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You let the distress drive you to God not away from Him. The result was all gain, not loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 selected

Some time ago, I read or heard about a statement that was made to a group of people. It is one of those statements where you fill in the blank. The statement is “I Once Was..”. There are as many individual answers here as there are people, but the idea stuck with me as I pondered the best answer to put in the blank. The answer could be something we have overcome, something we have changed in our life, or maybe even a transformation.

The words I Once Was come from my favorite hymn, Amazing Grace. The hymn was written by John Newton who had such a transformation in his life that he was moved to write the well known and loved hymn. Newton was a ship’s captain and a former slave trader. He was born in Gloucestershire, England in 1725, and when he was just a boy, his mother died while his father was away at sea. Times were difficult. Later in life, he turned to the family business of slave trading and sold many fellow countrymen and even family members into slavery.

Newton had lived a life at sea from the time he was eleven, but on one occasion, he found himself tied to the helm of the ship during a horrific storm at sea trying to hold the ship on course. He cried out to God saying, “Lord have mercy on us.” The ship and crew survived. Of that day, Newton said, “On that day, the Lord came down from on high and delivered me out of deep waters.” Only the amazing grace of God could and would take this wretch of a man and transform him into a child of God.

Newton went on to become a minister and spent 43 years preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, writing hymns, and helping to abolish the slave trade. In later years as his memory began to fail, Newton said he could remember two things; “I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior”. What a story of grace; Amazing Grace in fact!

If we each completed the sentence I Once Was…,what would be our story? Paul says, “Even though I was once a blasphemer, and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” (1 Timothy 1:13) Each of us can go from being lost to being found. There’s such hope in knowing that being lost doesn’t have to be permanent. Thoreau said, “It is not until we are lost that we begin to understand each other.”

When I think of being lost, I always remember a story from our Bowdon days. Randy and I were downtown picking up a few things when a friend who was supposed to be watching our children came riding by in his truck by himself. He rolled down the window and said, “Hey, do ya’ll have the kids?” I said, “No, I thought you had them.” Without any sense of alarm, “Jimmy replied, “Well, I’ve lost them right now, but I’ll find them.” Thankfully, he did. We might be lost spiritually, emotionally, or physically, but we are never too lost that God can’t find us. “I once was lost, but now I’m found.”

Newton’s hymn tells of being blind, but now I see. There are all kinds of blindness which are not physical in nature. We can be blind in that we don’t see the whole picture of what God is doing in our lives, but rather we only see part of it. We can see the world from only our viewpoint, and be blind to the views of others. We can even be blind to God’s grace and the great love He has for each of us. The good news is that God doesn’t have a finite amount of grace or love, He won’t run out! We have all sinned, and we are all in the same condition. We are sometimes blind.

Newton did horrible things, but he found grace. If grace can be poured out on him and Paul, it can be poured out on us. It’s God’s grace, not ours. We all get to celebrate God’s grace. It’s truly amazing!

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; Was blind, but now I see. John Newton

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

It’s hard to believe that we are approaching the end of another year! Time is moving with lightning speed these days, and here we are on the threshold of the brand new year of 2023! We are going forward (whether we like it or not) into the unknown. Who knows what changes and new experiences will come our way? Who knows what we will find around the next corner? In spite of the uncertainty, as Christians, we know the Lord is with us continually from year to year.

The beginning of a new year gives us an opportunity to stop and reflect on the year that is ending and look forward to the year that is beginning. It gives us each a chance to examine ourselves and see where we have been, where we are now, and where we want to be! Whether or not we walk through the threshold of joy this year is up to us!

Threshold is defined as the place or point of entering or beginning, or the level or point at which we start to experience something or something new begins to happen. The year of our Lord two thousand and twenty three offers us all a new beginning, but our job is to step across the threshold of it with confidence.

