Playoffs

I love baseball. I get excited when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. I listen for news from training camp about the Cincinnati Reds. I look forward to Opening Day. Sunday Night Baseball with Jon Miller & Joe Morgan is about as good as it can get. And MLB Network is the bomb!

So now we are a day away from the Playoffs. The Reds go to Philadelphia for a divisional series with the Phillies. The gurus on the sports networks aren’t giving them much of a chance against the defending National League Champions. But I think they will do it and move on the face either the Giants or the Braves for the NL Pennant.

By the end of October we should know who wins the World Series. My prediction: Reds over Rangers in 6. That’s wishful thinking but let’s see how it plays out.

It’s a long season. 162 games in regular season and as many as 19 more to win the Series. Sometimes (almost this year) a tie-breaker game must be played to determine who gets the last playoff spot. About April 1 until October 31 is baseball season. Winter is my favorite season but it would be even better if there was baseball!

Life is long, too. We aren’t promised anything except that life will be full of choices, obstacles, opportunities. How we face each will determine much of what happens next. Sometimes the years seem to fly by and at other times it seems the day will never end. Is anything constant in life? Yes, only one thing: Jesus Christ.

Jesus loves you, died for you to pay your sin debt, lives again defeating death for you, offers forgiveness and hope, and will return one day for you if you commit your life to him. I did this on the first Thursday of August 1972. That was 38 years ago. Each day, the Lord works on me, in me, and through me to make a difference in my life and in others’. He wants to do that for you, too. Click here to find out how you can commit your life to him.

DMin Progress

I spent the week in New Orleans attending a Doctor of Ministry workshop. If all goes as planned, I will receive and earned DMin from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in December 2011. That’s pretty exciting.

What stands between now and then, between here and there? Really, only me. I no longer will have deadlines imposed by a professor. I am in control of the rest of the journey. I will interact with a faculty mentor, a style reader, faculty readers, a field mentor, the ProDoc committee, and the exit interview team. Other than that, it’s on me.

Now will be a great time to finally get over procrastination. I’ve been meaning to do it for a long time but never got around to it. I keep putting off stopping procrastinating.

Tony Greene

One of my many endeavors over the years was promoting Southern Gospel concerts in Russellville, Arkansas. I grew up going to the Hughes Center in Russellville for concerts promoted by Ray Baker. He would bring in the Rambos, the Galileans, and the Arnolds. Probably other groups, too.

Then Tom and Tommy (can’t remember their last names) promoted concerts at Witherspoon Auditorium on the campus of Arkansas Tech University. They brought the Kingsboys in at the height of that groups popularity.

I went to Little Rock and Fort Smith every time Frank Arnold promoted a concert. The Hinsons, Hemphills, Nelons, Cathedrals, and many more. I had fallen in love with a style of music that overlays everything I do today.

Sitting in Parsons Rodeo Arena in Springdale, Arkansas one hot August night I heard a group of siblings who were barely in their twenties. The first time I heard the Greenes I was impressed: impressed with their harmonies, impressed with their lyrics, impressed with their stage presence, impressed with everything about them. The Hinsons had recently retired – and I loved the Hinsons. I told myself that the Greenes could replace the Hinsons because of their vocals, stage presence, and spirit. That never really developed because the young Greenes’ development took them another direction. But I was hooked.

So when I thought about promoting concerts, I knew I wanted the Greenes. The normal rate to get them was $1,200 but they did not travel from North Carolina to Arkansas very often and my concert would be a special trip. I offered $2,000. I’m not a very good businessman. But Tony Greene is. He took the offer and the concert was set. I am so thankful for business sponsors who absorbed the deficit for this and every other concert I ever promoted – again, I’m not a very good businessman.

My sponsors and I had the most expensive tickets in the house! But it was worth it to me when the Greenes sang “When I Knelt the Blood Fell,” their first number one song and number one on the charts at the time they came to Russellville. It was worth it when the Greenes sang “Miracle in Me,” one of my all-time favorites from the Greenes. It was worth it when I was able to sit around the table at Shoney’s after the concert and get to know Tony Greene, his brother Tim Greene, and Amy Lambert. I was in heaven!

I brought the Greenes back to Russellville again and again. Each time was special. Tony invited my group Jubilee to come to North Carolina and sing on the Singing at Grandfather Mountain concert he promoted. We did that twice and had a ball. Jubilee recorded our last album at the Loft Studio with Tim Greene.

Then I dropped off the Southern Gospel radar. Churches who like Southern Gospel don’t embrace a divorced man. But Tony always did. Each time I saw him at NQC or some other venue, he remembered me and treated me like a buddy. I appreciate that. Tony, along with Mark and Kenny Bishop and Steve Perkins of the Bishops, always made me feel like I still belonged.

Tony died this Tuesday, September 28, 2010. He is now singing IN the presence of Jesus whom he so often sang ABOUT.

Homework

I’ve been in post-graduate studies since 1996. When I began seminary, my Dad took me to Little Rock to shop for a computer. He said a computer would be indispensible. He did his masters and doctoral work using an electronic typewriter.

The homework assignment due this morning in the Project in Ministry Design Workshop – the last formal classroom situation of my doctoral in ministry – is to right out the context, scope, emphasis, product, and one sentence statement for my project. The professors said it is OK to turn this in on notebook paper in handwriting. I haven’t done that in a long, long time.

My handwriting is awful. Hope that doesn’t bring down my grade.

Am I Really Cut Out For This?

Here I sit on Friday with my DMin workshop looming on Monday. Have I mentioned lately that I am a procrastinator? Once again, deadlines near and I have much to do.

Got some disappointing news last night but have to get past that. Dealing with a hurdle today but can’t let it take too much attention.

Lots of people told me the DMin would be time-consuming. I’m OK with that when I can take care of other stuff in a timely manner. But I don’t do that very well.

Pray for me. Pray that I’ll stay on top of everything – the DMin project, the church/job, and especially the family.

Together

Today I met with pastors from three other churches – all within 5 miles of Cross Road Baptist Church. We talked about working together to make sure every household in our communities received a gospel message. I have not seen any demographical data, but I’m guessing that could be 10,000 people or more. That’s three times as many people as lived in my hometown when I was in high school.

An undertaking of this size requires cooperation. Southern Baptists are known for cooperation. We claim to be cooperative. We named our missions funding mechanism the Cooperative Program. We are all autonomous, independently organized churches, but we do best when we work together.

Our rural area is home to folks who grew up here and have lived here all their lives or have returned here after some years away. The area is also home to former city-dwellers who have built our bought homes as an escape or retreat from the city hassles. A wide diversity lives here. Not so much ethnic diversity as socio-economic diversity. Our churches are charged (by the Lord) to minister to all of them and reach them all with the gospel.

Cross Road may need to re-tool. The church was started in the early ‘70s but this is 40 years later. The gospel is the same but the people who need it are different. How can we take the same gospel to people in ways that are relevant to them. Don’t misunderstand: the gospel is always relevant but the method of delivery can become outdated. Just like milk is still milk, but the horse-drawn wagon has been replaced with the diesel tractor-trailer.

