When the Sheriff Comes to Call--Three True Sheriff and Lucas Stories

We've had three unique experiences with the sheriff recently--all of them positive, I should say, except, for, ahem, well, let us proceed with our stories. 

First let me explain that this is Policeman Danny, who was playing "police" some time back, 

which pictures I shall use for illustration!

But the sheriffs in our stories are real ones.

The first one came a few months ago, parking out by our driveway. I went right outside to meet--her.

She introduced herself and said she had been waiting next door and could she please use the bathroom???

Believe me, I was very happy to show her to the bathroom, (checking first to make sure things were presentable, of course!) and glad that there wasn't rather some sort of problem.

Then yesterday the sheriff came because we had to call the sheriff's office for help with tracking down someone who had broken into a store account that Jonathan had, and ordering over $1000 worth of material from that store. The spammer had flooded Jonathan's email with hundreds of subscription confirmation notices to cover up his spamming, but Jonathan had combed through the emails and found the notice from the store  about the order that had been made through his account.

The sheriff's office sent a sheriff right over--she arrived within minutes of Jonathan's call, and she took down all the information.

Within two hours, the same sheriff called Jonathan back to let him know that she had called the store to cancel the order, called the UPS to stop the shipment, called the sheriff's office in the town in Nevada where this spammer lived, and that right as she was speaking, sheriffs were on their way to the man's home to ask some interesting questions.

We were so thankful for this very positive experience with law enforcement.
They are our friends, the Bible says, if we follow what is good.
And while America is fast changing, and the police force is being dumbed down, yet we still
can be thankful that they are there for us when we are needing help and defense.

The third sheriff story, however, is a tad more nerve-wracking!
On our way home traveling from Nebraska (where we had spent Thanksgiving) we were suddenly aghast when those tell-tale red and blue lights started flashing behind us.
Jonathan slowed down to pull over to the side of the road.

We waited in trepidation, and when he came, he introduced himself, told us at what speed he had clocked us, and asked, "Do you have any legal justification for driving over the speed limit?"

 "No legal justification," Jonathan answered honestly. "We were just talking and not paying attention."

The sheriff asked for his ID, our registration and insurance (which I had thankfully double checked to make sure we had along before we left) and went back to his vehicle.

We waited in nervous silence, wondering about the fine and how many points off poor Jonathan would get. (And would the sheriff notice that one of the front headlights was out, too??)

 When the sheriff came back, he handed our papers back through the window and said, 

"I'm going  to let you go with just a warning. 

Watch your speed going through these little towns, and be especially careful about deer crossing the road at night. [We had nearly hit one two days earlier coming through.] Have a safe trip!"Then he bade us goodbye.

"We appreciate it!" Jonathan gasped,  and as soon as the sheriff was gone, I praised the Lord right out loud. 

We were so thankful, grateful, appreciative, relieved, and blessed!

We did not deserve the sheriff's mercy, but he gave it.  

And how many times do we deserve the Lord's mercy? Yet in His grace, He pardons our offenses when He convicts us and we are honest before Him.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive."

How gracious He is even to unrepentant sinners, giving them warning after warning before the final judgment! He wouldn't have to warn them. He could just judge them, fine them, take off points, make them pay. But He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness.
And that is the last of the sheriff/Lucas stories!

Firemen's Thanksgiving Potluck

Sam's training as volunteer fireman over the last several months has added an exciting dimension to our lives!

Again and again the alert will come on his phone and he will leap through the house, jumping a few steps at a time down to his room to grab his fireman's gear, and rush off with a great roar in his truck!

Saturday evening a week ago there was a Thanksgiving potluck at the fire station for all volunteer firemen and their families.

Sam said his name was with the group who were to bring sides for the meal, so we took our home frozen corn in a crockpot, buttered carrots, and added a pumpkin roll.

This fabulously delicious smoked, grilled turkey had been provided by Rudy's from town.

