CONSIDERING CHARACTER: REMEMBERING DADDY!

Clifton Thacker Adams. Daddy. The kindest man I ever knew!

Dance w/ Daddy my 45th class reunion

• A faithful husband. 
• My dancing Daddy. I learned to dance standing on his feet & looking up to him. He taught me not to look at my feet because that could cause me to stumble. A biblical analogy I adhere to even today, knowing not to look down on my circumstances (or I might lose my way/footing) but to look up and focus on the face of my dance partner, my heavenly Father, who will lead me.
• A loyal friend. Daddy would always fill-up at Rudy's Texaco even if it had the highest prices in town because Rudy was his friend. It helped that the attendants pumped the gas because Daddy never pumped his own gas.

• A man of courage who fought for his country in WWII & was wounded in the isle of Leyte in the Philippines, though he rarely talked about it. 
• A man with a great work ethic, regardless of the pay. His first job paid $19 a week. Daddy worked until September 2010, retiring at age 87.
• A man of consistency. His methodical routine defined him. We all knew his schedule. Post off ice at 10 am. At 11am he would be "walking for exercise" (at the mall in his later years) at 3 pm he would be standing on the porch of Hopkinsville Livestock waiting for the school bus to drive by so that he could wave at his granddaughters, Polly & Allyson, and at 9 pm he would be peeling his nightly orange. On Sundays he would be at the First Methodist Church sitting in the pew---back row of front center section on  right hand side.
• A man of few words. A wise man. A man of understanding. Did he know his character reflected scripture? A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. (Proverbs 17:27)

• A quiet, gentle man. I never heard him raise his voice.

• A "gentleman" as well. In his final weeks, he wore a monitor so that he wouldn't stand alone and lose his balance. In the dining room the monitor alarm sounded constantly as Daddy stood every time a lady came to his table.

Daddy died 7 years ago today.

My older brother, Buddy said it well in this morning's text.

"Daddy never said anything bad about anyone and no one said anything bad about him."

His character is etched on my heart. My hope is that the next generations, his grandchildren  and "great grands" will consider the character of their Grandaddy Brud and emulate it as they remember him.

Disclaimer---I am my brother's favorite sister, I just happen to be his only sister.

Generosi-TEA

"Giving" is often skipped over in sermons as pastors don't want to "upset" the congregants.

But God....in his word has lots to say about giving.

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of re-living many of the familiar rituals of my childhood church. However, this time it wan't at the large First United Methodist in Hopkinsville Ky, but at a small church, Berlin Methodist in Lewisburg, TN. 

• The Apostles Creed. 
• Doxology. 
• Lord's Prayer in unison. 
• Responsive Reading. 
• Offering Plate passed.

Berlin UMC is a church where a few seek to serve many, even with their tithes and offerings, "sowing bountifully and giving cheerfully." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

I was impressed by their generosity, as most were widows or "senior" couples---you can do the math! "Doing good and sharing generously with others pleases the Lord." (Hebrews 13:16)

Plus, they sang my old time favorite, "Lord of the Dance," p.261 in the Methodist hymnal!

CHOOSE: NEARNESS

Growing up in the Methodist church in Hoptown, one tid-bit I recall is analogous with sitting near a roaring fireplace. If one doesn't feel the warmth, guess who moved away from the fire. Similarly if one doesn't feel the warmth of God's presence, guess who moved? Not God. He is Emmanuel, "God with us!"

Psalm 73:28 reminds us "it is good to be near God."

The verse continues, "I have made the Lord God my Refuge." Psalm 46:10 expands the thought giving understanding of the resulting strength that comes to one who chooses the nearness of God as a refuge. When I "move away" from that nearness, I suffer, as do others around me.

I know because I have chosen my own strength these past weeks and thus failed miserably! 

Control. Dread. Fear. Insensitivity. Ire. Irritability.  By-products of my own life when I move away from the warmth of His love,  

As a new year approaches, I hope to change my direction moving closer to Him.  May I allow that nearness of Him, to not only give me refuge but His strength as well. 

Nearness to Him is the essential for Christ-like living. 

PEW OCCUPANCY

7/10/11 My Utmost for His Highest focused today on attending "church services" together. This morning my brothers* and their wives and hubby and I did just that. Adams pew---last row of center section in the family church where we grew up. Special---because as a 78 year active member of Hopkinsville FUMC, our father was a recognized fixture in that pew. Sad---because through hugs and tears, many familiar folks in the congregation commented how empty it had seemed these last 4 months.

With 6 of us very much occupying that row, we commented that either the pew had gotten shorter or we had gotten wider. It was the general consensus that the pew length had been shortened. How blessed I felt to share this "last" visit with family---Mother and Daddy must have been smiling down on us all.

...let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another,...(Hebrews 10:24-25)

Hopefully the next family that "occupies" that pew will be as blessed by that church as our family has been over these many years. Maybe we should hang a shingle to encourage others to try out this special pew, to do more than just show up and warm the red velvet cushion. Encourage them to "grow" spiritually while opening their heart to God's truth. Rev. Williams quoted John Henry Newman this morning, " Growth is the only evidence of life." Living a spirit-filled life requires more than pew occupancy, though that's a good place to start.

*Clifton T. Adams Jr. occupies the pew where his dad, Clifton Thacker "Brud" Adams, sat for many years.

I is for IDENTITY

12/23/09 Organ chords of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing’’ rang out as the choir began to process along the red carpet down the aisle toward the choir loft at the First United Methodist Church in Hopkinsville yesterday. All of this was so familiar to me. Except, there was no Mr. Scruggs, or Mr. Tilley or short lady on the front row with the “big” strawberry red hair now occupying that loft, just Marian Adams looking mostly the same, but now graying.

This church with its large stain glass window above said choir loft (in memory of J. Brownell) stating, “He is not here. He is Risen” is where I began to discover my identity.

I walked that same aisle toward the altar at age 13, during a revival---somewhat unusual for a Methodist church---against my mother’s protestations too, because “we” didn’t express our emotions in public like that. Methodist became my moniker. Oh I had so much to learn. So much grace and knowledge to acquire---still do. (I need to insert an emoticon here but I only know this one---☺---have never created my own.)

Remember, I come from a small town where names like Baby, Bugs, Cookie and Junebug given at a young age still mark the identity of these folks, some of whom are now in their eighth decade. But names/labels do say a lot about who we are.

During this time of year certain names of our Lord resonate throughout church services:
Infant---the babe born in the lowly manger stable.
Incarnate One---“incarnato” Latin for being or taking flesh. He came and dwelt among us that we might have abundant life. “Hail the incarnate deity.”
Identity---“I AM”--- is the personal name for the God of Israel and Judah as revealed to Moses in the Wilderness (Exodus 3:14) In John 8:58, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham was born, “I AM.”

• And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

This verse gives identity to Jesus because He reflects the identity of His Father.

May I find my identity in Him as well---called by God to reflect His Son.
Call me Christian!