Even with the most relevant method of delivery, CRBC can’t reach everyone without working together with sister churches. I imagine those 10,000+ people who receive a gospel message from our churches will either reject the message or accept it and find meaningful worship and opportunities to grow and serve in one of our churches.

God will get the glory when we live out our Christianity in effective cooperation with one another.

River Market

Little Rock has a trended night spot called the River Market. It’s full of restaurants (bars with food, really) and other cultural grabs. The Clinton Presidential Library is not too far away. I guess it’s been good for Little Rock’s economy, especially the downtown area.

We are headed there tonight. Deana’s boss gave her a gift certificate to one of the restaurants and we don’t like to let free food escape! We’re going early, though. Maybe we’ll miss most of the bar-hopping and general indecency. Hope I don’t show up on the 10 o’clock news.

Forgiveness

Christians are not perfect people, just forgiven people. That should be a comforting thought to us but many can’t grasp the depth of the truth. They continue to live with the burden of sin weighing on their lives. And it’s not necessary.

Two issues are at play here. One is that the Christian can’t accept that God has forgiven him. He prays asking the Lord to forgive him and “leaves it all on the altar.” But when he gets up from the altar he gathers up everything he just laid out on the altar and takes it back with him. All the guilt that should be released through forgiveness, he still carries. All the disappointment. All the shame. Yes, Christians should feel guilty, disappointed, and ashamed – before forgiveness. But once forgiven, he should take the same position God takes: that is, God forgives and no longer holds the sin against the sinner. Jesus died for this.

The second issue concerns unconfessed sin. It’s one thing to feel guilty, disappointed, and ashamed after you have confessed your sin – it’s unnecessary and unhealthy. But those feelings are completely appropriate when you have not confessed your sin. The Holy Spirit works in your life to convict you of sin, this leads to those feelings. Forgiveness is designed to alleviate those feelings and return the sinner to right standing with God. The solution is simple: confess your sin and God will forgive you.

But we don’t confess our sins because we would have to admit we’ve been wrong in our relationships, attitudes, actions, etc. Confession implies falling short of expectations. Confession indicates weakness – and it should! Our sin nature is a chink in the armor. We are not perfect, just forgiven…when we confess our sins.

Many dangers exist with unconfessed sin, but one ties these two issues together. The response  you may have when you can’t accept God’s forgiveness may begin to look and feel just like the conviction of unconfessed sin. So the two completely separate issues blur into one. In other words, you begin to think you have not really confessed or God has not really forgiven because you still feel guilty, disappointed, and ashamed. Or, even worse, you think you don’t have to confess because not confessing feels just like confessing – the stench of sin loses its fowl odor.

Listen to the truth of scripture. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Can you believe that? If you can, you can live as a forgiven Christian. God is faithful: he will do what he says. God is just: he will do what is right.

Will you confess your sins? If you need to talk, please send me a message.

Podcasts

I love preaching. I love to do it and I love to hear others do it. In person, on TV, on the radio, and now on podcasts. Technology is wonderful!

As I ran errands today I listened to a couple of sermon podcasts that I pickup on iTunes. Driving to and from revival services (about 40 minutes each way) I listened to a couple more. For me, the key is to pick speakers you really like and listen to just about everything they do. I like to listen to Ed Stetzer, Al Mohler, Bruce Chesser, and a few others. Seems like their podcasts are always helpful.

Now I need a GMC pickup with an MP3 input. My Chevy Classic doesn’t have one. That’s a good enough reason to buy a truck, isn’t it?

Revival at Ironton

I have the special privilege to preach for revival services at Ironton Baptist Church beginning Sunday. Pastor Sidney Thompson has led the church in growth and construction. I’m looking forward to these meetings.

Revival is the spiritual stirring in the heart of a believer toward deeper commitment and greater action. So I’ll speak about the marks of a revived Christian, knowing God, pressing on to Christlikeness, and following the Spirit.

Pray for Ironton, Cross Road, and me.

Emphasizing Evangelism

I’ve been thinking. That could lead to trouble! But maybe not; let’s see how this goes.

What if every Christian would have a meaningful gospel conversation with an unbeliever this week? What would happen? Can you imagine the impact that would have?

I’ve read articles citing studies indicating that fewer than 5% of believers ever have such a conversation. And we wonder why the church is not keeping pace with population growth in Arkansas? Five people are doing the work for themselves and nineteen other people when it comes to sharing their faith. And every believe is called by God to do it. It certainly is not the 5% who are at fault.

Churches work like this (at least the churches I’ve been involved with): any person who shows any interest in do anything in/for/through the church is allowed to do it asked to do more. This enables the people who show no interest or little interest to be spectators when Christianity is really an all-involved undertaking.

So I’m guessing that if this holds true with most situations in churches it holds true in evangelism, too. If a person shows interest in sharing the gospel, then those who have little or no interest in it sit back and let them do it.

Maybe the 5% has some responsibility for the problem. Not in the fact that they are sharing, because we are all supposed to share. But in the fact that they probably gladly accept the extra responsibility placed upon them by those with little or no interest. Anyone who is carrying the load for someone else, when the other person can and should be carrying their own load, is hurting the spread of the gospel. How can this be? Well, it seems obvious to me that more people can win more people to Christ. One person can lead a few more to Christ – all of us could. But many more people involved in sharing their faith will result in multiplication or exponential growth.

I’m taking an honest look at my evangelistic activity to see where I can do more – not more than I should, but as much as I should. Will you join me in that pursuit? Maybe you can do better; I think I can.

I’m also evaluating my leadership. I should be leading the people whom I pastor to share their faith. I can do better at that, too. And I will when evangelism becomes a priority in reality for me.

And I’m going to pray for evangelism more than I have before. I will pray for the lost to be saved and for the saved to reach out to the lost.

Labor Day

Labor Day weekend marks the end of Summer for many people. For me, it marks the beginning of Fall. Yes, I am aware that Fall doesn’t officially come til September 21, but the Summer routines are behind us and the Fall routines are here. Personally, I’m glad.

I don’t do well in hot weather. I sweat too much. “Not much for a fat guy” is what a friend actually told me once. Too much for anybody, I think.

I prefer lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s. Perfect weather! Too bad I can’t order up a perfect day every day.

One day everything will be perfect…every day. I’m looking forward to Fall and Winter but not as much as I’m looking forward to Heaven. The Bible tells us a little about it but only a little. Folks like to speculate but nobody really knows. It is beyond our imagination. I had a fortune cookie that told me I have an active mind and a keen imagination. Still, I can’t imagine what Heaven will be like. But I’m looking forward to it. And I’m ready for it.

I hope you are, too. Getting ready for Heaven requires accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

Do you know that you are a sinner? We all are so you might as well admit it. More importantly, God knows.

