WHO WILL I VOTE FOR ?

WHO WILL I VOTE FOR?

I have always loved elections and all of the excitement leading up to them. One of the first things I did when I turned 21 (and yes it wasn't until 1971 that the age was changed to 18) was register to vote. By that time I had already been married for 2 years and had a child. Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson was running for President that year and his running mate was Hubert Humphrey they were running against Republican Barry Goldwater. History says it was one of the most crushing victories in the history of U.S. presidential elections with Johnson receiving over 60% of the popular vote. Emotions and feelings were running high after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November of 1963.   Johnson became president after the assassination and then became the democrat candidate to run at the next election.  Some of the issues of that day was Johnson's liberal domestic agenda and his railing against welfare programs. However perhaps the most dramatic differences between the two candidates was over the issue of Cold War foreign policy.  Goldwater was portrayed as a "saber rattling warmonger" who would bring the world to nuclear destruction if elected. . But perhaps more than anything else the thing that Johnson will be remembered for is the Vietnam conflict which four months after his presidential victory, he committed U.S. combat troops to fight in Vietnam. That was just a little of what was going on 52 years ago when I voted for the first time. I have voted both as a Democrat and a Republican. I voted for Humphrey and Carter and I voted for Reagan and Bush. I try to look at the issues and vote according to my beliefs. So this year I am removing the name Democrat and Republican. I am also removing the names Hillary and Donald and the names Trump and Clinton. In their place I am putting the name Sue Chesney  (Edited in case this was misleading as was suggested)  NO this is not a write in name it is my name I will use in determining who I will vote on based on what I believe in according to my Christian and moral beliefs.  I am making a list of the issues that are being debated and decisions that will be made in the future concerning Supreme Court Justices appointments. Did you know that only 112 people have served in the Supreme Court since George Washington appointed the first one? They have an enormous amount of power and it is up to the President to present their names when there is a vacancy which there is at this time and could possibly be more in the next few years.  I do not like what is going on in our "United"? States of America today.  Even if you are not a Christian you can make a list of your moral beliefs. We all have things that we believe are right and wrong. Man has that built into his being to know what is right and what is wrong. Even someone that has never heard of God or ever read the Bible knows right and wrong.  Some of the top issues that are being decided on is 1. Economy  2. Environment  3. Education and Science 4. Criminal Justice 5. Health Care 6.  Privacy and Data Security 7. Religion and Social Issues. So our job is to get as much education about the issues, pray, give a lot of thought to what you believe in and stand for and make your decision based on that. If you do that you do not have to ponder about who you will vote for. And it is your duty and right as an American Citizen in this land of the free and home of the brave to vote. Do not let that right be taken from you.

Note: I edited my first post of this blog because it was misunderstood that I would do a write in of my own name when voting for President. Never even crossed my mind but the comment made me smile. 

AND THEY'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT

AND THEY'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT

This blog is about my dad and things that I remember about him. I am taking the title of this Post from a Homecoming message I heard preached by Rev. Charlie Lynch a few weeks ago titled "And They're Still Talking About It". The sermon was about the woman who brought the alabaster box of very precious ointment and poured it on the head of Jesus. The scripture was "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her," Matthew 26:13.  Throughout the message things that my dad had done or said over 65 years ago when he was the Pastor of this church and other churches were mentioned that is still being talked about today and I thought to myself if I don't write down what I remember and what other people remember about my dad these stories will be lost forever. 

THE LOST SHEEP

One of the most talked about messages that I remember my dad preaching was about the lost sheep. As he preached from this scripture, "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" Luke 15:4.  I don't know how old I was at the time this message was preached at Highland Baptist Church but I can still see my dad as he preached it. As he talked about the lost sheep he began to go into the choir and through the chairs looking for the lost sheep. He then walked through the sanctuary toward the back still preaching all the time. Then he walked down the steps into the basement of the church and you could still hear him preaching and calling for the lost sheep. Some said it sounded like he had opened the door of the furnace because you could hear his voice coming up from the registers. He found the lost sheep down in the basement (not sure what he used it wasn't a real sheep) he wrapped it in a blanket laid it on his shoulder and brought it up out of the basement still preaching all of the time."And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Luke 15:5. Then according to one source I heard he then climbed into the window sill and said, "Come Rejoice With Me." From the verse, "And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me: for I have found my sheep which was lost." Luke 15:6. I have always heard that he climbed into the window sill in one of his messages but I didn't remember it connected with this message but I am sure I don't remember everything. 

THE LOST COIN

The message preached also at Highland Baptist Church of the lost coin was similar to the one about the lost sheep as dad preached and searched for the lost coin. What I remember being told about this message was the fact that he was looking everywhere and he came down into the alter area in front of the pulpit and there was a register where the heat come up into the sanctuary. He took the register cover off and was looking down into the register when my brother Jim got up from where he was sitting and came down and got down on his knees looking down into the register trying to find the coin with dad. This message really caught the attention of a little boy. I am not sure how old Jim was at the time but he was three years older than me so he was probably 5 or 6. I don't know if I actually remember this message or just remember my mom and dad talking about it. I am guessing at Jim's age but much older than this he probably wouldn't have done it.

THE PINNING OF THE FLOWERS

Dad used to tell this story about the pinning on of the flowers. He said when he was at Highland Baptist Church they decided to have an appreciation day. They had a big tub full of Gladiolas and if there was anyone in the service that meant something to you or was special you were to show your love to them by pinning one of the Gladiolas on that person. By the way my dad loved Gladiolas. So people began to come and start pinning the flowers on my dad and he said by the time they were all finished he was nothing but a walking Gladiola that he was pinned from head to foot with flowers. And then he went on to tell the rest of the story. He said in just a few months they pinned him again with just the pin's and no flowers. Stuck them all over his body. Of course this second pinning didn't physically happen but this showed how the church could turn on a pastor that a little while before they had shown nothing but love for. 

THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON

The story of the prodigal son was one of my favorite memories. And I personally remember being at the tent revival where this happened.  This particular time the tent was set up down around Valley View area. My dad was preaching on this scripture. "And he said, A certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living." Luke 15:11-12. He preached about how the father divided and gave to his son what he asked for. The son then took everything his dad had given him and wasted it with riotous living. After he spent it all there was a famine and he began to be in want. "And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed the swine." Luke 15:15. Now this is where the action came in. My dad disappeared out of the tent.  He went around behind the tent still preaching all the while and when he came back inside the tent he had his shirt sleeves rolled up, shirt tail hanging out, pants rolled up almost to his knees, shoes and socks off, hair ruffled and carrying a 'slop' bucket. He was feeding the swine.  " And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." Luke 15:16-18. You can read the rest of the story from Luke but this was the part that pertained to the story I had to tell. 

CLIMBING THE TENT POLE

This story was also set in a tent revival. Dad was preaching on this scripture, "And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully." Luke 19: 1-6  As you know a tent is set up with poles down through the center and then along the sides. Well when dad preached on this scripture he climbed to the top of one of the center poles preaching all the time he was climbing and while he was at the top of the pole. My dad at his heaviest weight was 147 pounds and he was less than 6 feet tall. He had no problem shimmying up and down that pole. While I am on the subject of dad's weight I will tell you about when he weighed. Dad worked downtown at a place called Albers Drug Company. He would go to the S&W Cafeteria for lunch. When you stepped inside of the S&W just before you would go down the stairs there sat a big scale. Everyone weighed on either them or the ones in front of Woodruffs Furniture Store. But my dad would always step on those scales and here they would go 147.  I guess it was all of that physical activity when he was preaching that kept his weight down.

THE MUSTARD SEED

One day we were going to a revival somewhere up Rutledge Pike and my dad wanted to stop at the store to get some Mustard Seed. One of the boys that worked in there knew my dad and he said, "Preacher I know what you are going to preach on tonight." Sure enough my dad gave out mustard seeds to everyone in the service as he preached on this scripture, "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Matthew 17:20.

TRUE VINE

I had not heard this before but Charlie Lynch told it in one of his messages. He said someone told him that dad was walking to Highland Baptist Church down through the woods (we walked to church a lot because it was probably about 1/2 mile) and he pulled up a vine. During his message they said Dad would whip the pulpit with the vine. Since I don't have any more detail than that I will assume he took his message from John 15:1-2, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away;and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."

RIDING IN THE CAR TRUNK

I don't remember this but my sisters June and Phyllis said they remembered riding in the trunk of the car because dad would load the car up with people to take to church. There was a thing kinda like the one that used to hold the hood of the car up that would hold up the trunk. I guess after the front and back seats were full the rest were loaded into the trunk. Some of us may have rode there when we weren't picking up other people because there were 10 of us. Mom and Dad and 8 kids and there was always some neighbors kids at our house.

THE GOSPEL SHOES

My dad only had one pair of shoes. One Sunday afternoon he had a baptizing and wore his shoes into the water. My mom trying to be the helpful wife that she was put them in the oven to dry out before service that night. Well putting a pair of wet shoes in the oven is not a very good idea. The next thing she knew the shoes had turned toes up. Having to preach that night my dad had to do something about some shoes. Now my dad just wore a 7.5 size shoe. His cousin Ernest Warwick lived next door so he asked Ernest to borrow his shoes. Now Ernest wore a much larger shoe probably at least a 10 or larger. My dad said when he preached that night he could see the shoes coming around the pulpit before he got there. 

HOW POOR CAN A PERSON BE?

While we are on the subject of shoes my dad used to tell us all the time that when him and mama were first married they were so poor that his shoes were so thin that he could step on a dime and tell whether it was heads or tails. And my mama would just say "now Ed."

THE SPECKLED EGG

This is one of my all time favorite tales about my dad. If you remember my dad always sat at the end of the table or I guess you would call it the head of the table and he could look across the table out the double side windows. He sat there many, many times not just at meal time but to read the paper or his Bible or to talk to mama when she was cooking. When I picture him I can see him sitting there at the end of the table. Well one day he was sitting there at the table and he said "Conilee, I would sure like to have a chocolate pie. My mama was always in the kitchen cooking and the dining room joined the kitchen with a large opening between the two. I guess you could really consider it one room. My mom said "Ed I would make you a chocolate pie but I don't have any eggs." He sat there a little while longer and he said, "Come here Conilee I want you to watch me out the window." So my mom watched my dad go out of the house and around to the side yard and laying right in the middle of the yard was an egg. Now the wonder or miracle of this was the fact that we had no chickens. Our neighbors on the right had red chickens and the neighbors on the left had white chickens but this was a speckled egg. Not knowing which neighbor it belonged to my dad knew God had sent him the egg so he could have a chocolate pie because if it had been a brown egg he would of had to return it to the neighbors that their chickens laid brown eggs or if it had been white to the neighbors that their chickens laid white eggs. But no it was a speckled egg.  So my mom made my dad the chocolate pie. 

