A Fire Brings Out Memories

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.

A Milestone and A Beginning

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

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!

A Word of Encouragement During March Madness

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.