Heritage

Publishing: 3

Publishing: 3

More from Jim on Publishing

In my last post, I mentioned April Fool’s day 2014, the day that dawned following over ten years’ service to my erstwhile employers, Day One Christian Ministries. In my tenure there as director of publications and marketing, I had gained a good sense of the publishing world, its strengths and its weaknesses, and how it could maybe benefit from having things done differently. I enjoyed working with editors and with graphic designers, and it was both pleasing and productive to develop so many new lines of books. I’ve mapped out some of these things in my portfolio in one of my websites [HERE].

Working in publishing significantly connected me with some fairly well-known authors, including people like John Blanchard, John MacArthur, Andy McIntosh, Roger Ellsworth and many others (you could see a part list HERE–there are over seventy names in it–but since then extended to more than one hundred). Some of them said some kind words [HERE], especially Dr. John Blanchard (pictured, right, with his wife, Pam) who wrote:

“Integrity and Efficiency”
Two words come immediately to mind when I think of Jim and Sue Holmes—integrity and efficiency. When you add gracious courtesy to those you have a combination that encourages you to work with them, as I have in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Their experience and expertise will be of great benefit to authors who choose to partner with them and I commend them warmly to any who consider doing so.
Dr. John Blanchard, Evangelist, Author and Christian Apologist

All said and done, I now found myself in the somewhat unenviable position of having been let go of, with a significant workplace injury (which my employers at Day One knew well about and for which they refused to take any responsibility), though, thankfully, with a green card and the right to reside and work in the USA.

Making a Plan

“Well, Sue,” I remarked over my mug of tea. Her gentle face was showing some anxiety and I knew that I would have to work to keep her from stressing overmuch. “It has to be publishing in one form or another. That’s what I know best, and I am happy to be guided by the principle of Ecclesiastes 9:10—Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Around this time, John Lehman, an associate minister at a nearby church, had come into my life. He had, he explained, written a long letter that he wished to convert into a book and wished it to be a blessing to his family members. I looked it over, and it was very promising. Now that I have gotten to know John, we can enjoy a good laugh about how I helped to get the book “out of him.” See the graphic above on the right; John is much better looking than the patient undergoing the X-Ray and I hope I would not be mistaken in real life for the doctor! He and his wife, Suzie, are pictured below. John now has three beautifully produced books—the first on parenting, the second on marriage, and the third on fitness, all with engaging titles: It’s Apparent…You’re a Parent; I Do or I Don’t; and Fit for the Master.

As good J C Ryle said, “The best way to do something is to do it.” So I decided that the best way to start was by pushing ahead in some projects, feeling my way forward using social media and making myself as useful as I was able to. Principles lead to empiricals. “Just try doing it,” I counseled myself. One of the concerns driving me was to establish fair competency in website building and development, so while working on some editing projects for P&R Publishing, I also forayed into the world of Google-Sites and WordPress, soon finding the latter to be quite powerful, and that even eCommerce was not as complex as it might first seem. With thanks, under God, for free online tutorials and perusing numerous FAQs, it was not long before I found my way forward in developing websites for other people to help them promote their writing ministries. These include www.fitforthemaster.fit, www.deborahhoward.net, www.timothyjcross.org, www.lifelineminibooks.com, www.twelvedaysofchristmas.org, www.exposingthefederalvision.org, and several other ones.

An Unexpected Phone Call

An email that dropped into my in box from an online form submission from one of my websites was very interesting, and even more so when I phoned the man from whom it originated. “I represent a publishing family,” he said, “And in doing due diligence, we wish to establish whether you might be the right person to help in their publishing ministry.” It was an extra surprise, a pleasant one, too, to learn that the publishing family was none other than that of Tedd and Margy Tripp. Tedd (pictured here) is well known for his remarkable book Shepherding a Child’s Heart, a manuscript derived from a doctoral thesis that nobody wanted to publish when he first wrote it, so it ended up being self published (under the quickly thought-up name of Shepherd Press). Now with a sales history of well in excess of a million copies, it is a book that has challenged, blessed, and guided countless parents and teachers over the years. To cut a long story short, following a weekend visit to northern Pennsylvania, there commenced a relationship between me and Shepherd Press that enables me to be of service in the promotion and development of the ministry, and to help in recruiting new authors and rolling out of new resources. That’s just one of the various things that I love doing. You can find out more about Shepherd Press HERE and HERE .