PRAYING FOR GAS

As most of you know we were always poor as far as money was concerned. We never went without a roof over our head or food on our table but it was week to week survival. So most of the time we had very little money. Well my dad was holding a revival in Newport and it had been going on all week and it was now Friday and he was not only out of money but he was out of gas for the car. So he was sitting on the front porch praying and asking God to provide some way for him to get to church that night because he knew if he could get there it was Friday night and they always took up a love offering for the Evangelist on Friday night and he would be able to get gas to come home. As he sat there in the old swing on the porch he was looking out over the field across the road that belonged to the Reeser family. This was quite a large field and it joined a patch of woods. On the other side of the woods was Ritta School and Stoffel's Dairy. Across this field and down through those woods was our route many times to school. Dad was looking at the field and the tall grass began to wiggle a little. The grass would get quite tall because they would use it for hay. The movement in the grass kept getting closer and closer and finally a boy and girl appeared out of the high grass. They came up to the porch where my dad was sitting and said, "we heard you were a preacher." Dad told them yes he was and they went on to tell him that they lived down in the Stoffel's Dairy houses and had got their license and needed someone to marry them. So my dad married them and they gave him $2 and he got gas and went to the revival at Newport.  I never knew the name of this couple and my dad didn't keep any records of marriages or funerals or salvation's but I know God knew their names because he had sent them.

TALKING ABOUT MARRIAGE AND MONEY

While we are on the subject of marriage I will never forget this couple that my dad married at the house and when he had finished marrying them the groom called my dad into the other room and my dad went assuming he wanted to pay him for doing the ceremony. Low and behold he didn't want to pay him but asked him if he had $10 he could borrow. I can't remember if my dad gave it to him or not but it was funny and we talked about it forever. 

He also married a couple and the groom passed out. Several years after that my dad would say he should of left him passed out because they ended up getting a divorce.

MEMORIES FROM MARY

These memories were sent to me by my sister Mary. I will write them as she remembered. 

1. When daddy would preach about the rain he would get up on top of something and pull his pant legs up because Elijah had seen a little cloud in the sky and knew the rain was coming.

2.  And the next thing I can think of is when he would preach about the knock on the side of the house every Sunday morning. A man kept coming to invite him to Sunday School and Church over and over and they got back in church.  That was when they lived in town. (Sue's note: before mom and dad moved to Edmondson Road in 1941 they lived on Oak Hill Avenue over in the Lonsdale area. They went to Grove City Baptist Church when they lived there.)

3. The other thing was when he preached about the "Passover". He would pretend that he put the blood above the door and the lentils. 

_________________________________________________________________________________    At this time no one else has given me any stories or memories that I have not already written about. If they do I will edit the post and add them. So to end this blog I will say:

MY DAD DIED IN DECEMBER OF 1972 AT 62 YEARS OF AGE. HE HAS NOW BEEN GONE FOR ALMOST 44 YEARS AND "THEY ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT"

TENT REVIVALS

TENT REVIVALS

Tonight I was watching the tent revival from New Hope Baptist Church in Burlington N.C. Tent Revivals are not a new thing to me and it brought back many memories. As you all know my dad was an old time Baptist preacher. He owned his own tent and during the summer time the tent was set up at various places for Tent Revivals. I remember our tent laying in our front yard in front of the garage. Of course my brothers and sisters and I would play on the big pile of canvas. One day I was playing on it and fell and bit the inside of my bottom lip. So for over 60 years I have had a scar inside of my bottom lip from my fall on that tent. I can't remember all of the places my dad and his preacher friends and church members would set the tent up but I do remember two of the places. One was off Washington Pike in the Valley View Road area. Close to where Peanut King has his meat market and where the new Mexican Restaurant is now. And the other place was off Ridgeview Road on McNeally. The revival in Burlington is now in its 9th week and I don't remember any of ours going that long but I do remember them going for 3-4 weeks. They would set the tent poles up and stretch the tent over them and tie the ropes to hold the tent up. There would be poles down the middle and along the sides. They had side flaps that could be let down. After the tent was set up they would spread sawdust over the floor of the tent. I can still remember the smell of the sawdust. They would bring a pulpit and a piano.  We did not mind the sawdust, the heat, the hard metal chairs or the length of the service. As it is happening in NC we would see many people kneeling in the sawdust alter to be saved and most of the people in the tent kneeling with them and praying. I distinctly remember two sermons that my dad preached in the tent revivals. One was about the Prodigal Son. ".......And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine, And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him......Luke 15: 14-16. (To get the whole picture read verses 11-32)  He was preaching, and if you ever heard my dad you rarely forgot a sermon he preached, and he went out of the tent still preaching and around to the back and never stopping preaching he came back into the tent with his pant legs rolled up and his shirt sleeves rolled up his shoes and socks off and a "slop" bucket in his hand where he had feed the pigs. As a kid I never forgot that and if I close my eyes and let my imagination go I can still see him. The other sermon that I remember so well was when he preached on Zacchaeus and he climbed up the tent pole in the middle of the tent and preached from the tent pole. The sermon came from these passages in the scripture.  "And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him; for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully." St. Luke 19:3-5. He preached many other sermons at the church that I remember such as the lost coin, the lost sheep and the mustard seed  but these two I remember vividly from the tent meetings. Those are memories that I cherish and am so thankful that I have them. My daughter Jennifer and her family have had the opportunity to attend one of the tent services in Burlington,NC. The meetings are being live streamed and if you have a chance tune in and watch it. 

