Family and Friends

May

2017

Our Everyday Conversations…

A Book That Engaged Me for Several Hundred Miles

Notwithstanding my smaller-than-average stature and build, I was feeling cramped and as if I had been traveling for over twenty-four hours. I shifted again in my seat to try to alleviate the numbness in my posterior. The American Airlines plane, a small two-engine jet en route from Chicago to Greenville, South Carolina, hit another patch of turbulence; involuntarily I looked out of the small window and noted the proximity of denser cloud–purples etched with grays. “Not too much longer,” I thought to myself above the all-pervading hum of the aircraft. I turned my eyes back to the book that had been holding my attention for much of the journey that day on an earlier flight from Manchester airport, and now on this last leg of the journey: “Everyday Talk–Talking Freely and Naturally about God with Your Children” written by Jay (John A.) Younts (further details HERE). I must say that an important detail escaped my attention at the time: the author lived in the very town to which I was traveling!

Rummaging through my laptop bag wedged under the seat in front of me, I checked my papers for when we would arrive at GSP, the Greenville Spartanburg Airport. With my wife, Sue, and our son, Matthew, just five or so years old at the time, we were to be staying for a few weeks in the Greenville area to get a sense of whether we might one day be able to live there. My UK employers at the time were keen for me to establish a greater presence in the United States.

Happily, in my many travels, my pathway had often crossed with that of Rick and Linda Riggall, a delightful couple from Shepherd Press. Often at trade events, Rick would show me the latest resource that had been produced. I was always struck by the commitment to editorial integrity and production quality that was a hallmark of Shepherd Press. The one I held in my grasp in that turbulent air was another such book. As I had read through it all those hundreds of miles over the Atlantic and then over the US landmass, I had found myself mentally underscoring large sections and I could hear my voice (the auditory equivalent of my mind’s eye) affirming, “Yes, that’s right!”

In Everyday Talk, Jay writes from the heart about making and taking those natural opportunities to speak to our children about spiritual matters. There needs be no divide between the “secular” and the “sacred.” All of life belongs to God, and, if we are living in reference to Him, there are certainly many ways a spiritual conversation may be engendered, and many is the time that there is an event that intersects with our lives that proves a natural node for discussion. You can find out a lot more about the book here; to you, let me say that I rate it a five-star book!

Some Years Later

Fast-forward nine or so years and I find myself in different yet related circumstances. Instead of living in the UK, I am now resident in the USA—in Greenville, South Carolina—and no longer in the employ of Day One, but serving Shepherd Press on a part-time and freelance basis. And it has been my delight to make the personal acquaintance of Jay Younts. He is the blogger at Shepherd Press. Moreover, he has more than one book in him!

Today, we are seated in the studio of HIS Radio, from which Kevin Boling, host of Knowing the Truth Radio, broadcasts a live, one-hour interview with Jay. Kevin, energetic, distinguished, articulate, friendly, has a way of putting his radio guests at ease. With Gary, the engineer behind the desk managing the controls, and Jay occupying a seat next to me, I enjoy the passive perspective of listening in on the interview, ready to chime in if appropriate, but mostly just glad to have Jay be able to share with the radio listeners—and you (for you can listen in online–see below)—to the wisdom he has gained over the years on how to cultivate a relationship with our kids so that we may speak to them in natural terms and ways about the special relationship God has established in marriage. Jay, himself not only a father but also a grandfather, is a natural communicator and has worked with his son, David, in putting together this resource titled “Everyday Talk about Sex and Marriage” and subtitled “A Biblical Handbook for Parents.” Silver-headed (and now without a beard after radiation treatment for throat cancer), his easy-to-listen-to voice comes over well on the radio, and he punctuates his conversation with illustrations and some humor.

I am so thankful to be able to have a part in the ministry of Shepherd Press, and to be able to help produce and promote such excellent, biblically faithful resources. Find out much more about the book in the information sheet HERE. And do be sure to listen in to the interview between Kevin and Jay–below.

Oct

2016

Remembering my Father

In October 2003, my dad left this world after battling cancer for some months. I have many fond memories of him–a man of action who would never let his teacup get cold before he was up on his feet to go and get back to the project he had been working on, whether fixing a vehicle, modifying a system in his house or garden, or doing something to improve one aspect or another of my mother’s life.

