"Behavior to motivate a response from God is legalism; behavior that is enabled by Christ is grace. "
Don Whisnant
GracePoint
"INVETERATE" FROM DICTIONARY.COM
Charles E. Whisnant"Inveterate" means adj.- Firmly established by long persistence, deep-rooted, of long standing.
- Fixed in habit by long persistence, confirmed, habitual.
I have been an inveterate Christian minister, just ask Charity. Ever since we have been married, I’ve been getting up early in the morning, studying the Word, reading books, and going to work at a secular job, and then doing the ministry of preaching and teaching as well, for over thirty years.
But during the last ten years I have gotten a little out of hand. (1996-2006) It started out wanting to spend time with the boys, (1993) just collecting baseball and basketball cards while we lived in Kansas. Then we moved to Lexington KY in 1996. Eric was out of college, Becky was in college. Chad was in the 11th grade and Kyle was twelve, still at home. And I was not pastoring, which is another story in itself. Somehow I got caught up in this sports collecting again. I am not a video game person, never have played games like that at all. So I became a collector of sports memorabilia. I believe this was a substitute for what I really wanted to be doing, which was ministry. Anyway, for the next five years I was a collector. Then we moved in 2002 and came to Portsmouth Ohio. Actually, during this current time, I have not really been very active in collecting, but I do have a few habits that I continue to do with what collection I already have. But it only takes up a very small amount of time.
Example of this inveterate: Always setting up sports displays:
- Arranging the Scottie Pippens Starting Line-Up and Cards, and magazines.
- Displaying the Dale Earnhardt, Sr. 1/24 Goodwrench Monte Carlo Wheaties Car, and the 1/64 series of cars, and the Earnhardt’s Wheatie Boxes, and a number of cards, and magazines. I particularly like the life size Earnhardt, given to me by Allen Barnhart.
- Showing off the LEXMARK 1/64 die cast metal latest Hot Wheel/Lightning Collector Cars. Brian Williams, sales rep for Lexmark and husband to my niece April, graciously gives me every new car that Lexmark comes out with. Sorry I am not selling them.
- Parading a number of Wheaties Boxes that I collected of sports figures, from Michael Jordon, to Tiger Woods. The Wheaties are good to eat as well. This requires a weekly visit to the store to see if there is a new Wheaties box.
- Exhibiting a number of the Hot Wheels, a fine collection of the 2004 Series of cars on sheet-rock. Always seeking the new "Dodge Tomahawk" or "Rebel Rides" bikes. Because Eric likes bikes, I have a nice exhibit of bikes from Hot Wheels. And Kyle gave me a stand that will display over 120 1/64 cars. I have a collection of Hot Wheels modifications, three different looks to the same car. Of course there are the 1999-2003 series.
- Flaunting my display of Jeff Gordon’s cars, cards, Wheatie boxes, shirts, books and magazines, etc.
- Strutting the many Starting Lineup is a pleasure. From Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Dale Earnhardt, Barry Sanders, Cal Ripken, Jr., Wayne Gretzke to name just a few.
- Featuring an excellent display of sports memorabilia on shelves, which I have made and arranged. Plus there are a number of three ring binders full of sports cards.
- I am an inveterate clipper of newspapers sports articles, which I cut and paste, and display them on cardboard posters. I have done this since I was a teenager. Eric saves the Sports Sections of USA Today for me.
- From the newest US Postage Stamps to the latest 50 states quarters that are spotlighted.
Pictures of the family, in frames, in binders, in albums, are arranged on walls, at home, work or at church
MY LOVE OF ORGANIZING: USING BOOKCASES AND FILE CABINETS HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEEP-ROOTED
- I was an inveterate book collector for many years. As a teenager in my father’s book stores I fell in love with books. Going to the school/college/church/local Library has always been deep rooted in me.
- First thing I would do when going to a new church was to set up my bookcases of books.
- At Calvary Baptist Church, several men built me a wall to wall bookcase.
- At First Baptist Church, Kurt Nunnenkamp, made me an attractive 2" thick wall to wall bookcase for the pastor’s office. .
- At Second Baptist, Ray Polly spent hours making me an immaculate looking 7'x5' book case for the pastor’s office.
- Nearly every place I worked and lived has been noticeable with book shelves full of books. Church or home, there were book cases. It is still the same today.
- Book cases are also used to hold three ring binders too. I look for bargains on notebooks. I bought fifty 1 ½ " notebooks for .25 cents each (they were $3.78). I’m always looking for a binder.
Some examples of what goes into these binders.: - Binders full of church documents.
- Binders for ministry related material
- Personal sermon manuscripts: Daniel, Revelation, Isaiah, Proverbs, I Peter, 1 Thessalonians,
- Shepherd’s Conference Notebooks 1983, 1993, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- IBYC and ADMS, Gothard Notebooks 1978-1990
- Biblical Counseling Notebooks
- Sports Binders.
In the last four years (2002-2006) as I have written, I am an inveterate Internet browser, 98 window-shopper, monergism.com web site visitor daily. I am an inveterate Corel Word Perfect Suite 8 visitor daily. So over the last three years these bookcases have been filled with the notebooks and three ring binders as follows: Some major projects:
- DOCTRINAL/ THEOLOGICAL NOTEBOOK BINDERS 2003-PRESENT
- ARTICLES FROM SOME GREAT WEB SITES 2003-PRESENT
- SERMONS FROM GREAT MEN OF THE PAST AND PRESENT 2003-06
- BLOGGING ARTICLES. 2006
- A YEAR’S WORK IN LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF A CHURCH AND BIBLE STUDY MINISTRY at PORTSMOUTH BAPTIST CHURCH. 2002-03
- SIX MONTHS STUDY OF THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE FOR TEACHING TWO MONTHS ADULT DISCIPLESHIP CLASS AT BIGELOW CHURCH 2004
There you have it, folks. Good grief. What will I think of next?
Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant October 28th Proof-read by Charity 28th Posted 28th
