Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist Pastors who respond to God’s call to ministry are special people. October is Clergy Appreciation Month and is observed by affirmation and encouragement for our pastors. These spiritual leaders are gifts from God. Ministers and their families live in a world that never stops. Their workload is large and tedious. Many have other jobs or their wives work to supplement income. There is always another Bible study, sermon to prepare, funeral, hospital visit or whatever need the congregation r... Full story
Joan Clayton: Religion columnist I planted a little seedling tree several years ago. In time other trees surrounded it, crowding it and shading it from sunshine. So much for the tree, I thought. You can see that I love trees, so I planted another one in a wide open space. I watered this tree, fertilized and pampered it. It just seemed to sit there in spite of all my attention. Little by little the other tree that had no room to grow, seemed to flourish. Today it is the tallest tree of all. That tree taught me a lot about...
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist Losing a loved one is one of life’s hardest experiences. Shock, pain and grief deals a very cruel blow. The emptiness and loneliness can be overwhelming. The pain and agony of the broken heart pierces the soul. Familiar things at home are reminders of the loss. Will the pain ever stop?Can we be happy again? To those who have lost loved ones I pray God’s Word ministers to you. Please know “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in “spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV). “…T...
My ancestors left me with a legacy more precious than gold…a strong faith in God. From my great grandparents to my parents I have come to know the purpose of life…”Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). I still see my grandfather with his Bible on his knees. My grandmother’s singing echoes in my ear. I well remember the day she faced serious surgery. “I give it all to you God and if I die I can’t help it.” To me, her... Full story
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist “I really wanted this shoe leather on my boots,” he grumbled. That ruffled my feathers. My husband could have said, “You really cooked this piece of ham well.” Helping him work in the yard was his fault! I thought. When I saw him sharpen a cutting knife and then attack that piece of ham like a chain saw, I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s hard for me to deal with criticism. Keeping my cool when criticized is emotionally draining. OK, so I left the ham in the oven too long. “Let’s not waste it. G...
Joan Clayton: Religion columnist 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. Extreme makeovers are “in,” despite the pain and expense. I think we should try to look our best, but to be preoccupied with youth and beauty to the point of near bankruptcy financially is disastrous. Anorexia and bulimia emerge as panaceas in becoming acceptable. The und...
Joan Clayton: Columnist When you were just a plan in the mind of God, how would you answer if he asked you some questions about your impending journey to earth? With all the incredible technology that has been accomplished in just a few short decades and the intelligence God gave man to master such feats, isn’t it conceivable God could review your entire life on his giant computer? From birth to death you could see all the pain, sadness and injustices of your life. You could also see the joys, the laughter, the victories a... Full story
Joan Clayton: Religion Columnist This time of year is “bittersweet” for me. I see “Back to School” reminders everywhere. I feel a “tinge” of fall in the air and I remember those first days of school with little first graders. They had “new situation anxiety in the worst way.” That school looked mighty big in their eyes. One little boy cried most of the first day, becoming happier near dismissal time. I gave him a goodbye hug. “Will you please not cry tomorrow?” He thought a minute, smiled and said, “Maybe!” A career of teachi...
While cleaning out my files I found one of my first articles written many years ago. Imagine my blessing when I received a copy of “The Bible Friend” with this article in it. I don’t remember submitting it but God’s surprises always bless me. Many writing seminars later, I see writing mishaps and hopefully I have honed my craft. However, the content of the article speaks to me today and I hope it will speak to you too: “This house has people in it. Build your house with love and joy that leads to peace. Even through trials an... Full story
Our July 4 family celebration ended all too soon. Our sons and their families blessed us with their presence for three days. We roasted wieners and toasted marshmallows. Horseshoes, table tennis and baseball brought laughter and I felt someone hugging me many times. We went to bed after midnight and air mattresses saved grandchildren from pallets. Then Monday came with people packing everywhere while I stood around crying. One by one we hugged and said goodbye. Once outside, we hugged again. The men in our family are hard to... Full story
Do you ever experience failures? Welcome to the crowd. When I make a mess of things I feel defeated. I have to remind myself I’m not perfect. Human beings do make mistakes but learning from those mistakes enables one to pursue success. I am encouraged when I hear about the persistence of others: Colonel Sanders had his chicken recipe rejected many times before a restaurant accepted it. Zane Grey was told he had no future as a writer. Walt Disney failed financially seven times before becoming successful. Thomas Edison f...
On June 14, 1777 Congress officially passed an act declaring the flag representing America would have 13 stripes, alternating red and white. The 13 stars stood for 13 colonies on a field of blue. The 50 stars today represent each state. The color red on our flag has been said to represent the blood that was shed in creating this new nation. Today I like to think it continues to represent those many lives that bravely died to protect us. The color blue has been said to represent the ocean that had to be crossed to get to this...
Every day can be Father’s Day Who can know a father’s love for his child? A true father will move heaven and earth for his child in need. His love extends beyond all earthly experiences and when it is all said and done you will hear him say, “That’s my boy,” or “That’s my girl,” beaming with pride. The characteristics of great fathers are many and I’ve used the letters to stand for those virtues: F stands for faithfulness. A faithful father loves his children and wife and leads them by example. He is there for the family an...
