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Enoch
One Hit Wonder
“Enoch”
Moses, a man who didn’t speak well, hesitated. “…Oh Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant.” (Ex. 4:10) What did he have at stake? His life. Pharaoh could have killed him. A legitimate fear. Yet, Moses’ faith compelled him to go forth anyway and free his people.
Mary, a devout woman, was chosen by God to become pregnant with our Savior. What would something so public cost her? Humiliation. The thought of being pregnant with no husband would threaten her good standing in the community. She ran the risk of being stoned to death. Yet, her faith compelled her to remain faithful and believe all that God had told her.
Paul, a Pharisee, felt righteous in his persecution of his fellow Jews for going against their religious traditions. What was at stake? Status. He’d be the laughing stock of the synagogue and probably put to death. Yet, Paul surrendered his will and obeyed God, facing ridicule from both Jews and Christians at the beginning of his ministry. And even when the Christians finally believed he had indeed been chosen by God to lead the Gentiles to the faith, he still paid the ultimate price. Death.
Each of these devout followers had something to lose if they chose to live for God. Whether they ran the risk of being publicly humiliated or faced death, they remained faithful to the end.
It is not a question of IF we will be tested. But rather, how will our faith influence our walk with God during that test? Will our hearts pant for the Holy One amid our trials? Please, let us not be caught sleeping (Luke 22:46), but let us always be in prayer. Walk with God, not ahead of Him.
Donna B. Comeaux
Freelance Writer, Author
Written for Park Plaza Church of Christ
Tulsa, Oklahoma
August 18, 2013
GO TO Parkplaza.org to hear the sermon on Enoch. Once on the website, click “Media,” then click “One Hit Wonders.” There is NO signin or registration. ENJOY!
I’m Still With You
I’m Still With You
I’m not sure what I would have done without the woman of my dreams
God knows I’d do anything and by any means
Given her the moon, the stars, my very last dime
To sway her, coax her, convince her please “Be mine?”
Eventually, her eyes opened, she saw no other way
Our destiny was set, love blossomed that day
I grinned, certain she’d be forever, ‘til death do us part
Now I am gone, I’ve broken her heart.
If there is any consolation my dear, my love, my wife of 27 years
The mountains we climbed and the hurdles we feared
Were nothing, absolutely nothing to cross, for the love in your eyes
Gave me all that I needed and much more besides.
There were times when the valleys took all of our strength
Waters flooded our path inch by inch
Waves bent us back, but we determined to pay
Any price, any calling, to dance to any piper’s tune
To love, be together, at peace in one room.
Don’t dwell on my departure for the remains of the day
Rather, remember happy times and how often we played
Recall the joy you brought me all of those years
The love we have still rings in my ears.
Without fail, I love you, I love you, I love you, Darlene
From every stuttered word to each glaring gleam
I’ll tuck you in tonight, you won’t even know I’m near
But by my love that still burns, sizzles, and comforts your fears.
by Donna B. Comeaux, Freelance Writer and Author
In loving memory of Michael Jacobs who departed us December 8, 2004
Dated December 9, 2004
(Revised August 17, 2013)
Please do not reproduce.
Heaven
HEAVEN
Here is how I imagine it:
The grass is a luscious green, its path the roughest of gold
Angels welcome me in and applaud the victory I hold
As my feet try to touch the bottomless floor, I have questions galore
Til I lean on an angel’s arm, look up, and see there’s no floor or ceiling at all
Angels are smiling at me, bidding me “hurry, come in”
I hasten with glee before I notice my body has lost all its skin
Too distracted to sing with the others, I gaze at the beauty ‘round me
My heart so filled with awe ‘cause I’m not where I thought I’d be
The closer I get to His throne, the louder the angels do sing
As I listen closer to the hymn, it’s the one I prepared for the King
I stumble on His long purple robe, my eyes affixed on this day
An angel grabbed hold of my hand and led me the rest of the way
His wings enveloped me whole and gently he did lay me down
The songs of the angels now hushed, one pushed me and turned me around
There on the throne of my Lord, sat the King of great Kings, I adore
I lowered my head, prostrated in fear, I could look at His greatness no more
He brushed the ball of my back, and softly sat me high on His lap
Then He straightened and opened the book and read to me all of the facts
When He was done He lifted me up and pointed across the Great Room
“You,” He said, “have earned a room with a view and there is more to come
But I couldn’t let the angels escort me in, instead I fell in despair before Him
“How could you let me journey so far, I was bad and sometimes lost heart.”