I was sharing some memories with my thirteen-year-old son some weeks ago. He had been tasked to write a short story, something to do with, perhaps, a family member. I generated some points for him by way of outline that he could use in his eighth grade English class.

As I thought about this, it became evident to me that it was a story I, too, could share with others. So, here we go! I originally generated the notes in point form (expanded here), and titled it Granddad fixes his car in the middle of nowhere in Africa.

Granddad fixes his car in the middle of nowhere in Africa

The year was around 1985. Granddad, then in his early 60s, decided to drive from Durban in South Africa to Lusaka in Zambia with Grandma so they could visit their daughter and grandchildren. The distance to be traveled was about 2,000 miles each way. Their car, a small Chevrolet 1300, was well maintained, but had been driven extensively and over some lengthy distances for nearly ten years.

Granddad was a skilled mechanic, and he always carried tools in his car as he had learned since World War 2 to be as self-sufficient as he could. Once in East Africa as a very young man–possibly still in his teens, when serving in the army–he had fixed a broken water pump on the truck he was driving–in semi-desert conditions–by modifying a part from another machine that the truck happened to be carrying. Never one to wring his hands in despair, he had the spirit of determination that would not give in and admit defeat.

As he and Grandma were driving back through Zimbabwe, about 400 miles from any major city or garage, the gearbox of their Chevy failed. The casing broke, and the bearings carrying the drive shaft were in ruins.

Granddad jacked up the car, removed the gearbox (a fairly major operation to be conducted on the side of the road) and started to fix it by using strong glue and wire. He always carried Pratley’s glue, as well as a range of tools in order to make emergency repairs or temporary modifications.

While he was doing this, a Zimbabwean soldier with a rifle–I think it was an AK47–drove up and asked what was going on. He lay his weapon down on the ground next to the car, pointing in Granddad’s direction. He–Granddad–reported that he and Grandma were a bit nervous about what would happen, especially if the gun accidentally went off!

As matters transpired, there was nothing the lone soldier could do to help, so, after a while, he left, and much to Granddad and Grandma’s relief, he took his gun, and without any unfortunate incident having taken place.

After some hours of grovelling in the roadside dirt and (no doubt grunting as he struggled with the components), Granddad managed to complete the temporary repair, and drive the car, which was making a terrible noise, all the way to Pietersburg (now called Polokwane) in the northern region of South Africa where he was able to purchase a second-hand gearbox and install it. He described the rumble and vibration of the driveshaft he and Grandma had to endure for some hundred miles as being almost impossible to bear.

I am thankful to be able to say that he and Grandma managed to get back to Durban in the car eventually, around a day or two later than originally planned.

Mar

2016

From Wood Off-cuts to Desk

A Place for Everything

A place for everything, and everything in its place. It’s a good saying. I like to try to inculcate this in my young son, aged twelve. Or, to adjust an old saying slightly, “Orderliness is next to godliness.”

“He really needs his own desk,” I said to Sue. “That way, he can start to develop good study and work habits.” We were in a departmental store a day or two later, and we spotted a small desk for sale. “Something like that would be good for Matthew,” we found ourselves saying to each other.

I sketched it up in my mind’s eye. “I have some wood from the bookshelves I made,” I remarked, referring to a project I had recently completed” (oh, the joys of being in publishing and book-selling!) “I think I could make something rather like this.” Sure enough, when we got home, and when I checked the supply of off-cuts in the corner of the garage, it looked like there was enough lumber to make a small desk.

Some days later, a trail of sawdust leading into the house, some sandpapering, and a couple of coats of varnish, the outcome was a compact little desk about the same size as the one we had seen in the shop–and for just a few dollars for the materials that I did not already have to hand. Pine can look nice when it has a lick or two of stain and varnish on it.

Our predecessors, early settlers in Africa and America, learned to make do with what they had, finding that they could be both frugal and artistic in the process. I’ll always remember the words of a mentor who said to me: “We often discover that we need what we already have.”

I’m glad to say that I had what I already needed, as well as needing what I already had!

Dec

2015

A Hymn for the New Year

Standing at the Portal of Another Year (Frances Ridley Havergal)

This evening in our family devotions, we thought of and then sang, the words of the lovely new year’s hymn written so many hears ago by Frances Ridley Havergal.

