Devotional from Grandma Gerry

Grandma Gerry was asked to write a devotional for her church. Enjoy!

Day 60
August 14, 2013
3 John 1:1-8
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
As I read 3 John it reminded me of my grandfather Keele. Grandpa Keele was what they called an upstanding gentleman. His love for God was outstanding; he was a pillar of the community. He served as a church lay leader for many years and he was the first Black person on the school board.

In the early years he tutored many children in their home work because he  believed in a good education for all students. I'm sure he was much like Gaius.

My most unforgettable memory of him is when he was older, how he sat in church and many times cried just for being in God's house. My father died when I was four years old leaving my mother to raise a large family. Mom was always there for us and I
remember some of her words of wisdom  that I am sure she learned from grandpa. She taught us to be kind to others, and to help others when we could.

John wrote about "my children" because, as of a result of his preaching, he was the
spiritual father of many, including Gaius. Like John, you might say that grandpa was the spiritual father of many.

I believe that God wants us to leave a legacy, an example of how to live life in faith and love. Grandpa was a role model for me. Faith in God is the strength that I learned from him.

Geraldine Walton

Rewind of an Old Post

wrote this in 2009. still true today....

longings

i'll admit it...sometimes life and our spouses can be a pain. hey, but so are we. i want Karl to be able to interpret what i need when i need it...doesn't happen....won't happen. i quickly forget that only God can really know me and "get" me. a lot of times i forget that.

i just went to a ladies night out at our church the other day. i really didn't want to be with a whole room of women, but i knew i needed to be there. anywho, at the meeting an equally wild woman shared a great message about passions and longings. 

it just hit on all cylinders. she spoke about how our longings are good. not easy to deal with, but good, because it should cause us to remember that we are meant for more. and that's ok to realize we were meant for more. we just tend to get sidetracked and think that we have to pursue and possess those things we long for, thinking that they will fulfill us. you know the grass is always greener thing.

these longings are actually like holes in swiss cheese (now stay with me). the holes are meant to be there, just like our longings. these holes are put there by God, to draw us to Him, so that He can fill those holes. the more that we are meant for is more of Him. 

the big wow for me came when she said that God allows Himself to be put in the same "holey" state. He longs to have fellowship with us. He longs for us to sit at His feet. 

He desires that communion with us, but amazingly gives us the freedom to reject Him. wow! that means that God is longing for me, yet He remains unfulfilled. and i think that i have longings and passions unfulfilled!

ANYWHO....you are meant for more, i am meant for more. the people and situations around us are not the problem. changing people, jobs, locations etc will not stop the longings. the longings will not go away. longings are there to let us remember our need of a Savior.

We're Moving!!!

Greetings from Wichita!

Just wanted to let you all know Ashley and I are in the process of moving to our new home! A fully renovated single family rental house located just along the river. It's about two miles south from our current home at 250 Douglas. More details to come! Please feel free to continue using the same address until we make the official changes with post office and the fifty other places we need to change forwarding mail to.

More photos to come!!!

Love,

Rivers 4.0

1st Day on the Job

Would like to hear how your 1st day went at your new jobs, 

Ashley and Megan....