A Tribute to my Father, Elmo Jene Manley

                     MESSAGE FOR CELEBRATION OF ELMO JENE MANLEY’S LIFE

by Michael J Manley

May 21, 2021

FBC, Hollis, Oklahoma

 

INTRO – I want to thank Bro Glenn Alley, Pastor, and all the First Baptist folks for your love, food, prayers and support during the home-going of Rhonda, Mom, Celeste and now, Dad.  What a gift you all have been to us. Thanks to all of you friends and family who have gathered here to celebrate Dad’s life.  It is a great encouragement to have you here with our family.  Also, thanks to you who have traveled great distances to be here with us.  A thank you to the caregivers at Brookdale Summer Ridge in Rockwall.  They loved him.  When Fran and I went to collect some things from Dad’s apartment this week, the caregivers hugged us and cried saying how much they were going to miss him.  But the residents and caregivers were talking about how great that Jene and Louise had been reunited and what a sweet couple they were. Finally, I want to publicly thank my wife, Fran on behalf of our entire family.  She has loved on Dad and done so much to care for him.  He loved her like a daughter.  The last week in the hospital he said you get to know special people in your life, and he pointed to her and said she is one of the most special one’s ever.  We want this to be a celebration of Jene Manley’s life – giving all glory to God!

 

 

Jene Manley, a Man of Wealth, Work, and Worship!

 

Jene Manley, physically had an enlarged heart for many, many years.  We knew that.  But guess what, he also was a big hearted man who was grateful and loved his 1. Wealth of family 2. His work and 3. His Worship.

 

1.   He loved his wealth of family - Some of the family members are going – wealth??? Well, I’m not talking about money.  Because family was way more important to him, then money or things. Family was his wealth. He worked very hard to provide for Mother, Rhonda, Celeste, and myself.  Mom, Rhonda, and Celeste welcomed him into heaven Tuesday morning and probably both sisters are saying right at this moment, “well once again our brother gets the last word.”   Dad lived Philippians 1:3-4 when it came to family.  “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy.”  He loved his family and expressed to me many times in these last years of how blessed he was to have such a wonderful family and just a couple of weeks ago when he and I were in the car together.  He said, “I never dreamed I would get to live this long and see and know so many of even my great and great-great grands” Psalm 127:3 “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. He was always ready to hear about another grandchild.  His grandchildren would all tell you how he would give big bear-hugs and when you tried to turn loose, he would keep hugging.  These last years and even since Mother went to heaven, we would show him videos and pictures of the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.  The amazing thing to me was he knew the names of all of them and ask Fran and me about them on a regular basis.  I’ve known other grandfathers who lost touch with the names because they had so many.  But not Dad.  He was always actively interested, was anxious to see and visit with each one and dearly loved all of them.  Last Sunday morning, I laid my head on his very emotionally saying, “Dad, we have to make some hard decisions today.  They have done everything possible and it’s just not working.  I’m so sorry.  But we are going to have to call in hospice.”   He reflected a minute and said, “Son, we were never meant to live here forever.”  The Lord has blessed me with a long great life and a wonderful family. It’s okay.”  He had a great love for wealth of family and was very grateful to the Lord for family. By the way, one way he shared that love was making his famous Christmas Candy (peanut brittle, chocolate fudge, millionaires, chocolate covered peanuts, and date loaf.) He would share that love with friends also, as many of you enjoyed some of that.  One year since being in Rockwall, he spent days cooking Christmas Candy for some 100 residents and staff members in Brookdale Summer Ridge Assisted Living Facility.  Always, he and mother were most concerned that their children and grandchildren would follow the Lord. 3 John 1:4 says, “I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.”  They sacrificed much at times to make sure their grandkids had that opportunity to know the Lord and even led some of them to the Lord.  I’m speaking now directly to you, grandkids, great-grandkids, and great-great grandkids.  He loved you unconditionally. You were his wealth of love! Many times, he referred to you not as grandkids, but my kids.  And he didn’t just reserve that love for blood relatives.  He told me on more than one occasion that Chris Carlisle and Richard Gonzales were like sons to him.  And I’m telling you he loved the Faulks, sons and grandsons as if they were his very own. I heard more stories on all you guys over the years than I can count.    Like I said, a huge heart of love.

