Joyce Ferris left the Ponderosa without getting her big brother, Harold Hinkle, interested in metal detecting. Harold's wife, Mary Hinkle, has found the perfect hobby for him though. It is Watching television. She is getting set to have a dish installed with 60 channels. Right now the Ponderosa has 3-5 channels, depending on the weather.
Ponderosa Gets Wet Again
It doesn't seem like that long ago that Harold Hinkle was worried about having drunk people around the Ponderosa am in his new camper. Friday afternoon, He and Mary Hinkle borrowed the Come to Jesus Taxicab to take Agnes Hahn to Pierre. While there, Harold picked up a case of beer. When they returned home, the Reverend Jerry Hinkle discovered the devil's brew was being transported in a holy car. Jerry was shocked, not only that Harold bought beer, but that it was Busch Light. It must be just the one Bush that he doesn't like.
Jerry just looks at Harold and shakes his head. "What would your Grandma say?" he asks. Harold quickly fires back, "Bring me one too, and make it a tall and cold one!". To Harold's credit, he does share his beer. He and Mary split one to drink with tomato juice. And they both stop there, so not too much harm is done. It improves Harold's mood, too. You'd think Jerry would at least appreciate that.
God's Instrument - The Story of Squanto
Submitted by Marla McGeorge
As Thanksgiving seems to be disappearing --- I've noticed Halloween decor is staying up longer and longer. It seems to be becoming politically incorrect to celebrate Columbus Day (aka @ the McGeorge house as "The Day the Indians Discovered Columbus") or Thanksgiving. God always meant the First Nations and the whites to be in unity --- to respect each others gifts and Anointings --- but of course Satan tries (way to successfully) to pervert that relationship. But let's not let Thanksgiving be forgotten --- let's give God thanks for Squanto and the tribe that helped the pilgrims. Let's give thanks for the unity they had and the party they had (3 days of feasting, games and praise) --- and let's give thanks for what God intends to use us all for today. Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! GLORY TO GOD AND THANK YOU LORD
Most of us know the story of the first Thanksgiving--at least, we know the Pilgrim version. But how many of us know the Indian viewpoint? No, I'm not talking about some revisionist, politically correct version of history. I'm talking about the amazing story of the way God used an Indian named Squanto as a special instrument of His providence. Historical accounts of Squanto's life vary, but historians believe that around 1608--more than a decade before the Pilgrims arrived--a group of English traders sailed to what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts. When the trusting Wampanoag Indians came out to trade, the traders took them prisoner, transported them to Spain, and sold them into slavery. It was an unimaginable horror. But God had an amazing plan for one of the captured Indians--a boy named Squanto. Squanto was bought by a well-meaning Spanish monk, who treated him well and taught him the Christian faith. Squanto eventually made his way to England and worked in the stables of a man named John Slaney. Slaney sympathized with Squanto's desire to return home, and he promised to put the Indian on the first vessel bound for America. It wasn't until 1618--ten years after Squanto was first kidnapped--that a ship was found. Finally, after a decade of exile and heartbreak, Squanto was on his way home. But when he arrived in Massachusetts, more heartbreak awaited him. An epidemic had wiped out Squanto's entire village. We can only imagine what must have gone through Squanto's mind: Why had God allowed him to return home, against all odds, only to find his loved ones dead? A year later, the answer came. A shipload of English families arrived and settled on the very land once occupied by Squanto's people. Squanto went to meet them, greeting the startled Pilgrims in English. According to the diary of Pilgrim Governor William Bradford, Squanto "became a special instrument sent of God for [our] good...He showed [us] how to plant [our] corn, where to take fish and to procure other commodities...And was also [our] pilot to bring [us] to unknown places for [our] profit, and never left [us] till he died." When Squanto lay dying of a fever, Bradford wrote that their Indian friend "desir[ed] the Governor to pray for him, that he might go to the Englishmen's God in heaven." Squanto bequeathed his possessions to the Pilgrims "as remembrances of his love." Who but God could so miraculously convert a lonely Indian and then use him to save a struggling band of Englishmen? It is reminiscent of the biblical story of Joseph, who was also sold into slavery--and whom God, likewise, used as a special instrument for good. Squanto's life story is remarkable, and we ought to make sure our children and grandchildren learn about it. Sadly, most books about Squanto omit references to his Christian faith. But I'm delighted to say that Eric Metaxas has written a wonderful children's book called Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving. I highly recommend it. It will teach your kids about the "special instrument sent of God" who changed the course of American history.