You might be asking yourself, "Now who is this man from Little Junction"?  I’m writing a series of ‘Christian Fiction’ novels containing love, laughter, tears and hope.  Ol’ Jeb had a dream and he wondered if it could ever come true.  If you have a dream and have just given up- Ol’ Jeb knows just how you feel.

Here you can experience an outcome of serenity if you are willing to see the sights through your mind’s eye, and experience simple views.

As you begin reading you might want to imagine yourself, living in a wooded’ area, surrounded by trees, with the sound of spring water running down the mountain paths. 

Once you’re mindfully ready with a new dialect (Hillbilly Slang) you will be entering a pleasant little town- in a community called, "Little Junction"

If you need assistance with your new vocabulary, please refer to

‘Jeb’s Dictionary’

Located in the back of the book.

Okay… Here we go...

 "Chapter One"

      The community of Little Junction was just that, "Little."  There were only a few families. The children had a couple of pigs and an ole nanny goat they took care of.  Folks had just made it through a pretty rough winter and there was a lot of fix-in’ the men folk had to get started on.

      While the women and children tended to a lot of the planting and such, the men folk were busy patching the roofs and mending fence.  Those cold winter months had found most folks just staying inside where it was warm, and dry.  Most folks just had a little ole shack, so it didn’t take too long to fix things up after winter passed through.  Everybody was ready to get started on all the chores and just whatever needed to be done.  Yesiree... that sunshine was going to feel good!

      Little Junction was in a beautiful wooded area, and on a warm summer day you’d most likely see some younguns’ and dogs running all around.  A couple of the fellows would be strumming on an old guitar, while the women folk would be busy shucking corn and snapping beans.  Guess today might be a fine day for a pot of beans, pan of cornbread and a jug of sweet tea...  Why, they might even just throw some hamburgers on the grill.

      Summertime meant watermelons and cantaloupes!  The younguns’ would just have a ball, when their momma’s and daddy’s would let them help pick the gardens.  One of the little fellows could hardly pick up a cantaloupe much less carry it, but his mamma would let him try; just the same.  He must have dropped it ten-fifteen times on the way back up to the house.  His mama and daddy tried to teach him, as well as the other kids, to be careful when helping out in the fields.  They couldn’t afford to be wasteful, but if that little fellow busted open a cantaloupe or two- it was worth it!

      There just wasn’t anything that could make a mama’s heart feel any better, than watching her children run and play in the wide-open spaces, ‘God’ had so beautifully created.  Yes, it was quite satisfying living in Little Junction.

      Once again the warm summer days had been filled with a lot of love and contentment, as folks gathered together and thanked the good Lord for the blessings of another day.

"Meet Ol' Jeb"

Now Ol' Jeb was a 'preacher man' and some folks didn't like him much.  Well… that was until one of they're younguns’ got sick and then they'd send somebody to fetch Ol' Jeb to pray for them.  Jeb was kind hearted as they come and never turned anybody down, especially when it came to doing something for the Lord.

On Sundays he'd have a church service out in front of his little ole' shack, that he’d built at the edge of the woods.  Some folks would come and listen to Jeb teach the word of God, and others just looked at him and shook their heads.

You see; Jeb had big plans.  He was determined to preach in one of them big fancy churches one day.  He didn't know how it could ever happen, but he wasn’t one to give up on anything without seeing it through to the end.  He prayed every day to the good Lord concerning his dream.  He told him: he sure would appreciate it, if somehow he would just help him find a way, to sermonize to the people.

One-day, Ole Big Ben from the lumberyard came through Little Junction, and piled up a heap of scrap lumber for the folks.  Why you would of thought it was Christmas in July at The Junction!  People going to and fro taking scrap lumber home.  Big Ben even threw in a couple boxes of nails.  He was a good ole boy, but didn't care much for hearing all that talking about the Lord.  He knew if Jeb was around he was going to get a dose of it anyway.  He always listened to him; but most folks knew he just didn't want to hurt Ol' Jeb's feelings.

By the time everybody got through taking what they wanted from the pile of rubble, Jeb went on down there and carried home the leftovers.  He made himself a pulpit and a few little stump-like stools for the folks to sit on.  Even though it wasn’t much, Jeb was proud of what he had. 

The folks at the Junction didn’t have much, and they lived so far from town they just got along as best they could.  Nobody owned a vehicle, so trips to town were few and far between.  Jeb didn't care one bit about material things, but he always wanted something to drive.  He sure did get tuckered out walking everywhere he went, and he wasn’t getting any younger.  He hoped one day he'd have himself a nice looking truck again.

Jeb had him a best friend named Homer.  Homer just lived down the way a bit from Jeb's place, so they'd sit out on the porch and talk a many a night.

One night Jeb asked Homer what he thought about him going into town and preachin’ at that big fancy church they'd just built?