 

2.   He loved his work.  I’ve never seen anyone in my life who loved to work more than my dad.  Over and over the last five years, he has told me I think I could still be working and shared hundreds of detailed stories about what he did for this person and that person.  He told the Cardiologist three weeks ago that he would go to work that day if he had the chance.  Another Doctor about a month ago said to him, “What do you like to do?”  Dad immediately said I love to work, and I miss it terribly.  Dad told me over and over that the Lord had given him the gift of “figuring it out”.  He loved challenges.  He loved the impossible.  If you told my dad something couldn’t be done, it was like saying, “Sic-um” to a dog.  He would figure it out.  Many of you in this room have called him “Magic Jene”.  I’ll never forget as a teenager watching a farmer pull a brand-new farm implement into the front door of Dad’s shop.  It had never been in the ground.  The farmer told Dad to look over it and to tell him where it was going to break.  Dad told him about a couple of weaknesses that he saw in the manufacturing and the guy left it with us and told Dad to fix it.  He was welding on a new piece of equipment before it even hit the ground.  And of course, there was the time that the Oil Mill Company sent a man with a PHD to figure out a problem in the plant.  He told Paul Horton what needed to be done.  And, immediately Dad said, “that won’t work” and explained why.  Then, Paul said, Jene do it your way and of course it worked. I got to thinking about Dad saying the Lord gave him the gift of figuring it out.  My Dad had an 8^th grade education.  But I would put him up again a PHD any day.  He had discernment from the Lord and was full of wisdom. “His figuring it out”, I believe - is the gift of discernment found in Scripture.  Proverbs 8:5 says, “Oh simple ones use judgment. Oh, foolish ones learn sense.”  If I had a dollar for every time my dad said – just use your common sense.  I would be a rich man.  Deuteronomy 4:6 basically says, “Obey my decrees and regulations completely and you will display wisdom and intelligence in the sight of the peoples.”  Dad not only had the gift of “figuring it out”, but he also had a lot of wisdom.  He taught me things about the ministry that were never covered in college or seminary.  Some people take in information from everywhere, process it, and then choose what to do with it.  They are usually one step ahead and have an almost supernatural gift to determine what will work and who and what is trustworthy.  Discernment is a tool God gives believers as they walk through life.  My Dad had that gift.  In the very simplest of terms, discernment is wisdom. Philippians 1:9-10 – “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”  And Hebrews 5:14 – “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” I believe Dad’s work was worship.  The passage Fran read earlier speaks to that.  Also, Psalm 90:17 speaks to Dad’s love of work – “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands.”  And of course, Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily (put everything you’ve got into it) as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord, Jesus Christ!

 