Standing at the portal
Of the opening year,
Words of comfort meet us,
Hushing every fear;
Spoken thru the silence
By our Savior’s voice,
Tender, strong and faithful,
Making us rejoice.

Refrain

Onward, then, and fear not,
Children of the day;
For His Word shall never,
Never pass away.

“I, the Lord, am with thee,
Be thou not afraid;
I will help and strengthen
Be thou not dismayed.
Yea, I will uphold thee
With My own right hand;
Thou art called and chosen
In My sight to stand.”

Refrain

For the year before us,
O what rich supplies!
For the poor and needy
Living streams shall rise;
For the sad and sinful
Shall His grace abound;
For the faint and feeble
Perfect strength be found.

Refrain

He will never fail us,
He will not forsake;
For His eternal covenant
He will never break.
Resting on the promise,
What have we to fear?
God is all sufficient
For the coming year.

Refrain

To listen to the midi score courtesy of Cyberhymnal, activate the following link: hermas

Image of Frances Ridley Havergal courtesy of Cyberhymnal.

Dec

2015

Christmas 2015

2015 Is Nearly Over

Click to read newsletter

The year 2015 draws to its conclusion. It is my practice to share a few pictures and text each end of year, so there is a link to our annual PDF here. Click or tap to activate. . . and enjoy the short meditation on Micah 5.

If you enjoy reading our year-end newsletters, you could check out the link here to the one from last year, and the cluster of archive links to be found there!

To view a special piano rendering by Matthew of The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, activate the video below.

Sep

2015

Friend Focus: John Blanchard

Why Focus on a Friend?

I’ve previously mentioned how my work in books introduces me to some delightful people. In serving them, it is my privilege to have made new friends over the years, so I thought it would be good from time to time to point the camera, as it were, on some of them, and the excellent ministries that they themselves conduct.

Right with God

I first heard the name of John Blanchard in 1979. His book, Right with God, was known as a popular and standard explanation of the gospel. But it was not for another several years that I was to meet him in person. At the time, recently married, I was living in South Africa and Martin Holdt, pastor of a church in the Johannesburg area, had invited him to speak at key meetings throughout South Africa.

Somehow, I managed to get his phone number in about 1987 and (it was a big deal back then in the 1980s) I put through a person-to-person phone call to him in his home near London. “You’d like me to take a special meeting in Pietermaritzburg…?” asked the voice with a melodious sounding Guernsey accent. “Well, that should be no great problem. Yes, I’d be glad to do that!”

A few years earlier, Sue and I had seen his excellent color illustrated booklet, Ultimate Questions, and immediately purchased 100 copies to be used as giveaway items. We cleaned out the suppliers almost all in one go! We knew that, if we could get him to come and speak in our church (we met in a school hall), we could pack the place out… and we did, with a few people coming to faith in Christ the evening he spoke. Some years later, we were involved in preparing a Zulu edition of Ultimate Questions and having it distributed in Southern Africa.

But back to some details about John Blanchard: South Africa became one of his favorite ministry countries. People there loved his clear gospel presentation, and so it was that he came to make many repeat visits there, speaking to large crowds at key locations in cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

In 1999, Sue and I relocated to the UK, and I served Evangelical Press (now EP Books) for a while as international sales manager. That connected us more closely, a link that did not weaken in subsequent work and projects I undertook in literature, both in the UK and the USA. It was a special delight to work with John in promoting his major work, Does God Believe in Atheists?, a labor of love that has helped persuade many of the folly and impossibility of consistent atheism. I sometimes would joke with him about his PCA program. PCA is what John referred to as his Popular Christian Apologetics; I rephrased it to Program to Combat Atheism!

“As much as I can, as well as I can, for as long as I can”

John cannot sit still! I met with him about a year ago when he was visiting South Carolina, and we enjoyed a morning of happy fellowship in the country some way away from Greenville. “Well, I’ll be preaching tomorrow in town, and then the next day in Savannah, and after that I am flying to Arkansas and…” (he rattled off several places where he was scheduled to be speaking). Well does he describe himself and his ministry in these terms: “As much as I can, as well as I can, for as long as I can!”

