Reflections

By Ron Carter

The short stories, poems, and pictures in Reflections are to honor God and show gratitude for His blessings. This collection is also a source where inspiration and encouragement may be found.

Several months in the making and having been prepared and presented as devotions, Reflections brings together the authors love of God and nature, his love of people, some of his travels and photography along with mention of some personal experiences and a bit of humor.

Each article or story in some way reveals Gods love for His people, His blessings, and the need for a personal relationship with God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490845869

Ron Carter

Ron Carter is Co-Superintendent of Sunday School along with his wife, Mary at First Free Will Baptist Church in the Richmond, Virginia area. He is also chairman of the Board of Trustees for the church. Ron accepted this role after being convinced this was God’s will for him. One of his responsibilities is leading in an opening assembly each week which includes a devotion. Those devotions are what Reflections is all about. During his adult life, Ron has served as deacon at two former churches. In addition, he served on the administrative board for a Christian School, K-12, in one of them. He has served on and chaired other committees as well. Ron has had the honor and privilege, has experienced the responsibility of preparing and delivering messages for worship services on several occasions. This has given him great appreciation and respect for those who responded to God’s call to make this their life’s work. Ron grew up in rural, central Virginia, the only child at home during most of his childhood and youth. It was during a Summer revival at Salem Christian Church in Louisa County that he responded to the Holy Spirit and asked Jesus into his heart and life. About two weeks later, on a bright Sunday afternoon, Ron was the youngest of three generations in his family to be baptized in the South Anna River near his home. Ron is now retired, having sold an HVAC business he founded nearly forty years ago. He and his wife, Mary, also retired, love their church family, church activities and serving God in whatever ways they can. They love to travel and have met people from many parts of the country, many with whom they maintain contact and consider extended family. Some of Ron’s photography is an integral part of Reflections. Ron and Mary have five children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They make their home in Glen Allen, Virginia.

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Copyright © 2014 Ronald L. Carter.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4587-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4588-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4586-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014914243

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/31/2014

Contents

Introduction

Turning Millstones Into Milestones

What Will I Do?

The Old Covered Bridge

Lamps

Tools

Celebrations

Stress

How Long Has It Been?

Crutches and Shields

What Makes Us Who We Are?

We Don’t Know What We don’t Know

Do I Know About You?

Make A Difference

A Christian Should Be….

The If In Life

Promises, Promises

Grounded

A Man Among Men

Put A Song In Your Heart

Somebody Called My Name

The Bible

What A Difference A Day Makes

My Life

Left Out

Turning Over A New Leaf

Who Holds Tomorrow?

Little Things Matter

Are You Set In Your Ways?

Satisfied

Challenges And Choices

Getting Ahead

Baggage Fees

Jesus Is!!!

Medication

Why Do We Wait?

The Rose

Prices

Prices 11

Old Buildings

Thoughts By The Way

The Hidden You

Teamwork

It’s The Little Things

VFR-IFR

Happy New Year!

What’s Normal?

You Want It When?!

Timing

Thanksgiving

Eagles

Insurance

What Are You Hiding?

Burning Bridges

The Christmas Question

Measurement

Storms

Do You Have A Plan?

Valentine’s Day, Celebrate Love!

Opportunities

Starting Over

Spring, Time To Plant

Footprints

What’s On Your Plate?

The Church Is On Fire!

Veterans’ Day

Joy To The World

How Long Are Your Arms?

Matters Of The Heart

Saving Time

What Is Love?

Just What Really Matters?

Food For Thought

Spiritual Pruning

Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow

Energy

Where’s Jesus?

A Spiritual Examination

So, What’s Next?

About the Author

Dedicated to all the wonderful people God has placed in my life, each having a special place that only they could fill. I thank Him for them, their influence, their love and their patience with me!

Acknowledgements

My Lord, for loving me in spite of me, who gave His life that I might have life with Him for eternity and who has made Himself known to me through His word, His creation and His revelation to me through so many special people. Thank you, God, thank you!