This past year has brought many changes and new experiences for many of us. We have experienced the highest mountain top experiences and the lowest valley ones while continually aspiring to live a fuller life. Many of us have lost a loved one or a dear friend, and their absence, whether expected or not, leaves a sadness in our hearts. It has also brought new life to many of us through new friendships, new purposes, and new attitudes.

The coming year offers us several opportunities to reclaim our joy and peace if we are ready to do a few things. First, cross over the threshold of purpose. Purpose is what gives our life meaning so we can say, “I know why I’m doing what I’m doing.” There is a tremendous difference between just existing and living. Living is defined as “being vigorous, alive and full of life” while existing is defined as “just being there.” God will reveal His purpose for each of us if we just allow Him to use us.

Secondly, step over the threshold to forgiveness. Forgiveness is a decision, an act of the will by the grace of God. There is not a person who has not been hurt by someone in this world, but forgiveness can occur when we find the power to forgive what we still remember. Forgiveness means giving up revenge because God is the judge, not us. When we can see those who have hurt us as a child of God who is loved just like we are, then we can begin to wish them well.

Next, move over the threshold to commitment. God will begin to work in our lives as we commit or roll everything over to Him. Once we roll everything over to Him, and don’t try to take it back and do it ourselves, He works. We forget that He works based on our willingness to commit.

Finally, cross over the threshold and find joy! There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on outward circumstances, but joy depends on inward character. Happiness depends on what happens to us, but joy depends on who lives within us. When we have internal joy, we have chosen to know that we are unconditionally loved and accepted by God. Choose joy this year!

God’s love guarantees His acceptance when others reject us, His forgiveness when other judge us, and His mercy when others have condemned us. When we bask in His love, the wellspring of joy bubbles up in our heart. The world doesn’t give us this joy, and the world can’t take it away. We can’t change what happened yesterday, but we can change how we move into tomorrow.

This year I pray we can all cross the threshold of joy to a season of new energy, new purpose, new forgiveness, new commitment, and new joy!

Happy New Year!

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

A few weeks ago, a good friend and I were having lunch. The conversation covered many areas, but somewhere in the middle, she asked, “Do you find that you are happy these days?” It was a conversation stopper, but I replied simply, “Yes, I think so.” Then, I asked her the same question, and she replied, “I’m happy, but I can’t seem to find peace in this life lately.” The question of peace in our lives is different for all of us, but everyone individually innately seems to know when we have reached that perfect peace.

Peace is defined as being free from disturbances or tranquility. The Christian would probably say that perfect peace comes from being whole or complete. Peace comes when we turn our lives over to Christ, but perfect peace is only achieved when we focus on God in all circumstances.

Biblical peace, however, is more than just the absence of conflict, it is taking action to restore a broken situation. It’s more than that state of inner tranquility, but more a wholeness and completeness within ourselves. It’s not something we can create on our own, but rather comes as a gift from God.

The Bible tell us that the angels told of peace, good will to men that night long ago in Bethlehem. It’s amazing that the angels foretold of peace when the times were not peaceful. The people were under the oppressive rule of Rome and its emperor, and they were either part of the nobility (about 10%) or very poor. The angels’ proclamation was an important part of God’s plan to introduce His son to the world and show that His invitation to receive salvation extends to the humblest shepherd, the most esteemed leader, and all the people in between.

The Book of Psalms says, “Search for peace and work to maintain it.” In this world of today sometimes it’s hard to find peace, and once we’ve found it, it’s even harder to maintain the peace in our lives. If we want to enjoy peace this Christmas, it is good to identify what things steal your peace and work to eliminate those things from our thoughts.

Peace stealers are different for all of us. On any given day, a multitude of things creep into our lives and try to steal our peace. It can be anything from the news, traffic, a to do list, fatigue, worry, the weather, or a situation we can’t control.

It’s good to know ourselves so we can identify the problem and eliminate it from our thoughts. I’ve found that it’s helpful to make a mental list of the things that disrupt the peace in my life. If we are honest about the “thieves” which upset us, then we can break free. In the middle of the storms of everyday life, we can be anchored in God’s peace.

