A THOUGHT IN TIME

Moved to a New Site

2011-08-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

A Thought in Time has been renamed Influenced and Influencing. You may find it at http://gloudermilk.wordpress.com

Thanks for been a faithful reader.

Gary

Updating

2011-06-29T14:51:00.005-05:00

(If computer analogies are just not your cup of tea, you might want to get a real cup of tea and skip the reading of this entry. Just saying . . .)

I spent about thirty minutes this morning downloading updates for one of my computer programs. The first three of those updates were downloaded and installed in a matter of seconds. I credit my new computer with its faster speed and better memory for the fast processing.

The fourth download (and the last) took the remaining twenty-nine minutes and thirty seconds. I blame the slowness on the software company, the size of the update, and the speed of the internet. I believe that my new computer was as frustrated as I was that this download was so slow to be installed.

Well, it is obvious that I am not a computer genius, but I know enough to understand that software requires updates periodically. I understand that these updates may be for the purpose of fixing a glitch (a technical computer term) in the existing software, adding a new element to the software's functions, simplifying a process, or changing the appearance of the program. It doesn't really matter to me what the update is designed to do, I just accept as a needed change.

While I can easily accept the need for updates on my computer, I have a much more difficult time accepting a needed update for me personally. Some of these may take years to install. Updates related to my eating habits are usually the hardest to install unless they are fried and covered with gravy - those go in fairly rapidly.

My personal updates are mainly supplied from four strategic sources - my wife, office staff, doctor, and God. Those first three sources certainly have my best interests at heart and really do care that I update. Their suggestions carry varied degrees of importance and intensity. The update categories include relational issues, organizational agendas, and diagnostics. Surprisingly, each of those updates that I have eventually downloaded, installed, and utilized have really made a positive difference in my life.

When an update notification comes from the fourth source - God - it is always marked "Urgent," "High Importance," and "Critical." I wish that I could honestly say that I immediately take note, download, install, and begin using the new update. Unfortunately, just like my response to updates from my other main sources, I procrastinate and continue using an older versiion until all support for the old version is withdrawn. Then, and only then, I begin to recognize the real significance of this latest update.

Why did I write this particular entry? Maybe seeing it in print will cause me to become more punctual in keeping my life updated. If I can do that with my computer, I should be able to do it for me even more so. After all, I am a top-of-the-line model created by the Creator who made me in His Image. I should take care of myself because God has placed a high value on me by demonstrating His love for me. Oh, you are also a top-of-the-line model, and He loves you too! Do you happen to have some updates that need to be downloaded and installed? Today might be a good day for it.

High Hopes

2011-06-17T10:16:00.006-05:00

Another hot day in North Texas and yet I have a lot of ourside yard work that I need to get done. If I let the circumstances of weather discourage me, the yard will never get done. I need some encouragement. Music helps - I often listen to my iPod while working. My playlist is mainly, well, totally, either country or The Eagles. However, this song poppped into my head this morning and I can't get rid of it. Frank Sinatra made it popular.

I have hopes that are higher than just yard work. I still have hopes and prayers for our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. I have hopes about a better world, peace, a lack of hunger and disease, and love among all people. I have hopes about seeing a great movement of God that will sweep around our planet making a difference in the way we relate to each other and reshaping the eternal destiny of billions of people.

High hopes - for them to become reality rather than just dreams, a great deal of prayer and hard work will be required. I am betting that you have some high hopes also. Just like my yard, they won't get done if all we do is sit around and think about them. I am going to pray for some shade and a cool breeze for this evening and in the morning, but I still must start the mower and push. I am going to pray for God to make a God-sized change in the lives of people worldwide, but I am also going to make myself available for Him to use me anyway His wishes to make that high hope a reality. What about you?

Making Changes

2011-04-28T11:47:00.004-05:00

For the past hour, I have been updating the appearance and information on this blog. It was just time for a change. Some changes are easier for us to make than others. The changes on this site were fairly easy to make. Except for deleting an old picture of my grandchildren, the changes were made without much emotional attachment.

There are some changes that we must make from time to time that come with a high level of attachment. A change in one's family structure - birth of a child; marriage of child; or the death of a loved one - require deep, emotional and physical changes as one adjusts to a new set of relationships. Likewise, moving from one home to another carries a high level of change with it.

Some changes would seem to be simple because they would be so beneficial, but some of those changes are the most difficult. When one's doctor suggests a weight loss or an exercise program would result in greatly improved health, it seems like a simple decision because we all desire good health. But the lure of an extra hour's sleep or a cheeseburger with fries makes the actual change more difficult.

I have just experienced another birthday. Despite all the well wishers and delicious cake, changes are coming. While some people are gracious to lie to me that I still look quite young, the truth is that I can get down on the floor to play with my grandchildren, but I really could use some assistance when it is time to return to the world of adults. I know why older people eat dinner so early in the evening (or mid afternoon). We older adults now go to bed (or at least fall asleep in our chairs) at the time we used to eat dinner. I have noticed that the hair in my ears grows faster and thicker than the hair on top of my head.

I am certainly no expert on making changes, but I have noted a few things that might be helpful to someone else besides me. It is good to have those who truly love you and care about you to be your supporters when making changes. It is necessary to persevere - change doesn't happen easily. If you mess up, start again. To make really lasting change, our reliance cannot be on just ourselves, family, and friends. Lasting change only happens in our lives when we allow God to provide the strength and empowerment that none of us has on our own.

Interpreting the Words of Another

2011-03-31T15:30:00.020-05:00

One of the hottest You Tube videos around features a set of twins who seem to be intent in conversation. Because of their age, their speech is babbling to most of us, but they seem to have a sense of what they are trying to say.

While their antics and conversation are fun to watch, it has also become quite fun to listen to people interpret the conversation. Some have said that the discussion is all about socks and fashion. The mismatched socks on one twin and the single sock on the other certainly could lead to that conclusion. Others have said it is about the refrigerator and perhaps what great snack might be hiding behind closed doors. Still others have supposed that it is nothing more than the mimicking of conversations that they have observed in adults or even their parents.

While we may never know what they were discussing, we are reminded that we all have conversations from time to time that require interpretation. This can happen because we use different definitions of the same word. Confusion in conversation is sometimes the result of culture differences. There are other times that we are just looking at opposite sides of the same problem or discussion point while believing that we are looking at the same side. And of course, sometimes we do just speak different languages.

Talking and communicating are not synonomous terms. For communication to take place, listening, understanding, clarifying, and interpreting may all need to take place. Today, I was just wondering how many domestic and even international incidents might be prevented if our real intent was to communicate rather than talk. As for me - well, I think they were discussing an obvious wardrobe malfunction!

Watching Japan

2011-03-16T09:34:00.003-05:00

Over the past week, the attention of the world has been focused on Japan. The 8.9, now upgraded to 9.0, earthquake, the 23 foot Tsunami, the countless aftershocks, and the failing nuclear reactors have kept our attention on news footage and update bulletins. The tremendous destruction,the loss of life, and the ongoing suffering have been the main focuses of most news reports.

However, I have picked up a thread of reporting that needs more coverage - it is the way the Japanese people have responded to the disaster and to each other. One brief account featured a restaurant that is providing free meals to people in their area. The cook lost his home but comes to work to help others. Grocery store shelves are nearly empty but people wait patiently in line to buy a little for themselves and some for their neighbors. Gasoline shortages have resulted in lines of cars miles long, but no one gets out of their car to fight. I have not seen any reports of looting although stores that still stand, stand without guards.

I know that we do not have a picture of every person or every village, but still, I am impressed with the human decency that is being demonstrated during a most difficult time. I cannot help but compare what is going on in Japan to New Orleans following Katrina. The news was filled with crime, looting, and hording. What a different picture we see in Japan!

We import excellent automobiles and outstanding electronics, among many other things, from Japan. I am just thinking this morning that we could use an import of some of the human kindness that is being demonstrated day by day. Continue to pray for those who are enduring so much.

We All Make Excuses

2011-02-10T15:26:00.001-06:00

Since the first of December 2010, the list of excuses I have heard has been lengthy. They include busy holidays; out of town; company in town; snow-ice; sick; snow-ice; Super Bowl; Jerry's fault; and of course, snow and ice. Before anyone comments, yes, I know that I have not written anything here since November 2010. Why you ask - see the list above!

The sad truth is that we all tend to make excuses for the things that we fail to do and for the things we did. On the golf course, I usually try to let my fellow players know how bad or stiff my back is on that particular day. If I get behind with emails or phone messages - do you know how many people dropped by the office unexpected - all with emergencies?

From sports to politics to business to religion and even to family, we all have a tendency to cover ourselves with a blanket of excuses. I just wonder - are we trying to convince everyone else that we are really perfect despite being overwhelmed by emergencies or suffering from pain. My guess is that no one - not even our mothers - really see any of us as perfect. Afterall, even grandparents, if they are really honest, must admit the lack of perfection even in their grandchildren by age 13, if not sooner.

I am thankful that God didn't discard us at the first hint of our need to make excuses. Remember it was when God asked Adam if he had eaten of the tree that God had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from, Adam exclaimed, "the woman you gave me the fruit." We have all been offering excuses ever since. But God sent His Son Jesus into our world to pay the price of all our wrongs and excuses.

The truth is, I have no excuse for neglecting this blog. I just procrastinated. I don't want to abuse God's gift of forgiveness by constantly doing things wrong or by sinning so that I cover myself by excuses. But I sure am grateful that He extends forgiveness to someone like me - a person who knows no better than to try and cover my sin with excuses.

When the Holidays Run Together

2010-11-22T16:05:00.003-06:00

Most of us have voiced our displeasure with the retail insistence of stacking holiday merchandise on top of other holiday merchandise. There is no other way to explain how a turkey wound up on top of a Christmas tree instead of a traditional star. I am writing on Monday before Thanksgiving and wondering if I should be deciding what size heart-shaped box of candy I should buy my wife for Valentine's Day.

The truth is that I like to keep my holidays separated in time and thought. As much as I like Christmas, I refuse to decorate for the Christmas season until after the last bite of turkey and dressing have been consumed and the final whistle has blown for the last football game.

Don't get me wrong - I really like Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the other holidays for what they signify. The food is great; being with family is wonderful; and a little time off from work is relaxing. But ultimately, I want to hold on to Thanksgiving as a day unto itself because we all need a time to stop, reflect, and give thanks. I don't deserve the family, friends, and possessions that are part of my life. But along the way, God chose to bless me with that which I didn't earn nor deserve. The greatest such blessing was His gift of grace. At Christmas, I will celebrate that gift even more.

So this week - I give thanks for all the blessings that fill my life.
At Christmas - I will celebrate the birth of Jesus who ultimately paid the full price for my sin that I might have eternal life.
On New Year's Day - I will rejoice in the start of a new year and the opportunities it brings.
Valentine's Day - I celebrate the love that have with my wonderful life.
Arbor Day - Who knows - by then, I may be in the mood to plant a tree.

I just don't want to let the holidays run together so that I miss their singular meaning. Happy Thanksgiving!

Teams, Celebrations, and Values

2010-10-14T14:23:00.006-05:00

The previous two evenings have been real times of celebration. On Tuesday evening, October 12, 2010, the Texas Rangers major league baseball team beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5 - 1 to advance to the next round of the playoffs. This was their first playoff series to win in the history of the team. To a Texas Ranger fan, it just doesn't get any better (unless they also win the next playoff series. To top it off, one of their top players has an issue with alcohol. To celebrate the win, they sprayed Ginger Ale on each other instead of the traditional champagne so that he could be part of the celebration. What a demonstration of being a real team!