And God did something about you sin (which would keep you away from God). Jesus Christ – God’s son, God himself – died on the cross paying the penalty for your sins. Do you believe that? I mean believe it so that it drives who you are?

If you will confess (or proclaim) that Jesus is your Lord and commit to live your life his way and for his glory, you’ll be ready for Heaven.

In Christian-ese, we call that “being saved.” I hope you are ready for Heaven. Let me know if you’d like to talk about it.

Church Planting

I will be in a meeting today talking about church planting with other pastors from around our state. We hope to develop a network that will assist smaller churches like Cross Road to be involved. So many times when I mention planting a church I get responses like “What can we do?” or “We don’t have enough money” or “That takes more people than we have.” I’m hoping to rebut those responses by joining with other churches to start churches.

Cross Road won’t have to come up with the resources alone. We can partner with other churches of various sizes. Our people can experience church planting! So I’m looking forward to today’s meeting and to the Great Commission ministry that will grow from it.

Tithing

I believe in the biblical principle of tithing. In short, tithing is my acknowledgement that God owns all things, is worthy of my worship, and knows my needs better than I do. A tithe is 10% of your gain. It is based on gross income. It includes investment income. It includes gifts. It goes to the local church. It goes into the general budget fund.

A church made up of tithers is a church made up of maturing Christians.

When a Christian does not tithe he is showing his lack of faith in God.

The church can fully fund needed staff positions, ministry projects, missions trips, etc., through the tithe. The reason churches have to conduct fund raisers and have designated accounts is to fund projects the tithe should fund.

Do you tithe? For all pastors, I say “Thank you.”

Do you not tithe? Why not? Do you not believe God owns all things? Do you not believe God is worthy of your worship (tithing is an act of worship)? Do you not believe that God knows your needs better than you do?

Deana and I began exceeding the tithe many years ago. A few times throughout the year we increase our giving by $5 or $10 per week and maintain that new level of giving. I really cannot tell you what percentage we currently give because we increase our tithe like this. I’ve heard of others who increase their tithe annually by 1%. Over many years they are now giving well above the tithe, too. People with practices like these, including my family, can testify to God’s abundant blessings. I will not tell you that our income skyrockets when we are faithful, but I will tell you that God’s blessings come in many different packages – and his blessings always come.

I challenge you to be a tither.

Doubling Up

Hard times have set in at the Loyd household. We are able to buy groceries and make the car payments. The church provides a house and utilities. But for the third budget in a row, they won’t be able to increase their financial support. Deana and I feel like we’ve been pretty good stewards during this time by reducing our spending and eliminating or doing without some extras. But it’s been tight. So I’m looking for a job to provide additional income.

The main reason we need to do this is because we elected to put Riley back into private school this year. He attended Arkansas Baptist Elementary School for K4-K5. When I became pastor of CRBC I no longer had a secular job so we couldn’t afford to keep him there. Now, after three years of cutting back, a paid-in-full loan payment we’ve had for a few years, and the start of a tuition discount for pastors, we are pretty close to being able to put him back in ABES. So we did it.

Now I’m looking for a second job to make sure we are able to cover the tuition payments. So far, the best prospect is substitute teaching at ABES. The superintendent was pleading with parents to apply so maybe I’ll get all the days I need. Not even sure what it pays. Hopefully, I’ll have an interview soon and start before long.

That’s a prayer request. And a praise.

Healthy Living

How many times have I written about this? So many that you probably roll your eyes. I get it. But I’ve decided to start living healthy. As a matter of fact, I’ve lost about 5 pounds this week. I need to stay on an aggressive weight-loss plan because I have a lot to lose. I don’t want to take three years to lose it. I want to lose it quickly – I understand the problems with quick weight-loss – and I want to change my eating and exercise habits so that I can maintain a healthy body weight.

So far, I’ve only changed my diet. And that by only a little. I’m snacking much less than before. I’ve substituted my regular high calorie, high fat lunch with a large portion of raw vegetables. I eat celery, cucumber, bell pepper, and carrots for lunch. I’m eating a better supper. I’ve been good at breakfast for quite a while. My main problem is eating when I’m away from the house. Too many fast food value meals.

So I need to stay with my breakfast and lunch plans, do better at supper, and stay away from fast food restaurants. And add daily exercise.

I’ll post updates from time to time. Pray for me.

Memphis Pastors Conference

I like good preaching. I like good teaching. We got some of both at the Pastors Conference hosted by Steve Gaines a Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. I wish the part on apologetics would have drilled down a little deeper. We heard the Why is Apologetics Needed? and the What is Apologetics? but I sure could use a little help with the How do You do Apologetics? Guess I’ll have to add some books to my reading list.

The best part of the day was the fellowship with other pastors. Twenty-one guys from Pulaski Baptist Association and 11 from Faulkner Baptist Association road together on a bus provided by Geyer Springs First Baptist Church. That was a lot of fun. Every time we get together you can count on some clowning around, some deep discussions, and world-problem solving.

Thanks to Danny, Larry, Doug, and Jeff for making this possible.

First Day

Today is Riley’s first day of 4^th grade. He’s done the “first day” thing several times now but today was a little different. He says he doesn’t like school. That’s different. Riley has always liked school and the first day has been a time for excitement and surprises. I go to pick him up in less than two hours. We’ll see how he liked it.

I think the issue Riley is dealing with is two-fold. This is his 6^th first day, counting K4 and K5. It’s old hat. The flair is gone. He’s seen it all, he thinks. Have you ever grown complacent in your relationship with God and his people?
“It’s just another Sunday.”
“Is it time for another revival already?”
“Can’t I just take a break from teaching my class for a while?”
“Please don’t ask me to help on this project.”
Complacency is your own failure to see the excitement in something. Bottom line, it’s the result of lagging behind the Lord in your daily walk.

Riley’s second issue may also inflict church-goers. He’s been hearing from other kids that school is no fun. He’s starting to believe it. And if he acts upon those beliefs, reality will fall right in line. School wont’ be fun if you know it’s not going to be fun. Do you know anyone who thinks about church like this? One sour attitude attracts others like a dead ‘possum attracts vultures. And I mean to draw parallels in just about all the ways you can think! Going to church is a terrible experience when you hang out with others who think the same thing. Sitting through a service is boring (I can’t stand the way people use that term to describe what is really their own lack of desire to get involved) when you sit back and do nothing.

Yes, it is true that God doesn’t change, but the depths of his character is beyond our ability to completely research during a lifetime. The Bible says his mercies are new every morning; so I believe each worship experience can be new and fresh even though you been to hundreds of them. You can listen to people who have a poor walk with Jesus, you can make up your mind before you get here, or you can come to church this weekend like it’s the first day.

The last week or so has been a span of hot, hot days. Temps reached 100+ and humidity was off the scale. But a front passed through yesterday and immediately the temperature and humidity were much lower. I think we all praised the Lord for the relief.

