The Ballestero Blog

Today is the Funeral of our beloved Mother, June Starr Davis. On behalf of our family, I thank each of you for the sweet words of affection and love you expressed about her. Your prayers for all of us at this time have been deeply appreciated. Thank You!

For the benefit of family and friends unable to come, I am posting here the PowerPoint with 496 of her pictures that will be shown.

The original Presentation was 1.62 GB.  This blog limits my upload size, so I had to reduced the resolution of the Mp4 file and made it small enough to post it here. The Original PowerPoint with full resolution is also included here. You may download either, or watch on-line

Thank You For Your Love And Prayers Today As We Celebrate The Life Of Our Mother.

Martyn Ballestero

June Starr Davis Funeral

►

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

To Download the PowerPoint Below, Right Click and Select Save As.

June Davis

Many thanks to Pastor Larry Booker for making this audio available. He wanted to make sure that this was upload so it could be listened to online or downloaded.

MJB

_______________________________________________________

Sis Ballestero Going Home Service 01-19-2012 Thur PM_Mix

Click – to download

_______________________________________________________

Memorial Service Program

Mom’s Funeral Memorial

Click – To view or download

_______________________________________________________

Content Ballestero

My Mother planned her own funeral service. She even helped design and put together her Memorial Brochure. I know that sounds macabre, but she did.

Quite a few years ago years ago, something was said, during one of my visits, about dying. I brought up the uncomfortable point that as an evangelist, I would no-doubt be preaching somewhere far away when she died. We both knew, that there may not be a lot of time to put together a nice Memorial keepsake she would like for others to remember her by. I suggested maybe we could put together a draft, so there wouldn’t be a lot of work to do later.

I said, “Mom, what picture would you like on the front of your Memorial Brochure? She looked with me through hundred of pictures and finally chose the one she liked. Then we started with planning the ceremony. When we finished, Mom read it and smiled.

The brochure that will be passed out at the funeral, is the one my Mother read first.

Today is our Mother’s (Content Ballestero) viewing. On behalf of our family I thank each of you for the sweet words of affection and love you expressed for our Mother. Your prayers for all of us at this time have been deeply appreciated. Thank You!

For the benefit of family and friends unable to come, I am posting here the PowerPoint with 338 of her pictures that will be shown tonight.

The original Presentation was 1.12 GB.  This website limits my upload size, so I had to reduced the resolution of the Mp4 file to post it here. The Original PowerPoint with full resolution is also included here. You may download either, or watch on-line

Thank You For Your Love And Prayers

Martyn Ballestero

Mom’s Memorial Presentation

Content Ballestero’s Memorial Presentation

►

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Right Click To Download The PowerPoint Presentation.

Mom’s Memorial Presentation 2

The Unwanted Girls

The news story told of 285 young Indian girls that had chosen new names.

“Nakusa” or “Nakushi” (two variations of the Hindu word meaning “unwanted”) were among the names abandoned in an effort to promote their self-worth.

“Now in school, my classmates and friends will be calling me this new name, and that makes me very happy,” a 15-year-old girl told the AP after the ceremony. The teenager was formerly named Nakusa by her disappointed grandfather, but chose to be called “Ashmita,” which translates to “very tough” in Hindi.”

Girls hold certificates stating their new official names during a renaming ceremony in Satara, India, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. Almost 300 Indian girls known officially as "Unwanted" have traded their birth names for a fresh start in life

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/10/24/unwanted-indian-girls-get-new-start-in-naming-ceremony/

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Reading this story made me very sad. Their culture devalues women. An unborn baby girl might well be aborted if the parents knew its gender. It’s heart breaking to me. The very thought, is unthinkable in my family.

I have been blessed more than most men to have been surrounded all my life by loving and amazing women.  Their lives are blessed of God. My life has been blessed to the highest level because of them.

In my family, the women and girls are cherished, and loved. They are also respected, listened to, and honored. I always want them to know that!

Each of the married women love and honor their husbands and treat them like kings. No wonder each husband finds it easy to treat his wife like a queen and cherish her.