When I thought it couldn't get any better, on Wednesday evening, October 13, 2010, in Chile, rescue workers completed the task of safely getting all 33 miners out of the mine where they had been trapped for 70 days. The first 17 days they existed on 1/2 cup of milk, two spoons of tuna, and a cracker, once every 48 hours. The government of Chile with help from nations all over the world mobilized an amazing rescue effort that resulted in a tremendous celebration as each miner emerged from the mine. The miners themselves had times of work, exercise, and encouragement as they passed the time hoping for rescue. One miner said that there were actually 34 of them - God was always with them. Their team effort and the efforts of the rescue team is one that will inspire people for years to come.

As much as I like baseball, I was reminded this week that it is still only a game even though a group of men demonstrated class and true teamwork. Their effort was worth great joy to the players and their fans. It will also be worth quite a few dollars to the players, coaches, and owners of the team. Their celebration was memorable.

The rescue of the miners was not a game; it was real life. The lives of 33 men were directly impacted by the work efforts of hundreds and the prayers of tens of thousands. Their families experienced the joy of the return of husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers. Many of them will also benefit financially as their stories are told and sold to various media outlets. Their celebration was priceless.

In the course of our busyness and interests, it is easy to believe that the most important things are whether our team wins or looses a game. This week we have all been reminded that human life is of much greater value than all the games that will ever be played. It is reason enough to celebrate life and the God who created life, and made man in His own Image.

Are Some Things Too Hard?

2010-09-29T11:08:00.003-05:00

When my grandfather died at the age of 68, my grandmother said, "This is too hard; I can't make it through." But she did. In fact, she lived another 25 years, baked chocolate pies, and quilted with a ladies group from her church.

When my daughter was in high school, she brought home her literature book and threw it down saying, "No one can understand this Shakespeare stuff; it is too hard!" But we waded through Mr. Shakespeare's tragedy and our daughter made a good grade. However, she is still not a fan of Shakespeare.

Right now I am working on an assignment related to a church that just seems too hard. It occupies my thoughts and keeps me from focusing well on other important tasks that also need to be done. I keep putting off finishing this particular assisgnment because my mind says it is too hard.

Are some things really too hard or do we just imagine that they are too hard? The real answer to both is probably "Yes." A great number of things are beyond my limited skill set and always will be. Some of those things are just beyond my physical strength to do while others are impossible for me because of a lack of knowledge. And some, well, they just paralyze me and keep me from ever trying. My guess is that all of us could fill in some blanks and name some specific areas that we would label as being too hard for us.

If I were to stop this post here, I would be very discouraged, but there is more to say and a reason to hope. Some of the most difficult tasks I have ever been given came from one who knew all of my strengths and all of my limitations. Even with that knowledge, he gave me tasks that were simply too hard for me. And yet the surprising reality is that I accepted the challenged and saw those tasks completed. Am I just an overachiever? No! But I am a believer. In the Bible, Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). When Jesus' disciples pushed for an explanation about how something that to them seemed impossible could happen, Jesus told them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

There is no doubt - for us, a lot of things are way too hard - literally, they are impossible. But the impossible often becomes the possible when God is involved. My impossible assignment with a church can be accomplished as long as I am willing for God to be in charge and I am an obedient follower.

Is Waiting Worth It?

2010-08-23T08:10:00.004-05:00

Thirty-three miners trapped for 17 days in an underground mine in Chile! There are two amazing stories here - one, all 33 are alive and well; and two, it will take 2-4 months to get them out of the mine. A small hole was drilled that enabled a message to be sent from the miners to the surface that they were alive and safe. That same hole can be used for sending food and water to the miners and maintaining communication with them. However, the hole is too small to use to remove the miners. It will take 2-4 months to drill a large enough openning to use for the release of the miners from the mine. Christmas is the time being used most often in the news reports as a time for their release.

After seeing that on the news, I wondered if I were one of those 33, could I wait that long to be rescued? Or if I were one of the family members of one of those 33, could I patiently wait for a larger hole to be dug over a 2-4 month period for my loved one to be rescued?

We all have a tendency to expect everything we want to happen quickly. The truth is that most things of real value and importance do not happen quickly, rather they tend to develop and evolve over an extended period of time. For example, an education is often measured by the time period of kindergarten through 12th grade, followed by 4 years of college and maybe 2 to 4 years of graduate school. The truth is that an education is a lifelong process that still has many gaps when our physical lives end.

Today we are concerned about the year long time that a military serviceman might serve in Afghanistan or in Iraq. The truth is that many of them serve two, three, or even four tours of a year each. Some of our fathers and grandfathers served up to four years away from family during World War II either in Europe, Africa, or the Pacific. Whether today or yesterday, it is a long time waiting for a loved one to come home safely.

I wish that I could get a better grasp of the entirety of life. Maybe then I could accept that some of life's events don't really take as long as I currently believe they do. At the same time, maybe I could be more patient in waiting for those happenings that will actually take an extended period of time.

One final thought today - in the area where I live, today is the first day of a new school year for many school districts. My own children have been out of public schools for 16 and 18 years respectively. That is a long time. But it must be a short time because I can still remember the days that each of them was born, the first time I held them, and the first time I heard their sweet little cries.

Time is a funny thing. Two to four months seems like a lifetime if you are trapped in a mine. Two to four months isn't even a full semester of one school year. "Lord, help me be patient enough to wait for the things that are worthwhile and that add value to life. Help me to be disciplined enough to resist quick and easy fixes that have little value and marginalize life."

The Other side of an Issue

2010-05-27T14:43:00.004-05:00

The following post is an article that I wrote to appear in the June 2010 issue of the Connections, a monthly newsletter published by Denton Baptist Association.

“The Other Side of an Issue”
In 1979 I was the pastor of a church in a small college town. Three men in their late 20s on student visas from Iran began attending our church. Their religion was Islam but they wanted to find out about Christianity. When the government of the Shah of Iran collapsed and he went into exile, they returned to their native country of Iran and the new leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. I had spent several hours with them over six weeks answering some of their questions. I still wonder what impact that time had upon their lives as they returned to a revolution in progress.
Today, political and religious persecution in Myanmar (Burma) has resulted in people leaving their homeland rather than returning to it. One of those groups, the Chin (they are officially sanctioned as political refugees by our nation), began settling in the North Texas area particularly in Lewisville. As awareness of their presence grew, a new church was begun in our association focused on reaching the Chin people. The ministry expanded as more Chin moved to the area to include helping these refugee families find housing, enter the workforce, learn English, and adjust to their new home. FBC, Flower Mound, has been instrumental in developing a refugee ministry to the Chin and have been joined by The Village Church in making a lasting difference in the lives of these families.
Sometimes people arrive in our country not because of politics or education but for economic or safety reasons as is often the case with people from Mexico. One Hispanic congregation in our area is located in a rural area of our county. While the surrounding countryside appears only sparsely populated, on Sundays the church overflows with people of all ages. Many of the members are citizens of this country, but many are not. Of those that are not, many are undocumented. Week by week, people hear the faithful preaching of the Word and many are saved and baptized. Lives are being changed.
Each of these true stories represents the other side of immigration. The political side makes the news. Like you, I know that we have many immigration issues that need solutions. Securing the borders, determining who can receive government benefits, and managing 12-20 million undocumented immigrants currently in our country are just some of the issues that our nation must resolve. But the other side of immigration – the human side – is often ignored or neglected.
I believe that regardless of how someone arrived in our country and regardless of his status, the church composed of followers of Jesus has a God-given responsibility to minister to everyone and to share the love of God with all. In Deuteronomy 10:18 (NIV), the scripture says that God “executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.” As Baptists, we have raised huge sums of money to send missionaries all over the world to share Christ. Today, the world has arrived in our country. Shall we now turn the other way and ignore those who sojourn and live among us?
The opportunities for the church are limitless in these areas today. If language is an issue, then the church can teach English in homes, churches, and even where day laborers gather. If education is an issue, then the church can provide mentors and tutors in the schools. If nutrition is an issue, then the church can offer help in meal preparation and healthy eating. If morality is an issue, then the church shares Jesus and teaches His Word.
My ideas are not creative; they are only listed in the hope of opening our eyes to the people around us and their needs. As we see them, let’s begin to minister, not based on documentation, country of origin, or world religion, but on the basis of Jesus’ example and teaching. It was a Samaritan who stopped by the road and bandaged the wounds of the beaten Jew and provided for his care. Regardless of your political views on immigration, the humanity of all people cannot be neglected or ignored. How will you and your church represent Jesus to humanity in your community?

Serving a Community and Its People

2010-05-10T16:21:00.004-05:00

The flooding in Nashville has greatly impacted the lives of people, their economy, and their welfare. The Grand Ole Opry was flooded out of its current location. It will take some time for repairs to be made before they can go home again. But the show has continued to go on. They performed at two former locations for the Opry, but both are not large enough venues for today's audiences. I just read a few minutes ago that Two Rivers Baptist Church has offered the Grand Ole Opry the use of their large auditorium for their shows. This is a tremendous testimony of diverse parts of a community pulling together to help each other. It also helps validate what I have been saying for some time - country music crosses a multitude of cultural lines as it speaks about the good and the bad in the lives of common people.

I wish had more stories than I could ever use of churches reaching out to make a difference in their communities. I never would want churches to lose sight of their first priority of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with people to give them the opportunity to become His disciples. But I do believe that one of the ways that a church gets the listening ear of a community is by serving and meeting real needs just like Two Rivers is doing in Nashville.

Of course, each of us can take similar steps in our own lives. We can find those individuals who need some help with a yard they can no longer mow, a tire they can't change, or the need for a listening ear to share some of their life with.

Haiti, Chile, and Nashville are all places that could use our help. A neighbor next door, a school done the street, and a small business owner at the next intersection might could use our service too. At least give it some thought as you listen to some good country music and remember a church that is providing space for the Grand Ole Opry.

Wiser or Just Older?

2010-04-27T14:02:00.003-05:00

As a child, I never understood my grandparents talking about the years flying by. To me they seemed to take forever. Christmas and birthdays were the slowest times of all. Today, I speak the same words my grandparents uttered - "the years are flying by and birthdays come all too frequently!" It seems prudent to do some self-evaluation around a birthday. With this rapid passing of time, it appears that need to slow down for a moment and ask myself a very personal and critical question - "Am I getting any wiser with the passing of these years or am I just getting older?"

The truth is that I really don't feel comfortable answering that question in something as public as a blog. But the reality is that people around me are answering that very question about me with each passing year. They don't give me the answer in so many words but they certainly make the assessment based on the conversations we have, the decisions I make, and the observations they have regarding my behavior. With that in mind, I might as well confess my own thoughts about myself.

There is no doubt that some of what happens in my life as I grow older is just that - growing older. My hair is retreating from my head and making its way into my ears and nostrils. When I get up in the mornings, I sound like a cereal - as I move, I hear "snap, crackle, and pop." My favorite stories are really my favorite stories. I like them so much that I tell them over and over to the same people. I forget people's names - rarely do I forget my own but I think that is only a few birthdays away. I do have one of those plastic containers for sorting my morning and evening medications for a week. While I have two great doctors, visits to their offices have not become the highlight of my social schedule - yet! My other holdout on the aging process is that I refuse to eat oatmeal or prunes. Blue Bell and Mexican restaurants have much more to offer.

