Hey Guys, gals, and fellow bloggers all over the world, my name is Don Ledbetter and I'm the rookie. This is my very first venture into blogging. I hope to get better acquainted in the days (years) to come as I give my views, opinions, and outright dogmatic prognostications on matters both important and trivial. The following is a sample of the wit and wisdom that will be coming out of the hill country in central Texas.

I call it The Nap Time Funeral:

This time the phone was for Bettye.
"Miss Bettye, Lenea's Grandmother passed away; we need someone to play the organ for her service. Can you do it?" When one of your faithful members calls, of course you will do it. The funeral was Sunday afternoon. Not a good time, especially for me. That's nap time. Has been for 50 years. Who, in their right mind messes with a pastor's nap time?
Anyway, Bettye consented to play the organ, just one of her many talents, but she asked me to go with her. She really does know about nap time, but how can you say no, especially to Bettye? I have before and had to deal with guilt for the next two weeks. I consented to go, but deep inside was a begrudging bigger than an over-inflated basketball. What a waste of time, I groused. How could she do this to me? More grousing.
I went to the dumb funeral and just sat there. What a waste! Then the pastor who was helping conduct the funeral came in. A young, handsome man. He pastors the EV Free Church in our town. Pleasant as all get out. He told me his name and it rang a bell.
"Have you or your family attended my church before?"
"Yes, but I will talk to you later."
So after the service he related to me how his mother attended our church back in the early '80's and when he was nine years old he became a Christian. I baptized him. Now naps, grousing, and all general ill-will vanished. God had a blessing and a special plan to encourage, all reserved in my name and faithfully passed on, even though I had such a bad attitude.
My poit is this: no service to and for the Lord is "just routine." It wasn't routine back in the early eighties when I baptized a 9 year old boy. It wasn't when Bettye agreed to play the organ for a funeral scheduled during my nap time. No act of love or obedience, no matter how large or small is ever routine. Serve the Lord with gladness.
Don in Georgetown.