Today I continue in my writings about men who had a major influence on my life. I am trying to do these in chronological order. Today's man of influence in my life was my Uncle Duane. Duane is only one year older than me. He turned sixty one on April 23rd of this year and I will be sixty, Lord willing on April 30th. It is interesting that his mother (my grandmother) was pregnant just a year prior to my birth.
Duane always lived in the country while we lived in town (my hometown was not really a city). One of the thrills I enjoyed as a boy was visiting Duane's house in the country. Officially the area that he grew up in was known as Brush Creek and while he moved down the road a piece to Harmon, Brush Creek is still there. About the only sign of the community is the church where Duane attended as a baby and still attends sixty one years later. Today he is a leader of this church and has seen it through the good times and the bad.
One of the major influences he brought to my life was that he was always steadfast. He never wavered in his faith from his childhood until today. He amazes me in that he still lives in the same area, attends the same church, etc. I can remember as a young boy that he and I were tempted as all boys are and for the most part he always did what was right. I did say for the most part....once as young boys we decided that we would have the first yard sale ever. We started bringing all of my grandfathers tools, etc to the big front porch and set up a store. Needless to say the sale did not last long after my granfather came home. I think we sold an ink pen or two and that was about it. Another time we decided that we would cuss. It just came to us that we should cuss any and everything we saw that morning, from the blue jays to cars driving by. This also did not last long as we became bored with this activity. This was about as bad a thing as we ever did.
I mentioned in a post many months ago that Duane was my first boss. We started a lawn mowing service when I must have been ten years old and Duane was eleven. He was the foreman because he was older and because he had a big red Yazoo mower while I had a little green lawn boy. We would either push the mowers from job to job or sometimes we would ride our bikes and drag the mowers. Duane always went to the door to ask about the job, primarily because he was older, taller and had the big professional mower. Once the job was secure, I would come out with the little lawn boy to do the finesse work while Duane and the Yazoo tackled the tall grass. We made some pretty good money for a couple of young kids and had a good time. People did have us back so I guess we also did a pretty good job.
As we grew older, Duane always had some work. He ran his own hay hauling crew, worked in grocery stores or anywhere he could earn a few bucks. He of course had a car when he was old enough to drive and through all the teenage years when the pressure is on kids, he stood by the stuff. He was a great example to me as a young boy about how important it was to live an upright life. Duane was and is a great Christian influence in my life. He and I have discussed and digested the Bible together on many a night.
Today his children and mine are grown. We both have grandchildren and we are both married to the same woman we began our journey with. While we don't get to see each other too often, I still think about Duane each April during our birthday season and I thank God that Duane was there to provide a great influence too me. Most all the kids I was around growing up had no clue as to how one should live his life and Duane was that one that God brought my way so that I could see how one should live.
As I write these words on this Easter Sunday, April 24th, 2011, I again say thank you God for Duane and his impact on my life....even today.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Men of Influence, Part 2
This series of posts has quickly become an interesting exercise for me as I think back on those men who have helped shape and mold me into the man I am today. Even at my age I find that there are men that continue to influence me. One of the questions that keeps popping up in my mind is "am I making an impact on those men that are in my circle of influence?" I feel that if we can influence other men for the better, that this is a great legacy.
A man who made a great impact on my life in a very short period of time was an Assistant Scoutmaster of my Boy Scout troop. I was a Boy Scout from about age 9 through age 12. The man I am speaking of is Ken Ray. Again, a name you will probably not recognize. In fact if you google his name and add the tag, Springdale, Arkansas you will find little if any information. I am recalling events from almost fifty years ago, so I will try my best to remember all I can about Ken.
Ken grew up in southwestern Arkansas near DeQueen, Arkansas. He was different from the other kids he grew up with in that he was born without arms. He had a single finger, like your pointer that grew from his right shoulder area. This finger had a muscle just like your arm has a muscle. I had read a newspaper article forty some years ago about Ken as a football player at DeQueen High School. He was a barefooted kicker and had become a great field goal kicker and had helped his team win many games.
