CREATIVE MINDS BY JOE MCKEEVER

Joe McKeever

"Your words have stood men on their feet." Job 4:4

March 28, 2009

Creative Minds, Great Quotes

"Tragically, in most churches the pain of change is greater than the pain of ineffectiveness." -- Thom Rainer in "Simple Church."

My longtime friend, Max Youngblood of Bessemer, Alabama, sent us a delightful thing from the Birmingham area. The Jefferson County Commission is proposing a "non-user fee" for residents who do not use the county sewer system. Well, sir, that gave restaurant owner Tasos Touloupis an idea. The owner of Ted's Restaurants -- one at 328 12th St. South and the other at 1801 4th Avenue South -- has proposed a "non-diner's fee."

The way it works is this: Ted's will maintain a record of customers. At the end of each month, his bookkeeper will send a $12 NDF invoice to all residents of Jefferson County who did not eat at Ted's during the month.

Sounds like a deal, doesn't it.

In these times of economic uncertainty, our churches will need to become more creative in generating income. How does a "non-member's tithing" system sound?

Up in Alexandria, Louisiana, my friend Devona Able was at her computer the other evening. Her wonderful eight-year-old Grace Anne, looking over her shoulder, noticed an e-mail from "Dr. Joe McKeever." She asked, "Is he a doctor?" Mom answered, "Yes, but not like Dr. Marzullo (her pediatrician)."

Grace Anne said, "Oh, so he must be a doctor like Dr. Brooks (Calvary, Alexandria). They're like doctors of love because they teach people what love really means and that it comes from Jesus."

"Yeah, baby," mom said. "Something like that."

Out of the mouths of babes. (So, just call me "Doctor Love." Wait, on second thought, that sounds like a rap artist.)

Plundering the office closet, I ran across my scribbled notes from the one time I attended the annual pastors conference at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago (that would be May 30-June 1, 1978). I had already "latched onto" (preacher talk for "I really, really liked this guy!") Warren Wiersbe who was soon to transition from pastoring Chicago's Moody Memorial Church to becoming the on-air teacher for the Back-to-the-Bible broadcast.

Wiersbe's message, based on Psalm 78, was titled "What a Difference the Right Man Makes!" It's great stuff, and wears well three decades later.

Introduction: When God wanted to

--start a Jewish nation, He called a shepherd (Abraham).

--Build the Jewish nation, He called a shepherd (Jacob).

--Protect the Jewish nation, He called a shepherd (Joseph).

--Straighten out the Jewish nation, He called a shepherd (David).

That's still God's answer to the basic needs in the ministry today. Psalm 78:72 goes: "So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands."

I. God's people have a need: feeding and leading.

That's why shepherds exist for the flock. David's predecessor, Saul, was not a shepherd, but a hireling. (See John 10:12-13) The opposite of feeding is exploiting. 
If you don't feed the sheep, they start eating things they should not.

II. God has a need: a man to be the shepherd for His people.

But not just any man. David was "a man after God's own heart." God is a shepherd, Jesus a shepherd, Paul and Peter were shepherds.

--A shepherd is a servant. No one has the right to lead who hasn't learned how to serve. Novice's profession is louder than his possession.

--a shepherd is compassionate. Psalm 78:71 "following ewes with their young"

--a shepherd is skillful. "the skillfulness of his hands" (vs. 72).

III. God's man has a need: "integrity" -- 78:72

"Integrity" means united, wholeness, oneness. It is the opposite of a divided life. (James 1)

--Jesus spoke of this in the Sermon on the Mount. "Seek first the Kingdom of God." A united heart. "If the eye is single." A united mind. "No one can serve two masters." A united will.

--Put to death the alternatives. Make the decision once and for all.

--The result is the integrity of person, purpose, preaching.

Jerry Jenkins spoke at that conference. This was years before he and Tim LaHaye made history in Christian publishing with their "Left Behind" series. Two quotes from Jerry:

"Most people do not want to write; they want to have written."

"Writing a book is like giving birth to a bale of barbed wire." (And that's what I'm trying to do this year! Triplets even!)

And the inimitable Vance Havner spoke. (This veteran evangelist, in a class by himself in every category imaginable, always made me think of something Alice Longworth Roosevelt said of Calvin Coolidge: "He looks like he was weaned on a pickle." He was a prophet in many ways.)

Dr. Havner gave us four tests for preachers: truth, temptation, trouble, time. He said, "These don't get much attention from pulpit committees, but the Lord puts a lot of value on them."

Truth: Most of our preachers think of truth as a body of doctrine, but it's actually the Lord Jesus Christ.