Remember those wonderful days of childhood when the last day of school arrived? “I’ve got to hurry home and get to playing,” our youngest son would say. He could hardly wait to make every summer day count. In my memory bank I thought high school would never end. Then the long-awaited day of college graduation arrived. After all of that, I discovered something, “the school of life.” This school has included many stages: marriage, children, career, empty nest and retirement for me. In each stage I have learned many lessons....
My day had not gone well. Everything that could go wrong seemed to do just that. The children had trouble grasping the regrouping process in math. Several students had been absent and needed my attention for make up work. Others worked on projects while I sorted out supplies required for the task. I needed to be all over the place helping individual pupils. At the end of the day I thought, am I doing any good? Could I have planned better? Did I get anywhere today? Am I any good as a teacher? I felt like a failure. At three o... Full story
My husband looked forward to Sunday lunch at Mother’s house. He longed to eat her light, crusty piping hot rolls. Try as I might, I could never duplicate Mother’s homemade rolls. I used the same recipe, but they never turned out right. Our first baby had a long siege of colic. The weariness and fatigue of the week seemed to vanish with that first bite of Sunday dinner rolls. Just the delicious smell rejuvenated us. Along with the rolls came Mother’s love and encouragement that our colicky baby would soon be all right. Later...
Each dawn brings a brand new day … one that has never been lived before. It comes tiptoeing through my window with spectacular splendor. The hues of pink streaked with rays of sunshine make an indescribable painting of beauty. The mockingbird’s overture begins as he cheerfully bows before nature’s audience. Even the trees clap their hands, welcoming a new day. “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field s... Full story
The closing of another school year brings back many thoughts filed in my mental book of memories. The simple trust and faith of children are traits I need everyday. When facing obstacles in my life, I think of the problem from the children’s perspective. “We have to go on to third grade because we’re growing up,” one of my second grade students told me near the end of school. Then I remembered the trauma I felt when our own sons began to leave the nest. “You’ve been wonderful parents but it’s time for me to grow up,” our...
Steven Self Services: Have been held. Stephen Earl “Stuffy” Self, 92, of Clovis, died Thursday, March 31, 2005, at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas. He was born on June 22, 1912, in Boswell, Okla., to Richard and Mary Self. He married Opal Farrar on Nov. 25,1946. He came to Melrose in 1928 and worked for various ranches and on oil rigs. He served in World War II from 1941 until 1945 in the Aleutian Islands and in the Asiatic Pacific Theater and has many medals and ribbons. He was the manager of a grain elevator in... Full story
It’s been said, “What you said yesterday is what you are living today.” In other words, we are a product of our words. Words have power, positive or negative. It is awesome and sobering to realize you and I have within us the potential for building or destroying, and we do it with words. Words go before us and shape the future. Words represent who we are. Negative and worry filled words reflect our personality. I heard someone say, “Our biggest problem is one inch below our nose.” How true. Words said in anger are not easil...
Ronald Sleezer, 64 Services: 1 p.m. Saturday at Muffley Funeral Home Chapel in Clovis. Ronald Everett "Ron" Sleezer, 64, of Las Vegas, Nev., died Friday, March 25, 2005, at his home. He was born on Dec. 29, 1940, in Kansas, to Ernest Everett and Genevieve Veturia DeLong Sleezer. He was a bartender, and a member of the Church of Christ. Survivors include his parents; two sisters, Bea Martel (and husband, Roger) of Clovis, and Carol Fulgham (Roye) of Clovis; a brother, James Todd Sleezer of Amarillo; two nephews, Daniel Tyler...
He first saw me in front of a grocery store… a 13- year- old fat girl wearing ugly glasses eating an ice cream cone. That this tall lanky, handsome kid should even notice me made me believe in miracles. He smiled at me and I smiled back thinking, Was he really looking at me? At 15 we sat with each other at the Saturday afternoon movies. We saw “Hopalong Cassidy” two or three times. Our senior year he asked me to go to the junior/senior banquet. It took me all day to get ready. My heart thumped when I heard the doorb...
Many thoughts come to mind when I think of Easter. I prefer to call it “Resurrection Day.” I think of the great sacrifice Jesus made for you and me. I think of the pain, the shame and the agony he endured. He came to give us “life and to give it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Can you imagine what he went through to save us from our sins? How many of us have “real life?” To be lifeless in our minds, spirits and hearts is a wasted life. That’s why Jesus came, to heal the broken hearted. If you are heartsick today Jesus is the G...
Don’t you like to be around enthusiastic people? My teaching career of teaching little children brought me 25 little cherubs filled with enthusiasm every day for 31 years. They greeted me with hugs saying, “What are we going to learn today?” They passed their zest for life on to me and I am forever grateful. From a new puppy to a “cat’s eye” marble, they came wrapped in excitement, enthusiasm and unconditional love. Excited about life, their world continually filled up with simple every day events. Just an added five minute...
Today is all you have. Make the most of it. Say “I love you” to someone dear. This opportunity may be gone tomorrow. Please don’t wait until “this or that happens” to be happy. If you cannot be happy now…this breath breathing, heart beating moment then when will you be happy? Please don’t waste precious time in self-pity reviewing the unfairness and injustices of your life. Today is now. The past is past. The future is not here yet. By the way, aren’t you glad you don’t know the future? Yet we know the One who holds the fut...
