Jacob Bembry's Blog
May 13, 2015
Penny
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I pick a shiny copper penny up off the floor. The head of Abe Lincoln is embedded on the front of the coin and on the back is a shield with the words “E pluribus unum” (translation: out of many, one) inscribed on it.
I remember when the penny could buy so much more than it can today. You used to be able to buy a piece of candy for a penny or a piece of bubblegum. If a kid had a quarter and went to a store that sold penny candy, that kid would leave thinking he or she were rich.
As a child, I didn’t understand the value of a penny and I’ve got to admit that, now as an adult, I am not the best money manager in the world but I do know how much things cost. I know how much the light bill is; how much the phone bill is; how much the water bill is; how much the doctor bills are; how much groceries cost; how much gas costs. There is very little room for luxuries.
There are a few things that I know that money won’t buy. One of them is true love. Another is respect. And, in a nod to songwriter Guy Clark and singer Jerry Jeff Walker, another is homegrown tomatoes.
Money also cannot buy salvation. We can’t buy our way into Heaven. Jesus Christ has already paid that payment for us with His death on the Cross. Our job is to simply accept His sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary for our sake and ask Him to come into our hearts and save our souls.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
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April 21, 2015
Grow Up, Ben Affleck
“Ben Affleck 2008″ by Gene Bromberg – benaffleck7-2-1. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fil...
I saw where actor Ben Affleck tried using his influence as a “megastar” to hide details about a slave-owning ancestor on a PBS show. The fact that he had a slave-owning ancestor has nothing to do with what he is today.
A search of my family ancestry revealed that I had at least two ancestors that owned slaves but that was almost 200 years ago and has nothing to do with the man I am today. A search of my ancestry on the other side reveals that I had an Indian grandmother who was found in the woods by white people who raised her. She may have been a Seminole Indian and she may have been part black. If this was the case, in the 1800s, I would have had to be classified as black and not been able to vote.
I do not try to hide my ancestry. There are plenty of people on both sides to be proud of, and, yes, there are some of which to be ashamed.
Read Jesus’ lineage in the Bible. You will find a prostitute (Rahab), an adulterer and a murderer (David), a liar (Jacob), as well as a man who got his daughter-in-law pregnant (Judah) and wicked kings who disobeyed God, We should not be ashamed of who we are or what our ancestors did.
I think that it is a cruel thing that there were slaves then and there are slaves now. I think that it is cruel that anyone is ever mistreated but I cannot deny my ancestors, no more than I can deny any crazy family members I have now. I am no better than anyone else, and I am definitely nowhere near as good as Jesus Christ, who had ancestors who would make most people cringe.
My message to Ben Affleck would be to grow up because you are no better than anyone either, even if you are a big millionaire megastar.
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Sudden Death: God's Overtime: The tale of one man's miracle recovery from sudden cardiac death (Paperback)
By (author): Jacob E Bembry
On December 8, 2011, Jacob Bembry went into cardiac arrest at work. Co-workers called 911 and began CPR. When EMS arrived, Bembry was clinically dead but thanks to great work by them and a miracle from God, he was revived. At the hospital, doctors gave little hope that he would survive, and if he did, he would never be the same again and could go through life with brain damage -- but God was not through working miracles.
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April 2, 2015
I Don’t Believe in Karma
Photo courtesy of George Hodan, http://publicdomainphotos.net
I don’t believe in karma.
Karma says that good things happen to people if they are good or do good things and bad things happen to people if they are bad or do bad things. The Bible tells us in Matthew 5:45 that God “maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
How many people do you know who have done bad things that always seem to have everything they need. How many good people do you know or have known that suffer ill health or have died hideous deaths from terrible diseases like leukemia, diabetes, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, etc.? Sure, there are consequences if we do wrong things or make mistakes but many times things happen that we don’t know why it happens. We can’t attribute these things to karma.
On a Thursday about 2,000 years ago, Jesus sat down with His apostles and ate what we call His Last Supper. He took the role of a servant and washed the apostles’ feet, including those of Judas Iscariot who would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver. Just think, a King who was God Himself in the flesh as man, humbling Himself and washing the nasty dirty feet of His followers, including Judas. The next day, He died on a Cross for their sins and for our sins.
