My Spiritual Journey - Part 2 (by Norm Hammond)

(from wikipedia)

Today, Norm Hammond concludes his two-part post, My Spiritual Journey.  If you have not already done so, start by reading part 1.

 
Immanuel Baptist Church
Immanuel became more than a fiber in the rope. I heard a salvation message every Sunday. I still didn't believe the gospel message he preached. I had learned from others that if I was good and performed good deeds, it would make me acceptable to God. I could do it myself. When I compared myself with others I perceived that I would be acceptable.

The people at Immanuel seemed happy in spite of their circumstances. They all carried Bibles to church and used them for personal study. This was different from most churches I had attended. Up to the time we were attending Immanuel I didn't know that the Bible was the Word of God. I had to admit that it's contents had changed lives from hearing their testimonies. Tom Younger, who was the preacher, emphasized it was not what he said, it was what the Bible said. For instance he pointed out II Corinthians 10:12:

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

The people of Immanuel invited us into their homes after church services. Another fiber. I began to go to Sunday School as well as church. Oz Morley was the Sunday School teacher. He taught the Bible. I perceived that Oz and his wife Jinny were very moral and religious.

The friendly people at Immanuel were in stark contrast to my boss, Ron Smenner and President of Hoosier Solvents and Chemicals corp., Robert C. Nicholls. They were both living immoral life styles and bragged about being "two fisted drinkers".
 
What Made the church people different?
Another fiber of the rope. After attending church and Sunday School for about a year, hearing the Word of God preached and taught, I began to see a huge difference between the church people and most of my business contacts. What made the church people different? It had to be the church and the Bible they read and studied.
 
I began to realize what I needed to do to become a Christian. I needed to understand that I was a sinner. That I was born that way and I needed by faith to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior. By this Faith I could claim Christ's righteousness and I would be acceptable to God.
 
Pride Kicks In

It was much easier to believe all this than it was to publicly acknowledge my sin and be baptized in obedience. Now my ego and considerable pride kicked in. I wasn't a small child fresh out of Vacation Bible School or even a junior age child who had attended a Christian camp. I was 42 years old and had had some success in the business world.
 
One night I decided to read the Bible for myself. I read the entire book of John. I began to see God as a loving living person instead of a punishing tyrant for wrong deeds.
 
I heard in a sermon that it is God who calls people to him. I didn't know that! I took my Bible and searched for every place where the word "call" was used. It was true. In fact the word "call" was used so many times I got tired looking them up. If it is God who calls, then I don't do anything but answer.
 
I was still smoking cigarettes at this time. I wanted to quit, then I would answer the call to be saved. I really didn't understand my adversary. Neither did I understand how difficult it would be to quit. A Christian friend shared with me how God had taken care of his desire to smoke after he was saved. I couldn't believe that. But that is another story.
 
Saved at a Revival Meeting
Immanuel had scheduled a revival meeting for a week in late October. Lehman Strauss, a distinguished preacher, teacher and author, was the speaker. Our family attended most of the special meetings that week and on Thursday night the message compared salvation to a sailboat. God was the anchor. Even though life could be rough and uncertain in the sailboat on the surface, with God as the anchor of your life he would produce peace instead of fear. Lehman Strauss did a lot better job in his preaching that my recollection of what he said.
 
After the meeting as we left the church I asked Tom Younger at the door if he would stay at the church, I would take the family home and return. When I returned Lehman Strauss and Tom Younger presented the gospel message of salvation. At the end of the presentation I was asked to accept Christ as my personal savior and became a born again Christian. I was 42 years old in October of 1966.
 
The title of my story is "My Spiritual Journey". Journey's have a beginning and an end. I had a new beginning when I was born again. My new life in Christ had just begun. So you see it wasn't a journey at all. It is a new beginning with no end. Eternal life! The rope is finished.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: All things are passed away, behold all thing are become new." -  II Corinthians 5:17

My life verse is Hebrews 11:6. "But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Is he a rewarder? You bet he is. Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."



