Mark Motsinger:
CLASS OF 1967
Calhoun High SchoolClass of 1967
Calhoun, MO
Central Missouri State UniversityClass of 1971
Warrensburg, MO
Calhoun Elementary SchoolClass of 1963
Calhoun, MO
Mark's Story
October '10---My story was written in Nov. of '08, & has not been up-dated under the new format. I'm sure you can tell from my answers what the questions were.
I would like to be remembered as a basically good hearted person who lost his way, but FINALLY figured it out and left it all with Jesus.
I seldom have steam to blow off, but if I did & I was in Missouri and it was the season I would go mushroom hunting.
The wildest thing I ever did in school was probably one day our Senior year when Bill & I came to school very early and ran a piece of binder-twine from the window in the library to the blind on the window in the Science room. The girls had 1st hr PE and played softball on the "diamond" behind the school. As usual, guys were hanging out the back windows of the library jeering & howling & making fun of the way certain individuals threw the ball. Mrs. Cripe had less control than usual that day.
At the end of the period we gave them enough time to get in the Science room and get in a good state of undress, then yanked the twine & the blind went up. The library was full, as we had alerted all the guys who were in 1st hr study hall. I remember much scrambling & screaming. Nancy Ketchum had the sense to run over and pull the blind down. How we kept from getting in trouble over that, I'll never know.
The 2nd most outrageous thing was the night before the 1st day of school our Senior year when Bill & I painted VANDALISM 67 in big letters on the front of old Calhoun High. Bill painted the V, me the A, him the N and so forth. Harold Ensor was caught repainting it on Halloween and was blamed for the original criminal act. I guess he didn't like the color, (white) and he painted over it in a bright, shiny metallic blue. I mean, I could recognize our handwriting, and we didn't get busted for that, either. I guess what we did the next night (which would have been the night of the 1st day of school) gave everyone much more to ponder than some paint. For those of you not in the class of 67 or 68, Bill lived by himself his entire Senior year. On the night of the 1st day of school, I stayed all night with him and we drank a quart of whisky and got really, really drunk. Bill slammed his fist through a glass storm door, cut his inner forearm severely, and came within millimeters of having a crippled right arm for life. God showed both of us so much Mercy throughout our lives, and we didn't have a clue. ( we did get in MUCH trouble for that incredibly stupid act) After I think about it, this may have been # 1. Bill & I did so many wild, outrageous, and incredibly stupid things its hard to choose the top 1 or 2.
If I'm going to work somewhere, I need to have Jesus, Jesus, and Jesus to be able to deal with the day-to-day.
My hero is my LORD AND SAVIOUR CHRIST JESUS, because he loved me enough to take the worst beating a man ever got that didn't kill him. He then voluntarily gave up his life for me, something that he didn't have to do. Isaiah 52:14 "his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness". Isaiah 53:4 thru 9 "Surely he hath borne our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for our transgression he was stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth". That's what he did for me before I even was born. For the next 17 yrs he allowed me to live as a snotty nosed, bratty, lazy, prideful, ignorant, arrogant, under achieving, careless, don't wanna go to Church, deceitful, mean spirited, self centered, throw rocks at farm animals, dogs & cats, vandalizing, destructive, sneaky, immature, whiny, crying, clueless punk. Pretty much had you all fooled, didn't I? or did I? would like to hear your thoughts on this. I know I sure had myself fooled. Then for the next 28 yrs He allowed me to live as all of the above, plus I became a lying, thieving, drug abusing, pornography addicted, wicked, evil, perverted, criminal alcoholic. Not only did He allow me to live, but He saved my life three times for certain sure, and only He knows how many times he saved me when I was driving drunk, stoned, wired, trippin, strung out,zoned out, or in an alcohol induced black out. I believe He also kept 1 and possibly 2 individuals from murdering me. Why am I telling you all this? Because, the point is, that if He will save Mark Motsinger, He will save anybody. It's not just that "He died for all of our sins", it's that "He died for the sins of us all". I repented in '95 when my Mother died, moved to Arkansas to get close to my brother Dale (he repented in '83) changed my lifestyle and started attending Church regularly. I only started to get it really figured out a few months ago and and am far from having it totally together. However, I'm sure that I'm sure that I know that I know I'm on the right path, the one less taken, the one with the straight gate & the narrow way. Thank you Jesus, Thank you. I could use all of the 13768 characters I have remaining to give You Glory and Honor and Praise but it would take about a trillion zillion X a quadrillion number of words to give You the Adoration & Honor & Praise that is yours and yours alone, Lord Jesus. I praise your Holy name.