The angels were saying to us that Christmas peace begins with peace with God, and then, as a result, we are flooded with the peace of God. We have peace with God because of our relationship with Christ, and we can have peace with each other if we let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and lives. It’s because of Christ that we can live in peace with one another.

Christmas should bring a certain peace to us because on that night, God did something extraordinary. Max Lucado puts it this way, “Stepping from the throne, He removed His robe of light and wrapped Himself in skin; pigmented human skin. The light of the universe entered a dark, wet womb. He whom angels worshiped nestled Himself in the placenta of a peasant, was birthed into the cold night, and then slept on cow’s hay. Mary didn’t know whether to give Him milk or give Him praise, so she gave Him both since He was as near as she could figure, hungry and holy. Joseph didn’t know whether to call him Junior or Father, but in the end, He called him Jesus, since that’s what the angel said, and since he didn’t have the faintest idea what to name a God he could cradle in his arms.”

It is important to focus on the real meaning of the Christmas season. Remember that while situations on this earth may cause his stress, we can find true peace when we turn our focus to Christ and His great love for us. This Christmas we can make ourselves instruments of God’s peace by deciding that we are not going to let this world steal our peace and resolve to pass on the Christmas peace to others.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Merry Christmas!

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. But the angel of the Lord said to them, Do not be afraid for I bring you good news of great joy that will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:8-11

The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who, after enduring long receiving lines at the White House, complained that people didn’t really hear what he was saying. One day he decided to try an experiment. To each person who came by and shook his hands, he murmured, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” The guests responded with remarks such as, “Marvelous. Keep up the good work. We are proud of you.” It was not until the end of the line when Roosevelt was greeting the emperor of Bolivia that the words were actually heard. Casually, the emperor leaned over to Roosevelt and said, “I’m sure she had it coming!!”

There is a great difference between listening and actually hearing. My Daddy struggled with hearing loss in his right ear most of his life, so many times he appeared to be listening, but he didn’t actually hear. Many times people would respond to his question, but he didn’t hear the response, so he just repeated himself in a louder voice. This provoked others to continue speaking louder each time until finally Daddy would hear and remark, “Well, you don’t need to yell, I heard you!”

Sometimes when God is speaking, we just either don’t listen or choose not to hear. God uses many different ways to speak to us in this world, but the question is, Do we hear?

Angels were important in the announcing of the birth of Jesus. God had them deliver both words of hope and warning in such a glorious setting that it was impossible for the recipients to ignore them. They had to be heard!!

What keeps us from hearing the voice of God during this wonderful season? First, the busyness of the season sometimes keeps us too busy to listen and hear. We listen to our time clock instructing us to buy that gift, decorate that house, wrap those packages, but we don’t hear God’s voice above the traffic asking us to slow down and listen for Him.

Secondly, Christmas can become routine. We do the same things, keep a frenzied schedule, and listen to the same Christmas story without really hearing it. Our relationship with Jesus was never meant to be routine, and this story was never meant to be rotely celebrated. It was meant to be a life changing relationship that was meant to be beautiful, exciting, and fresh every day. If we don’t hear God, routine sets in.

Lastly, Christmas can lose its awe. The shepherds were witnesses to this glory and awe, but they didn’t keep it to themselves, they went to see and then told others. In order for us to keep the sense of the awe of this night, we have to spread the story of a virgin who gave birth to our Savior who still lives today!

We are just like a piano whose strings must be adjusted after use to maintain that harmonious sound. If we continue going through this season with pressure after pressure, problem after problem, and item after item, we will become like loose strings on a piano making a disharmonious sound. God doesn’t want to hear that! He wants to hear our hearts singing with the angels as we celebrate the Savior’s birth.

This Christmas do you hear anew God’s story of Jesus’ birth? My prayer is that we won’t miss the truth that is available to all who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that is ready to know and believe.