Jeb thought,

 “That is tha purtiest church I’ve ever set my eyes on.  It sets up on a hill over-lookin' tha valley, an’ it’s even got fans in it; and cushioned pews.”

     Well, when Homer heard this he fell plum off his chair, rolled around on the porch, and laughed as if he'd gone into some kind of fit!

     Jeb didn't appreciate that much! 

     He looked at him and said,

 “Oh pull yursef together Homer!  …  'Yu’ll see… yu’ll all see’! …  Most of you folks think I'm not good 'nuff cause I don't have one of them fancy- Montgomery Ward catalog suits ta wear…

 Now Homer, git up off that porch an act like you got some sense!  You thank whatever you won’t to, but one of the men that work's down there at Big Ben's lumberyard, invited me ta speak at that big fancy church!  Now how do you like that, Homer?"

     Seems Homer felt a bit embarrassed, and figured he might aught to act like he was at least happy for Ol’ Jeb, whether he was or not (?)  But all the while he figured Ol’ Jeb was just, daydreamin’ again’.

     Homer looked at him with those 'big, sad, puppy dog eyes' and he said,

"Jeb, you an me been friends a long time, an ya know’d I won’t tha best fer ya.  I know’d yur a good preacher an all, but what makes you think them folks will wonna hear anythang' you gotta say, 'specially at that big fancy church!  Why, Jeb… that’ll be a lot diffurnt than out here at Little Junction.”

     The only answer Jeb could come up with was,

 “Well Homer, it's like this here:  I got tha Lord in my heart an’ in my head.  Fer as I’m concerned, that's all I need.  I know’d that Bible just as good as any of them fellars', an I only won’t one thang, Homer.”

     Homer looked at him 'this time' with a more 'humbling' demeanor, and he said,

 "An’ whut might that be, Jeb?"

     As tears began to well-up in Ol’ Jeb’s eyes he looked at Homer and said,

 "I want to see people meet Jesus.  I ain't got nothin' Homer, an' don't care if I ever do!  I got tha Lord, an that's all a man needs." 

     Homer started scratching his head and looked away, so Jeb wouldn’t notice he was getting a little sweltered, himself.  He kept on listening to his friend and figured he'd leave well enough alone.  Ole Homer figured it was never going to happen anyhow.  He kept on scratchin' he’s head like old men will do and thought,

 “I best jist play along, no need ta git Ol’ Jeb feelin' all heartache… agin’.” 

     Ole Homer wasn’t as stupid as most folks thought he was.  He didn’t have many friends and he sure didn’t have nobody take a liken’ to him like Ol’ Jeb.  Yep, Homer knew a good thing once he’d seen it.  He’d just let Ol’ Jeb keep on having those happy thoughts.  After all, it wasn’t going to last long anyway, now was it (?)

     Jeb wasn’t about to give up!  He loved preaching the word of God, and even though his Sunday services weren’t going too well; he had to have faith for all of them.  Folks had gotten to where they'd come once in a while, so most of the time, Jeb would just preach to a few younguns’ and sometimes his audience was just, his ole' hound dogs.

     Jeb just couldn't help himself.  He loved the Lord so much and he just wanted everybody else to love Him too.

     About middle week Big Ben came back through and Jeb seen him from the porch.  He walked over to Ben and asked him if he could hitch a ride into town.

     Jeb told him,

"I'm goin’ to that big fancy church this week."

     Big Ben replied,

“Well git on in Jeb, I'm happy to oblige ya."

    ‘Bout that time… there went Homer to see what Jeb was up to.

     Jeb said,

"Come on Homer, I'm sure Big Ben won’t mind if ya go with us."

     Homer started to get excited, when he said,

"Well where ya goin’, Jeb?"

     His friend replied,

"I'ma goin’ inta town, an’ I'm gonna preach at that there big fancy church they built."

     Homer figured this would turn into a disaster and told him,

 "Ah… you go on now Jeb.  I better jist stick around here.  Besides, I don't wanna be there ta see them folks laugh you plum outa town.  I don’t mean to hurt yur feelins' none Jeb, but look at yursef!  You ain't got nothin’ fit to wear to a place like that, ‘specially if you gonna be preachin’ an’ all!  Why, it’s one thang ta jist sit there an’ listen, but you’ll be standin’ up there in front of all them folks! ...  Why, you ain’t even had a haircut since Ole Lady Clark put that bowl on top yur head that day.  That musta been a year or more ago.”

 "Don’t be worryin’ yursef so much Homer.  I’ll cross all them bridges onezt I git to ‘um.”

     Jeb just looked at him and waved good-bye.  He wasn’t missing this opportunity for nothin’!

 God bless you all,

Wanda:  allaboutJeb@lavabit.com

Click Here for Chapter Two
 

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