Don’t Stop Me Now!

We read in the Bible of an individual who was born blind and an extraordinary thing happened to him.  He encountered the One that could accomplish his one goal in life, and that goal was to see.  Jesus did something that was perhaps controversial, but He spat on the ground and made a mixture of spittle and dirt, put it on his eyes and told him to go wash in the public bathing place.  One imagining his hurry to reach his goal and perhaps bumping into others on the way, stated, “Hey!  Where are you going in such a hurry?” “Don’t stop me now; I’ll see you in a few!”

All of us dream of things we would like to accomplish or goals that for which we are striving and we, if not careful, will allow the obstacles in life to prevent us from reaching them.  Look at some of the obstacles that will hold one back or cause one to just lose hope and give up.  It may as simple as time; it may be friends or relationships we have chosen; it may be the choice of comfort over effort; or it may be just a lack of confidence. 

This young man was not just blind; he had his eyes now covered with a muddy substance and one can only imagine how he looked as he was running toward the water.  He could have listened to the voices around him perhaps stating, “You can’t accomplish your goal; you can’t even listen to the advice of those around you; you are not capable of achieving this desire; after all, this would be a miracle and miracles don’t happen to people like you.”  He overcame all the impossibilities, made his way to the pool to wash, and believed that he would receive the success for which he had been striving.  He washed and received his eyesight.  One can only imagine his reaction when his dream of a lifetime finally became a reality! 

Most of us are familiar with a children’s story, “The Little Engine That Could,”[1]   Notice how this is applicable to many of us as we reach for what seems like an impossible dream. The story tells of how a large engine was asked to help pull a long train of freight cars over a mountain and the large engine said, “I can’t; that’s just too much for me to pull.”  In desperation after asking a number of other engines, receiving the same answer and the same excuses, the little switch engine was asked and it replied, "I think I can." It pulled in front of the heavy freight train and began to pull. As it pulled, it kept on puffing faster and faster and saying, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."  Though it was difficult, it found that it was not impossible.  The most difficult time was just before reaching the goal.  However, it kept saying, "I think I can, I think I can." It reached the goal, proudly went over the top, and congratulated itself with the success by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could."

What goals have you established for your life?  Have things along the way tried to discourage you from reaching your goals?  Remember.  There is amazing strength available to each of us.  The apostle Paul stated it this way, “For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” [2]  Remember also, the most difficult time of one’s journey toward success may be just before reaching the goal.  We must tell all the obstacles that we encounter, “Don’t stop me now; I’ll see you in a few!”

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[1] Watty Piper

[2] Philippians 4:13-14

Independence Day

       Independence Day, most often referred to as the Fourth of July celebration, is a very special time to celebrate a very special event in the history of our nation.  It’s a day set aside to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  This day gives us many opportunities to spend time with our families and friends and just relax in the freedom and traditions of the significance of this day.  It is more than a celebration or a long weekend; we as Americans need to take time to remember the significance and the price paid for this day and also the value of freedom.

The word freedom is a word that has been ringing around the world louder and louder in recent months.  We have seen the struggles, battles and the victories won by people in the pursuit of freedom.  Freedom, for many has come with a great price; and requires a great price to protect it.  Many brave men and women gave their all without seeing the prize of their pursuit.  Freedom is a privilege, which we as Americans have boasted about for many years, but it has not come cheap.  Most of us have been fortunate to live in a free country and possibly have never had to fight for freedom as many have.  America has been a symbol of freedom and people from all around the world have longed to be a part of this freedom.  

A monument, symbolic of freedom stands towering above New York Harbor is the Statue of Liberty; this has been a symbol of hope for the oppressed peoples around the world.  I’ll never forget, while returning from a tour of duty in Europe, how we strained our eyes to get the first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.  What a sight!  The songwriter pinned these words--"In New York harbor stands a lady with a torch raised to the sky; and all who see her, know she stands for Liberty for you and me.  I'm so proud to be called an American, to be named with the brave and the free; I will honor our flag, and our trust in God, And the Statue of Liberty." [1]

Our freedoms are being attacked in many ways today.  It is time to pause in our busy life-schedules and count the freedoms that we have lost or could potentially lose.  Let us declare this day, July 4, 2011 as the day to renew our commitment to freedom and declare that our brave men and women who sacrificed so much will not have been wounded or died in vain!

