For Allie Dart

THIS IS FOR YOU, ALLIE

From Wayne Hinton

1/23/2016

This is just for you, Allie, since Ron is now asleep

And a great many people will miss what he had to say.

But no one can ever come close to understanding

How you were near him and heard him day after day.

For almost 63 years, actually it was more,

Since your days in high school you were side by side.

You shared your many ups and downs

As well as the times you just wanted to run and hide.

For the time being, you will hear from a lot of friends

Offering condolences and wishing you well.

They really mean it, too, even though it won’t be long

Before the time between their wishes will be longer than you will tell.

You will never forget the good times you had together

Or the times when things might have gone better.

Then there were the many times you were apart

And looked forward to reading his letter.

I want to share my memories so you will know

How much you have both meant to me over the years.

In the beginning Ron and I were only acquaintances

Until now when his passing brings me to tears.

When we lived in New Orleans was when we first got to know

Each other more than letters could possibly come to reveal.

Tom recommended my ordination to Ron and all that was needed

Was the proper approvals and the final seal.

Moving to Dallas interrupted the process and we had to start over.

Another Tom, in DFW, thought I was already ordained.

He allowed me to continue to preach sermons

Since he was aware of the knowledge I had gained.

Keep in mind that I am not writing these words about me –

Only about the very special relationship I had with Ron.

He had a very special and unique way of speaking

When other ministers might make one yawn.

He studied night and day to understand

The scriptures that God has given to us all.

Only Ron had a God-given way of passing along

His knowledge without making others feel small.

Ron knew his limitations, as you well know.

So he wisely built upon his strengths which were many.

Solomon asked for wisdom and God granted his wish

And I know that many people’s brains aren’t worth a penny.

I’ll never forget the first time Ron called me “friend”,

Even though it wasn’t face to face.

It was in a sermon he was giving at the Feast

I thought he meant me, and he admitted it was the case.

We shared some amazing “coincidences” that many don’t know

Nita has reminded me how my sermon messages were aligned with his.

Even though we never compared notes or discussed our plans

Ahead of time, we could not have been closer if given a quiz.

Ron was smooth with his deciding to change the Feast

To include the Festival Association to handle some things.

Asking me to run it for the first couple of years

Was an honor for me without any strings.

Later, when he asked that I join the Board,

It was, once again, my honor to join the team.

I learned more about Ron and his plans for years to come.

He was so clear and concise, because, in short, he had a dream.

He talked openly in the Directors meetings

About the day his life on this earth might be done.

His plan included tapes in a can that were ready

To carry on his broadcasts for many years under the sun.

My first sermon (I recently found the notes from it -

I was only about 12 years of age at the time)

Was for the Youth Program at our church.

It wasn’t very long and as far as I can tell,

The words may have left many in the lurch.

It was my dream as a teenage boy

To be a preacher in my own church someday.

Over the years, my concept changed from church

As a building to what Christ taught as The Way.

When I was ordained by Ron, it was again a great honor,

To be recognized by my own congregation as well as by him.

And I readily acknowledge that in the teachings I give others

I owe the contents and understanding to Ron, life and limb.

One thing I regret is not realizing how seriously Ron took things,

For once I mentioned to him about a habit of his.

He often said that a thing might exist “until the cows come home”

Then he quit using the phrase from that day to this.

I am very thankful for the times he and I talked,

Maybe more than you even know,

Because the words between us were smooth

And as comfortable as communications can flow.

Alas, the last discussion I had with Ron was over the phone,

And we each had difficulty with our words coming to mind.

He knew that he was only alive at that time because

God still had something for him to do even as he was in a bind.

It is little comfort to know that you and I will see him again

In God’s Kingdom. He has gone ahead of us there.

His next waking moment with be with Jesus Christ

And he will get his chance to give his burdens to Him to share.

During our past few phone calls, Ron and I agreed

About the stress and dedication of a caregiver.

We agreed that we both appreciate it all so very much

That your hearts and love must be deeper than any river.

But, and I rarely use that word, I really want you to know, Allie,

That even in our last one on one telephone call,

Ron never lost sight of God’s meaning of life and the Kingdom,

And the service you gave to him while here, and that he loved you most of all.

My Dad

My Dad

by Wayne Hinton

1/11/16

My dad was a strong and very macho man

So proud of his masculinity and good looks

You would never know by talking to him

About his love of people and good books.

He loved my mother without any doubt

They were together on this earth 54 years

And whenever there was any mention of her

It always brought him to subdued tears.

Dad never wanted to display emotion.

He thought that was a sign that he was weak.

He just never totally understood

That his strength was in all he would speak.

I was only six years old and kissed him goodnight

When he told me I was getting too old for that.

Little did he know at that time

How much I longed to be with him where he sat.

He never talked very much; it wasn't cool,

But his work was his pride and joy.

Although he toiled both day and night,

He never let me forget that I was his little boy.

Electricity may have been his focus

He studied it night and day when he was young,

Yet for every moment he was home

We listened to every word of his tongue.

