Wednesday through Sunday

Rebecca & Louis visiting the Collierville Church of Christ

Wednesday, May 25 I departed Winona, MS and headed to Collierville, TN. That evening, it was my pleasure to be with the Collierville Church of Christ for its midweek evening Bible class. I updated the congregation regarding my mission trip earlier this year for five weeks to Guyana, South America.

I stayed over Wednesday through Saturday nights with my daughter Rebecca in Collierville, awaiting further opportunities to speak for the Collierville congregation on the Lord’s Day (Sunday, May 29, 2016). During Bible class, I rushmored through an abundance of information on “The Ministry of Angels.” For the morning worship, I preached about “The Deity of Jesus Christ,” and for the 1:30 p.m. worship, I addressed, “Come Meet Jesus Christ as Creator.”

The Collierville Church of Christ is a great encouragement to me and helps make it possible for me serve our Lord, especially on foreign mission fields. I’m blessed to have known this congregation for decades. My daily prayers include this fine church.

Rebecca and I packed the Town & Country Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon between worship services. School is out, and she doesn’t resume teaching for about eight weeks; Rebecca will be keeping me company and traveling with me stateside.

After second service at Collierville, we made haste (within the legal limit) traversing highways for two hours on our way to the Charleston, MS Church of Christ. That evening, I presented my PowerPoint, “2015-2016 Mission Trips” (Asia and South America). Following worship, Rebecca and I dined with brethren in a fellowship meal occasioned by our visit. This was my first visit back to the Charleston congregation since the passing of my wife Bonnie. These brethren likewise encourage me and participate with me my foreign mission work.

Around 8:30 p.m., Rebecca and I pulled up in my Winona, MS driveway. Tomorrow, we will tend to the yard and other necessary things before leaving on Tuesday for many days on a trip to speak to congregations in West Virginia and Ohio. We will also visit family in Ohio and Pennsylvania, Lord willing. After returning to Mississippi for a week or so, we will travel to congregations in Florida.

All along the way, I will fire up my mobile office whenever possible and attend to literary pursuits (e.g., Gospel Gazette Online, The Voice of Truth International, etc.). Through the first part of October I intend to visit stateside congregations that partner with me in the Lord’s work. In the middle of October through the middle of November, I plan to work abroad in Myanmar (Burma) and India. I may be coming to a congregation near you. If not, why not?

Crying in the Night

This time, it wasn’t me – crying in the night. Recently, my phone rang and woke me from my sleep at 2:00 a.m. It’s a wonder that my new ringtone roused me at all – “Ring, ring, pick up the phone” by the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

On the other end of the call was the sobbing of a dear friend who became a widow about six months ago. Those alone moments sneak up on us sometimes and simply overpower us. She knew that she could call me anytime day or night and that I wouldn’t begrudge her calling me even in the wee hours of the morning. We talked for an hour and a half as though it were only fifteen or twenty minutes. For the most part I maintained my composure, and my dear sister in Christ made it through the night just a little more easily.

Sometimes we are strong, and sometimes we are weak. Sometimes we can uplift others who are hurting, and sometimes we need to be propped up ourselves. Together, we limp along through a difficult passageway.

Since I became a widower one year ago, I appear to be part of an informal network of Christian widows and widowers. Some of them are those with whom I worship from time to time locally or in various congregations to which I go in my travels. Others are scattered from Ohio to Florida to Texas.

Each of us knows what it is to cry in the night in grief and in loneliness. Each of us knows the painful realization that most of our Christian hymns are about heaven or death, which refresh us with the sense of recent loss. Each of us march two steps ahead and falter one step backward in our relentless progress toward healing. Each of us comes to know firsthand that the pain which we are experiencing will never go away, though we are assured by those who before us have known the same throbbing agony that in time we will be able to tolerate it more easily.

All we who have loved and have lost half of ourselves in the loss of spouses, whether or not sobbing aloud, in a sense have found ourselves crying in the night. Helping each other and assisted by caring Christian brethren, we will persevere until it is our time to depart this temporary sphere and its trappings. We may feel that we are irreparably broken, but we are not hopelessly undone as we strongly suspect; life goes on for us – until it doesn’t. In the meantime, may we lend ourselves to godly living and Christian service.