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, Do you hear what I hear? Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy. A song, a song, high up in the trees with a voice as big as the sea. Said the child to the people everywhere. Listen to what I say. Pray for peace people everywhere. Listen to what I say . The child. the child sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light. Song is Do You Hear What I Hear? lyrics by Regeny Noel

He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics – He’ll get the people ready for God! Luke 1:17 from The Message

I’m not sure what it is about this season, but it seems to breed impatience and frenzied times in many of us. While buying Christmas poinsettias at Home Depot the other day, I felt that frenzied feeling coming on as I waited in line to pay. After paying the cashier, I was walking away when I heard her call, “Hey baby, you forgot your plants.” Embarrassed, I walked back and said, “I’m so sorry. Sometimes I feel like I’m losing my mind.” She smiled and said, “No baby, you aren’t losing your mind, you’ve just got too much on it!!”

We can all identify with the mother who was Christmas shopping with her small son. As she ran from store to store, she realized that her son was not beside her. In a panic, she retraced her steps and found her three year old pressing his face against a store window looking at a manger scene. He heard her panicked cry and said, “Look Mommy, it’s Baby Jesus in the hay.” With indifference to his wonder, she grabbed him and said, “We don’t have time for that!” On that first Christmas, the innkeeper had no room for Jesus. Today, we seem to have no time for Him.

Even on that day long ago, we find the rush of life. The Bible says the shepherds came to Bethlehem with great haste, but they had something that seems lost in this world of today. They had wonder. The curse of people today is that we are so busy we have no time for wonder. Dag Hammersjkold said years ago, “If spiritual things become a drag and the message of Christmas is dull, you can be sure the problem is not in the message but in our loss of the awe and wonder of it.”

In the gospel of Luke, we see the wonder of God’s loving kindness and guidance toward Mary and Joseph as He guided them through all the problems they faced in bringing the Messiah into this world. God worked out a plan to fulfill the prophecy and also get the couple to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

There is the wonder of God’s orchestration of the greatest choir ever assembled as he brought the angels to sing praises to the King. Nothing was too extravagant to bear witness to the birth of our Savior. If all of heaven rang as the angels sang, then how can we as benefactors of God’s greatest gift ever take for granted the awe and wonder of it all.

It is said that familiarity breeds contempt, but more often that not, familiarity just breeds indifference. The more familiar it becomes, the less fascination we have. The newness fades and we lose the wonder. We have heard the Christmas story over and over, and slowly the wonder of what happened over 2000 years ago diminishes. The old, old story has become just that an old, old story.

A group traveling by train through the Rocky Mountains was thrilled and visibly moved by the beauty all around them! A woman traveling with them hardly raised her eyes from the book she was reading, and when she was asked why she explained, “This is the thirteenth time I have crossed these mountains. The first few times I was so impressed that I couldn’t keep the tears from flowing, but now I know it so well that I frequently go through the whole trip without even a glance outside.” Her sense of wonder was gone, and she no longer recognized the beauty and grandeur all around her. This same principle is constantly at work in relation to the marvel, mystery, awe, majesty of God, and wonder of Christmas!

If there is one thing I could wish for all of us this Christmas it would be to feel the same wonder that Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds felt on that special night long ago. The coming of Jesus Christ into their lives changed them forever, and it can do the same for each of us. They would never be the same. Jesus came into this world 2000 years ago to change it forever, and wonder of wonders, He did!

The picture above depicts the wonder of the season through the eyes of my sweet niece’s son. May his sense of wonder dwell in each of us this Christmas!

I wonder as I wander out under the sky; That Jesus my Savior did come for to die, For poor or’ny people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander out under the sky. Song by Audrey Assad

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

It’s hard to believe that the first Sunday in Advent has come. Advent is the season where we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ during the four weeks before Christmas. The word Advent means “to come”, and the season focuses on celebrating Christ’s first coming at Christmas and anticipating Christ’s second coming.

