Carolyn's 50th Birthday Party

We had a surprise birthday party for Carolyn's 50th birthday.  It is so hard to surprise her.  She asks question after question.  Also, I felt so guilty hiding things from her for so long.  I don't have much of a poker face, so she can usually tell when I'm hiding something.  

It was a lot of fun for her.  She really enjoyed having family and friends celebrate her birthday with her.  Family from Kentucky, and Rushville, and friends from our old church, Smyrna Baptist Church, all showed up at Carolyn's parents pole barn, and hid out until she and I got there.  I'm so glad it's over too.

God blessed us with a nice day.  It did start storming later in the day, but the birthday party was over right when the sky got dark and nasty.  All in all, it was a really nice day.

Life And Death

I am in this world

Susceptible to pain, grief, and failure

But I am not of this world

Accessible to grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

The world knocks me down

But the Hand of God picks me up

The darkness of the world leaves me cold

But the Light of God fills me with warmth.

I am bombarded by hate all day long

I gently extend a hand of love

Temptations attack me from all sides

God’s love surrounds me like armor.

The world says to hold on to all it has to offer

But my hands are open, to receive all God’s blessings

The world says that I can’t do it

But God says nothing is impossible with Him.

I appreciate the home God has given me here

But I have a better home waiting, not built by human hands

The world says this is it, no Heaven or Hell to worry about

But I believe there is more to this life, than what my eyes can see.

Light and peace, or darkness and fear

To me, of course, the choice is clear

I would rather live one day, in the presence of God

Than live a million lifetimes in this forsaken world.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, take hold of my hand

And lead me into that faraway land

Where my eyes will never more close in sleep

And all that You have sown, I will evermore reap.

Written by Alan L. Crabtree - 11.9.2010

Passages (7 haikus in 1 poem)

The size of a door
Two sides short, two sides longer
Same as a coffin.

No coincidence
For all things have a purpose
It's God's perfect plan.

The womb, the first door
New life here just beginning
By God's loving hands.

Use your time wisely
Glorify God, help others
That's what life is for.

Cherish the seasons
Spring, summer, fall and winter
The order of life.

The grave, the last door
Life everlasting somewhere
Up Heaven, down Hell.

Which way will you go?
Life's final destination
It's your choice to make.

Written by Alan L. Crabtree - 2.10.2009

2 Timothy 3:16 - 4:5

The King James Version says:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;  Preach the word;  be instant in season, out of season;  reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine;  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;  but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

The New International Version puts it this way:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Not matter what version you read, it all says the same thing.  We are living in the last days.  The days that the Apostle Paul was writing about, are here.  People ARE turning away from the truth, and following whatever teaching makes them feel good, for the moment.  They are turning away from the One True God, and making up their own gods.  Gods that will make them feel good about themselves.  Gods that won't tell them they are sinning, that what they are doing, and saying, and thinking, are okay.  It's normal behavior.  But the Bible says that when we come to Him, God makes us MORE than normal, MORE than natural.  He makes us to be SUPERnatural, as He Himself is.  Not that WE are gods ourselves, but that we become God's children.  


The world needs to hear what we as Christians have to say.  If we will endure hard times, and criticisms, and do the work of an evangelist, we will see people saved right up until the end.  God's Will will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.  Don't give up, don't give in.  Fight the good fight, run your race, do the work God has given you to do.  Then we will receive the crown of righteousness from Him, to be laid at His feet.  


Keep looking up, watching and praying, enduring till the end.  Lift up His Holy Name.  Amen.

September Sun

I haven't written in awhile, and, for some reason, this poem has been on my mind lately.  I wrote it on 10.13.2010.  I may have posted it before, but I need to again, for some reason.  God bless.

A slight chill is in the air,

Soft crunching underfoot,

As leaves finally break free

Of the tight grasp of the stubborn trees,

Lined along the sides of the streets

That run back and forth near my house.

The sad, bare branches

Become more evident every day

As they prepare themselves

For the inevitable winter

That is slowly creeping in,

And making its’ presence known.

The September sun shines brightly,

Throwing shadows in places

That July would never imagine.

Once again, getting our minds off summer,

And bringing forlorn thoughts

Of long sleeves, and sweaters.

God has His own special way

Of making us ready.

Like using autumn to gradually prepare us

For coming cold weather.

And allowing aches and pains

To soften the blow of old age.

As I sit and watch the children play,

My thoughts turn to earlier days.

When that was me, hiding in a pile of leaves,

Waiting for the chance to jump out and scare my friends.

Then we’d laugh and run, and run, and run.

All the while, ignoring the September sun.