I lived in Calhoun for 17 years, moved to Warrensburg, to Kansas City, to Claremore OK, back to Calhoun, back to Kansas City, back to Calhoun, to San Diego, to Oceanside CA, to Jacksonville NC, back to Oceanside, to Okinawa, to the Phillipines,back to Okinawa, to Japan, back to Okinawa, to Calhoun, to Clinton, to Boise ID, back to Clinton, back to Calhoun, back to Clinton, back to Calhoun, back to Clinton, to La Grande OR, to Boise again, back to Clinton, to Rison AR, back to Clinton, to Cameron MO , back to Clinton, and back to Rison where I've been for 14 yrs & I'm pretty sure this is going to be my last earthly home.
The one person I would most like to see from my past is my mother, so that I could apologize to her for being the pitiful excuse for a son that I was to her, & could maybe somehow make it up to her.
My biggest surprise in life is the FACT that true success is not measured by what you have, but by what you give.
I was also surprised that I didn't meet & marry the "Love of my Life" and live happily ever after. Well, I met her, but she wouldn't marry me. Wise woman.
If I could improve my home, I'd remodel my shower. I hate having to scrub soap scum off of MelloMac or MelloMane or whatever the stuff is the shower walls are made of. My dream home would have some Pearly Gates & streets paved with Gold.
The teacher I'd most love to see again is my Mother, for reasons stated above.
If I won $100 million, I'd give half of it to God, spend the rest on Missions, Charities, help out a few friends, pay off the college loans of my step-nephew & wife, give them about 200 thousand up front, buy them a h...Expand for more
ouse & new vehicles , put a few million in a trust fund for them that they couldn't get to until they were about 35 ( they are both 24, he coaches football & she teaches 5th grade ), and keep about 5 million each for my brother and myself. I don't think God would begrudge me a somewhat nicer home, some travel, & maybe a couple more old Classic vehicles. Especially a '71 or 72' Riviera, one of those boat-tail "Land Yachts". I had a '72, & it was probably my favorite car of all time.
My first crush married some guy by the name of Cowan.
My current age is 59. When I was 12, I thought that people my age would be lame, weak, & bent over. I was partially right. I'm only about 20 % weak. half lame , and not bent over at all.
My best friend would not tell you anything, because he's dead. I don't have a clue as to what people who don't know me well would say about me, & it really doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what Jesus has to say at the Judgment. Will it be "depart from Me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you" or " Well done, my good and faithful servant, here's your rock with your new name, and over there is your seat at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb". I have much faith that it's going to be the latter
Blue jeans & T-shirts, shorts in the summer
I never had any weird jobs, except for when I was about 6 or 7 & Dad would have me climb up into a large, low, glassless window in the barn. I was given a big stick & my job was to keep old Mable from jumping out of it when she threw her usual once every week or 10 days fit.
You never knew it was fixing to happen until she had actually jumped out the window, so, after Dad positioned me, he would get her back in the barn & try again to get her in the stanchion.
I share my home with dust, which I find bothersome.
My biggest trophy in life is my victory over Death & the Grave. I also have several 1st place trophies from Classic Car Shows for my 65 El Camino that I did a total restoration on.
I need about a million do overs. If I would have come to the knowledge of Christ Jesus at an earlier age I'm sure I wouldn't have as many regrets, but I didn't, and what's in the past is in the past. God has forgiven & forgotten every thing I did the 1st 45 years. I'll only be held accountable at the judgment for what I've done since June 19th l995.
In 10 years, I hope to be in heaven. I'm going to get there by the Rapture or by dying..
Bill & I met in Gene Masters drug store when we were about 4 years old. He walked up to me & said Hi. I then said to him "I bet you don't know what my name is". He had just got through watching the Art Linkletter show on TV, and he replied "Art". I thought he said "Mark", and we were instant best friends from that moment until the day he died. I sure miss him.