Other Posts by Norm Hammond:

• The Big Mistake
• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring?

My Spiritual Journey - part 1 (by Norm Hammond)

(image from wikipedia)

Here is another story from Norm Hammond.  In this two-part post, Norm writes of coming to Christ as a 42 year old married family man.

The Many Fibers of a Rope
A rope is made of many strands of material for strength. It all begins with the smallest fiber fashioned into a thread, then string which is twisted and woven until it becomes a strong and useful tool. A rope.

The analogy of the beginning of my spiritual journey with the smallest fiber of the rope begins with my early childhood. Our church experience at that time consisted of going to churches on special occasions only where my grandparents had a social presence. These special occasions were Easter, Christmas and Homecoming Sundays. This was the first fiber of the rope.

Even when I joined the Boy Scouts, it was sponsored by a Methodist church in Terre Haute, there was no continuing relationship with any church, I drifted through grade school and high school spiritually. In college, science classes taught me evolution as a scientific proof of origins in spite of all the missing links.
  

Another fiber of the rope was added when I met and married Doris. She had had a much more consistent and positive experience with church than I. She had been saved in Vacation Bible School as a young girl. We attended Babour Ave. Evangelical United Brethren Church in Terre Haute. The people were friendly and we attended some social gatherings.

Another fiber in the rope was added when I left teaching and accepted a position as salesman with the Crowell-Collier Publishing Company. The territory would be worked from home in Ft. Wayne, In. We attended a Methodist church near our North Side home (rental). When we purchased a home on the South Side we began to attend Christ Methodist Church one block from our home. We didn't have a good experience there so we stopped attending, except for Carol who was active in the youth group.

God Supplied the Fibers of My Rope
As I look back with the perspective of time, I can only explain my spiritual journey by accepting the fact that God was at work directing my path and the paths of others, and guiding my journey to him through them. He was supplying fibers to the rope.

A larger fiber in the rope happened when Dwight was attending Abbett School just two lots from our house. He met a friend, Lex Oren.

Another fiber, Doris became acquainted with Lex's mother, Barbara. She fixed women's hair in her home and Doris went to her regularly for hair car. Barbara and her husband, Larry, asked us to go camping and other activities with them. Our friendship grew.

Aunt Esther & Uncle Tom
Meantime another fiber was created. Doris's Aunt Esther Buck who lived in the country south of Brazil, came to our house with her husband, Tom. She came to attend a statewide meeting of some kind at Immanuel Baptist Church. She and Uncle Tom stayed at our house a few days for the duration of the meeting. Uncle Tom wasn't too keen on attending the conference, he rode with me while I worked making calls in my territory. He said he really enjoyed riding with me.

Meantime Aunt Esther was attending Immanuel Baptist Church for the statewide meeting. This was a church that I drove by each morning when I went to the office. Architecturally it was different to say the least. I used the think when I passed by, "What a bunch of nuts would build a church building like that!" It looked like a Mexican hat more that it did a church building. Aunt Esther's and Uncle Tom's trip to Ft. Wayne was no accident. It was the only time they ever came to visit. It was timed perfectly for me to add a fiber to the rope which was growing.

Our friendship was also growing with the Orens. Doris and the children, except Carol, began attending Immanuel. Carol continued to attend Christ Methodist. I stayed home and used the time to plan my coming week's work, calls and itinerary. After some time in this mode it became more embarrassing and uncomfortable for me to stay home alone. When the rest of the family was leaving for church, Dwight looked me directly in the eyes and said, "Why don't you go to church with us, Dad?" That did it. I couldn't stay home anymore. I knew I should go for their sake. I didn't realize it was for my sake too.

Continue reading part 2 of Norm's Spiritual Journey

Other Posts by Norm Hammond:

• The Big Mistake
• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring?

