Sunday Hat

Momma Grace Weyandt was such a blessing to all the people at Calvary Baptist Church. She wore beautiful hats and had a smile to die for. She was the matron of our church for many years. She went to heaven last year. We miss her. I'll bet she wearing a beautiful Sunday hat up in heaven while loving and being loved.

For Him

I travelled to West Africa in 2009 with my brother, Chris. We spent 4 weeks preaching in little towns and villages while seeing hundreds of people saved. My life was so confusing at the time. I wondered what the future might hold for me and my kids. While all these fears flooded my mind, I would come back to underlying theme of why all of these things had occurred, and why I was travelling these bumpy roads along the coast of Africa. The purpose of it all was "For Him". It was all for Jesus.

 

It Mattered That You Were There

My fathers first pastor after he was saved in 1967 was Loren Mohler. My dad was called to preach in Brother Mohlers ministry. He lead his first soul to Christ while there. He taught his first Sunday School while there. Brother Mohler may not have realized in that short period what a great influence he had on our family. That was more than 45 years ago. However, God uses people that will just be faithful in the place where they are planted.

Iradukunda

I was travelling in Rwanda along a border town called Gisenyi this past March, when I stumbled upon this street boy named Iradukunda. He was sleeping under a set of stairs attached to an abandoned building. As we sat, I told him and other "street boys" about the love of Christ and how to be saved. Several of these children bowed their head and asked Christ to be their Savior. Afterwards we shared some "roasted-corn" with them. I asked through an interpreter what the meaning of the name, "Iradukunda" might be in the Kinyarwanda dialect. The young homeless boy replied, "God loves me". His story touched my heart, and I hope it will yours also. The children of Africa have so many struggles. God does not let one of them go unseen. He loves them all!

Hold My Son

My son, Aaron, went away to Bible Colleg in Texas in 2011. He had seen some "ups" and "downs" in his young life. Regardless of the turmoil that he had experienced, he never seemd to let it shake his foundation. My prayer for him and all of my children is that God might give them the grace to press ahead in life no matter the challenges.

Boots of Love

 

I wrote the following poem for my mother, Barbara Pledger, on her 67th birthday. She taught me more about loving and encouraging others than other influence in my life. These boots pictured are still a part of the Pledger Family.

 

 

The Providential Necklace

 This poem is not one of the oldest that I have written, but it is one of my dearest. It is special to me because of the one that I have written for is special. I wrote it to my sweet wife while we were just beginning to date one another. I had travelled to Africa on missions trips from our church each year since 2008. When returning from each trip I would buy my children, my parents, and my siblings a gift from Africa to let them know that I was thinking of them. One year, I had accidentally purchased one too many gifts. As a result, this ruby necklace sat on my shelf for months and even years. Finally, after finding the love of my life in Kimberly, I realized that my purchase of this piece of jewelry was no mistake. It was meant for her!