Waging War on Worry!

Because the Shepherd Press work is flexible and part-time, there are many other things that I do in publishing. Like when Simon Robinson, my good friend in England, told me that he had been writing some notes all about anxiety. “I think we should make a book of it,” I ventured. “If you could get to 31 readings, it could even become a daily reading book.” Simon warmed to the idea immediately and soon after we were exchanging emails and sharing ideas. The outcome not long afterwards was a book in a black and red cover with an anxious man regarding people holding the book—the man on the cover that is—with 31 easy-to-read chapters, complete with Bible reference, application points, and a suggested prayer to pray—even if just to prime the pump, as it were–all to strategically help readers get over the worry factor.

So, why do I publish… That’s a great question. Perhaps it’s something like ink (rather than blood) in my veins.

So I am not yet done in sharing these thoughts. There is more to say about this ministry of publishing, especially inventing new and more efficient and effective ways of doing it, so I will add to this short cluster of posts and share some interesting insights into what I do and how I do it—and especially how the paradigms are changing!

To read the earlier posts on this topic, see HERE and HERE. To read the next one, see HERE.

Posted by Jim Holmes in Family and Friends, Friendship, Gospel, Heritage, Memories, Publishing Books Today, Reflections, Technology, Worldview, Writing, 1 comment
Publishing: 1

Publishing: 1

Why I Publish

My résumé looked good–at least I thought it looked good.

So why did the response letter start, after the salutation, with these words: “We regret to inform you that, while we were impressed by your credentials, we are unable to offer you the position…”

I had thought the publishing position tailor-made for me. It did not involve relocation. It required literary and management skills, all of which I had been building up in the years of teaching I had undertaken in a school operated by the KwaZulu government in recent years. Perhaps, unknown to me, the principle of Proverbs 16:33 was at work:

The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD.

Be that as it may, a few months later security conditions in the school deteriorated to the point that it was no longer safe for me, as a white South African, to commute the seven or so miles to the school where the students were all black South Africans. A large rock hurled by someone in the bushes on the roadside–intended for my face–narrowly missed going through the windshield (creating a massive dent, instead, on the corner of the roof of my Volkswagen Beetle) and it was considered prudent that I seek employment elsewhere.

To Johannesburg we go!

So, with our vehicle bulging at the seams, we found ourselves en route to Johannesburg after so many happy years in the Natal midlands. I served as bookstore manager for a while before engaging in a temporary excursion back into the teaching world and before biting the bullet and starting an import and mail-order discount bookstore. It grew auspiciously and soon required full-time attention.

It wasn’t quite publishing, but, well, it was a way of serving publishers and people who needed the books.

James Dearmore and the A B Dick

Jim Dearmore was a Texan in Africa. His story was remarkable for its adventure and spiritual verve. He and his wife, Georgia, had been missionaries in the Congo and then moved to what was then Rhodesia before ending up in the northern regions of South Africa, where they continued their missionary endeavors. His outspokenness against Marxist doctrine made him the kind of person who probably would not be welcome to stay in the country once an ANC government was established. He was one of my favorite customers, a godly man, a no-nonsense American in whom there was no guile. I loved the way his gas-guzzling 1970s automobile drove into the parking lot, so much like a great ship, taking as it seemed several minutes to come to a halt as it berthed. From deep within its recesses (it may have been a Cadillac; it was huge) he would emerge, his short white beard outlined against the greenery in the background. His eyes were kindly, always twinkling. His voice deep and his drawl slow and pronounced, he always spoke wisely and well, often punctuating his speech with apt quotations from the Bible, always in the King James version.

“Brother Jim,” he informed me (he always called me Brother Jim or Brother Holmes), “Brother Jim, I am a kicker of sacred cows; if I see a cow in the distance, I will go up to see if it is sacred, and I will kick it if it is. We should only believe and practice things that are in the Bible.”

I loved his straightforwardness, his directness, his call-a-spade-a-spade mentality.  He was no stranger to hardship and to hard work. One day he told me about his A B Dick, a printing press he housed in his garage. With relocation back to the USA in mind, he needed to sell it, and he considered that I should buy it. At the time, I was running the book business I had started, and it involved quite a lot of printing that I usually got done in a copy center in Johannesburg. I was also editing a magazine at the time, Reformation Africa South, so that put me in connection with a commercial printer, Leonard Venter. Len was another character. Everything he described was “fantastic.” I mentioned Dr. Dearmore’s offer to sell his A B Dick press to me. In his Germiston accent he enthusiastically said to me, “Fantastic! Jim, my boet, let’s go check out the doctor’s printing press.” A few days later, riding along in his Toyota Camry at around 100mph, we made the long journey north of Pretoria to Dr. Dearmore’s location in a very short space of time.