The transition between the hot weather and the cooler weather was accompanied by a storm. As the comforting air collides with the stifling air, a storm brews. The comforting air always wins.

Seems like this is the way our troubles are, too. At least my storms always seem to be the transition from turmoil to calm. The most difficult times in my life have been when I realized I needed to be closer to the Lord. God has always waited patiently for me and Satan has always put obstacles in the way. The result: epic storms.

Some people are afraid of storms. I understand that, but don’t be afraid of the storms that usher in the peace of God. Change is uncomfortable but what God’s Spirit will change you into is worth it.

Urgency

I spent about 90 minutes on a Facebook chat with a man who graduated from the same high school that I did but several years earlier. We didn’t really know each other but through a sequence of posts on Facebook we began the chat.

Regarding religion, he is Buddhist, it anything. He leaned that way but really didn’t believe anything.

I’m Christian and unashamedly so.

The chat was interesting.

I talked about salvation in Jesus Christ alone. He said he could embrace Christianity except for the part about Jesus being God. The problem is that you can’t be Christian and not believe that.

My friend was home in Arkansas for just a short time then returned overseas to teach. We had no contact since then.

I learned that he died earlier this week. To my knowledge, he had not embraced Jesus Christ for salvation. I hope there is something I don’t know and that he and I can strike up a friendship in heaven for eternity.

I learned something a year ago. Everyone wants love, forgiveness, and redemption. They may not know how to express that desire but that is an inner longing.

I learned something this week. The need to share the gospel with all people is an urgent need. Time is short. Eternity awaits us all.

Fourth Grade Testing

Riley is going into the fourth grade in just a couple of weeks. He went to K4 and K5 at Arkansas Baptist, then first grade at Lawson Elementary, then 2^nd and 3^rd grade at Chenal Elementary. We wish we could have kept him at Arkansas Baptist but my move from bivocational to fulltime pastorate came along with a pay cut so we couldn’t afford the tuition any longer. However, this year the school is giving pastors a substantial discount so Riley is headed back.

Today is the day he is tested (assessed, they call it) to determine where he is in comparison to where they think incoming fourth graders should be. He was a little ahead of the public school students when he went from private to public so I’m expecting he’ll be a little behind going back into the private school system. Two of Riley’s years in public school were excellent; one year was not so much. Fortunately, that down year was not last year. He made up some ground in third grade that he had lost in second grade.

His mama is more nervous about the testing than Riley is. But it is what it is. Wish I had made him read more this summer. And work on his multiplication tables. Did you know they don’t call it that anymore? What I learned as “multiplication tables” Riley learned as “math facts.” A sign of the times? People aren’t interested in tables of information anymore, just give ‘em the facts as quick and concise as possible. Maybe it’s just that two syllables is easier than seven.

I just reconnected with a friend from fourth grade on Facebook. Tod Riley was at Dardanelle for just one year but he and I were good buddies. The playground had an old tree trunk (huge) laying on it. It was the favorite play place and meeting place. Tod and I spent lots of time there. I hope Riley makes friends and memories in fourth grade like that.

Looking Out My Window

I am sitting at the dining room table looking through the blinds into the front yard. The house is close to the road and we have a circle drive so there is not much grass in this part of the yard. What I can see are two wooden planters, three pine trees (my father-in-law calls this place “Three Pines Estates”), the road and beyond. Not much on this hot summer day except the weeds in the planters blown about by the dry, hot, summer wind.

So I’m reflecting on Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus recorded in John 3.

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

God’s Spirit is always around us, within us. God’s ways are higher than our ways so he is often up to things we don’t know about or understand. Even our own salvation is hard to understand.

Another glance out the window and it seems the wind has stopped. But staring a little long I see slight movement in the planters. So it is with God. Sometimes a quick glance into our lives and we think God has stopped. But if you’ll spend a little time seeking for the Lord you will find he is at work.

The wind is sometimes refreshing. Sometimes the wind blows things out of the way. Sometimes it brings rain that cleanses the air.

Looking out my window reminds me of God’s presence in my life.

Hummingbirds

We have a hummingbird feeder on the front porch. I can see it as I sit at the table working. An interest thing is taking place: the birds are sitting on the perches of the feeder while they sip the homemade Kool-Aid. They just sit there. I’ve never seen them just sit there.

All the hummingbirds I have ever seen have been flapping their wings at super speeds. Even while they sip the Kool-Aid. I’ve never seen a hummingbird sit on the perch.

I wonder why the bird known for its rapid wing movement would sit still. Apparently, the constant flapping doesn’t hurt them or tire them. So why rest?

Pretty good question to ask each of us. We are so used to the rapid lifestyle we lead that stopping or resting never crosses our minds. Sure, we say we need a day to relax or we take vacations to get away from it all, but we never really slow down. It’s true, isn’t it? When was the last time you slowed down or stopped long enough to rest for an extended period of time?

It’s been a while for me. I’ve had business trips, ministry weeks, camps, and stuff. I have weekly deadlines for sermons and publications. Today is July 20 and I thought 2010 just started.

So the lesson of the hummingbird is strange but important. We need to slow down. Stop. Relax. Enjoy what God has provided for us.

Down Time

It’s been hectic these past few weeks. Homecoming. SBC in Orlando. Fathers Day. PBA Day Camp. VBS. July 4. Picnic at the Parsonage. Siloam Camp. Sunday Evening Outreach. I’m behind schedule on the normal things around the house and office. So, “no rest for the weary,” right?

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Easier said than done. But better done than ignored. So I’m taking it easy this week. Still going to the office. Still making the rounds a pastor makes. Just spending a little less time doing all that and more time with the Lord.

Home from Siloam

Cross Road Baptist Church made a huge philosophical shift this week. We took kids to camp. Several years have passed since the church has taken kids to a week-long summer camp. I’ve heard lots of reasons why but I can’t accept any as valid since camp is so great a tool for evangelism and discipleship – the heartbeat of the Christian church. CRBC is headed in a good direction. We have a core group of kids who are excited about camp – that’s not been the case in a long time here. We have leaders who believe in Siloam. That’s a fresh attitude, too. And the commitment to Siloam will get stronger each year.

Now, here’s a little info about this year’s camp. Riley, McKenzie, Isaac, Tripp, and Brittany made up a great group of campers. Some of them and some of their families were a little apprehensive last weekend but this weekend is so much different. Siloam does that to people. I attended the children’s park with four of the students. Gwen McCallister attended the youth park with Brittany. All of us had a great time highlighted by vibrant worship, biblical preaching, new relationships, and HOT weather! Plus record rainfall for a week of camp. More than 5 inches of rain fell on Monday night and another strong (but short) storm came through the camp Thursday night. The creek was rolling most of the week.

Both the boys’ cabin (B-14) and the girls’ cabin (G-13) won a daily honor for cleanest cabin. It’s not just that our cabins were cleaner than the others, which would not be a hard accomplishment to achieve, but the cabins were actually very clean. Good job, guys and gals. Thank you.

