Month: October 2022

A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest wind. James 3:4 The Message

Randy and I just returned from a cruise which was postponed for two years and just finally realized! I am always amazed at the size and magnitude of these ships which carry hundreds of passengers plus crew members and manage to stay afloat! There are so many working parts to a cruise ship and making it work is overwhelming to someone who has no idea of all that goes on behind the scenes.

Shipping ports have become so crowded that sometimes they are dealing with over 1000 ships at any given time. This situation makes it vital that captains of these ships know weather conditions, traffic, tides, and other critical information. This is where the pilot boats come in to help. Pilot boats are small boats which deliver maritime pilots to the arriving ships entering the port.

The maritime pilot boards the ship from the pilot boat and works with the captain and crew to make sure the ship docks safely. The pilot shares critical information on tides, weather, harbor traffic, and real time updates. When the ship leaves the port, the process is reversed as the pilot ship transfers the pilot from the ship to their boat.

It’s been my belief all these years that the maritime pilot takes over control of the ship from the captain and gets it safely in and out of ports. The truth is that the maritime pilot is only there to assist the captain and crew with critical information. Control of the ship is always up to the Captain.

The Captain of any ship is responsible for the overall control and navigation, maneuvering, communications, and safe handling of the ship. A good captain has quiet confidence and is a master of management. When difficult decisions have to be made, a competent captain knows how to balance a vessel’s needs above any outside influence.

Throughout history there have been captains who are famous for the contributions they made of their geological and scientific knowledge as well as changing the world’s perception of geography. Men such as James Cook, Christopher Columbus and Frances Drake all contributed critical information.

There are also captains which we remember because of tragedies such as Captain E.J. Smith who is blamed for the sinking of the Titanic because he was sailing the massive ship too fast through the iceberg infested waters of the North Atlantic! It is also a well reported fact that his radio operator received the message about the icebergs before hand but considered the warning to be non urgent and didn’t disturb the captain. Critical information was ignored.

What would God expect of those who are Captains or leaders in this world of today? How would He want them to use the critical information which is readily available in His word? First, I think He would want Captains to be accountable to someone who is strong enough to help strengthen their vulnerable areas and offer counsel on important decisions. Secondly, priorities need to be in order for Captains because being in this role can sometimes allow personal success to be put before the welfare of others. Finally, I think He would want our walk with Him to consistently reflect Him in everything that is said or done. The first thing that should be foremost in the Captain’s mind is using the critical information to “feed the sheep” of this world.

The Bulldog Nation lost a great Captain last week. Vince Dooley died at the age of 90. He spent most of his career as the Captain of a great university football team and athletic program. During his years, he gathered critical information and passed it on to his players, his coaches, and those who filled his shoes after his retirement. Dooley learned what worked and what didn’t, and the people who followed him were smart enough to take the program he had built, fine tune it, and move it forward while sustaining the legacy left to them.

A good Captain has the respect of his team as well as his family and friends, and it was heartwarming to hear all the accolades for him. Kirby Smart said, “Coach Dooley was a part of UGA for so long and represented it with such class! He is a huge part of my success!” Mark Richt said, “He was always there when I asked advice.” Ray Goff commented, ” His legacy is one of a kind.” Buck Belue said, “Coach Dooley was a man of integrity, forthright and trustworthy.” All of these are qualities of a great Captain who took the critical information that was learned and lived it!

The best eulogy I can give the Coach is that He was a Damn Good Dawg and a great Captain!

Critical information comes to us everyday in all of our lives. It is our job to use it to God’s glory and honor.

Our God comes; He does not keep silent; before Him is a devouring fire, around Him a mighty tempest. Psalm 50:3

The memory of growing up in a small town near a lake is forever vivid in my mind. It is not only the sights that stay with me, but also the sounds. On any given evening, the sounds of frogs croaking and crickets chirping is a soothing memory. It is said that a group of crickets chirping is like an orchestra in nature! The sound of silence is broken only by the chirping.

The term “crickets” has another meaning in this world of today, and I have just become familiar with it! Evidently, this word is used when someone asks a question, sends an email, makes a phone call or text to someone and receives no response. Crickets has come to mean absolute silence and no communication whatsoever!!