“Ag, Jim, I think you should buy it,” Len told me. “It’s quite an old machine, but these are fantastic for jobbing.” Jobbing, he explained, was for doing the run-of-the-mill printing that involves a printing press that just keeps on going in a stable way–ideal for catalogs, newsletters, flyers, etc.

The deal agreed some weeks later, we knew we would need space to house it, so a few months later, we commenced building a double garage on our Strubens Valley property. Getting the press from where Dr. Dearmore had housed it to our location was challenging; it weighed more than a ton. And it arrived with a bewildering number of rollers and peripheral items, all with special names and functions that would need to be learned!

Then Julian showed up. Julian Glover was one of those young chaps who will try his hand at anything. “Yeah, I think I can make this machine work,” he said confidently. I must say that I wondered… Long into the night hours he tinkered with it, multiple colors of ink adorning his fingernails, hands, arms, face, and hair. And, sure enough, the steady duff-duff-duff of the press eventually yielded some remarkable output, including printing in full color.

Why I Publish

So, why do I publish? I’ll have to explain this a little more in my next post! I read Theology, Biblical Studies, English, Greek, and Hebrew (and some other stuff) in my Bachelors degree; I trained in postgraduate studies and practiced as a teacher; I started a book business; and I purchased a printing press knowing a little more than nothing about how I would make it work, but in the care, purpose, and providence of God, it worked–and it worked well. I think that might hint a little as to why I have ended up as a publisher…

So I will take up more of the story in a future post [HERE].

 

Illustrations of James and Georgia Dearmore, from CWS Funeral Home. The A B Dick printing press is one rather like the one I purchased. Image credit here.

 

Posted by Jim Holmes in Family and Friends, Friendship, Heritage, Memories, Publishing Books Today, Writing, 3 comments
Our Everyday Conversations…

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.

 

 

Posted by Jim Holmes in Family and Friends, Friendship, Gospel, Heritage, Spirituality, Worldview, 0 comments
USA Election 2016: Seven Principles for Believers

USA Election 2016: Seven Principles for Believers

Thoughts from Psalm 96

Colin Mercer, minister of Faith Free Presbyterian Church, Greenville, South Carolina, outlined several key thoughts prompted by Psalm 96, as believers endeavor to navigate their way through the choices surrounding the impending election. Here are some notes that I took from the message; there are seven points:

 1. Christians living in the USA have been providentially placed in a land with civil and religious liberties.

2. We live in a fallen world, one filled with the sins of people.

3. America’s greatest need is for a true revival of religion–the evangelical faith so evident in many of the early Pilgrim fathers.

4. God is and remains sovereign over all who rule in government.

5. Christ will build His church–regardless!

6. We who are believers should do everything to the glory of God.

7. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we await a Savior from there!

Posted by Jim Holmes in Current Issues, Gospel, Heritage, Reflections, 0 comments

Franklin Graham on Turning from Sin

I’m thankful for having been able to live in the US for some six years—six good years of enjoying the American free spirit, one of independence, of initiative, of determination to live well in a land where there is a good and rich culture established by hard-working individuals who have done so much to establish a functional infrastructure and an economic system that is robust and able to sustain growth—and where there is a godly heritage that is worth fighting for.

Today, Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham) leading a prayer rally in Raleigh in his home state of North Carolina, made the point that he had zero confidence in the Democratic Party—and, after a slight pause, he continued, saying that he had zero confidence in the Republican party. His only hope, he underscored (to the sound of cheers from his audience), was that he had every hope in God that, as His people came before Him in confession of and repentance from sin, He may yet heal the land.

There followed a time of open prayer, involving confession of sin and seeking God’s forgiveness. Facebook carries the whole service here: Go to https://www.facebook.com/FranklinGraham/ and search October 13th, 2016 to view the one-hour video.

The prospect of the Trump-Clinton choice seems to have the cat among the pigeons as far as many Christians are concerned. Nevertheless, I was interested to read some key points as summarized by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in a recent publication, Decision.