True freedom involves more than just living in a “free” country.  One may be physically free; one may be socially free; one may enjoy the full enjoyment of the social and political privileges and yet be a captive. One may be mentally free and have all the knowledge the educational system offers without being free indeed.  One's intellect may be sound, one's mental vision clear and far-reaching and still be a prisoner.

True freedom starts and ends with “Come unto me all who are loaded down with the burdens of life, those whose strength is almost gone, those whose life has no meaning, the rich, the poor, the wretched, the blind, the outcast, from the lowest in society to the highest, and I will give you rest”[2]  What we do in between the beginning and the end is up to us!  

May God bless all the men and women in uniform today and hope you have a great Independence Day.

“May God Bless America!”

GAL 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” 

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[1] Neil Enloe

[2] Translation of Matt 11:28, unknown

Anchors of Life

Anchors have many meanings; perhaps the most common meaning is that of a heavy object attached by a cable to a boat and cast overboard to hold the vessel stable and prevent drifting.  While on the boat, it is important to secure the anchor; however, when thrown overboard, it becomes the security.  Each of us needs an anchor; it may be our deep faith in God, our family or a close friend.  It provides great comfort to know it is there for dependence in the time of potential danger; it is also great comfort and gives confidence that we can make it in the most difficult storms of life. 

We have witnessed and perhaps personally affected by many storms of life in the past few months including tornados, fires, draught, floods, and all of us have been affected by the economic conditions in our nation.  One has stated, “Amidst the confusion of the times, the conflicts of conscience, and the turmoil of daily living, an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives.”1

The writer of Hebrews states, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”  We have a choice to make during the storms of life; we can drift aimlessly and allow the storm to determine our destiny or we can throw out the anchor and then rest in hope and confidence until the storm subsides.   One must also be sensitive to the situations and know when lift the anchor and start the process of moving forward.  This may be entirely out of one’s comfort zone.  We must remember that “comfort zones” are not necessarily “growing zones.”    One writer described taking risks like this: “If you want to walk on water, you must get out of the boat.”2

There are times that the storms of life are so severe that we need to set anchor and there are times that we need to lift the anchor and move forward.  Anchors often become entrenched in the sand or rocks so securely that one must cut the rope and leave the anchor in order to moving toward one’s goal.  It may be less risky to depend on the anchor to hold us steady at all times; however, just floating aimlessly and restricted by the anchor will take us nowhere.          There is a song written that a few years ago entitled, “The Anchor Holds.”  The chorus of that song says:

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”3

The anchor holds, though the ship is battered
The anchor holds, though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees, as I faced the raging seas
The anchor holds, in spite of the storm.4

Therefore, I ask, “What is your most important anchor of your life?”  Christ is the firm and sure foundation that will hold one secure in the world of turmoil all around us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” NLT

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1Thomas S. Monson

2John Ortberg

3 Marjorie Holmes

4 Ray Boltz

More Than a Name

As I sat here at the computer this morning thinking about the great times we had with our children and grandchildren over the years, I paused to thank God for the blessings of our family.  We know that fathers do not come with special instructions on how to operate so there are times that we too make mistakes; therefore, it becomes easy to look back and think, “I wish I had…….”  I constantly remind myself that "Yesterday is gone; tomorrow is built on uncertainty and hope; but today is the greatest opportunity to make the best out of life."  Looking back one man stated, “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys."1  We often prioritize what we think is important and sacrifice the things that mean the most to our children.

When our children were small, we had a night of the week set aside for family night.  That was the night when the children made the rules of what to eat, what to do and even how long to do it.  Most often, it was just “fight night with Dad.”  That was one of the most important nights of the week and remembered more than the trips to Florida or the vacations in Washington.  It was the night that Dad reverted to second childhood and once again learned the life-lesson of what it is like to lose a battle.  It was the night that the house organization became secondary and the amount of noise was not an issue.  I think of some words in a song, “Those were the best days of my life.” 

