The best teaching is by example. By all means teach. When absolutely necessary use words.

Matthew 7.
¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’


Mother’s birthday was yesterday. 10.6.1913. She was an amazing mom. She loved to get out of the house and socialize and have interactions with a wide range of people. She passed on 12.25.2013 but her memory has not passed.
At her funeral the fun story, Joe Wishard, my beloved friend and cousin and her minister at the time, told was of her running up and down the roads in that little brown Ford fairlane and breaking all the local speed laws while taking people to the doctor and delivering Avon and such.

She ran around doing many things and loved all of it. She tried to help her cousin to be elected to a county office of county clerk.
She placed in our hearts certain beliefs that I still hold today.
Our family believes certain things is something I picked up from observing her life.
I might have mocked them and disagreed with them at the time but today I reflect on how important they are to me right now. Some of these are hers and some are my own I have added to hers but I share them today in memory of her. I might call them family beliefs.
We believe that nothing much good happens after midnight.
During this time of the cycle of history I also think of these.
We vote for people, not for a party.
We see America as a great country but needing to get better.
We see ourselves as a people who obey the law.
We desire to discuss laws without hate and fighting.
We are cautious about our moral judgments.
We consider marriage to be important.
We believe lying in a court of law to be contemptible.
We believe that a country like ours must have a moral fabric of trust in order to work properly.
We believe that with the help of our creator and discussion an enemy may become a friend.
We believe that the nation should not be dictating to churches regarding what they believe and do.
We believe that people are more important than money.
We believe in the authorities carrying out justice rather than vigilante justice.
We believe in one nation under God.
We believe that words without example are empty.
We believe that when broken our hearts can be healed by openness with God and others.
This set of beliefs need to be improved as I go along my own journey of life, but still I am thankful for the beginning my mother gave to me.
Larry Wishard
10.7.16