A new game called Ga-Ga Ball captured the boys’ attention. I call it Goo-Goo Ball because some of the players acted like babies when they were forced out of the game. It’s a fast-pasted game something like dodge ball. I’m sure the boys will talk about it…a lot!

This year’s theme is “Search and Rescue.” And the memory verse is “For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Some people are just plain lost and need help. Others (believers) may be off course and struggling to find their way. They need help. Jesus came for them and for us. Let’s join him on the greatest search and rescue mission ever. Siloam is an important piece of the puzzle.

Praying in Faith

A few days ago Ken Whitten posted this on Twitter and I retweeted and sent to Facebook.

“Faith is the bucket of power lowered by the rope of prayer into the well of God's abundance. What's down in the well, comes up in the bucket.”

A friend on Facebook made a great comment asking a question about a situation many of us have faced.

“And when the bucket comes up empty anyway? What does that tell you?”

I am posting my response here in hopes that maybe it will help you when you pull up an empty bucket.

The key to praying in faith is to persistently seek God's desires. I've prayed for things I've wanted and the bucket has come up empty. God doesn't fill my wish list but gladly and generously gives me what he desires that I have. The Bible refers to that as praying according to his will.

Another key is to realize that God desires a right relationship with us most of all. I've had to ask for forgiveness for things that have stood between God and me before I could experience all the other things.

And sometimes all that is good but it's just not yet God's timing. From my perspective, I pray thinking now is the right time. God sees my life from his eternal perspective so he knows when is the best time.

Paul Overstreet wrote a song 20 years ago that says, "Keep praying til the answer comes."

Three hindrances to effective praying are selfishness, sinfulness, and stopping. We are to pray according to God’s will and in so doing we won’t pray selfishly but seeking his greater desires. Sin can hinder our praying so we are to confess our sin, which is more important to God, so that we can talk with him about other things. Persistence is important in prayer – not in order to change God’s mind by pestering him but by agreeing with him about the importance of the thing we are praying for – so we cannot stop praying until we get the answer.

A man in my church is so confident in the Lord that he prays about it and leaves it in God’s hands. I agree with that and don’t want to imply that we must pray constantly about this one thing. Instead, we pray until we have confidence that the Lord will do what we are praying for. So we pray until we no longer pray selfishly. We pray until our prayers are obstructed by our sin. And we keep praying until the answer comes.

Thoughts on "The Decision"

The LeBron James spectacle is nowhere near over. Dan Patrick said on his radio show yesterday that the American culture created the atmosphere for such arrogance and selfishness. The loss of Christian values across the landscape of America is evident. “I’m going to take my talents…” Who does LeBron think he is? Who snickered with approval when he practiced that line?

I’m not a fan of the NBA so I’ve not seen him play very much and I won’t tune in any more often because of this. Some might say that I have no dog in this hunt because of that. But the greater loss or gain is not about basketball but about what is acceptable human behavior.

No doubt about it, LeBron can and should make his own decision. But narcissism has received another grand endorsement. Like we needed that.

Now here’s a better decision: accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and yielding to his Spirit to guide all you do.

What Kind of Dad Am I?

I wonder sometimes what kind of Dad I am. I have three boys and I’ve never been fishing with them. One of the best memories I have of my dad is fishing with him below the dam on the Arkansas River at Dardanelle. Can I be a good dad and not go fishing with my boys?

Time lost is never regained. The years of being a non-custodial parent living at least 125 miles away have taken their toll. I am praying for God’s guidance in restoring and recapturing what has been lost and damaged. I want to be a good dad.

So what kind of Dad am I? I am one who loves his children and wants the best for them. I am one who is proud of his sons. I am one who wants their lives to center around Jesus Christ. I am one who wants to spend time with his sons. I am one who thinks his sons can accomplish anything.

With or Without Opposition

I’m watching Riley play a baseball game on the Wii. He is using the 2-player setting but just playing by himself. When he’s pitching the other remote is laying in the floor beside him. When he’s batting he pushes the button to pitch a fastball down the middle. Then he hammers a home run. The score is 15-0 with no out in the bottom of the 1^st inning. He’s getting bored.

As fun as winning a baseball game is, doing it with no effort isn’t much fun.

The Bible describes the Christian life as a battle against evil spiritual forces. We are assured of victory when we trust in the Lord but the battles are always hard-fought. I wonder if we appreciate what the Christian life offers. Or do we get bored. Or do we miss the joy.

Although we have opposition, we can still have joy. And even when the Lord is taking care of our battles behind the scenes we shouldn’t get bored.

The score is now 29-0. He’ll quit soon.

Don’t quit on Jesus. He won’t quit on you.

Rest for the Weary

June has become the most physically demanding month on the calendar for this pastor. And nobody is to blame but myself.

Our church is associated with the Pulaski Baptist Association. PBA hosts a Day Camp for 1^st-6^th graders each year in June. We are also a Southern Baptist Church and the annual meeting for the SBC is in June. Those events are scheduled well in advance and I want to participate in both.

But then I asked our Vacation Bible School director to move VBS from July (the traditional time for it at CRBC) to June because I think we’ll have better participation and impact. We’ve done this the past three years.

So June is jammed full. The only week not scheduled with an event is the first week of the month and school is not yet out by then.

Here I sit on July 2. VBS ended yesterday. A three-week run of physically demanding events is over. I’m tired.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Day 1 of VBS

We had a great start to VBS last night. We usually start on Monday, end on Friday, and have Family Night the next Sunday. But this year we decided to start on Sunday with Day 1 and Family Night rolled into one. I think it was a success. We have 36 children registered and expect more to come today and tomorrow.

Jeff Deckard with Cowboy Up for Christ Ministry shared his testimony and the gospel with the help of his Palomino “Little Man.” Jeff compared the relationship he has with “Little Man” to that which God has with us. Obedience. Trust. Sacrifice. His message was good for all ages. You can find out more information about Cowboy Up for Christ Ministry at the website.

The Bible study for Day 1 centered on creation. Did you know that you (and all humanity) are God’s greatest creation? That’s the truth and I can praise him for that! God is good.

SBC Just a Few Days Away

I’m just a few hours away from leaving for the SBC in Orlando. Pretty excited about it for a few reasons. But bummed for one: Deana and Riley don’t get to go. We started out two years ago trying to save money for this trip but never accumulated enough. We don’t save very well so just a few unexpected expenses along the way wiped us out. We are now saving for a trip to the Grand Canyon next year when the SBC is in Phoenix. Praying that this works out better for us.

Now for the positives. First, messengers to the convention will hear recommendations from the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force that was assembled after the 2009 meeting. I have been supportive of a Great Commission Resurgence from the beginning a little over a year ago. I’ve also been vocal with my critique, both positive and negative. I think someone Tweeted about me a few days ago. At least, the tweet made me think twice before speaking so boldly. I think my comments were valid; maybe a bit emotionally energized. I am ready to vote for the Task Force recommendations and expect great opportunities for me, my church, and my denomination.

