Looking Out The Window: Larry Hammersley Talks About His Book, The Forever Bond, Tears and Making Bread. Gives Away An Ebook.

A Warm Welcome to Larry Hammersley

Larry will give away an e-Book of The Forever Bond. To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.

Tears/Weeping

Includes favorite verse of Psalms 56:8

Name some reasons for weeping.  Tears are shed at funerals, weddings, pain, anger, happiness, fit throwing, loved ones leaving, for those who are sick and suffering. Tears not due to emotions are cold wind, dust storms, onions, tear gas.

Is weeping just for women and children?  Is it okay for men to weep?  Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there’s a time to weep.  That’s not gender specific.  In Romans 12:15 everyone is included.  Job describes his face as foul with weeping.

Both the New and Old Testaments include examples of men and women who wept.  In the Old Testament we have women such as Hannah, Hagar, Ruth, Orpah, Naomi and Samson’s wife.  Men include Jeremiah who described his tears as a fountain and a river, David on several occasions as recorded in his psalms and 2 Samuel. Esau wept on at least two occasions.

In the New Testament Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus and for those present.  He wept for Jerusalem and her future.  Paul warned others with tears, wrote with tears, and wept for those who opposed God and Christ.  In Luke 22:60-62 Peter wept bitterly after he denied Christ.  When Christ looked at Peter on this occasion, can’t we feel that Christ’s eyes were moist with tears?
There are many other examples in the Bible concerning weeping.

Is there any comfort found in weeping?  How should we think about this?  The psalmist in Psalms 42:3 says, “my tears have been my meat day and night.”  In Psalms 6:6-8 the psalmist’s bed swims, couch is watered with tears, but the Lord hears him weeping.  In the context of Psalms 30:5 the psalmist was at the point of death, but he says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Oftentimes the world has this backward.  They see how the joys and carefree play of children disappear when they grow up and leave it all behind, to be replaced by tears as the harsh reality of life is thrust upon them.  Another example is the courtship of a man and woman, growing love, marriage, honeymoon, sweet climax of making a home.  Are these joys fleeting?  What is our honest answer?
We can take comfort in key verses in Psalms 56:8-9.  David’s prayer is that God puts his tears in a bottle and writes them in a book (verse 8).  Of course, God answered his prayer.  Ever see a thirteen-gallon glass carboy? That is a big bottle.  Maybe that’s what is required to hold our tears. How big is the book where our tears are recorded?  Picture a dictionary that needs a wooden stand to hold it.  Look at verse nine.  “This I know; for God is for me.”

God does not divide his attention, checking on one person and then another in turn.  Anything divided is less than the whole.  God is infinite and cannot be divided.

Therefore, we can take comfort in God knowing and caring for us as He sees and remembers every tear we shed.  He inspired David to use the analogy of keeping tears in a bottle and writing them in a book so that we can understand these physical references better.  He made us to have feelings, made us to show these feelings in a deep personal way, made us to care, and gave us the ability to show that care by shedding tears.

Larry's many talents include making bread.

Larry Shares His Recipe For His Blue Ribbon Whole Wheat Bread

“Recipe Courtesy of Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook for Whole Wheat Bread.”  Larry received a blue ribbon on his modified version in the open class at the local 4H Fair back in 1978.

        2 ½ cups of warm water (125-130)

        Add: 4 Tablespoons margarine

        4 teaspoons salt

        4 Tablespoons syrup, honey or brown sugar

Mix dry 2 cups whole wheat flour

And 4 cups of gold medal flour

        Take 1/3 of flour mix and mix 2 packages of active dry yeast.

        Add water mixture to this and beat 2 minutes.

        Add remaining flour and beat.

        Let raise in a warm place 30-40 minutes or until doubled.

        Beat 25 strokes, divide into 2 greased pans.

        Pan size 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ¾ or 9x5x3.

        Let rise to top of pan or 30 minutes.

        Preheat oven to 375F, bake 40 minutes or until done.

About The Forever Bond

Buddy felt forever bonded to Nina from grade school and on. Uncovering a gold pocket watch near a mysterious shed showed a photo that turned out to be Nina and the inscription read "To Buddy: I'll love you forever, Nina." That convinced Buddy and Nina. A series of happenings including the appearance of Buddy's great-grandmother from the distant pass inside of the shed also warned Buddy that he wasn't to go against the message of the watch.However, later when they are grown, Nina doubts Buddy and tells him to date Sally, another girl from their school just to prove his love for Nina. It becomes apparent that it is Nina who may not love Buddy after all. Sally has been in love with Buddy all through school and into college. The inscription and photo changes from Nina to Sally. Later the inscription and photo both disappear and no one remembers except Buddy about the watch message. Two things happen that convince Buddy that he wasn't dreaming after all.

Buy The Forever Bond on Amazon

Coming Soon

Larry's working on a new novel, Rescue Mission.

Julianne Benson saves Clay Hartley’s life several times.  She knows exactly when and where to be to rescue him.  Three times she keeps him from drowning.  Why rescue Clay?

His life must be preserved so he can save many lives in the future after he receives his degree in biochemistry.  Julianne receives her degree in international relations and becomes an ambassador at large bringing peace in troubled countries.

Clay and Julianne fall for each other, but their jobs carry them to different corners of the world. Clay travels to Alaska, Australia, Pakistan and Nikumaroro (formerly named Gardner Island where Amelia Earhart may have crashed in 1937).

  Julianne brings peace to troubled areas. Due to her success she becomes a target for an arms dealer and a terrorist.  Since it is known world-wide of Clay and Julianne’s connection, Clay is endangered too.  A terrorist takes Julianne prisoner to get Clay to come to Pakistan to heal his daughter.  Later, Julianne is shot by the arms dealer and his men.  Because of danger to Clay, Julianne proclaims in a public place that she doesn’t love him anymore, hoping the danger will lessen for him.  After that Clay travels to Nikumaroro to cure the islanders.  A storm swamps the island and everyone but Clay is rescued.  He’s stranded for nearly four years and is presumed dead.  At the news of his death, Julianne suffers from hysterical amnesia. Can Clay find a way to Julianne, and will she know him?

Bio: Larry earned a BS degree in chemistry from Purdue and an MS in chemistry from IU. He worked as a civil service chemist for over forty years. Retired now, he enjoys writing, amateur radio, jogging, astronomy, church work and occasional woodworking. Learn more about Larry's books on his Website