We called home a lot and talked with mom

And dad would take the phone.

He never had very much to say, 

Even when we were very grown.

After mom died, it was apparent

That dad had a lot to say.

We talked on the phone every Sunday night

After Sixty Minutes was done for the day.

It's been ninety-eight years since he was born

And my thinking of him is more than I can bear

Because he and I did not talk enough

To know how much we care.

Pray for One Day at a Time

Pray for One Day at a Time

Creativity escapes me this morning.

I read the morning paper with dismay.

So many bombings and murders

And that is just in one day.

Children are being slain by parents

And the weather is violent and strong

With earthquakes and poisoned water

It's like everything is being done wrong.

I read the comics, but they don't help much

But they do take my mind away for a time.

Then I check emails and facebook and find enough

Friends' pain and sorrow giving us more hills to climb.

My prayers seem insignificant at times like these

But as much as I try, they seem to be all I have to give.

As it is, there is precious little I can do to help

Except to ask God for each of us one more day to live.

People and Places

Bear with me on this one. It is a personal and nostalgic look at our past travels.

People and Places

By Wayne Hinton

May 5, 2015

If you are old enough, maybe you can relate to this.
If you are young enough, maybe you can learn from it.
And, if you are in between, maybe you can change if needed.
My goals were quite simple years ago, and I reaped the benefit.

By keeping my goals simple, some were easy to achieve.
But the biggest advantage was being able to recognize
Opportunities for what they were worth
And what they could offer to my eyes.

Math was a major part of my early goals
But that didn’t work out for me.
Several girls interested me enough to think
My Mrs. was among them, but it wasn’t to be.

I dreamed of living in Texas for some reason,
And Dallas was a focus for many years.
I thought I was stuck working in Cincinnati,
And losing our first child brought many tears.

My wife had never lived anywhere else,
So moving to Texas was a test of trust.
We took a trial move for a few months,
And found that Dallas westward was full of dust.

With two children at the time, we made a conscious decision
To use the temporary time we were there
And make the most of every moment.
So we toured Texas with a flare.

The Alamo was a must-see of course
And Johnson’s library was full of intrigue.
Since we had not seen anything like it.
The displays were out of our league.

Eisenhower’s birthplace was close
And we couldn’t let the opportunity pass
To visit his old home in Denison
Long before he earned his brass.

A drive into Oklahoma found us racing a tornado
Hoping we could beat it back to Dallas.
We did, of course, with some nerves unwound.
At least I found out that my feelings were not callous.

Passing the test of living elsewhere, we waited
And found ourselves moving to Connecticut.
While there, we visited New York City, Boston and more
Where we witnessed a whole new form of etiquette.

Plymouth Rock, Cape Cod, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine
And New Hampshire were among our many tours.
We even were able to give my dad a vacation that
He had only dreamed would show the sight of early wars.

Chicago was next, although I did not really want to go.
Surprisingly, we found some of our best friends ever
And again made some incredible findings.
Finding our way around town was a difficult endeavor.

My first visit outside the United States
Came when I had a small team
Doing some work in Puerto Rico.
The humidity was extreme.

Wisconsin was more interesting than expected
And long distance bike rides and camping were great.
We amassed a great many pleasant memories
And we toured throughout the state.

I thought I knew Kentucky well, having grown up there,
But living in Frankfort for a short time,
And getting Janis some horse riding lessons,
Gave us a different view of the caves and pleasant clime.

Dallas was next – our second time to live there.
Our focus was on a school where both kids could graduate.
But after only a few short days, I was called to Detroit.
You never know when you will meet a twist of fate.

Needless to say, Detroit was not in my top ten cities to live
But General Motors needed a lot of assistance
So many of us went to help even though
What we wanted to see was far in the distance.

My position allowed me trips
To Canada and Mexico.
Working with the locals there
Helped my skills to grow.

Michigan holds some absolutely wonderful scenery
The Upper Peninsula provides a great many views.
We also got our first chances to spend time
In Canada, Niagara Falls and other places to choose.

We lived there long enough for both children to graduate
And I had some serious increases in responsibilities.
I considered it a reward to be chosen to go to South Korea
It proved to be a real test of some of my abilities.

The Old Korean Village and Itaewon were fascinating
And the food was deliciously different.
We bought souvenirs, of course,
And the people were very brilliant.

New Orleans loomed next in our travels
And what an unusual time we had.
The food and music, along with the people,
All had a quality and style, but it was not all bad.

The history of southern Louisiana is full of wonder
You can imagine a belle descending the stairs
Of almost any of the mansions
And no one is burdened by cares.

Opening offices in Oklahoma City and Reno
Gave me some new views of life.
Tahoe is a wonderful place and it gave
Me a place to vacation with my wife.

Our third relocation to Dallas gave travel for us
A whole new dimension.
The places we saw while in Europe
Were way beyond our comprehension.

England, Ireland, Belgium and Germany
Were very educational and beautiful locations.
The autobahn, Switzerland and the Rhine
Went beyond my expectations.