Temptation: There's no sin in being tempted. Jesus was tempted.

Trouble: The storm tests the house. "If your faith is no good in the dark, it's not worth much in the daylight."

In Hebrews 11, in the summary toward the end of the chapter, there are two groups: those who won great victories and those who died for the Lord. Be ready for either.

"God did not die to make us happy, but to make us holy."

Problems will either make you better or bitter.

Time: Steadfastness. Can you see a job through? (Dr. Havner spoke of wanting to die before he lost control of his faculties. Asked us to pray for him to that end. He died in 1986, but I do not know the details.) He said, "The Lord preserves the saints, not pickles them."

The lineup of other speakers that week included Howard Hendricks, John MacArthur, David Howard, Erwin Lutzer, S. M. Lockridge, and Ross Rhoads (seven years later, Ross and I became neighboring pastors in Charlotte). I heard as many as I could.

What was I doing traveling all the way from Columbus, Mississippi, to Chicago for that conference? Frankly, I had become bored with all the SBC conferences I had been attending. The same speakers were on all the programs. So, I decided to go somewhere different. It was a grand week and its memory is fresh today. As I recall, the fee for the conference was around $60, and on the last day, they gave us that amount in books from their publishing house. These folks do know how to bless a preacher!

THE SHACK, THE TRINITY, AND THE SHEPHERD

Last summer while on vacation I read 'The Shack'.  My son in law, Mark Carroll, was reading it and it passed it on to me.  I liked it.  I say that knowing that I might be branded as an unlearned idiot.

This self-published book has sold millions and has come under a lot of criticism mainly because of the way it dares to present The Trinity.  (REMEMBER, IT IS FICTION)  God is 'Papa', a black female Aunt Jemima type of character that you quickly fall in love with; for instance, when Papa is in the kitchen preparing batter for a cake, the bowl slips and the Trinity, while laughing, are cleaning the floor. Jesus is a middle eastern carpenter.  The Holy Spirit is oriental.

The other day I read another review of the book by Gordan MacDonald (see link above).  His review expresses my thoughts on the book.  He raises the question about David (or was it the Holy Spirit?) portraying God as s Shepherd.  He wonders what the Theologians of David's day did with that image. I do too.

GOD'S GLUE

I RECIEVED THIS FROM A FRIEND  TODAY. IT IS GOOD. READ IT.

A doctor wrote:

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

 

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking....'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart..how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath.

And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!

It was because he started talking about laminin.

I knew about laminin. Here is how Wikipedia describes them:

'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell.. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE.

But now I do.

And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....

Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

 

 

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing.

The glue that holds us together...ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

 

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. '

Colossians 1:15-17.

Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.

Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!

" Faith is not knowing what the future holds, 
but knowing who holds the future."

 

CATCHING WILD PIGS

There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the professor noticed one young man (an exchange student) who kept rubbing his back and stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government. In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, ' Do you know how to catch wild pigs?' The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence.  They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity. The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while we continually lose our freedoms- just a little at a time. One should always remember 'there is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, 'you can never hire someone to provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself. Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America, you might want to question the motives of the candidates. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably chose the Hillary or Obama plan, or simply pick one of those RINO's that are running. But God help you when the gate slams shut!

GOD'S GRACE

Never Beyond the Reach or Need of the Gospel

from Of First Importance by fredeaton

“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace, nor are your best days ever so good that you are beyond the need of it.”

- Jerry Bridges, Discipline of Grace (Colorado Springs, Co.: NavPress, 1994), 18

YOUR TIME IS COMING

When you wake up in the morning, push your elbows out away from your body. If you don't strike wood, you haven't been buried yet.

When you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, you will know you are dead.

When you wake up in the morning and can get out of bed by yourself, it's the beginning of a GREAT day.

Then check the obituaries in the morning newspaper and, if your name isn't there, get dressed.

MORE WORDS

heterodox

Main Entry:

het·ero·dox  alt=" Listen to the pronunciation of heterodox" title=" Listen to the pronunciation of heterodox" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025">

Pronunciation:

\ˈhe-tə-rə-ˌdäks, ˈhe-trə-\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Late Latin heterodoxus, from Greek heterodoxos, from heter- + doxaopinion — more at doxology

Date:

circa 1650

1 : contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : unorthodox , unconventional <heterodox ideas>2 : holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines

 

apologetics

 Main Entry:

apol·o·get·ics 

Pronunciation:

\-tiks\

Function:

noun plural but singular or plural in construction

Date:

circa 1733

1 : systematic argumentative discourse in defense (as of a doctrine)2 : a branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity

What Are Pluralism, Inclusivism, and Exclusivism?

by Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D.

