Ken

This is the view from my chair. (Of course, Lois took the picture)Early in the morning I read my Bible just inside this window before the rest of the family rises. In the evening I like to be with the family here. I try to read them something every night. Every night we are home in December I plan to read them one of my Christmas stories. I have a perfect brass reading lamp beside my chair that I found at a resale shop for five dollars. I repaired the cord and it is one of my prized possessions now.

After the most beautiful, balmy month of November I remember in my life, winter hit the western suburbs of Chicago on the first day of December. God has a way of displaying his power in spite of our plans.

It is an exceptionally beautiful winter day today… I rose this morning at five to drive to Momence for the first of what I am calling “Men of Momence” meetings. Now it is late afternoon. The sun is at the top of the trees. The boys are milking the last few moments of light from the day to snowboard.

Hope America and I are enjoying a quiet afternoon with the London Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas music and a fragrant pine candle. She is puttering in the next room and humming along with the music. I can’t imagine life without her. She wants to know when we are going to get our Christmas tree.

Hope America

Twenty-one years ago tonight Charles Kenneth Pierpont was born at Foote Memorial Hospital in Jackson, Michigan. He was born at exactly 10:00 p.m. and he was at home on Dogwood Drive by midnight. He’s been a great guy to have on the team. He has a great sense of humor. He is a very bright lad. He is one class from completing his bachelor’s degree.

He has devoted his life to the service of Christ. He witnesses to people every day. He would like to go west and get involved in a ministry there or even start a ministry some day. Along with pursuing his degree he has helped with the family ministry and served on staff at Camp Barakel in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan.

I can’t tell you how many times someone has come up to me and told me what a fine son Chuk is. A few times I have had people tell me they would give anything to be able to say they had a son like Chuk. I am glad to say that he is our son.

Happy Birthday, Chuk. You are a fine son.

Take a look at this

I try to be a happy man. A sad Christian is a public rebuke to his God. They say a flag flies over the castle when the king is present. The idea inspired this little chorus we used to sing; “Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of your heart when the King is in residence there.”

My mom worked hard to teach me the secret to joy when I was small. She was faithful to teach me the Bible and not just me but every kid in the neighborhood. She was devoted to gathering the children of the neighborhood into weekly clubs called Joy Clubs one afternoon a week.

In JOY CLUB we had a theme song. Here is how I remember it:

Jesus and Others and You
What a wonderful way to spell JOY
Jesus and others and you
In the life of each girl and each boy
J is for Jesus for he has first place
O is for others you meet day to day.
Y is for you, in what ever you do
Put Jesus first and spell JOY.

On Tuesday night we went strait from the school bus to the church for Joy Club. We would sing songs, and Mom or a friend would tell Bible and missionary stories with the aid of pictures and modest prizes. She awarded prizes to those who had perfect attendance and memorized their Bible verses and brought visitors. One of the prizes I labored hard for was a red and white felt beanie. It was called a “JOY Beanine” because it had the word JOY spelled out in macaroni letters. You may laugh but my mom grew up in the fifties when beanies were “cool.” The year I won mine was about 1968 and we lived in the country where people weren’t too concerned if you were a half-decade out of fashion.

Through my diligent effort I won my own JOY Beanie and ran home to look at myself in the mirror. There in macaroni letters on the front of my beanie was the word JOY reminding me of the timeless truth that the secret of joy was to love God with all my heart and to love my neighbor as myself. That was almost forty years ago. The beanie is gone but I still have the joy every day.

A kid with a beanie today would be laughed out of the neighborhood if not beaten, but the idea of joy growing from putting Jesus and others before you is timeless. I’m grateful for my mom’s efforts to spread joy around the neighborhood.

I hope you have a happy day. Remember: “Joy is evidence to the world that God can fully satisfy the human heart.”

Ken Pierpont
Brook Place
Hinsdale, Illinois
November 27, 2006

P.S. Mom says the JOY was not spelled with macaroni…. she says she can produce evidence to prove it. I yield. I think my mom’s spiritual gift is teacher, and you don’t want to challenge “teacher types” on details. You will loose every time. Nonetheless the salient details of the story are true and facts aside I will always remember my felt beanie with macaroni letters. I reserve the right to postmodern reconstructions when I deam that there is literary merit for them. 🙂

IT IS THE DAY OF THE OHIO STATE V. MICHIGAN RIVALRY. THIS MAY BE THE BIGGEST ONE EVER. I FELT LED OF THE LORD TO SEND THIS NOTE TO MY FAMILY THIS MORNING:

You all know that since my earliest childhood I have memories of the tradition of enjoying college football with the people that I love. Well, it’s game day again and I have been thinking.

Jim Elliot once attended a great college football game. It was one of the most exciting games in college football history, a rivalry game between two great teams attended my multitudes. After the game he went back to his room, picked up his journal and wrote:

Our Beloved Woody and Bo are now both in eternity. Some day so will I and so will you. In the deepest part of my being I pray this morning that I will be with you then in the presence of Jesus, on my face, at his feet, and I pray that I will have crowns to cast at his feet, the rewards I have gained by being a faithful steward of the opportunities that have been entrusted to me in this life. Crowns gained by giving my time and energy, my loyalty and enthusiasm, my diligence and creativity to the things of God.

Here is my game-day prayer this morning: “Lord take my life, my breath, my time, my tongue, my mind, soul, my strength, every human power and every earthly opportunity and make eternal good of them by your own work in me. I shudder to think that I would waste them on temporal things that do not last and do not matter. I pray that my precious family, my wife, my sons and daughters and all of those I love gather with me in that day when faith becomes sight. Then we will have something to cheer about.” In Jesus’ Preeminent Name and for the sake of His Kingdom, His Power, and His Glory I pray. AMEN

No matter the outcome today of the game we all have emjoyed as a family tradition for generations, my heart will be glad because my life is hid with Christ in God

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!
Ken Pierpont
Game Day
November 18, 2006

Read my brother Nathan’s response:

Thanks, Ken

I am at the church right now preparing to help with a funeral. One of our dear Saints preceeded us to His presence. Your reminder of Jim Elliot’s response to an “important ball game” is very fitting today and I am with you. By God’s grace, I will also be with you with all of mine in that Day when we cheer for our Great Champioin and bow before the Lord Jesus.

Thanks so much for your thoughts on GAME DAY. 🙂

Love ya, Nate

My brother Kevin sent me this:

P. S. They all love Jesus, too.