Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Imagine that Jesus had never been born, or that King Herod had succeeded in his heinous plot. The thought makes me shudder. If Jesus had never been born, there would be no absolutes, no restraints, no hope … and where there is no hope, there is only desolation. A world of disrespect for life or no regard for human welfare would be horrific. How grateful we should be that God reached down to mankind. He sent his only son to be born in a lowly stable. This “Babe of Bethlehem” brought joy to the world and changed the cours...
As newlyweds we thought we lived in a mansion. Our first home, called “Vetville,” consisted of rows of army barracks converted to apartments. They housed World War II veterans at Eastern New Mexico University for $25 a month. Everyone seemed to be in the same boat … going to school on the G.I. Bill. I remember the huge, wood-burning stove that had been converted to gas. It seemed to take hours to heat water or even a can of soup. (That was all I knew about cooking anyway.) On one snowy winter day, I hand washed some towel...
A pilot in a small plane remembered his instructor had always told him that if he ever found himself in a thick fog to bear in mind this important concept: The pilot’s tendency in a fog is to fly downward, getting dangerously close to the ground. The instructor’s directions were to let the plane have full reign in such a case; to simply let go and let the plane fly by what it was made to do. One day the pilot found himself in just such a situation. Visibility was zero. The pilot strongly felt he must fly downward, but he rem... Full story
The first act of the Pilgrims upon arriving at our shores was to kneel and thank God for a land where they could worship him freely. I honor them for their faith and gratitude. I am thankful for a special day to be grateful for our many blessings. I am thankful for the Bible. It is God’s love letter to all of us. It is filled with drama, excitement, victories, hope and promise. It is “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105.) It is our manufacturer’s handbook, our blueprint for life. The word of God... Full story
Throughout the history of this nation, men and women have made tremendous sacrifices to maintain freedom. They realized that a life without freedom is a life of slavery with every type of tyranny. William Penn said, “Unless we are governed by God we will be ruled by tyrants.” Freedom is the most precious gift a country can possess. Without it, life exists without a purpose. Freedom comes with a price. Sunday is Veterans Day. Let us remember our veterans with heartfelt gratitude. Where would we be without their dedication and...
I read an interesting story about some monkeys in India. They made their home in the jungle surrounded by a beautiful golf course. These monkeys had a fascination with golf balls. Every time a golfer hit a ball, the monkeys jumped from the trees and grabbed the ball. In pursuit of the ball, if chased by the caddy or player, the monkeys dropped the ball. However, wherever the ball dropped, that is where the game had to continue. The club rules were: “Play the ball where the monkey drops it.” As unfair as this sounds, the gol...
Life is a great adventure … a journey if you please. It is filled with turns, detours, surprises, excitement and most of all love. Many dance through life but never hear the music. That is sad to me. We all need a giant dose of “enthusiasm.” Even nature has enthusiasm and I have vines that prove it. They weren’t here when we built our house. One year it just popped up on my fence, trees and shrub. It clung to anything it could find to crawl upward and away it goes! It’s a nuisance in spring and summer and I have to fight it... Full story
It saddens my heart and hurts my spirit whenever I hear God’s word minimized, demeaned, ridiculed or profaned. The Bible is God’s blueprint for mankind. It is the instructor’s manual. A life and a country based on biblical principles enjoy God’s blessings. Jeremiah 36 tells how the Lord had given his words to Jeremiah, the prophet, which were written on a scroll. Jehudi read it to King Jehoiakim. The king was in his winter apartment and a fire was burning in the firepot in front of him. “Whenever Jehudi had read three or...
Our pastors are vital to our spiritual well being. Pastors are the first ones called in a time of crisis. They sacrifice their time, often at the expense of their family, in order to minister to others. Just the pastor’s presence brings comfort and relief. They are on call 24/7 to minister to hurting souls. Many times holiday dinners and family events are sacrificed. Pastors need encouragement and affirmation in the work God has called them to do. Pastors and their families live in a world that never stops. Their average w...
Have you ever had “wrong thought disease?” I have and it’s the pits! Thought disease comes with all kinds of problems. The doctor’s report, overdue accounts, misunderstandings and the list goes on. Thought disease thrives in a negative environment. Worrying thoughts ruin thought life and spills over into physical life. Eventually body malfunctions begin to manifest. Headaches, insomnia, heart palpitations (to name a few) begin to appear. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he … (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). Thought disease rob...
“Someone is waiting for someone to leave or someone to arrive,” I thought. We were in an airport terminal. I looked around at the teary faces of people waiting to say their last goodbye. I also watched those happy expectant people waiting to hug a loved one “hello.” “How much longer, Mommie?” asked a little jumping jack of a boy, anxiously pulled his mother’s skirt. “When will I get to see my daddy?” Another group, a grandfather maybe, along with a mother and daddy and other family members or friends all had a common inte...
I feel a tug at my heart. By this time, I would have all my bulletin boards up, all my students’ names on the desks, all my lessons planned and would have prayed for a successful year. Why do I miss teaching school so much? I miss those little shiny faces with brand new school boxes and brand new lunch pails. I miss the love notes, the hugs and the puppy dog stories. Many of my ex-students have now become teachers themselves and I am so proud of them. I still feel regrets on the first day of school. I feel a little envious w...