Is there only one religion that leads to God or do several? Or, is the truth somewhere in between? Few issues are as controversial and important as this issue of which religion(s) leads a person to salvation . The purpose of this article is to define three key terms related to this issue—Pluralism, Inclusivism, and Exclusivism.

1.  Pluralism  -- "All major world religions lead to God and salvation."

Various forms of Pluralism exist. For our purposes, though, the Pluralism we are concerned with is “Religious” or “Philosophical” Pluralism. Religious Pluralism is the view that all major religions are equally valid and lead to God and salvation. Thus, no one religion is inherently better or superior to any other major world religion. With Religious Pluralism, all the major religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam are equal. For pluralists, there may be differences in rituals and beliefs among these groups, but on the most important issues, there is great similarity. Most religions, they claim, stress love for God and love for fellow human beings. They also point out that most religions have a form of the Golden Rule. Religious pluralists also point out that there are pious people in all the major religions. Religious Pluralism became increasingly popular in the the latter half of the twentieth century. The leading proponent of Religious Pluralism in the last few decades has been John Hick.

2.  Inclusivism  -- "One religion is best but salvation is possible in other religions."

"Inclusivism" is the position that one religion is uniquely true but salvation is accessible to those outside of that faith. For example, a Christian inclusivist might say, "I am a Christian and I think Christianity is the most correct religion, but I also think there is saving truth in other religions like Islam and Hinduism. People of other faiths can be saved by Jesus even if they do not explicitly believe in Him." Inclusivists do not go as far as pluralists in that inclusivists do not claim that all religions are equal. They do believe, though, that truth and salvation can be found in other religions. Some Christian inclusivists claim that the salvation of Jesus is unknowingly applied to adherents of other religions who live good, moral lives. Catholic and Inclusvist theologian, Karl Rahner, referred to such people as “anonymous Christians.”

The sixteenth century reformer Ulrich Zwingli held to a form of Inclusivism. In more recent years, Karl Rahner helped popularize this perspective. The Roman Catholic Church and several mainline Protestant denominations have also shifted toward Inclusivism in recent decades. The Roman Catholic “Vatican II Council” of the 1960s explicitly declared that people of other religions could be saved. Evangelical theologian, Clark Pinnock, too, has espoused Inclusivism. Traditionally, religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism have been proponents of Inclusivism as well.

3.  Exclusivism -- "Salvation is found in only one religion."

"Exclusivism" (or “Particularism”) is the view that there is only one way to God and salvation. Thus one religion is uniquely and supremely true and all other religions are false. Christianity is often viewed as an exclusive religion because of Jesus’ statement in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” In addition to Christianity, the religions of Islam and Judaism have traditionally been considered to be exclusive religions. Those who hold to Exclusivism usually affirm that other religions possess elements of truth, but these religions do not teach ‘the truth’ that is able to save its followers. In fact, much of what is taught in other religions is viewed by exclusivists as false. It should be noted that some groups within Judaism and Christianity have drifted away from Exclusivism in recent decades.

MY GREATEST NEED

Our greatest need

“If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”

- D.A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation

THEOLOGICAL WORDS

THEOLOGICAL WORDS NOT SO WELL KNOWN

MONERGISM

    [mon-er-jiz-uhm]  Show IPA

–noun Theology.

the doctrine that the Holy Ghost acts independently of the human will in the work of regeneration. Compare synergism (def. 3).

Origin: 
1865–70; mon- + Gk érg(on) work, deed + -ism 

Related forms:

mon⋅er⋅gist, noun

mon⋅er⋅gis⋅tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009. 
Cite This Source

PAEDOBAPTISM…..Infant baptism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Infant baptism is the Christian religious practice of baptizing infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greekpais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", orcredobaptism, from the Latin word credo meaning "I believe", which is the religious practice of baptizing only individuals who personally confess faith in Jesus, therefore excluding small children.

 

OBFUSCATE

A blogger I was reading today used this word. I had to look it up:

ob⋅fus⋅cate

    [ob-fuh-skeyt, ob-fuhs-keyt]  Show IPA

–verb (used with object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing.

1.	to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy.

2.	to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information.

3.	to darken. The word he used to describe someone else is exactly what he did in his Blog. I am in a state of OBFUSCATION. Yes, that is a word.

THE 8TH HABIT....STEPHEN COVEY

From Stephen Covey's book The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (New York: Free Press, 2004). Its theme is to find your [vocational] voice and to help others find their voice.