The daughters love and honor their fathers. They treat him with great respect. They in turn are loved and doted on. They have never felt unwanted, but rather are treated as if they were a princess.

The same is true for all the grand daughters.

It would be a near impossibility to find a family that loves it’s women more than the Ballestero family loves theirs.

With all of the above in mind, today I wish to stop and honor the women in my world.

I want to tell all of you that I love you, I honor you, and I cherish you, and I am proud of you. You all have me forever wrapped around your little fingers. I have you wrapped around my heart.

You are so gifted and talented. You are:

• Singers
• Song Writers
• Musicians
• Music Teachers
• Choir Leader
• Speakers
• Writers
• Authors
• School Teachers
• Recording Artists
• Artistic
• Designers
• Business Owners
• Leaders
• Beautiful
• Loving
• Nurturing
• Tender
• intelligent
• The Best Cooks In The World.
• The Best Mothers In The World.
• The Best Wives In The World.
• And… You really love the Lord.
• (This list could go on awhile…)

You might often be embarrassed by me, but you will never be unwanted! I love you and pray God richest blessings on you in all you do! There will never be such a thing as an unwanted girl in my family!

Let me show my readers a picture or two of why I am such a blessed man!

My Mom, Mother-in-law, Wife, Daughter, Daughters-in-law, Grand Daughters, Sisters, Sisters-in-law and Nieces are shown below. Besides all these, there are my wonderful cousins, close friends  and “adopted” family members.

Every One Of These Ladies Are Wanted!!

It don’t get any better than this. I, my friend, am a blessed man!

The Pentecostals At The Church Of Christ Funeral

The funeral chapel was jammed with about 30 Pentecostals and nearly 100 Church of Christ members.  Evidently this funeral was considered important. Six Church of Christ pastors were in attendance and each one spoke. No Pentecostal preacher had been invited to speak; yet several of us came anyway. I sat close to the back with my brother-in-law Pastor Nathan Yandris and my sister Ramona.

The large framed picture sitting on the closed casket was one of a beautiful middle-aged woman named Phyllis. She had a look of professionalism and class about her. Her brown hair was cut shoulder length. It appeared her make up had been professionally applied for the photo, and her jewelry looked very expensive.

The front row contained a grieving husband and beside him, his redheaded son and daughter-in-law. The son appeared to be the only child. No others sat near, leaving the guests to assume the mourners were alone in this crowd.

The Church of Christ preachers spoke one by one, and each said comforting things that I am sure helped. The final speaker did a superb job, actually. One could tell this was not his first funeral.

At the conclusion of his homily, the minister announced, “It is the wishes of the family that those who wish to say a few words about our beloved sister, should have an opportunity to say a public goodbye. He then walked to the front row and sat down.

One at a time, six middle-aged women walked to the podium and spoke sweet words about the loss of their friend. All of them mentioned that they had met Phyllis at either AA or Al-Anon.

They spoke of her friendship, of her church activities, her help with their lives, and her struggle with addictions and theirs.

After the last one sat down, there was a moment of quietness as all waited for someone else to stand. No one did.

Turning around and giving the crowd a swift appraising look, the redheaded son clutched a new Bible as he stepped to the small podium. His 25 years seemed much older. He was poised. He held the Bible in his left hand up close to his heart.

With a voice that never broke, he thanked everyone for coming. He thanked the ministers that spoke and he thanked his mother’s pastor as well.

With a smile to the women that had come to the front to speak, he thanked them as cherished friends.

That is where his story began!

“Almost 6 weeks ago, I first heard that my mom had cancer.  The doctor said that it was terminal and inoperable. I was shattered. Then they said she only had a few days to live. I was an immediate basket case.

“My mom was young, she was beautiful too,” He said, pointing at her picture.

“I went home that night and sat on my front porch. I was drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette, and was crying my heart out, when this man saw me and stopped.” (He pointed at a large black man on the 2^nd row.) “He asked me if I was alright? I told him no.

