Following God's Path: Fifty Years As a Minister’s Family: A Biography of Reverand Arvil & Emma Lee Huffman

By Rodger L. Huffman

ollowing God's Path is not only a biography of a minister's family but also provides history in rural southeast Missouri. The sermons and poems will hopefully provide you the reader a blessing from their messages. The history contained inside this book gives the reader a glimpse of a bygone era and the way of life for this rural Christian family as they dealt with everyday challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jan 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483442310

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FOLLOWING GOD’S PATH:

Fifty Years As A Minister’s Family

A Biography Of Reverand Arvil & Emma Lee Huffman

RODGER L. HUFFMAN

Copyright © 2016 Rodger L. Huffman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4230-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4231-0 (e)

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.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 1/11/2016

CONTENTS

Chapter 1   The Path Chosen

Chapter 2   The Preacher

Chapter 3   The Preacher’s Wife

Chapter 4   The Preacher’s Kids

Chapter 5   The Sermons

Chapter 6   The Poems

Chapter 7   The Prayers

Chapter 8   The Cabin

Chapter 9   The Christmas Story

Chapter 10   The Roll is Called

Chapter 11   The Epilogue

To all ministers and their wives who chose to follow God’s path.

PREFACE

On October 14, 1947, during the Presbytery of the Old Liberty Association of General Baptist, Rev. Arvil Huffman became an ordained minister. Rev. Arvil and Mrs. Emma Lee Huffman had made a commitment to serve the Lord. Although this was not the beginning of their commitment, it was a benchmark of their service.

After fifty-three years of service together, we will look back to recall the many wonderful years, and the work that the two of achieved with the help of the ten churches they pastored, and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Included in this book are but a few of the messages that have been preached, and but a few of the poems that have been written, all in the service of the Lord. It is hoped that those of you who have worked with the Huffman’s will enjoy recalling the events, messages and accomplishments described. It is further hoped that those of you who have had the opportunity to work with the Huffman’s, as well of those of you who have not will receive a blessing from this book, and that it will serve to extend the glory of God that started many years ago.

Only those who have lived with a minister can truly understand their life, and their family’s lives. It has many rewarding moments, and as with any other lives, it has its sad and heart breaking moments. Being a minister’s son has a much less important part of the ministry than that of the minister and his wife. They are a team. If I may, a team for God’s work. As their son, I truly had a unique perspective or view while, Following God’s Path.

This book is the works of many years of writing down those moments and years that were important to this family. It starts with the beginning of the two primary individuals, from their births, their marriage, the birth of their sons, the churches, and as they near the end of, Following God’s Path.

If I had it to do over, and could choose any life I could, I would not change a thing. I could not have asked for a more rewarding experience, and more loving parents than the ones I have. God has blessed me and my family through, Following God’s Path: Fifty Years As A Minister’s Family.

Rodger L. Huffman

2015

A Song of Degrees

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,

from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord,

which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel

shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper:

the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:

He shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out

and thy coming in from this time forth,

and even for evermore.

Psalms 121

CHAPTER 1

The Path Chosen

I once saw an old photo of a very muddy dirt road that had come to a junction. A sign stated choose your ruts wisely; you will be in them for a long time. There is a life lesson in that photo. We should always choose our paths wisely. Some paths may change our life for the rest of our lives. Sometimes our path will lead to the top of a mountain and sometimes the green valley, but we must always let our hearts tell us which way to go. It is not always the easiest path, but if we follow our heart our life will have purpose. God put a purpose in our hearts and we must open our minds to hear that voice.

Every morning when we awake we choose the path we are to take that day. We never know which day will be our last and must always chose our paths as it will be our last. Would the life path we chose be different if we knew it would be our last? Only you can answer that, but I’m sure some paths would be different.

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Emma Lee and Reverend Arvil Huffman 1946

One of the first prayers my mother taught me was the same many of you were taught. Now I lay me down to sleep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Then mom taught us to pray, God Bless mommy, God bless daddy, God bless my brother. God bless grandma and grandpa. God bless Aunt Blanch and Marilyn June. God bless all my friends and relatives. Thank You for this day and thank You for everything. Amen. I carried this prayer with me into adulthood. A prayer that was hard to break even after my Aunt Blanch, my dad and finally my mom passed away.

Aunt Blanch and Marilyn June were more like a grandmother and sister. They took our whole family under their wings and we are very close. Many nights when mom and dad were away at revivals, we stayed with them. They only lived over the hill just past Grandpa Dan’s house. They lived in the house that dad was born in. To this day my brother Mike and I call it Aunt Blanch’s house even thought the house, Grandpa Dan’s house and our house is long gone.