As I recall Ken was probably in his early twenties when he was our scout leader. He always wore flip flops or slip on sandals so that his feet could be readily available. Most of the time he wore shorts. I can remember that he was a smoker in those days (I am sure he no longer has that habit) and that he had carved a long stick with a hole in the end that would hold a cigarette tightly. Ken would grab the pack out of his shirt pocket with his teeth and shake the pack till a cigarette would pop out and he could slip the stick over the cigarette. He then would produce a fire via a lighter with his feet and light his cigarette. I mention this to show that the guy was amazing in his creativity in overcoming his handicap.
A time I will never forget involved our troop going on a weekend survival camp out. We could only bring Bisquick as our food for the weekend. I am not sure why Bisquick was chosen but that was the case. Our bags were searched and a large cache of candy and other contraband were confiscated and we were off to the woods. Early Saturday morning we awakened with one goal....to find food for our survival. I had a few of my fellow scouts who found a pigeons nest in a barn and they robbed the eggs and made pancakes with the Bisquick. Others raided a farmers garden for fresh tomatoes and other veggies.
We were paired up with another scout to work together to search for our food. I can remember kids with bows and arrows (nothing like the ones available today) and they were trying to shoot squirrels. This was truly an exercise in futility. I think the squirrels were probably rolling in the leaves laughing at these crazy kids. I was blessed that day in that we did not have an even number of scouts and I was paired with Ken Ray. I experienced something that day that I shall never forget. Ken had a fly rod and we were camped on a river that weekend. So Ken and I headed to the river. I will try to explain as best I can how he was able to fish with a fly rod. He would hold the rod with the finger protruding from his right shoulder and he would strip line with his teeth. He could flip the fly rod with the finger and after stripping out enough line, he could reach the center of the stream with his fly.
In a short amount of time, Ken began hooking large bream and I found out my reason for being there. He could take off his own fish but it would take him some time and it was difficult for him to put them on a stringer. So that day I did not even cast my line into the water. I took off fish after fish for Ken and put them on the stringer. We headed back to camp and used the Bisquick to make a breading for the fish and had ourselves a feast. I had a great time and I guess the real thing I received from Ken was that we should never let our handicap keep us from living our lives to the fullest. I also learned that we should never give up when life deals us a tough hand. Ken could have given up at an early age and never enjoyed all that life has in store for us. I watched Ken over the next year or so shoot a bean flip and hit targets consistently (with his feet). He could turkey hunt with a crossbow (again using his feet) as he called the turkeys with his mouth. He could also shoot a shotgun with his feet.
Ken went on to receive a degree and the last I heard he was a social worker in Northwest Arkansas and he drives a car just like we do. I had the privilege of attending the same church with Ken when I lived in Northwest Arkansas. Ken married, had children and I would say he has lived life to it's fullest. I think Ken probably had choices to make as a young boy. Either quit and let others take care of him or ignore his handicap and get on with living. I think one of the things I took from my time around Ken was that whatever situation we find ourselves in (Cancer,etc.) that we should live our lives as normally as possible. We should not quit and give up and go home. It is really hard to keep your chin up when things are tough but I can always think back to Ken Ray, flipping a fly rod with his finger, or shooting a turkey with a shotgun (using only his feet) and I can say, I can do this....I will not give up...I will persevere through this ordeal.
Ken is a devout man and I am sure he would say with me "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". Thanks Ken..
A man who made a great impact on my life in a very short period of time was an Assistant Scoutmaster of my Boy Scout troop. I was a Boy Scout from about age 9 through age 12. The man I am speaking of is Ken Ray. Again, a name you will probably not recognize. In fact if you google his name and add the tag, Springdale, Arkansas you will find little if any information. I am recalling events from almost fifty years ago, so I will try my best to remember all I can about Ken.