THE WAY IT WAS GROWING UP IN MY DAY

THE WAY IT WAS GROWING UP IN MY DAY

While my mind is still sharp and my memories still vivid in my mind I want to share with my children and grandchildren what it was like growing up in the country with 7 brothers and sisters and a stay at home mom and a preacher daddy. We were by today's standards considered poor but I never knew I was poor. Oh I knew some kids at school like the Babelays, Tiptons and Lays had more money than we did but I never felt inferior to them. The reason I thought they were rich is because they were the ones that their mothers came to the school for the parties and brought refreshments and help to build the Christmas Floats for the Santa Clause Parade. And while I am talking about the Santa Clause Parade it was the highlight of our Christmas. My dad worked downtown on State Street at Albers Drug Company and we would take the bus and go downtown on the night of the parade. We would walk up to Gay Street from where the bus parked and stand several people deep on the side walks to watch the parade. If you were early you would get to be in the front and have a good view of Santa when he rode by. The floats were beautiful and Ritta's float was always one of the prettiest. And speaking of Gay Street my dad ate lunch a lot at two different places. First was the S&W Cafeteria. He always got on those big scales inside and weighed and every time it would go up to 147. Never saw it go any higher. And he would also go to Kresses and eat lunch. He could make his whole meal with just rolls. They had the best.  Well back to the way it was. As kids our mom never asked us to do much as far as housework and laundry, ironing, cooking etc. Sometimes we would help out especially at night with dishes but for the most part my mom did the housework. I know now looking back with a family as big as what we had she did a lot of work and I am sure could of used a lot of help. But me and my brothers and sisters would go outside to 'play'. Now what play consisted of was building playhouses out close to the woods. We would take a broom (probably my moms good broom) and would sweep off the leaves and then we would gather up stones and make a layout of a house. It would be divided off with rocks and stones to make each room. And then we would find boards and buckets anything we could to make the furniture. We would use broken pieces of glass and cans, sticks and whatever we could find for dishes. And of course we always had some dolls because what is a home without babies and kids in it. My  brothers  would play cowboy and Indians and they always had cap pistols. We would also have church and somebody always got saved and then we would rake or sweep up a big pile of leaves and baptize them in the leaves. I also grew up in the days that a lot of women dipped  snuff. So what we would do would be to take sugar and cocoa and mix them together and put it in our bottom lip and pretend we were dipping snuff. Don't laugh. That was better than smoking rabbit tobacco.  In the summertime we could spend hours chasing after June Bugs and tying a string to their leg and let them buzz around. Or go out at night and see who could catch the most lightening bugs and put them in a jar and take a nail and punch holes in the tops so they could have air. We would also lay out in the front yard at night on blankets looking at the stars. Because it was so hot in the house we would think nothing of sitting out in the front yard until  10:00 at night. Also when I was a kid we slept 4 in a bed. Two girls at the top and two boys at the foot. Then as we got older it was two girls and two boys to a bed and that's how it was until I married. I had never had my own bed or slept by myself until I was 73 years old. We also would walk down and play in the creek some. I think the boys more than the girls would slip off to the creek that ran behind Ritta School. There was a lot of good blackberry picking in those fields between our house and the school. We would pick a lot of  blackberries in the summer and mama would make jelly and cobblers. Speaking of blackberries, I also thought the Haires that lived on the upper side of us was rich  until one time it came that big snow when I was in elementary school. We had to walk home from school and the snow was so deep that you couldn't hardly walk. Mom and dad had went into town that day and couldn't get back up the hill to the house. Because they weren't home I went with the Haire girls to their house. Was I ever so surprised that when we had supper  they had pinto beans and canned blackberries. I knew then they didn't have any more than we did. We would also play in Mr. Reesers corn crib. The Reesers lived on the other side of the road from us.  I am sure we didn't have permission to do that or play in the hay stacks that were over in his field. I was always afraid there might be mice or snakes in the corn crib.  Of course going to church was a big part of my growing up days. My dad being the preacher we went every time the doors opened and I mean every time. You didn't even question whether you would be going to church or not. I always liked Wednesday nights when I was a kid because that was pay day for my dad. Mr. Ogle would give him his check and we would go to Cas Walkers on Magnolia after church. BTW Mr. Ogle was our treasurer and what I remember about him most, besides being the dad of my very best est of friends Patsy, was him going to sleep each service. I don't think the sermons put him to sleep because my dad was an interesting character to listen to but I think he put in long hard hours at work at Pet Dairy and was just tired and sleepy. But back to going to Cas Walker's . We would get a fresh loaf of bread and some boiled ham and those pickles that were in their individual plastic packages with pickle juice in them. Then we would go next door to Krispy Kream Donuts and get a couple dozen donuts and we would go home and have a sandwich and donuts. Back to church in my growing up days. On Sundays I would either go home with some one after church that morning until time for church that night or someone would go home with me. It was just the thing that everybody did. People would ask us to their house a lot on Sundays because that's just what people did...ask the preacher to dinner on Sunday. That doesn't happen much any more. Easter was always one of my favorite times to go to church because I always got a new dress, shoes, socks, hat and gloves. We don't even do that any more. Holidays and Birthdays were different when I was growing up. Birthdays meant getting a cake and if you were fortunate enough some ice cream to eat with it. You did not get or expect gifts. I don't know when all of this changed but even when my kids were growing up they didn't get gifts for birthdays. We always celebrated them but gifts were only for Christmas. Christmas was always a fun time when I was growing up. I remember as a kid at Highland Baptist we always had a Santa Clause. It was a woman and her name was Mrs. Kirkland. We may of had others but she is the one I remember. She would be down in the basement of the church and all of us kids would be around the tree in the Alter area and someone would say "I believe I hear Santa coming". And then we would hear that Ho Ho Ho start down in the basement and come up the stairs. She would have a big pack on her back and we were so excited. We would all get one gift and we were thrilled beyond words. And of course we always got our Christmas treat bags that had oranges, apples, nuts and candy in it. And that's another thing. When did Christmas turn into seeing how many gifts you can give a kid. If kids were pleased and happy for years with one gift what has happened to our thinking? Kids today have more than they have ever had and are more unhappy and discontented than ever. I think we need to rethink what we are teaching our kids about entitlement. Ok what have I not covered. Halloween. When I was growing up Halloween was fun. It was not thought of as evil. It was a time to dress up in a costume usually homemade with a sheet or old clothes or hats and go to your neighbors and yell "trick or treat" expecting some candy. And we would come home and count how many pieces we had and eat it all. The worst things that would happen would be some of the older boys would take delight in turning over someones outside toilet. No worry of drugs or razor blades or poison in your candy. No worry about going to your neighbors house or even a strangers house. And then there is Thanksgiving which has always been my favorite holiday. One word sums it up family. Well maybe two family and food. There are a lot of other things I could write but this is getting rather lengthy and it is almost 2:30 in the morning and I am going to bed.  