Someone had brought these yummy shrimps and pepperoni-wrapped cheese sticks.

Since Sam was one of the rookies, he gets called on to help with setting up tables if there aren't enough--which there weren't, especially after our family arrived! :) :)

Another young fireman was holding their very new baby, who of course, when he woke up, became almost instantly center of attention with the ladies there!

Over on the wall, we noticed the blackboard with numbers, names, and letters.

Sam explained that the numbers were the numbers of which fire truck each fireman was to ride in if there were any calls that night, and the letters gave direction as to who was to sit in which seat!

That way, each fireman knows EXACTLY which vehicle he is to go in, and even which seat he is to sit in! No last minute arguments about who is going to drive or otherwise!!

I think I should have a board up in our house, telling each person who is to sit where in the van! :)

A few weeks earlier, I had taken a quick look at the fireman's training notebook that Sam had on the table.

On the front was this touching poem, "The Firefighter's Prayer."

I took a look at the lists of duties he has to perform and training he has to fulfill before he gets to turn in his rookie yellow coat for another color.
I noticed at least two classes in how to use a chain saw, and I was glad that he already knew how to operate one, so hopefully that would not be hard for him. An officer has to sign off on each of these training sessions for Sam.

Toward the end of the notebook was a page titled "13 Things You Can Do to Kill a Volunteer Fire Company."
I thought how these things could kill most anything.

1. Don't attend training or meetings, but if you do, arrive late.
3. When at a business meeting, vote yes to everything and then do nothing to help. 4. The next day...
find fault with your board of directors. 5. Take no part in volunteer company business. 6. Do not pay attention at training. Stay in the back and talk to another member.
7. Show up for the fires, but nothing else.
8. Talk cooperation. Don't cooperate.

9.If you are asked to help, always say you are too busy.
10. Never read anything pertaining to the organization or the fire service. You  might learn too much.
11. Never accept an office; it is much easier to criticize than to actually do anything.

13. Don't do anything more than the bare minimum. Then when others unselfishly use their ability to help the cause scream and yell that they are just part of a clique.
****
Then here below is another page of wise advice to new trainees. I was especially impressed with the last two, thinking of not only fireman training, but anything in life:

"Lead by example."
"Don't try to force acceptance."
And---"Leave your ego at the door.

Don't think, 'Been there, done that.' Celebrations are short lived. You (and your crew) are only as good as this time around. Don't become overconfident or cocky because you had a fire on your first call...Remember there is a lot to learn in this business and about the time you think you know everything is the time you should consider another occupation.

"O Give Thanks--" But Is Our "O" Worn Out?

A few mornings ago Crystal brought her poor little old car home from a local mechanic, minus about $346 of hard-earned money. One day after working at the restaurant, she came out to her car to discover a big puddle of gasoline under it. 

Jonathan is not a mechanic, so there was no choice but take the car to a mechanic.

Little old cars can cost a lot of money. This time, the problem was old, worn out, falling apart O-rings. Not just one but several. 

At least one of those poor old O rings was letting fuel out like it owned the local Loaf 'n' Jug gas station, and the problem required hours of work. 

Lord, in this Thanksgiving season, we ask You to replace our worn-out O-rings.

For many times, instead of our mouths being filled with, "O Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good," we are saying, "Grrr."

 Remind us to say out loud, "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart...I will sing praise to Your name, O most High."
Refresh our minds and mouths with thanks and praise to You, not in merely formal ways when we say grace before our sumptuous Thanksgiving meal, where we grump, grumble, google and gluttonize.

 May we remember to say, "O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth," before we spend our time talking about other names.

May we be inspired with the thanks and praise right in Your holy Word.

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good."

"O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup."

"I will love You, O Lord, my strength."

"I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted  me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me...

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord, my God I will give thanks to You forever!"

Down to the Sacred Waves--Baptized in a Trough!

This morning, Rosie and Hannah joined another young lady in the sacred ceremony of baptism, in obedience to the specific, New Testament command of Christ for all who believe in Him. 