Origins and Ministry

John’s life story is engagingly and fascinatingly told in a DVD and a biographical travel guide. Born in Guernsey before World War 2, he was evacuated before the German occupation of his island, and resided for much of the war in Scotland. Later converted, he found himself part of a team of itinerant evangelists in the UK, and with an expanding ministry.

Joyce, the wife of his youth, died in February 2010, but I was delighted to learn that God has brought another special woman into his life, so now he and Pam together serve the Lord! You can connect with John and read his updates by visiting his site here, and also subscribe to his regularly ministry updates, Newsline.

Do You Use Literature?

When I think of John, I cannot but think of him as a speaker and writer. Books and booklets are a must when it comes to establishing others in the truth. I cannot recommend his books too highly! In one of my web initiatives, I am endeavoring to make all of his titles available, and, with the kind assistance of EP Books and their distributors, these are available at generously discounted prices. To find out more, visit here or click or tap on the image of John’s books near the head of this page!

Aug

2015

Home-made Table Tennis Table

Making a Table Tennis Table

It’s summer—and what do you do with your kids that they will enjoy, and how do you do it on a nil budget? Had you thought about … table tennis!

We viewed a short “how to” video on YouTube (that was fun and gave us inspiration and ideas)—here is the link. I liked the way the whole family got involved in the project and thought maybe I could replicate the approach with my son, Matthew, aged twelve.

Budget and Basics

We had to start from scratch, so we figured out some measurements and decided we could make a frame that would be sturdy and stable enough to hold an 8’ x 4’ fiber particle board. Off to Home Depot we drove, purchased some 8’ length studs (lumber in the USA is relatively inexpensive) which we could cut down and screw and glue together into a frame—cost, under $10.00 for the studs, and a bit under $30 for the board.

Matthew chose the color for the paint and was fascinated as the attendant mixed it to the exact code. Meanwhile, another attendant had cut the board to a smaller size so that we could fit it in our Volvo. It’s amazing what you can fit into our Volvo when you put the back seat down. This car really is quite a workhorse!

Applied Science

Measuring, cutting, and drilling came next. This is applied science. All those things that had been learned in sixth grade began to find direct and practical application (like, Would there be enough paint in the can to cover nearly 50 square feet? How important are right angles and perpendiculars when it comes to getting legs to be fitted to a frame? How can we avoid wobbles?) The painting was fun, too. We ended up with temporarily green fingers.

We are blessed to have an enclosed deck—called a screen porch in the USA—so that makes a great place to put our table. Construction was fairly straightforward, but then we had to think of paddles and a net. We started with some pieces of plywood and a plastic ball about as large as a marble, but that was too challenging. A thrift store yielded six real table tennis balls for a total of 49 cents (hey, it was really nice to hear the proper sound of a ping-pong ball on the table!); then we checked out the dimensions and exact shape of paddles online (it’s amazing what you can find on the Internet), worked out a template to cut some plywood off-cuts we had, reinforcing them with a more robust handle made from some old dowel that had been left over from another project. The game really got going then, even using an imaginary net. Then I found what I thought I had—a small piece of netting from when I had repaired an insect screen. Joined together, there was just enough of it to make a six-inch-high net that would reach over the width of the table, held in place with a couple of home-made brackets and with the net tightly secured with bulldog clips.

Hours of Sweat and Fun

How many hours have we enjoyed playing table tennis so far? I’ve lost count. And I’ve also learned that I have relatively little chance of beating my son, whose eye-to-hand coordination seems much better than mine. We can even play at night when the evenings are cooler, as there is a light and overhead fan—and the air currents from the fan certainly add an interesting dynamic to whichever way the ball is influenced when it is hit.

Enjoy the three-minute video of Matthew and me below. And if you come and visit us, expect to be offered—and challenged to—a game of table tennis!

Jul

2015

Understanding Anger: Shepherd Press Blog

On Anger

Shepherd Press provides a wonderful range of resources to help ordinary people deal with matters of the heart. Consider the words of the SP blog posting of July 18th, 2015.

Anger is a difficult sin. Like an ice-breaker pushing huge chunks of ice in all directions, anger leaves a trail of broken pieces in its wake. Broken chunks of ice are good thing. Broken pieces of life – not so much.