That is Grace, my friends. It is the Grace that says anyone, not matter how bad or good they are, or how poor or rich they are, can be saved. Remember the thief on the cross. He was bad but he found acceptance into God’s Kingdom through the grace of Jesus Christ.
No, I don’t believe in karma. I do believe in casting your bread upon the waters. (Ezekiel 11:1) I also believe that sin and death entered the world when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit in the Garden of Eden and sometimes bad things, even death, happen to good people. As Christians, we are saved by grace and not by works. (Ephesians 2:8-9) but as Christians, we should do good things for others because “we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
I believe in Jesus Christ as the atoning perfect sacrifice for my sins and I believe that one day, all those who believe in Christ as their Savior will be rewarded in Heaven as they lay down the burdens of the cross they bore on this Earth and exchange it for a crown.
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Higher Call: Sometimes God has more work for us to do (Paperback)
By (author): Jacob Bembry
"I did not see the light during my near death experience. Either I did not see it or I do not remember it," so begins Jacob Bembry's book "Higher Call." The book is a collection of columns and thoughts he has had, whether it be about the day that he died and was brought back through the miracle working power of Christ, or a story about his mentally-challenged sister, Abbie, riding an elephant at the circus. The book is packed with Bembry's thoughts. Some are deep, some are challenging and some are funny. The theme woven through the columns is God's love towards us. There is something for everyone in the book. Meet Bembry, a graduate of Florida State University, who is the editor of two weekly newspapers in Madison, Florida, and the caretaker for his sister, Abbie, his elderly father and his physically disabled brother, Danny.
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March 19, 2015
Blooms
Photo by Karen Arnold, http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/v...
Unknown flowers bloom forth regally in the midst of trees to the east of my house. An army of dandelions falls into formation and salutes the few flowers that rank high above them.
How many times do we find ourselves bowing and scraping to things that seem so elusive and seem to possess so much magic that we lose focus on what is really important? We dream of taking that vacation to far, far away. We dream of having that sports car that will be the envy of all of our friends. We dream of diamonds and Rolex watches and fancy clothes.
It’s nice to dream, but while we are feeding these dreams, are we starving our relationships with Jesus Christ and our families and friends?
The Bible tells us that it’s more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) and everyone has at least one thing they can give and that gift is love. Give it out of a heart of selflessness to those people who are hard to love. It may be torture for you to do it. You may be persecuted for doing it. The people you give your love to may hurt you and make you regret ever giving the gift, but remember you are not doing it for yourself. You’re showing them true Christian love for themselves. In time, God will remember you and will bless you.
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March 13, 2015
Enchanting Echoes
I can still hear the echoes of old friends through the years. Those echoes enchant me.
The enchanting echoes of friends’ voices and laughter beckons like a siren’s call from years past. Visions of their faces bring a smile to my face as I imagine each one speaking to me.
Along with the smile, there are tears and heartaches to go with them. Friends, who should be long gone, still remain, while some of them, who should still be here, have left for their homes in Eternity.
Seminole fans or Gator fans and black or white, we all knew what it meant to call each other friend and to mean what we said. We all knew that we were loved by our parents, our brothers and sisters, and we knew what it meant to be there for each other.
Each of us became a success in some way. Some became business owners, some fighter pilots, some Marines, some journalists, some worked for cruise lines, some engineers, some doctors, some farmers and some nurses. Many became husbands, wives and parents. God has not blessed me with that but He has blessed me in many other ways.
Looking back through the years, I realize that God has been with me every step of the way. He has guided me. He has reached down to pick me up when I have fallen and failed Him. He has given me more than enough to survive through the years.
As I look back on photos from high school, I know that my stomach is not as flat and as hard as it once was. I know that life has gotten harder since high school. They have helped me grow, not only wiser in wisdom but stronger in my faith. These times of trials and testing bring me to my knees and even make me question my faith at times, but I learn time and time again that like the Bible says, God will not fail me nor will He forsake me.