3.   He loved worship – Dad’s worship life began right here on this spot we are on today when he was a 10-year-old boy. Some of you are saying, wait a minute, this building was built in 1960 when you were 10 years old.  Yes, but in 1939, this church set up a tent right here on this spot next to the old church on the corner and had a two-week revival and Jene Manley walked thru the dust and grass and trusted Christ as his Lord right here and began his life of worship.   In Colossians 3:14-17 “Above all, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  And here is where dad’s love for work and worship intersects. It goes on to say - “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him!”  My dad loved to work and he loved to worship singing the songs of faith.  He sang my mother into heaven as she was passing.  He sang with groups and sang solos in assisted living and even once when he was in rehab sang a solo in the worship service.  He sang solos here in this church and in the church where I am presently.  I couldn’t sleep one night when they were living with us. So, I got up about 4:00 a.m. in the morning and went to my study.  No more had I got there, I begin to hear someone singing.  I thought what in the world.  I moved into the living room and could hear my dad in the bathroom evidently sitting on the throne and singing a hymn in full voice at 4:00a in the morning.  My mother used to say most mornings that she didn’t sleep very well the night before.  I told my wife, no wonder, dad is singing full voice in the middle of the night.  How could she sleep? He literally sang all the time, working, in the dining room waiting on a meal in assisted living, walking, and exercising around the facility he would be singing.  I would approach his apartment door and he would be singing hymns. I am a musician, but Dad sang more in his every-day living than I ever have. And many times, he sang as he worked.  Dad was Biblical in his worship.  At least 121 times we are challenged to “sing to the Lord” in Scripture.  It is one of the most recorded commandments in Scripture.  There are over 1,150 musical references in Scripture.  But I share with you a little-known fact of his worship life.  When I was growing up, I showed an intense interest in the piano at 7 years of age.  I would stand at the piano and watch my cousin Marilyn Luck playing and was mesmerized.  I begged my parents for a piano.  My Dad was making $75 a week at that time.  He and mom took me to a piano store in Altus and said pick the one you want.  They very sacrificially bought me a brand-new piano.  Then came piano lessons all the way through high school and of course as a junior high and high school student I was privileged to be the church pianist right here in this room which many of you remember.  I was also director of the 40 voice Junior Choir my junior and senior years of high school. Some of you sang in that choir as children. Keep in mind, none of this was my dad’s idea.  He never pushed me toward music.  In fact, I grew up thinking he was disappointed that I was not a football player and though I worked in his shop as a teenager, I knew I was not going to follow in his footsteps.  So, I surrendered my life to the Lord for vocational music ministry and went to Hardin-Simmons University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Church Music and later on a Master of Church Music at the Seminary in Ft. Worth.  But right after I graduated from college, Fran and I were visiting Hollis and the “man of few words”, my dad said to us one day, sit down here I want to tell you something.  He then told us how he had felt the call to music ministry as a young teenager, but never had the opportunity to study music and ended up going to work at 14 years of age with only an 8^th grade education.  So, he said, “I always felt I had let the Lord down by not following through.”  Then he said, “when your mother was carrying you. I asked God for a son.”  And, he said, “Lord, if you will give me a son, I will dedicate him to You for music ministry.” In my entire life, this was the first I knew of this. I had already graduated with a church music degree before he shared this!  He never openly pushed me toward music ministry, he just quietly and sacrificially provided the way and trusted the Lord to speak to me and work it out.  So, part of dad’s love for worship was to give his son to the Lord for worship ministry. Fran and I both were blown away when he shared this with us.  We wept as he shared it.  I believe with all my heart, had he the opportunity, he would have been a worship leader.  But you know what, he was a worship leader.  Everywhere he went and lived and worked, people heard him singing the hymns of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!  Last Sunday night right after we signed him into hospice, he had been quite weak and barely speaking most of the day. But, he said, “I look forward to seeing the face of my Savior.” Then he started humming, “I Shall Know Him”, so I started singing it and he joined in in full voice unlike he had all day.  We sang two verses and choruses together and the nurse came in and couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  So, Dad sang mom into heaven the last moments of her life here and sang himself into heaven the last days of his life here.  “Son, we were never meant to be here forever.”  Now, he is in glory experiencing the unbelievable singing and praise before the throne! And I guarantee you, he is right in the middle of it!  How glorious!  May we stand and sing the last stanza of “Because He Lives!” printed there in your program.

A Tribute to Claude H. Rock (Pop) - Fran's Dad

 Grave-side Service for Pop Rock

by Michael J Manley June 24, 2020

 

In a real sense, Pop, himself is going to speak to us here today as we celebrate His life, as we put his worn-out body to rest even though he is more alive today than ever before.  We are going to hear from him because of and “end of life” file he left for us.  Back in 2015, Pop updated his obituary. He was 91 and stated that each day is one closer to my last, here. He included Psalm 23 with this obituary showing that this Psalm was very important to him.  So today, I am going to combine Pop’s words and his Lord’s Words at this important time of our family’s celebration of His life.

 

Psalm 23 pictures life as deeply secure and richly blessed.  It offers us a panorama of what life can be when lived with awareness of God’s intimate love for us.  This picture of life lived in God’s care touches our deepest longings and speaks directly to our darkest fears.  Perhaps that is why we return to this Psalm over and over.  Over the years of ministry, I counseled people with depression to read this Psalm aloud every day for one month.  The positive results in peoples’ lives was astounding.   It obviously was important to Pop as it goes along with his oft repeated testimony of how he gave his life to Christ Jesus at age 5 as his Mama was taking him to church.  And dozens of times I personally. as well as many of you heard him tell this story of how the Lord had been with him and led him every step of the way including the angels of the Lord protecting him during the war.  Of course, he loved to joke about the fact his Mom took him to the Christian Church, so therefore he was a Christian before He was a Baptist. I think Pop felt Psalm 23 summed up his life and testimony of how the Lord was with him and led him every step of the way.  And with humility, he would state that he had been blessed with a long career and loving family beyond any man.  So, I will combine his own written obituary and his special Word from the Lord.