I thought it worthwhile to share some of the salient points from this publication. As much as it does not attempt to be party political, it does outline key views from both sides of the political divide, as well as to leave the reader in no doubt as to the implications or applications of both sets of views.

Two Visions for America

Here is an excerpt from this publication; you could read the whole piece HERE:

Where They Stand

SUPREME COURT

Hillary Clinton
Clinton told the Washington Times: “I would not appoint someone who didn’t think Roe v. Wade is settled law.”

On the Texas abortion decision, Clinton praised the justices’ 5-3 decision that severely limits the ability of states to regulate abortion.

On judicial appointments, Clinton said she would strive to appoint judges in the mold of liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Donald Trump
Trump has praised the late Antonin Scalia as a model justice, saying Scalia’s career was “defined by his reverence for the Constitution …”

On the Texas abortion decision, Trump harshly criticized the justices who overturned the law and questioned their judgment.

On judicial appointments, Trump released a list of potential conservative justices vetted in consultation with the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society.


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Hillary Clinton
Clinton suggests that women’s abortion rights supersede religious liberty, saying: “Deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”

On public expression, Clinton opposes the practice of bakers, photographers and other business owners declining services for samesex weddings due to faith-based reasons, saying “it’s outrageous” to be “denied a wedding cake for being gay.”

Donald Trump
Trump said, “Religious freedom [is] the right of people of faith to freely practice their faith. [It is] so important.”

On public expression, Trump vowed to “protect Christians” during a convocation speech at Liberty University.


ABORTION

Hillary Clinton
Clinton said, “I support Roe versus Wade because I think it is an important … statement about the importance of a woman making this most difficult decision …”

On late-term abortion, Clinton said during a Fox News debate she favors allowing restrictions on late-term abortions with “exceptions for the life and health of the mother.”

On funding Planned Parenthood, Clinton told Planned Parenthood leaders that Republicans should join her in calling for greater taxpayer funding for the abortion giant if they really care about women.

Donald Trump
Trump said, “I hate the concept of abortion. And since [being pro-choice] I’ve very much evolved. … And I am very, very proud to say that I am pro-life.”

On late-term abortion, Trump told Bloomberg News in January that he believes abortion should be banned at some point in pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother.

On funding Planned Parenthood, Trump has said, “The abortion aspect of Planned Parenthood should absolutely not be funded,” adding that he might consider funding for the non-abortion services of Planned Parenthood.


NATIONAL SECURITY

Hillary Clinton
Clinton said, “We must be prepared … to go after terrorists wherever they plot using all the tools at our disposal.”

On LGBT agenda in the military, last year Clinton promised to push for transgender troops to serve openly—something President Obama approved in June to Clinton’s applause.

On the Iran nuclear deal, Clinton said she supports the deal on a “distrust but verify” condition. She said, “I would not support this agreement for one second if I thought it would put Israel in greater danger.”

Donald Trump
Trump said, ”You have to fight fire with fire. We have to be so strong. We have to fight so viciously. And violently because we’re dealing with violent people …”

On LGBT agenda in the military, Trump hasn’t directly addressed this issue. For background, he criticized the high court’s gay marriage decision, but he has been inconsistent on issues related to transgender people.

On the Iran nuclear deal, Trump has said Obama should have backed out because it is a “bad deal” and that American negotiators were outwitted. He called it “total incompetence.”


Image credit top of page, https://billygraham.org/story/a-monumental-finish-to-the-decision-america-tour/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=FB+DAT+Link&utm_content=BGEA+FB+Page&SOURCE=BY150FBDT
Posted by Jim Holmes in Current Issues, Gospel, Heritage, Reflections, 0 comments

What They Never Told You About The Twelve Days of Christmas!

What You Never Knew about The Twelve Days of Christmas. . .

Every year the old song goes around—leaping lords, maids-a-waiting, and all that stuff, culminating in a partridge nesting in a pear tree. I’ve always liked the title, so when the opportunity came about earlier this year to do a special Christmas project with author Roger Ellsworth, I got things into gear and started work with him on an old, previously published book, selecting several of the readings and modifying them to fit into a small book under this title and subtitle:

The Twelve Days of Christmas–Morning and Evening Thoughts on Immanuel: God with Us

The book is highly intentional, and its mission statement is defined as follows:

“The Twelve Days of Christmas has been written in short sections and in an easy-to-read manner. It is intended to help the hearts and minds of believers to focus on the wonder of the incarnation, as well as to encourage unbelievers to come in repentance and faith to Christ.”

twelve-days-three-to-view-3d-vignetteI’ve written elsewhere about it, notably on the dedicated website and on my book ministry blog.

