Considerate Freedom
1st Corinthians 8:9……Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (NIV) We are living in a polarized and confrontational world. It seems that many are intent on making their views known and their practices a statement of their enlightened choices. I don’t have a Facebook account but I do look over my spouse’s shoulders as she catches up on the happenings of the day or week. It seems there are…
Listening and Responding
Kent Russ sent me this quote from a church in France which is contained on signs inside a number of sanctuaries in that European country. It reads: It is possible that on entering this church you may hear a call from God. On the other hand, it is highly unlikely that he will contact you by phone. Thank you for turning off your telephone. I love the optimistic and expectant attitude of this sarcastic public statement. I appreciate the recognition…
An Elevator Party
Proverbs 12:25….An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (NIV) The hospital can be a rather stressful place and many of the people there are somewhat anxious, obviously. So when Janet McSwain and I visited a couple of hospitals in Charlotte a few weeks ago, we knew our purpose – to offer encouragement and prayers for our confined friends. As we left Carolinas Medical, we were waiting on a very slow elevator and you…
Lessons Learned
I was just thinking about lessons learned by accident – little bits of information gathered while in pursuit of something else or in the process of making messes in my personal relationships, professional endeavors, and spiritual/theological decisions. I learned late in life to be cautious when you eat birthday cake after 20 toddlers have assisted the birthday victim in blowing out the candles. I gained this insight at one of my own toddler’s birthday parties about 30 years ago. The…
Spirit of Summer
James Taylor sang a little tune and probably wrote it too and I find this little ode to the summer running through my mind every year about this time: Summer’s here, I’m for that.Got my rubber sandals. I’ve got my straw hat… Summer’s here, that suits me fine.It may rain today, but I don’t mind.It’s my favorite time of the yearAnd I’m glad I’m here. I love summertime and the real J.T. (James Taylor not Justin Timberlake) expressed in song…
Memories and Tears
Memorial Day at Poplar Springs is a day when we honor those church members who professed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and have departed this earth in the past year for the life that awaits them. Those persons were Grady Edwards, Sharon Bess, and Margaret Greene. Also, we had a number of family members and friends associated with our congregation to pass from our midst as well. During our time of remembrance, there will certainly be tears due…
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…