The phone rang in the church office in Rhutabaga Ridge just as Mrs. Kelly had set down the umbrella and lunch bag she always toted to her work space. For some reason this had been a habit of hers since taking on the job as church secretary; she carried with her an umbrella whether it was sunny or not, presumably because she hated to get wet and didn't trust the weather reports.

"I'm coming, hold your horses," she said breathlessly to the waiting phone. She hadn't consumed enough coffee to allow her full potential as a kindly representative of the church jolted her to be. Seven more cups might just do it! She glanced into the inner office of Pastor Frank and saw he was already there, going over the reports handed him by one of the deacons. It appeared he was too absorbed in it to even pay attention to the ringing of the phone.

"Good morning, how may I assist you?" chirped Mrs. Kelly into the dull black phone that had been a fixture on the desk since the late '40s.

"One moment please, I'll transfer your call to Pastor Frank," she stated.   

The call was from Mac Halliday, the expert that Pastor Frank had talked to the day before. Not for himself was the good Pastor seeking advice, but for the many in his congregation who were struggling just to stay afloat in harsh economic times. Having read some of Halliday's work, he had decided to obtain his services if possible. Initially it was proposed that the expert come for one evening as that was all his busy schedule permitted. It was better than nothing but less than Pastor Frank had hoped for.

Halliday confirmed what Frank already suspected, that he would require a chunk of change to do the evening talk and would wish to sell some of his materials, workbooks, and such, on a table in the hall where the talk would take place. Pastor Frank looked at the jar of change on his shelf and deemed he would have sufficient funds. Plans were finalized and Mac Halliday packed up his things for a trip to Rhutabaga. He had thought from there he would take a train to the next stop on his speaking tour. As it stood, a deacon would meet him at the Oroville Station and drive him into Rhutabaga ; the same plans were in place for his departure from the rural environs.

Mac had long ago given up the idea of driving his own vehicle to workshops as it placed too many miles on his aged DeSoto, and who wanted to pay for gasoline when public transportation was a cheaper mode of travel? Besides, he liked to think it was one man's way of supporting the jobs of those public transit folks. Mac analyzed most everything he did, maximizing the most from every nickel spent. That's what made him such a great teacher.

Mac's wife Anna was used to him being gone from home for long stretches at a time. She ran a tight ship herself while he was away, following her budget with the honed skills she had used for many years. They were secure in their finances now, but it had not started out that way. During the early years of their marriage they had tottered on the verge of losing everything. Then Mac set out on a path to right the wrongs. Life was different after that. Mac had made charts, analyzed various methods to repay the debts they had incurred living far beyond their means, and had turned payment into an art form. He tackled expenditures with the skills of a surgeon. In  fact, he had revised his whole way of thinking. If it worked for them it could work for others.

In no way had he left Godly principles out of the equation; he mastered every part of scripture with regard to money as was possible to do. And he taught Anna as well. She began a ladies' group while he kept his day job at the local bank. But one morning he felt God urging him to hit the road with his plan, deliver it to folks who were in desperate need. Having saved a tidy sum, he and Anna agreed that this was his new calling. He designed accompanying workbooks and study guides to encourage folks to stay the course. He had learned over the years that without something written down goals were seldom achieved. Life goes on and if one does not have a plan then they are just floating along, wondering what went wrong and where. The materials he sold for a nominal cost helped them achieve what they hoped for. That and much prayer; praying God's will for their life was key. And always. always, being thankful in all circumstances. He did not promise the pathway to financial success was strewn with roses, in fact, just the opposite. but he taught folks what they needed to know and offered solutions to ways they could work their way out of the debt trap. He was a good man, a man that Pastor Frank was pleased to have come and help. Lord knows they needed it!    

 Mac is a friendly, down to earth guy, made from dark grey knit. He is 10" tall and loves helping people.

 Blessings and welcome to our little corner of the world where our primitives are made with lots of love in a smoke free home. We often incorporate fabrics from previous generations and weave tales of a gentle nature. We list daily so please visit often to see newly listed items. As always, we love to combine items to save you money on shipping. Payment is expected within 10 days of purchase unless prior arrangements have been made.