Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Portales, it's my kind of town. It is not just because of all the children I have taught who have blessed my life so much. It is not because Portales is a wonderful place for our own children to grow up in. It is not because my husband would not live anywhere else on earth. It is because Portales has a unique secret. The secret? It is the people who live here. The sweetest most lovable people live right here … Portales, New Mexico. Having lived here for so many years I have watched people rush to help someone in need … alw... Full story
The tenderness of Jesus toward his mother touches my heart. As the mother of three sons, I feel the bond and depth of love in a mother and son relationship. There is something about a family. It's a unique way of expressing love, especially through language. While Jesus was on that cruel cross, he looked at his mother. That tender love for his mother brings tears to my eyes. Amidst the terrible agony and pain upon the cross, he wanted his mother taken care of. It's the tender love of a relationship with family. Those who are...
In a world that would ignore God, we often feel like aliens on a different planet. Daily you and I are bombarded by ungodliness. Our culture seems to be on a downhill side. Children are murdered. Corporations are crumbling because of individual selfishness and greed. Terrorists are on a mission to kill Christians and Jews. Every reference to the One and only true God in this country is being put on trial. Have you noticed what has happened to this country with the absence of God and his principles? In ancient times, the...
Fear is an evil, negative force that destructs faith. It cripples paralyzes, torments and promotes doubts and non-believers. Fear removes peace and tantalizes. Fear is from the enemy and comes from the pit! Fear is a faith stealer and a joy robber. It is destructive to the mind, soul and spirit, a chain reaction that affects others. It sends out tentacles in all directions. It comes in many forms and its devious ways are multiplied heavily once a stronghold has been established. Fear comes in "what ifs," while waiting for a...
Many biblical characters cried tears of love. Joseph wept loudly before he made himself known to his brothers. (Genesis 45:1-3) In Psalm 18:6, David said, "But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from the sanctuary, my cry to him reached his ears." Think of the tears Mary had as she looked at her son on the cruel cross. I'm sure her sacrifice was terribly painful, but I'm also sure she knew it had to be to save mankind for those who believed. Jesus wept, too. He came to earth...
Hasn't it been yesterday that our three little boys had their skate board, their basketball and their dogs? Wasn't it Lance that decided he was going to go away and we found him hiding behind the butane tank and wasn't it him that wanted to marry me? Children grow so fast. They are so precious. I was so blessed to be with the children 31 years and they taught me. I'm so grateful for the children every day that I see. I'm so thankful for the lessons that they taught to me. The love, the forgiveness and the unconditional...
"Oh Mommy, can we keep him? He can be our Valentine!" I thought to myself, this kitten is only going to be here temporarily. Tom stayed "temporarily" for 15 years. He thought of himself as a special member of the family, and he turned out to be just that. The boys constantly invented new ways to tease and aggravate Tom including paper boots, cardboard boxes with little peep holes, and endless hours with long strings of yarn. Needless to say, their teasing made quite a fighter out of Old Tom. He held his own anywhere. He daily...
I can almost hear our founding fathers echo this call: "America, Return to God!" Does America need prayer? Look around. Television is filled with violence of every sort. Morals have gone. Sin seems to be accepted everywhere. Planet earth is experiencing unprecedented challenges. We have made great strides in technology, but so has our enemies. Now, more than ever, we need wisdom, guidance, direction and most of all prayers. It has been said that, "Everybody either has a problem, lives with a problem, or is a problem." Life...
Life is full of wonderful treasures. God blesses in so many ways but lets be reminded that these are temporary blessings to be enjoyed during our earthly travels. Our real treasures are stored in heaven. Things can be enjoyable and we are grateful for them, but they really belong to God. We do not own anything when we are born into this life or when we leave it. We can own a wealth of precious memories if we have striven to walk in obedience to biblical principles. We can find ourselves by losing ourselves in loving and...
How is your thought life? Do you make a definitive decision to stop negative thoughts? Or do you allow them to run over you until you're totally depressed unaware of the progression of the attacks of the enemy? A perfectly good day can be ruined by the onslaught of "stinking thinking!" Did you ever feel like someone didn't like you? Or, "What did they mean by that remark?" Before you know it you begin to lose your smile and zest for living. You feel depressed and cannot pinpoint why. The enemy can cause just as much torment...
Friends bring sunshine and sparkle into our lives. Friends stick by us through "thick and thin." It has been said that friends are like postage stamps. They "see us through, even if they have to take a licking." Let's make one of our New Year's resolutions to be that of making a new friend. "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). Friends, whether young or old and all the way in between, are such great blessings. Make friends with... Full story
We have a brand New Year before us. 2013 comes just waiting to be lived. Living it with hope and promise makes it all the more exciting. Let me encourage you to "happen to life" this year. Refuse to let "life happen to you." Maybe last year was painful with hard places. I am reminded of how a tiny grain of sand in the soft body of an oyster can be a constant source of irritation for it, but over time the oyster makes that painful irritation into a beautiful pearl of great value. With God's help, we can turn painful irritating...