The Big Mistake (by Norm Hammond)

Norm Hammond is a member of Faith Baptist Church. Today he writes about a big mistake he made years ago.

In your marriage did you ever make a big mistake, a blunder, and error, or a faux pas? I did. In October of 1950, I was recalled to active duty in the Naval Reserve because of the war in Korea. Doris and I had been married 13 months when I received my orders to report to the staff of Comtrans Div 21 in Little Creek, Virginia. During my tour of active duty with Comtrans Div 21, my command was ordered to the Mediterranean for a tour of duty lasting four months.

Our first port of call was Gibraltar for change of command. During our first few days in Gibraltar, British and Spanish vendors came aboard ship to see their merchandise. One of the vendors was selling hand painted portraits made from snapshots. I had a very nice snapshot size picture of Doris in my billfold. From the photo to portrait examples he showed, I could see that a portrait of her would be a very nice souvenir. I gave the photo to the vendor and contracted to have the portrait painted for twenty dollars, a tidy sum in 1951. Since the snapshot was in black and white he needed to write down the colors to use; brown hair, brown blouse, white collar with white checks, brown eyes and eye brows. No payment was necessary now, satisfaction guaranteed upon completion of the 13x17 inch oil on canvas painting. In four months when we were back at Gibraltar, the vendor would return with the finished picture and collect the twenty dollar quoted price.
   

Four months later, we were in Gibraltar for change of command to another group of ships. The vendor came abroad and tracked me down to deliver the oil portrait. He un-wrapped the portrait so gingerly; you would have thought it might have been the Mona Lisa. When I saw the finished work, I could see that it was well done; however, there was something I could not explain about the portrait. It did not look right. His persuasive manner prevailed and I have him the money for the portrait. I tucked the portrait in a tube and put it in my luggage and began my journey back home.

We arrived in Little Creek, Virginia in mid October after 15 days at sea. Our second child was due in late November, so I have requested leave after he was born. Our first son was born on November 28th and I returned home to see the new addition. When I unpacked my things I found the tube with the new portrait inside. I proudly gave it to Doris as a memento of my return from sea duty. She opened the tube and unrolled the portrait and examined it with great expectation. There was a long silence, I thought, "Oh no, she sees the same thing I did when I decided to take the portrait, she's not pleased with it". Finally Doris said, "My eyes are blue, not brown!" I was speechless. I felt like an animal that had walked into a trap and the door slammed shut. How do I get out of this? Well, sometimes you don't. I had made a big mistake, a blunder, and error, a faux pas.

I'm glad Doris does not hold a grudge. She could have said, "That's all right honey, I forgive you," but she didn't. In fact she didn't say anything at all except, "my eyes are blue." I volunteered to have the brown eyes painted blue by an artist and she said, "Ok" without much enthusiasm. The eyes were painted blue by Doris and the portrait went back into the tube for safekeeping.

The portrait stayed in the tube amongst our stuff through two more children and five moves, the last one being our move to Florida after I retired. That adds up to 43 years the portrait stayed in drawers, closets, and chests. After our move to Florida in our present home, Doris decided to take the portrait and have it framed. After all those years, the portrait with blue eyes was framed and ready to hang. After considering several places to hang the portrait, she decided to hang it on our bedroom wall. The particular place where this hangs is directly in my sight as soon as I wake up and the last thing I see when I go to sleep. I think it was to remind me twice a day of that big mistake I made 43 years ago. I'd rather believe that after 43 years Doris is saying "I forgive you for your big mistake."

Other Posts by Norm Hammond:

• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring?

A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - conclusion (by Norm Hammond)

Norm Hammond is a member of FBC. Today, Norm finishes his tale about a Rolex. Make sure you read Part 1 and Part 2 before reading the conclusion.

