The Spiker Family Gathering Place

Three Books 

Life is a tale in books – Just Three
The Past, the Present and the Future to be.
We have finished the first book and laid it away. 
The second we read from day to day. 
The third and last of these
Volume three
Is locked from us and God holds the key. 

I find richness fulfillment between the covers of a book.  It is the way of life for me to think over.  I never get lonesome I just think over a reason book I’ve read.  Gay
 

March 1947 

I know it was the older people who really made this war.  They sent boys away to fight for a world they never made.  Now its their responsibility during the war to put young men into the army.  From now on its their resposability and all ours to keep them out of another war.

One night he said, “I like to start the day thinking of cool streams winding through ferny valleys, of wooded mountains reaching to the very sky, of vineyards growing strong in the sun – beautiful, eternal things, wonderful things of God.  If you will fill your whole soul with beauty, it brings heaven right into your every day.  Nobody can be weak and worried and fearful when his mind is deep-filled with God.”

Feb. 1935.  This verse Decided the Struggle I had in giving a home to the Orphans. 

Mrs. Spiker. 

And he who gives a child a treat makes Joybells ring in Heavens street and he who givse a child a home builds palaces in Kingdom Come. 
 

[The Everlasting Mercy by John Masefield at The Other Pages]
[John Masefield at Wikipedia]

Internal Links for scripts above and below:

[Ann Wines at the Spiker Family Gathering Place]
[Boots Wines at the Spiker Famiy Gathering Place]
 

The years are made for proving
Our gospel as we go 
That life is made for loving
Of neighbors, friend, and foe.
There is no time for malice,
For hatred, envy, lies.
We must lift up the chalice
Of noblier sacarfice. 

Pretense is always hallow.
And selfishness is vain;
One path there is to follow
Which no man must disdain
To save our life we love it
In dark but living seas
To keep our love we use it
In humble task like these 

4 20 

[St. Elmos by Augusta J. Evans -Project Gutenberg]
[Augusta Evans Wilson at the Alabama Hall of Fame]

Some may think we have forgotten
When at times they see us smile
But they do not see the sorrow
That smile hides all the while. 

Do not ask us if we miss him
There is such a vacant place
Often we think we hear his footsteps
And see his smiling face.

So often we sit and talk of him
And speak of how he died
And to think he could not say goodbye
Now he is gone but not forgotten
 

Now he si gone but not forgotten
Never shall his memory fade
Sweetest thoughts will ever linger
Around the grave where he was laid. 

NO -- God is not dead, The Power of God is a completely unknown factor on the earth -- that's all.  When the fullness of the scintillating beauty of the Power of God is made known to humanity, such world-desolators as Tojo and Schickelgruber will vanish as the morning mists before the rising sun.

The "Psychiana" Movement is brining to Americans everywhere, the plain simple facts of God.  We have discovered that the invisible Power of God is the most staggeringly dynamic Power in existence.  What men and women can do with the Power of God in their lives beggars description.  The pity of it all is that no idea or theory of God advanced to date has been able to disclose the actual, literal Power of God to humanity.  That revelation is now coming.  We brought knowledge of the Power of God to humanity some fifteen years ago.  Naturally, what has happened in the lives of those who found and use this staggering Power of God is beyond description.
 

External Links referencing script above:

[Frank B. Robinson - the Psychiana Movement at the University of Idaho] 
 

Our Life is Like a land journey too even and easy and dull over long distances across planes, too hard and painful up the steep grades:  But on the summit of the mountain, you have a magnificent view and feel exalted – and your eyes are full of happy tears – and you want to sing – and you wish you had wings!  You begin climbing down the other side so busy with your footholds that your summit experience is forgotten.
 

External Links referencing script above:

[The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas 1942 at the Gutenberg Project]
 

Sarah Bush Lincoln was buried beside her husband in Shiloh Cemetery.  Her death, on December 10, 1869, passed unnoticed by the nation.  For many years she was not even mentioned by historians and biographers.  Not until 1924 were the graves of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln marked with a suitable stone.  More recently, their Goose Nest Prairie home site has been made into a state park, with a reproduction of the two-room cabin which Abraham Lincoln helped to build.  And only in the last few years have Americans come to know that, when Abraham Lincoln said, “All that I am I owe to my angel mothers,” he was speaking of his stepmother.
 