By the time Aunt Blanch and Marilyn June were our baby sitter, mom and dad had already chosen the path they were to take. It was a path of faith. It was their faith in God that led them every step of the way. When dad’s decision was made his entire family made the choice to stand behind him. Aunt Blanch and Marilyn June made the choice too. They are a very important part of our extended family. Mom and dad could not have made it without their help.

Once when older, dad was driving our car with all of us in the car. He was reading his Bible and driving. I probably said something smart, I don’t recall what I said, but I recall what he said back to me. God is my co-pilot; He will keep me on the road. That was mom and dad’s philosophy to let God be their co-pilot and navigator.

I don’t know at what point dad chose to be a minister, but I know both mom and dad had good family values and were taught by their parents about the importance of God and the church. Mom started early in her life teaching in Sunday school and continued until the end of her life.

Dad told me of younger days when the life he was living wasn’t that of a minister. Not that he did anything that bad, but it wasn’t necessarily that of a Christian. Dad, though never by any means less than a good person did not take God’s path towards ministry until he was almost twenty-eight years old. He told me that his upbringing as a child did keep pulling him back and that he had a calling to the church. He told me of anxious feelings that left him disturbed and many sleepless nights until he decided to become a minister. He was finally was so miserable that he gave in and asked God to lead him. He started witnessing in church and later with the encouragement of mom, aunt Blanch and Grandpa Dan, started to preach.

With the help of family and friends and many prayers he began preaching. In 1946 during the eighty-fifth Annual Session of the Old Liberty Association of General Baptists held at New Sylvan Church, a letter was presented by Barks Chapel Church to petition Arvil Huffman to be licensed to preach.

The session was held October 17, 18, 19, 1946 with Rev. John W. Fowler, Moderator and Rev. Dale Porter, clerk and corresponding secretary. The session was convened at 10 AM by singing, Look for Me at The Gate, and Standing On the Promises. Prayers were prayed by Bro. Lee Barrett and Bro. Henry Liley. Opening remarks were made by moderator J. W. Fowler. The introductory sermon was by Rev. W. R. Ellidge and Rev. Dale Porter. Text: John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Another song was sung with a Christian handshake, followed by a prayer by Rev. W. F. Eaker and dismissed by Rev. W. O. Liley. The session continued Thursday afternoon, Friday evening and Saturday morning. The minutes recorded that from Barks Chapel Church the delegates were Bro. Arvil Huffman, Sister Mary Huffman, Sister Blanch Bartels, Bro. Dan Huffman (deacon) and Bro. Mose Penturf (deacon). All dad’s family and all strong supporters of the newly licensed minister. All had made the choice to follow the path.

The following year, 1947 the association meeting was held October 16th, 17th, and 18th at Hahn Chapel Church one mile east of Marble Hill, MO. The association was convened at 10 AM by singing Just Over in the Gloryland and When We All Get to Heaven. Prayers were prayed by Bro. N. D. Huffman and Rev. Alva Peck. The proceedings show that Arvil Huffman was petitioned for Ordination to the full work of the ministry, and then the request was granted. The minutes also show that the pastor for Barks Chapel Church for the coming year was to be Rev. Arvil Huffman. The Certificate of Ordination for Rev. Arvil Huffman was dated October 18, 1947 and was signed by Rev. Almon Eaker, Moderator and D. L. Fisher, Clerk.

When I was a young man, I had bought a new tape recorder and asked my dad to quote his favorite scripture while I recorded. Dad quoted Psalm 121. It is a very beautiful scripture and it is very comforting as is many of the Psalms.

I have since lost the recording dad made for me, but never the thoughts that were provoked. It is believed this may have been one of the hymns sung by the pilgrims as they first caught sight of the mountains surrounding Jerusalem.

Psalm 121 is a pilgrim psalm for the journey to Jerusalem; its main concern is for safety on the journey. But the pilgrim need not fear the journey because Yahweh who called for the people to appear before Him in the Sanctuary will watch over them on the way. Thus, the theology of the passage concerns divine protection. I know this passage helped dad and mom when decisions were considered. I know dad knew his help came from the Lord.

Dad prayed about every decision he made. Mom and dad prayed about making a decision to by a new car, so I know they prayed about life decisions. Once the decision was made through God’s help, dad was steadfast on that decision. The principles