HIGHLAND BAPTIST CHURCH

HIGHLAND BAPTIST CHURCH

The Beginning

This is not my original work but written by my mother to put in a booklet that was handed out at the 1976 Homecoming at Highland Baptist Church. I think the history is interesting and thought some of my followers might think so also. I will share this just as my mom wrote it. 

Psalms 127:1: Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.

     In the late years of 1930 and early 1940's, the Lord was beginning to gather his children in the community of the Highland Homesites of Knox County Tennessee to help build a house of God in the community for his name sake, Jesus who is the head of the Church. Ephesians 1:22. All things working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, Romans 8:28. Like Abraham of Old, not knowing what was ahead, but being led by the Holy Spirit of God, Brother Ed Spencer moved in the community of Highland Homesites in June, 1941. On Edmondson Road, where he moved, was a widow, Mrs. Bertha Lansden, who had nine children who had no way of going to another community to church. Brother Spencer began loading his car with children and taking them back to Grove City Church with him for services. So God began his work by the Holy Spirit saying we need a church in this  community; and seeing the great need, Mr Spencer with his cousin, Ernest Warwick, who had moved next door to him, began to talk and discuss and Sunday School in the afternoons on Sunday and also Mr. Warwick said the Lord had called him to preach. So God knowing all things, the time came when Mr. Spencer and Mr. Warwick began to fulfill God's will.

     There was an abandoned Murphy's Chapel Church building on Luttrell Road belonging to the Methodist Conference and after prayer and faith, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Warwick went to see, along with Mrs Spencer and Mrs. Landsen, Mr Luttrell who had charge of the building and were given permission to use it. Mrs Spencer and Mrs. Landsen carried tubs of water in the back of the car and cleaned the building and got it ready for our first Sunday School which was the first Sunday and first day of February 1942. After Sunday School, Mr. Warwick preached.

     We had between 30 or 35 people present our first Sunday. The Lord began to bless the services so it was decided to have Saturday night services. We used oil lamps as we had no electricity. There was an old organ Mrs. Spencer played and people began to be saved and the work was abounding for about 4 1/2 months; and of course, the adversary, the Devil, was mad because of God's blessings so he sent the Bishop of the Methodist Church to tell us we could not use the building any longer, trying to discourage God's people and his work. But Romans 8:31, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who an be against us? It was God working out his plan for a church in this community.

      One Sunday night Mr. Spencer started to Old Beverly to church and met Mr. Jim Davis coming to his home to discuss organizing a church.  Mr. and Mrs. Jim Davis and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith had moved on Babelay Road and had attended some of the services at Murphey's Chapel and God was speaking to them also since there was no church in the community. Mrs. Davis was very reluctant about buying in this community until Mr. J.C. Cameron who owned the Highland Homesites said he would give a lot for a church.  After discussing the need of a church and God laying on the hearts of people, the church was constituted on July 5, 1942, in the yard of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Davis. Other churches present were Lincoln Park Baptist Church, their pastor Reverend David Livingston, Grove City Church, with their pastor Reverend D. W. Lindsay, and many other churches which I can't recall. The church was constituted the Babelay Road Missionary Baptist Church, but was changed to Highland Missionary Baptist Church after the Highland Homesite additions the first business meeting. The church was not a mission from some sister church but was a full self supporting Baptist Church. The charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Warwick, Mrs Bertha Landsen, Miss Betty Rhea Smith, Alfred Martin, John Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. James G. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Spencer, Mrs. Elizabeth Davis Rouse, Mrs. Mary Smith, J.T. Smith.

     The Lord sent in people who had a mind to work and build the House of God. The first meeting was probably held in the new building the last of August, 1942. Reverend T.T. Lewis was called to be the first pastor of the church and was there five months. Mr. Lewis began preaching in the church by using a large oil drum for a pulpit stand until one was built. Ernest Warwick was called and pastored for six months. The Lord had called Mr. Spencer to preach about five years before, but he was trying to do everything but preach. He was the first deacon and also the first Sunday School Superintendent of Highland Church. After he became obedient to the call God had given him, the church called him as their pastor and he was ordained July 4, 1943. He pastored for five years until God called from House Mountain Church. He went there as their pastor and after three years at House Mountain Church, Highland called again and he pastored for another three years. 