On the other side of this question - am I getting any wiser - I struggle a little more to be honest and accurate in my evaluation. I still do some impulsive spending, but I am watching carefully my retirement account. I am more concious about what is best for my body, but - well you already read the Blue Bell and Mexican food comments in the paragraph above.

Accomplishments are important, but I believe today that relationships are more important. My wife, our children, their spouses, our grandchildren, our parents, and our friends (old and new) hold greater importance to me than what I will accomplish today.

While I became a Christ follower at the age of 10, there is no doubt that my faith is stronger today than it has ever been. No, it is not just because I am closer to death than when I was born (the truth is that we all are) but rather because I see the real differences that Jesus makes in how we determine values, how we can love others, and how we can truly serve.

Like most of us, I have some things in my past that I wish I could go back and do over - not because they were so much fun, but because I would do them right this time - or at least I think I would. I don't know if that is a sign of wisdom or just regret.

This I do know regardless of whether you think I am just older or maybe a little wiser - I am blessed with the life that has been given to me. My wife is the best. I married way over my head. My children make me proud everyday. My grandchildren bring joy with their energy and their curiosity and sensitivity. My job holds my interest and challenges my knowledge and abilities daily. My God is great beyond my simple words to describe. I love and I am loved. Maybe, just maybe, I am both older and wiser.

A Picture of Jesus

2010-03-31T11:30:00.004-05:00

The History Channel has presented a documentary based on the work of graphic experts attempting to recreate a picture of Jesus from the Shroud of Turin. To accomplish their task, they have used advanced 3D software to capture a more accurate image from the shroud that some claim was the shroud that Jesus' body was wrapped in following His crucifixion. While their process was unique and interesting, there is no certainty that the resulting picture looks anything like the Jesus looked during his earthly life.

Many people have commented about the picture saying that it doesn't look like Jesus. What are they comparing the History Channel's picture to? It is not like Jesus handed out wallet size photos to the disciples and his closest friends and family members. Most are comparing the new picture to one that is either in their Bible or hangs in their church or appears on a poster. We sometimes forget that those were simply paintings by artists centuries after the time of Jesus. There were no Polaroids and digital prints during the 1st Century.

I did see one lady interviewed on a television news program that I agreed with. She said: "I don't care about what Jesus looked like; I just care about what He did." Wow! That is a great statement that should reflect the outlook of all of us. As we approach Good Friday and then Easter Sunday, here are a few statements about what Jesus did:

God chose to become like one of us by taking on flesh and living among us being born as the baby Jesus. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
Jesus stated that the only path to God is through faith in Jesus, the Christ. "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6
Jesus lived without sinning but took on the sin of all of us that we might have a relationship with God. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus's crucifixion was the great expression of God's love for us. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ (Jesus) died for us." Romans 5:8
Jesus' resurrection is God's validation of his promise of eternal life to those who put their faith in Him. "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

This Easter is not about how Jesus looked. It is all about what He did and what that means to me.

It Is All in Your Head

2010-03-19T10:07:00.003-05:00

The phrase "it is all in your head" sometimes causes us to take offense. We may interpret that statement to mean that whatever ailment we have complained about is, in reality, simply part of our imagination and not real. The truth is that many of the things we experience begin in the brain and can be treated in the brain. One concert master found this to be true related to the tremors in his arm. His situation and correction were reported by Diane Sawyer on ABC Evening News (watch the video).

I watched the report and began to wonder - are there some things in my brain that need to be adjusted to improved the way I live. No, I don't play the violin, or any other musical instrument for that matter. But I do have impulses in my brain that certainly affect my life in a negative way - the impulse for another piece of fried chicken or seconds on dessert; the impulse to tell someone off to relieve my stress but to greatly add to theirs; or just the impulse to waste time on something trivial when more important matters wait. (I know that those don't sound like deep, dark sinful impulses, but you didn't really think that I was going to confess those things to everyone who can read a blog, did you?)

In 1972, Charlie Shedd wrote a book titled "The Fat Is in Your Head." His point was that we all make decisions and choices about the kinds and amounts of food we eat. If we want to be thinner or healthier, we must decide those things and then make choices that are consistent with the choice.

I would consider a surgery like our violinist friend had if my irregular impulses would be corrected. The results could be the beginning of not only a weight loss journey but maybe, just maybe, there would be a few other things improved along the way.

The reality is that surgery is not the key for myself and probably not for you either. The key for us probably doesn't even fall in the categories of stronger self control, determination, or will. The key may be a spiritual one in that we begin to allow the God who created us in His image to have control in our decision-making and actions that we take as a result of those decisions. He alone has the loving power to control my impulses and give me the desire to live life His way rather than mine.

When You Are the Boss . . .

2010-03-15T10:18:00.003-05:00

I watch television for escapism. My favorite shows are mainly investigative dramas. But I have stumbled upon a new CBS program that may make my list of programs to record. "Undercover Boss" is a reality show in which a CEO of a major corporation goes undercover to discover the real jobs and real people within the larger framework of the business. The result is that the "boss" often discovers that some jobs are harder than he understood; some employees are doing more than what is expected; and the basic needs of the employees are usually not known by their supervisors.

This is one program that actually has some lessons worth learning that are applicable to anyone who has a responsibility in working with or supervising others. Some of the best include:

1. Take time to get to know your employees - listen to what they say.
2. Become familiar with what the business is really about.
3. Treat people decently and respectfully regardless of positions and roles.
4. Make decisions based on real information rather than rumored information.
5. Security and safety are major needs for all employees.
6. We don't always know as much as we think we do.

Note to Self: Listening is not just hearing words. Real listening is hearing words, noticing body language, sensing the heart and emotion, placing the communication in context, and offering a response that is genuine and appropriate.

When Do We Start the Doings?

2010-02-23T11:35:00.002-06:00

Ron Hall and Denver Moore are known for their first book "Same Kind of Different as Me." Their story centers around how Denver Moore, homeless, is befriend by Ron and Deborah Hall and Deborah's subsequent battle and death from cancer. Their second book "What Difference Do It Make?" is a continuation of their ongoing true story.

In this second volume, Denver Moore asks a probing question of Ron Hall: "Mr. Ron, all these white folks be invitin us to their Bible studies. How come none of 'em's invitin us to their Bible doins?" (p. 152)

Several years ago, a friend of mine told me of inviting a new Christian to his church one Sunday morning. When the worship service concluded, the new Christian asked my friend, "But when do we do the stuff?" He was referring to the things he had read about Jesus and disciples doing in the Bible.

Could it be that we are too busy hosting studies that we have scheduled ourselves out of doing? Just saying . . . as I sit in my office, in front of a computer writing a blog . . .

A Fire Brings Out Memories

2010-01-19T13:38:00.003-06:00

An event early this morning in Temple, Texas, has definitely had an impact on my thoughts today. The First Baptist Church in Temple sustained major damage through a fire in the sanctuary, offices, and music areas. Some water and smoke damage is also present in other portions of their facilities. Many people are joining pastor Martin Knox and the FBC family in prayer.

For me, there are many personal memories tied to that church family and the facilities. Shortly after my birth, I was rocked in the nursery. It was my church home until after I married. My spiritual life was greatly shaped through the ministry of that church. I was baptized there when I was 10 years old. I experienced a call to ministry there. My wife and I were married there. My father's funeral was conducted there. My mother still worships there.

With many years of association with the church, there are many events, groups, and individuals that are part of my memories there. For my sake and theirs, I will not recount all of those here. But I will say that laughter and tears have both been part of those memories and relationships.

Obviously, the destruction of buildings by fire will not destroy the memories that I hold. But the fact that the fire burned the place where many of those memories were formed makes this fire seem more significant than might otherwise be the case. I sense the loss that many in that congregation are feeling today as they drive by or stand across the street and see the burned remains of their regular place of worship.

This I know - they will all survive this fire and the church will thrive. Afterall they have a history of such survival. After the fire that destroy their church in 1938, they rebuilt and moved forward. The new building of 1939 was the one that burned today. The same God who lead them through that fire will lead them through this one also. Today there is shock and tears and a great sense of loss. Tomorrow there is hope and promise and a great sense of victory. May the Lord bless FBC, Temple, as they move forward. May the Lord keep the memories of the past in tact as new and greater memories are formed.

What Is My Job Description?

2010-01-11T10:01:00.003-06:00

Do you ever struggle with what you are suppose to be doing today, or even tomorrow? I know that I sure do. There are days that I have a hard time remembering what my job description really is. Oh, I know what is expected of me at the job I have that provides me a salary. I am expected to relate to numerous churches and church leaders in helping them to fulfil the mission that God has entrusted to them. While that may mean the need for a variety of strategies and approaches, the specific expection is rather clear - focus all of my energy, skills, and gifts in helping them either directly or indirectly. That may mean connecting a church or a leader with another church or leader to accomplish the task.

Likewise, I am on board with my job description within my family. First and foremost, it has to do with loving my (and the Bible says "even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her."). Second it focuses on parenting children (while they are grown and married, they still have a need for a listening ear from time to time.) Third, and the most fun, it has to do with grandparenting (permissive, to some extent, but most of all available with time to play even when you have to get down in the floor - easy - getting up again is the hard part!). And the role still involves honoring parents (and age and sickness certainly have an impact here.).

But what I forget sometimes is my job description regarding life - the job description that God gives because He created me as a person. There would be many ways to phrase the description and it probably varies in wording from person to person. There are many specifics in the Bible about how I am to live. Some relate to loving God while others relate to treatment of my fellow man. Some have to do with the character and personality traits that I should develop and others have to do with the utilizing of gifts and skills. Some are specific commands composed of do's and don'ts. If not careful, the list could become so lengthy that the job description gets lost in the confusion.

Ultimately, there is one specific part of the job description God intends me to fulfill - I am to obey Him. My obedience is not based on how that affects me or anyone else. It is a freewill choice in response to God who created me, who loves me, who demonstrated His love for me by sending His Son Jesus into this world to die for my sins, and who extends to me the promise of eternal life when I place my faith in Jesus. Not so hard to obey One who cares for you like that.

"Lord, help me stay focused on my job description for life today!"

A Fresh, New Year

2010-01-04T13:48:00.003-06:00

There are some things that are just at their best when they are brand new - a new jar of peanut butter; fresh clean sheets; the first spoon of Blue Bell French Vanilla or Dutch Chocolate ice cream; the smell of a new car; and the first cry of newborn baby. Of course all of us would put different things on such a list. I already wish I had listed "opening a new book from a favorite author" and "the first corn, green beans, and new potatoes from the garden."

While all of those things are great, perhaps nothing seems better and fresher than the start of a new year. Resolutions designed to improve oneself; better organized stuff; an uncluttered calendar; and a rested body and mind all cause me to believe that 2010 will be a great year. Of course, I had some similar thoughts about this time a year ago related to 2009. But the economy, bad decisions, careless eating, wasted time, and an illness or two messed that year up badly.