Crybaby

Bonnie with fishing spear in Myanmar (Burma) in 2011

With my hand atop her headstone, I talked to Bonnie today (Sunday, May 22). It was one year ago yesterday that her family, fellow Christians and friends laid her feeble body to rest in the Old Union Church of Christ Cemetery, out in the woods and amidst the kudzu in rural Carroll County, Mississippi. There hasn’t been an occasion when talking to my forever and sorely missed sweetheart that tears have not overpowered my eyes; today was no exception, but my sorrowful expression was measured and subdued. Later that day, though, sorrowfulness was deeper and the tears plentiful. One would think that over the past twelve months that my tear ducts had expended their all so that no more rivers of grief might flow, but alas it is not so.

However, I am wonderfully blessed by good, caring Christian brethren who do everything possible to uplift and encourage me. Today, brothers and sisters of the Old Union Church of Christ and the West President Church of Christ (in Greenwood, MS) rescued my fainting spirit as best they could.

Sunday morning during time set aside for the Bible class, I acquainted the Old Union congregation with my recent mission trip to Guyana, South America. At the worship hour, I preached about “The Deity of Jesus Christ,” appealing to a PowerPoint presentation to better and more swiftly convey the biblical information to all present.

With my frequent stateside travels, often I miss the quarterly fellowship meal with the brethren at Old Union. In view of that, these Christian brethren moved the date for the feast ahead one week to coincide with my presence and speaking today. For what more could one ask than camaraderie among Christians and good food?

A milestone sad anniversary behind me, I continue to look ahead. I have my sights set on nine states through which I will soon be traveling while going, Lord willing, to speaking appointments. Happily, my daughter Rebecca will be accompanying me. I may be coming to a congregation near you. If not, be my advocate and arrange for me an appointment regarding my foreign mission work, a Gospel meeting, a summer series or some other opportunity to apply myself in service to our Lord. May God bless us all and use us in His service as long as we draw breath.

A Little Hiatus

Therman & Sadie

I took a little hiatus from daily duties for Tuesday, May 17 through Friday, May 20. I decided to get out of the house and out of town to try and brace myself against potentially overpowering sorrow were I to remain alone on the anniversary of Bonnie’s death. Brother Therman and sister Sadie Hodge graciously allowed me to live with them for a while.

Before heading to the Hodge Lodge on Tuesday, I went into the office/warehouse and managed to do some hours work. On the way out of Winona, I mailed letters and a package at the post office in town. Many of my drives to various destinations are longer than Tuesday’s trek, but for whatever reason, the 2½ road trip to the outskirts of Meridian, Mississippi seemed especially long. It was raining some outside the car as well as a little down my cheeks, too.

10 Commandments at Mexican restaurant

Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of Bonnie’s passing. However, in the company of Therman and Sadie, I got through the day very well. That evening, I was pleased to visit my good friends and Christian brethren of the Union, MS Church of Christ, where the Hodges worship.

Thursday was another good day. Perhaps some of what made good days was not only the fellowship of caring Christian friends, but also some the little local excursions on which we went together; we dined out on several occasions, and Sadie and Therman fixed some tasty meals at the house also. Therman and I also retrieved his repaired riding lawnmower – from a hole in the wall bait shop of all places! In addition, he and I went for a ride one day to a local power plant, which is built over top of an extensive bed of coal.

Some of the Christian friends

Besides the Hodges, we interacted with two other couples. All of us ate one evening at the Chunky River Fish Camp – a rustic setting sporting good food. The Hodges and I also ate at one of the finest Mexican restaurants that I had ever encountered anywhere. We tried on one occasion to eat act Cracker Barrel, but we happened to have arrived just after a Canadian tour bus from French-speaking Quebec just unloaded and got in line; instead, we baled

from there and landed at McAlister’s Deli.

 

Power Plant

Friday morning, I retraced my steps to Winona, MS. I managed to get a little work done on my mobile office, but office work wasn’t the primary focus of my evacuation from where I live. Today (Saturday), is the anniversary of Bonnie’s funeral, but I appear to be doing as well or better than especially other days this month of May. Perhaps this milestone will be an important piece in the overall healing process through which I am going. I will always love my dear, departed wife, coworker and life’s companion.

BIG Shovel!

Yet, even today from the comfort and convenience of my own living room, I succeeded in completing a literary commitment on which I have been working for many months on behalf of others. I will press ahead, feebly at times for sure, but I will press ahead, hoping to glorify God and edify many precious fellow souls across the planet in the time that may remain for me on earth.