The lighting of the Advent wreath is a fairly new tradition in church history. The wreath of today was modified from the first wreath which was made of a wagon wheel into the wreath of four candles for each Sunday and one in the middle which is lighted on Christmas Eve or Day which we use

The first candle lit on the wreath is the candle of hope. Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. The incredible blessing of Christmas is that we don’t have to wait until next year or a change in our circumstances to have hope – it is available to us all year long!

We all need hope all the time, but especially at Christmas. For many in our world today, the flame of hope has burned down to the wick. There are those who wonder how they will carry on because the darkness of failures, health, and situations has come crashing in.

So, why should we hold onto hope during this special season? First, we should hold onto hope because Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again. The Old Testament book of Isaiah foretells of a Savior that would take away our sins, and that baby born in the manger was the beginning of hope for us.

Next, we can have hope because God keeps His promises. God promised us a Savior who would forgive our sins, and to fulfill that promise, Jesus came! The verse from Psalm 43:5 reminds us to Put your hope in God. There is never a time when we can’t hope in God no matter the need or how great the difficulty might be. Even when our situation appears to be impossible, our hope will not be in vain.

Finally, we have hope because through Jesus, we can know God. “Behold the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call him Immanuel” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23. “God with us” means access to God with no waiting or separation; we can enter into HIs presence at any time. We are never forsaken.

Our family celebrates three December birthdays at Thanksgiving every year because we are all together, and the time seems appropriate. Usually, the calendar cooperates, and the first Sunday of Advent is the next weekend. As the three guys blow out the birthday candles, it has come to be a joyous way to start the season of Advent and to remember the hope that comes with the first lit candle of the Advent wreath.

There is hope for all of us but especially for those who find the sorrows of this world hard to bear. We can all rest in the assurance that one day all sorrows will be swept away all because God sent his Son Jesus.

The Christmas season is a wonderful time for so many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is the hope that Christ brings to this struggling world. Hope begins with the Babe born in Bethlehem. He brought hope where there wasn’t any, and He continues to do that today.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! O hear the angels voices! O night when Christ was born; O night divine, O night, O night divine! O Holy Night by Placide Cappeau

And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

Probably twenty years ago, Randy and I were sitting at a table with a new member of the church for Wednesday Night Dinner. The conversation was informational as we shared backgrounds and sought to get to know each other. It was a custom of ours to reach out and make new folks feel at home.

Toward the end of our conversation, he looked at me and said, “Diane, I grew up a Methodist, and I know from experience that our ministers are itinerant and move from church to church to serve. I understand that you have been here for fourteen years. How will you feel when the bishop sends you to a new appointment?” The question was sobering for me, and I admit it was hard to answer. Finally (as all eyes turned toward me), I said, “After we had been here for eight years, I began to feel the dread of a move because even though things were growing exponentially, there is still that vow that must be honored to go where sent. I prayed that God would just give me enough years here to get my kids through high school. He did that, and now, all the rest is just gravy.”

The idiom “the rest is just gravy” has come to mean that the rest of the journey or process, etc. will be very straightforward or easy to complete or accomplish. It also means that any additional elements will be an unexpected and an unrequired bonus.

God saw fit to leave us for fourteen more years, and the growth in programs, ministry, missions, and numbers was phenomenal. During those years, the vision of the church expanded as we began to do even more for the community and the world through programs and service.

Growing up in our small South Georgia town, gravy was almost a requirement at the meals. We had sausage gravy, brown gravy, sawmill gravy, red eye gravy, turkey gravy, roast beef gravy, giblet gravy, and on and on. Gravy at our house was usually served on the side even though it was a staple at most meals. It was rich and considered a bonus to the rice, potatoes, or meat served as the main course.

I read somewhere that we as Christians need to add gravy to our Thanksgiving meal this year, but this gravy should be the gravy of gratitude. Sometimes we tend to only the see the problems in life and ignore the blessings, and as a result there are a growing number of people who are unhappy and have an ungrateful attitude no matter what they have. Gravy and gratitude go hand in hand, so it would behoove us all to cultivate a spirit of Thanksgiving gratitude this year.

