Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Every day I hear complaints, murmurs and criticisms of my beloved land. I am an American and proud of it. I cherish the freedom I have. I wouldn’t live anywhere else on Earth. For more than 200 years this country has opened arms to those who seek a better way of life, a place where dreams can come true by hard work and perseverance, a place where freedom exists. Take away freedom and you take away life. Blessings have reached down to all of us, blessings of prosperity, technological advances, modern-day medicine, communicatio...
Eagles have always fascinated me. Their courage, bravery and strengths are inspiring. No wonder the eagle is our national symbol. Eagles build their nests high among the timberline. When the time comes to teach the eaglets to fly, the mother eagle stirs up the nest. The eaglet stumbles out in the process without a parachute, but mother eagle doesn’t abandon her child. At just the right time she swoops down and catches her offspring on her wing and flies back to the nest. The lessons are repeated until the eagle can soar. P...
Sunday is Mother’s Day. It’s a day to honor mothers. Where would we be without them? To me, mothers have the whole future of mankind in their hands, and their tasks are many. From babyhood to great-great-grandmothers, they fulfill a great responsibility. The Bible has a lot to say about mothers. Imagine the heart-wrenching moment for Moses’ mother when she put him in that little basket on the water. Or think about the pain of Jesus’ mother as she witnessed the death of her son. Who can know a mother’s love? Only a mother ca... Full story
Imagine you are in a rocket and you can see our planet suspended in space. Looking down you see a small little blue ball called Earth with millions of people living on it. That alone makes me think of Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.” God knows the vast amount of mankind who have lived or will ever live. He knows everyone by name, address and even the number of the hairs on their head. Now that is a big God. Technological advances are new every day. Scientists discover new knowledge eve... Full story
National Day of Prayer is on the first Thursday in May (May 4). It reflects the nation’s deep hunger for spiritual renewal. Throughout history, Americans of faith have sought the Lord’s help in meeting life’s challenges and adversities. This day is for Americans to seek God for deliverance and protection as a corporate body. Please pray for our leaders. We are admonished to pray in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 … “for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority. That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness...
Since my childhood, I have always heard that we “have an Easter spell,” meaning bad weather before or around Easter time. I like to think of this time as being nature’s way of complaining about Jesus’ crucifixion. Have you ever thought of the excruciating pain rejection and sorrow that Jesus endured for mankind? I have read medical reports of the exact processes the body goes through in death by crucifixion. It is more than I can bear. Yet, Jesus came. His coming was prophesied centuries before his birth. Micah 5:2: “O Beth...
The week before Easter reminds me of the palms and branches spread by the people welcoming the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem for the festival of Passover. “’Tell the people of Jerusalem, Your king is coming to you. He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey” (Matthew 21:5 NCV). Incidentally, you will find the same references in Isaiah 61:11 and Zechariah 9:9. These two references were written centuries before Jesus was born. I find it humbling that Jesus rode on a donkey at that time, but in Re... Full story
Do you live in the yesterdays of regrets? Do you ever wish you could go back and remove that hasty remark or that loss of temper? I have, and I’ve learned many lessons. I’ve had to ask forgiveness again and again. Maybe it was a result of teaching school for 31 years. In the classroom, behavior must be monitored constantly. Maybe it came from having had three lively, rough and tumble boys of our own. Certainly they had to be taught and trained in behavior, but when it came to changing the behavior of my husband, I began to...
She had moved back to our school in the springtime after an absence of several months. “I’m so glad to be back in your class again,” and she threw her arms around me. I soon discovered she had missed many important concepts, especially in math. So I took time during recesses to help her through the regrouping process. She surprised me by asking if she could have extra practice papers. I was even more amazed when she brought them back the next day all perfectly done. When I displayed elation that she had mastered such diffi...
The 24-hour shutdown of water recently brought to my attention appreciation of the lack of, simple things. I thought of my great grandparents who had 11 children. They carried buckets to the windmill and filled them with water and thanksgiving. They had only the basics of life … no plumbing … no electricity … no automobiles … no television. Yet, they reared happy healthy children rooted in family values. Granny Lowe’s poems tucked away in her family Bible reveal her dedication and love for God. My grandmother kept a bucket...
I heard a story about a lady who saw a beautiful bald eagle soaring above a lake. He spotted his prey in the water below and swooped down into the water. The eagle sank its talons deep into the fish, but the fish, being far too heavy, caused the eagle to sink lower into the lake. Breathlessly, the lady watched knowing the eagle might drown any minute. Just when it seemed hopeless, two other eagles appeared. Each one went under one of the wings of their comrade and carried him to safety. What a beautiful picture of prayer.... Full story
We go through pain being born into this world. Many endure excruciating pain upon leaving it. Somewhere between these stages, we will have a brush with problems … mental, physical, and emotional. Love makes vulnerability. It takes risks. Reaching out with love may find rejection, abuse and scorn. I once heard it said if you never wanted to be hurt, move to a desert island and be a hermit the rest of your life. You may not be hurt by someone else, but neither would you be loved either. When I look at my beloved husband, c... Full story
Valentine’s Day comes once a year. It is associated with hearts candy and flowers. The central theme is one of expressing love. God sends his valentine every day. His valentine contains love unequaled. He expresses to you and me the greatest love the world has ever known or will ever know. In his valentine he tells you how unique, special and precious you are. God’s valentine contains comfort, confidence, counsel, protection, favor, abundance, healing, wisdom, knowledge and anything else his children need. God’s Valen...