The idea of the sound of crickets chirping representing silence was so interesting to me that I did a little research on crickets and learned some interesting facts about the little insect. First, the male crickets are the only ones who make sounds either to attract a female or to intimidate rivals. Secondly, there are literally trillions of them in the world, and they chirp louder when it is hot outside. The last and most important fact is that if one tries to catch a cricket, they know you are there, and they go completely silent upon your approach making it impossible to find them and confront the little creature! That’s why the term crickets has become popular because in this day and age people might use different sources to vent, but then when confronted, they will go completely silent.

If a cricket gets in your basement, your garage, or other places, the sound of their silence is not good news because the only time they don’t chirp is when you are looking for them!!

We are a part of the new generation where we are provided constant opportunities to voice our opinion, gossip uncontrollably about others, and post our views anywhere we choose. What happens however, when our opinions, idle gossip, and viewpoints are challenged? Most of the time we prepare to defend our comments and prepare for verbal retaliation, but in many cases, the term crickets applies. It seems to be much easier these days to just go crickets rather than challenge others.

As a teacher, mother, and grandmother, there have been many times when a conversation I might have with others (especially parents) was laced with misinformation, untruths, and even unkind remarks, but instead of doing verbal battle, I was guilty of crickets. In retrospect, I wonder if that actually helped or hurt the situation, but I followed the advice of Chinese General Sun Tzu who said, “Know your enemy and know yourself and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.”

It is frustrating when you are talking to a group of people or email folks expecting an answer, and instead you get crickets. How about listening to others who speak twisted theology or unbiblical opinions in our presence? Do we get crickets from those listening in that group? If we aren’t courageous enough to speak up in defense of our Lord and the Bible, can we call ourselves Christians? If we aren’t building up Christ and loving those around us, then aren’t we disregarding the commandment to love one another.

There is absolutely a time for silence (crickets) such as during a conversation where we don’t have enough knowledge about the topic to make a meaningful contribution, when we aren’t familiar enough with the folks around to ask a question, or when we feel tempted to act in an un Christlike manner. Use crickets. There is also a time for silence when we are listening fervently for God to direct our ways and use us in a Godly way.

If it’s our faith that ‘s under attack, then it’s during the battles that it grows stronger. The faith we develop during these times will be what sustains us in our life’s journey. Defend it! Don’t go silent!

This world offers ample opportunities to sit back and say nothing (crickets) believing that God will do it all for us, but we have a part to play. God has given each of us “a measure of faith”, and it is hardly ever realized by going “crickets”.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

The other morning as I was limping my way into LA Fitness for my water class, it hit me that I have been limping for over ten weeks now, and I began to wonder, “When will I ever walk correctly again after this broken foot?” Just at that moment, a gentleman emerged from the center walking on two prosthetic legs. Suddenly, my perspective changed, and I was grateful for a mild limp! It’s all about our perspective!

Perspective is defined as a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something or a point of view. People with the right perspective have the ability to view things in their true relations or relative importance. My change in perspective gave me the opportunity to see things in light of their true importance.

Randy and I recently flew home from a trip, and it reinforced for me all the different perspectives that face us in this life. When we fly, I always like to sit in the window seat because I think it offers the best vantage point from which to view the world outside. The people on the other side of the plane have a whole different perspective, not better or worse, just different! This particular flight home offered beautiful mountains, green valleys, and vast expanse of ocean which were right within my vision. If a person doesn’t believe in Almighty God, Maker of Heaven and Earth before seeing it from this perspective, you surely will after seeing this sight!

Life is full of chances to think about how we perceive things. Do we see things the way they are meant to be seen or the way we want to see them? What if the things we look at are right, but we are perceiving them wrongly? Helen Keller once said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” If we look at our life and see only the failures, look at our families and see only the mistakes, or even look at our face and only see wrinkles, scars, and bruises, then we are looking with the wrong perspective.

We need the right attitudes and actions toward everything in and attached to our lives. The right perspective is God’s perspective. When we choose to see things from God’s perspective, it changes how we view everything. For example, the only thing keeping negative thoughts and ideas in place is the way we think about them. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Psalm 23:7) describes the situation best.

So, how do we go about changing our perspective? The first thing we need to do is to replace our negative perceptions with positive ones. If we deal with the negative the way we might deal with flies at a picnic and just “shoo” them away, our perspective changes from negative to positive. It’s our choice to stay where we are or move forward. Where we are in life doesn’t determine who we are!