 

Pop’s words with the dates filled in: “Claude Herndon Rock Jr was born on June 19, 1923 and passed from this life on June 21, 2020 on Father’s Day, two days after his 97^th birthday.  He was born to Claude Herndon Rock, Sr. and Anna Mary Witherspoon Rock at home, 345 Dunning Ave., San Antonio, TX.  He had three siblings, two brothers, Jesse Herndon, and William Thomas and one sister, Margaret Lucille.  They were 9 to 15 years older than Claude Jr.  All the family pre-deceased him.”

The Lord’s Words - “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  He is the God who shepherds us from birth to our last moment here on earth.  He is faithful to meet every possible need in our lives.  “He Makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters”.  God invites us to rest in Him and be secure in our story and history.  Pops’ family history was so important to him that it was a huge part of his obituary as written.

 

Pop’s story continues:  “Around 1900 the Rock family was farming close to Wichita Falls, they and several other families decided to sell out and move to south Texas so they bought many acres of brush land 7 miles east of Cotulla, TX on the Nueces River, loading all mules, horses, equipment, furniture on a train and moved.  They used Mexican labor, grubbed the brush, built a concrete dam across the river, installed four six- inch pumps above the dam, and put in irrigated onions. They built five houses, a school, barns, fences and called it the community of Rockwood.  Claude Sr. had married his Oklahoma sweetheart in 1907 and by 1916 the family had grown by 3 kids who needed to go to school which was not available at Rockwood, so he moved them to San Antonio, found a good job, bought a home and put the kids in school.  By 1933, Claude Sr. wanted to go back to the farm so he bought a 500 acre ranch located on the west end of Rockwood.  The house was original, two story, 10 rooms, old but livable, no electricity or water inside.  He leased 1,000 acres of adjoining pasture, bought 100 head of beef cows, 32 Jersey cows, built a milk house, bottling and selling milk in Cotulla. 

 

Continuing in Psalm 23 - “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” God guides us and is with us.  As Pop would look back and reflect, he knew God’s hand was preparing for him and was on him all the way.

Pop’s words continue: “Claude Jr. rode the bus to Cotulla school, had lots of work experience on the ranch, wanted to be a cowboy.  Graduated from 11^th grade at 16; wanted to go to college at Texas A&M.  His Dad talked him into staying home one year, to work and save money and then go to school. He entered A&M September 1941, Class of 1945. His major was Animal Husbandry.  Military was “G Infantry” Dorm 5.  Hitler was rampant, the Japanese hit Pearl and A&M went to three semesters per year.  Claude Jr quit school December 1942, went home and volunteered for the draft and was in Anti-aircraft Artillery, 90 mm guns, stationed in San Francisco for one year. No Japanese planes came over, so they put him in infantry basic replacement training for six weeks in North, Texas, then gave him a two week furlough home.  There he went to a church meeting one night, met a pretty 14year-old preacher’s daughter who was playing the piano, who, four years later married him. - As He prepares to go to war - 

 

We harken back to Psalm 23:  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” My suspicion is that Psalm 23 became very important especially then.

 

Pop continues: Claude Jr. goes to war as a replacement, was off-loaded in France, Omaha Beach, 90 days after “D” Day, placed in Anti-Aircraft Artillery, an ammo handler on an M-51, 450 caliber Machine-guns on a trailer that fired 2400 rounds per minute in General Patton’s 3^rd Army.  Claude Jr. was involved in 4 battles, one being the “Battle of the Bulge” using these weapons.  After the war he was in Germany for a year in occupation duties, and then was shipped back to Texas and discharged.  

 

Leading us back to the 23^rd Psalm: “You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”  He is also the God who heals us.  Like a good shepherd, he heals our deepest wounds – replacing our ashes of grief and despair with the oil of gladness.  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life”.  He is also the God who blesses us.  What an extraordinary picture of the future. Pop understands that just as God had cared for him in the past, God would continue to care for him, blessing his life with goodness and love all the days of his life.  

 

Pop continues his story:   Claude Jr. goes back to A&M for a year, quits and is back home where the ranch had been sold and family move to Cotulla.  He was working as a rough neck in oil drilling when the Veterans Vocational School called saying they could hire him as a Vocational Agriculture teacher on a part-time basis. So, he worked for them teaching for a year and decided that was for him.  He married Mary Elizabeth Temple went back to school, got his degree and teaching certificate and by August 1950 applied to Eula High School and was hired.  He taught for 35 years, retired, sold real estate for 10 years.  Then, He and Beth formed a construction, contracting company and worked another 8 years.  Together, they raised 5 kids; Suzie, Fran, Anita, Thomas and Bobby (Robert) and one of Beth’s sisters, Leslie.  All have married and have families.  We have been blessed with 12 grandkids, 40 great grandkids and 2 great, great grandkids.  His closing words - Claude Jr.  gives the Lord full credit for a happy, fruitful, satisfying career and family. That is the end of his written obituary and my response is - What a Legacy he leaves!!! 