        There has been many a problem and many  hills to climb and many valleys, but God has been with the church through them all. And the mountain tops have been so wonderful, you forget the valleys and press on to the mark of the  High calling in our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the head of the church and also knowing our labor is not in vain in the Lord, 1 Chronicles 28:20, And David said to Solmon his son, be strong and of good courage and do it; fear not nor be dismayed; for the Lord God even my God will be with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all work for the service of the house of the Lord.

     Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:27, That he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Revelation 14:13, And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. 

The is in entirety all that my mom wrote. A little lengthy post but a true account of someone who was there from the beginning. It has been brought to my attention and I want to make a clarification to this post without making any changes in my mom's original wording. She said that "One Sunday night Mr. Spencer started to Old Beverly to church...." She did not mean the church that is now the Old Beverly Baptist Church but rather the original Beverly Baptist Church before it was split and became Old Beverly and New Beverly.  That happened many years after Highland Baptist was organized. I hope that clears up any misunderstanding about the time frame.  I figure I was the second baby born after the church was built. The Warwicks had a baby named Nancy that was born in January of 1943 and I was born in  February 1943. I never thought that my son Byron would one day be the Pastor and that I again would attend and move my membership there. Below are some pictures of the church from the original building to the one I will be attending tomorrow. 

The Original Building

Finished Church

Addition to the side 

The Present Church

WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND

What We Leave Behind
Material Possessions 

I have been cleaning out a lot of 'stuff' this week. A lot of it has been mine and a lot of it belonged to James. I am getting rid of a lot of stuff that has been accumulated over several years. James was not a hoarder such as you see on TV stories. He was neat and organized in what he had. I would rather call him a collector. James was a collector of many things. He had things that he had kept from years and years ago. He had a collection of arrow heads that he had found over the years. He collected knives and he had over 100 of them. He would put them on boards and display them. We laid them all out on tables in the living room and let each one pick which ones they wanted. Some were valuable but most he just liked the way they looked. We never went to Pigeon Forge without going to the Smokey Mountain Knife Works. It was nothing for him to stand and look in the cases for a hour and never buy a knife. He had to be in the right mood before he spent any money. He loved to collect guns of all different types. He would sit for hours sometimes and look at them on the internet before he would decided on one that he wanted. Then he would save his money after he found exactly what he wanted and get it. Thankfully he designated different people that he wanted to have them and they have all found a new home. He even put in his hand written funeral plans that he wanted to pay his son in law for his part in the funeral service with one of his guns. He also liked to buy guitars and still claimed the one that his mom bought him when he was 16 years old even though he had given it to Byron several years ago. He talked a lot about getting it refinished. Of course Byron, Matthew, Elizabeth and Jennifer all play the guitar so all the guitars got good homes. I am sure he had over 100 caps and several hats. You rarely saw James without a cap on. He kept old shotgun shells that had been shot because he reloaded them. I don't know how many hundreds of them he had. We won't even talk about the nuts and bolts and little pieces of things in cans and cups. He had collected books ever since we had been married and had shelf after shelf of them. He passed on his love of books to the kids and now their shelves are running over with their "inheritance". He had fishing stuff that he had collected for about 65 years. He had always fished in every creek and pond that he could find. One of his favorites when he was a kid was Babelays Pond on Babelay Road. He knew every place on Norris, Cherokee and Douglas to fish. He also liked to fish in the creek and the rivers. He loved Holston River and went often to Nancy's Ferry to fish. He carried a fishing rod in his truck all the time in case he saw a good spot to cast a rod. I hope when Matthew, David or Jonathan and whoever else ended up with the fishing stuff remembers Grandpa when they cast that rod or pull in a big fish. One of the things that bothered him the most was not being able to take his boat out to the lake. Matthew was able to go and help with the boat year before last but last year there was very little taking the boat out and fishing. But back to the topic of this post. After dealing with all of James things the past few months I have been thinking about my 'stuff' and decided I was going to do something about a lot of it now. Things that only I would ever have an interest in. If you remember last year when our church had the big sale I put most of my tea pots in it. Over 100 of them. I kept some that had a special meaning for me but the rest were just my collection that nobody else really wanted to have. I also like to collect table cloths. I don't know how many I have bought over the years but have them in almost every color. A lot of them I bought to use at church. This week I have gotten rid of lots of glass bowls and dishes and pots and pans. Christmas decorations that have been around for years. But the good things is Josh and Amanda are having a yard sale and I gave them all of it. Maybe they will get a little money out of it and somebody else get some use out of things that I no longer need. I also need to go through my clothes again. Who needs 40 skirts? Who needs 5 black skirts? That is what happens when you are a sale shopper. Just can't pass up that bargain. But remember the next time you decide to keep that little thing that you might need someday or that magazine that you might want to look at again think again and imagine someone else having to deal with all you leave behind.

