My Story #92 -- Learning To Play Piano

My Story #92

Learning To Play Piano

Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

When I was seven years old, my family and I lived on a small farm on Highway 330 in Pendleton County, Kentucky.

Someone gave us an upright piano, one of those now old pianos that plays easily and sounds great--we don't hear them much anymore.

Someone in the neighborhood, I heard, was going to give piano lessons to my sister. However, that neighbor moved away, and there were no lessons given.

As the piano sat there all by itself, I wandered over to it and began to play around with it. Eventually I was able, by listening to the notes, to play out a melody from one of the songs that we sang at church one finger and one note at a time. 

As time went on, I learned to put other notes with the single notes; then someone came along and showed me what a chord is. When I put the chords with the melody notes, it sounded pretty good; but then I played all songs in the same key, since I had no knowledge of what a key is.

Later someone explained to me about the keys in which songs were written and sung. When I went to Lexington Baptist College, we were required to take a course in Music Fundamental. This was very helpful. I found out that I played "by ear." This class in music gave me enough knowledge of sheet music that I could write my own music. In fact, the teacher, Mrs. Hodges, proofread the song that I wrote and made one very small change to it.

While still very young, I listened to Liberace on the radio and later watched him on TV. I learned a lot from him as I listened and watched. 

So, I encourage all who would like to play piano (or keyboard now) to just sit down, play with the keys and listen, listen, listen. You may soon learn to play melodies and later the more complicate music. You must stay with your practice, though, or you will not progress.

My Story #91 -- Story Of A Small Boy

 

My Story #91

Story Of A Small Boy

Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

Once upon a time there was a small boy, aged two years old. He was born to a good and an industrious family. God was in the home, and God loved them very much.

This boy had two brothers and a sister at that time, and his parents took in to raise a young boy about eight months older than this young boy. We considered him our brother. In fact, in school he bore our last name.

In a house next door to a small grocery store in Locust Grove, Kentucky, which my parents ran, this small boy awoke one morning and could not walk. After his parents took him to five doctors, the fifth doctor sent them to the hospital, and the doctors at the hospital concluded that this small boy had Infantile Paralysis. Now it is called Polio.

I am that boy, and the year was 1947, when the Polio epidemic had bloomed again after several previous outbreaks. 

God has been good to me, and people have been good to me. I am almost 78 years old, and I have done pretty much what most other people can do. God called me into the ministry when I was 18 years old, and I have been preaching now for 60 years. 40 of those years have been spent pasturing First Baptist Church in Harrison, Ohio.

I am not as fast or as capable as I once was, but I still serve the Lord with the strength I have, and God has seen fit to put people in this church who love me and take good care of me. My wife, Shirley (who passed away in 2003), and I had three boys, and they have given me 10 grandchildren and even great grandchildren.

I have many, many friends, and you, no doubt, are among those many friends. Thank you for being my friend, and may God bless you is my prayer.

 

My Story #90 -- Lose On Way To Zoo

 

My Story #90

"Lost On The Way To The Zoo"

Being on vacation, I had an opportunity to go to the Cincinnati Zoo with some friends, including a missionary and his wife and a few people from the church here. We took two vehicles. I took the missionary couple, and the others rode in another vehicle. 

On the way to the zoo, I was persuaded that I knew the way, because I had gone there many times in the past, but I had not gone this way that we determined to go on Monday. So, I began driving to the zoo and planning to go by way of Mitchell Avenue. I got to Mitchell Avenue with no problem, but I forgot that there was a Y in the road ahead. When I arrived at the Y, I could not make up my mind whether to go right or left (I had forgotten). I decided, then, to go to the left. I found quickly that this was the wrong way. I found out by driving quite a distance and realizing that the zoo is closer than this.

As I wiggled my way around streets, I began to lose my sense of direction, and I finally had to turn on Onstar for directions. The computer voice on Onstar told me that it was 2 miles away. I followed the directions until I got to the zoo, thankfully. Onstar is my friend, even though she speaks "computer."

We laughed as we joked about the car's not being able to sense the way to the zoo and that the car did not want to go to the zoo, and on and on. We had a great time. When returning home, I went a different way and arrived home safe and sound. We had a wonderful day. I am thankful for the couple who paid for everything for our trip. 

My Story #89 - Wonderful Celebration

 

My Story #89

Wonderful Celebration

Ronnie Wolfe

On August 6, 2022, First Baptist celebrated my pastoral anniversary of 40 years at the church.

We had several visitors who are former members, and many could not come for one reason or another. Part of my family had Covid. We had a wonderful time, and I received some really nice gifts. I am thankful to everyone who came and who worked so hard to make this possible.

I am not retiring but will be working to make my preaching better and trying to work harder for the Lord in witnessing his Gospel, asking for God's help on the way.

 

My Story #88 -- Wonderful Reunion

 

My Story #88

Wonderful Reunion

Ronnie Wolfe

The 1962 graduates of Pendleton County High School met together on 7-30-2022 for a celebration of our 60 years after graduation.

Twenty-one of our graduates met together with a lot of good fellowship, a grand catered meal, and a wonderful program. One of our teachers was also in attendance, Mrs. Jane Bentle, who taught business classes when we were there. It was great to see her again.

I had the great opportunity to speak to my classmates. I told about some funny things that happened while I was traveling with our quartet. Then I brought a short sermon from Romans 10:1 Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. I told them that I would like to see everyone saved.