Legacy

The term legacy, as defined by dictionary.com is anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor. Therefore if this definition says anything, it says that a legacy can be good or bad. Many times when we refer to a legacy we are referring to it in the sense of leaving behind something for our kids and grand kids to hold on to. I think that we can conclude here that everybody leaves a legacy. However, the total value of your legacy is not yet defined if you are still living. I think that we can also agree that there are many who are deceased whose total legacy value is not determined as of yet. For example Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States left a legacy that is still growing even though it has been 143 years since his death.
A legacy is not something that you can buy on eBay, it is a summary of your life that yields valuable tools to those left behind. In every graveyard the dash between the year of birth and the year of death on the tombstone is but a shorthand reference to a person's legacy. For some, the legacy may have formed over a 105 years and for some 105 minutes. If we could only know how many people would like to come back and relive the dash, we would be surprised at how many of them are famous people who everyone thought lived the ultimate successful life. Therefor what makes up a good legacy may not be easy to discover.
In my opinion, a good legacy will include an influence to do better and to succeed, and most of all to go to heaven. If I leave behind nothing else, I wish to leave behind an inspiration to my children to make it to heaven. Everything else is subsidiary and falls well below in rank. Sure, i want to leave behind a motivation to be a lifelong learner and to seek happy and successful relationships, but making heaven is the priority.

Has Anybody Seen Jesus?

Has anybody seen Jesus lately? No, really, have you seen him.? I'm not talking about in a picture on the wall or in a movie. I am talking about in real life. I don't have to see him so I can believe in him. I want to see him because I know that he is needed in a serious way down here. I admit that I have seen him a few times. I saw him in the tears of my wife as she wept over the struggles of a 14 year old boy named Travis who is battling cancer. I saw him in the eyes of my Mother as she took her final breaths before running on to meet him. I saw him on the street corner the other day waving a bible and preaching to people as they came by and telling them to repent. By the way I think he is partial to that style, (on the street corner). I saw him all over the face of our granddaughter as she played peek-a-boo with me from the other side of the couch. But I must admit, I want to see him more often. In fact, I would like to be Jesus in shoes for a day. I would love to be able to give someone who is struggling financially a step up; like, maybe paying the electric bill for someone who is older and needs an air conditioner more than I do. I would love to hold an abused child up close until all their fears were swept away. I would love to encourage someone who feels like they have no hope. After my day of being Jesus in shoes, I would love to do it again the next day. I know that we all can be Jesus in shoes if we really want to be. Anyway, has anybody seen Jesus? If you have, let me know, we really need him down here.

The Power of Connections

Someone once said that snowflakes are small, fragile, and vulnerable things but when they stick together, they can stop traffic. A chain link by itself doesn't have much purpose but a thousand linked together and hitched to a source of power can pull a stump out of the ground. A single sheet of paper can be easily ripped but a thousand sheets bound at the edges cannot be torn. It is the power of connections! Jesus said this to the woman at the well, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." John 4:10 KJV. That is what happens when we are connected to the right source. Jesus plus you is the majority. Jesus also wants us to connect with each other, James said "Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16 KJV So many people are suffering in the body of Christ for lack of good connections with others. Exodus 32:26 says Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who [is] on the LORD'S side? [let him come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. It is important for God's people to rally together and be bound by relationship. The bible says in Proverbs 18:24 A man [that hath] friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother. The Message Bible says it like this, Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family. Have you had connections that came and went in your life? Maybe it is time to get connected to true friends and lasting relationships that are not here today and gone tomorrow. By ourselves we may be fragile but when we stick together we can stop the rampages of hell!!!

Image Obtained From news.bbc.co.uk

We're Back!