Mary, my love, my wife. Thank you for your love, for putting up with me, for being my back up, for making our home the place where we hang our hearts!

My pastor and his wife, James and Debbie Bullock for being the Little Brother and Baby Sis I never had. Thanks Preacher, your sermons gave me so many ideas for Reflections! Did you say you want me to sing?!

My associate pastor, Rev. Vergel Maness who encouraged (pushed) me to publish these articles. Thanks, Bro. Vergel, for believing this could benefit someone else!

My friend, Rev. Ralph Crouch, who also asked often, How is the book coming along? Thanks, Bro. Ralph, for being a hunting buddy and great friend!

Introduction

Reflections is a collection of devotions, a short sermon or two, poems, praises, pictures, thoughts and a few personal notes intended to glorify and honor God, to show His love for His people and His perfect will for their lives.

Unless otherwise noted, these works, including photography, are original and all are special to me and I want to share them with you.

It is my hope, my prayer that God will use Reflections to draw you into a closer walk with Him, that you may know that you never have to face life alone.

May God bless you and hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Ron

In the beginning God……

Turning Millstones Into Milestones

We know that a millstone is a rather large to sometimes huge piece of granite or other hard material, quite heavy, usually circular with an opening in its center and maybe spiraling groves on the flat surfaces extending from near the center to the outer edges. They may be several feet in diameter and a foot or more thick. There’s one near the back of my church…no one seems to know how it got there. Anyway, these stones were used to grind grain, wheat, corn, barley, oats into flour, meal and for livestock feed. The whole grains were poured or conveyed to where they came in contact with the stone surfaces which would grind them to the consistency needed.

Now, the word millstone has another meaning or connotation, perhaps slang, and which refers to a difficult task, a burden of some kind, maybe an extreme challenge; a situation or condition from which there seems to be no escape or relief, a cross to bear, so to speak.

Maybe this connotation is derived from Jesus’ statements in Luke 17: 2 in which He says, It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and cast into the sea, than he should offend one of these little ones.

So, we have a mental picture of an actual millstone and reference of what may be a millstone of burden.

Now, what are milestones? They could be a marker showing road distance or they could mark an event or achievement.

We’ve all reached milestones in our lives. From the day of our birth to the present, we’ve arrived at, achieved, and sometimes survived many milestones. Some that come to mind are graduations, death of loved ones, marriages, first date, first house, and the birth of children or the ripe old age of______. Steps in the recovery from an illness or injury may be milestones. Landing the job of your dreams, retirement, the last child out of school and paying off the mortgage are some ways to measure or chronicle our lives.

So, we’ve all experienced milestones and most likely, have encountered a millstone or two. Some folks have allowed the millstones to define them, even defeat them. Others have, by the grace of God and with steadfast faith, turned millstones into milestones. In some of life’s toughest and darkest times, these people have grown in faith and, came out on the other side stronger than before. They set an example worthy of emulation and they’ve enjoyed the peace that comes from trusting God in all things. They’ve demonstrated that faith in God is essential for a life that is content, peaceful and complete.

Jesus promised that He’d never leave us alone, that He’d help us bear all burdens. If He’s the cornerstone of our faith and the capstone which completes our life, then we too, can turn millstones into milestones!

What Will I Do?

Jesus said, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Mt. 25: 40)

Some years back, there was a popular phrase or, question as it was, What would Jesus do?, the idea or intent was for people to ask themselves that question when confronted with an obstacle or trial, a situation in which they would make a response, perhaps to a temptation that may look really good. Some folks wore a little bracelet with the initials W.W.J.D. on it. The letters were imprinted on T-shirts, coffee mugs and what not.

Now, I don’t think the phrase, and certainly not its application is a thing of the past but, for whatever reason, we don’t seem to hear it or see that inscription as much as we once did.

In that scripture, found in the 25th chapter of Matthew, verses 35-45, Jesus presents some circumstances under which we may encounter others. They may be hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick or in prison. He tells us that whether we respond to them with love and compassion and ways which would help them, or, if we choose to ignore them, pass them by, we have no less than done the same to Him!

