Time was...!

Time was when you could walk down the street and be greeted by everyone who walked by.  Now, if you even get a glance from some you feel like you have accomplished a monumental feat of social elitism.  People just don't want to be bothered with the menial things in life.  Some don't even want to be recognized as those who walk among the living.

That is why I am so glad that I still speak and greet most of the people I come into eye contact with.  Today as I drove away from dropping my wife off, a lady was taking her morning walk down the street and as I stopped at the signal to wait I caught her eye and nodded "Good Morning" and she smiled and waved.  It broke me into a smile and the thought that not everyone was raised on dill pickles and some even don't mind sharing a smile and a warm greeting now and then.

How can I as a Christian do better?  I believe it is possible if I will just keep smiling and greeting.  It reminds me to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  It still works!

I'll see you later.

Happy Faces

I am amazed at the use of Happy Faces. :)  Still!  They aren't old to me yet.  How long have they been around?

I don't know about you but somethings never change. I can still remember when I took a quarter to pay for lunch with an extra milk.  Oh well.

I am getting old but that is okay.  I am enjoying it with Happy Faces. 

I'll see you later.

The Time is Now

How often have you found yourself wondering when you will be able to get the things done that need to be done?  This has been a fascinating year for me, simply because I am striving to re-invent myself to a point.  There have been many times in my past where I have procrastinated getting the things done around the house that need to be done and waiting till the last minute.  Silly to many of you I know, but to me, it just took too much of my time to think about what to do and how to get it done.

I am not saying that I have conquered the desire to put things off completely yet, but I do believe I am getting better.  Last year at C.T.C.C., the church camp I direct, our theme was, "It's Time!"  I was convicted of needing change in my life as well as needing to see others do the same.  It is time for us to do what we know we should!  We need to stop putting off the things, even though they may not be as important to us as to someone else.  It's time we started thinking about others first and making sure we let them know how much they are loved and appreciated by the things we do, not just the words we say.

There!  I said it and I meant it.  Does it mean I have done it perfectly?  NO!  But I am working on it.  Why?  Because the time is now!

I'll see you later.

Tebo Mania

Why is it that so many have been critical of the way Tim Tebo plays football? Why is there is there so much discussion on Sports radio talk shows about his inabilities to perform at a level consistent with "True NFL quarterbacks"?

I can only relate as an onlooker that, no, he isn't a prolific passer and he doesn't have the greatest arm. He doesn't seem to see the field, at this point of his career, as well as some of the other quarterbacks in the league. He has been called a "Rookie" quarterback, even though he is in his second season.

On and on we could go discussing Tim's inabilities. They are many on the field and in his life he is just a man.

I was watching a program that was made that showed him all the way from his senior year in High School to the present. Somewhere in that time period he became cognizant of having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. I noticed how much he enjoyed praying and praising God while he played. He is not the greatest singer in the world, but he sings and uses his spiritual emotion out in the open no matter the situation. I appreciate the way he takes time, because of his position in life, to spend money and time offering himself as an encouragement to seriously ill children. I love Tim Tebo and his openly showing his apparent love for Jesus Christ our Lord.

But that isn't what I am most curious about. The thing I am most curious about is why is it that so many misunderstand the place God has in this situation.

God doesn't care who wins an NFL football game. The blessings of ability that Tim Tebo has is no more or less important than anyone else in our world. I am just as impressed when someone goes out and strives to honor God when they share with someone less fortunate.

No matter where we are in life, we, as God's children, need to be just as open with our relationship with God and his Son. We need to use the opportunity we find ourselves in to honor and praise our God. There are Christians in the NFL. More of us are not in the NFL or in the limelight that brings us into the public spotlight like Tim Tebo, but are you any less blessed to perform in your life with the talents you have been given, and have we sometimes forgotten to honor God during those times.

May God bless us as we are all blessed to use our abilities to honor him and not as an opportunity to accept the accolades that come with the limelight. Honoring God is not a fad, it is a lifestyle and many times it is misused. Some misuse it by making it a show and others misuse it by not showing it at all.

Where are you in your openness to honor God?

I'll see you later.

I Am Somebody!

Sunday I preached a lesson on the topic of "I am Somebody" taken from an idea from a powem written by William H. Borders. The following is the poem and I hope you enjoy it.

I am Somebody!
I am Somebody!
I may be poor,
But I am Somebody.
I may be young,
But I am Somebody.
I may be on welfare,
But I am Somebody.
I may be small,
But I am Somebody.
I may have made mistakes,
But I am Somebody.
My clothes are different,
My face is different,
My hair is different,
But I am Somebody.
I am black,
Brown, or white.
I speak a different language
But I must be respected,
Protected,
Never rejected.
I am God’s child!

God bless you all. I'll see you later.

New Beginnings! I am so thankful to be able to begin preaching again after a short 18 month Sabatical. God has so richly blessed me. Thankful is not an applicable word for the way that I feel toward our Father. I am so deeply endebted to Him.

"Where do we go from here? Which is the way that's clear?" Those words are to a song that has been running through my mind over the last few days. I know that the song is talking about a girl, but it really speaks to me when I stop and think about my life right now. The future is so bright that even shades for my eyes can't dim the brightness of God working in what I am doing here.

Where do we go from here? To the future. Toward heaven.

Which is the way that's clear? God's way. The only way!

Where are we headed? Home!

God bless us all.

I'll see you later.

Britt

What If?

What if? Now that is a question that is not asked often enough in my opinion. We walk through life many times wondering "What if?" and seldom consider what the answer might be. The lack of that consideration in many of the questions that follow may cost us in the long run of life. Think about what the differences would be in your life or the lives of those you interact with on a daily basis would be, if?

• What if you were never born?
• What if you had or had not furthered your education?
• What if television had never been invented?
• What if no one had cell phones?
• What if the internet was never invented?
• What if your friends were not your friends?

What about the spiritual world? What are the what ifs there? Can you answer these in your life as you are living it right now? How would your spritual life and influence be affected?

• What if you didn't have a church family?
• What if you were the only Christiain in your town?
• What if the Islamic extremist took over the United States?
• What if I were put in the position to have to denounce my God or die?
• What if my life choices were displayed on a movie screen for all to see?
• What if all the opportunities you missed out on being a Christian example to your friends was played on the local radio station?
• What if Jesus came back right now, do you know without a doubt you would go home to be with Him in heaven?

What if you were not ready? What would you do?

I'll see you later.