“When he came up to the porch I told him the news about my mom. He spoke comforting words to me and asked if he could pray for me. I said yes and he did. I felt something I had never felt before.

“Then he sat down beside me and taught me what he called a short Home Bible Study. He showed me about Acts 2:38. He said that I needed to repent, and get baptized in Jesus name and that the Lord would give me the Holy Ghost. He said that Jesus would be my comforter.

“I prayed right there on my porch and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins. I told him I wanted to be baptized the Bible way, so he took me to his church, Apostolic Tabernacle, and the pastor came over and baptized me in Jesus name. When I came up out of the water, I was speaking in tongues. I got the Holy Ghost just like they did in the Bible!” He said, as he raised and then waved his Bible.

The Pentecostals responded with much noise and many of us stood and clapped our hands. The Church of Christ crowd went silent.

“I was thrilled! I had never been so happy in my life! That night I prayed that God would help me to share this with my mom. I knew she had to have this before she died.

“I prayed that God would help me find a way to speak to her. I knew she was wrapped up in her Church. She had been a lifetime member, and had always been involved in one department or another.

“The first thing the next morning, I prayed before I went over to mom’s house. When I got there, I was surprised to see a Bible lying open on the kitchen table.”

“I asked mom what the Bible was there for, and she said that she was close to dying and didn’t feel saved. She said she was looking for more than what she had.

“I said mom, you been a member of the Church of Christ for 45 years.”

She said, “That’s right, but I’m not ready to meet God. I need more!”

(He turned to the Church of Christ pastor and said, “Sorry sir!”)

The redheaded new convert was filled with Holy Ghost enthusiasm as he told his story. His eyes were red rimmed and watering.

I said, “Mom, let me tell you what had happened to me last night. I told her the whole story. About the beer, the Bible study, the baptism and the Holy Ghost.

“Mom started crying and said son, ‘Tell me what he told you.’

I sat down with her and showed her the same scriptures in Acts that my new friend had told me.

“She got down and began to repent like the Bible said to. When she finished, she said that she couldn’t leave the house to go to church. She was too weak and was attached to an oxygen tank.

“Mom said, maybe we could fill her big Jacuzzi tub up and baptize her in that. Dad helped me and I baptized my mom in Jesus name. She came up out of the water speaking in tongues just like I did. I was so happy, I shouted all over the room.”

(All of us Pentecostals are now on our feet, with our hands in the air, worshipping!)

“My dad said, ‘Baptize me too!’ So I did and he got the Holy Ghost too”

“I sure did,” came a strong voiced reply from the front row. The dad had his hand in the air.

The Pentecostal’s worship was so overwhelming that even some of the church of Christ people started crying by now.

They all knew that a man with an experience is never at the mercies of a man with an argument.

The worship of the small group of saints roared in the ears of opposition. For several minutes it went on. It felt unstoppable.

“All of you Church of Christ members need this Holy Ghost, he went on. “It will do for you what AA can’t. It will do for you what Al-Anon can’t. You need to be baptized in Jesus name to be saved. You need the Holy Ghost speaking with other tongues to be saved. If you want to see my mom in heaven, then obey Acts 2:38.

When he walked back to his place, the crowd stood and gave him a standing ovation.

Her Name’s “Marcia June”

By Martyn Ballestero

She always wraps us up,

In the comfort of her home.

With smiles that hold our soul,

And won’t let it feel alone.

Nothing ever can compare

To her plates of comfort food.

Every heart and tummy knows,

With her cooking, it was wooed.

We are drawn into her den

Of coziness and rest.

There she warms our hearts with words,

It’s good living at it’s best.

Her couch and Queen Anne chairs

Soothe her guest’s attention spans.

Pretty pillows great and small,

Compliment the old Afghans

The fireplace is her love,

It’s warmed her heart the most.

There she likes to entertain,

She loves to be the host.

With calm and peaceful ways

She serves and pampers us.

Ever giving of herself

Without the muss or fuss.

She holds court upon her porch,

Where she reigns with cups of tea.