The truth is that this year could be great or it could be a lot like last year. The key to which way it goes is in my possession. It all has to do with self-discipline, attitude, and faith. I really wish there were a way to blame failure and disappointment on something or someone other than me. But since reality is imbedded in my personal 2010 resolutions, I guess that I need to acknowledge that my actions or lack of actions, my reactions and thoughts, and my personal faith or lack of faith have much more to do with the evaluation of a given year than the actions of anyone else.

God has created a fresh, new year for me to live. My responsibility is how I will choose to live it. My prayer becomes - "may I live this year in a way that will honor the One who created it."

Impatience with Christmas

2009-12-21T10:25:00.003-06:00

Many people are stranded today at various airports as they wait, hoping for better weather in the Northeastern United States, so they can finally get a flight to their Christmas destinations. Some are waiting patiently with understanding regarding the unusual snowfalls this year. Others are demonstrating a great deal of impatience believing that somehow the airlines are at fault for the weather conditions.

Shoppers are finding crowds and long lines at many stores as they try to complete last meeting gift buying. Some are handling it with a relaxed Christmas spirit almost breaking into song from time to time. Others, however, are still complaining about why the store doesn't have more clerks working even though every cash register is in use. Some are also wondering why so many people waited so late to shop (of course they have a very good reason for themselves)!

I know a young couple who are expecting their first child sometime today. The word impatient would not apply but they are definitely ready as are the grandparents. As I was thinking about this family this morning, a song from church yesterday came to mind - "A Baby Changes Everything." Wow, that is such a true statement. This young couple will be great parents with extended family surrounding them with love and encouragement. But the birth of their baby will definitely change their schedule and routine, their leisure time, and their personal sleep.

Never has the birth of a baby changed everything as it did that first Christmas in Bethlehem when Mary gave birth to Jesus. The world was in a state of impatience. It has been since Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden of Eden and broke that perfect relationship with God that had existed in creation. Generations had come and gone waiting for God to fulfill His promise of His intervention into human history. The birth of Jesus was the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise. God had taken on flesh and come to dwell among men. Jesus would grow into a man; live a sinless life; die on a cross for the sin of everyone else; and be raised from the dead by God the Father completing the fulfillment of His promise of a Savior for all who believe.

Jesus' birth changed everything then and continues to change the lives of people today. When the pressure of the calendar and the clock instill impatience in our lives, we should stop and remember that the greatest need we have (greater than a gift to buy or a plane to catch) already has an available solution, patiently waiting upon our response of faith - Jesus the Christ born as a baby in Bethlehem is ready to change our lives today.

May all of our Christmas celebrations be filled with patience and with the reality of Jesus Christ.

It Is Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2009-11-30T15:36:00.002-06:00

The song "It Is Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" was written in 1857, but it has been the song that has continued to go through my mind all day today. Actually, in some communities and in many retail stores and shopping malls, it was beginning to look like Christmas well before Thanksgiving. The decorations, both for sale and for viewing, were already in place. In the neighborhood where I live, several people have lights hung and strung, inflatable yard ornaments, and Christmas trees visible through the front window. Some radio stations are playing Christmas music throughout the day. A number of people are already reporting that their Christmas shopping is already completed.

While I am still digesting turkey, dressing, and pecan pie, I don't have any real problem with the early Christmas sightings. While I would prefer to complete one holiday before going to the next, I know that Christmas is a "biggie." I just wonder if our rush to Christmas causes us to not have enough time to consider why Christmas is a "biggie."

My desire for all of us is that during our mad dash to December 25th we keep in mind that it is the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, that we celebrate. While it is fun to shop for gifts for the grandchildren, there is no greater gift to have than the gift that God gave us on that first Christmas when His Son was born to a humble family traveling to a distant city to be counted in a census so they could be taxed. They spent the night in the last available space, the shelter that was reserved for the livestock of those staying in a nearby Inn. Approximately 33 years later, Jesus, who lived a life of sinless perfection, was put to death on a cross in fulfillment of God's plan to offer His own Son as a sacrifice for the sin of all of us.

Even while writing that last paragraph, I felt myself slow down and become more thoughtful regarding this Christmas season. Taking seriously the real meaning of Christmas certainly will take more than just a day or two, maybe more than a month or two. It should take my entire life to just celebrate Him and what He has done for me and for you.

Now, if the stores will just hold off on Valentine's merchandise untile after New Year's.

When You Can't See the Answer

2009-10-27T09:07:00.003-05:00

(This post is a reprint of a regular article I write entitled "Leading Forward" for the Denton Baptist Association newsletter Connections. This article appears in the November 2009 issue.)

One of the techniques I use to try and keep my mind sharp (or at least not too dull) is to work Sudoku puzzles. These nine-square puzzles, with each square containing nine squares, are completed by placing the numbers 1-9 in each of the inner squares. The trick is that each number is to appear in any row or column only once.

What I have discovered about these puzzles is that sometimes my brain reaches a point that I simply can’t discern the next placement of a number. The solution to this dilemma for some is to cheat by turning to some answer key. Because I abhor the concept of cheating, I usually focus on something else for a minute or two. The result is often that the next placement is obvious when I return to the puzzle.

We have all experienced that same phenomenon when struggling to solve a math problem in school or reconcile a bank statement in real life. Most of us have discovered the resolution technique of walking away, taking a break, or sleeping on it. And yet, we are still amazed when we follow one of these steps and it works.I wonder why we limit the use of this type of problem-solving or assessment of a situation to puzzles and numbers. Is it just possible that issues involving people – conflicts in marriage or between friends; decisions related to strategies or methodologies in a church; disruption and disagreements among co-workers – call for the use of a step back and refocus time before making a hasty decision or speaking some ill-advised words?

The situation may not involve personal conflict. Rather, it may be a time when the right decision must be made. Assessing the problem from all angles with various pairs of eyes at varying times may yield insight that was simply missed during the first look. Have you noticed that when a child is missing, a large number of people go out together to search an area? They may return to that same area a second or even third time in the hope of finding something they missed the first time.

Too often within the realm of ministry, when we can’t see the answer immediately, we either give up or make a decision without all the facts. I believe that all of us – individuals and organizations – must learn to take some time to refocus and allow our minds to both see and comprehend all that is happening. Based on a refreshed assessment, we will make better decisions with people and with critical issues. Maybe that is part of the truth of God’s Word when He states: “Be still and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10)

Some of the problems we will encounter today appear to be unsolvable at first glance. Taking a step back and refocusing upon God will give you a fresh look at the situation. That moment of refreshing may be all that is needed to move from not seeing to seeing the answer that God has for you.

How Much Can I Impress You?

2009-09-28T10:05:00.002-05:00

As most everyone knows by now (how could you have possibly missed the stories, videos, specials, etc.) the Dallas Cowboys (professional football team for non-sports enthusiasts) have a new stadium. In the season opener they set a new regular season attendance record for the NFL (National Football League - info for same non-sports group) with over 105,000 fans there. Of course, 30,000 of those bought "standing room only" tickets to watch the game on monitors at the stadium (I thought that was why we have televisions at home!)

Tonight, the Cowboys play the Monday Night Game. The Guiness Book of World Records is to be there to certify that the video screen suspended above the stadium is the largest in the world - 60 yards long and cost more than the previous entire Texas Stadium where the Cowboys used to play. Many fans report that they watch the game on the screen (at the stadium) rather than watching the players on the field. Players are often caught on camera looking up at the screen to try and see themselves and the play they just made.

Both of these "records" bring one question to mind - Why? The answer is obvious - someone is trying to see how much they can impress you. That is easy to discern regarding this $1.1 billion dollar stadium. However, I do wonder how often we try to impress others - with what we know or at least think we know; with who we know; with where we have been; or with how much we have or have spent.

The scripture speaks about removing the beam from one's own eye before trying to get the speck out of someone else's eye. While we all may try to impress someone else from time to time, we are more often guilty of criticizing or judging someone else based on their attempt at impression. Self-eye exams are probably a much better idea than trying to fix everyone else's eyes.

There Is Always More to Learn and to Do

2009-08-10T10:32:00.003-05:00

Last week I was an attender at a conference that our association helps to locally co-sponsor along with one of our churches. Each year at this conference I experience an influx of new information, challenging thoughts, and a plethora of possible actions. It serves as both a "wake up" and a "challenge" for how much more there is to learn and of the great and noble deeds that need to be done.

In the next few days I will begin to process some of the specific thoughts. For today I will simply mention a few of the resources that I will be exploring over the next several weeks:

Books
Wess Stafford - President of Compassion International
Too Small to Ignore

David Gergen - CNN Political Analyst and Adviser to 4 Presidents
Eyewitness to Power

Timothy Keller - Presbyterian Minister in New York City
The Prodigal God

Gary Hamel - Director Management Innovation Labs
The Future of Management

Website
Jessica Jackley - Founder of Kiva - online peer to peer microlending
http://www.kiva.org

The list is not long - YET! But, like most forms of education, one source or resource leads to another which leads to another. There is always more to learn, and as one learns, there is always more to do. Setting priorities and developing accountability all tie in here but those are topics for another day along with several others. Today - I will review my notes, decipher my poor excuse for handwriting, and prioritize my new resources (and the ones that I will order).

Does Great Talent Equate with Great Person?

2009-07-01T15:34:00.003-05:00

Over the last few days every media outlet has saturated us with information, adulations, and memorializations of Michael Jackson. During this extravaganza of video and commentary, there has been a tendency to not only recognize the musical genuis of Jackson, but in so doing, to equate that musical genuis and greatness with personal greatness. Is that reality?

My personal opinion, which probably only has value to me, is that just because one possesses great ability or talent does not mean that individual also is, or was, a great person. The truth is that some people with great ability are actually quite mean, arrogant, selfish, and even cruel.

Don't misunderstand me. I never met Michael Jackson. I only know him as most of us do from his music, from news reports, and from interviews. He was a gifted performer. He could moon walk before we had a name for it. He could sell albums because the music drew us in and was different from most of his contemporary musicians. But he also held his child over the balcony ledge. He was addicted to pain killers. He had major personality and emotional issues.

So - if the microscope is placed against my life or against yours, we probably all reveal some good, strong traits, and some pretty strange behaviorial issues. In other words, as John Ortberg revealed in the title of his book: Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them, we are some of those "everybodies."

My whole rant is this: I want us to start looking for greatness in the lives of those people who make a true difference in the lives of other people - those who make the most money, get the most publicity, and have the highest popularity are not necessarily the greatest people. There are teachers, police officers, firefighters, doctors and nurses, farmers, writers, and even an occasional minister or two who may measure up past those who were blessed with great talent and ability.

Day Nine and Counting

2009-06-16T11:18:00.003-05:00

I am not a coffee drinker. Over the years I have saved a great amount of money by not having to buy a Starbucks' drink one, two, or three times a day. Of course, I have found other ways to spend that money.

While I don't drink coffee (or alcoholic beverages), I am a great consumer of Coca Cola - not the diet stuff - the real, leaded, red can, classic stuff. Three or four a day has often been my pattern. But in an effort at better health and in an effort to become less wide, I am in day nine and counting of time without a Coke Classic.

Why do I tell you that? Well, my co-workers would rather me write than complain. Actually, I have done better than I expected. To this point, I have not had road rage; have not hit anyone; have not yelled at anyone; continue to shower and shave every day; and have gotten out of bed and gone to work each day. Not bad for someone in the major throes of withdrawal.

I have developed a growing concern though. In light of today's economy, I hope that my not drinking all those Cokes is not adversely effecting the bottom line at the corporate office!