My first job was at Olson Stables, where I got paid $25.00 a week to shovel horse manure. What I remember most about it is Mrs. King giving me $50.00 when her horse bit a hunk out of my shoulder.
I remember picking a fight with Wellie Bradley when I was in 2nd grade & he was in 1st. I remember him getting me down and sitting on me underneath the swings. I remember John Hindes & Michael Bowers setting fire to the "Scrap Box" in 2nd grade. I remember the smell of -bless her soul- Ollie Greens clothing. I remember purposely tripping Martin Micke on the playground one day, & him not telling on me. I remember having my mouth washed out with soap, getting 20 lashes across the knees with a yardstick, having to stay in for 2 weeks & write a 10,000 word theme for calling Bob Easter a S. O. B. I remember Bill Parks & Ronnie Moreland on the floor at the back of the room one day, shooting dice, & as Imogene Yount came stomping back to reprimand them Ronnie saying "look out Bill, here comes a herd of Buffalo". I remember Hamilton Kirkland cutting up at the blackboard & losing control of the eraser in his hand, which flew into the air & came down directly on top of Mrs. Berrys' head. I remember Imogene sending Rodney Isabel out to get a switch, & him coming back with a fence post. I remember Mr. Schwarz crying when they told us President Kennedy had been killed. I remember Mr. Parker running us until we puked, well, maybe only a couple of us, but we thought is was extreme. I remember the smell of fresh varnish on the gym floor every September because that floor was Rips' pride. I remember Leonard going 13 for 13 from the floor one night against Cole Camp, the same night that Bill got 20 in the 1st quarter. I remember Gerald holding Dwayne Brandsgaard, the big kid from Lincoln, to 13 in the regional semis. I remember Larry scoring 8 points in 30 seconds against La Monte one night. I remember Wally hustling his guts out every night & averaging a double-double. I remember Howard Mark getting every rebound there was. I remember Bill scoring 39 in 3 quarters, and then Coach Morton taking out all of the starters except me at the beginning of the 4th quarter the night we beat Windsor 104-51, and wondering why he left me in to get 16 that quarter to end up with 28. I remember in Ballard, at the end of regulation, Jackie Miller & Henry Slack charging onto the court to get in the referees faces, & then losing in overtime to have our 21 game winning streak broken. ( many years later, on separate occasions, Andy Hon, Randy Grimes, & Richard Cumpton all told me it was the best game they ever played, any time, any where, any year ) I remember Bill sneaking the black cat into English class under his coat & turning it loose & Mom never knowing there was a cat in the room. I remember having an idyllic childhood, only I didn't realize it until I was about 50. I remember so many wonderful things that happened to us only because we were in the right small town, in the right time in the 20th century, with the right people teaching us. I think most of you probably feel the same as I do about our childhood. Anyway, I figure a lot of you are thinking "Mark has way too much time on his hands" to go on and on the way he has. You're right, I do have time. The steel tube mill I worked in the last 12 years shut the doors on Sept. 8th of 08. I have been on extended vacation since. However, if you remember, my Mother was an outstanding typing teacher, & this hasn't taken as long as you might think.
One last, and the most important, thing. What is the condition of your eternal soul? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Have you been born again into the family of Christ. Do you know for sure that when you die you're going to Heaven? If the answer to the last question was no, then you're probably not. I encourage you all and would compel you if I could to examine your conscience & your heart. Is Jesus there? You know whether or not you're living for God. There's no middle ground. If you're not for Him, you're against Him. Please, get yourself right with God. Go see a friend who you believe to be a Christian and ask him to lead you in the Sinners Prayer. If you don't have any Christian friends, call me at 870 325-7894 or 870 500-0822 & it would be a blessing to me to lead you in the Sinners Prayer, but most of all it would be a blessing to God to have another Warrior in his Army. God wants every one of us to find Salvation through the shed blood of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful to forgive all who have a truly repentant heart. Please, for your own sake, examine yourself & see if you're spiritually where you need to be. Glory, & Honor, & Praise to The Lord Jesus Christ. in his love, Mark
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