Pastor Buddy’s Blog

Journal,

Today was second chemo day. Betty and I left the house at 8 a.m., and made it back home at 4:45 pm.? It just takes a long time taking chemo. But everyone at Cabrini is so friendly. We had a room to ourselves in the oncology clinic. Actually the time there was very pleasant. The only ’small’ pain I had was when the connection was made? to the port in my upper chest.

The doctor seems very pleased at my progress. Said my lymphoma is one? the more common types and responds very well to chemo. The large tumors that we’ve been able to feel are absolutely melting away. Sort of a funny picture to me. The chemo treatment includes what they call the ‘Red Devil.’ (It is red in color.) Well, I’ve decided to call the lymphoma the ‘Tasmanian Devil.’? The Red Devil is whooping the fire out of the Tasmanian Devil.? ? ?

Anyway, Betty and I took some reading material. I had my book ‘Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul’ by J. B. Lightfoot. Lightfoot is such a Hebrew, Latin, and Greek scholar. I’ve got to really study up on my Greek. I know bits and smatterings but not enough to read Greek properly. One of my minister friends says that he knows a little Greek. The Greek he knows owns a? restaurant somewhere. (Ok. Here’s a quarter. Go buy a little humor.)

Nathan and Shana spent awhile with us. It is always a special treat to get to visit? with my kids. Told Shana that I may be? making a trip to the Philippines later on, and that she could accompany her mom and me as my piano player. (More truth to this than fiction.)

Which brings me to last evening’s service. Jeff was out-of-pocket so David Stellwagon led the worship. David really has a good voice. The worship was all slower songs but perfectly suited for the spirituality of the service. Every service is much the same in this regard. Every time Jeff leads the worship it is taylor made for that service.

Nathan did something quite different. He had a slide presentation on what is happening in the mission fields today. It was simply awesome. Since this was our first service of 2007, Nathan wanted to set the tone for Christian Challenge. We are very much a missions-minded church. It isn’t that we expect all our members to go to the mission field. It is as much a matter of support and prayer as anything.

Nathan ended with something that gave me pause. Said he hadn’t passed this by our board of counselors yet, but he felt that Christian Challenge should earmark 10% of our offerings as direct contributions to the mission field. Kind of caught me off guard just for a moment. I thought, ‘Man, we are already giving good offerings to missions.’

Sharing this with Betty, she reminded me that Nathan was in charge of the ministry now and how that the Lord has always provided for us regardless. This is true. We’ve learned long ago that the secret of receiving blessings is to be a giver. And that is how we have lived our lives. After all, the Lord did say that it is better to give than to receive. Some folk have never figured that one out.

I quickly got back on the page of faith and was thrilled for Nathan to take that step. It was something that the Lord had placed on his heart. I knew in my spirit that it all came from the Lord. We really need to increase our giving if not for anyone else’s sake, but for our own. It is going to be a joy to show how the Lord works in the midst of our giving.

This brings me back to the Philippine issue. I was stationed in the Philippines for a year and a half in the early 60s. (During the early Vietnam era. Was in the Navy.) I’ve always had a warmth for the Philippinos. Anyway, I’ve received several letters from pastors and general overseers in the Philippines, asking me to come to help them with meetings and with training their pastors.

I’ll do a bit more investigation. But it could well be a calling of the Lord. Time will test it. However, I am reminded of a vision that Paul had in the night where a man of Macedonia was appealing to him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

The apostle knew that the vision? was of the Lord. They immediately began their journey to this place of great need. (Cf. Acts 16:6-10)

I might point out that there is a tremendous evangelical move in the earth today. Evangelical Christians are having the greatest growth of any religious movement. People are turning to the Bible in a great way. They are finding the reality of God in the sacred Scriptures and through solid gospel preaching.

When we returned from my chemo treatment, lo and behold. On our kitchen counter was a meal of brisket, sweet potatoes,? garlic? bread, and apple turnovers. That sweet Lori Spurgeon was at it again. What a beautiful lady. But because she was under the weather,? Lori brought the? food to Nathan at the church office and he? put it on? our kitchen counter while we were still out and about. (Can you imagine a lady, who is feeling ill herself, thinking about her? ole pastor and his wife. What a caring person.)

That isn’t the end of the story. Betty called to thank Lori for the blessing.? That’s when Lori had to brag on Warren. Said that her husband is such a godly man. He has simply taken over and is keeping the house in top ship-shape, doing all the things that mama normally does. Good for you Warren.

When I finally got to the computer I had 82 postings.? Several were from our Ask the Pastor page. I try to take my time in responding to these folk.? Most all their questions are very open and honest. Seems the Lord is making me the Ann Landers for a great? many people. No problem. I love to help hurting people when I can. (This is why I am so late getting this entry to my blog out.)

Well, I think I’m ready to tell the tale of the cat who wasn’t happy. This took place back in 1977. We had two Christian Challenge ministries, one in Boyce and another in Natchitoches. I ministered at both places. Later we needed to close the Natchitoches ministry down because of growth at Boyce. The Boyce ministry became the Pineville ministry in 1978,

Anyway, Betty called me on the phone and said that a car had run over Shana’s cat, Happy. The cat was dead. I needed to dispose of it before the kids came home from school. I looked at Happy and she was as flat as a flitter, and deader than a doorknob. I picked her up and set her on the hood of our car.

Here is where it gets funny. Betty said, “What are you doing with that cat. Go bury it.’ Of course being the man of faith and power that I am, I said, “Woman, get in the house. I’m going to pray for this cat.” (I don’t use the word ‘woman’ any more. Here, you want to count the knots on my head.)

Betty went into the house. I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and set about to? pray. I just knew that the Lord was able to resurrect Shana’s cat. As I was praying, I heard this meow. I quickly opened? my eyes, but the cat on the hood was still flatter than a flitter. Then I looked and Happy was coming around the front of the car. You see, the cat on the hood wasn’t really Happy. He just looked like Happy. All my faith for that cat simply went out the window.

Doesn’t stop here. Boy was I going to show Betty. I picked up Happy, placed her in the nook of my arm, opened the kitchen door, and said, ‘Honey look here.’ Was that ever a mistake. Betty’s big blue eyes got very wide and began to fill with tears. Quickly I told her to story and that calmed the situation down. But who was she to doubt such a great man of faith and power?!

Fact is I’ve never been able to resurrection any body. For example, I was called to the hospital by the family of a lady who was in her last moments. The family had been called in. Mama was in her 90s. They simply wanted me to pray with the family to release mama to the Lord. That is exactly what I did. Guess what. Mama got well and lived another five years.

Shucks, looks like I’m not such hot stuff after all.

Better stop. Hope I’ve still ahead.

Love all of you.

Blessings,

Buddy

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