Gaylia Kenslow – Stogsdill

Gail 1941

 

I have been blessed with another poet in my life; allow me to introduce you to Gaylia Kenslow – Stogsdill, my mother in-law. She was a great woman with a kind and loving heart. Always willing to help out and take care of business.

 

She was born in Lanton, Missouri in 1931. The only child of Eulis Kenslow and Minnie (Eldringhoff) Kenslow. Lanton wasn’t much more than a Post Office and a General Store. They farmed and raised cattle for a living. The local one room school was staffed by one of her aunts. She later graduated from West Plains High School, home of the Zizzers.

 

• Her childhood contained many adventures:
• Her parents divorced and her father ‘kidnapped’ her binging her to Michigan.
• They reconciled and remarried.
• She lived through the Great Depression
• Her family traveled to California where they sought work as Fruit Tramps, traveling from farm to farm in search of work.
• They lived for a time outside of Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri managing a motel for the workers that were building the camp.
• While at the camp she learned how to gamble (successfully) by throwing dice.
• Seen her father shot in the leg by a man admiring his pistol.
• Worked in the Brown Shoe Factory alongside Porter Waggoner.
• Graduated from Business School in Springfield Missouri
• Traveled by bus to Flint, Michigan to meet her fiancé Herb and get married.

Gail wrote poetry to honor a special event or person and to celebrate holidays. Her wit and wisdom is missed greatly.

She passed in 2015 and is buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Flint, Michigan.

Herb & Gail 1950             Herb, Gail & Kirstie 2012

Copyright Roy Richard

A Memorial by Katherine Carey-Place

 

She lies in state, the one we love,

Arrayed like Queens of old.

The dear, familiar form of grace,

Lies draped in purple and old lace,

                And dim old gold.

 

The wary hands are idle now,

Their work of love is o’er,

The smile of cheer made heaven here,

                Is ours no more

 

The little Mother that we loved,

Her earthly race is run,

The deeds of love she lavished here,

The smile for all, the anxious tear,

                Are done.

 

But out beyond where she has gone,

No pain, no tears, are there,

With loved ones gone before, she waits,

Nor sighs to pass the pearly gates,

And we shall see her some dear day,

                More fair.

 

Katherine Carey-Place 1878-1934

Copyright Roy Richard

Katherine Carey – Place

“Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.” - George Eliot

I have poems written by my Great -great Aunt Katherine that need to be shared. I want to keep her memory alive and even though I never knew her I heard enough about her to know that she was a remarkable woman. So first let me introduce you to my Aunt Kate.

Katherine was my maternal grandmother’s aunt. She never had children and took a liking to my grandmother Grace. She was born to Benjamin Parker Carey and Jane (Scutt) Carey in February 1878 in Pennsylvania. Aunt Kate was prolific poet.

Her first husband, 37 years her senior, was William Emmett Kirby, a Union Civil War Veteran and successful businessman. The exact date of the marriage is not known but according to census records she was still living with her mother in 1900. He had one daughter from a previous marriage. He died on August 7, 1907 in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. His will left everything to his daughter.

She returned to live with her mother until June 30, 1915 when she remarried. Judson J Place. 22 years her senior became the love of her life. They were married in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

Much of their time was spent in Daytona Beach, Florida and I like to imagine the two of them led a Great Gatsby life style. Full of parties, friends and maybe even few scandals.

Sadly Judson passed away in 1932 at Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida and is buried there.

I haven’t much information about Aunt Kate after this other than she moved back to their home in Pennsylvania. She passed on April 21, 1934 and is buried at Valley View Memorial Park, 1162 Lakeland Drive, Scott Township, Jermyn, Pennsylvania 18433. (Block 800 / Section S / Lot 3 / Space 4)

Katherine Carey-Place 1878-1934

Copyright Roy Richard

You Are One Of My Greatest Creations by Roy Richard

You are one of my greatest creations

My longing is to declare that

But that wouldn’t be correct

It just isn’t true

For everything you have come to be is a consequence of you

 

You are the Master Craftsman and Inventor of your life

You have chosen from the ingredients presented

Using no blueprint

Following no recipe

Fabricated them into this amazing being

 

My hope is that

My influence

My Love

My example

Were worthy of that choice

 

I know that you will continue in this path

Becoming even greater

Making a difference

Influencing others

Standing strong

 

My pride bubbles over

My tears flow freely

Now go conquer

Face the world

Taking my love along the way

Roy Richard (Coot)

June 2022

Written for my granddaughter's (Caitlin) High School graduation

Copyright Roy Richard

Strange Fire

My sister taught Sabbath School for years and the one thing that always weighed on her mind and that she prayed constantly about was that she would speak God’s word truthfully and in accordance with His will. She never wanted to cause one of her students to stumble or question their faith because of misspoken words.

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1-2 KJV)

Here in Leviticus we find the Israelites in the wilderness after just completing the Tabernacle and having just finished the consecration of it and of the Priests. Nadab and Abihu, decided that the greatness of God was so overwhelming that they would add to the ceremony by offering ‘Strange Fire’ before the Lord.

Their actions led to an immediate punishment, one that brought on their death.