Now, as we have settled into our advanced ages,
I have no more fear to fly.
Nor do I want to do it anymore.
I’m content to gaze into the sky.

I see a lot of planes go over the house
And I wonder about each person’s destination.
Is it business or pleasure or something else?
I hope it is combined with a great vacation.

Nostalgia or Neuroses?

Nostalgia or Neuroses?

By Wayne Hinton

May 4, 2015

Oh, Donna, where can you be? The years have taken you away.

You are in the background now just like Peggy Sue.

Some were funny, like the boy named Sue,

Emotions were a major part of every song we knew.

Carol, Diana, Tammy and long, tall Sally were popular, too.

Heartbreak Hotel was full and Lonesome Town

Was where all the broken hearts stayed.

And we’ll never forget being called Cathy’s Clown.

It doesn’t really matter if you were leaving on a jet plane

Or laughing as the tide washed away love letters in the sand,

We all agreed there ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,

And we had to re-write the love letters by hand.

Paul said it wasn’t puppy love, but it really was,

At seventeen, it is rarely anything serious.

It just feels like we will die when the one we think we love

Only makes us feel delirious.

Don’t get me wrong … I love the old songs and the memories,

They were a very large part of my youth.

But for all the singing about what we called love,

All we experienced about love was far from the truth.

The most romantic love is not Romeo and Juliet

Even though they tragically died together.

It is the story of grandma and grandpa

Who grew old together through all the storms they could weather.

Songs of the youth play with our neuroses

Without which they would not be popular in their day.

Now we need to put them where they belong

As nostalgia and let them lay.

Enjoy the music that was then, and sing along

We can recognize the music is easy to dance to,

But, at the same time, we do not need to retrieve

The old days when our hormones and neuroses grew.

We don’t need to be singing the blues anymore

My prayer has changed and I’m sure yours has, too.

But the day we stop growing and learning

Will always make us Mr. Blue.

Why Am I Still Here?

Why Am I Still Here?

By Wayne Hinton

May 3, 2015

Why am I still here?
Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense.
As I look back over the years,
Life almost stopped on several events.

First, when I was very young, my mother fed me an apple
She never gave it a thought to peel it first.
Mom knew apples were good for health and teeth
And gave it to me not fearing the worst.

I choked on the peel. Doctors were called.
I’m not sure how long I was without air.
They watched me carefully and nurtured me
So that I recovered after the scare.

God must have had something He wanted me to do.

Nothing can protect children from the accidents that loom
Around each and every blunder.
Falls, cuts, bruises, breaks are all a part of growing up.
Survival is often a wonder.

Then driving a car becomes a teenager’s dream.
I was fortunate to have a cousin with one dad could afford.
A couple of minor mishaps taught me a few things
Then, I was enamored of and bought a 1955 Ford.

It was beautiful – emerald green with many coats
I really felt like I was in the car I was meant to own.
On a two-lane highway, three cars behind a three wheel tractor,
I decided to pass them all in a legal passing zone.

It may have been seven years old, but I owned it only six days.
When the tricycle tractor turned left into my path
I ended up in a ditch with the motor racing.
Turning off the ignition key, I dove out of the car with great wrath.

The car was totaled and I was in a state of awe again.
It was time to move on and my next experience
Was driving home from college for a weekend.
I made it to the last highway exit in a state of weariness.

God must have had something else He wanted me to do.

Suffice it to say, I fell asleep at the wheel, running off the road
I awoke as I was swerving onto the gravel.
Why I was able to compose myself, I will never know
It makes more sense that my nerves would unravel.

A few years later, after college graduation,
I became friends with a co-worker who was non-controversial
He had his pilot’s license active but wanted to
Progress so he could go on to fly commercial.

As we flew into Cincinnati Airport, he found out
His brakes didn’t work, but we escaped
Missing an incoming jet plane without incident.
We didn’t even have time to be afraid.

Later, on his test flight, the instructor told Jerry
To put the small plane into a stall.
I didn’t know this, not that he could recover,
In my mind, my life was over – that was all.

It became clearer in my mind that God had something He wanted me to do.

There have been many other incidents in my life
Where survival was very uncertain.
Yet, I am still here to tell my story
Before He closes the final curtain.

Prostate cancer and lymphoma were treated
With chemo and radiation treatments for a cure.
Then heart trouble sent me into hospital stays
And procedures that I did not think I could endure.

My attitude has stayed positive and my doctors
Have been beyond my greatest hope.
Yet, I was totally convinced that I did not have the strength
To come close to be able to cope.

Often in this life, God keeps us alive
Even when we don’t know how or why.
And many times, it may be after a few years,
He gives us other situation that explain the reasons from high.

So – why am I still here? I can only presume that God has something more that He wants me to do.

Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom and Gomorrah

By Wayne Hinton

April 28, 2015

Isaiah says without the LORD of hosts 

We would have become like Sodom,

Had he not left to us a very small remnant,

Who hold fast to “Thy kingdom come”

I can’t really think of more to say

Because in this world around us

We can’t get much closer to Sodom

There’s little more to discuss.