Second, I am traveling with five pastor-friends. This should be a blast! No telling what will happen along the way with the likes of Danny Johnson, Lary Tidball, and John Watt on board. It will be up to Larry Walters, Tom Strike, and me to provide balance and sanity.

Third, I need energized. I’ve worked in organizations with hundreds of other people and managed a team of more than a dozen while also indirectly overseeing distant locations. I’ve owned my own retail company. I’ve been in positions of great responsibility and positions requiring manual labor. But being a single staff pastor is the most draining task I have ever undertaken. This is not a bad thing and I’m not complaining, but I need to hear the messages and reports that will be part of the SBC. I get very few opportunities to be the listener; I’m usually the speaker. This will be a great week of participating in a different way that always serves to energize me for my calling as pastor of CRBC.

Though the SBC probably won’t cycle back to Orlando for several years, I have moved to the front burner a trip to Disney World for Deana, Riley, and me. We have to save better this time and I need to lose some weight so I will fit in the roller coaster cars. Would you pray for me about that?

Weary of GCRTF Stuff

My inbox gets crowded with stuff for and against the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force recommendations that will be presented next week at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando. Quite frankly, I’m tired of it. Luckily, the convention is soon and the issue will be decided.

But I really don’t think the rhetoric will die down. My circle of pastor-friends is divided. I suspect that is true across the convention. And if it is, then the vote next week won’t really settle anything.

Those who are promoting the recommendations make me believe that they think there is no other solution to issues facing the convention and that many young pastors and their churches will leave the convention if this doesn’t pass.

Those who are against the recommendations make me believe that they think change is the worst way to approach the issues facing the convention.

I like the idea of emphasizing world evangelization and admit my failure to put forth my best effort. I can do much better personally and leading my church in this area.

I like the idea of emphasizing unreached areas of North America even if that means I have less denominational support for my traditional Bible-belt church.

I like the idea of reducing bureaucracy in a denomination that claims to be a convention of churches rather than a top-to-bottom hierarchy.

I like the idea of allowing those who specialize in training missionaries for cross-cultural ministry to do so even if that blurs or eliminates previous lines of authority.

I like the idea that more of my church’s CP dollars go to outside-Arkansas Southern Baptist entities. I’ve never considered designating those dollars and probably would not consider it regardless of the outcome of the vote. But I would like to know that Arkansas Baptists are being the best stewards possible.

What I do not like is the perception (mine) that some SBC leaders want to improve their SBC giving by creating nomenclature to disguise this truth: they will spend no more on missions than they currently do. Why the high pressure on this issue? It must be embarrassing to run for a national SBC office and have it published that your church does not support CP very well.

From the beginning I’ve been surprised at the response from both sides. Some seem offended that someone would question their stewardship. But I get correspondence regularly from SB entities encouraging me to be a good steward. Even had a guy imply my church is not really giving what we claim we give to CP because we don’t know the math necessary for preparing a budget.

And then the proponents of the task force recommendations want me to believe that their solution is the one and only solution that will fix the problems within our convention.

I love the Southern Baptist Convention. We do a good job of preparing men and women for ministry. We have a system of financial support for missionaries that has no comparison. We value all people and want them to hear the gospel and know Jesus as Savior and Lord. We cooperate as autonomous churches.

I’m all for a Great Commission Resurgence. I preach it. I believe we must get back to the Great Commission. I am pressing my church to be a missions outpost with global impact. This is the focus of my doctoral project. I’m committed to the idea.

But I’m weary of all the stuff in my inbox.

My church is small. Our missions dollars don’t total much. I wonder if my opinion will be as valued as they want me to believe my vote is.

Refreshing

One of our church members passed away and her funeral was this week. As is customary, the family gave some of the flowers to the church to use in our services this weekend. We don’t keep the AC running in the building throughout the week so the only place to keep the flowers fresh is in my office.

I’m looking at an arrangement that is two feet wide and three feet tall. Pinks, purples, and greenery. Very pretty.

Had we left the arrangement in the sanctuary the heat would wilt the flowers by Sunday. Not very pretty. The one place where the flowers will stay fresh and pretty is in the office where I keep the temperature below 70 all the time!

You are not much different from the flowers. Kept under the right conditions you will flourish. Exposed to harsh conditions you will wilt.

What are the right conditions? Where is the temperature and humidity just right? In the presence of the Father! Just like the flower will wilt if not kept in my office, so you will wilt if you do not stay close to the Lord.

His love is refreshing.
His forgiveness is refreshing.
His counsel is refreshing.
His mercy is refreshing.

The flowers don’t have a choice – they sit where they are set.

You have a choice. Will you stay close to the Lord and thrive or will you wander and wilt?

Forever

The oldest member of our congregation passed away last night. Lena turned 97 on March 15. Not only was she the oldest member but she was one of the longest-tenured members having been a charter member of Cross Road Baptist Church at its founding in 1971.

I’ve heard stories about her from family and church friends that tell of her feisty demeanor. But I only knew her as one who loved the Lord, longed to attend the church, and thought the world of her family. The only stern words she ever had for me were, “Why haven’t you come to see me?” after she had been in the hospital for a couple of days before I made the visit. But she said those words with a smile on her face: she was glad to see her pastor.

It’s an honor to be someone’s pastor. I’m told (and I believe it) that you are the preacher when you first come to a church, then a pastor after at least five years, and finally a leader after a few more years. But I think Lena considered me her pastor and I’ve only been at CRBC for three and a half years.

For someone who was 97 and had been a member in one church for 39 years (almost exactly) and had been a Christian for many more years to call me her pastor, well that’s a great honor. I will gladly speak at her funeral and talk about her stubborn ways and her loving attitude and her legacy of family she has left behind her and the impact felt by CRBC.

A disease may have hastened her death but the hope of scripture is that she (and all of us, too) entered the presence of the Lord at the very moment her earthly body died. And in his presence there is no sickness or pain or sorrow or tears or dying. Only life and worship and joy. Forever.

Something From Nothing

From where I sit I can see two of Riley’s projects. One is complete – he found it in the bottom of his backpack this weekend. The other is due tomorrow. One is some kind of candle or reflector, I guess. The other is a diorama (I just learned that word, too, so don’t feel bad) of a cave – a topic they’ve been studying in school.

What catches my eye is the materials used to create these things. A box that once held bags of potato chips. A cardboard spool that once held paper towels. Marbles, rocks, stickers, construction paper. All held together with glue and tape.

Honestly, I don’t remember making stuff like this when I was in school and I turned out just fine. My fortune cookie said, “You have an active mind and a keen imagination,” thank you very much!

I guess this is one way to recycle.

Riley has made ocean scenes, a castle, and countless smaller displays and projects. Takes a lot of stuff to do that.

The Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. He did it without raw materials and supplies. He just did it. Spoke it into existence. Wouldn’t that be cool? “Cave diorama, be complete!” I don’t have that kind of power. That’s one of the reasons I’m not God.

