Thanksgiving 2008

Tomorrow we celebrate the truly American holiday of Thanksgiving. Despite all the present day “interpretations” of the first Thanksgiving celebration held in New England, we know our early American ancestors were not simply thankful to the Indians who helped them survive in their new home. Ultimately and primarily, the Pilgrims were thankful to God.

Every day demands we thank our Lord for His blessings. In fact, every moment we live is a blessing from God for which He deserves our thanks. “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” the Apostle Paul wrote (1 Thessalonians 5:18). However, Thanksgiving Day truly highlights all the Lord has done for us and provides us with one day where we can especially thank Him.

For this Thanksgiving Day, I want to thank the Lord for two special blessings: faith and family. The faith I have in Him to care for my eternal soul is a faith which came from Him. Why He chose to move in my life is beyond my comprehension. Why the Holy Spirit called me to salvation and regenerated my soul in a new spiritual birth is a mystery I’ll never fully understand (John 3). Yet through God’s saving grace and this new birth, He gave me the repentance and faith I needed to turn from sin and trust in Christ. I agree with Jonah: “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). Thank you and praise you, Heavenly Father!

The second blessing I wish to highlight in my thanks to the Lord is my family. And what a family He has given me! Never in my wildest dreams as a teenager did I ever think I would have a family. Being a social introvert, very overweight, and far from the Lord, having a family was an impossible vision to me. But, praise the Lord, look at our family today!

After saving my soul, the Lord brought Debbie into my life. Regrettably, I take her for granted much too often. Next to the Lord, no one has had such an impact on my life as she. Debbie is my closest and dearest friend and the one person who fills the gaps in my life. I can not imagine living on this planet without her by my side. Being married to her is the greatest earthly blessing I have ever received. I love her so much, even more so than when we were engaged 36 years ago next week. Yes, I realize there is no marriage in heaven and that our love will be directed to Jesus, as it should be. But I do pray the Lord would permit me to worship and serve our Lord in heaven with Debbie by my side forever! Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful woman, wife, and friend!

The Lord’s blessings, though, overflow my cup. Not only did he give me such a wonderful person with whom to spend my life, He then blessed us with nine terrific children! I still have trouble believing that: nine children, praise the Lord! Each of them different with unique personalities and yet loved equally by their mother and father. Each of them with different gifts and abilities yet the pride of their parents in whatever they do. And, just to “sweeten” the blessing further, the Lord has saved each of them. There is no way I can ever express how much my children mean to me. I cannot find the words. Nor is there any way I can ever express my full thanksgiving to the Lord for blessing us with them. If any of my children ever, for one moment, thinks their father does not love them, let them know now and forever, they are seriously mistaken. Thank you, Lord, for these great children!

And, still, the Lord has not ceased to pour out His blessings to me through my family. Since last Thanksgiving He has given me two more grandchildren bringing our total to nine! What a blessing each of them is to me. Obviously, grandparents never get to spend much time with each of their grandchildren. But the lack of time does not diminish the love a grandfather has for them. Truly it is a blessing to sit and hold a new grandchild, a new family member who carries our family’s love, memories, and dreams into another generation. Truly it is a blessing to be able to talk with an older grandchild and hear what they think about life and the Lord. May God bring each of them to saving faith in Christ! Thank you, Lord, for these awesome grandchildren!

Our God has been so kind and so good to me, infinitely more than I ever deserve. He has poured out blessing upon blessing on one who deserves only condemnation and wrath. How can I not be thankful to Him?

Thank you, Lord Jesus, and may you be glorified in my faith and in my family, both of which have come from you.

My Grandchildren

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. Proverbs 17:6

My 9th grandchild, little Lydia Leigh, was born this week. She is truly a blessing to her parents and a delight to all her relatives. As I watched my son and daughter-in-law hold and love their first child, my feelings were the same as they were when each of my other grandchildren was born. You most likely think I am going to say I felt “joy” or “excitement” or “love” or some other similar word. Well, I did feel all of those emotions and many others. But the primary thought which crossed my mind and gripped my heart with Lydia’s birth is the same one I have had with the birth of each grandchild: accomplishment.

Graciously, God gave us nine wonderful children, eight of whom I was actually in the room when the child was born, four for whom I actually cut the cord. What a tremendous feeling it is to be a father! That feeling does not wane from the first to the last child. It is an awesome experience and floods you with so many emotions. I don’t believe anything can top it except, perhaps, motherhood! Nevertheless, fatherhood also brought with it an immediate feeling of terrific responsibility. You ARE the father! Ultimately, you are responsible for your family including this new life.