I was very proud of my new watch. I could not wait to find out how much my watch was worth. I visited some jewelry stores and discovered that the price for an Oyster Day Date Rolex was $14,750.00. Not many people in my circles wore Rolex watches, so people notice the distinctive look and ask about your watch. Then I could say, yes, it was free. I won it by making a hole-in-one at a golf outing. Well August and the rest of the year went fine with many people wanting to hear about my new watch. A few accounting types asked if I had to pay taxes on it. I said it was a gift and gifts under $10,000.00 did not have to be reported to the IRS. I was whistling in the dark. The accounting types who asked about paying taxes turned out to be right. In January, I received a 1099 with $10,000.00 on it with no withholding! I had to pay income taxes on it at my high rate, ouch! At least the 1099 was for the wholesale price. The Rolex I won became the most expensive watch I had ever owned.
  

I had to have two links of the watch band removed at a jewelry store to make the band fit my wrist. The jeweler included the removed links in the package when I picked up the watch. I told him I guess I wouldn't have any use for the spare links, but changed my minds when he said it was worth $250.00 for the gold alone. I also learned that Rolex chronometer watched should be serviced once a year. The service is provided by local jewelry stores who sell Rolex watches. When I took my Rolex in for its first service I was told that the service fee would be $250.00. The lump in my throat was so high I could hardly speak. I mumbled something about it wasn't quite time for the service yet, I was just inquiring. Then I began to think about insurance for my watch. After inquiries to several insurance companies, I thought their quotations were exorbitant, so forget that!
  

I continued to wear my Rolex for almost 10 years. I was older and my forgetfulness was beginning to be a frequent reality. When I went to play golf I put my Rolex into my golf bag pocket. Several times I would go to the bathroom or otherwise be separated from my golf bag and watch. On several occasions it would be dark when we arrived at the golf course. Those times when I would be separated from my watch and golf bag, I began to worry. How many men knew about my Rolex and might have seen my put it into my golf bad pocket? To protect against this eventuality I stopped putting the watch in my golf bag to play golf. I left it in the car locked for safekeeping when I drove to the golf course. But I didn't always drive and when I rode with someone else I continued to put the watch in my golf bag.
  

One morning, I drove to the course and put my watch in my locked car for safekeeping. When I returned to the car after golf, I searched my golf bag for my watch forgetting that I had left it in the car. It wasn't there! I thought about the times I had been separated from my bag that day and they were numerous. I continued my search my bag where I was sure I had put it before playing and finally had to conclude it was not in my golf bag. Therefore it was lost or stolen. There was a feeling of terror that came over me, that is hard to describe. What and how would I tell my friends about the expensive watch I had lost? How could I be so careless? I put my clubs in the back of the car and walked to the front door and got in to drive home, wondering how I could explain the loss of such a valuable watch. When I sat behind the wheel I noticed a small part of a Rolex watch almost under the seat. I had looked there many times before but could not see it until I sat in the drivers seat. I was relieved that I really had not lost it at all. I hadn't put it in my golf bag that morning because I drove to the course alone. Did this incident happen for the Lord to show my what could happen to a forgetful old man?
  

I had been shopping for a diamond ring for Doris and the more I looked, the more I realized that this was going to be a very expensive idea. In a conversation with the jeweler, he noticed my Rolex watch. A sudden brilliant idea flashed across my mind, "Would he buy my Rolex or trade it in for a diamond?" To my complete amazement, he said yes! I timidly asked him how much my watch was worth and after examining it, he said $7,000.00. It was less than half the price of a new one, but I had worn it almost 10 years and Doris needed a ring and I wouldn't have to worry about loosing this expensive watch. When people would ask, "Hey Norm, where's your Rolex?" I could say, "I bought my wife a diamond ring." It was such a brilliant idea, I couldn't resist.
  

Now when people ask, "Hey Norm, where's your Rolex?" Doris can show them her ring. Doris wears the ring at all times. It is sized properly so she won't loose it. The heirloom that was a watch to be inherited by a son; suddenly became a diamond ring the daughters can fight for. It is better to give a ring than to wear a Rolex watch.
  