I’m glad God is God.

Swing, Batter, Swing

Our boys are starting to swing the bats. And that’s a good thing. The Red Roc Rockets (ages 10 and under) are nine boys who have a pretty good time at the ballpark. Their record is 12-3 (I think, not counting a 2-2 tournament record). They have won most of their games by simply outscoring the other team. Obviously. But specifically, by taking advantage of wild pitches and stealing all the way around to score.

They have not hit very well. The losses have come when the other teams’ pitchers weren’t very wild. Without the runs from stealing home, the Rockets have been a weak team.

But the bats are waking up! Just in time for post season tournament, too. That’s when the pitching will be a little better so we’ll need to get runs the old fashioned way – by hitting the ball.

We (the Dads) have noticed that when one or two players get a walk the next few batters just look for a walk, too. Getting them to swing at the ball is a victory at times! Like I tell my son, more good things can happen when you hit the ball than when you get a walk.

In baseball, that’s called being aggressive. In life, it’s called being proactive.

As a Christian, I need to look for ways to bring glory to God rather than sit back passively waiting for a moment I can’t ignore. The children’s song says, “Praise Him in the morning, praise Him at the noontime…praise Him when the sun goes down.”

In other words, I need to swing the bat!

My Personal Arbitron Radio Ratings Diary

I am a fan of radio. I should have been born a generation or two earlier because I love listening to radio. Especially sports on radio. Not just sports talk shows, but the actual sporting event.

I once heard a story about a sportscaster from the radio-only days of baseball. He would sit in a studio waiting for the telegraph to spit out the news from a ballpark. He only received basic information like the lineups, line score, and box score. He took that information and created a broadcast for his listeners as if he was telling the story of the game live as it happened. He had sound effects for the crack of the bat! I have listened to many games mesmerized by the excitement in the voice of the announcer.

I the early- and mid-90s I spent everyone other Friday night and Sunday night picking up my boys and taking them back. The 120 minutes in the car with them is some of my best memories. I had to do a lot of fathering in just a few hours a month; I hope it made an impact. But for years I never saw a Super Bowl on TV. I would listen on the radio after dropping them off. Same with Monday night football because for many years I had classes in Little Rock and would listen to the game on the radio as I drove back to Russellville where I lived.

I’ve come to the point that I’d rather listen to a game on the radio than watch it on TV.

I love radio. Even worked in the business for a few years. I had a Southern Gospel music program. I was the “on air talent” at live remote broadcasts. I cut commercials and sold advertising. If I could have made a living at it I would probably still be involved in some way.

So with all this love for radio, I was finally selected to participate in an Arbitron survey. This is the company that monitors listening habits so that radio stations can prove they have a huge audience and justify the rates they charge for advertising.

Guess what all my listening diary contains. Sports. Sports talk. Baseball games. And a little Rush Limbaugh mixed in.

Do you have a bucket list? Mine includes calling games on the radio. The closest I’ve come is when I did the stadium PA for a PeeWee football game. I was in high school and we jocks had to work the game. Some were referees. Others made up the chain gang. I was the announcer. And I called it like I was on the radio! “Bye-bye, LeMasters!” as Brad scampered more than half the length of the field.

Fully Charged!

I lost the charger for my cell phone for a few hours Saturday. I looked in all the normal places at home but did not find it. I looked in the car but it was not there. I went to my office but it was not in my computer bag and was not plugged into the wall or USB slot in my laptop. I even walked from the church to the house looking for it on the ground.

Soon my phone was shut off due to lack of power in the battery. That’s an awful feeling – both the actual lose of power and the losing of power. Questions like this ran through my mind. Should I try to catch up on the Words with Friends games where it was my turn to play? Should a check email and voice messages one more time? Should I hurry to town to buy another charger? It was an awful feeling!

The Bible tells us in Acts 1:8 that the Holy Spirit is our power. He gives us strength and energy for living. He is constantly present to keep us charged.

But I sometimes get disconnected and lose power. I begin to feel the drain and it’s an awful feeling. I start selecting what I will and won’t do. What I consider priorities and urgent needs gets so out of whack. What I should do gets shoved aside while I use what power I have to accomplish meaningless things.

I doesn’t have to be that way. I should never lose power. There is no reason for it because the source of power lives within me. (Notice that I did NOT say the source of power WAS me.) God himself lives within me to constantly recharge and energize me. Anything less than 100% is my fault. I didn’t take time to pray. I let my daily Bible reading slip. I didn’t consider God in my decisions. I put other things above my Lord. And then I lose power.

Reverse these things and I maintain power. Pray. Read my Bible. Look to God for guidance. Put him above all things. Fully charged!

Oh, I found my charger on my desk in the church office. I had placed a stack of papers on top of it.

Section 216, Row D, Seat 12

From Section 216 the breeze was from right to left and strong enough to make the flags beyond the center field fence stand straight out. After moderate temperatures during the day and the shadows pulling across the ballpark, that was enough wind to make short sleeves a bad choice for a 7:10 first pitch.

Then the drizzle began. Most of the night we were misted by raindrops so light that they looked like summer bugs dancing in the stadium lights.

None of that mattered when the Red Roc Rockets took the field with the Arkansas Travelers shortly after 7:00 PM CDT. Riley plays first base most of the time. He pitches a little, too. He took the field with the Travs’ first baseman Efren Navarro who wore jersey number 16. That was Riley’s number for the last three years. He changed it to 44 this year because his all-time favorite Traveler and now LA Angel Mike Napoli wears that number.

But Riley and Efren did have something in common besides playing first base. Both are left handed. I intended to watch Efren play the position to pick up some pointers for lefties playing first but I got caught up in the event and didn’t pay that much attention – which is unusual for me because I usually keep a scorecard and monitor every pitch as if I am a scout from the “bigs” looking for the next superstar to call up to Anaheim.

What I paid most attention to all night long was #44 for the Rockets. I never amounted to much in baseball but Riley is pretty good. I hope I am not living vicariously through my son like a lot of dads do. I love the game and Riley is good at it. Maybe I can keep it at that.

Riley wears his pants knee-high. That’s not how most players at any level do it these days but the baseball purist in me has rubbed off on my son. He looked natural standing on the fresh-cut infield grass with a man who will probably be in the Major Leagues within a couple of years. Two of the last three Travelers first basemen made it; maybe Efren will, too. And Riley has a brand new baseball with one autograph on it: Efren Navarro.

The game against the Tulsa Drillers started out on the sour side with the opponents getting a 3-0 lead in the second inning. But the Travs battled back to tie the game at 3-3 then let it slip away to 5-3 in the top of the 8^th.

We didn’t see that because we left at 9:00 after 7 innings. That’s not like me, either. No matter what the event, I stay until it’s over. We are always the last to leave the movie theater because some bloopers may be coming up after the credits. I always stay at a concert until the last song is sung because I want to soak up the entire experience. I’m always the last to leave church because, well, it’s my job!

