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| Pappy Frey's Bible |
While visiting with my Great Uncle John & Aunt Floss,
I was able to see and read my Great Grandpa Frey's Bible (who we lovingly call "Pappy Frey").
On the inside of his Bible he wrote this:
Uncle John told me that Pappy Frey and Mammy
were saved at a special service at the local church.
Mammy was saved at morning service and Pappy was saved in the evening.
What an exciting day that was for our family!
The date is easy to remember because it is the day before my birthday (not the year though).
From now on I will always remember that my Great Grandparents
were saved on February 17th.
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| Pappy, Mammy & some of the kids |
What were the events that led up to them accepting Christ as their own personal Saviour?
My Aunt Floss told me that Pappy Frey was known as the town drunk.
He also did some work in his garage and had some very bad pictures posted on his walls.
At that time, Mammy and Pappy had two children - Roy (my grandfather) and Hazel.
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| All the kids- Roy and Hazel are the two oldest (on the right) |
My other Great Uncle, Paul (who we call "Amos") told my dad the other day about the events
that led up to Pappy Frey attending that church service where he got saved.
He said that Pappy was passed-out drunk in a ditch somewhere,
when a friend of the family came along and found him.
This dear friend took Pappy home with him and sobered him up.
When Pappy was sober, he invited him to come with him the next day to the special church service.
He made Pappy promise that he would come with him.
The next day, Pappy's friend came to pick up Pappy for service.
Pappy was not ready and said that he did not remember promising him that he would come.
Mammy and the kids went to church with their family friend and as you read in the entry from Pappy's Bible,
Mammy was saved that morning.
When that friend came along to pick them up for church service that night, Pappy went along.
That evening, Pappy accepted Christ as his personal Saviour.
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| My Great Grandpa, "Pappy Frey" |
As a Christian, Pappy Frey was differant than before.
The town drunk, no longer lived in that community.
Pappy tore down all of the bad posters on his garage wall.
One of my Great Uncles told me that he put up pictures of great Christians instead
(like Spurgeon and R.A. Torrey).
After salvation, Mammy and Pappy Frey gave thier children
Bible names like: David, Samuel, John, and Martha.
The old man had passed and the new man was alive in Christ.
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| Pappy Frey working on oil burners |
Pappy was a hard worker.
He taught his children to work hard, obey God's Word, and be kind to others.
One of his sons told me that he would come downstairs early in the morning
and find Pappy on his knees in prayer.
Many times the children would hear thier names being uttered in prayer.
Pappy and Mammy prayed for thier children.
Many times the boys would come back in from the morning milking
to find thier father still on his knees in prayer.
Mammy did her part in raising the kids to honor the Lord.
Aunt Floss told me that she remembers coming to dinner while she was dating John.
Mammy would have each of the kids recite a memory verse before they could eat thier dinner.
My Great Uncle John is a pastor.
He said that most of the Scripture that he has committed to memory
is from his childhood, because of Mammy.
Below are some of the notes that I found while paging through my Great Grandpa's Bible:
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| Was he thinking of the wretched life he used to live, before he found Christ? |
I am thankful to God for the godly heritage I have because of Pappy Frey.
I believe he would be proud of his sons and daughters as they serve the Lord in thier homes,
at thier jobs, churches, and some even in ministry.
I can't wait to get to Heaven to talk to him about the people that God
has led me to minister to in South Africa.
I believe he would be proud!
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| Reading Pappy Frey's Bible |
On Sunday morning, before going to church with Great Uncle John & Aunt Floss, I did my personal devotions out of Pappy Frey's Bible. What a treat!
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| My Bible with Pappy's Bible |
Pappy's Bible contained a story.
His story started on the first page with his and Mammy's date of salvation.
God's Word contains the same story for each of us.
The story of God who loved us so much that He sent His Only Son to die for our sin.
The Bible shows each of us how we can be a new man, with old things passed away.
A heritage of faith can be passed down to our children,
grand children, and great grand children.
The story of salvation can be shared by a loving family friend,
who desires for others to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
This story of God's love, is the same story that I will take to the Zulus in South Africa.
What a story!