God? It takes patience to help you to bear the evils of life.
“Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and wind still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”
You try to push through the problem and obstacles. You seek to go this way and that way. The problem becomes larger and looms over you ready to crush you. “God do something!” you cry but you fail to realize that He already is, you just have not taken the time to be quiet and still before Him. Is God in charge or are you in charge, or maybe the circumstance is in charge?
“Patience demonstrates a sweet submission to the providential appointments of God, and shows fortitude in the presence of duties that drain strength and provide no quick reward. Patience is the outcome of faith working with grace.”
–Carlos Murphy
“Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.”
In this troublesome time there is a need for us to learn to rest in the Lord. The world, and even the church, seems to demand “hype”, keeping the soul in turmoil instead of just resting in the presence of the Lord. I would tell you to grasp hold of God’s Word and gain that calm assurance.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
–Hebrews 10:23(NKJV)
The Saga of Miles Forrest
So, Merker’s finally out of the way?” questioned Doc Jones as he started to get up from his chair. “No, stay still, I’ll get the coffee. You’ve had an ordeal with this man, and he’s finally out of the way.”
Molly chirped in as he grabbed the coffeepot off the stove. “I’m so glad of that. We never knew what to expect or when to expect something from him.”
“Amen, to that,” I replied as Doc poured the coffee sloshing some of it out on the table. “Doc, I hope you’re more careful with your patients that you are pourin’ that coffee.”
He shuffled back to the stove with the pot. “Here I am, trying to be nice to you, and what do I get? Complaints! You’re as bad as some of my patients. I remove a bullet from them and they complain. Should just leave it, let it fester and get infected? They’re the one that got shot, why complain to me, I didn’t do it!”
I looked over at Molly, who just shrugged.
“You’re right, Doc. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have complained at your gracious gesture,” I commented. “I don’t want to be the one that you leave a piece of lead in to fester.”
There were three tables of customers in the diner and Marta was taking care of them. Edith still came in at the rush hour to help Molly as she was not relegated to do the cooking. Today, an aunt of Marta’s was starting in the kitchen–Emelda. She was Marta’s father’s sister. Molly wanted someone that was able to keep the Mexican flair with the food in the kitchen, especially the enchiladas as they had become one of the favorites with the customers.
I nodded toward Marta. “How’s she doin’?”
“She seems to be holding up well. She was despondent for a day after Anihu died. I don’t know if it was from her previous experience, or that her aunt died, or that Charlie has been up at Silverton,” Molly replied.
“Well, I would imagine it could be a combination of all three,” I volunteered, then took a sip of my half-cup of coffee. “When’s Charlie due back?”
The door opened. Two rough-looking characters walked in; they weren’t miners. Molly excused herself and went to the kitchen to see if Emelda might need some help. She was worrying over her like an ol’ hen.
“Doc?” I repeated my question about Charlie as I watched the two men. They chose a table off to my left up against the wall.
“I don’t know, he left right after you did,” Doc answered. “There was some problem with a shooting and robbery, the marshal didn’t give chase after the perpetrators left town.”
I stood to get the coffeepot. “My turn,” I said to Doc.
Pouring another cup for Doc, I refilled my cup and was putting the pot back on the stove. “Mister!” thundered a voice. “How ’bout you bringin’ that pot over here and fillin’ our cups?”
Ignoring him, I placed the pot on the stove and went back to my place at the table. “Mister!” this time a curse was mingled with his voice. “You don’t hear very well!”
“Do you recognize that guy?” asked Doc.
Shaking my head I saw Marta going to him with a pot from the kitchen. The man slapped at her, hitting her arm knocking the pot out of her hand and onto the floor. He was standing now. “I want that man, to bring that pot, and fill my cup! Then he can fill my friend’s!” The other man was just sitting there smiling.
I looked over at Doc, “Why?” Standing up I took a few steps his direction.
“You forgot the pot!” he reminded me.
“Now I don’t know who you are, or what you want,” I began to say when shots were fired outside and down the street. Charlie was gone and there wasn’t a marshal in town yet. I started rushing for the door, when a bullet hit the head jamb on the door.
“Easy, just stand where you are,” came the voice.
Turning my head I saw where both men were standing against the wall, the one had moved more toward the front. They had guns in their hands.
“Now,” the man sounded, “get me that coffee!”
Echoes From the Campfire
A man got scarred in the process of passing through the world. That was inevitable, that was life. Only a fool expected to dwell in paradise; nobody had a right to dodge his chores, no matter how dirty they might be. A man paid as he went.”
–Ernest Haycox (Free Grass)
“As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.”
–Proverbs 10:26 (NKJV)
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Let us take another look at Psalm 23. We don’t want to hasten away from this great Psalm, but ponder and digest what it is saying. It reminds us that God is with us continually, no matter the season of the year, no matter the season of life. “God’s care is not seasonal, but constant and abundant.” (Willem Van Demeren) This time look at it from the Amplified Version.
1 – The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
2 – He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
3 – He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
4 – Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
5 – You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
6 – Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.
“Drop they still dew of quietness,
Till all our striving cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of thy peace.”
–John Greenleaf Whittier
First, take a look at the ways that sheep quench their thirst. Philip Keller tells us that there are three ways that sheep will do that:
1) licking up the morning dew,
2) drinking water from deep wells,
3) drinking from flowing streams.
“We see here the parallels to the Christian life. The morning dew reminds us of our need for spiritual drink as we start each day; the deep wells remind us of what God supplies to deepen our spiritual life; and the flowing streams remind us of the work of the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth.”
What a comfort we have in the Lord! Isn’t it interesting how the Lord keeps a weapon in His hand, the rod, to protect us, and He has a staff to guide and prod us. In this Psalm we see His guidance, His protection, His sustaining us throughout life, His supplying our needs, and His promise of dwelling with Him forever.
Take time to read each verse; maybe dwell on a verse a day until it is deep in your soul. Remember He is there always.
“For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of Life; and God will wipe every tear away from their eyes.”
–Revelation 7:17(AMPC)