Hey, we're back. It's been several days since I blogged. I have a lot to get caught up on. Ruthie had to go to the doctor today after battling problems with her left knee and leg since last Wednesday. The doctor alarmed us by suspecting that she might have a blood clot in her left leg and set up a veinous doppler study on her left leg at Sparks Hospital yesterday (Monday afternoon.) Thank the Lord, it wasn't a blood clot but it was a 4-5 inch Baker's Cyst that wrapped around her leg from one side to the other going underneath her knee cap. She has been in excruciating pain for the last several days; actually almost a week now.
In the mean time, we also had a friend from Grace Church in Booneville that went to be with the Lord on Saturday morning after having cancer for some time. We were scheduled to sing at the funeral and the doctor's appointment lasted right up to the funeral time at which time Ruth's sister took her on to Fort Smith for the test. Katie, (our youngest daughter), Grayson, and I then went to the funeral and Katie helped me sing. Grayson and I then rushed to Fort Smith and arrived at the hospital as Ruth, and her sister Rachael, were walking down the hall following the test; which I missed! Ruth told me that she found out what was wrong with her leg and that she would be staying a few days! I said "What's going on?" Then she grinned, and told me she was kidding, and that it was a cyst. She likes to get me like that, ha ha! The news didn't help the pain, but at least a cyst is far less serious than a blood clot. Please pray for her to be relieved of pain and to make a full recovery.

On a funnier note, Grayson fell into the lake the other day when he, I, Katie, and her boyfriend Marco was fishing. He was fishing for perch but was also trying to scoop them up into a net as they were coming close to his hook and line. He leaned over a bit too far and started falling and sort of twisted around and fell almost head first into the lake! I immediately jumped up out of my lawn chair and into the lake and picked him up and set him back up the bank. In the process, he got wet from head to toe and I was wet from the waist down, which included my cell phone!!! Thank the Lord, it started working again the same evening. But most of all, thank the Lord that he wasn't hurt and we can all laugh about it now. Check out this picture of Grayson a couple of summers ago.

In closing be looking for our new website at http://www.covenantconnections.com/ coming soon! This is an outreach ministry that the Lord has laid on our hearts, which will have several interesting features including devotionals,a prayer requests page, ministry resources and special features such as "Jesus In Shoes". Our vision is to connect with people. We all need connections that provide strength, inspiration, support, and hope. We need Covenant Connections as we bond together as Christ has bonded with the church. We are very excited about it. Ruth is a great inspiration to me. I refer to her on our pastoral resumes as a "Second To None People Person". You will enjoy hearing from her on this blog site and on our new website!
God Bless You All,
Pastors Ron and Ruthie

Life is grand!

Hey. Life is grand. Ruth and I know now why they call it Grand pa and Grand ma! Check out the pictures below to the right of our first grand baby Rayne. She was born November 12th. She has brought a lot of joy into our lives. I wonder if that is how the Lord feels about new born Christians? I do know that angels party when a new Christian is born. (Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. KJV) The Lord must be overjoyed as well.

Fun With The Son

Today I had a great time with my seven year old son Grayson.
We went fishing and caught 5 Perch and 2 Catfish. Grayson caught the biggest fish. He was so surprised that when he jerked he had a catfish on his line. We should never quit expecting things. As a christian, our life should be full of expectation. If we have not it might be because we ask not or expect not. Jesus said "ask and ye shall receive".

Comments, Yeaaaa!

Hey guys, thanks for your comments. By the way, even though our given names are Ronnie and Ruth, we sometimes go by Ron and Ruthie but we answer to just about anything :)
Hey, isn't God good? The other day, we saw a beautiful rainbow. You know, God is the ultimate artist! His color mix is unequalled. In fact, all other artists have to borrow form God or they would not have anything to work with. It reminds me of the scientist who thought that he was so smart that he would challenge God to a contest to see who could create the best man. When they got ready to start, God reached down and scooped up a handful of dirt. When the scientist proceeded to do the same thing, God said hey get your own dirt! My answer to those who exalt their knowledge above that of God, and want to tell us all how the world should be ran is "hey, go make your own world and then you can tell your people how to run things"!!!

[[A Psalm of David.]] The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they
that dwell therein. Psalms 241

Jesus Is Lord!

Peter said "thou art the Christ, the son of the living God". In other words he said you are the one. You are God's son. There is only one thing that will satisfy the soul of a human being. Jesus is the one!

Hello!

This is our first day with a blogging site. This site is under construction, but we hope to have it set up in a couple of days so you can get to know us better and we can get to know you!