Here are his 'four assumptions to help live a holistic and balanced life' (p.58):

1. For the body - assume you've had a heart attack; now live accordingly.

2. For the mind - assume the half-life of your profession is two years; now prepare accordingly.

3. For the heart - assume everything you say about another, they can overhear; now speak accordingly.

4. For the spirit - assume you have a one-on-one visit with your Creator every quarter; now live accordingly.    (How about everyday?...mine)

(copied  from: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/new.htm)

WORRY...PASSING THE TORCH

Is there a magic cutoff period when Offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become detached spectators in The lives of their children and shrug, 'It's their life,' and feel nothing?

When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few Stitches in my daughter's head. I asked, 'When do you stop worrying?' The nurse said, 'When they get out of the accident stage.' My Dad just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted the class, and was headed for a career making license plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher said, 'Don't worry, they all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them.' My dad just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open. A friend said, 'they're trying to find themselves. Don't worry, in a few years, you can stop worrying. They'll be adults.' My dad just smiled faintly and said nothing.

By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable. I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle. There was nothing I could do about it. My Dad just smiled faintly and said nothing. I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments.

My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my dad's warm smile and his occasional, 'You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home. Are You depressed about something?'

Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of life?

One of my children became quite irritable recently, saying to me, 'Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days, and no one answered I was worried.' I smiled a warm smile. The torch has been passed.

INVESTMENT BANKING

Investment Banking Idea

Young Chuck moved to Texas and bought a donkey from a farmer for $100.

The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.

The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry Chuck, but I have some bad news. The donkey died.'"

Chuck replied, "Well then, just give me my money back."

The farmer said," 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already."

Chuck said, "OK, then, just bring me the dead donkey."

The farmer asked, "What ya gonna do with a dead donkey?"

Chuck said, "I'm going to raffle him off."

The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead donkey!"

Chuck said, "Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."

A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey?"

Chuck said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898.00."

The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?"

Chuck said, "Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."

Chuck now works for Morgan Stanley.

AUNT EULENE

My Favorite Aunt, (Eulene Youngblood Willingham Whitten), and I had a a bunch of Aunts, died Monday morning.  She was in a Nursing Home in Sandersville, Georgia.  Tim Adams, her grandson, called to let us know.  Her funeral will be tomorrow at Sister's Baptist Church in Sandersville; that's where her daughter, Doris Ann Willingham Adams was buried a few years ago after a tragic accident.  I attended that service with my brothers and sisters.  I regret not be physically able to make the trip this time.

We grew up in Rome, Ga.; it was there, 323 East First Avenue, that my Grandfather Ollie, my Grandmother Sallie, Aunt Eulene and Doris Ann lived along with anybody else that needed a home.

We visited there some many times.  Aunt Eulene was a care-giver and the best cook in the world; at least in my world.  Within a hour of less, she could spread a feast fit for a king and his army.

I lived there while I finished school.  My family moved away and I hated that.  They welcomed me and looked after me.  There are so many warm memories.

Some years ago Aunt Eulene married Ellis Whitten, a long time friend.  After grandmother died and the neighborhood changed, Doris Ann Adams moved them down to Sandersville.  That became home and she became well know there as a Loving, Caring, and Best Cook.  We visited with her there when she had to use a cane and sit on a stool to cook: what a blessing.  My wife and all our children, Ginny, Kathy, Debbie, and Jimmy fell in love with Aunt Eulene.  We will miss her.  My brother Guy and his wife Glenda loved and kept in close touch with her as long as possible.  I know for a fact that Sammy, Pat and Polly also loved her.  

Both Aunt Eulene and Ellis went together to a nursing home.  Ellis died a few years ago.  Aunt Eulene would have been 90 this summer.  Tim Adam's and his brothers (her grandsons) and their families made sure they were loved and well taken care of.  Thank you!