We should take time to remember that our condition in life should not affect our conviction. Wherever we are in our life does not stop us from being who we should be for Christ and this world. When John was banished to the island of Patmos and in prisoned for preaching the gospel, he continued his work in prison through preaching, writing and using his gifts. John’s condition was a clear indication that God was changing his perspective. Maybe our condition in life at this point is an indication that God is about to show us something we have never seen before.

It seems that no matter where we drive these days, we find ourselves stuck in traffic especially in this area. People are frustrated, angry, and impatient because we can’t see what’s going on in front of us. Contrast that with the traffic helicopter that can fly above the accident and see what happened, when the accident will be cleared, and how long before traffic can resume. God is like that. His perspective is higher than our accident or condition. He tells us to keep going because things are about to open up for us!

Finally, we need to rejoice. John learned that he was not alone in that prison, God was still on the throne and still with him. Every time we begin to take on the future, we need to recall God’s goodness to us in the past. Shakespeare said, “Let never day nor night unhallow’d pass, but still remember what the Lord hath done!” David said, “I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait upon the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.”

Sometimes it’s good to just stop and change our perspective of life. Here is a prayer for every day: God please give us right attitudes and actions toward everything in and attached to our lives.

Just as God commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it. He didn’t leave incomplete one thing that God had commanded Moses. Joshua 11:15

The term Hail Mary goes back to the 1930’s when it was used publicly by two former members of the Notre Dame’s fighting Irish Four Horsemen. The term became widespread during the NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings in December of 1975. Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach threw the game winning pass to Drew Pearson with an “ally oop” type pass. After the game, he said to reporters, “I just closed by eyes and said a Hail Mary.”

These days, this play is basically a desperation play usually near the end of the game when there is potentially no hope of winning. When nothing seems to be working, the quarterback tells everyone to go long, he lofts up the ball with a “Hail Mary” and hopes and prays someone on his team catches it! The great thing is that when it works, it is one of the most exciting things in football because literally everyone holds their breath for those seconds the ball is in the air. This play is the last ditch effort, a last stand, a desperation move. The “Hail Mary” provides hope for a miracle when time is running out!

The Hail Mary as most Catholics know it was refined from its original prayer in 1568 by Pius V on the occasion of the liturgical reform. It says that Mary is the Mother of God and she intercedes for people with Him to secure salvation. In this faith, she truly is the mediator between God and humanity.

Many times in our Christian walk, we need a Hail Mary to help us answer the call of something different, something difficult, or something overwhelming in our lives. Time is running out, and we are desperate to do all the things we feel God would want us to do. Just like the disciples when Jesus told them to leave the security of the shore and launch out into the deep, we need hope that a Hail Mary would provide to move us forward. The disciples obeyed Jesus’ instruction to get out into the deep, and they landed the greatest catch of fish that day.

Sometimes we use a Hail Mary for those around us who are suffering either from injury, illness, personal struggles, or whatever it might be. We offer up prayers and wait for the miracle.

We might have an occasion for a Hail Mary to continue to follow Jesus in a world where so much is worldly rather than Christian. It is easy to model our behavior after those who profess to be Christian but don’t exhibit any of those qualities. Instead, our behavior should be like Jesus Christ. We might make mistakes and get things wrong, but thankfully, we have a forgiving Savior.

In the Book of Joshua, there were obstacle after obstacle set in front of him as he fought to do God’s will and follow His direction. As army after army assembled in full force with the masses, even horses and chariots, God assured Joshua, “Don’t worry about them. This time tomorrow I will hand them over to you.” Joshua 11:6

As Christians, we have a great opportunity to put up some Hail Mary’s up for this world by remembering Galatians 6:10 which says, Therefore as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all especially those who are of the household of faith.

There are several different parts of the Catholic prayer of Hail Mary with the rosary. I don’t pretend to know many facts about it, but the part of it which is entitled NOW has a beautiful sentiment. It goes like this, “In this present moment, at all times present, when all goes well, and when not, when I am in grace, and when not, when I feel good, and when I do not, in health and illness, in joys and sorrows, in light and in darkness: The now covers all my life.”

In this life, as in football, there’s always room for a Hail Mary as we get our team together with gifts and abilities to complement one another for the good of all!