But I thought I would still share a few thoughts here, anyway, and give you a bit of the background.

I’m delighted that friends from Sermon Audio love the idea, and are helping to promote it. They kindly mailed out 100 copies to key broadcasting churches, and are featuring it as news item on the site. See HERE and enjoy some of the quite vigorous arguments for and against the opportunities that Christmas affords for sharing the evangel of God’s grace in Christ.

Elsewhere, I recently shared these ten special thoughts about the book:


Ten Great Reasons To Use The Twelve Days of Christmas!

It’s so exciting to be working on this promotion. Here are ten reasons for you and your church to use this little book:

1. It is a faithful presentation of the account of the birth of Jesus, the God-Man.

2. It is attractively produced, a small book that people will want to keep and to use.

3. It is intentionally affordable for use as a book-of-the-month or for a giveaway in neighborhood evangelism.

4. It is completely customizable and can include a message from your minister, a picture of your church, and your phone and web contact details.

5. It is easily understandable, with short readings for morning and evening of each day.

6. It is biblically rich, explaining and applying the text of the Bible to ordinary readers.

7. It’s highly applicatory, with points to think about at the end of each reading.

8. It is easily digestible, with headings and summary points to help understanding.

9. It is naturally sequential in moving its focus from the angels and the shepherds to ordinary people today.

10. It is all about Jesus–and His summons to everyone to repentance and faith.


On the Twelve Days site, you could also take a look at how the book may be customized and how it may be purchased inexpensively on scale. Check out links such as these:

Press Release

Customizing

Pricing

FAQs

I’ll end this short post with a short video I had fun generating using some of the software available from Powtoon—enjoy!

Posted by Jim Holmes in Gospel, Heritage, New & Noteworthy, Publishing Books Today, 0 comments

Remembering my Father

reg-in-monteseelIn 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

southern-africa-mapThe 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.

 

Posted by Jim Holmes in Family and Friends, Heritage, Memories, 2 comments

Maintenance-Free Spring Flowers

Seasons Turn. . .

I love the way spring eventually breaks through at the end of winter. Spring in the Upstate of South Carolina is an especially beautiful time. Gorgeous pink and mauve colors are to be seen everywhere in the area, especially beautiful against a mild blue sky and newly green trees.

Not having the expertise (or time) to spend much time in the yard (“yard” = “garden” for non-US readers!), I am glad to have a few hardy plants that do their own thing regardless of my efforts. Water (mostly from the rain) and sunshine seem to do the trick as far as keeping them going is concerned.

Genesis 8:22 is a reminder of God’s faithfulness in the transformation of the seasons. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Enjoy the few pictures in the slides below!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Posted by Jim Holmes in Biblical Creationism, Heritage, Reflections, 0 comments

A Hymn for the New Year

Hymn_on_my_radar_icon

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

HavergalThis 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.

Posted by Jim Holmes in Family and Friends, Heritage, Hymns, Spirituality, 0 comments

A New Way to Learn States and Capitals

Enjoying History and Geography

My son, Matthew, comes up with some interesting things he sources on the Internet. Below are some notes he wrote (I asked him to introduce a clip he shared with me) and a short video that introduces the capital city of each of the states in the USA. Notice Wakko’s quasi-Yorkshire accent… we find that amusing, too!

Matthew Writes. . .

Animaniacs was a show that aired between 1993-1998 that was produced by Steven Spielberg (E.T., Indiana Jones films,etc.) and his company Amblin Entertainment’s television division. It was structured like a variety show, with different characters appearing in different segments. The main characters, however, were the Warner Brothers’ (Yakko, Wakko) and their sister Dot (unidentified as species, but they look like cats to me.)

The show was generally intended as a parody of Warner Bros’ Looney Tunes shorts (1930-1969) mixed with comic educational segments to soften the violence. This is one of the education segments listing all the states and their capitals. For those reading this article and watching this clip who do not understand the beginning, it is intended as a parody of Jeopardy, a popular game show here in the U.S. where the contestants have to answer the questions in the form of a question (e.g., Who is Road Runner?, What is the Bible?, etc.) I hope you enjoy this clip.

Posted by Jim Holmes, 0 comments