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Higher Call: Sometimes God has more work for us to do (Paperback)
By (author): Jacob Bembry
"I did not see the light during my near death experience. Either I did not see it or I do not remember it," so begins Jacob Bembry's book "Higher Call." The book is a collection of columns and thoughts he has had, whether it be about the day that he died and was brought back through the miracle working power of Christ, or a story about his mentally-challenged sister, Abbie, riding an elephant at the circus. The book is packed with Bembry's thoughts. Some are deep, some are challenging and some are funny. The theme woven through the columns is God's love towards us. There is something for everyone in the book. Meet Bembry, a graduate of Florida State University, who is the editor of two weekly newspapers in Madison, Florida, and the caretaker for his sister, Abbie, his elderly father and his physically disabled brother, Danny.
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March 7, 2015
Licorice Gumdrops
Gumdrops, including black licorice ones. Photo courtesy of http://www.candywarehouse.com/assets/...
I’m not as crazy about gumdrops as I was as a kid. Back then, I loved their super sugary sweetness and paid no attention at all of what harm they might do my teeth. Now, I get a toothache when I think of eating one, although I will admit, around Easter some years, I throw caution to the wind and bite into a few of them. I ignore the fact that the dentist may have to take a bite out of my wallet but then the sugar rush and the sugar high sends me plummeting down the slippery slope and I realize that much processed sugar is not good for any man. As a kid, though, who paid attention to these warning signals?
One of my favorite gumdrops to eat was probably my least favorite gumdrop of all. Why did I eat it, then? Because it made me appreciate all the other gumdrops in the pack. This was the licorice gumdrop. It was the one that tasted both bitter and sweet. The reason it was one of my favorites was because it made all the other gumdrops taste better by comparison.
Do you like ugliness or beauty better? Do you like pain or pleasure better? Do you like people who are mean or nice better? Like that licorice gumdrop, we have to have the bad to really appreciate the good. One day, we will not have to have comparisons to appreciate beauty. How beautiful it will be when we leave the ugly sins of this world to go to Heaven and dwell in the presence of beauty with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Higher Call: Sometimes God has more work for us to do (Paperback)
By (author): Jacob Bembry
"I did not see the light during my near death experience. Either I did not see it or I do not remember it," so begins Jacob Bembry's book "Higher Call." The book is a collection of columns and thoughts he has had, whether it be about the day that he died and was brought back through the miracle working power of Christ, or a story about his mentally-challenged sister, Abbie, riding an elephant at the circus. The book is packed with Bembry's thoughts. Some are deep, some are challenging and some are funny. The theme woven through the columns is God's love towards us. There is something for everyone in the book. Meet Bembry, a graduate of Florida State University, who is the editor of two weekly newspapers in Madison, Florida, and the caretaker for his sister, Abbie, his elderly father and his physically disabled brother, Danny.
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February 26, 2015
Jealousy And Fear Drive Will Jones To The Gallows
Check out my new Book Table for information on how to buy this book and others I have written.
The following is an excerpt from my book “Crimes Seen:”It was said jealousy led Will Jones to shoot and kill a woman with a double-barrelled shotgun near the McNeil turpentine still, just south of the north Florida community of West Farm on October 8, 1901.
It was fear that caused Jones, a young black man who was going under the alias George Rowe at the time, to flee the scene and head into the swamp on foot.
The twenty-year-old murder suspect found that the swamp was not safe, however. Ignoring fear of those poisonous slithering snakes called water moccasins and those vicious alligators, Jones found something he feared much more. He discovered a white hunter named Anderson, or rather, Anderson’s dogs discovered Jones.
As Anderson’s dogs ran up on the man, who was now being sought by a posse including Madison County Sheriff E.S. Armstrong and Deputy Stockton Smith, fear overwhelmed Jones. He thought that Anderson was involved in his pursuit. He fired on Anderson, wounding him critically. Anderson’s injuries were so severe, he later died from the effects of the gunshot.
A short while later, another black man, whose identity like the woman’s was never reported by the local newspaper, The New Enterprise, and is apparently lost to the ages, was walking through the woods and he was also killed by Jones.
