-
6 days ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesWhile waiting to see a patient at the hospital, I was browsing through the hospital gift shop. As I did so, I saw a plaque for sale that said: “I would give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter.”The name “Quitter” usually is a name that is not held in high esteem. I heard of a young man who applied for a job. On his resume he listed the places he had previously worked.
-
1 week ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesMy wife Danielle and I were living in Burkeville, Texas where I was pastor of one of our first churches. One summer she got an opportunity to serve one week as camp director for girls at East Texas Baptist Encampment nearby. She asked me to serve as camp pastor, and we also had a missionary from Africa who served with us that week. In the middle of the week, one night after we had gone to bed, I got a phone call from my older brother telling me that my father had died.
-
2 weeks ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesI have lived long enough to see a lot of changes. A man said to an older friend, “I guess you’ve seen a lot of changes in your life.” The man said, “Yeah, and I’ve been against every one of them.”I don’t feel that way because some changes have been helpful to me. When I was a boy, I remember watching my dad use a pen that he dipped into a bottle of ink to write. He could write several words with the pen, and then he would have to dip it into the bottle of ink again.
-
3 weeks ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesOne of the great blessings of being a pastor is that you get to know some of the finest folks in the world. The other side of that is that as a pastor you must preach the funerals of many of these friends who have blessed your life. One such person that I came to know when I was pastor of First Baptist Church in Booneville was Macon Griffith. Macon was 97 when she died, but she never lost her sense of humor.
-
1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesPete Seeger was a folk singer who for many years traveled across our country doing folk music concerts and leading sing-alongs. Seeger said that one of the songs that he often led the groups in singing was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The song, which is a compelling expression of idealism, was made popular by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Sung by a young Judy Garland, the song embodies the hopes and dreams of one who is looking for a bright land beyond the rainbow.
-
1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesA young army private was on his first training exercise. His commanding officer said to him, “Go over to that clump of trees and take your position in a foxhole.” The young private went to the trees, looked around for a while, turned and asked the officer, “Sir, where is my foxhole?” The officer said, “You’re standing on it. Just throw out the dirt.”One of the largest rewards I ever received was for help I rendered in the digging of a foxhole.
-
1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn Jones I read of a car that was burglarized. The only thing taken was the car alarm. Perhaps it is a sign of the times. A reporter decided to survey people on their opinion about crime. He walked the streets and asked over 50 people if they thought there was too much crime on the streets. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed said “yes.” Twenty-three percent said “no.” The other 15 percent tried to mug the guy taking the survey. We are concerned and critical of those on the street who steal.
-
1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn Jones “If” is a very small word, but it has tremendous power and influence. A careful use of the word “if” can have an enormous impact upon life. Sometimes, we use the word as a club to hit ourselves over the head about previous mistakes. For example, “If only I had not made that bonehead decision.” Or, “If only I had not said that.”Of course, the fact of the matter is that we cannot change what has happened in the past. The poet wrote: “The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on.
-
2 months ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesBiblical commentaries are very helpful in the study of the Bible, but they can also be very expensive. A more inexpensive commentary is the daily newspaper. The newspaper is constantly confirming and illustrating the Bible. An article about a Harvard medical study is a case in point. The article reported the results of a seven-year study conducted by the medical school on the effects of anger on the heart.
-
2 months ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Lynn Jones |Bob Bakken
By Lynn JonesSeveral years ago, I was sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office in Tupelo reading a book. I do not mind sitting in waiting rooms very much because they are wonderful reading places. You have a perfectly good excuse to sit and read without feeling any guilt that you ought to be doing something else. Typically, waiting rooms do not have my favorite kind of reading material, so I usually bring my own. On this day, I sat immersed in a book I had brought.
