A Quiet Life of Courage and Faith

In 1962, for the first time in American history, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against prayer in public schools in the Engel v. Vitale case.

However, I had no knowledge of the prohibition against prayer in public schools when I entered first grade at Catoosa (Oklahoma) Elementary School in 1973. Each day, my teacher opened the school day with a prayer. She would ask a student to lead the prayer. If one declined, she would ask the next student in line until one wanted to say a prayer.

My first grade teacher wanted her students to have the opportunity to seek God each morning. Without fanfare, she defied the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings because she had always allowed her students to pray, and it was a matter of conviction with her. She wanted her students to have a chance to know the Lord. More than 10 years after it became illegal, my teacher continued to allow her students to seek God in a public school classroom.

At the time, I did not know enough to appreciate what she was doing. I did not know that she was engaging in civil disobedience. But I knew that she was a woman of faith and conviction. She may not have been an activist, but she was active and courageous in living out her faith in Christ.

She was a "Daniel" in government service who continued the habit of prayer after it had been forbidden by the highest authority in the land. She was my teacher. She was my role model. And, most importantly, she was my grandmother.

Thank you, Granny Laudett. You have been gone for a decade now, but I still appreciate your life of quiet courage and faith. In my own way and in my own circumstances, I want to follow your example.

Project Hopeful for HIV Adoptions

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (James 1:27).

The Day Rosa Parks Changed the Nation

Fifty-five years ago today, Rosa Parks resisted injustice and sparked a movement that changed the United States of America. Justin Taylor recounts her story in the link below.

55 Years Ago Today: Rosa Parks Refuses to Move and Sparks a Movement

Francis Chan on Repentance, Baptism, and the Holy Spirit

Francis Chan - Baptism & The Holy Spirit from Wes Woodell on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving

A strong and loving family, perseverance in hard work, and faith in Jesus Christ can go a long way toward alleviating poverty. (I found this video on Mark Merrill's blog.)

How a Gentle Soul Talks About Hell

"Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5, NASB).

Converted to Jesus Christ shortly after the Civil War, T. B. Larimore started preaching a few years later and did not stop until his death in the late 1920s. During that time, Mr. Larimore was instrumental in bringing thousands of people to the Lord.

Although T. B. Larimore was known as an eloquent speaker, he was even better known for his character. He was a careful Bible student, a devoted family man, and a man of integrity who obviously cared about people. In an era when religious debates were popular, he avoided arguments. (He only engaged in one debate, in which both participants treated each other with deep respect and courtesy.) Even when insulted from the audience by a potential opponent, T. B. would thank the antagonist for his comments and move on with his biblical message.

Several years ago, while reading In Step with the Spirit by Rubel Shelly, I came across this paragraph:

"A while back I was reading of a man who was led to Christ by a gentle soul named T. B. Larimore. The man in question had been to hundreds of church services and dozens of evangelistic meetings before Larimore came and preached in the town. So someone asked him, 'Why did you respond to the gospel under Brother Larimore's preaching when you hadn't before?' His answer is a rebuke to some of us and our methods. 'From other preachers I'd learned I was going to hell,' he said, 'but they seemed pleased that I was. From Larimore I learned I was going to hell, but I could tell it broke his heart to have to tell me so.'"

I would like to be like T. B. Larimore...faithful to the biblical message (even the hard parts) while caring about the people who hear it. I believe that was the key to his effectiveness. Obviously, the Spirit of Christ lived in T. B. Larimore.

Can We Learn Anything From the Mistakes of Westboro Baptist Church?

Kevin DeYoung made some very good points on his blog today about what Christians can learn from the hatred of the church that has become well-known for protesting at the funerals of military personnel. Click on the link below for his post:

Can We Learn Anything From the Mistakes of Westboro Baptist Church?