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Does God have a word for us in His Holy Scriptures? Yes, He does. He always has a word for His people either audible or written down. We should be listening like Noah of old when God gave him the dimensions of the ark and how to build it, or when Jonah, was instructed to go to Nineveh and preach against it. Then there is Saul, who became Paul, on the road to Damascus.

Here is a strong word from the Lord in Jeremiah 4:7-8: “The lion has come up from the thicket, and the destroyer of nations is on his way.”

“O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness that you may be saved. How long shall your next evil thoughts lodge within you?” (Jeremiah 4:10)

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I 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; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”Psalms 23:1-6 NASB1995 My foolish decisions could have got me killed. There were many close calls that could have destroyed my life. As I reflect on these seasons, I have experienced the following truth; “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

“Honor your father and mother that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12) Last Sunday was Father’s Day. I miss my father so very much. We lived in Buna, Texas. That’s between Orange and Beaumont, Texas. Dad was born there in the Peachtree Indian Village between Jasper and Woodville, Texas. H went to school in Buna, played on Buna’s first basketball team in 1911. He went to Texas A & M and then entered the Army Cadets. He played on Texas A & M’s first basketball team as a guard around 1913-14. He volunteered for the Army from 1915-1917 and served in France as a Second Lieutenant. He returned to Buna after WWI, met my mother and married, and then developed a nursery business. He grew plants, shrubs, and young trees. My mother Beatrice became a florist. Three boys were born into the family. I was the first, born in 1936, then Victor, born in 1938 ad Phillip Charles in 1942. WE all graduated from Buna High School.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I 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; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Mans field of old would not be recognizable today. The transportation was by horseback, buggy or wagon and people did not travel to Shreveport or other distant places unless it was absolutely necessary. Logansport, 22 miles in distance, was a two-day affair. Many of the people would get up and leave by wagon to pay their taxes in Mansfield which was the Parish Seat and ladies would shop for dress material, lace, etc. After shopping they would return to a campground just west of Attwood’s on the left side of U.S. 84. Reading one account of the family camping told of Dr. Stribling (built the Milton Baker house) stopping by for coffee. The campers would cook breakfast and be on the way back to Logansport by six o’clock.

Celebrate America’s 250th birthday with red, white and blue in the garden

The Fourth of July is approaching, and this year’s holiday marks a special milestone: The United States of America is officially 250 years old. Folks across the country are commemorating the occasion with lots of red, white and blue.

Why not bring that color scheme into the landscape?

At the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden in Baton Rouge, that’s exactly what staff members are doing as they refresh beds with warm-season annuals. Senior landscape manager Jason Stagg said there are plenty of patriotically hued plants that do well in Louisiana gardens.

Reds The Burden team is using Lucky Star Dark Red pentas for a punch of red in the Burden landscape this summer. The Lucky Star series, which was selected for the Ag-Center’s Louisiana Super Plant program, features small, five-pointed flowers that come in a range of vivid shades.

On June 19 at 6:30 pm Frierson Baptist will host a concert By Brian Free and Assurance. This Will Be A Free Event and a Love Offering will be taken.

Frierson Baptist Church Is Located At 299 East Street In Frierson, La.

For More Information Contact Jason Goff, Choir Director at 318-518-4820

“Better is an handful with quietness than both hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” (Ecclesiastes 4:6) “But to this man will I look with the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contribute spirit and trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2) I felt that times in college were hard. My Dad had taught me to work hard growing up. I either had to do without out or do with little. If I had a job I was to work hard at it, to make something better than I found it, to take care of things such as my tools, to keep them cleaned and oiled and put them up at night and out of the rain and dew. I received $4.00 a month during school days at E.T.B.U. and took in washing and ironing of other boy’s clothes. I cut boys hair for $1.00 each and even painted a number of houses. The Dean of the College asked me to paint his garage and I did. He paid me $15.00. I worked summer jobs for $1.00 per hour, forty hours per week for $40.00!!

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even 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; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalms 23:1-6 ESV In the next few weeks, I want us to study this chapter of the Psalms. I find this chapter very comforting and yet challenging. This truth gives strength to the weary, hope to the hopeless, joy to the brokenhearted, peace to the anxious and love to the loveless.

“...but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” 1 Peter 4:16 NASB 1995 There are moments life confronts us with difficult problems that will turn our world upside down. We experience feelings and emotions that we never could have imagined. The feelings and emotions become revealed because of these challenges of life and stir in us instability in our thoughts and beliefs in our hearts.

When these instabilities happen in our heart and mind they bring doubt, confusion and a reduction of our faith. These sudden traumatic moments or events should not surprise you if you are a Follower of Jesus Christ. We have two enemies that are trying to derail us from keeping our focus on the things of God. We have the sinful flesh and we have our adversary the devil. These enemies want to take our eyes away from Jesus and take our hearts from the Word of God.