 

Final words from his Lord: “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever” - He is the God who is our true Home.  God is our refuge, God is our dwelling place, God is with us always and we live in God’s love eternally.  As Pop peacefully drew his last breath here, we can - Just think of him stepping on shore and finding it heaven. Of touching a hand, and finding it God’s, of breathing new air, and finding it celestial; Of waking up in glory and finding it home.  Pop after 97 years of sojourning is finally home. mjm

 

 

 

Tribute to My Mother

                                                   MESSAGE FOR CELEBRATION 

                                OF DELLA LOUISE ROACH MANLEY’S LIFE

By Michael J. Manley       

February 13, 2020

FBC, Hollis, Oklahoma

 

Intro – It’s good to be home.  Three generations of our family on both the Roach side and the Manley side have called this church, home.  My sisters and I were taught, trained, and encouraged in this church. I was allowed to flourish in music ministry at a very young age and was ordained in this very church.  Thanks for letting us come home with Mother today.  The hospitality, meal for our family, and the graciousness of your loving Pastor has been a gift to our family.  Thank you!

 

Thanks to all of you from Dad and our family for being here with us to celebrate Mom’s life.  It is a great encouragement to have you here with us. Also, thanks to the many of you who traveled great distances to be here today. We want this to be a celebration of the life of Della Louise Manley – giving glory to God!

 

The Sacrifice and Faithfulness of a Wife and Mother

 

I want to speak to you today of Her faithfulness to Her Husband, to her children and children’s children, to her Lord and His Church, and to her legacy.

 

I.              Her Faithfulness to Her Husband – Proverbs 31:10 – 31 – “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: ‘There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”  Our mother embodied these words.  We believe if you could find an illustrated Bible you would find a picture of our mother beside Prov. 31.

 

1.    My dad trusted her completely and she helped and supported him in every way.  Counting the time they dated, Mom and Dad were together almost 75 years.  You can’t have one without the other.  Dad always had hot meals waiting on him.  And she did it efficiently.  To say she was tight with their money is an understatement. When he left for work both after breakfast and lunch, they would kiss three times every time.  I used to wonder if it had something to do with the Trinity.

 

2.    As reflected in this passage, she made almost all of my sisters’ clothes and they were the best dressed in Hollis for very little money spent. She also made shirts for me when I was younger.

 

 

3.    She was an elegant lady who would have makeup on, earrings in place, and dressed early in the day even though she might never leave the house that day.

  

4.    When Dad was in business for himself, he would come home after a long day and have a hot meal waiting.  As soon as Mother got dishes cleaned up and we children taken care of, she would sit down at the kitchen table and create statements with her beautiful handwriting, to be billed to his customers.  

 

 

5.    She liked to plan ahead, and wasn’t crazy about spur of the moment.  Yet, she put up with Dad coming in at lunch on a Saturday now and then, and saying let’s go to New Mexico, where a lot of Mother’s relatives were.  She, without complaining, would get three kids and them ready to go quickly and we would be off like a whirl wind.  They did a lot of traveling in later years with  Camping Trailer dad built and the Motor Home.  She rode many miles behind him on his motorcycle.  When I first heard this, I could hardly believe it.  They had a special love relationship and loved spending time together.  That’s why we put both of them on the folder today.  You can’t have one without the other.  They were truly one.

 

6.    She did all that was needed as a housewife and secretary/bookeeper with no complaint and without a lazy bone in her body.  She sacrificed for her husband and our family.  My Dad has praised her and certainly we children have stood and blessed her.  She created an environment of fear for the Lord, giving praise always to Him, and with her deeds made known that she was a child of God.

 

II.           Her Faithfulness to Her Children

 

Not only was she faithful - but sacrificed much for her children.

 

1.    She was a constant presence in our lives.  She took very good care of us and saw us through childhood illnesses and always wanted the very best for us as her children.  