One has written, “Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad.”2  What is a real “FATHER?”

F- Faithful person
A – Attentive and always there
T – Teacher and trustworthy
H – Hero who deserves honor
E – Encourager and ever-loving
R – Recreationalist and emphasizes Right-living

       A father is more than a friend to his children; he is God’s personal representative to show all the attributes of God’s love.  Thank God, for fathers who take on the awesome responsibility to pattern their lives after our heavenly Father and realize that future generations are being shaped as they perform the office of The FATHER! 

Ps 112:1-2 “Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD. Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what he commands.  Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.”3  NLT

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1 Harmon Killebrew

2 Author Unknown

3 Ps112:1-2  NLT  

Let's Never Forget!

“Memorial Day” is a special day designated to remember some very special people.  It was originally called “Decoration day,” and set aside as a means of honoring those who paid the ultimate price in service for our country.  For many however, it is just another holiday, the unofficial beginning of summer, parades, or another long weekend from work.  It does give us an opportunity to spend time with our family and friends and celebrate the freedom we have; however, it is far more.  It is a day to remember those who gave their all and for the families who paid a tremendous price to obtain and protect our freedom.  It also gives us opportunity to say thanks to the ones who served and is now serving in the armed services of our great country.  We must never forget!

Recently, while walking down the street, proudly wearing my “U.S. Army” hat, a young girl, approximately ten years old came up to me, reached out to shake my hand and said, “Thank you sir for serving.”  Tears came to my eyes as I once again felt the same pride as I had when privileged to wear the uniform, some fifty years ago.  I also remembered some of the close acquaintances with whom I also served but paid a far greater sacrifice. 

Most of us have known one who served in Armed Services and paid the ultimate price.  Allow me to share with you one that served proudly and bravely; his name was Captain Johnnie P. Sawyer.  He was from Conway, SC and we became friends in 1958 while serving in New Jersey and served another two years together in Germany.  He reenlisted in 1961 and went on to become an officer and pilot.  He was the pilot of a fixed wing plane when it went down in Viet Nam on June 10, 1966 leaving a young mother and two small children, other relatives and many friends.  He was so proud of his accomplishments in the Army and so were all his friends.  Words are not sufficient to define the man that Johnnie was and his commitment to our country.   He was a man of integrity, honesty, dedication, commitment, trust and compassion.  His core values were so strongly implanted into his life that one could never doubt his position.  He refused to compromise the core values of his faith.  I can truly say that I am a better person today because of my friend, Johnnie P. Sawyer.  So today, I stand at attention and salute Johnnie and those who gave all for our freedom.  Once again, I pledge to renew my commitment to the freedom for which they fought and for which they died.  The Scripture speaks of us being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on to victory.  I believe when Johnnie’s plane went down, he accepted a higher commission as a part of the crowd in Heaven cheering us on as he heard the words, “'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!'[1]

One has said of these heroes, “They hover as a cloud of witnesses above this Nation.”[2]  So join with me today and sing,

“And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.”[3]

So as we observe Memorial Day, let us remember that is was because of a tremendous price that we have freedom.  Many people in the world would like to take it away but let us stand tall and sound the alarm from the highest mountain that we will not allow the tremendous sacrifices of millions of young men and women to be in vain.  Let us lift our voices as loudly as we can and proclaim, “Let Freedom Ring!”  We as Americans enjoy the freedom that we have because someone has paid the price for that freedom – freedom is not free; it is not a given; and let us never take it for granted.  Let us commit again today that we will not allow their sacrifice be in vain.