Nostalgic Closing

2009-06-05T09:12:00.002-05:00

The local news in Denton, Texas, this week included the closing of the two Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in town. While this doesn't compare to the President speaking in Cairo or the Texas Rangers leading their division, it does elicit a certain sense of nostalgia. These are the last two known Piggly Wigglys operating in Texas. I may be one of the people responsible for their closing. In almost two years of living in Denton and fifteen years working in Denton, I have only been in one of the stores and that was only one time. I think I bought some candy - not a big purchase.

But my nostalga is not about the last ones in Texas; rather, it goes all the way back to my childhood in Temple, Texas, where my mother seemed to always shop the small grocers - Dooleys in Troy, Wrights, Spot Cash, and Piggly Wiggly all in Temple. The thing that stands out to me fifty plus years later is that all the employees seem to know your name and knew where everything was on every shelf. As a child, I often ate a package of Mrs. Braid's chocolate cupcakes while we shopped. At the checkout counter, the clerk rang up an empty wrapper. If you went to one of these stores to run an errand for your Mom, you could tell the clerk what you needed and they could tell you what brand your mother usually bought. It was a day of personal service that has slowly slipped away as the smaller gives way to the larger. The need today is to recapture the friendliness and customer service of the smaller and place it in the larger. I just shop better at the grocery store if I am eating chocolate cupcakes.

Is Virtual Reality, Reality?

2009-06-04T11:31:00.003-05:00

Allergy medications may cause strange thoughts - certainly cause drowsiness. In the midst of the two, the question surfaces - is virtual reality really reality? Of course it is! Am I crazy or just drowsy? But - Presidential speeches being twittered; finding friends on Facebook; and texting on cell phones! Where have all the people gone! Gone to digital everyone.

Now don't get me wrong. The truth is that I like and use most of the digital forms of communication. I text three, four times a month - with proper spelling and grammar of course. I have a blog - actually, I have three - this personal one and two related to my job. I have a Facebook page and even have a few friends on it. Email accounts at work and at home easily accessible through my IPhone which also has a level, access to USA Today, and pool, bowling, and golf games (for when I am not working).

Could I get by without all of these devices in the world of virtual reality? I probably could, but I don't want to. I may be addicted - although I can quit anytime I want - I just don't want to.

But what about real people? Friends are more than digital transmissions through space. At some point friends must be real people that you shake hands with, that you hug, that you eat a meal with, and that you laugh and cry with. Sure you can do some of those things (at least metaphorically) online. And when distance separates you, online is a great way to stay in touch (metaphorically speaking). But we all need real, live people around us also. These are people that turn virtual into reality. These are people that can read your body language when words don't come from your mouth or from the keyboard.

Today is a good day - even with the allergies - to give some thought to the real people who make a difference in my reality while my fingers touch this keyboard in a virtual, sometimes real, always changing world.

Iraq, the Economy, Swine Flu, and Everything Else

2009-04-30T15:59:00.003-05:00

The headlines from the world's newspapers would all be alike if they were written in a common language. The fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan held the most column inches for an extended period of time. Our minds were focused on how many troops were being killed each month or each week.

The only thing that moved our thoughts from the loss of human life was the loss of money out of our pockets. Suddenly, people lost jobs, corporations and individuals filed for bankruptcy, and homes went into foreclosure. The economy replaced Iraq as our number one news concern.

I that how we will pay for dinner would still be at the top of our list if a pig hadn't coughed on a bird that flew over a person depositing some virus into the air that was inhaled and the swine flu became a reality. School closings, reported cases, number of states reporting cases, cases world wide, and number of deaths from the swine flu has grabbed the spotlight in the papers, on television, and across the internet.

Makes you wonder what's next! Don't misunderstand me - I am not making light of any of these happenings. Each one is very serious. Each one is greatly affecting human life. Each one increases anxiety. And yet, we have survived them one by one. Just as we have survived countless other headline grabbers.

Does that mean that we will always be survivors? Not necessarily. But I do think that we must keep in mind that life is filled with crises. These come in the forms of war, crime, economic upturns and downturns, disease, accidents, relationship breakups, and countless other subject headings. The focus I must maintain in all of these situations comes together in these three statements for me:

While the events of life may surprise me and even catch me off-guard, God, the creator of this world and redeemer of it through Jesus Christ, is never surprised by events and is never caught off-guard. I will trust Him.
While I don't know the answer to every dilemma that I encounter, I know that God does. My job is to work and respond under His leadership in both times of peace and times of confusion. I will obey Him.
While I have no desire to be killed in war or die of a pandemic disease or become homeless, I will not be afraid and will not go into hiding because such possibilities exist. I will live this life to the full extent that God gives me strength and capacity. I will serve Him.

How we choose to live life is a choice. I have made my choice. Have you thought about how you will choose to live your life?

Given a Chance - People Will Surprise Us

2009-04-15T15:00:00.012-05:00

Although I would say that I am opposed to making determinations about individuals based on their appearance, the truth is that I am probably as guilty of this as most of us are. I came across a clip on You Tube yesterday that is from the reality show "Britain's Got Talent." The clip is seven minutes long. But I encourage you to watch it in its entirety before going on with this essay.

The questions are simple - was I in the group that laughed and thought it must be a joke? How often have I chosen friends, employees, or even who to sit by in a doctor's waiting room based on appearance or age? Is is possible that I have missed some of life's greatest gifts and experiences by not taking the time to discover their hidden talent and thus discover the genius?

In the Bible there is a passage in which one of God's prophets is sent by God to annoint a man to be the next king of Israel. The prophet goes to the home of a man who has seven sons. Upon seeing the oldest of the seven, the prophet knows this must be the one who will become king because he is tall, strong, and regal in appearance. But God reminds the prophet that God looks upon the heart of a person, not upon the outward appearance. The one who is eventually annointed or chosed to be the next king is not the eldest son but the youngest. He was not waiting in the house but was out taking care of the sheep.

So how do you think we should look at people now?

Where Is the Please?

2009-04-01T13:20:00.004-05:00

Well, there is no doubt; I have to remember to pray differently than I am used to praying - especially if The Lord's Prayer is involved. Why a change? It is all tied to a very interesting insight supplied by my six-year-old granddaughter in Belgium.

At the chapel on the nearby base (our son-in-law is a major in the Air Force), The Lord's Prayer is often recited in unison by the congregation. After a recent service, our daugther commented to our granddaughter that she had heard her reciting the Lord's Prayer and that she had done very well. Our granddaughter replied that the prayer wasn't very nice. When our daughter inquired as to why the prayer wasn't nice, our granddaughter responded: "It says 'give us this day our daily bread,' and you don't even say 'Please!'"

Caught me off guard. But it did start me to thinking. How often do I (or any of us for that matter) pray to God with an attitude that we are deserving and He needs to take care of our needs right now? While I don't believe that was the attitude of the scripture regarding The Lord's Prayer, I do believe that has been my attitude on occasion. What about you?

The truth is that I am not deserving of God's blessings or His provisions. He has chosen to offer those because of His love for all of us. But He is sovereign in the distribution of blessings. He can choose to bless you in a certain way, but He is under no obligation to bless me in the same way. In fact God knows that I am better off if He tells me "No" rather than "Yes" about some things. He also knows that I am not ready to properly receive or use the blessing that I may have requested.

Having taught our children (and now they are teaching their children) to say "Please" when asking for something is part of the process of developing good manners and being polite. While we might all consider the use of the word "please" with God, there are a few basics that are absolutes and not just considerations:

God does not owe any of us anything.

God is the giver of every good and perfect gift.

We are deserving of nothing.

Every blessing we receive from God is specific to who we are and to what we need.

We are to approach God remembering always that we are the created; He is the Creator!

I think that I will listen to children more - they catch some things that we adults just overlook. My granddaughter made me think today!

Avoiding Collisions

2009-03-23T16:01:00.005-05:00

I have just finished writing an article that will appear in our associational newsletter regarding preventing collisions in church. Today, I want to rewrite that article changing the focus from churches to individuals and their colliding relationships. The first two paragraphs are total plagarism (can you plagarize yourself?). The remainder is almost new!

"A small rock designated 2009 DD45 and measuring 60-150 feet in length missed the earth early on the morning of March 2, 2009, by a scant 40,000-46,000 miles. While 40,000 miles would be a very long trip by car or even airplance, it is less than 1/5 the distance between the earth and the moon. But remember it was a small rock! Of course, a small rock of approximately the same size struck the area around the Tunguska River in central Siberia, Russia, in 1908. It destroyed millions of trees in the Taiga Forest, totally flattening 830 square miles (oh, incidentally, Denton County, where I live, is approximately 990 square miles in size)! Personally, I am glad this small rock missed.

Everyday, things do collide with other things resulting in various kinds of destructions. Collisions happen in relationships, in churches, in nations, and in cultures. The aftermath is often reminiscent of Humpty Dumpty whose pieces could not be put back together even by all the king's horses and all the king's men. Maybe Humpty's situation, like some of ours, would have been better had someone intervened and kept Humpty from falling and colliding with the hard ground."

So what are some essentials in keeping our relationships from colliding and becoming irrevocably broken into pieces? My suggestions are just that - suggestions. But they are some that I believe are good preventative choices.

Listen more and speak less. It is so tempting to get in the first blow by stating your own case without ever hearing what another person is trying to say. When my son was around 4, he told me he wanted a motorcycle. Having seen people killed or severely injured in motorcycle accidents, I began a strong "Dad" speech about how they were dangerous and as long as he lived in my house he would never have a motorcycle. As the tears flowed from his disappointment, he managed to say, "But Daddy, it is red and little and only costs a dollar at the toy store. Make a special effort to understand what others are saying. Most of our major conflicts and collisions are results of misunderstandings or are over matters of little consequence.

Maintain relistic expectations of your spouse, your children, your parents, and your friends (and anyone else you work with, go to school with, are related to, etc.). The painful truth is that none of us are perfect. We all have some strengths and some weaknesses.

Change is coming. We age; we mature (most of the time); alter our thinking on various topics; learn as we go (trial and error is a favorite in the real world); and forget a lot of things (this is of course a blessing and a curse). Change is happening to everyone and not just to us. Remembering that can sure make collisions less painful.

The Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. One small boy was asked why he had hit his sister - because she hit me first. I was just following the Golden Rule. She hit me so I knew she wanted to be hit. Yeah, well, too often as adults we still are living by that mistaken interpretation.

Certainly there are many other ways to avoid collisions in our relationships. But for this next week, why not try these and see if some of our collisions might be prevented. My thought is that I may not can do anything about rocks, small or large, that go flying by our planet, but I can do something about preventing collisions in my relationships.

The Shallow End or the Deep End?

2009-03-10T09:54:00.004-05:00

As a young child, the question was simple to answer. I wanted to be in the shallow end of the pool because I didn't know how to swim. Somewhere around the age of 8, I caught on to swimming, floating, treading water, and assorted other water related activities. Again the question was simple to answer because it was more fun and more challenging in the deep end of the pool.

Most of us are not trying to decide about whether to go swimming today (in Texas the air temp is to be about 80 but the water temp is still too cool for most of us). But I do wonder today if we are thinking in the shallow end or in the deep end. I wonder if we are reading in the shallows or in the depths. I wonder if we are living on the surface or plunging into the regions of hard work and diffult choices.