Mississippi Weekend

Sunday, May 15, 2016 found me visiting two Mississippi congregations a couple hours distance from each other. In the morning, it was my pleasure to speak during the Bible class time and worship period for the Elliott Church of Christ.   I made two PowerPoint presentations, “2015-2016 Mission Trips” (Asia & South America) and “The Church in Prophecy.” I was well received. The Elliott congregation is one of my regular supporters.

In the evening, I spoke once more for the Crockett Church of Christ. Speaking only once, I presented “2015-2016 Mission Trips” there as well. Not only was I well received as usual, but this was the occasion of the congregation’s monthly fellowship meal; that made the visit even more personal as we shared homemade cooking and camaraderie as brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am in the process of making appointments for the next several weeks that, Lord willing, will take me to congregations of the Lord’s church in Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia and Florida. In the weeks ahead, I will try to schedule appointments in Georgia and Arkansas. I could be coming to a congregation near you, especially if you act as my advocate and help me make an appointment with the church of Christ where you worship.

Quiet Week

It’s been a quiet week. Sister Betty Choate has not returned to Winona, MS yet from her extended world tour and visiting family in western states upon reentering the USA. Brother Jerry and sister Paula Bates have been out of town for over a week as they travel to family and church appointments stateside. Just myself with whom to interact locally, I’m proud that I’ve not entered into any arguments or disagreements! The few book orders that have come in were easily enough to handle, though there remain a couple of The Voice of Truth International subscription inquiries that await Paula’s attention.

I have worked on volume 89 of The Voice of Truth International, and shortly after all the gang returns home, it should be ready to commit to the printing company. Wednesday, I spoke for the Courtland, MS Church of Christ; I made my PowerPoint presentation about 2015-2016 Mission Trips. I was graciously received by the small band of Christians, and they posed more questions than a dozen congregations to which I go with mission reports. The Courtland Church of Christ as well as individual Christian families that worship there participate with me financially and make it possible for me to do what I do abroad. I’m thankful for their encouragement and partnership.

Yesterday, I had a trailer hitch, trailer lights and spring assisted overload shocks installed on the Town & Country van. I resisted for about two years, but the last haul of literature and Bibles to a shipping company for shipment to Guyana, South America placed an enormous strain on the vehicle. Hence next time, I will pull a trailer loaded with The Voice of Truth International magazines, books and tracts instead of ruining the car.

Today, I finally published to the Internet the May edition of Gospel Gazette Online. Anyone who happens upon it can use the monthly journal freely and the thousands of archived articles preserved there over the past 18 years of publication. In addition, around 1,600 subscribers across the world will receive notifications via email that the new issue of GAZ is ready.

The upcoming week, Lord willing, will see me speaking for the Elliott and Crockett churches of Christ on the Lord’s Day. Both congregations are in Mississippi. Tuesday, I plan to leave town for a few days and spend them with brother Therman and sister Sadie Hodge outside of Meridian, MS. They have been gracious enough to agree to coddle me for the few days surrounding the first anniversary of Bonnie’s passing. My sorrow is slow departing, and especially this month has been emotionally challenging already.

May God bless each Reader. May you and I relentlessly move forward on the narrow, pilgrim pathway, between the ditches of sin, ever mindful of the heavenly horizon toward which we trudge.

Blog Statistics

Three Internet presences cross-promote each other with the intention of primarily driving visits to Gospel Gazette Online, my 16-page, monthly Internet magazine now in its 18^th year of continuous publication. In addition, thousands of articles remain ready 24-7 in the Archive for use free of charge by anyone who has access to the Internet. GGO may be accessed at www.gospelgazette.com.

My blog appears on Word Press and can be accessed directly at https://louisrushmore.wordpress.com/. Each post there automatically posts as well on Facebook. Each year, Word Press presents me with some interesting statistics relative to the posts thereon that I have made over the course of the year. For 2015, for instance, “The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.” The busiest day for visits to the blog was May 20, 2015 concerning the obituary for my late wife Bonnie Rushmore; 912 views of that blog entry occurred in 24 hours.

Gospel Gazette Online, Facebook and Brotherhood News were the three chief referring sites to my blog on Word Press. Visitors to my blog came from 71 countries across the planet, though the three primary countries from which visitors came were the USA, India and Guyana.