External Links referencing script above:

[Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln at the National Park Service]
[Sarah Bush Lincoln at Wikepedia]
 

Only the acceptance of responsibility can bring us forward.  The world – even with the half-primitive human being – presents tremendous spiritual challenges.  We are not a dying civilization, but a struggling, growing civilization.  There are as many opportunities for successful fruition as there are possibilities for atomic doom.  We must work to make it possible for mankind to become an intelligent master of his own history.  This is our highest cultural mission.

A.M. Meerloo
New York Times
 

June 23, 1934 

Written for My Sister Della Allman

I realize that the work that Dell accomplishes is not only in my eyes and ears but in my very bones.  It strikes me once more for perhaps the thousandth time that the most valuable lesson of all her work was one which she never set out to teach.  How comforting and clarifying is the companionship in work in times of lonliness.  Of intimate the touching and handling of wood or stone:  And when larger problems seem insolable, how steading to the nerves how soothing to the trouble heart is the painstaking performance of small familiar manual task.  Gay June 23, 1945.
 

Willa Dean Spiker provided the following background in reference to the script above.

"Della Allman" is Martha Dell Zinn Allman, Gay Spiker's sister.  She was married to Jasper Allman and lived "over in Cox's Mill's way".  One of Gay's other sisters, Tensie Fay Zinn Allman, married Jasper's brother, Henry. 

[Send e-mail to Melanie Spiker-Fouse for access to Spiker Family Tree]
 

June 23, 1944                                                         

I being of sound mind bequeath to my 7 and 2 children all my prayers for their salvation.  I bequeath to them all the results of a lifetime of toil.  I bequeath to them the Christian religion which has been some comfort to me and I hope may be a solace to them.  I bequeath to them a hope of a reunion where the parting of life is over. Share and share alike. May they have eternal riches. My wish is that they avoid my errors and copy anything that may have been worthy.  In the hands of God who made me and the Christ who redeemed me and the Holy Ghost who sanctified me I make this my last will and testament. Witness all the hosts of heaven. Witness Eternity. Signed, sealed on this day my 60th birthday.
 

1st verse The Master is Coming. 

They said, “The Master is coming to honor the town today.  And none can tell to what house or home the Master will choose to stay.  And I thought while my heart beat widly What if he should call to mine.  How would I strive to honor and entertain the Guest Divine.

2nd

And straightway I went to toiling to make my home more neat.  I swept and polished and garnished and decked it with blossoms sweet.  I was troubled for fear the Master might come ere my task was done So I hastened and worked the faster and watched the hurrying sun. 

3rd 

But right in the midst of my duties a woman came to my door.  She had come to tell me her sorrow and my comfort and aid implore.  And I said: “I cannot listen or help you any today; I am looking for a greater and nobler guest and the woman went away. 

4th

But soon their came another a cripple old and gray.  And said Oh let me rest a while at your home I pray.  I’ve traveled far since morning.  I’m hungry faint and week.  And I said “I cannot help you any today.  I’m looking for a greater and nobler Guest”.  And the pleader went away.

5th 

And the day wore onward swiftly and my task was nearly done  And a prayer was ever in my heart that the Master might yet come.  And I thought I should spring to meet him and treat Him with utmost care.  Then a little child stood by me with a face so sweet and fair.  Sweet, but with marks of teardrops and his clothes were tattered and old.  A finger was bruised and bleeding and his little bare feet was cold. 

6th 

And I said, “I’m sorry for you.  You are sorely in need of care But I cannot stop to give it to you Must hasten other  otherwhere”,  And at the words a shadow swept o’er the blueveined brow.  “Someone will clothe and feed you dear But I’m to busy now.

7th 

At last the day was ended, my toil was over and done my house was swept and garnished and I watched in the dusk alone  Watched but no footfall sounded  No one passed my gate;  No one entered my cottage door – I could only pray and wait. 

8th 

I waited till night had deepened And the Master had not come.  “He had entered some other door” I cried “And gladdened some other home.  My labor had been for nothing And I bowed my head and wept.  My heart was sore with longing yet in spite of it I slept.

9th 

There the Master stood before me And his face was grave and fair.  Three times today I have come to your door, and craved your pity and care; Three times today you have sent me onward uncared for unhelped.  And the blessing you might have received is lost and your chance to serve is fled. 

10th 

The poor you have with you They are ever in need of a friend.  And as often as ye give them food to eat those gifts to your Master lend  Whenever you give them cold water or whatever their needs may be, You’re aiding not only my little ones but you’re also helping me.

“Old Lord Dear Lord forgive me.  How could I know it was thee.  My very soul was shamed and bowed in the depth of humility.  And he said; The sin is pardoned but the blessing is lost to thee; for failing to comfort the least of mind you have failed to comfort me.”