Does your mind drift to the dwindling 401 (k) that you were counting on for early retirement so you could pursue your favorite hobby or spend extra time with the grandchildren? Or instead is there a focus upon those who will spend today, this week, and their final days in the process and pain of starvation?

Is my biggest thought today about a receeding hairline or about the global millions who are infected with AIDS? Am I already thinking about where I will eat lunch (currently 10:05 AM) or is there some thought about where my friends and neighbors and the people in the office next door will spend eternity? Were the comics my most thought-provoking read of the day or was there something I read that will stimulate my actions in some aspect of making the world a better place?

It is pretty easy for me to confess that some days the shallow end of the thought pool puts this underworked brain in a very comfortable and relaxed position. But occasionally (tho' not often enough) I was to go to the deep end, think and read about that which is most important, and in someway make a dffierence in this world. My best thought today - I want to go to the deep end far more frequently until it becomes the norm of my life. So, what are you thinking about today?

Thinking Back on a Trip

2009-02-11T09:44:00.002-06:00

My wife and I were privileged to go to Belgium for three weeks over this past Christmas and New Year's time. The trip was made easier and more enjoyable because our daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren live there (courtesy of NATO). My initial impressions were these:

The country looks like it does in the movies
There is a calmness and ease about the country (not everyone is on a cell phone)
There is a quaintness that is typlified by businesses located in people's homes along neighborhood streets
A lot of people walk, ride bikes, or scooters (even in the cold winter)
The local bakeries know how to bake bread and eclairs
Euros still seem a little like monopoly money but they cost more than real dollars

We had a great time being with family; visiting, playing games, building a snowwoman, and seeing the sites. The sites included a castle in The Netherlands, the uniqueness of several nearby villages, the lavish buildings of the plaza in Brussels along with some very good chocolate, and even a side trip to Paris and the historic stops in the city including Notre Dame; The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and countless architectual and artistic marvels. Yes, we did see the Mona Lisa (famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci that is in The Louvre) and she seems to be holding her age quite well. She is more petite than I imagined.

One thing that is very humbly about Europe is the age and history. Buildings that were constructed in the 12th and 13th Centuries are still in use and retain so much character and even charm. That gives new definition to the word "old." The old houses in our town or the old car that someone owns is really new in comparison to the castle we toured that was begun around 1150 and finally completed in the early 1800s.

Three weeks went by too quickly but with great enjoyment. Hopefully, we will be able to go back while they are still living there. Spring or summer would be my choice. Winter is cold there. But being with family is a warm experience anytime of the year.

What a Day!

2009-02-09T14:09:00.002-06:00

Yes, today is a Monday, but it is a rather remarkable day. First, we actually had some rain this morning in North Texas - not much - but some. Second, today is our daughter's birthday. It seems impossible for her to have already reached this age (no, I am not telling how old she is, but she is still a young adult). After all I can still remember all the details of her birth. Now she is married with children of her own. And finally, today is the first day for our grandson (one of our birthday daughter's children) to return to school after a simple accident resulted in a small rupture in his spleen that was able to heal itself over a period of two weeks. While he did have a hospital stay of one week followed by another week being quiet and still at home, he did not have to have surgery to remove the spleen as earlier had been feared.

So today, we (my wife and myself) are thankful for the rain that came to a dry yard; we are thankful that God blessed us with two wonderful children, the younger of whom celebrates another wonderful year of life today; and we are thankful for four grandchildren, one of whom was healed without having to have surgery and has returned to most of his normal activities as of today. It really is a very, very good day!

Why Haven't You Written?

2009-02-03T16:30:00.003-06:00

My loyal readers (both of them) have severely chastised me for failure to update this blog since the early part of December 2008. What can I say - I have no excuse - well, maybe I do:

December company (great fun)
Trip to Belgium - 3 weeks (great fun and soon to be written about)
Stomach issues (enough said)
Return to work (lots to do)
Out of the habit (well, I don't wear a habit!)
Out of excuses (that is why I am writing now)

All that is left to say is watch the site the next few days as I try to catch up on all that has happened. By the way - notice that I posted a new picture of our grandchildren that includes all 4 of them. Of course it was taken last May. For an article based on the picture, go to http://www.dentonbaptist.org/leadingforward.bigpicture...littledetails.htm . It is a good article even if I did write it myself.

Innocence and Joy

2008-12-03T15:17:00.003-06:00

During the week of Thanksgiving our son, daughter-in-law, and their two children, and my mother all were at our home. We have the traditional good time of eating way too much delicious food, watching too much bad football, and just enjoying being together.

The youngest of their two children is not quite seven months old. He is our youngest grandchild. He reminded me of how joy and innocence are interconnected. He was never troubled by the news reports regarding the economy. He never was in a rush to get to the stores and get any Christmas gift specials purchased.

He was content with a bottle of milk, some strained foods, a few colorful toys to chew on, periodic naps during the day, and someone to occasionally rock him. When he woke up from a sound slumber, he would slowly open his eyes, look around, and break into a big grin. He was happy and no world crisis, stress of a holiday, or schedule pressures of adults had much impact upon him.

He still lives with so much innocence in his young life and his life is so full of joy. My thought today is that I am envious. I wish we all could reclaim some of our lost innocence and at the same time restore some of the original God-given joy with which we were born.

As we go through the month of December, maybe that should be our intent as we approach Christmas with the wide-eyed innocence of a young child observing the Babe in the Manger new and fresh, experiencing the joy that comes from seeing Him.

A Milestone and A Beginning

2008-11-18T10:05:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I completed my 15th year in my position as Executive Director of Denton Baptist Association. That is a milestone for me and for the association. This is the longest period of time that I have served in any one job by a couple of years and it is about twice as long as anyone has served in this position for the association.

It is fun to look back and to recall what has happened in 15 years. But in truth, the real excitement of a job or of life itself, is not what has happened in the past but the anticipation of what will happen in the future. As I begin my 16th year, I believe that there are far greater things coming and yet to be done than have any been considered, much less accomplished, in the past.

My life is really like that as well. My wife and I have been married 40 years. We have lived in six different communities during those 40 years. In addition, both of us have separate towns where we spent our "growing up" years. I hear people struggle with where is home for them. That has always been a simple question for me. Home is where I am living today. Home is not where I was born or went to high school. Home is not where both of our children were born. Home is not where we lived for 27 years. Home is where we are today.

Holding to that philosophy means that new driving patterns, new shopping locations, and making new friends in the neighbor are all part of home being where we are today. Sure I have memories, wonderful memories, of all the other places we have lived, but they are no longer our home.

I wonder when the last time was that you seriously gave thought to where your home is. The answer for you might be just what you need to get excited about the future.

Teach an Eagle to Fly

2008-10-13T09:12:00.003-05:00

This morning a report aired on Good Morning America about teaching an eagle to fly after it had been in captivity for 14 years.

As I watched the report, I was at first startled by the fact that an eagle would have to be taught to fly. The gracefulness and the might of an eagle causes be to just assume that all eagles have flying down. Of course, fourteen years of captivity could certainly put a strain on current flying techniques - even for an eagle.

But then it occurred to me - if an eagle has to be taught how to fly, what about all the things that the rest of us need to be taught. Far too often we believe we have all the understanding and knowledge we need. We believe that we are too advanced to learn from the young, the old, or our peers.

The reality of life is that we can never afford to stop the learning process in our own lives. Certainly there is a flood of new knowledge and information that is produced on a daily basis. There are new situations and circumstances that occur that cause us to realize that the old solutions don't always work and that we must find new ones. Even in the realm of medicine, germs mutate resulting in an immunity to previously used antibiotics and neccessitating the need for the development of stronger and different antibiotics.

No one person has all the answers. That is why those in government must surround themselves with the best of advisors from many different fields. Those advisors have advisors who consult with those working in research and those working in the marketplace. We all need to keep on learning.

Several years ago I read a little adage on a poster that stated "How can soar with eagles when I work with turkeys?" Maybe the answer to that question rests in my response to learning. A turkey stays close to the ground content to not soar the heavens. An eagle can soar high into the heavens but only after it learns to fly. If someone can teach an eagle to fly, I wonder what all I could still learn!

Opinions Abound

2008-10-02T14:46:00.002-05:00

The Presidential Election for 2008 is only about a month away. Already we have heard the first presidential debate. Tonight, we will hear the two Vice Presidential candidates in their prime time debate. Will we have a clearer view or understanding of the issues or of the candidates themselves? Who knows? The candidates themselves will choose how much to reveal or how precise and detailed to be in their answers.

Many people are struggling about their personal choice in this year's election. The two Presidential candidates and the two Vice Presidential candidates are four distinct individuals and personalities. Each of the four hold some views in common with all four; some views are held in common with only their running mate; and some views are unique to the individual candidate. Does that help you decide? Maybe or maybe not!

Thrown on top of this election campaign are the specific issues that are happening concurrently with the campaign. The American economy, the world economy, the war in Iraq, the threat of terrorism, and healthcare costs are only a few that appear on our daily news outlets.

I guess my one big concern about this election is really not just about the 2008 candidates. It is about all the candidates and all the elected officials of all the campaigns over the past 20-30 years. My humble opinion is that the issues never seem to change. The promises to fix things go unfilled. The blame is always placed on the other side.

I just want the opportunity and privilege of voting in a local and a national election in which the winners will actually fix the issues that they said they would fix. If that happened, I would gladly vote for those same candidates again.

Of course, I have a long list of projects that I have been promising my wife I would work on or fix for some time now. Maybe I ought to get a thing or two fixed myself this week!

Let Me Introduce Myself

2008-10-02T14:24:00.002-05:00

The title implies a self-revealing portrait of who I am and what I do. The title is misleading. This is just my first posting since July 31st. I almost feel like a stranger in my own blog and need to reacquaint myself with the process. With so many things going on in our world right now, I do have some thoughts and will try to express them more frequently.

Alpha and Omega

2008-07-31T11:08:00.003-05:00

No, I not writing a deeply theological treatise. It is just a recognition that the last post I wrote was on July 1 and here it is already July 31. Those are the first and last days of July and Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Thought you might want to know that.

Actually, there is something significant about the first and the last as it relates to my personality and work habits. I enjoy and am energized by the beginning of a project - particularly the early development of ideas and concepts - the brainstorming and the dreaming of it. Likewise, I find great satisfaction in the completion of a project or a task. There is something very pleasing about standing back and admiring a fresh coat of paint, a newly mowed lawn, or even a new post on a blog.

But there is a great amount of time and effort that exists between the first and the last, the beginning and the end. I am grateful for people who find great satisfaction in taking the dreams or plans of someone else and bringing them to life. They are energized by figuring out what is required to make the project real and then go to work to make it happen. On the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, the crew and particularly Data figured out how to make it work. I found my role model in Captain Picard who would listen to various scenarios and then make a decision. He would follow the decision with a great phrase - "Make it so!"

I am blessed to be privileged to work with so many great people who know exactly what it takes and are more than willing to "Make it so!" The Greeks didn't just have the two letters Alpha and Omega in their alphabet. We do not have just an A and a Z. It takes all of them to write words, put together sentences, and communicate. It takes all types of people to complete the project. Together we get it done.

Can I Make It All Fit?