EDMONDSON ROAD

EDMONDSON ROAD

Was just thinking about something today. When I was a kid we lived on Edmondson Road which was a 1 mile, one lane, dead end, gravel road. For the first quarter of a mile it was like driving through a tunnel. Trees on both sides of the road and their branches hung over the road making a tunnel.The bus didn't come up the road when I was going to school. We either had to walk across the Reeser property and down through the woods and come out on the Stoffel's property behind the school where the dairy was. Of course that meant crossing the creek which by the way didn't have a bridge across it and going through all the blackberry bushes. And there was a lot of poison ivy which when dared one day I rubbed it on my face and arms. Wow, don't want to ever do that again. Or we could walk just a little down the road and go along the fence line by the Reesers property and cross the little foot bridge and come out by Cole's Store and walk down Washington Pike to Ritta School. I almost got run over by a car when I was in first grade crossing Washington Pike in front of the school. Or if we got the bus it stopped at the end of Edmondson Road and we walked the mile up the hill to home. In the mornings sometimes we would ride down with my dad as he was going to work but for the most part we walked to school. But what I was thinking about was on that mile long road I can remember back when there were only 8 houses. But only one house was on the left side of the road. 6 houses were on the right side and 1 house was at the dead end. As you came up the road, which we always called coming up the hill, the first house on the right was the Langstons house. I was told by my sister June today who is 10 years older than me that Mrs. Langston first lived in the house at the dead end of the road but that was before my time. She and my sister Phyllis both said they used to go to the Langston's home when they lived at the dead end. Phyllis is 5 years older than me. But neither one knew who lived in the first house on the right when they first moved to Edmondson Road. June was probably 8 or 9 and Phyllis 3 or 4 when they moved to the country. Jim was a baby and I was the first baby born after they moved to the country from town. Mrs. Bertha Langston was a widow woman and she had nine kids. My dad used to take them to church after he moved to the country. That is another post which I will share with you some day. The next house was the Congers. Louise was the woman's name but I can't remember her husband's name. And then there was Kern Lemarr's place. Mrs. Lemarr was a nurse. I think her first name was Laura. I don't remember what Kern did but he was a kind person that would offer us a ride up the hill sometimes when we were walking home from school. They had a son Marty and he still lives on Edmondson. The next place was the Emmerts. Mrs Emmert was one of my patients at Hillcrest when I went to work there. Their daughter Mildred Carr soon built a house next to them and we became friends with their children Grant and Carolynn. James and I went to church with Mildred at Union and she was in James Sunday School Class. Actually she died during the time she was in our class. Their dad Clyde smoked cigars and their house always smelled like cigars. Then we were the next house, the Spencers and there were 8 of us kids. Above us was the Warwicks and they had a house full of kids. Actually the dad, Ernest Warwick, was a first cousin to my dad. His dad and my grandmother were brothers and sisters. At the end of the road on the dead end was the Humphery's. They also had a bunch of kids and I was friends with Lula Pearl. The house that was on the left side was about 3/4 of a mile up the road and it was the Reeser's house. June also told me that when they first moved to Edmondson Road the Reeser's did not live there but she couldn't remember the name of the people that did. It was a log house. Their grandson Ken Madison has posted a picture of the log house before on facebook. Mr. and Mrs. Reeser both were unable to hear or talk. They had four children and they could all hear and talk. I learned how to do my ABC's in hand language and could communicate some with Mrs. Reeser. Mrs. Reeser would 'hire' me to wash her canning jars. I think she would pay me a dime or quarter. But the reason she would get me to do them was because my hand was little and would fit in the jars. I guess all her kids were gone from home by then. I remember going to their house and watching the Little Rascals because we didn't have a TV. Their son Robert eventually build a house further up the road on their property. He also became a deacon at North Acres but died at an early age. I remember my dad being upset because Robert died so young. Anyway I was thinking about this road today and thought it was really rather strange that only one house was on the left side. The only thing I thought was maybe someone else owned the property on the left side of the road. I know the property on the right was owned by J. C. Cameron who owned the Highland Homesites that my mom and dad bought their property from. Actually he was the one that gave the property for Highland Baptist Church which was first named Babelay Road Missionary Baptist Church but was changed after the first business meeting to Highland Baptist. The church was constituted on July 5, 1942. I have no idea how many homes are on that mile long road now and there is also a subdivision at the end in the field where I used to play with Lula Pearl. I still go up and down that road a lot because my sister June lives there still. She built a house behind the old home place. I have wondered how many times I have been up and down that road in the past 73 years. The only ones still living on the road that was there when I was born is my sister June. And she moved off for several years. Marty Lemarr has probably lived there all his life but he is a little younger than me, I think. I lived there from the time I was born until I married which was 19 years and that was 54 years ago. Makes me think of the old song Time Has Made a Change.

OUR STORY

                             OUR STORY

54 years ago today James and I made a vow to each other. Together we vowed to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish til death do we part. This past year brought to realization the full meaning of those words that we spoke those many years ago. Since today would of been our special day allow me to tell you our story.