Ken grew up in southwestern Arkansas near DeQueen, Arkansas. He was different from the other kids he grew up with in that he was born without arms. He had a single finger, like your pointer that grew from his right shoulder area. This finger had a muscle just like your arm has a muscle. I had read a newspaper article forty some years ago about Ken as a football player at DeQueen High School. He was a barefooted kicker and had become a great field goal kicker and had helped his team win many games.
As I recall Ken was probably in his early twenties when he was our scout leader. He always wore flip flops or slip on sandals so that his feet could be readily available. Most of the time he wore shorts. I can remember that he was a smoker in those days (I am sure he no longer has that habit) and that he had carved a long stick with a hole in the end that would hold a cigarette tightly. Ken would grab the pack out of his shirt pocket with his teeth and shake the pack till a cigarette would pop out and he could slip the stick over the cigarette. He then would produce a fire via a lighter with his feet and light his cigarette. I mention this to show that the guy was amazing in his creativity in overcoming his handicap.
A time I will never forget involved our troop going on a weekend survival camp out. We could only bring Bisquick as our food for the weekend. I am not sure why Bisquick was chosen but that was the case. Our bags were searched and a large cache of candy and other contraband were confiscated and we were off to the woods. Early Saturday morning we awakened with one goal....to find food for our survival. I had a few of my fellow scouts who found a pigeons nest in a barn and they robbed the eggs and made pancakes with the Bisquick. Others raided a farmers garden for fresh tomatoes and other veggies.
We were paired up with another scout to work together to search for our food. I can remember kids with bows and arrows (nothing like the ones available today) and they were trying to shoot squirrels. This was truly an exercise in futility. I think the squirrels were probably rolling in the leaves laughing at these crazy kids. I was blessed that day in that we did not have an even number of scouts and I was paired with Ken Ray. I experienced something that day that I shall never forget. Ken had a fly rod and we were camped on a river that weekend. So Ken and I headed to the river. I will try to explain as best I can how he was able to fish with a fly rod. He would hold the rod with the finger protruding from his right shoulder and he would strip line with his teeth. He could flip the fly rod with the finger and after stripping out enough line, he could reach the center of the stream with his fly.
In a short amount of time, Ken began hooking large bream and I found out my reason for being there. He could take off his own fish but it would take him some time and it was difficult for him to put them on a stringer. So that day I did not even cast my line into the water. I took off fish after fish for Ken and put them on the stringer. We headed back to camp and used the Bisquick to make a breading for the fish and had ourselves a feast. I had a great time and I guess the real thing I received from Ken was that we should never let our handicap keep us from living our lives to the fullest. I also learned that we should never give up when life deals us a tough hand. Ken could have given up at an early age and never enjoyed all that life has in store for us. I watched Ken over the next year or so shoot a bean flip and hit targets consistently (with his feet). He could turkey hunt with a crossbow (again using his feet) as he called the turkeys with his mouth. He could also shoot a shotgun with his feet.
Ken went on to receive a degree and the last I heard he was a social worker in Northwest Arkansas and he drives a car just like we do. I had the privilege of attending the same church with Ken when I lived in Northwest Arkansas. Ken married, had children and I would say he has lived life to it's fullest. I think Ken probably had choices to make as a young boy. Either quit and let others take care of him or ignore his handicap and get on with living. I think one of the things I took from my time around Ken was that whatever situation we find ourselves in (Cancer,etc.) that we should live our lives as normally as possible. We should not quit and give up and go home. It is really hard to keep your chin up when things are tough but I can always think back to Ken Ray, flipping a fly rod with his finger, or shooting a turkey with a shotgun (using only his feet) and I can say, I can do this....I will not give up...I will persevere through this ordeal.
Ken is a devout man and I am sure he would say with me "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". Thanks Ken..
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Men who changed my life.....