“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 the last goodbye. I also watched those happy expectant people waiting to hug with a “hello” for a loved one. “How much longer Mommie?” a little jumping jack of a boy anxiously pulled his mother’s skirt. “When will I get to see my Daddy?” “It won’t be long now,” his mother answered as the child hopped on one foot and then the other. Another group, a grandf... Full story
I think God has a sense of humor. I like to read 1 Kings 18:22-39. The wicked King Ahab had brought his followers to Mount Carmel to confront Elijah. They each made a sacrifice and Elijah told them to call on their god and he would call on the Lord. The people called on Baal all morning but there was no answer. “At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” (I find these statements amusing.)...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist Remember the day you enclosed your tiny baby’s hand into yours? Remember holding that toddler’s hand when he or she took their first steps? Remember the first day of school when you had to let go? Remember that teenager driving for the first time? I well remember that. Remember the day they left home? My tears fell on Lance’s feet as he held me in his arms and whispered, “Mom, a Christian never says goodbye for the last time.” Memories flashed as my husband and I boarded the plane back home...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist We have a brand New Year upon us. It has not been lived before. Make each day a masterpiece. Live it to the fullest. Know: “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). You can become a brand new creature, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17. The New Year brings a chance to begin again. In spite of past mistakes or regrets from last year, you and I can start anew and resolve...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist Christmas is a time to celebrate the greatest human event of all time. No other event compares to, or has affected history as much, as this man called Jesus. No other religion offers hope. None other brings relief. None other brings peace like the “Prince of Peace.” None other wants the highest good for its converts, and certainly no other religion gives life abundant here and an eternal home in the hereafter. Yet with these wonderful truths, hostility arouses. Animosity stirs about Nat...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist I received the following email from our youngest son. With Christmas approaching I find that Lane’s story about my granddaughter truly expresses the real meaning of Christmas. I share it here with his permission: “It was my turn at church to serve communion to the elderly people who can’t make it to the church services. Kallie went with me, clinging to her soccer beanie baby. She loved that doll more than anything! We went to serve the first person on our list at a local nursing home. He was a...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist I cried when each son left home. The empty closets made me sad. No cars were parked in the driveway. No balls bounced and no skateboards rolled up and down the sidewalk. I couldn’t cut the apron strings, so they did. I couldn’t let go of them, so they let go of me. It was hard for me to know they must pursue their “first time.” I didn’t know then that adult children become “best friends.” Tucked away in my heart are precious memories of my children’s “last times” and “first times.” “You...
Joan Clayton: Religion columnist We have lived in the same house on the same corner for 42 years. The house is too small when our sons come home with their families. The den seems even smaller when the tall handsome men of my household lie down to relax after the big meal. They are hanging off the couch, sprawling on the floor and sleeping through a ball game. It is home and I am thankful. Our yard is too big, but I find it a solace, a comfort to me. The birds stop for a while on their migratory journey and I am reminded that...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist Today is Veterans Day, a day to honor those courageous men and women who have made great sacrifices that enabled you and me to live in freedom. I cannot emphasize enough the impact of what those unselfish military people have done to defend and preserve this nation. Let us never take for granted the depths of pain, passion and heartaches these brave ones have given in our defense. Freedom is not free. It comes with a great price. We remember our veterans in the past and those military... Full story
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.” The waitress at the fast food place had been friendly and personable the first time she waited on us. “You’re going to put a bug in my hand!” “No I’m not. Just close your eyes.” I opened my eyes to find a pair of unique, beautiful earrings. “These are for me? Thank you so much. What a blessing!” “You need cowgirl earrings to wear because they go with your husband’s cowboy hat!” I told her about the time our youngest granddaughter asked, “Gra...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist Life is filled with changes. Children grow up and leave. Job situations can require uprooting, moving far away from friends and family. A loved one’s illness requires many changes. Retirement brings challenges. In all of these circumstances adjusting to changes is hard. Knowing that changes are inevitable, planning ahead can soften the blow. Before I knew it my children were grown and gone. I didn’t respond to my “empty nest” very well. By changing my attitude from being a “clinging vine,” my...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist One night while visiting in the living room with friends we heard “pitter-patter” step sounds on our front porch. My husband turned on the porch light and there stood seven little sheep. They stared at him as if to say, “Will you help us please?” Emmitt opened the gate to the backyard and safely enclosed those cute little balls of wool until he could find the owner. Emmitt, unknowingly, became their shepherd for a while. He fed them and kept cool, clear water in a tub. The sheep followed him a...