Making memories for life,

With folks like you and me.

Her husband beams with pride

Knowing she is just the best.

All her children quickly say,

Because of her, they’re blest.

Her front door stands open wide,

So friends can just drop by,

Just to get their daily dose.

That she’s loved, is not a lie.

Little children laugh and play

Glad to be at home with her.

With her gentle and calm voice,

She’s the one who they prefer.

All that know her love her dear.

(She can sing the sweetest tune.)

It’s with joy I tell you now,

Her name’s Marcia June!

This is the time of year when most of the Christian world is reminded of the birth of Jesus Christ. None of us can imagine all of the private thoughts and questions that she encountered. Max Lucado in his book, “God Came Near,” proposes 25 questions for Mary.

I read this in his book when it first came out years ago, but wanted to share it today with my readers.

“25 Questions For Mary”

From Max Lucado’s Book, “God Came Near.”

1. What was it like watching him pray?

2. How did he respond when he saw other kids giggling during the service at the synagogue?

3. When he saw a rainbow, did he ever mention a flood?

4. Did you ever feel awkward teaching him how he created the world?

5. When he saw a lamb being led to the slaughter, did he act differently?

6. Did you ever see him with a distant look on his face as if he were listening to someone you couldn’t hear?

7. How did he act at funerals?

8. Did the thought ever occur to you that the God to whom you were praying was asleep under your own roof?

9. Did you ever try to count the stars with him….and succeed?

10. Did he ever come home with a black eye?

11. How did he act when he got his first haircut?

12. Did he have any friend by the name of Judas?

13. Did he do well in school?

14. Did you ever scold him?

15. Did he ever have to ask a question about Scripture?

16. What do you think he thought when he saw a prostitute offering to the highest bidder the body he made?

17. Did he ever get angry when someone was dishonest with him?

18. Did you ever catch him pensively looking at the flesh on his own arm while holding a clod of dirt?

19. Did he ever wake up afraid?

20. Who was his best friend?

21. When someone referred to Satan, how did he act?

22. Did you ever accidentally call him Father?

23. What did he and his cousin John talk about as kids?

24. Did his brothers and sisters understand what was happening?

25. Did you ever think, That’s God eating my soup?

Mom said, “What If I Forget God?”

Yesterday I cried. I cried about several things. I cried about things that I couldn’t fix. I cried about things no one can fix. (It may not be prudent or wise to share this, but I will.)

Sis. Connie Ballestero

My youngest sister, Nila Marxer, lives in Southern California. She has taken care of my 88-year-old Mother in her home for six years or so. Nila is an Angel sent from God to our family. Mom lives in an apartment inside Nila’s home.

My Mom’s health is not very good anymore. Her short-term memory loss has alarming worsened recently. It makes my phone calls to her, extremely painful for me. Mom has a problem of not remembering even the day of the week.

A few days ago, she wandered out of her room before midnight and went into the main living room. She turned all the lights on. At 2am, Nila came out of her bedroom and found Mom standing there looking around.

She said, “Mom, let me take you to your room and put you to bed.”

When they got to Mom’s room, Mom said, “Is this where I’m staying?”

“Yes, Nila said.

“Oh,” she said, “I didn’t know where I was supposed to sleep.”

That was unwelcome news. It was like one of your worst fears coming true. I am very grateful to Nila for being so loving and patient.

Last night while on a Skype video call to my sister, I got to see her, her husband Eric, and my Mom. Mom was all smiles.

With her voice breaking, Nila talked to me about Mom, with Mom sitting beside her. She talked about health issues that Mom was currently dealing with. Then she said that her and Mom had talked about her memory loss. Mom expressed her greatest fear to Nila.

Mom said, “Nila, what if I forget God?”

That statement ripped my very heart out. Of all people, my Godly Mother who has had the Holy Ghost for 80 years. She labored with Dad in the ministry for over 50 years.  And now, she worries that in her memory losses, she might forget about God.

I cried.