As a man who is growing older, I have a little more time on my hands to think about life and the influences that we encounter that help shape us as men. My own life was probably most impacted by men that I was fortunate enough to be around as I grew up and as I grew older. I will be sixty years old in a few days and I can say that even at my advanced age I still find that I am being affected by other men.
I felt it would be a good exercise to think about the men who have most influenced my life. I had planned to make this a single post with all of those men who influenced my life being on a list, but as I began writing I realized it would be several pages long, so I will try to do a post each day and share a little more detail about each man.
It is only fitting that today's post be about my first spiritual mentor. I hope you enjoy these posts. The Reverend Devoe Whitely of Springdale, Arkansas is the first name that comes to mind as I reflect on the men who truly influenced my life. This name will not ring a bell with most readers as they probably don't know anyone named Devoe. Devoe was my first pastor. He and his wife Lula Bell (bet you don't know many Lula Bell's either) served at Immanuel Baptist Church in Springdale, Arkansas.
I can't really remember the first time I attended church but I think probably my mom took me to church as an infant. I can remember that when I was six or seven years old that Lula Bell would let several of the younger kids sit on the front row of the church with her at every service. I can remember her large arms (she and Devoe were both very large people) wrapped around the little children as Devoe expounded his sermons that we did not understand at all. The little children always felt loved after being around Devoe and Lula Bell.
I mentioned that Devoe and Lula Bell were large people and they truly were. Devoe did not miss many meals and anyone that grew up in the Baptist Church in the late 1900's can attest that there was nothing spared at the pot luck suppers. Devoe loved people and he loved to dine with them. I can never remember seeing Devoe without a suit. I can remember a particular suit he wore from time to time. It was all white and he would wear a colorful shirt and tie with the suit. The one thing I remember in particular was that he also wore multi-color shoes. As I recall the shoes were brown with white on the upper portion of the shoes. Devoe stood out in a crowd because of his size and his wardrobe. Devoe had a booming voice from the pulpit. He never shy ed away from difficult subjects. He preached against sin and sinful lifestyles. I can remember a few times that my family had roast preacher for lunch, after one of Devoe's sermons happened to be very harsh and stepped on a few toes. My dad did not always agree with some of the tactics Devoe employed to raise money for a particular need but it seems he got over it rather quickly. Devoe did preach the Bible as he read it and interpreted it. He was a burly man but gentle and caring especially with the little children. He always spoke at our Vacation Bible School service each day. One morning he said something that directed me towards Christ and as a nine year old boy I began a relationship with Christ that continues even today. I can remember that when a child came seeking to know more about salvation, Devoe would take time with each individual child and many times Lula Bell would assist. I can remember when I went home that day that I could not wait to run and tell my friends and family about what had happened to me. I would love to have taped that experience to look back on but I only have my memory.
A few days later I was baptized by Devoe and it is a day I shall never forget. If you asked me to tell you about one of Devoe's sermons, I could not. Though I sat under his preaching from a very young age and until my early teenage years I cannot recall one sermon or one topic that he preached. I can tell you that he lived what he preached. He lived the Bible out loud and no one doubted his love of God. He and Lula Bell helped provide a firm foundation for my faith. They really loved people and they let you know that they loved you. I am thankful that they loved the little children.
A few years after leaving the church (I am not sure why we left) I asked Devoe to officiate my wedding. He had made such an impact on my life that I wanted him to be the man who joined Sharon and I in marriage. You could say that Devoe was an "old-time" preacher and you would be correct. You might say that he was "old school" and you would also be right. One thing that is also true is that when a person invests themselves in the lives of little children, those children's lives will forever be changed and this was true in my case. I also believe that Devoe and Lula Bell are in the arms of Jesus today and will enjoy great rewards in heavens because of their love of the little children.
Devoe was my first spiritual mentor and I thank he and Lula Bell for loving me and drawing me to the Savior. I know that my faith would not be what it is today had I not grown up in Springdale, Arkansas and attended Immanuel Baptist Church and started my faith journey under the guidance of Devoe and Lula Bell. Again I thank this dear, sweet couple for loving the little children.