2008-07-01T16:35:00.002-05:00

The issue of how much luggage to take on a flight used to be centered on only one point - do I want to check or just do carry-on? But all that has changed. The question now centers around how much luggage am I willing to pay for on the flight? Suddenly, we have all become interested in how much we can cram into one small carry-on bag.

But none of this is really new. We have all be paying extra for storage for a long time - even though it may not have been on an airplane. Consider our houses - after filling our closets and the space under the beds, most of us have floored the attic, moved cars out of the garage, added storage sheds in the backyard, and even rented extra space at self storage businesses.

My father-in-law has always taken most everything he owns in the trunk of his car for a road trip and still proclaimed - there's plenty more room in there. Well, that has not been my case. I always yield to my wife. She can make so much more fit in any space than I possibly can.

But then there is one other dimension that gets over looked. In terms of daily, weekly, monthly, and even annual activities - how much can I fit into my life? The truth is that most of us seem to want everything and therefore only rarely deny ourselves anything. But there are only so much time in a day; only so many dollars in a bank account; and only so much energy in a person. One of the hardest things is to maintain a schedule and involvement level that allows participation in the best and says no to the rest. Maybe this hot summer month of July is a good time for me, and maybe some others, to rebalance the schedule and do a better job of leaving some breathing room in this living luggage.

Our Shrinking - Expanding Globe

2008-06-12T16:07:00.004-05:00

Growing up in Texas, my memories of family vacations usually centered around going to Lake Buchannon in the middle of the state for fishing, playing, and eating. Once we took a family trip to see some relatives in Kentucky. After being in Texas with short trips dominating my life, Kentucky seemed like it was either 100 miles or a million miles away.

Today, I heard on the news that a Belgium beer company is trying to buy the U. S. beer company that makes Budweiser. I am not a beer drinker. There are only two things that even interest this Texas boy in this business news at all. One interest point is that a corporation in another country located on another continent is knowledgeable and agressive is seeking to buy a U. S. corporation. When I was growing up, that would have been a great rariety. Today it is commonplace. We definitely live with a world economy in which globalization effects every part of life. Our globe has shrunk.

The second reason I have an interest in this particular possible business transaction is that our daughter, her Air Force husband, and their two children (two of our four grandchildren) will leave the United States in a week and a half to live in Belgium for three years where our son-in-law will be stationed with NATO. This is their fifth assignment with the Air Force - four different states and now a different country on a different continent. My parents never considered living anywhere more than 20 miles from where they grew up. While I have visited some other countries and have considered living in other states on occasion, I have just moved around in Texas for sixty-one years. But our children and grandchildren live with far more choices. Our globe is expanding.

Interestingly enough, my wife and I can drive about 20 miles to the DFW Airport; board a plane; make one stop in the U.S. and change planes; and arrive in Belgium far quicker than my family made a drive from Temple, Texas, to Mayfield, Kentucky, in 1957 (and that car had no air conditioning, of course, neither did our house). Our globe is shrinking.

Our grandchildren will be bussed from Belgium to The Netherlands to attend an international school. They will have the opportunity to study different languages each year they are there. They should come back to the U. S. with a fairly conversant ability in French and Flemish based on the village (small European town) where they will live. I doubt that their parents will pick up the languages so quickly. So the roles will be reversed. Our grandchildren will be able to speak to each other in languages their parents don't understand and they won't even have to spell out the words. Our globe is expanding.

As parents, we are both excited and anxious for them. What an opportunity that awaits them in new friends and neighbors, new customs, new languages, and Belgian chocolate! But they will be so far away! Of course, we both have our passports and I check for ticket bargains almost daily. Our globe is shrinking and expanding.

Putting on my professional hat for a moment, I wonder if the followers of Christ in the U. S. and the churches they attend have taken time to notice what is happening to our globe. I know that some have because I see their international involvements while at the same time ministering to the internationals who just moved in next door to the church property. Will everyone take notice of our changing world? Of course not! Everyone never does the same thing. But, maybe more will take notice as their lives are personally touched by a globe that has the current characteristic of shrinking and expanding both at the same time.

It is time to close this entry - I need to go and check to see if any airlines are running a special on Belgium any time soon.

The Wonder of Technology

2008-06-10T13:55:00.003-05:00

Technology - computers, wireless connections, IPhones, IPods, flat screens, and HD - how could we possible exist or accomplish anything without all of these wonderful, timesaving, problem solving devices. Normally, I am a loyal fan and supporter. But there are days . . .

When something inside a compute decides to reject the current password or when we owners decide to switch providers or hosts or change email addresses or when someone buries a chicken under the rock by the dead tree at midnight under a full moon while drinking an RC Cola, the world of technology can become far less than wonderful. Oh, don't misunderstand. I am neither angry or upset - frustrated, that is a possibility. Someday I will learn to leave well enough alone. Until then, I will continue to be lured into techno change because a new product was faster, brighter, smarter, or came with a free gift.

There really is no point to be made or moral to be conveyed in this entry - just needed a nice, safe place to come and calmly express some feelings before SCREAMING!!!

A Change in the Routines

2008-06-04T14:02:00.005-05:00

Routines are a way of life for most of us. Life can get very confusing and complicated when we step out of some of our routines. A few days ago my morning was anything but routine. The reasons are insignificant at this point but my regular pattern was altered. The result: because I cleaned my body in the shower before shampooing my hair - I forgot to rinse the shampoo out of my hair and had to enter the shower a second time; because I finished getting dressed before brushing my teeth, I forgot to brush my teeth; and because I left my watch in the kitchen the night before (of course, I had left it there while doing the dishes - my normal routine, but don't tell my wife that I wrote that), I forgot to put on my watch and so I spent the day with unbrushed teeth while looking at my naked wrist every 15 minutes or so.

Well, our home routines are about to make an even bigger change than the order of personal hygiene habits. Tomorrow is my wife's last day as an employed public school teacher. After 31 years of loving and molding and shaping the lives of 6 and 7 seven year olds and mentoring and encouraging fellow teachers, she is retiring. She is still very young (you can tell her that I wrote that). But she is ready for a change. That change may involve staying home some and taking it easy. It may involve some volunteering in the areas that she cares about deeply. And it may involve a part-time job in the future that doesn't require taking things home at night to have finished by the next morning.

I do know what changes are certain - (1) she will not be getting up at 5:00 AM; (2) she will not pity me as I leave for work and she stays home; (3) she will enjoy her new found personal time; and (4) she will miss seeing the bright eyes of children as they catch the excitement of learning to read (her special area for the last 16 years has been working with first graders who lacked reading skills and helping them "get it.").

But that is the way it is when we change our routines and begin a new direction. Some things end and other things begin. That is really the way life is in all of its aspects. Individuals, families, corporations, and churches - they all experience change in that way. To begin a new direction requires that an old path be abandoned in order to follow the new path. One of my favorite poems is Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken." In that poem the author comes to a place where the road he has been walking divides. He must choose which of the two paths now to follow. He knows he can only choose one. While he thinks he can always come back some day and try the other path, he knows that it will never happen. He finally chooses the path that seems less traveled and states that that choice has made all the difference.

Our family has a change in the routine because a choice has been made to travel a different path. It will make all the difference. Just wondering if you have any routines to alter, new directions to go, and choices to make!

Welcome to the Family

2008-05-12T14:46:00.003-05:00

Last week we welcome Matthew to our family. Matthew is our 4th grandchild and the second child of our son and his wife. Their first born is two and still making up her mind about her new brother. All I can say is that they are both great children born to great parents. Of course, I would say the same of our other two grandchildren who belong to our daughter and her husband. They also have a boy and a girl. Not wanting to put anyone down but there is no doubt that we have been blessed with the four best grandchildren, two best children, and two best children-in-laws in the world. I know that is hard for some people to accept but the truth is the truth.

However, Matthew does carry a little extra burden than the other grandchildren. He is the only boy destined to carry my family name at this point in time. With a name like mine, it does carry a burden. Afterall, it is long, often mispronounced, and easy to make fun of.

But before we put too much pressure on him, I must remind all of us that a family name is not the burden or responsibility of one person to carry. It is the responsibility of the entire family to carry that load.

I think that is also true in a church. It is not the responsibility of the pastor to bear the full load. It is the responsibility of the entire congregation. Too often a church will shift all blame to a pastor because there is a lack of growth or because finances are tight. I have always wondered why the manager or coach of a sports team gets fired and replaced when it was the players who played lousy and lost the games. Churches do that a lot. The members refuse or fail to participate and so the pastor is replaced. Somehow we seem to have that quite mixed up.

Our family is not going to do that to Matthew. He is one of us. We will bear the load of the name together. That is what families do. Maybe churches and sports teams should try the family approach.

Ducks in the Swimming Pool

2008-04-29T15:29:00.002-05:00

One of my frequent driving paths takes me through a neighborhood that has an "amenity center" for the residents. A good size neighborhood swimming pool is part of the center. During the summers, children, families, and mothers and tots, occupy the pool most of the time every day. Mothers and tots have a stronghold on the mornings, children (supervised of course) take over the afternoons, and families grab the evenings and weekends.

The management keeps the pool filled and pretty clean year round even though it is closed in late fall through late spring (yes, it does get cold enough in Texas to not swim year round - remember the snow pictures).

Over the last few weeks I have noticed that the pool is occupied once again even though it has not officially opened for the summer. The resident swimmers and sun bathers are not the usual crowd. They do have two legs but their feet are webbed. They are colorful and skilled at both swimming and flying, but seem to be a little skiddish if someone wanders too close to the fence surrounding the pool. Several Mallard Ducks have found themselves an "amenity center" well suited to their liking. They swim and then sit (or stand or maybe waddle) around the pool to keep their tan lines even, I guess. And before you ask, I don't know how the clorine in the water affects them!

What concerns me is not that ducks are swimming in a pool designed for people. Rather, I am concerned about how many things that were intended for one significant purpose are now being used for lessor purposes. A few come to mind rather quickly - guns designed for protection or for war being used for crime and random shootings; drugs developed to save lives being taken illegally and resulting in the loss of life; sex created as a means of intimacy in marriage and for the procreation of the human species being used as a profitable business or desire for popularity; and the computer created so that we could do things faster to have more time for relationships but the result has been we use the computer for everything, even emailing our co-workers and playing games or working at home instead of time with family.

Am I just getting old (I did just have another one of those birthdays go by) and beginning to complain about everything or are our improvements and enlightenments really not so improving or enlightening? The truth is that some days I think there are ducks swimming in the pool. Maybe soon I will take some time and write about getting the right use of things, afterall I just wrote five paragraphs expressing my thoughts to WHOM? Maybe just to me!

Seeking Significance

2008-04-22T11:06:00.003-05:00

Recently I was reminded of the report that states: "For the first half of our lives, we seek success; for the last half of our lives, we seek significance." Since the oldest, documented living person currently on planet Earth is 115, I am definitely in the second or last half of my life. And life the results of the report, I, too, find myself wanting to do those things that will make a difference - things that will have a significant impact upon people and upon institutions.

I mention institutions because my profession is largely about working with churches. The role is varied and includes helping start new churches, helping revitalize decaying or declining churches, and encouraging healthy churches. In the fabric of our culture, churches have held places of significance. Our culture has looked to churches to provide moral and ethical leadership, to provide spiritual stability and strength, to develop children and adults as morally upright individuals, and to care for those in need.

