The One Thing
My days of multi-tasking behind the wheel are over. I used to be able to accomplish volumes of work, recreation, musical entertainment, food preparation and consumption while driving my vehicle. But for the last couple of years, I have experienced a deterioration in my ability to accomplish the wide array of activities that I used to enjoy. Now when I drive…..I just drive. I always had a certain amount of time to achieve a particular objective before my wheels met…
Caring For Plants
My friend, Jimmy, used to give me about thirty strong, healthy tomato plants each year about this time. It took a couple of decades for me to tell my late, generous friend that the day he handed me the box of plants was the healthiest day of the year for these future fruits/vegetables. Because, you see, I do not coddle or pamper nor do I “baby” anything I plant. Once those sprouts were in the ground, they were on their…
The Main Thing
Sunday, April 28th was Vickie Elliott’s birthday. Vickie works tirelessly in our church office and is the most meticulous person I know. She’s a gifted administrator and bookkeeper, a delightful conversationalist and never, ever forgets my birthday. About a week before my big day, she contacts me and asks if I want the brownies I usually ask for and, when the day arrives. a pan of quadruple chocolate brownies are waiting for me. Last week I established contact with my…
The Neighbor
An expert in the law asked Jesus the question, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus then told the story of the hated Samaritan who helped a man going from Jerusalem to Jericho who was robbed and beaten. Jesus then asks the lawyer, “Who do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The law scholar then replied to Jesus, “The one who had mercy on the man.” Jesus told him, “Go and do…
Push
Some remarkable and memorable events occur when we are pushed….. I had the ride of my life when as I sat at the top of the snow covered Crest Middle School hill. I was pushed by a member of our sledding entourage. My plastic snow craft was seated securely atop this popular winter gathering area when I requested some initial assistance. The precipitation was icy, the air was cold and the slope was in optimal condition as my little plastic…
Holy Week
A guy by the name of Wilfred A. Peterson wrote these words which I pasted in the front of one of my favorite books. I placed it there as a reminder that life is not always about snuggly puppies, fuzzy little kittens, hot donuts, inspirational sunsets and rainbows. At times life is a struggle and it isn’t always crisis related. There are times when life is uneventful with duties to fulfill and responsibilities to deal with. Oswald Chambers called this…
GOALS
In speaking with the wise and learned, and in my attendance at numerous conferences and continuing education events, I am convinced that setting goals is not a wasted effort. I think we over complicate the process occasionally and, at times, we put down an admirable list of hopeful accomplishments only to place the list in a safe place never to be considered again.I have had some admirable goals through the years. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, Kim and I…
Additional Sundays Needed
In Joshua chapter 10 you can read about God extending a day in order to facilitate His man Joshua’s victory over the Amorites. These Amorites are not to be confused with the dreaded stalactites who were always hanging around…..but that’s another story for another day. Well anyway, I was wondering if God was able to extend just one day if it would be possible for him to give us a couple of extra weeks in April and May due to…
A Welcoming Congregation
In my feeble attempts to be funny I sometimes inadvertently offend the unsuspecting victims of my questionable humor and in my attempts to elicit giggles from folks of other cultures and countries, my record is quite blemished. In fact, it’s down-right scary when I throw caution to the wind, crack a little “southern funny” complete with a story or two told in my native tongue, “Gaffanese” (a form of English spoken by those of us from Gaffney, SC) only to…
Heavenly Business
I would love to tell you that the most exciting and life-changing events on the church calendar are our bi-monthly church business conferences. I wish I could guarantee visions and mighty works of God just by showing up. I’m afraid I could be stretching the truth, maybe lying, if I said you would emerge from this meeting of the Baptist brethren and sistern with the glow Moses received after he met God on the mountain. For some church folks, the…