Wealth and possessions always create responsibilities we may not be prepared or willing to assume. I am relieved of the responsibility of owning and caring for such an expensive watch. I am now wearing an attractive "gold" watch purchased at the Winter Haven Flea Market for $19.99.. If I lose it, so what!

Related Posts:

• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - part 1
• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - part 2

A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - part 2 (by Norm Hammond)

Norm Hammond is a member of FBC. Today he continues with part 2 of his story. In case you missed it, read part 1 first.

Hole number 12 on Sultan's Run is a 140 yard par three downhill. The pin was placed about six feet from the front edge of the green. Two players in my foursome teed off in front of me on this hole and both were on the green, but just past the hole. I selected an 8 iron to hit my shot and stepped up to the tee. I teed up a Titleist 6 ball on the tee, looked down at the green 140 yards away, took my stance and struck the ball. I felt as though it was a good stroke and might be good enough to get inside the other balls on the green for a "closest to the pin" prize. I watched my ball fall just short of the green on the apron, bounce up on the green once and fall directly into the cup on the next bounce. Wow! Wow! Wow! I ran around in circles with my arms high in the air. Wow! I hugged the young girls and shook hands with the other in my foursome. Wow! When the celebration calmed down, the young girls took my name as the winner of the Rolex, Wow! When we finished our round of golf on the 17th hole and carted through the 18th hole we passed the leader board. There posted for the entire world to see was: Norm Hammond hole-in-one on number 12, everyone at the golf outing wanted to shake my hand. I felt a little guilty because I was probably the least known individual on the course and was playing that day as a substitute for Jim Williams. God does some incredible things for us sometimes.

After the golf playing was over George and I drove back to the Holiday Inn to clean up and get ready for dinner at 6:30pm, Jasper Country Club. I called Doris to give her the good news and she already knew it. Good news travels fast! George had called his office in Indianapolis when he finished playing and told them about my hole-in-one. The secretary called the Ft. Wayne secretary to tell them about my good fortune. The Ft. Wayne secretary called Doris and told her about my lucky hole-in-one. Someone called Jim Williams in Grand Rapids and told him what he had missed by not being able to attend the golf outing.

At the reception that evening I was an instant celebrity. Everyone, it seemed wanted to shake my hand and congratulate me, maybe to rub off some of my good fortune. The reception blended into a delicious dinner. After the dinner there was a presentation of the prizes. There were prizes for the longest drive, straightest drive, closest to the pin on par 3's plus prizes for foursomes who scored well in the afternoon, after all this, the final presentation of the evening, the Hole-In-One prize.

I was called to the podium to receive the hole-in-one prize. I was sitting at a table in the rear of the room and as soon as I stood up there was a generous amount of applause from those present. I continued until I reached the podium and was greeted by the president of Jasper Rubber Company. From the time I stood up to walk to the podium, terror began to grip my emotions. Our host was very gracious and congratulated my for my accomplishment. Then continued saying that JARCO had had this annual golf outing for 30 years and no one had ever been able to hit a hole-in-one on the designated hole until now. He continued with a few more maudlin comments, but by this time my heart was beating fast and I could feel my face flushing with heat. The terror continued to escalate, after what seemed like an eternity he handed me the watch and asked me to say a few words. I really didn't expect to be asked to do that. Everyone else who had won a prize just came to the front and took their prize back to their table. By this time terror had my emotions in a tighter grasp than before.

I was not very coherent but managed to mumble something that I had used an 8 iron and the ball bounced twice and went directly into the cup. This was my first hole-in-one, ever. I appreciated being asked to attend the golf outing and hoped they would ask me to come again next year, but they didn't.

Come back on Monday to read the conclusion of Norm's story.