It is true that such a view of the church has not been continuous in our history. In fact, this may not be one of those time segments when our nation views the church in such high esteem. But it is because of that possibility that I feel a need to help encourage churches toward a renewed reality of significance in these days.

My desire in this last segment of my employed life is not to help churches and church leaders become what the culture wants them to be but rather to help them become what God has stated He wants them to be. Whether we look at the Old Testament in the Bible and see God using the nation Israel to reveal His purpose and love, or in the New Testament with the emergence of the church as the Body of Christ, we see that the real significance of the church is in the transformation of lives by the power of God. Significance is not in the amount of property, size of budgets, or weekly attendance. The significance of the church has always been in God's transformation of people who come to Him in faith through Jesus Christ.

Where Have I Been?

2008-04-22T10:44:00.004-05:00

Time passes so quickly, particularly when you are having fun or it is Saturday. I was searching through a stack of bits on my computer and found my blog buried deep in pile of documents, emails, spreadsheets, calendars, and organizational planning. I haven't spend any time with my blog since April 1st. I don't suppose that changed or altered anyone else's life in any way, but I committed myself to writing an entry at least weekly - obviously it has been more weakly in April.

We all get caught up in a variety of responsibilities that call for our urgent attention. Tony Dungy, the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, states in his book, Quiet Strength, that while he was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he gave instructions to all the coaches and players that when they lost a game (often) their response was to be "No explanations, no excuses!" Well, that is my story and I sticking with it. That is a lot easier than trying to explain the past 21 days.

What Makes Me Laugh?

2008-04-01T14:24:00.004-05:00

Laughter is so relaxing, and yet at the same time, exhilarating. I know that not everyone laughs at the same things. Some people seem to find little to no humor in anything. In a way that makes me laugh.

I like jokes, slapstick, video, sight gags, and yes, even puns. The truth is that I don't believe we laugh nearly enough. We take ourselves and everyone and everything else far too seriously. Medical science has even discovered that laughter can result in the dimishment of pain for a period of time. Of course, the Bible stated that a long time ago in Proverbs 17:22 by stating "A cheerful heart is good medicine."

Young children like to laugh and do so at the antics of adults - I think they really laugh either at the way we look or the baby language we try to speak to them. What does "goo-goo, gaga" mean anyway? They even start trying to tell jokes just so they can laugh more (because we adults never seem to get the joke.)

Last Saturday I saw two women riding Harleys. Nothing too unusual there except for the fact that they looked like they were on their way to a wedding and one of them happened to be the bride (yes, she was already dressed for the wedding!).

People really do go to work wearing unmatched shoes or socks; have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of their shoe; get their shirttails caught in their zippers; look for their glasses that are on their heads or around their necks or worse, on their eyes; lose their cell phones that are in their hands; answer the phone with the receiver upside down; reverse letters of words; and remind us all that Aggie jokes and blonde jokes and all the other labeled jokes, are not jokes at all but the recounting of true, or at least almost true, stories.

The video clip below is about dogs rather than people, but it should bring a laugh to your day. It did to mine when a friend sent it to me. OH, DON'T FORGET TO READ THE COMICS EVERYDAY - IT MAKES THE FRONT PAGE MORE BEARABLE!

A Word of Encouragement During March Madness

2008-03-24T16:21:00.006-05:00

March Madness is not a new virus that is seeking to destroy mankind. Rather, it is the term used for the frenzy that accompanies the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and Championship. This year's tournament is highlighted by teams like Kansas, North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, Texas, and Tennessee. One of these, or one of the other lower ranked teams in the tournament, all have a shot at being the 2008 Champion. They would join a list of some great teams from the past like UCLA, with its tremendous number of championships under Coach John Wooden; Duke, with its consistent return to the tournament year after year under Coach K; or a surprise team like North Carolina State in 1983 under Coach Jimmy Valvano.

Virginia, with two-time player of the year Ralph Samson, North Carolina, with All-Americans Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins, Georgetown, with All-American Patrick Ewing, and Houston, with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, all had the better claims to be the best in 1983. But North Carolina State played at an inspired level and ended the tournament as the Champion.

Jimmy Valvano, also known as Jimmy V, was the coach of the North Carolina State men's basketball team that won the 1983 NCAA Championship. He died in 1993 after a bout with cancer. It was during his battle with cancer that his name and legacy increased beyond the basketball arena. He spoke often to groups and individuals about life and about never giving up. His love for family, his zest for life, and his faith stand out in his speeches.

In 1993 he was awarded The Arthur Ashe Award at the Annual EPSY Awards. His speech is contained in this video. It is a word of encouragement to us today whether we fight a battle of physical or emotional health or live a life that is filled with struggles and stressful challenges. Basketball is an exciting game to watch. The 1983 NCAA Championship Game is still one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. But Jimmy V's words offer encouragement that will last well past March Madness.

After the Big Day

2008-03-23T20:00:00.006-05:00

As a Christian, Easter Sunday is a "Big Day" for me. While Christians live daily with the hope and promise that comes with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday is a focused day commemorating the anniversary of Jesus' Resurrection and celebrating all that it means in the lives of Christian believers.

But like all "Big Days," midnight comes and a new day begins. The focus, not the reality, changes. The truth of the Resurrection remains the next day and for all days thereafter, but the "Tyranny of the Urgent" (as Stephen Covey refers to it in his 7 Habits) becomes the focus. Important things, and some not-so-important things, call for immediate attention. Alarm clocks, drives to work, meetings, email, calls, and decisions quickly fill the day and one's mind.

Wouldn't it be great if we could hold on to the celebration and realization of the significance of the "Big Days" while having to deal with the urgent? Wouldn't it greatly influence the people around us if we could we keep the power and the goodness of the "Big Day" present and touching the people we work with, those we call friends, and our own families?

Somehow I know that tomorrow will be different than I would wish for it to be, but maybe this time I will be less overwhelmed by the urgent and stay more in touch with the truly significant. I wonder if anyone else has these kinds of thoughts.

The Emotions of Change

2008-03-10T09:48:00.006-05:00

Over the years I have heard many people make observations, tell jokes, or share their personal experiences of "going through the change of life." While I know that our bodies are created in such a way that we do go through various physical changes (yes, both men and women), and that those changes can have a great impact upon one's emotions, I am discovering that life can bring a whole series of changes at once that greatly impact both our physical and our emotional aspects of life.

In my life there are 5 specific changes that are in process that will all reach their apex by June of this year. Some of these bring great, positive blessing to my life. A couple of them are troubling at this point in time. Combined, they send my emotional stability into a roller coaster ride that requires a constant awareness that the God who created me is still in control rather than the roller coaster being in control.

A co-worker and good friend has been in either the hospital or a rehab facility since the end of January working hard to recover from a severe case of encephalitis. At the end of March, I will complete a preaching interim of a little over a year. In May our son and his wife will give birth to their second child and our fourth grandchild. In early June my wife will retire with 31 years of teaching in the public schools of Texas. Finally, in late June our daughter and her career military husband and their two children will leave for their next assignment in Belgium. And that doesn't even include that we had a new house built and just moved into it in January.

Now, I did not list those things for any readers to respond with either "poor thing" or "how exciting." The truth is that life is like that for most of us all the time. As a result, we experience stress, withdrawal, excitement, celebration, elation, depression, laughter, and tears. And yet, we make it through.

How do we make it through? We do it by love of family, encouragement and help of friends, words of information from a variety of sources, personal prayer, and an abiding faith in the same God who created us. To give each of these helps a good opportunity to function properly, I am going to take a few days of vacation to allow the physical side of life to catch up with the emotional side or maybe it is the other way around. Regardless, I want to be living in such a way that my body and my emotions are functioning properly, healthy and strong. I know what that takes for me. Do you know what it takes for you?

The Weather in Texas

2008-03-04T08:45:00.008-06:00

I live in Texas. That's not bragging, it is just plain fact. One of the chief topics of discussion in Texas (except for the Presdential Primary Election which is today March 4 in our state) is the weather. In Texas we say things like: "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait a minute and it will change." We say things like that because they are true.

On Sunday, March 2, 2008, the temperature was between 75 and 80 degrees depending on your specific location in Texas. Sunday night and Monday morning it stormed with large amounts of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. Monday night it snowed. And now Tuesday morning is highlighted by sunshine and warming temperatures.

I wonder if when God created the world, He determined that He would like to have a labratory to use for weather experimentation. If that was part of His plan, I believe that He chose Texas as that lab. Now, realize that other than observation I have no factual information to substantiate this claim. But then most of us don't really need facts to tie down our opinions or even beliefs.

The emails that arrive in our inboxes everyday that we in turn send to others who send them to others who send them to others (spam is so appropriately named - no offense intended to the lovers or makers of Spam) come with no pretense of verifiable information but they often supply their own verification so that we won't check for ourselves. If we saw it on TV, got it off the internet, received it in an email, or read it at the checkout lane at the grocery store, it must be true. (Anyone need a Brooklyn Bridge? Get them while their hot. Only a few more remain. Today they are only $19.95. If you act in the next hour, you will get a second one free. This may also come with a set of knives used to chop down trees and slice tomatoes)

It disturbs me that we buy into lies so easily and yet we reject the truth just as quickly. I wonder how much truth I may be rejecting. I also wonder how much truth you may be rejecting (actually I wonder about you more than me).

The weather in Texas does keep changing a lot. Maybe it is a sign of God's gift of variety to us. Truth stays consistent. A person telling the truth can repeat his account multiple times without hesistation because there are no changes to create in the truth. Lies continually change because the teller cannot keep up with the story consistently because it did not happen the way he tells it. Today is an election day in Texas (and some other states as well). I hope the voters are sorting out truth from lies and voting for the candidates that best exemplify the truth.

Good Morning!

2008-02-26T09:21:00.003-06:00

Some people are genuine morning people. They open their eyes before the alarm goes off and quickly their feet are on the floor. They greet their spouse, their children, and their pets with smiles, laughter, and exclamations of "Good Morning!" spoken as if it is a statement of fact more than a profunctory phrase of greeting.

As you might expect, I am not one of those people. I am more of the "Wha'", hit the snooze button, head-under-pillow, don't-speak-to-me types of persons. I can use the phrase "Good Morning" as a statement of fact, but usually that would not occur until afternoon when the morning's activities can be accounted and evaluated.

But when I lay aside my desire to sleep in and consider the new day realistically, I must admit that it is not only a "Good Morning," it is also a "Good Day." Why would I say that? Because that is what the Bible states. The Psalmist wrote "This is the day Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm118:24 NIV) That puts a whole different perspective on the morning and the day. God has created a period of time that we have labeled in terms of seconds, minutes, and hours. His purpose in creating this day was not to give me a forum for complaining or whining but rather to give me a time period in which to rejoice.

What will I rejoice about today? Well, for certain I rejoice that the same God who made the day, made me and loves me. I rejoice that I have a family in which love and acceptance are at the top of who we are and what we do. And I also rejoice that I have a job that I greatly enjoy and am privileged to work with some of the finest people God ever made.

Is my life perfect - absolutely not? I make enough mistakes in a normal day to convince anyone that I am not perfect. My life has bumps and mountains that take the form of aging parents; illnesses that will not go away in the lives of some family members; the usual struggle of more month than money; and the uncontrollables that affect friends and family equally.

When I really consider the day and lay aside my slow response to the morning, I must state with conviction and as a fact - GOOD MORNING!