“…and a little child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:6 NIV) I first saw Kallie a few hours after she was born. This energetic little baby crawled on her tummy in the bassinet. It was like, “Look out world. Here I come.” At 3 years old, she wanted to hear the same stories about Jesus. She said, “I love God soooo much. He died on the cross for all sins.” At 4, Kallie scribbled on some paper and had her mother to translate it: “I love Jesus as high as the sky, as low as the ocean, as round as the earth.” At 5, she made a lemonade s...
She came out of nowhere, this little game hen, and bravely took up residence in our back yard. She knew that “Bear,” my husband’s big Rottweiler, was there. Despite the dog’s menacing bark and vicious demeanor, the little hen took her chances. Several times we came to the rescue by chasing the hen out of the yard in order to save her life, but each time she quickly returned. Finally we gave up. She roosted in the evergreen tree at night and walked around happily clucking and scratching during the day. Bear sent the little...
There’s a saying, “It’s not what happens to you in life, but how you react to what happens to you that makes the difference.” I’ve also heard this story often, “Two prisoners looked out the window through bars. One saw mud, the other saw stars.” Attitude determines success in life. If someone does me wrong and I am not forgiving, I am making myself a slave to the person I have not forgiven. The offender may not even know how I feel. I can avoid the person or I can overlook the offense. The latter will give me peace and I will...
Remember those wonderful childhood dreams … when I grow up, I’m going to be …? As a small child I dreamed of my knight in shining armor sweeping me away on that beautiful white charger. That “someday” finally came for me. I married my tall, dark and handsome knight and he swept me away in his ‘44 Ford. We talked of having children someday. After five years that someday came. Mark, our first-born, blessed our home. Then Lance, our middle son brought extra joy. Lane, our youngest, brought more blessings and completed o...
In a recent study, half of a group of cardiac patients were prayed for and half were not. Those who were prayed for improved remarkably in many ways. I read a story of Saint Peregrine, a young priest in the 14th century, who was scheduled for a leg amputation because of cancer. The night before, he prayed fervently. He dreamed that night he was cured. The next day he awoke to find that his dream had come true. He lived a long full life with no further evidence of cancer. Prayer and love form a common bond among living...
“Back to school” is here again. Where did the time go? Wasn’t it only yesterday school was out for the summer? After 14 years of retirement, I still miss it! I went back one year to give a gift to the teacher for her graduating seniors. She introduced me to her class and told them I used to be a teacher. Immediately a cute little first-grader exclaimed: “I’m going to be in your room next year.” I smiled amidst my tears, wishing it could be. When I first started teaching, I looked forward to Fridays. The longer I taught, the m...
Believe it or not advantages come with growing older and you can be happy about it. Our culture puts a premium on youth and beauty. Television commercials are flooded with products that supposedly keep us young looking. The underlying message is you are not okay the way you are because you no longer have the bloom of youth. You are not acceptable. Not so dear friends! Don’t believe it. I have seen self-esteem go down the tube as some begin to get older. Not only do they feel “tacky” in appearance, but feel useless and unwan...
Each day is a gift from God, just waiting to be opened. How I use that gift is up to me. I cannot put it in the bank. I cannot use it tomorrow. I must use my gift now or it will be forever lost. I must use wisdom. Since time cannot be reclaimed, it is too precious to spend in remorse and regrets. Harsh words, malice and strife are stolen by the thief of time. Brooding over past mistakes wastes the time allotted for me today. Pointing out others’ failures and bringing up the past replaces today’s time with the idol of sel...
It was a perfect Sunday afternoon for a drive in the country. As we passed familiar farms, I couldn’t help but notice the changes in peoples’ lives. Some occupants were now gone. Some were left without their mates. Others had simply moved away, leaving an abandoned house. I wondered what stories could be told if houses could talk. How did they live their lives? Did they leave with regrets? Had they made every day count? Were there words left unsaid? Were there words that should not have been said? Were there missed opp... Full story
Several years ago I planted holly hock flower seeds. They never came up and I thought “so much for holly hocks. The abundance of rain this spring and summer has brought a vigorous growth to our yard. Imagine my surprise when I discovered holly hocks growing profusely. Not only that, they grew taller and taller. The seeds on the ground and watered by the rain had resulted in a row of beauty. I think when we plant “seeds” of kindness, love, patience and gentleness it eventually blossoms into a thing of beauty too. Every day y...
After three decades of educating children in New Mexico and Texas classrooms, Ida Villanueva is now worried about flunking — flunking retirement that is. Villanueva, of Portales, recently retired from a teaching career that has spanned 30 years and taken her from her first position as a teacher aide in 1966 with Head Start in Vaughn, to a bilingual education teacher in Portales; from a state Special Olympics director to an elementary school principal in Clovis. When she retired in May from Friona, Texas, schools, she f... Full story
Worry has been defined as the interest gained on torment. That being true, guess where worry comes from? Certainly not from God. Whatever the situation, does worrying help? Does it give comfort? Does worry give peace? Does worrying give control of the situation? If you answered, “Yes,” to any of the above, you must not be a member of the human race. Worry is the greatest thief. It is the cheater that sneaks up on your blind side. It prohibits peace and leads to eventual illness because it breaks down resistance to dis... Full story
I learned an amazing concept about trees in a conservation workshop. We were told when a tree is in distress, from drought or disease, it sends out signals (vibrations) to the nearest tree. The nearest tree sends back support signals to the distressed tree. I don’t know what kinds of signals are sent but the distressed tree has support from the nearest tree. I also learned a tree in distress is much more vulnerable to disease and insects. That reminds me of people. They encourage others with, “Hang in there. You can make it....