May God Bless these United States of America!
“No one has greater love than this – that one would lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

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[1] Matt 25:23 NLT

[2] Henry Ward Beecher

[3] Lee Greenwood

The Value of Time

Looking at our schedule for the next three weeks, and how much we have tried to pack into such a short period, I immediately started thinking about the value of time.  Time passes so swiftly and one wonders how, and where it goes.  This quote is so true today; “Time is a resource that is nonrenewable and nontransferable.  You cannot store it, slow it up, hold it up, divide it up, or give it up.  You can’t hoard it up or save it for a rainy day–when it’s lost it’s unrecoverable.  When you kill time, remember that it has no resurrection.”[1]

Most of us have heard that, “Time is money.”  However, it is more valuable than money; one can make more money but impossible to make more time.  Time is like a checking account; we look forward each day for another deposit of 1,400 minutes.  Each day we write checks against our account.  The difference about our checking account of time is that we do not really know when the balance will hit “zero and no further deposits.”  Therefore, it is important to spend our time wisely in areas that pay long-term dividends. All of time is valuable; when one kills time, it is wasting one of the most precious commodities that God has given to us. 

We measure time by days, weeks, months, years, holidays, seasons, and the clock.  The clock can be one of our greatest friends or the most feared enemy.  It is amazing how slow time goes while watching the clock, but when concentrating on other things, it seems to go double speed.  One making a comparison between the clock and the hourglass has written, “Clocks, with their revolving hands, create the illusion that time goes on forever.  Hourglasses remind us that time is running out."[2]  We often try to pack so much into “time” that we become frustrated and never have a sense of accomplishment in being the best of our capability.  The older one gets, the faster time seems to go and we ask, “What happened to Time?  When as a child I laughed and wept, time crept.  When as a youth I dreamed and talked, time walked.  When I became a full-grown man, time ran.  And, later as I older grew, time flew.  Soon I shall find while traveling on, time gone.”[3]  

It is easy to surrender the opportunities, wrapped in time, that God has provided for us and get too busy to experience the real meaning of life.  As a result, it may be years before we recognize the tragedy of the loss.  When time controls us, it will be easy to feel what many have expressed, “I feel like I’m on a roller coaster and no place to get off.”  We need to listen to the words of a wise individual, "Live smart, work smart, be smart and make the best use of our time because it ain't gonna get any better.”  Therefore, take control of time or time will control you.  It is nice to remember that, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last. [4]

“Treasure every moment that you have!  Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  Today is a gift....  That’s why it’s called the ‘present’!”[5]

Ps 118:24 “This is the day the LORD has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.”  NLT

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[1] A. W. Tozer

[2] Tony Campolo

[3] unknown

[4] C.T. Studd

[5] unknown

Mother’s Day

Each year at this time we honor a very special person we call “Mother.”  Mother’s are very special people and really do not often get the credit due them for the influence they have had in the development of our country and us.  A mother’s love is perhaps the best representation of God’s love that one can see in the world today.  In the book of Joshua, we find many areas where God told Joshua things concerning Israel like, “I gave…I brought…I delivered…I provided…I protected…I carried you.”  Is this not what our mother’s could say to us?  Most of them are so modest they would say, “Oh, it was nothing.”

It is great for us to listen to children say when questioned about their mother.  Look at some of these answers. 

• Why did God make mothers?  “She’s the only on who knows where the scotch tape is.” 
• What was your mother like as a child?  “I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.”
• Why did your mother marry your dad?  “My grandma says that Mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.”
• If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?  “I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.”[1]

A little girl was seated between her parents and for the first time she got a look at her parents’ wedding album.  She was amazed when she saw her Mom in the bride’s dress and her Dad in his tuxedo and she turned to her Dad and said, “Daddy, is that the day you got Mom to come and work for us?”[2]

Moms are more than the one that “works” for us.  They give us unconditional love, exceptional understanding, unimaginable strength, unexplainable wisdom, unwavering direction, and other attributes that help us to know that God has touched mothers with a very special quality that can only come from Him.

Proverbs 31:25-31”She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future.  When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions.  She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness.  Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband praises her: There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!  Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.  Reward her for all she has done.  Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”  NLT

So today Mom we honor you.  We will publicly declare a special thanks to you and thanks to God for giving us “YOU.”  Enjoy all the pampering you can today because you deserve it and besides, tomorrow is Monday again.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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[1] Author unknown

[2] Author unknown

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