2.    She was determined that we would grow to be responsible adults, therefore as we grew she would give us household chores and responsibilities such as washing dishes and cleaning the house.  Now, we soon figured out that it would have been easier for her to just do it all herself, but she was determined to teach us responsibility.  The reason I say it would have been easier for her to do it herself, is because she patiently waited for us to do it and then she went behind us and re-did it, because we would do a lousy job and she was so conscientious about her home she would go behind us and bring it up to 100%.

 

3.    She believed in and loved the Word of God and wanted her children to have the same love for and desire to follow the principles of the Word.  She desired that we follow the Living Word, Christ Jesus, with all that was within us.  To that end, she didn’t just depend on the church to teach us, she took that responsibility as a parent very seriously. 

 

She believed Proverbs 22:6 - “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” 

 

And, Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”  Our mother taught us Bible, had us memorizing scripture at a very young age, and would even give us tests on what we were studying.  She began this with Rhonda and me as preschoolers and continued after Celeste was born.  After Celeste was a little older she became a part of this also.  Of course, Mom found out quickly that Celeste was more rambunctious and a bit more independent then Rhonda and me, but she accepted the extra challenge and continued on her mission to teach us the Word. She not only was doing what the Lord instructed but carrying on the legacy of her Grandmother Sarah Roach who personally taught and led her 10 children to the Lord as well as several of their children.  There were numerous Baptist Pastors, Bible Study Teachers, and Missionaries who were directly influenced by her grandmother including her dad, Mac Roach, who was one of the main leaders, deacon, and Adult Sunday School Teacher at Dryden Baptist Church, just north east of here.

 

And then, Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  

 

Because of Mother’s work at making the Word of Christ at home in our hearts, we became a very musical family.  It was the natural result of “letting the Word of Christ dwell”.  Greatly because of her, I became a worship leader.  Dad sings hymns 24/7.  In fact Mom’s last moments here Dad sang “Amazing Grace” and “I Shall Know Him” except he personalized the words to “You Shall Know Him and redeemed by His side, you shall stand” as she was taking her last breaths, my niece Jennifer, my wife Fran, and I joined Daddy singing those words to her through our tears.  Dad literally sang Mother into Heaven.  Mother and Rhonda took piano and learned to play hymns.  Celeste had more musical talent and gifts in her little finger than any of us and can sing like crazy.  But, all of that came because Mother made the Word of Christ naturally at home in our hearts.

 

III.          Her Faithfulness to Her Lord and His Church (Member of this church close to 70 years) Dad’s been a part of this church, as of next week, 91 years.  

 

1.    She taught 9-year-old Sunday School for 12 years. She was Director/Teacher of Toddlers in Sunday School for over 22 years.  And, she did not just teach them on Sunday.  She and her partner, Johnnie Crabb, visited in the homes of those preschoolers, sharing Home Life literature and Open Windows devotional books, encouraging young families.  Titus 2:4-5 says, “These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the Word of God.” She also was an example to all her students by being in church virtually every Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday evening. She was also an active part of the Women’s Missionary Union, supporting all their studies and mission projects.  Her relationship with the Lord was paramount in her life.  I don’t know the exact number of years, but I am pretty sure she read the Bible all the way through at least 30 times.  She would tell me which translation she was reading from every year.  She was committed to His Word and prayer.  She also read every word of the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger, the bulletin and prayer list from Hollis provided weekly in these later years with a letter from Mary Beth Williams. Mary Beth and Mom’s sister, Dorothy kept them tied to Hollis in these last 3 1/2 years.  We could always see her light up in these last months by mentioning her sister, Dorothy and when Dorothy talked to her on the phone. These two sisters were so connected that Dorothy in her spirit and even physically sensed the moment that Mom transferred to Heaven.  When I called her minutes later, she told me the very time Mom had passed.

 

2.    In verse 8 of Proverbs 31, it says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.”  Our Mother became one who not only spoke up and became an advocate for young children, but later in life did the same for shut-ins and those in the nursing homes here in Hollis.  In her later years, close to another 20 years, she faithfully delivered Sunday School material, Home Life, and Open Windows to shut-ins and many in the nursing homes, becoming an advocate for the elderly. She spent many hours a week visiting and encouraging those who were sometimes somewhat forgotten, could not speak for themselves, and sometimes neglected.  I’m reminded of Titus 2:7-8 - “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.”  She taught by example, quietly serving the Lord and others.  