I love the hymn Count Your Blessings by Johnson Oatman, Jr. He encourages us to Count Your Blessings name them one by one; Count Your Blessings, see what God has done. So, how can we experience the gravy of gratitude this Thanksgiving and all year long?

First, dwell on what God has given us. He pours out His love, forgiveness, healing, compassion, and protection on a daily basis. Secondly, think about what God has not given us. We have all sinned and fallen short, but God doesn’t give us the punishment we deserve. Finally, think about what God has yet to give us. He has promised to love us from everlasting to everlasting no matter what!

It’s important to take time to name the things for which we are thankful and reflect on them. Too often we take for granted what we have and dwell on what we don’t. Even though we live an abundant life, we always seem to have a desire for more. Heaven on earth is found when we put aside the worries and just dwell on the gravy.

This Thanksgiving let’s take the time to remember those in our lives (past, present, and future) and give thanks for them and all the things they have given of themselves to help us grow and become who we are today. Many of us have had a tough year this past year, but there is still much for which to be thankful and celebrate!

This year when you load your plate with turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings, don’t forget to add the gravy of gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. The Doxology by Thomas Ken

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward; just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus the Master, now live Him. You’re deeply rooted in Him. You’re well constructed upon Him. You know the way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into Thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 The Message

Thanksgiving is upon us, and it is once again time to talk about the 102 Pilgrims plus the 30 crew members and their 66 day journey on the Mayflower which culminated in the landing on Plymouth Rock in America. The pilgrimage of these people came about because they were seeking a place where they could practice their religious beliefs freely. History attributes the first Thanksgiving to these Pilgrims and their celebration of a journey for religious freedom successfully completed.

A pilgrim is defined as a traveler who has come from a place afar to a holy place. Typically this journey is a physical journey to a place of some holy significance.

Our travels this past fall took us to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain which is the termination point of many pilgrimages. The history of this city is based on Christianity. The history relates that St. James, the first apostle to shed his blood for Christ, became the leader of the church in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection. According to tradition, he also traveled to Spain to spread the good news and upon his return was martyred in A.D. 44 in Jerusalem when he was ordered beheaded by the sword by King Herod because of his Christian beliefs. Legend has it that his body was brought back to Spain in a small boat led by two angels and was interred in a small coastal town. The exact location of his grave fell into oblivion for centuries.

Around the year 815 a Spanish shephere had a vision of lights shining in the forest. The matter was investigated, and the body of St. James was found. The bishop of a nearby town had his body brought into Santiago and a church built on the site of his tomb.

This shrine began attracting pilgrims from all over, and the number has steadily increased over these many years. For many centuries, the pilgrimage has been made by the wealthy and the poor. It was seen as an enhancement of the spiritual journey to Christ, and the hardships along the way were welcomed as tests of faith.

As we walked into the center of the city’s square, people were gathered awaiting different groups who had made the pilgrimage, some walking for weeks to arrive at this special place. The square was filled with cheers, hugs, laughter, tears, and congratulations as the pilgrims entered the square. There are so many different reasons why people make this pilgrimage, but things such as the challenge, the beauty, the reward, the spiritual significance and religious purposes seem to be the most popular. It was amazing to see people entering the square some carrying crosses, others carrying back packs, and still others running to the center for the completion of their pilgrimage. Each person there was fulfilling their own reason for the pilgrimage.

John Bunyan in his classic novel, Pilgrim’s Progress offers many helpful insights into the Christian life. He pictures the walk as a pilgrimage with all kinds of experiences, trials, temptations, decisions and happenings along the way.

The Christian life is much like a pilgrimage. Each person who walks humbly with the Lord has their own experiences along their walk. Not everything that happens to a Godly person is good. The pilgrimage contains good experiences and bad in the faith journey.

Our Christian pilgrimage can teach us many things, First, we learn that this Christian pilgrimage is an imperfect one. As Christians, we struggle with sin and temptation every day, and there are dark days where defeat seems inevitable. Some of the most righteous people stumble and fall while facing some troublesome situations. Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we live a charmed life.