I felt it would be a good exercise to think about the men who have most influenced my life. I had planned to make this a single post with all of those men who influenced my life being on a list, but as I began writing I realized it would be several pages long, so I will try to do a post each day and share a little more detail about each man.
It is only fitting that today's post be about my first spiritual mentor. I hope you enjoy these posts. The Reverend Devoe Whitely of Springdale, Arkansas is the first name that comes to mind as I reflect on the men who truly influenced my life. This name will not ring a bell with most readers as they probably don't know anyone named Devoe. Devoe was my first pastor. He and his wife Lula Bell (bet you don't know many Lula Bell's either) served at Immanuel Baptist Church in Springdale, Arkansas.
I can't really remember the first time I attended church but I think probably my mom took me to church as an infant. I can remember that when I was six or seven years old that Lula Bell would let several of the younger kids sit on the front row of the church with her at every service. I can remember her large arms (she and Devoe were both very large people) wrapped around the little children as Devoe expounded his sermons that we did not understand at all. The little children always felt loved after being around Devoe and Lula Bell.
I mentioned that Devoe and Lula Bell were large people and they truly were. Devoe did not miss many meals and anyone that grew up in the Baptist Church in the late 1900's can attest that there was nothing spared at the pot luck suppers. Devoe loved people and he loved to dine with them. I can never remember seeing Devoe without a suit. I can remember a particular suit he wore from time to time. It was all white and he would wear a colorful shirt and tie with the suit. The one thing I remember in particular was that he also wore multi-color shoes. As I recall the shoes were brown with white on the upper portion of the shoes. Devoe stood out in a crowd because of his size and his wardrobe. Devoe had a booming voice from the pulpit. He never shy ed away from difficult subjects. He preached against sin and sinful lifestyles. I can remember a few times that my family had roast preacher for lunch, after one of Devoe's sermons happened to be very harsh and stepped on a few toes. My dad did not always agree with some of the tactics Devoe employed to raise money for a particular need but it seems he got over it rather quickly. Devoe did preach the Bible as he read it and interpreted it. He was a burly man but gentle and caring especially with the little children. He always spoke at our Vacation Bible School service each day. One morning he said something that directed me towards Christ and as a nine year old boy I began a relationship with Christ that continues even today. I can remember that when a child came seeking to know more about salvation, Devoe would take time with each individual child and many times Lula Bell would assist. I can remember when I went home that day that I could not wait to run and tell my friends and family about what had happened to me. I would love to have taped that experience to look back on but I only have my memory.
A few days later I was baptized by Devoe and it is a day I shall never forget. If you asked me to tell you about one of Devoe's sermons, I could not. Though I sat under his preaching from a very young age and until my early teenage years I cannot recall one sermon or one topic that he preached. I can tell you that he lived what he preached. He lived the Bible out loud and no one doubted his love of God. He and Lula Bell helped provide a firm foundation for my faith. They really loved people and they let you know that they loved you. I am thankful that they loved the little children.
A few years after leaving the church (I am not sure why we left) I asked Devoe to officiate my wedding. He had made such an impact on my life that I wanted him to be the man who joined Sharon and I in marriage. You could say that Devoe was an "old-time" preacher and you would be correct. You might say that he was "old school" and you would also be right. One thing that is also true is that when a person invests themselves in the lives of little children, those children's lives will forever be changed and this was true in my case. I also believe that Devoe and Lula Bell are in the arms of Jesus today and will enjoy great rewards in heavens because of their love of the little children.
Devoe was my first spiritual mentor and I thank he and Lula Bell for loving me and drawing me to the Savior. I know that my faith would not be what it is today had I not grown up in Springdale, Arkansas and attended Immanuel Baptist Church and started my faith journey under the guidance of Devoe and Lula Bell. Again I thank this dear, sweet couple for loving the little children.
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