December 2004
Hamburgers
12/3/2004
9:40:25 AM
Just about anything can be a
witnessing tool...an example of God's grace. In Olla, the recovery from the
tornado of Nov. 23 presses onward. The National Guard trucks keep hauling off
the debris. The saws continue whining through the day. The electrical workers
are still fixing the lines. And the victims and workers still need hot food to
keep the process going. Our church was scheduled to join with three other
churches to provide hamburgers Thurday evening. I had a crew of workers who set
aside some time to help me provide the grilled burgers, buns, etc. Most of them
re-arranged their schedules to get their business done in the morning.
Naturally, they were all out of pocket when I got a early morning phone call
from the Red Cross asking if we could deliver our burgers for the lunch time
frame instead of later in the evening. In a panic, I began making phone calls,
but everyone was about their business so they could be free to prepare burgers
later in the evening. All I had was my wife, Laura, and my mom, Evelyn, who were
also at work but who took the time to rush home and help me get over 120 burgers
cooked. We fried them, baked them, grilled them, and cooked them in as many way
and on as many appliances as possible. If it got hot, it had burgers cooking on
it. We did them in less than an hour, and I was a big hero when I walked into
that
No Desert
Here!
12/4/2004
7:18:59 PM
The National Guard trucks keep on
hauling off the rubble, the debris, the remains. There still seems to be no end
in sight. This task must seem daunting to those whose homes are in those
trucks...whose lives are in those trucks. It rains on the just and the unjust,
the Bibles says. Sometimes, that seems unfair, to say the least. I heard someone
say something the other day though that has stuck with me. If every day were a
bright and shiny day, we'd live in a desert.
Getting Old
12/7/2004
4:53:41 PM
Today is my good friend Danny Cole's
birthday. He turned 41. I gave him a hard time about it. I was having the time
of my life until he reminded me that I am older than him by almost two years.
Suddenly, my jesting wasn't as funny anymore. Danny is a minister in the United
Pentecostal denomination. It certainly has made for some spirited conversations
over the years. We've served one another as brothers in arms. Iron sharpening
iron. Sharing deep discussions about the mysteries of the Kingdom. I have
benefited much from our relationship: both in the blessing of discovery during
moments of revelation and in the understanding of those whose doctrines differ
somewhat from my own. I've learned that when we share the redemption of Christ
we can fellowship with all who call upon the Name of Jesus. Every minister,
every Christian, needs a Danny Cole in their life. Happy birthday,
brother.
Praying For The
Troops
12/10/2004
9:24:54 AM
I can't tell you how many times I
have prayed for our troops who are overseas making life as we know it possible
for the masses. Lately, my prayers have been more intense because I have a
nephew, Neil's boy, who recently joined the Marines. He's in training this very
moment, preparing to join the fray in the
Now Faith
Is...
12/14/2004
7:00:56 AM
In an effort to encourage a friend
the other day concerning her faith, I tried to define the word "faith." We all
know the verse (Hebrews 11:1) which describes faith as the "substance of things
hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." My dad, a faith preacher, used
that verse so often in his messages that we had the first three words of it
placed upon his tombstone: NOW FAITH IS... But there are truly no words that
adequately express the sentiment. Faith is a lot of things. Maybe faith is when
you trust God no matter what confusing issues invade your mind. Maybe faith is
being confused, losing all trust, and just clawing your way back to him in the
aftermath. Maybe it's never wavering or perhaps it's wavering all the time yet
clinging to some ray of hope that God is still there. Maybe faith is standing
tall in the face of all attacks by the enemy. And maybe faith is getting up from
the dust after the enemy has just knocked you down. I have a feeling all of
these things represent faith...even the things that sometimes seem to us like
unbelief. I can't show you an illustration and define faith, but I can tell you
when it's welling up in my heart, in my soul. I can tell you when I feel it
stirring in my chest, raising the hair on the back of my neck, or sparkling in
my eyes. It's the thing that gives me hope even when all circumstance tells me I
have no reason to have any. And most of you have much more of it than you've
ever imagined.
Looking For The Spirit Of The
Season Today
12/21/2004
8:56:41 AM
Spinning round and round....circling
round and round....like a buzzard circling in a delighted wake for the
dead...like the last bit of dishwater being sucked from the bottom of the
sink...like the last grains of sand succumbing to gravity's will. Gosh I am
tired! There was the Christmas play with its requisite practices...the parties:
family, church, et al...the failed attempts at quiet moments and private
reflections…the rush…the bustle….the rushing bustle….the reflection-less,
bustling-rushel. The ageless quest for the perfect gift…the battle over credit
buying…Goal-setting, sports betting, December wedding….Wandering and wondering,
sauntering and sorting…Battling between getting even and forgiveness. Letters,
cards, and packages…the postman’s cash register always rings twice. No time for
friends and family…not the healthy time. Seven phones a ringing, six kids a
screaming, five broken dreams…four mocking sinners, three French kin, two
burping slobs….and a booger of a sore knee. Oh my goodness! It's only Tuesday?
MERRRY CHRISTMAS!