At times in our lives we have met, or will meet people in difficult if not dire circumstances. We’ll meet, or be made aware of people who need food, shelter, clothing, a ride to the doctor, or to the grocery store. A neighbor may need some chore done around their home. Someone may be lonely and a call or visit could fill a void. A card, a note, sent just because could mean so much!

It’s probably those things done spontaneously, right out of the blue, and which may simply lift someone’s spirit or may meet a particular need, that are such a blessing to others–and to you! No ceremony, just do it!

So, when someone’s path crosses yours, and it most certainly will, and they have a need which you can meet or, at least help with, how will you respond? There, but for the Grace of God, we go!

Our time, our talent, our money, everything we have is a gift from God. We came into the world with nothing and we’ll leave the same way. He want’s, He expects us to share our bounty with others. Think of what He’s done for us!

That question, What would Jesus do? is still, and will remain relevant. But that question can’t be asked with honesty, with sincerity, without the next question, What will I do?

What will you do?

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The Old Covered Bridge

The old covered bridge still stands,

A reminder of a time with less demands.

It’s weathered and worn, somewhat rough;

It was built by people and materials tough.

Some of the boards have been replaced with new,

Now, those who cross are on foot and few.

Gone are the days when buggies horse drawn

And Model A’s and T’s traveled thereon.

It was the way of the main road

And it was able to withstand the load.

Now, many have left their mark in its wood,

Carving initials in any place they could.

It’s a peaceful place these days to go,

The activity now is swimming in the pool below.

It served well its purpose in its prime

And now appears stately taking one back in time.

Like the old covered bridge we stand,

Good or bad, leaving our mark on the land.

Do we bring pleasant thoughts to those who observe

Or give ourselves more credit than we deserve?

Another bridge has withstood the winds of time,

He’s the bridge to eternal life sublime.

Jesus is that bridge and He makes life complete,

He’s never farther away than a heartbeat.

Jesus, our covered bridge still stands,

Our eternal shelter is built by His hands.

In His love, His will, His grace, we have peace;

Because of His sacrifice, we have sweet release.

Yes, the old covered bridge still stands;

It holds the promise of eternity so grand.

It’s neither weathered nor worn nor covered by rust.

The same yesterday, today, tomorrow, in Him we trust.

Rc

2012

Humpback Bridge, spanning Dunlap Creek in Alleghaney County in Western Virginia, was the route of U.S. 60 until its replacement in the early part of the twentieth century.

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Lamps

I met a stranger the other night

Whose lamp had ceased to shine.

I paused a moment to let him light

His darkened lamp from mine.

Then, a tempest sprang up later on

And blew and shook the world about.

And when the wind was finally gone

I found my lamp was out.

But back to me the stranger came

With his lamp still glowing bright,

And then he held the precious flame

And my lamp, he did relight.

Author unknown

God wants us to help each other when life is stormy.

Tools

Having and knowing how to use the right tool is a must for getting a job done safely, timely and correctly. We all use many kinds of tools. The ones with which some of us are all too familiar are a fork and spoon!

At first thought, tools might bring to mind things like those used in construction or some other mechanical instrument. Almost anything could be used as a tool, perhaps incorrectly but, still a tool.

There are those tools made for specific purposes, among them, a surgeon’s scalpel, a broom, vehicle, baseball bat, kitchen mixer, hammer, chain saw, you get the picture! There are tools made specifically for left-handed people such a scissors, metal cutting shears, golf clubs and hunting guns.

Some tools are very small like a jeweler’s instruments, others huge, like an aircraft carrier and all things between.

So, where did all these tools come from? Well, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that they came from God as He has revealed more knowledge and skills to mankind. Of course, all too often, people have tried to take credit for creating so many things, tools included.

Many tools which were at first very crude and cumbersome are now quite modernized, even sophisticated. Think of some of the tools a farmer used 100 or even 20-30 years ago! Tasks which used to take maybe several days to accomplish, are now completed in