Nila said, “Marty, quote the first part of a Psalm and see if Mom can quote the rest of the verse.”

I looked at Mom and Nila seated in front of their computer and I started with Psalms 100.

I said: (Psa. 100:1) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD,

Mom said: all ye lands.

I said: (Psa. 100:2) Serve the LORD with gladness:

Mom said: come before his presence with singing.

I said: (Psa. 100:3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

She said: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

I said: (Psa. 100:4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

She said: and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

I said: (Psa. 100:5) For the LORD is good;

She said: his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

My tears still flowed.

In a day when so many are willfully forgetting God, my heart is overwhelmed by the fears of my sainted Mother.

“What If I Forget God?”

Fanny’s Baby Boy

The tall slender woman knew she was dying. She was only 26. Her mother’s family hailed from Sevierville, Tennessee. Their family name was Ghan. She’d never met her real dad. She’d never even met her mom’s dad either. She was the product of two generations of illegitimate births in a row. Her mom had not been allowed to marry her father because of differences in their religions.

Before she was born, a respectable Irishman named Harrington married her mom and it helped give her a proper name. They named her Fanny Harrington. Baby Fanny was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on an Indian Reservation during the Harrington’s journey to California.

She grew up in the Los Angeles area. When she got older, she enjoyed visiting her older brothers in Fresno. They had migrated west too. Most of the California Ghans started attending an Assemblies of God Church pastored by Charles Price. Her brothers soon became preachers.

Fanny & Charles

Fanny met a man a few years older than her named Charles and fell in love. A major problem presented itself. Charles was Catholic. All his family was Catholic and he was determined that his children were to be raised Catholic too.

Her heart was torn. Fanny had received the Holy Ghost, but Charles was still determined to be Catholic. This may be a life long conflict, she knew. She had heard the warnings from her brothers, but still she continued to see her Charles.

Love won out, and Fanny and Charles were married in the famous Catholic Mission in Los Angeles.

Every Sunday, Charles and all his brothers went together to mass together. They were even known to crawl on their knees to church while praying the rosary. A photographer once snapped a picture of them crossing the street on their knees in front of a stopped trolley car and it was published in the newspaper. The whole family was very devout.

The second child, a son, was still a toddler when Fanny found out that she had Consumption. Her world was shattered and she was in a panic.

There was a nice Sanitarium in Fresno for the treatment of those with Tuberculosis. Fanny was admitted. The treatments didn’t seem to help much and the doctor’s finally said that they had done all they could do.

Her brothers heard Fanny’s last prayers. The very thoughts of her children growing up Catholic were now unbearable to her. She prayed aloud, “God would you save my baby boy and make him a preacher.

She prayed that prayer several times, but her baby boy was too young to know. By now he was only four.

When she died, Charles’ modest income didn’t allow for anything fancy for Fanny’s burial. Pennies were even placed on her eyes to keep them closed. The image of his mother with her eyes covered like that forever engraved itself in the young child’s mind. Fanny was laid to rest in Fresno, California in an unmarked grave.

Charles’ life immediately went downhill. He began to drink. He drank heavily and eventually drank himself into the poor house. His children soon became wards of the state.

Fanny’s baby boy got older and not only ran away from foster homes but also ran the streets. He got in trouble again and again. He ran with a gang called the Clovers and later became the leader. It was one of the oldest gangs in L.A. His life with the gang finally led him to San Quentin prison.

While visiting his mother’s folks in Fresno, he heard a gifted Assembly of God preacher named Charles Price and went to the altar. He later received the Holy Ghost.

Months later while reading a tract he received the revelation of Jesus Name Baptism. He then sought for two years until he found someone to baptize him. He also felt a call to preach the Gospel… and did. He preached it for over 50 years. He became a Jesus Name Apostolic preacher.

God had finally answered Fanny’s prayer.

He had saved Fanny’s little boy and made him a preacher.

You knew him too and enjoyed his ministry.

Only you didn’t know his mother’s name was Fanny.

Fanny had named her son, Carl.

Carl Ballestero.