The End ........but a continuation.

  A picture from life.

 My last program was at a Nursing home.  for a dear friend. The main picture was using the S.W. Foss Poem, The House By The Side of The Road.  Notice my frog on the smaller easel. 

I talk about riding this guy as a kid.

 Then when folks are wondering why I rode a frog I say, "Oh I am sorry, I had him drawn sideways!

For Today:

My doubts persisted; I prayed and remembered I had men of God over me. I knew If I told them I had a problem they will pray with me of course, BUT  I TOLD GOD if He was real YOU  tell them, So that When I talk to my Overseers and they will look at me and say, ‘Bro Jack you have a problem don’t you?’ I will give YOU all I have, I will work harder than I ever have, BUT if YOU, GOD, don’t show them this, I give up!”

At the meetings, Both Overseers just looked at me as we talked and bragged on me saying how well I was doing at New Hope, etc.

My fleece proved to me there was no God.  I became an Atheist, Oh yeah, in hindsight I was VERY STUPID and INMATURE.  BUT THAT IS HINDSIGHT.

This was out of the blue to Sherry.  That was mid-week. I told Sherry I was resigning Sunday and turning in my license. There was no God and I Refuse to preach what I do not believe. Unlike many things I have done in our lives she could not believe this one. She said, “You really don’t mean what you just said.”  BUT I DID! I resigned.

In a week or so we bought a house from Sherry’s Brother for $3000.   

I did not want to hurt my dad and the people in our church whom I loved. So I made up this story I was going to follow for awhile. “I’m resigning to go back to School,”  I attended college and studied Civil Engineering; all the time feeling that I would return to the military. Sherry was still working, The VA was paying for the schooling and I was doing odd jobs.

I continued to attend church with Sherry regularly. Because She is a patient dedicated lady WE continued to support the church with Tithe and offerings, even though I did not believe a word I heard.

I completed a couple quarters in school then joined the USN. I enjoyed my jobs in the Navy and Sherry worked Civil Service. That girl never gave up on me but prayed for me daily.  She never fussed at me and loved me like I was still ME.

Years later in church as I sat there, God  broke his silence and said to me, “I have missed you. Don’t you think it is time to come back home?”

In the middle of the service I got up, and started from the pew, my girl thought I was leaving church. I went to the alter knelt and asked God to forgive my ignorance and give me another chance to make it right. HE DID!

Sorry to be so long, but If I don’t finish this I probably won’t. I have done a lot of soul searching. I should never have been a pastoring minister.  I had a gift for children’s ministry to which I returned.  

We were always a team, Sherry with the lights and sound as I did Children’s churches, Youth Camps, Boy Scouts and vacation Bible Schools. We even made it to NY City and Canada. Life is good, God is BETTER!

NiteShipslog

PS:  I never told anyone I had lost my belief in God except Sherry. There were a lot of questions why I left a growing church. The pay was good and getting better but I could NEVER stand behind a pulpit and say some thing I did not believe.  Thank you for your patience.