At about midnight on October 9, Jones was located in a house and ordered to surrender. Instead, he opened the door and fired both barrels of his gun at Deputy Smith, injuring his arm and shoulder. In the midst of the confusion that ensued, Jones escaped from the house, taking with him the contents of several guns belonging to posse members.
Jones was found in the woods during the early morning hours and a gun fight ensued. Thirteen shots were exchanged, including one small shot which injured Sheriff Armstrong below his eye. By this time, Jones was armed only with birdshot.
At the time of his capture, it was noted that Jones had sustained four gunshot wounds himself. None of the wounds were life threatening.
When he was taken into custody, Jones was said to be callous and indifferent to the crimes he had committed.
A short time later, an attempt was made to lynch Will Jones. Sheriff Armstrong was able to avert the efforts of those angry enough to take the law into their own hands by spiriting Jones fifty miles away to Lake City, Florida.
A grand jury convened and handed down an indictment for the murder of the woman who Jones killed in his jealous rage.
On October 23, 1901, a trial was held. Jones was found guilty and sentenced to hang until dead.
The hammer began to chime the time on the final moments of Will Jones’ life as the gallows were constructed that fateful fall morning of November 8, 1901.
In the time before the execution, Will Jones was visited by Rev. A.B. Osgood. The two men prayed and sang hymns during Osgood’s visit. Jones was also reported to say a prayer requesting forgiveness of his wrongs.
As the clock neared eleven, Jones was escorted to the gallows. He had to be helped onto the platform by sheriff’s deputies because of wounds to his feet.
Jones was placed in a chair and told to make his last statement. He looked around the crowd that had gathered to see him get his punishment. In the crowd, he recognized several of his friends, and called out to them. He told everyone that he was “sorry to be in this fix” and express his wish that he be buried at Cherry Lake.
A black hood was draped over the head of Will Jones and the noose was tied around his neck. At 11:25, the trap door in the floor of the gallows was sprung and Jones dropped into the waiting arms of eternity.
Jones was pronounced death fourteen minutes later by Doctors Yates and Ruter.
Witnesses reported that Jones’ neck was not broken, but dislocated.
Madison County bore the expense of burying the young man who had let his emotions, especially those of jealousy and fear, get the best of him. They had jumbled together and created anger in him that caused the deaths of three people.
The hanging was the first public hanging that had been held in Madison County in ten years and it became the last public hanging held in the rural farm community.
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Crimes Seen: A Collection of True Life Murder Stories (Paperback)
By (author): Jacob E Bembry
Read about the monsters who came before Halloween and terrorized an entire city...the lady wrestler who refused to be part of a murder plot that ended with the explosive trial being the first ever shown on television...a college football player who was murdered and whose assailant was murdered in an unrelated incident in prison...the sister who was jealous of her sister's clothes and decided to kill her...how jealousy and fear led Will Jones to the gallows...the man who wanted to murder his mother and succeeded. In doing so, he committed the biggest mass murder in American history up to that time. Read these and more in "Crimes Seen: A Collection of True Life Murders."
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February 23, 2015
Fog and Clouds
Photo courtesy of Lynn Greyling, www.publicdomainpictures.net
The skies outside are overcast but the sun will pop its head out later today and chase away the clouds and the fog.
So many times in our lives, we have fog that muddles up our minds and makes it hard to see what lies ahead. Many times, black clouds will hover over our heads and we wonder if the sun will ever shine again. Rains come, Thunderstorms come. One thing is sure — the sun is always there and it’s always going to shine again.
With the fog muddling our mind and the clouds hovering over our heads, we sometimes wonder if Jesus, the Son of God, is still there. Then, some happens. Something ordinary, or maybe it’s sometime magical or miraculous and we become aware of the fact that the Son is still there and He’s going to show up and He’s going to show out and He’s going to shine again.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
Books I have available for purchase
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Higher Call: Sometimes God has more work for us to do (Paperback)
By (author): Jacob Bembry
"I did not see the light during my near death experience. Either I did not see it or I do not remember it," so begins Jacob Bembry's book "Higher Call." The book is a collection of columns and thoughts he has had, whether it be about the day that he died and was brought back through the miracle working power of Christ, or a story about his mentally-challenged sister, Abbie, riding an elephant at the circus. The book is packed with Bembry's thoughts. Some are deep, some are challenging and some are funny. The theme woven through the columns is God's love towards us. There is something for everyone in the book. Meet Bembry, a graduate of Florida State University, who is the editor of two weekly newspapers in Madison, Florida, and the caretaker for his sister, Abbie, his elderly father and his physically disabled brother, Danny.