Obituaries Eulene Youngblood Whitten  (August 26, 1919 - March 10, 2009)  Mrs. Eulene Youngblood Whitten, age 89, of Sandersville, died Tuesday,  March 10, 2009 at the Heritage Inn Nursing Home. Funeral services will be held on  Thursday, March 12th at 2:00pm at the Sisters Baptist Church  with burial in the church cemetery. Rev. Burt Parker and Rev. Phillip Winsett will officiate. Mrs. Whitten was born in Floyd County the daughter of the late Oliver Newton Youngblood  and the late Sallie McCue Youngblood. She was a long time resident of Rome where  she retired as a seamstress and was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church.  After retirement to Sandersville, Mrs. Whitten was a member of  Sisters Baptist Church. She is predeceased by her husbands John Emmett Willingham  and Ellis Wilford Whitten and her daughter Doris W. Adams. Survivors are her grandchildren, Evelyn Adams Winsett (Phillip) of Evans,  William O. Adams (Christy) of Marietta,  Timothy M. Adams (Laney) of Sandersville and Clinton D. Adams (Julie) of  Tennille,  Great Grandchildren,  Zachary P. Winsett (Ashley), Christie W. Caputo (Paul), Jessie Adams, Jordan Adams,  Daniel Adams, Lindsey Adams, Ashley Adams, Melissa Adams, and Randi Adams. May and Smith Funeral Directors, Sandersville, is in charge of these arrangements. Aunt Eulene's mother and my grandmother, Obituary. Aunt Eulene and Ellis cared for her at home many years. Obituary of Sallie McCue Youngblood   Rome News Tribune December 31, 1984 Mrs. O. N. Youngblood (Sallie McCue), 92,  306 Grady Ave., died Saturday evening at her residence after a long illness.  Mrs. Youngblood was born in Fairmont, February 22, 1892,  daughter of the late George McDuffie McCue and Arkie Virginia Moreland McCue.   She lived most of her life in Floyd County.   She was a member of North Broad Baptist Church and had been a charter member of  Calvary Baptist Church since 1936. Mrs. Youngblood was preceded in death by  her husband, Oliver Newton Youngblood, Sr., July 20, 1964,  to whom she was married October 18, 1908.  Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Ellis (Eulene) Whitten, Rome;  two sons, Wade Youngblood, Rome; O. N. Youngblood, Jr., Dayton, Ohio;  seven grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and seven great-great granchildren.  Funeral services will be held at 11 am Tuesday at Heritage Chapel of  Jennings Funeral Home, with Dr J. Robert Moon, Jr. and the Rev. Frank Wood officiating. Interment will be at Sunset Hills Memorial Gardens.  Pallbearers include Sam Youngblood, Guy Youngblood, Rev. Max Youngblood, Bill Adams, Tim Adams, and Clint Adams.

MARY JEAN REEVES

The other day we learned we had lost another friend.  Mary Jean Reeves lost her battle with liver disease.  When we came  to Second Baptist Church of Bessemer to pastor in 1982 we soon became friends with Charles and Mary Jean.  As I think about that I became aware that there are for too few folks we can count as 'close friends' in all the places we have served.  Who are they?  People who go out of their way to make you feel welcome, invite you into  their homes, and are not pretentious.  What you see is what you get.  They are real.

If you really want to know somebody, go camping together.  I remember so well how we enjoyed each other's company around a campfire on a cool fall evening.  Someone cooked a big pot of beans, another prepared mac and cheese, another cornbread, another slaw, etc, etc.

There are many others, like the Reeves, that we remain close friends; and many of them we never camped with.  Camping is not necessary; being real is.

I know there are some in the ministry who vow to never become close friends with the people in their Church.  To me that is sad.  Some in the Church may read something else into that kind of friendship and feel threatened, like maybe we are a part of some conspiracy.  I'll always be willing to take that chance.  Please join me in prayer for Charles, her daughter, Jennifer (Kyle)  and those three precious grandchildren, as well as the rest of her family.

Tomorrow I will participate in Mary Jean's Funeral Service.  It is my privilege to call her Friend.  The following is her obituary as it appeared in the paper:

Mary Jean Whisenant Reeves
REEVES, MARY JEAN WHISENANT, age 67, of Alabaster, passed away March 6, 2009. She was a school teacher for over 30 years in Bessemer City Schools. Mrs. Reeves played piano and organ at Second Baptist Church for 33 years. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at Bessemer Brown Service Funeral Home with burial at Highland Memorial Gardens. Rev. J.D. Davis and Rev. Max Youngblood officiating. Visitation will be held at the funeral home prior to the service from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm. She is survived by her: husband, Charles W. Reeves; daughter, Jennifer Williams (Kyle); son adopted in love, Scott Pylant (Amy); grandchildren, Kelsey Reeves Williams, Kylie Christian Williams, Kole Barner Williams, Rebekah Eleanor Pylant and Scott Reeves Pylant. She is also survived by her family: Tommy and Susan Reeves, Glenda Parsons, Jesse and Sue Reeves, Christy and Alan Miller, Jacglen and Terry Poole, Jason and Jill Bowman, Glynn and Bum Reeves, Jonathan and Jordan Reeves, Terry Grimes and numerous great-nieces and nephews. The family would like to express special thanks to the staff at Meadowood Nursing Home for the wonderful love and care given to Mrs. Reeves. Bessemer Brown Service Funeral Home is honored to serve the Reeves family.