But, too soon your child is an adult, then married, then having a child of their own. Whether the child is your son or your daughter makes no difference. The child they bring into this world is your grandchild. They are now the father (or mother); you ARE the grandfather!

Yes, there is still a sense of responsibility but not nearly the kind experienced as a father. Sure, you need to help, as you can and as you are permitted, raise this child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord but that responsibility primarily now lies with your son or daughter, not you. What I specifically sensed was that feeling of accomplishment. The baton has been exchanged with your child. Or, as President Kennedy said, “The torch has been passed to a new generation.”

You raised your children the best you could though now, looking back, you realize how often you failed in that endeavor. They are now the parents. A new generation arises. The family goes on. Praise the Lord, what an accomplishment, an accomplishment possible only because of the grace of God.

My children’s children are my crown and I thank the Lord for each one of them.

May the Lord Jesus always bless each of them: Jacob, Amanda, Kaitlyn, Kelsey, Brody, Gracie, Bryson, baby Levi, and now, little Lydia.

Congratulations President-Elect Obama

The following paragraphs form a letter I sent to our newly elected President this morning via e-mail. Given all my prior posts opposing him, I thought it only proper that I post this letter as well.


November 5, 2008

President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your campaign and your victory! Your election is further proof of the greatness of the United States of America!

I did not support your candidacy and did not vote for you yesterday. Your past legislative record and your remarks throughout your career alarm me. I have written blog entries and letters opposing you throughout the past few months and will continue to oppose the policies you outlined in the campaign. Nevertheless, I respect you as my next President and will pray for God to give you wisdom in your position as the leader of the free world.

Your election fulfills the dream of the Civil Rights movement. The African-American community, once slaves to white Americans and often punished and even killed as such, have now seen America erase that dark spot in the election of one of their own as President. Praise God such racial slavery has been removed from our nation! But, Mr. President-Elect, there still remains a civil rights battle in our country. There are still those in the United States who are in bondage and at the whim of their masters. They need their rights restored and I call on you as President-Elect to make this your number one priority. The group to whom I refer are our unborn children.

Every day in our nation since 1973, 4000 unborn Americans have their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness destroyed because their mother exercises her “freedom to choose”. The life of the mother, rape, and incest account for a small percentage (less than 5%) of the abortions performed in our country. Thousands of unborn Americans lose their right to life everyday at the hands of a mother who doesn’t want to be burdened by them.

Mr. President-Elect, women do not lose their “right to choose” if the practice of abortion is ended. When women engage in the sexual act they exercise their choice and must accept the possible consequences of that act, namely, a new, unborn American.

I call on you, President-Elect Obama, to lead the charge in our nation to eliminate the barbaric practice of killing our unborn citizens and, instead, to restore their right to live equally with other Americans.

Sincerely,

Bruce D. Walker
St. Charles, MO

Why Vote for Obama?

Over the weekend some folks asked me about the letter I sent to the editor of the St. Charles Journal which was published in the October 29. Here is the text of that letter.

So you are going to vote for Sen. Barack Obama. I congratulate you for exercising your right to vote.But before you do so, may I ask you one question? Why Obama? Change? He gives good speeches? He's young"?Consider the following:

• Sen. Obama has done nothing of significance in the Illinois or U.S. Senate.
• Sen. Obama has not reached across party lines in the past.
• Sen. Obama will raise taxes. Despite his claims, he always votes for tax increases.
• Sen. Obama will redistribute wealth, which, in turn, will raise prices and cost jobs.
• Sen. Obama will raise the capital gains tax, which will also raise prices and cost jobs.
• Sen. Obama will pull out of the Middle East and reduce our military strength.
• Sen. Obama supports the killing of the unborn. He supports partial birth abortion, an unnecessary and cruel practice.He also supports not caring for aborted babies who survive the abortion attempt.
• Sen. Obama will implement national health care requiring more taxes. Furthermore, when has the government ever successfully run any agency?
• Sen. Obama will not support new oil drilling or new nuclear plants in our country.
• Sen. Obama will appoint liberal justices who will legislate from the bench.
• Sen. Obama will give the Democrats control of both the legislative and executive branches of our government. Nothing will stop liberals from implementing their agenda.

Please vote. But, seriously, why Obama?