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February 20, 2015
I Didn’t Believe Bobby Shane Had Died
It was 40 years ago today that Bobby Shane, the self-proclaimed “King of Wrestling”, lost his life when the small plane piloted by Buddy Colt went into the waters of Tampa Bay. I heard the news as an 11-year-old boy growing up in Monticello, Florida. Although in the days when people believed that wrestling was fake and Shane was the heel that everyone loved to hate, I still felt the tragedy of him losing his life at 29 years old. I also felt for Colt, who was the heel that set the standard in Florida and Georgia for what a heel should be like, because he lost his wrestling career and was forced to become a referee, a manager, and a commentator. Gary Hart was also injured in the wreck and “Iron” Mike McCord (real name Dennis McCord), who later became Austin Idol, crushed a foot in the accident, and Gary Hart had a broken back and an injured head in the accident. The crash was tragic in so many ways. Buddy Colt and Austin Idol recalled the crash in this story printed the first of February. It is one of the best accounts I have read of the crash, putting you in the pilot’s seat with Buddy Colt.
Because the Championship Wrestling from Florida videotapes showed later on WCTV in Tallahassee than they did in other parts of the start, I questioned if Shane had really died because that Saturday, there he was on Channel 6, along with Bearcat Wright. Nothing was mentioned when they showed the promo for the matches the next Friday night in Tallahassee. I questioned if my father and my neighbors had told me the truth. Three weeks after the accident, I saw the tape where Gordon Solie, the dean of professional wrestling announcers, made the announcement. I felt the same tragedy that I had felt when I first heard the news because now it was confirmed. You believed what Gordon Solie told you on TV, didn’t you?
Forty years later, that plane crash is still remembered. It is talked about on the Internet. Colt and Idol say that people still ask them about the crash. I want go into the details of the crash. The article mentioned earlier is an excellent account and one excellent source of information on it is to joined the Closed Group Championship Wrestling from Florida Archives Send a request and the group administrator will approve it.
Below is a video tribute to Bobby Shane, the only wrestler who lost his life in the crash. There are rumors that Colt would have been the next world champion and would unseat Jack Brisco. There were also the same rumors that Bobby Shane would have been that man.
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February 19, 2015
I Hold Memories in My Arms
Photo courtesy of George Hodan, http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/v...
Prisoner , held captive by its charms,
I hold memories in my arms,
Thinking of so many years ago,
Dreaming of girls I longed to know.
Each one was there for a little while,
With carefree touches and careless smiles.
Cruel, I thought, they never loved in return,
Kind, I now know, was the sting of the slow burn,
Memories vanish on the wind,
Riding away like yesterday’s forgiven sin.
In my lonely hour of futility,
I saw that God had bigger plans for me,
Plans for my family, plans from above,
I can’t hold on to forsaken love.
One day, who knows, His plans may change,
And my life may be rearranged,
Today, I hold the present that I see,
And thankful for all God has in store for me.
Books I have available for purchase
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Higher Call: Sometimes God has more work for us to do (Paperback)
By (author): Jacob Bembry
"I did not see the light during my near death experience. Either I did not see it or I do not remember it," so begins Jacob Bembry's book "Higher Call." The book is a collection of columns and thoughts he has had, whether it be about the day that he died and was brought back through the miracle working power of Christ, or a story about his mentally-challenged sister, Abbie, riding an elephant at the circus. The book is packed with Bembry's thoughts. Some are deep, some are challenging and some are funny. The theme woven through the columns is God's love towards us. There is something for everyone in the book. Meet Bembry, a graduate of Florida State University, who is the editor of two weekly newspapers in Madison, Florida, and the caretaker for his sister, Abbie, his elderly father and his physically disabled brother, Danny.
List Price:
$10.00 USD
New From:
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Used from:
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