The gift of love is available to all of us and there is no finer gift! For many years the approaching holiday seasons for me turned into "tis the season to be stressful." Cleaning, baking and shopping brought exhaustion. By the time Christmas Eve rolled around I had lost the real meaning of this joyful event. Besides my immediate family, my extended family came to our house on Christmas, but one by one I lost a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle and my parents. The brevity of time brought the realization of the more important... Full story
Look at those you love. Look at the friends you have. I'm so glad God made people. Aren't you grateful for them? We would freeze in the winter and get hot in our house if we didn't have an electrician. What if we didn't have a plumber or a carpenter? Besides that we have ministers, teachers, firemen, policeman, doctors and nurses. I could name so many others. We truly are blessed with people helping us. In my career of 30 years of working with people I learned important lessons in getting along. I made mistakes but I tried...
I can't help but notice that a crisis brings about prayer regardless of a catastrophe. I heard no complaints about praying in public when 9/11 happened. I think prayer is vital to us any time. In the tumultuous times of adversity, prayer and trust are so important. Mankind cannot save itself. Man is only a mortal being, but with God, "all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26.) I am thankful for those who pray for others. In the midst of an illness or an emergency many cannot pray for themselves. God's wisdom and strength are... Full story
Let's be thankful and have Thanksgiving every day. I don't mean turkey and dressing. I call it "Count Your Blessings." Of all the millions and millions of people who have lived, God chose you and me and he has plans for our lives. "We were made fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14) I am overcome with amazement at the creativity of an awesome God. Inside my body are organs, tissue and muscles that work together for a lifetime. Hearts that beat and lungs that breathe for decades speak of God's goodness that cannot be...
Sunday is Veterans Day. Let us never take the military for granted. I honor the soldiers who are the greatest on the planet. It is called "America, the Beautiful." Yes we have enemies without and within but truly red-blooded Americans come through. Soldiers fight against tyranny or dictators that want to destroy the American way of life. It is called freedom and it doesn't come cheap. It comes with blood and tears. We want to show our gratitude for our military. Let us never take our military for granted. It seems human...
A cross without a crown, a victory without a battle and a testimony without a test and we have nothing to overcome. The struggle in the cocoon finally emerges. In God's timing it bursts into the light with beauty and soars on wings of victory. I see similarity in life's difficulties. Of course the big difference is "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them; because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4, NIV). In life's struggle I am tempted to complain. I don't like to...
In the Old Testament God's people had every reason to be stressed, big time. Enemies were everywhere but his people had a deep trust and respect for their God. I think we should have that too. When I get stressed I think about the ground when I see flowers, trees or gardens. What the sandbox is to children is what gardening is to me. There is something about the ground that attracts us, whatever age. I think it is because God who created us also created every thing we would ever need in this physical life. People lived long i...
Does life ever seem to be one battle after another? Do you manage to survive one hurdle only to be confronted by another one? Well, I have good news! What about the eagles? They spread their wings while the wind and storms carry them above the conflict. How about Matthew 11: 28-30? "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV). The... Full story
One of our fondest memories is that of our youngest son playing his trumpet in the Portales High School marching band. When the band played "Rambo" everyone became excited especially me. All I wanted to hear was the trumpets. I wanted to get out there and cheer the football game. I have found out why I love the trumpets so. In Bible times ram horns were mostly used as trumpets. There are so many references about trumpets in the Bible. Trumpets were blown when kings were proclaimed and other important biblical events. I... Full story
Very soon we will have an opportunity to vote for a man who will hold the highest office in the land. This man controls not only our future, but also the destiny of our children and grandchildren. To some degree our country and our freedom depends on the wisdom and integrity of this man. It is our civic duty. This is a plea for you to exercise your right to vote as an American citizen. Not voting is giving mental assent to whoever and whatever is in power. Corruption and government waste prevail. Surely there are those who...
One of the highest compliments I have ever received was from an 8-year-old. She was one of my students from the year before. As I walked down the hall one day, I heard her say to her new teacher, "That's my teacher from last year. She loves me." I don't remember telling her verbally but somehow I must have had conveyed my love to her. Feeling unloved is the most serious threat to our children today. Runaways are plagued by feelings of rejection. Foster homes are crowded. Now more than ever we need to affirm our love for our... Full story
I think fall is my favorite time of the year. God paints fall with strokes of flaming gold, hues of copper, brilliant orange and scarlet red. Green leaves of summer are now becoming sparkling jewels escaping from God's treasure box of beauty. I love the outside aroma of my neighbor's fireplace, the flavor of autumn's apples, football games, the cricket's song and rosy cheeks of children at play. Wait! I like winter too with its crispy frosty air and sparkling white snow reflecting glistening diamonds in the sunshine. I love...
My understanding of football is not the greatest. I really show my ignorance of the game but I'm trying to become more knowledgeable. My husband is patient explaining each play until about the halftime. Then it's one grunt means "NO," and two grunts mean, "YES." He gets too busy getting into the game especially if it is a close one. This much I know, "the object of the game is to lay hold on the ball and run toward the finish line." Our youngest son likes to say, "Life is a touchdown." Football reminds me of "the game of...
