In this narrative, I would like to bring out a twofold message, a Biblical slant and a yearly event to be held next weekend at the Lincoln Civic Center on Beltline Drive called Lincoln County Wildlife and Outdoor Expo.

Hats off to the city fathers and those responsible for this remarkable family-fun and clean affair.

It is a neat feather for the cap of Lincoln County for sure.

With this photo I would like to combine the following scripture and this event:

“Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old,” Matthew 13:52 (KJV)

Out of my ‘treasure’ I present to you, my reading audience, something new and something old.

As is my custom, I will have a booth in the expo displaying various woodcraft I make including this old cedar log bench.

Once again, I will be under the title of “Man Cave Mania.”

Helping to display the “old” bench here is my “new” little 19-month-old daughter Mikella, her name literally means “a gift from God.”

I am 65, and my wife is 44, and we never expected a “gift from God.”

This is a new wrinkle for an old face as the old saying goes, but I testify I have never been so happy since little Mikella showed up on Jan. 14, 2015.

I am a stay-home papa daddy and represent her day care as her mother works a day-time job.

To say my little girl and I are close is an understatement.

I am her “day care on two feet,” and she is my “gym on two feet.”

So, in the account of Jesus speaking of a scribe (writer of religious intent) I think I can ease myself over into that slot after writing out sermons for 46 years as a pastor and as a religious columnist for three newspapers and author of two religious books.

Truly, as the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword — meaning published words can motivate people to do both good and bad things.

My goal has and will always be as long as I can type/breathe to promote good.

Jesus alluded to a scribe using New and Old Testament events to instruct God’s people, thus the phrase “bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

The material (face boards) used to construct this old bench to be displayed and offered for sale at the Wildlife Expo was donated to me from a retired logger just over in Lawrence County, J.D. Johnson.

The bases and back posts came from Madison County, a 200-mile round trip away and all required a lot of hard work to collect.

The rarity of the available wood to work with is what makes them valuable.

These old logs have to be much older than myself, and I was only a gleam in my mother’s eye when they still were standing as trees, perhaps a century or more old.

The benches are more than just a place to sit and relax, they represent a time when a dollar was a dollar and a hand shake was as good as a contract.

I remember back in 1970 preaching a revival for Rev. Jerry Sullivan in the Loyd Star community.

Back then I bought gas for 25 cents a gallon — and no, that is not a misprint. We all slept at night behind unlocked doors.

Well, gas is comfortably near $2 a gallon, and our doors are bolted tight. Most of us have security systems in place and guns loaded.

That was then and this is now, the old and the new.

The little model daughter pictured here has a most difficult life ahead in this world that has gone crazy, and her mother and I have our work cut out to keep her from being corrupted by the evil rudiments of this present age.

The Wildlife Expo is one of the finest of its kind, and I have been to many with my craft. It is a place where a family can go and enjoy God’s amazing wildlife and all the in roads to going out in the great outdoors with all kinds of new gadgets and artifacts to do so.

There will be the latest world class items you and I never heard of that will help you harvest that dream buck you’ve been desiring to score for years.

You will see lures and gear too good to be true to land that trophy bass and so much more.

Along with demonstrations by various wildlife enthusiasts and much more, it will be well worth the drive to enjoy.

There you will run into the nicest people that walk the earth. People just like you who love life and the good Lord who created all the wildlife and nature that attracts us.

This is one of the last virtuous and exciting events left these hectic days to take the family to and not have to explain to the little ones why a disturbing and embarrassing sight was seen.

The old and the new awaits you and me out at the Civic Center Sept. 9 through 10.

I will be looking for you and let you try out this old/new cedar log bench with my little model girl to meet.

Hope to see you there.