 

 

3.    Mother was committed to doing everything possible to get the gospel to others and sharing limited financial support to the poor and helpless.  Though she was not outwardly emotional, she had a deep compassion for the needy.  Again, Proverbs 31: 8-9 – says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”  

 

She gave to the Billy Graham Association and Franklin Graham ministries for many, many, years and followed their ministry very closely.  She and Dad gave sacrificially to Mission Offerings and faithfully tithed to their church, making sure that I continued doing that after taking over their finances.  When I took over their finances a few years ago, I couldn’t believe how many different groups in need of help she was supporting with regular gifts.  And again, she just quietly did it.  I’m not sure Dad even knew how many she was supporting, though she never purposely kept anything from him.  That’s just who she was in the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

IV.         Her Faithfulness to Leave a Legacy

 

There is more to her legacy than the best home-made hot bread rolls in the world, and best desserts at holidays.  Several of her grandchildren and even great grands have learned to make Mema’s hot rolls and special chocolate chip cookies.

 

Deuteronomy 4:9 states – “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.  Make them known to your children and your children’s children” – Mother leaves her legacy of love and service to the Lord to her eight grandchildren, her 21 great grandchildren and her 3 great, great grandchildren with another on the way.  That will be a total of 33 grandchildren.  She was always concerned that they were all being taught to walk with the Lord.  Sometimes, when needed, she herself sacrificed to make sure they were able to be in church and hear the Word of the Lord.  3 John 1:4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that My children are walking in the truth.”  And, of course, Proverbs 17:6 reminds us that “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged”. 

 

The last wish and words of our mother to those who are gathered here would be: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  If you are here today and do not have a personal relationship with Christ, she would lovingly encourage you to accept the gift of the Savior and make Him your Savior and Lord.  It will change your life forever. 

 

And finally, to those of us who know Christ as Savior and Lord, if Mother could speak to us today at this celebration of her life in Christ, I know that it would be similar to the words found in 2 Timothy 3:14-17.  She would speak them to both her family that she loved so much and to you friends who have gathered here to celebrate her life.  “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

 

A WORD DIRECTLY TO MEMA’S FAMILY

         I want to give you two things to remember that sound like a dichotomy: “Loose Her and let her go, . . . and Hang on!”  In John Chapter 11 we see the story of Lazarus.  When Jesus arrived four days after his burial, He said: “I am the resurrection and the life.  Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after death.  Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never die.”  When he called Lazarus out of the grave he was all wrapped up in grave clothes and couldn’t move.  Jesus said, “Loose him and let him go.”  Dear Family, Mema is with the Resurrected One, Jesus.  She is more alive than ever before.  She has seen her Savior face to face, and I picture her walking down the streets of gold hand in hand with Rhonda and they are probably looking for a heavenly Hobby Lobby.  She was bound up by a body and mind that could no longer function.  We need to loose her and let her go.  But, then . . . we need to hang on.  Hang on to the wonderful memories that each one of us have uniquely with her.  We need to remember all the good times we had with her.  Hang on to those precious memories and remember them.  And, . . . Hang on to the Lord’s promise to us - that His grace is sufficient to get us through our grieving.

 

Finally, I Corinthians 15:54-57 – “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?  For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 

But thank God!  Hallelujah!  He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We celebrate the Victory that Mom has found - standing before the Lord complete in Him and invite you to find Victory in Jesus today!  Let us stand and sing it together!!

Turning the Page

The past year and a half have been some precious times of depending on the Lord of our worship, and finding His grace sufficient.  My mother went to her home in heaven.  Fran's father went to his home in heaven.  My youngest and only sister I had left, went to her home in heaven.  Then my father went to his home in heaven.  I have shared my tribute to my sister earlier in my blogs.  I will be posting in the immediate future the tributes/messages for Fran's father and my mother and father given at their celebrations of life.

I retired from full-time worship leadership at FBC, Rockwall in 2015.  Then I ministered part-time to Community Baptist, Royse City, for another 6 years while teaching piano and voice at the Rockwall School of Music.  Not long ago the Lord began to lead Fran and me to move from front line in the pulpit worship leadership to the choir loft.  After teaching and preaching all these years that every choir member is a worship leader, we will now put that into practice. 

Right after this decision I began to have some health issues arise.  I won't go into detail, but God has been good in getting us to the right doctors and getting help with my issues.

So, our journey of personal and public worship takes a new turn as we minister differently after all these years.  This also allows us to invest more time into the lives of our nine wonderful grandchildren.