“You repented,” He said softly to me, “and you bowed and surrendered your will.
See, the wicked believe in themselves. I forgive only those who prevail.”
by Donna B. Comeaux
Copyright Pending
All rights reserved
Land Squatters
Adverse Possession – Protect Your Forefather’s Land
When I was a kid, I used to watch old westerns. One of the issues encountered was people squatting on land they didn’t own. Lately, I’ve been dreaming about those westerns and I didn’t understand why until I received my monthly check from leasing proceeds.
I wondered if the proceeds from our property were fair. That thought made me nervous. After all, if there’s a problem, I might have to do something about it. I ditched the idea and focused on finishing my novel. My novel only acerbated the issue, because until now, I hadn’t realized that all the dreams, worries, and questions I had were seeping into the pages of my book. The revelation stunned me. I laughed for a moment. I shed a tear. Then I decided the time had come to use my fears as motivation.
Thoughts of losing our land were exorcised by an article I found entitled “Couple Loses Land to Squatter’s Rights Law.” This article is a precious gift to people like you and me. Before its discovery, I always assumed when you bought a piece of property, it was completely yours forever until you decided to sell it. We all might need to rethink this.
We can all sit back and blame covetous neighbors, greedy businessmen, or sibling rivalry for theft of our property. In the end, it’s our family’s fault for sitting on the backs of our forefathers who toiled endlessly to achieve the one thing they perceived to last from generation to generation—LAND! We do a disservice to our forefathers when we squander what they worked so hard for. We owe it to them to do everything we can to preserve their legacy through our integrity and kindness toward others.
Since doing nothing exhibits no kindness to our ancestors, we ought to get busy putting our forefathers’ house back in order. With that in mind, I made a list of questions and searched the internet until I felt enough peace to appease my guilt.
Though the following steps may not be in the proper order, they are still relevant if you want to protect your family’s property.
- Find out what the Land Squatters Law is in the state where your property is located.
- If you don’t have a copy of the deed to the property, get one. You will need the property description. You may also need the deed in order to perform the next step.
- Find out if an “adverse possession claim” has been filed against your property. If some greedy business or neighbor wants your property, they will most likely have to file a claim against it. It is possible this claim could be referred to by another name in other states. You will need to investigate this and get familiar with the correct terminology for the state in which the filing may have occurred.
- Call the County Assessors’ Office where your land is located. They should direct you to a website where, hopefully, property owners are listed. If anyone other than your family is listed, be concerned. Get an attorney.
- Be aware you can use the option of filing a trespassing action against the land user. Further investigate this option.
- Be aware a court injunction can be filed that forbids the land user on the property. Further investigate this option.
- If there’s a company leasing your property, get a copy of their annual report. I think it’s always a good idea to know how much companies are profiting from using our land.
- Take pictures of your property. And I’d advise you to do this every year. Since my family lives in one state and our property is in another, this is a good idea so everyone knows, especially the next generation, what should or shouldn’t be on the property.
- Hire a land surveyor. The sole purpose of a land surveyor is to measure the land to determine the boundaries and exact size of the property. Don’t take this step lightly. It will prove valuable in the end.
- If your land is being leased to a company or individual, get a copy of the Lease Agreement. Pay special attention to how long the Lease Agreement is for, who the Lease Agreement is with, and how much are the monthly payments.
- Have your land appraised. There can be a huge disparity between the fair market value and what you charge for a monthly lease for your land.
- A year before the Lease Agreement expires; make sure monthly fees are comparable to the fair market value of your property, or to that of properties in the surrounding area.
- Seek the advice of an attorney. I know what you’re thinking—it’s too costly. Most reputable attorneys won’t charge a consulting fee. Don’t be afraid to ask the attorney what you and your family can do to curtail costs. If your family is contentious, pray. If they are cooperative, you will be surprised how your issues with your property can bring you and your family closer together.
- Don’t be selfish. The land belongs to the family, not one individual. All of you are important. If you have nine family members and you receive monthly lease payments in the amount of $1.00, split the dollar nine ways. Or come to an agreement to have the monies put in a special fund to be issued to each family member at a later designated time.
We intend to make our great-great-grandfather proud. Hope you do the same. If not, next time you dig out your pennies to pay for college tuition, ask yourself this: “Did my grandfather’s ship come in and I just missed it?” Maybe you did.
Donna B. Comeaux is a freelance writer and novelist
NOTE: Also see this website for further information: http://research.lawyers.com/blogs/archives/28754-Adverse-Possession.html
(dated October 26, 2013)