Prime Time!

After we returned home from Tennessee I decided I wanted to get a few more of my mother-in-law's books.  Many are available on Amazon (you can check them out here) but the ones I wanted were only available for Kindle.  I then headed over to Pentecostal Publishing House and found what I was looking for (you can check those out here.)

 

 

"Faith Fills An Empty Basket" is a follow-up book to "Faith Brings An Empty Basket."  Both are based on stories of the Faith Promise program and how God will take our commitment and multiply it.  Bro. Jack Leaman is known far and wide for his many years of Faith Promise services but he was also Dolly's classmate at ABI (Apostolic Bible Institute.)  This book was published in 2017 when Dolly was 80 years old.

She adapted stories from her two books about the DeMerchants (Flying Full Throttle and Still Flying Full Throttle) for children in "Pilot Bennie’s Amazing Amazon Adventures" and "More Amazon Adventures with Pilot Bennie."

This second book was published in 2020 - Dolly was 82 or 83 at the time!

This post may seem like an advertisement to buy Dolly's books, but it's not!  You won't be disappointed if you do buy them, but I just wanted to encourage all of us who over getting a little "older" to keep  living our lives with purpose.  We are not past our prime.  There is still so much to do.  Lessons to teach, songs to sing, souls to reach.

The Bible is full of examples of those made an impact when they were "well sticken in years" as Elisabeth and Zacharias, the parents of John the Baptist.  Anna the Prophetess was at least 84 when the baby Jesus was presented in the temple.  She "departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."  Job lived 140 years after his trial and saw four generations of his family.  Abraham and Sarah were 100 and 90 when Isaac was born.  Caleb was 85 when he said, "Give me this mountain."

On and on the list goes.  Men and women who continued on even when others considered them past their prime.  Psalm 92:13-14 says, "Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age."  Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible says, "They shall continue to grow in grace, and be fruitful to the end of their lives. It is a rare case to find a man in old age full of faith, love, and spiritual activity." John Gill's Exposition of the Bible says, "Being thus planted and watered, they shall not only bring forth the fruits of righteousness, but shall continue, and go on to do so, and even when they are grown old; contrary to all other trees, which, when old, cease bearing fruit; but so do not the righteous; grace is often in the greatest vigour when nature is decayed." John Wesley's Notes on the Bible says about this verse:  "Their last days shall be their best days, wherein they shall grow in grace, and increase in blessedness."

 

Our best days are still ahead of us!

Photo Dump

I have a lot of pictures, this and that from here and there, so I thought I'd just post them with a few words. This is from a couple weeks ago on our way to church.  Snow on the Southern California hills!

All the rain we've received means an abundance of green...

Seen at Cracker Barrel...

I love running in my sister-in-law's neighborhood.  The goats always have a little something to say.

A large herd of deer crossed in front of us.  I couldn't get my phone out in time to catch a picture.

But I did get a picture of my favorite dear!

 

Members of the McElhaney clan after the memorial service.  We were so blessed by all who came!

A visit to Cookeville isn't complete without a trip to the Lazy Cow Creamery!  You can get a double scoop in a waffle cone when you're 90.  Isn't Pops dapper?

A few shots from a trail run last week.  So much mud!

And finally ~ a boy and his dog!

The Memory of the Righteous

 

We were back in Tennessee last week for my mother-in-law's memorial service.  It was a beautiful celebration of a life well lived.  Over 30 family members from all over the country were in attendance.  Her three children honored her, three of her pastors spoke, one pastor's wife and one friend.  We sang songs about the Blood of Jesus.  It truly was a beautiful celebration.

Proverbs 10:7 says, "The memory of the just is blessed."  Another translation says, "The memory of the righteous is a blessing."  Memories shared that day were such a blessing to our family.  There was a lump in our throats, but there was also so much joy and laughter.

Dolly loved to tell the story about being "A Jeremiah Baby."  Pastor Phillips told of it during his remarks.  When Grandma Loeffler was pregnant with Dolly she was told by the doctor that she might not survive giving birth so she dedicated her unborn child to the Lord.  Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee."  Dolly was known by her God before she was even born and she never took that for granted.

My sister-in-law, Lisa, read two poems during the service.  The second poem, called "Transition," was written by Dolly on her 16th birthday, it was the day her grandmother passed away.

Transition

To cross over the river,

To walk on that golden strand,

To change the leadings of this earth

For those of the Savior's hand.

 

To leave this world and our loved ones-

To meet others around the white throne,

To walk in darkness through the vale

On the path that leads toward Home.

 

To exchange for darkness, light,

To be sheltered from the cold,

To meet the Shepherd face to face

And be gathered into His fold.

Oh! Blessed Transition

That leads to the promised land

As we leave this earth for Heaven

We hold to the Savior's hand.

 

Goodbye for now, Dear Dolly, we'll meet you on the other side!