James and I go back to probably the early 1950's when his parents attended Highland Baptist Church where my dad was the Pastor. I knew his family but they were just another family in the congregation. In  1953 land was purchased to build North Acres Baptist Church and the church was opened in 1954 with my dad as Pastor and James family eventually moved their membership to the new church. James said he first noticed me when I was a 13 year old black haired girl wearing a yellow dress singing in the choir at North Acres Baptist Church. He was 16 at the time. Our first date, I guess you would call it a date, was when our Sunday School class had a Christmas Party at Mildred Copeland's house. We went with another couple in the church because the boy had a car and James didn't at the time.  That was in December of 1956. I turned 14 in February of the next year and James turned 17 in May. In the Fall of that year he called to ask me if I would go to the movies with him. Looking back I am not sure how he ever got up enough nerve to ask me. He was a very shy person. I was friends with his sister Barbara and we went to school together so she may have given him the encouragement he needed. (She was our mail carrier when we started dating, carrying our love letters back and forth from one to the other.) So he called and asked me and I told him I would have to ask my mom. So I asked my mom and she said I had to ask my dad. Well I must have really wanted to go because I called my dad at work, which is something that I just didn't do, and asked him if I could go. I will never forget what he said. He said "I will leave it up to you to do what you think is right". Well that was not the thing to say to a 14 year old girl because I thought it was more than right. So we started dating. Now when I say dating I don't mean this hanging out at each others houses and having freedom to do as we pleased. Dating meant he drove in my driveway exactly when he said he would be there walked to the door and escorted me to the car and opened the door for me to get in. Our dates were always on Friday nights. We would go to the movies more often than not to the drive in movies because there were several of them. Chapman Hwy, River Breeze, Sunset, Knoxville Drive In and the Family Drive In just to name a few. I guess our favorite was the Family Drive In on Broadway. After the movies we would go eat. Most of the places we ate were also drive in restaurants. One of our favorites being the Tic Toc on Magnolia Avenue. We also ate a lot at Archies on Broadway. And the original Louies, the Pizza Palace. They also had good food at the Drive in Movies. Really good hamburgers.  Then as sure as the car pulled in the driveway at the exact time it returned at 10:30. None of this 11:00 or 12:00 but exactly at 10:30. And if I wasn't walked to the door and our goodbyes said in about 10 minutes the porch light began to flash off and on. Now this went on for 6 years. During this six years James became one of the most faithful church goers that you would ever see. Why? Because that is where he would see me. Being the Pastor's daughter I was there at every service. Twice on Sunday, Wednesday night, Singings, Cottage Prayer Meetings.You name it and I was there. My dad also held a lot of revivals and James would either go with us or meet us there. So after 6 years when I was 19 and he was 22 he said "will you" and I said "yes" and we started a life together that lasted for the next 53 years and 8 months only to be ended when those vows were completed that said 'til death do us part.'

Anniversary June 2015

SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY

SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY

Today was the day Ember and I planned to go to Fountain City Park. For those of you not familiar with Fountain City Park it was one of my kids favorite places to play when they were small. Every kid I ever had (mine plus the 15 foster children) have all had their turn on the swings at the Park. Oh and I have also had my turns. Believe it or not I can still fit in the swing seats. And what would be a trip at Fountain City Park without a walk in the creek. I wish I had remembered to take some shoes to walk in the water but I didn't so I wasn't able to stay in the water long because all of the tiny pebbles were hard on the ole feet. But next time I will try to remember to take my water shoes. The water is still clear and cold. Brought back many memories. When I was young our church used to have a lot of rummage sales and would sell food at the Lion's Club Building to raise money for building the church. I have also attended many showers and family reunions at the Lion's Club. The park has an excellent walking trail. After a lot of playing for Ember we went to the Fountain City Art Center. I picked up a list of classes they offer and the lady talked to me about doing some volunteer work there. They are having a Watercolor Class for beginners starting in September so I may sign up for that. I hadn't been in the building since it was the Fountain City Library. The receptionist told me that although it has been 12 years since the library built a new building and moved people still come in thinking it is the library. Our kids spent many hours there when they were little. I guess Byron checked out Hop on Pop 20 times or more. After that Ember and I met Josh and Amanda for lunch at Chick Fil A. More playing in the play area there. After we parted ways I returned some library books and decided to go out to Halls to get my car tags renewed. Did you know the County Clerk office has moved? Well I didn't. But they have moved into the old Walmart shopping center. I took one look in the window and it looked like every seat was taken and more people going in. Not for me today. I still have 30 days to get  my tags. I am sure most were there to renew tags that were due in May and this was the last day to get them. So came on home and made a few calls about some more classes at Hobby Lobby. They gave me the number of a lady that does

 Sue wading the water                     Ember Jane                                              

 Ember enjoying the day siding, swinging, wading and posing.

 the quilting classes and she talked to me for 25 minutes. After that I called Halls Library because they are offering a free computer class on Thursday. I have taken 3 or 4 classes but I always learn something new. I was making my reservation when my computer and phone both went out. Had to call back on my cell but after talking with Byron he said it sounded like my modem had been disconnected. Believe it or not I was able to fix it. Had a dinner date with my sister June and we decided to go to El Chico's because I told her I needed to get back on my diet tomorrow and she said well before you do we need to go to El Chico's. Of course I didn't argue with her because she is older than me and your not suppose to argue with your sister especially if she is older than you. And it was so delicious. Oh for Summer time when the living is easy.

WHY THE NAME

WHY THE NAME

You may ask why the name SNOOPSUE'S NEWS & VIEWS.  Well to be honest with you the name Sue's Views (my original choice) was already taken by someone that actually took all of the names with Sue in it. So, for many years my brother Bill called me and my sisters the Snoop Sisters. Being that I was sister #3 I became Snoopsister3. When Bill would come to visit he always wanted to know what the Snoop Sisters had been up to and what choice morsels of gossip did we know. Now the other Snoop Sisters are my oldest sister June who is Snoopsister1, Phyllis Snoopsister 2 and my youngest sister but the biggest Snoop of all is Mary Snoopsister 4. If you ever want to really know something ask sister 1 or 4 because they are the noisiest ones in the group. And if sister #1 doesn't know she will surely find out the facts.  This blog is really for me to have something to help occupy my time and for you to read if you have the time. The picture I have posted shows left to right Mary Snoopsister4, Phyllis Snoopsister2, June Snoopsister1 and myself Sue Snoopsister3. Three months ago I lost my husband to lymphoma and I find that I have lots of time on my hands and need some things to do. Starting this blog and writing on it will hopefully fill some of my spare time. Today I just wanted to get started and introduce you to my blog and why the name. My blog will be about many different things and topics. But mostly family and everyday life and my views and opinions. So come on along and be a part of my life.