Anger is often a response to injustice. With God this is good. His motives and reasons for anger are always pure and right. Your child’s anger is also often a response to injustice. But his motives and reasons are seldom pure and right.

A young child thinks he has been wronged because someone else has his toy. A middle-schooler is angry because others are not kind to her. A teenager struggles with anger because of guilt as a result of being entangled in the web of pornography. Children of any age can experience anger when they believe their parents do not understand them.

Paul, in Ephesians 4: 26-27, has important things to teach about anger.

First, anger is a part of life. Because your children live in a fallen world, there will always be things to be angry about. Sinful anger results when God is separated from personal anger. There must be a deep confidence that God sees all that is wrong. He has promised he will make all things right in his time (Romans 12:17-21 & 8:28)

Second, human anger must be quickly resolved. Paul says do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Ignoring anger leads to more anger. If your child, middle-schooler or teenager is angry, don’t settle for a quick solution. Do whatever it takes to get to the underlying problem.

Whatever it takes!

Modern life steals time from families. There are appointments, schedules, school, church and the many other things that demand to be done. Time is essential to address anger.

Unresolved anger provides a foothold for the enemy. Anger is like cancer, it doesn’t stop growing unless it is removed. If you only clean up the broken pieces of life caused by anger, the root problem remains.

Please hear me! Anger covered over and not resolved will grow into an ugly, tragic mess. Failing to take time now can result in losing years to the aftermath of anger later on.

What can you do?

Listen well. Listen for attitudes as well as words. Listen for hurt, disappointment, indifference and despair. Listen for a troubled heart.

Speak with words that address your children’s heart and not only their actions. Use pleasant words, avoid harsh, sharp responses. Know your children well enough to say words that will truly build them up.

Remember that you have to be a refuge before you can be a resource. Pray eagerly for God’s help! These things take time. There is no substitute!

Live in humility before God and your children. Don’t be dominated by anger in your heart. Take the time needed to address anger.

This post is from Shepherd Press, July 18th, 2015 and may be accessed here.
Featured image from www.publicdomainpictures.net. "Like an ice-breaker pushing huge chunks of ice in all directions, anger leaves a trail of broken pieces in its wake."

Apr

2015

More about the Secret!

Introducing Cheaper in Dozens

A picture is worth a thousand words, or so the trite old saying goes. Therefore, if my math is correct, a video clip could be worth more like sixty thousand words.

My son, Matthew, aged eleven, has produced a one-minute video which introduces Cheaper in Dozens, a new initiative to make excellent books available on a sliding scale of discounted prices, with free shipping, sent directly to you from the publisher. There’s a long way to go, still, in this initiative, but the show is now, as people like to say, “on the road.”

View the one-minute video below, and also take a look at www.cheaperindozens.com. Then tell your friends about it, too!

Here’s an Approximate Transcript of the Video

I’m Jim Holmes. I love books, and because I love books and I’m passionate about reading, I’ve started www.cheaperindozens.com.

Cheaper in Dozens is a great new way for you to buy your books online. Everything on offer is faithful to the Bible. Everything on offer is at a discounted price. And everything on offer is sent to you shipping free!

How does it work? You just go online and see what’s available, and place your order. Your book gets shipped to you directly from the publisher.

My vision is to see people reading and enjoying books. So, if you are in a church or school, you can buy several copies of the same book at even greater discounts. Buy just one? That’s OK… Buy twelve? Well, the deal gets better. Books are cheaper in dozens! Buy 25, 50, 100 or 200? Wow, the individual prices just keep getting lower. Check out the table of discounts on each book and you’ll see what I mean.

This deal sounds too good to be true. So, what’s the catch?

There’s no catch. Just go online, browse, place your order, and get reading!

I’m Jim Holmes. Thanks for watching!

A Note about the Video Production

The video was produced using iPad technology, using the iMovie App, created by Apple. My son, who has figured out this technology, produced the video for me. I’m delighted with the result!

Feb

2015

Secret for the Time Being!

Launch Pending

I am not going into details at present, but anticipate being able to update you with an interesting development in the next few weeks. For the time being, consider this as being classified information that I’ll let out of the box below when I am ready.

As the saying goes, watch this (Blog)Spot!

Family and Friends

Our Everyday Conversations…