Peanut’s New Sweater
31 March 2012
Sarah found Peanut a sweater on clearance at Walmart. We’re not sure he likes it.
Hanan House
The Fletcher Family Blog – God is Gracious
Who Has Despised the Day of Small Things?
21 November 2011
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of hosts. Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:6-10)
I read this passage a couple weeks ago and keep coming back to it. Right now my life and ministry is filled with “small things.” Our church is small. The town we live in is small. Our household is small (just Sarah, our dog Peanut, and I). At times I’m tempted to look at others with bigger ministries or bigger churches in bigger towns and think that God has passed me by. But this passage reminds me that it is not the bigness of the place but the bigness of our God that really matters. His Spirit specializes in making something out of nothing, of taking a small beginning and making it into a huge display of His glory. This is what faith is all about. The “mustard seed” kind that Jesus said could move mountains. Small things when God’s Spirit is at work magnify the greatness of God. I’ll take some of that.
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A Glorious Day
6 November 2011
Sarah and I took a day trip to Garden of the Gods today and it was glorious. We were celebrating her birthday a couple days late due to work and ministry responsibilities. The weather was outstanding and the leaf color, though past prime, was still impressive, especially for Southern Illinois. I can’t remember a fall that has been as pleasant as this one. We stopped in Harrisburg at the Saline County Historical Museum which in the late 1800s and early 1900s was an actual poor farm or almshouse. Unfortunately, the museum was closed, but we killed a little time there waiting for this morning’s fog to lift. Then we drove on south to Garden of the Gods. Neither of us had been there since our kids were little.
After knocking around Garden of the Gods and taking tons of photos, we headed down to the river, Cave in Rock and Elizabethtown on the Ohio. We hadn’t been to E-town since 1994, when we got iced in at the honeymoon cottage at the River Rose Inn. Not an unpleasant memory at all! We rode the ferry at Cave in Rock as pedestrians to Kentucky and back, and then went down into the cave along with everyone else and their brothers from Hardin County. The nice weather made it hard to take photos of scenery without someone’s backside blocking the view, but that’s ok. Everyone deserved to have had as wonderful a time as we did today.
We ate supper (all-you-can-eat catfish fresh from the river) at a floating restaurant in Elizabethtown. God even gave us a beautiful sunset as we headed back to JC. He is truly gracious. Glorious days like this just underscore this marvelous kindness to weary pilgrims like us.
See all the photos from this trip on this Facebook page.
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The Song in My Heart
19 September 2011
Yesterday, I woke up with this song going through my head. What a blessing!
How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said,
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.When through the deep waters I call you to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
And sanctify to you your deepest distress.When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be your supply;
The flame shall not hurt you; I only design
Your dross to consume, and your gold to refine.The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
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The Lord has done great things for us!
19 September 2011
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad.
—Psalm 126
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My Prayer Today
8 February 2011
O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come. (Psalm 71:17-18 ESV)
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Praying for Botswana Today
7 February 2011
Sarah and I have started using the online prayer guide from Operation World; we receive daily emails with prayer requests for specific nations in the world. Most of these have links to “Prayercasts.” Our link today was for Botswana, the country made famous by the cult movie, The Gods Must Be Crazy. The Prayercast shows a very different side of that country and its needs.
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What a Year!
13 November 2010
I realize it’s been exactly a year since my last post on our “family blog.” What a year it’s been! Since my dad passed away–
The Lord led us into the pastorate at First Free Will Baptist Church in Johnston City, IL (the church we grew up in); we bought and moved into a house in Johnston City and sold our home of 14 years in the Nashville, TN area; we started an Angel Food Ministry in our church, our youngest (Hannah) graduated in May from Cedarville University and moved in with us here in Southern Illinois; our second son (Jesse) got engaged to Faith Rader and set a date in 2012 for their wedding; I accepted the position of dean for the Illinois Training Center of the Institute for Christian Education (I.C.E.), we attended the National Association of Free Will Baptists meeting in Oklahoma City and for the first time the FWB Media Commission offered streaming Internet video of the services; Sarah became an independent contractor for WNAC, giving her more freedom but less benefits as she edits and designs TWG magazine; we took the trip of a lifetime (1o days in China) to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and the sale of our home in Nashville; Hannah moved back to Nashville (where her brothers still live) a few weeks ago to continue working at Applebee’s while seeking theatre experience in order to build up her resume for admission into graduate school; I hiked 44 miles on the Appalachian Trail as part of the annual Chuck Wilson Memorial Backpack for BENCHMARK; and I was elected as assistant moderator of the Illinois State Association of Free Will Baptists.
Through it all we’ve seen God’s faithfulness and bountiful provision. We continue to experience His grace and pray for His direction in our future ministry.
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Losing the Little Routines
13 November 2009
I miss my dad in the afternoons. Between 3 and 4, if it was a nice day, he’d take the dog outside and sit in his lawn chair beside my shed for an hour or so until the mail came. After the mail came, he’d slowly make his way with his walker down our driveway to the mailbox. He’d gather the mail in a plastic grocery bag or tuck it into his shirt or jacket if he’d forgotten the bag. Sometimes he didn’t make it back up the driveway before Sarah or I would arrive home from work and turn into the driveway. Almost blind and with hearing failing, he’d putter along in front of the van or truck, often not realizing we were behind him until he reached the corner of the house and caught a glimpse of our vehicle. Other days, when the mail came a little earlier, he’d make it all the way back. He’d let the dog in the house and make sure the gate was open so we could drive right in without stopping.
That was his routine. He did it as often as he could and seemed to enjoy it. Getting out of the house, even if just in a hundred feet radius, did him good. He felt he was doing us a service by taking the dog out, getting the mail, and opening the gate prior to our arrival. He wanted to be useful, to do his part to make our lives easier.
Yesterday and the day before, I found myself going outside about 3:00. These beautiful fall days should have warmed my heart, but I felt cold and lonely. The empty lawn chair beside the shed beckoned me to sit in my dad’s former place for a while. And I did while Peanut sniffed around the yard and played in the leaves. I sat there and grieved the loss of my dad and his little routines. Those little routines were demonstrations of love. They weren’t big jobs; anyone could do them. But now, he’s not here to do them. Someone else will have to or they won’t get done.
I remember on several occasions that I thanked him for bringing in the mail, but now that he’s gone, I really appreciate his little routine. And I thank you for reading this blog and grieving with me.
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