Well, the “Oakes Family Gathering” is officially over. There will be some who will hang around for a while but the “Official” gathering is done. We had somewhere between 30 and 40 people here for our “Non-Fire-Bon-Fire”. That was a real hoot and the Lord provided in His usual miraculous way. It has been so hot lately, yet when it was time to gather for the “fire and feed”, a wonderful breeze started to just lightly waft in. It was just too good to ruin with smoke and heat so the fire was never lit.
Even better was that just as everyone was starting to arrive and take their seats around the un-burning pile of wood; what seemed like a million dragonflies descended upon our circle. They were weaving through and over the crowd yet never were they a nuisance. In fact, for the most part, they did a wonderful job of keeping the mosquitoes and biting flies away. Every once in a while a big dragonfly would land on a shirt and hold perfectly still; posed, like broach, or on a hat, like a pin. It was a nice touch to the Evening. Deanna found the words to “ka ka ka Katy” which if you don’t know is a love song about a soldier so enamored with Katy that he stutters. I guess they used to hear the chorus a lot when she was little but never the verses. Dea and her aunt Gayle were trying to remember the melody and put it to the verses they didn’t know. By the time they were done, there were six or more others singing along. The funny thing is we still aren’t sure if that was the correct melody, it sounded a lot like “I was strolling through the park one day…in the very merry month of May…”. In the end it didn’t matter because it was pure fun to sing and listen to.

Dave Oakes (yup, Dea’s Dad) was asked to perform the service for the tractor pull in Tomah (SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!). As usual, I was asked to speak at our church in his stead. It is a wonderful thing. I don’t think I get to see the Lord work so plainly at any other time as I do when He chooses me to speak. We are such a small little old time country church and Yet (and of Course!) God shows up in such a miraculous way every single Sunday!
With Dennis Frost and Dave Oakes as Co-Pastors and both only working “to store up treasures in Heaven” They try real hard not to inconvenience or over-burden the other. One speaks at the morning service the other at the evening. The next week they switch. I come in as filler when one is unable.
The three of us for the most part do not fill each other in on what the Lord is leading us to say, yet every time the Lord confirms that He is in control of our little church by the way that He gives to each of us the same or supporting message. Often it’s a three-part sermon given by three preachers who had no idea what the other two were doing. I won’t go into all the details now but suffice it to say that God came through again. As the song says: God is Good – All the Time!
I keep promising to start another blog with the sermons I’ve collected over the years. Remember I don’t do this every week but only when asked. I don’t ever (knowingly!) reuse them and I really don’t know why I kept them except maybe just to put on this new blog. I would love any suggestions as to how I should do that.
I thought perhaps I could go back and see if I can find the oldest one first and then say every week or so add the next oldest and so on. This way it will be a while before I catch up with myself.
I have yet to write a sermon in advance. I really don’t like to. I am trying to avoid the “Will on a Soapbox” syndrome. This isn’t about me it is about what God wants me to say to the Church right now. I realize that I’m limiting God by assuming that because it is written in Advance it isn’t for the Church or whoever when it is finally given. But I like to think of it more as “Faith that God will provide the words when its time”.
Saturday night at 10:30pm was when I was finally able to sit and pray. God met me there and it was a whirlwind of effort trying to keep up with what He was telling me. It doesn’t always happen that way but Wow! Do I love it when it does! In no time at all it was 2:30am, the sermon was printed (in spite of our rebellious printer’s best effort to thwart me! Ha! I can read the type even if it is printed crooked on the page! Ha!), and I was glad to be exhausted or else I would have been too excited to sleep.
You have to understand the fear and trembling that I have when I’m asked to speak. I so do not trust myself, and my understanding of the Lords ways. I am so mindful of the responsibility I have before the Lord. God I trust; myself, not one bit. In any case it is such a wonderful thing when the Spirit provides in such a clear and mighty way that honestly, it doesn’t matter what the reaction of those that hear it is. I know I gave exactly what God gave me. That kind of confidence I don’t have of my own accord (no Honda jokes please!), so it’s an extra blessing for me when He provides it.
That self-confidence bit (my lack of it) is probably another reason for my procrastination in starting that other blog. I know every pastor and every preacher has those words he has to eat and they don’t taste too good. I can’t help but wonder how many will I eat? Will I, after all these years, find that I wasn’t as faithful in backing up my words with “scripture-in-context” as I believed? Did I allow my flesh and human nature to mislead me and therefore possibly others? Ooh Yuck. Ah well, “God is Good, All the Time”. Anyway, if you would, pray about it and then just “leave a comment” and let me know what you think ok?

I have to go to work for the next two days, doing my 12 ½ hour days and then on Wednesday Seth Frost (not the red head Seth in the pics below ;-) ) is supposed to arrive and we will begin setting up our “trailer park for one” for my mom and dads camper. I really, really hope this works out like we planned. If it does, it should look and act like it’s been set up permanently and yet still be ready to be moved in a little less than an hour. “…Best laid plans of mice and men…” Squeak! Expect more pics of that endeavor.