TALES OF OLD!

FRIDAY! Good morning! As I awake to serve my Lord, I awake thankful to Him for this day,,, my family, my friends, my freedom, those who make this freedom with His help,, and I pray this day, that all will re-do yesterday,,, and pray Nationally today, somewhere, somehow,, and give your "real" thanks for your freedom, for I know some work, some can't ,, but most, just don't, but if it is to write, yes they can, ,,yes, I am still stinging of the low turn out for National Day of Freedom, and as my children would say, o.k. Dad,, enough, get over it... yes it is enough, and get over it,, only on the outside for the inside is still praying, will you join me? PRAYER REQUEST: For the continued freedom of the USA, and for God to continue to give us all , in this world, His forgiveness of our many, many sins! REFLECTIONS:(long today, so be ready) This morning I was lead to remember the my first church, Flint Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Vinemont , Alabama. This was a wooden church,, with a big steeple with a bell in the tower. It had two wings on the back side, a pot bellied stove just to the right of the pulpit... and the outside color was of coarse, white, and it seemed always in need of a new coat! We had a pulpit, with 2 benches in the back for a choir(we did not have) and that pulpit area had wooden "deck fence" around it, with two swinging doors as entries. The actual pulpit, to a little fella like me, was as tall as a skyscraper... and the Preacher looked as big as a giant! We always had Sunday School.. and our classes was those two rooms on the right and left of the church, and they were divided by a close line wire, with sheets , so we had two class areas in each room. and the a wire across the front to close of the front ... and the adult classes were in the middle of the church at the front...and right below the pulpit was the table that held the collection plates, and a hand bell, with a wooden handle.. and at 10:55 a.m., the Sunday School Superintendent, would ring that bell telling all the teachers , Sunday school was over.. and they would pull back the curtain, and older ones would step down and casually go to their favorite seats.. and the young-ins, would stampede ,, free, and out with a rush only to me looked at by their parents with that certain look, and walked slowly to set beside them,, free for just a minute, but quiet for an hour! After all the "before preaching" things were done, the preacher would open his Bible , read an article and ask the Chairman of the Deacons to pray, and he would always reply, with, "my pleasure", and get up and walk to the front of the pulpit, kneel and pray straight to God, for you could just hear it in his voice! Then , the preacher would preach, loud, no sleeping in that church , and always ended his sermon, usually with jacket off, tie loosen, and sweating, in front of that table in front of the pulpit..and we would have prayer, a song of invitation to come and accept Jesus Christ,, then if someone did come forward, we had an acceptance by the church , and a flow of all to that person or persons, with the right hand of fellowship,,, then dismissal prayer... and the the best of the kids, for the parents stood around and talked for about half an hour, and us kids would run and laugh, around some of the cars , and the wagons and horses, buggies,,, then we, my family lived in "walking distance" so we heard the cry of "Come Kid, let's go home!" and off we ran, for today was even more special , for Mom, and Sister , Bebe would have gotten up early enough to fry that chicken, and after we got home, Mom would cover that old homemade table with the most pretty table cloth, and the biggest and bestis dinner of all... Now folks, that is the tale of my first church, and it is the truth, of times of old, but not forgotten ,and we need more of it!!!! TALES OF THE PAST, THAT WE NEED IN THE NOW! God, thank You for these memories of this church, and the biggest thing of all I remember is....it was for real,, YOUR CHURCH! amen John HIcks Just a grown little kid from Flint Creek Missionary Baptist Church, in in Vinemont , Alabama,, (and the reason for the whole name is, my Momma, always told us kids , if anyone should ask you where you went to church, you tell them that name, complete, not a word more, nor a word less). I hope I have not bored you today, but the aim is,,, that think we need some more of "OLD TIME RELIGION",, and you?