And I don’t leave a ballgame early. I’ve seen too many late-inning comebacks. I’ve seen too many great plays and I don’t want to miss another one. I can’t stand the thought of an incomplete scorecard. But I wasn’t keeping score. The wind and lack of sunshine and the constant presence of mist or drizzle made it reasonable to leave at 9:00 after 7 innings.

The score was tied 3-3. Another reason not to leave.

We flipped on the radio and found KARN 920 AM just in time to learn that the top of the 8^th was over and the Drillers had pulled to a 5-3 lead. Nothing happened for the Travs in the bottom of the 8^th. The Drillers could add nothing in the top of the 9^th.

By this time we were close to home, which is far enough away from the AM station’s tower that we drove out of the range of the nighttime signal. By the time we got Riley into the shower and into bed the game was over. I pulled up travs.com and learned that those who stayed until the end saw a half-inning of hope that resulted in a victory.

The Bible says that those who stay true to the end will be saved. It says that those who put their hand to the plow then look back are not worthy to be called disciples. I wish I had stayed in Section 216, Row D, Seat 12 until the end with the Travs. I know I am staying to the end with Jesus.

Do It Right

I remember coach Roy McSpadden telling the team that if we do it right we won’t do it as long. During drills in the 1979 Dardanelle Sand Lizard football season, we heard that over and over again. If we didn’t do it right, we would do it again! Until we got it right!! I’ve kept that verbal nugget in my mind and on my tongue for over 30 years.

The DirecTV repairman just left the house. Our reception just abruptly quit a few days ago. Deana called the toll-free number and went through the fix-it procedures they prescribed but nothing worked. So we had to have a home visit.

We had another repairman visit us a few months ago because tree limbs had grown into the line-of-sight of the old dish location. He moved the dish and reception was back to the great service we have grown used to with DirecTV. But he took a shortcut by splicing a new section of cable to the old to make the distance needed for the new dish location. Today’s technician said the spliced areas were open to the weather and probably just got wet, corroded, and failed.

Do it right and you won’t do it as long.

Scott (today’s DirecTV helper) replaced the old spliced cable with a single run from dish to receiver.

Do it right and you won’t do it as long.

Makes me think about shortcuts I may take in my walk with God. A shortcut here and there won’t hurt, I think to myself. But before long I’m a long way away from the Lord. A missed prayer time. A displaced Bible reading. A skipped Bible study class. A zoned-out time of worship. Each event doesn’t sound like much. Just one morning when I’m in a hurry and have to skip my quiet time doesn’t seem like a big deal.

Do it right and you won’t do it as long.

Learning and growing require doing it right. Learn more and grow more by doing it right the first time.

Yo-Yo

I signed up for a weight-loss contest about a month ago. I lost about 10 pounds in the first 3 weeks but my weight has crept back up the last few days. I have to get on top of this!

One of my former employers was a pretty big guy. He said he had lost a hundred pounds – the same ten over and over again. He also said he was working on his second million. He had given up on the first.

I guess I’m not alone in this struggle. Exhibit A would be the number of health/fitness gadgets you can buy from an info-mercial. Exhibit B is the TV show that is a contest to lose weight. I could go on and on, but the point is that many of us struggle with our weight.

After a recent church service, we had homemade ice cream and cookies. I had a small portion of ice cream and two cookies. The guy sitting next to me said, “Get some more. It won’t make you fat.”

While I was thinking how to respond with something catchy, he leaned in and said, “You’re already fat.” He’s right.

So, up and down I go. But I have to do better. The Bible says that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. When I can see dust on top of the piano at church I get a little irritated. When the bathroom trashcans aren’t emptied, I do it myself because I don’t want anyone else to see the church is a mess. I have to take that approach to maintaining the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Baseball

I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. I haven’t watched any Major League Baseball yet and we are almost a full week into the season! I must be sick!

I do know that Cincinnati lost their first game and that they had win last night with a walk-off HR. Not sure about much else.

But I’ve been watching the Red Roc Rockets 10-and-under team play. Last night’s game was exciting. The Rockets won 13-10. Joe was the winning pitcher and Riley picked up a save. Riley hit an inside-the-park homerun – really, with no errors. Zac hit a triple down the first base line. Teal and Jake were two of several players who got hits or walks and stole 2^nd and/or 3^rd. We even had a few steal home on wild pitches.

Defensively, Nick made a couple of plays at second, Jake was solid at short stop, and Isaac and Joe kept the ball in front of them most of the time at catcher. Dakota made some good plays in center. He and Riley did a good job getting the outs at first.

I’m looking forward to more of the Rockets. Hope to see some Reds games. Maybe get to an MLB park once this summer. Baseball is here and I’m loving it!

Sick People and Doctor's Offices

I broke my left leg 10 years ago. For the most part, I’m OK except that I didn’t rehab like the PT said to. Note to anyone rehab-ing an injury: do all your PT says to do.

During baseball practice two weeks ago, I was helping the pitchers and did something to that leg while demonstrating proper technique. Why was I demonstrating something I know very little about? Great question! Nonetheless, my left leg is messed up.

I put off going to the doctor for two reasons. We were leaving three days later for a week in Russia. And, I generally put off things like this anyway. But I’ve been thinking about a trip to the doctor.

When I go to the doctor it is because I have something wrong with me. I can’t remember ever going just to say, “Hi!” I suspect that he expects me to have a problem when I come to see him. His waiting room used to have signs designating areas for “sick” patients and those not sick. I always sat next to the “sick” sign and wasn’t ashamed to do so because I assumed everyone knew I was sick or I would not have been there. I wondered why people would sit on the other side of the waiting room. Except for the sales reps, all those people were just in denial!

So my doctor expects me to have some kind of physical problem when I come to see him. That’s fair. And I expect him to do something about it. That’s fair, too.

Jesus said it was the sick who needed a doctor, not the well. And he came into the world to heal the sin-sick. Jesus knows I am sin-sick. And I know he can do something about it.

Reflections on Easter

We had a great day of worship on Easter Sunday at Cross Road Baptist Church. It started at 6:30 A.M. with the Community Sunrise Service. We hosted the event this year and members of Martindale Baptist Church and Holly Springs Baptist Church joined us in worship. Our churches have a special sense of fellowship that neighboring churches don’t always have. I appreciate their pastors and leadership for this.

Then our regularly scheduled worship service was outstanding. The singing was superb as the choir sang two songs. One was a medley about the cross. The other was a modern song. And the preaching was good, too!

Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the victory he gives over sin and death. For believers, Easter is a time of celebration. We have an eternal home in heaven because of the resurrection if we accept God’s free gift of salvation.

For unbelievers, Easter can be a time of new birth. Often the pointed messages and images of Easter get the sinner’s attention and draw him to Jesus. When that is the case, Easter is again a time of celebration!

I’m glad God love the world so much that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life!