Commentators have speculated about the circumstances that bought on their untimely death. Some of these include:

• ·         They lit the incense, not using the altar fire, but fire from somewhere else.
• ·         They offered incense at a time that was not allowed according to God’s plan
• ·         Some think that they went into the Holy of Holies to burn the incense.
• ·         Some think that it was a combination of these.

One thing is certain they offered "fire which the Lord had not commanded them". And this sin brought them certain and instant judgment.

It is totally possible that they meant no harm by their actions. But as the Expositor’s Bible points out, “For the essence of their sin was this, that it was will worship; worship in which they consulted not the revealed will of God regarding the way in which He would be served, but their own fancies and inclinations.”

Years later King Saul found the same type of issue when he tried to offer sacrifices to cover up his disobedience. Samuel pointed out the error of his ways in that it was better to obey than to sacrifice.

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22 KJV)

Why did God deal with them such?

• ·         God will be worshiped according to His will or not at all.
• ·         Trying to do good when it is not in His will is disobedience.
• ·         Their position within the Church gave them no special standing, if nothing else it put them in greater jeopardy.
• ·         Their actions leading to this event was public.

The Congregation as a whole witnessed this. The Priests and their act of presenting something ‘strange’ and out of the instructed process of worship could have had harmful consequences down the road.  

We must be like my Sister and always seek God’s will in our worship. We should never stand before a group and not speak and act according to and pleasing to His will.

Sula Ellen (Richard) Harwood
(1940-2018)

Modeling God’s Love…

Modeling God’s Love…

The most well-known bible verse is probably the most profound; ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 KJV) God loves us, all of us. No matter our sex, color or height, His love is extended to each of us. And this love brings about the gift of grace. Through His grace we can find salvation and forgiveness of our sins. This grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. In other words we don’t deserve it and there is nothing we can do in our own power to obtain it. It is a gift from a loving God.

We are expected to share His love to those around us in the same way that He shares it to us, to become conduits of His love. As Douglas Jacobson wrote, we need to “externalize the internalized love”.

Our Father God has given us the choice of free will and He stands ever ready to bestow upon us the power and embrace of His love. He never forces the love upon us, but waits for us to come to Him. Hence when we share His love through our words, thoughts and actions we need to remember that His love does not smother the recipient, but enhances them. It is never overbearing because it is welcomed by the recipient. Life proves to us that forced love never brings positive results.

As we learn to reflect His love we need to direct in the same way that He does. It must be appropriate for the situation, desired and needed by the receiver. Care must always be taken that the sharing of love never exposes the neediness of those being embraced. It must always be love offered lovingly.

Of course none of us are perfect and it only logical that we grow in Christ and become more like Him as we work at exercising our faith. We are all works in progress and must remember that God does not call us to be passive in our love, rather active in growing and sharing it. 

Mortal man, stand up...

Mortal man, stand up...

Ezekiel was a prophet of God who lived during the time of the fall of Jerusalem. He lived in Babylon, finding himself there after being captured and exiled. His preaching was not popular because his audience was made up of more exiles that were looking forward to returning to home. His sermons concerned the fall of Jerusalem, telling his hearers not to expect a speedy return home, and that they should learn to live where they were.

Then I heard a voice saying, "Mortal man, stand up. I want to talk to you." While the voice was speaking, God's spirit entered me and raised me to my feet, and I heard the voice continue, "Mortal man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They have rebelled and turned against me and are still rebels, just as their ancestors were. They are stubborn and do not respect me, so I am sending you to tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them. Whether those rebels listen to you or not, they will know that a prophet has been among them. "But you, mortal man, must not be afraid of them or of anything they say. They will defy and despise you; it will be like living among scorpions. Still, don't be afraid of those rebels or of anything they say. You will tell them whatever I tell you to say, whether they listen or not. Remember what rebels they are. "Mortal man, listen to what I tell you. Don't be rebellious like them. ..”(Ezekiel 2:1-8a GNB)

In verse 1 to 4 God tells Ezekiel he was being called to minister to a people who were rebels, they had turned their backs on God, and they were stubborn having no respect for God. Sound familiar? What is the mental aspect of the people we deal with daily? The society we find ourselves in is filled with people who are self-centered, stubborn and have no desire to live more God centered lives. Many even appear to have no idea who God is.

God then points out in verse 5 that they may or may not listen to him but that he should carry. Our God is loving and would that no one turn away. He gives us freewill to choose Him or to turn away, but he gives us the choice. Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.” (2 Peter 3:9 GNB)

Our God is fair in all His dealings. His is upfront and just. When we stand before Him on the Day of Judgment we will know that in this life we were given every opportunity to choose Him.

God strengthens and lifts him up in verse 6 by telling him not to be afraid and to carry on if they listen or not. Jesus instructed his followers when he sent them out to witness, “And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.” (Matthew 10:14 GNB)

God ends the section by warning him to not be like the others and rebel. In the same way Paul warned the Hebrews and us today, “As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.” (Hebrews 12:1 GNB)

Today we are called to take the light into the world. God knows that the message may not be popular. But He still expects us to stand tall follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and share the Gospel.