Related Posts:

• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - part 1
• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - conclusion

A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - part 1 (by Norm Hammond)

Norm Hammond is a member of FBC with a unique story. Today he begins a three-part tale of a Rolex watch and the trouble that it caused.

Some telephone calls we receive are telemarketers to solicit money for charity of for some commercial purpose. Most telephone calls are for routine information and are soon forgotten. Others, however, can be welcomed because of some significant information received. There are still others which are welcomed for the information which is communicated and have ramifications for the rest of your life.
   
Such was a phone call Doris received at home from George Kriel at the Indianapolis Chemcentral office the week of August 11, 1992. George needed a golfing buddy to attend the Jarco Supplier Outing on Wednesday, August 19, 1992 in Jasper, Indiana. Since I was playing golf with friends at the time of the phone call, Doris said yes without consulting me! It was very presumptuous of her to say yes without consulting me even though I was retired. But under the circumstances I was not really angry. Doris had made a commitment for me and I was obligated to fulfill that commitment. I called George to confirm his request and thank him for it, turns out that George, the manager of Indianapolis was going to accompany Jim Williams to the Jarco Golf Outing in Jasper, Indiana on Tuesday, August 19th. Jim Williams, one of George's salesmen had been selected to attend management training in Grand Rapids, Michigan which meant George would have had to go alone unless I filled in for Jim. I realized that it would be a great sacrifice for me but one must not let down a friend when asked to help them in a time of real need.

   
So George asked if I could drive down to the Indianapolis plant on Tuesday morning. We would make a leisurely trip with some sales calls on the way down to Jasper. I left home early Tuesday morning and arrived at the Indianapolis plant about 9:00am. After some coffee and conversation with George we traveled to Terre Haute and made a sales call at MAB Paints with a luncheon. MAB Paints used to be Smith-Alsop in my Terre Haute days. After lunch we drove to Bloomington, made another call, and then finished the day driving to the Holiday Inn in Jasper to stay there for the night. Jasper is an old town settled primarily by German/Austrian descendants. Looking at some of the buildings and especially at the churches you can easily see this southern German/Austrian influence.

   
This golf outing was called the Annual Sales and Suppliers Golf Outing. Several companies hold such outings for an opportunity to invite customers and their salesmen, as well as key suppliers and company personnel to socialize and explore opportunities for closer business relationships. Jasper rubber had invited Chemcentral, Indianapolis as a key supplier to the festivities. Although George and I did not attend the cookout on Tuesday evening, we did attend the golf outing on Wednesday.

   
The gold outing was played on Sultan's Run Golf Course. The name of the gold course came from a very successful show horse named Sultan. Sultan's owner owned the land on which the golf course was built. Before that the golf course area had been Sultan's pasture field, thus the name of Sultan's Run. It was a relatively new course carved from Southern Indiana's rolling hills and creeks. The fairways were sodded with Zoysia so the course, was in excellent shape. George and I arrived early at the course because the format for the outing was a scramble with a shotgun start. Our foursome started on hole number eighteen. George started in a foursome on hole number 16 and so on. It is called a shotgun start because when all golfers are in position on their starting holes the pro fires a shotgun that can be heard over the whole course. In a scramble format each golfer his off the tee in any order.

   
The foursome moves up to their ball positions and decides which ball is best located to hit and all hit from the same place, this in continued until one of the four balls is in the cup. Score is kept by counting each of the best shots until the ball is in the cup. Jasper Rubber had had their golf outing for 30 years and no one had ever been successful in winning any of the par 3 hole-in-one prizes. There were two high school girls near the tee on number 12. They were observers to confirm any hole-in-one, should one happen that day. There were prizes for whoever was closest to the pin on all par 3's. The special prize on hole number 12 was a Rolex Oyster Day Date model wrist watch. Crafted with solid 18 karat gold and jeweled chronometer workings, it is the epitome of fine wrist watches...

Check back on Friday for the second part of Norm's story.

Related Posts:

• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - part 2
• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? - conclusion