We have to admit that one reason we've occasionally visited at this country church is precisely because it is so very country--cowboy, western, and humble. 

I  mean--when have you heard of baptisms happening in a trough?

Love it, love it, love it!

 We were so happy to have Jonathan's mother and father there to witness this happy occasion.

 And also Ward and Naomi French, our children's Sunday School teachers off and on, through many years, who have remained 100% faithful friends through good times and bad. We appreciated so much them taking time and effort to attend and that it was not beneath their dignity to darken the doors of another kind of church. They have always made investments of time, energy and love for our family, for which we are so grateful.

 Here the girls are going up after being called upon by the pastor, who explained that although our family attends elsewhere, we were being included today, and he was so happy. 

I loved the hanging on the wall: "I have called you by name; you are mine!"

 That was soo precious!

Another young lady who had just given her heart to Christ last week was baptized first, and we heard later that she had been reticent about being who she thought was the only one to be baptized!

It was a happy thing for there to be two other young people baptized, too, so she did not have to be baptized alone! The pastor asked her to be baptized, first.

Then here Rose, our cowgirl, is getting into the trough.

 As I told yesterday in my last post, the pastor wished for Rose's dad to do the "dipping!"

So here she goes!

The pastor explained that baptism is a symbol of burial with Christ, and resurrection through Him as well. We arise to newness of life in Him.

A large towel was provided for the girls as soon as they came out of the trough, and then they went back to change into dry clothes. 

 Now little Hannah bravely climbs in. I had saved a pretty pink and white dress for her for some special occasion, but she was about to grow out of it, and I decided her baptism was the perfect special occasion to wear it, as symbol of the purity and beauty Christ bestows on us when we believe in Him.

It was questioned about us parents permitting a child so young to be baptized. But Hannah has spoken of her faith and how she asked Christ's forgiveness more than others of even the older children, and when she expressed a desire to be baptized, we felt we should not hinder her.

Baptism is a token of our faith, not our maturity.

And is not a child's simple faith set forth by Christ as an example to us adults?

 Why must we hold our children back from believing and trusting simply, expecting them to have to wait until they have sinned a lot or become afraid of God and afraid of death and stricken with deep conviction of sin? 

Granted, we must all acknowledge our sinfulness, but are we just jealous that we could not trust and believe as simply as this little one until we were so much older and had suffered through many agonies of soul?  Why not let a young child simply believe God's Word about their sin and Christ's remedy, rather than suffer a great deal like so many of the rest of us did?

The pastor and father who baptized the girls. 

The pastor expressed his gratefulness to us for having confidence in him to ask him to baptize our daughters.

 We parents were so very, very happy! This step in our children's lives, after their trusting in Christ as Savior, this step of public confession of Him as Savior, is one of the most important things

they will ever do.

Here is a very sweet rancher's wife who has been so sweet to our family.

The message of the morning was actually a trial sermon given by a new young preacher, since the older pastor is retiring. We had brought one of Jonathan's work guys with us this morning, who had come out with Jonathan last night and worked a bit for us and stayed overnight.

Jonathan and I had spent some time listening, counseling, and praying with him last night.

And amazingly, this young preacher shared a little of his past that was so exactly like this young man's that we were working with last night.

 So here our friend sat listening to someone who had the same kind of past, someone who had forgiven and been forgiven, and had overcome and was a preacher of the gospel!

Visiting with the homeschooling family who had invited us to the service. 

Here are the ladies and girls visiting,

 and the guys of this family as well as the pianist.

 The rest of the church people were already over in the fellowship hall for the Pre-Thanksgiving dinner.

 Sometimes we wonder why we end up in the kinds of places and situations that we do.

But our girls baptism this morning was an opportunity to encourage another baptismal candidate

and for our friend whom we brought to hear a story of redemption out of his very kind of situation.

 How good God is!

What a delightful, full day!