The Christian pilgrimage also teaches us to learn to trust. When we take the pilgrimage of faith, we learn to open our life to the Lord and to put complete confidence in Him to help us through any situation.

The Christian pilgrimage also offers us hope. The hope of God’s people can’t be destroyed by circumstances. Christians always know there will be a better day even with death comes victory.

As Christians we are all pilgrims. We step out in faith not knowing the trials before us or the pain or afflictions that might await. The Christian pilgrim is often misunderstood in this world of ours, but we rest in the assurance of His promise! Glory awaits and as Christian pilgrims we maintain a determined discipline of looking forward. What lies ahead will surpass our expectations and defy explanation.

All Christian pilgrims will agree our journey takes us “onward and upward”!

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, because the Lord your God goes before you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Randy and I attended a high school football game the other night, and it took us back to the years when that was a regular occurrence. The colors were presented, the national anthem played, and the crowd was quiet. In my line of vision was an older gentleman who, unlike the rest of us, was at full attention and saluting the flag. His hand was a bit wobbly, but the veteran was determined to hold that salute until the colors left the field. It was inspiring to me, and I began to think of how much courage in himself and his fellow servicemen he had witnessed.

Courage is defined as the quality of mind or spirit which allows a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear.

In this world of today, we don’t see or hear as many stories of courage as we once did. Perhaps this is because we don’t face the same challenges as people did years ago. The greatest generation faced wars, rationing, loss, hardships, and the great depression. Today, we live with different challenges such as inflation, viruses, and unknowns. However, even though we might not face the same challenges, the fears we feel are just as real as the ones people faced years ago. It takes courage to face life’s challenges.

I am not sure I ever considered how much courage it takes for military officers and personnel to live daily with thoughts of the unknown which might endanger their lives and the lives of folks in the country they aspire to protect every day. It is easy to go through our daily routines without a thought of these men and women who would not hesitate to give their lives for us and this country.

This year the celebration of Veteran’s Day is very real to me after our visit to Normandy this past September. When one stands on the beaches of Omaha, Utah, or one of the other beaches and looks across the expanse of the ocean, it is sobering to put yourself in the place of one of the young soldiers who came in by boat not knowing what to expect.

Standing on the beach and looking toward the hills where German soldiers were imbedded and waiting to attack, you suddenly understand the true meaning of courage. As American, Canadian, and English forces came in by sea and air, it is not possible for me to realize how fierce the fighting must have been that day. The Battle of Normandy lasted from June 6, 1944 until August of 1944 and was the turning point of World War II.

This generation showed us the characteristics such as modesty, commitment, loyalty, patriotism, and motivation needed in their time as in ours. Their courage was remarkable! Dwight Eisenhower said of these men, These men came here to storm these beaches for one purpose only, not to gain anything for themselves, not to fulfil any ambition that America had for conquest, but just to preserve freedom, and systems of self government in the world.“

There are so many heroes in each and every war fought for this country. There are the loved ones who stayed behind to raise families and pray, there are those who returned from war with scars that they will forever carry, and there are those who came home with physical, emotional, or mental reminders of the war. It is said that the real heroes are those who walk among us and face each new day with courage.

Joshua also faced fears that took much courage to overcome. He was charged with leading people into a land that was highly fortified, populated, and with great armies. Even though God had promised this land to them, it was not an easy matter. Courage and fortitude were needed. It is one thing to say, “Do not be afraid”, but terror is a force that can seize us and render us powerless to act. God promised not to leave or forsake them, and they won the battle!

Living in this world of today takes courage. Every day presents a new set of challenges for each of us. As we remember the ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice and exhibited unbelievable courage, it would do us all good to remember that the real hero is the one who goes home to face whatever life hands them no matter how tough it might be.

Imagine the courage that comes from entering a battle with the strongest most powerful swordsman at your side! God has not forsaken us, and He will not leave our side.

Happy Veteran’s Day and thank you all for your service!

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.