Celebration to Come!

When I was 11 years old, my baseball team won the City League championship in Longview, TX.  We were the Colonels and my brother Andy was the bat boy and was so excited about the win that he did a flip on the pitcher's mound.  The celebration for a group of  11 year old boys and their parents was so exciting that I have considered that year to be one of my favorites memories and my favorite age.

That one championship became one of my accomplishments that I cherished in my heart.  One of my teammates passed away as a result of a car wreck he suffered later in his teens.  Bruce Fisher was a friend and I have been thinking about him and the rest of the team who I wish I could see again.  We grew up, and now as men we have our own lives that were all shaped by the events of that summer.

However, several years later, I became a Christian by being immersed for the forgiveness of my sins and there are several people who were there as a part of that are no longer living in this world. I have lost my mother, several of my close friends who became a part of the team that I knew at that time as a result of my decision, and the preacher who immersed me, J.D. Lancaster and many who encouraged me to become who I now am in life.

Today, I live and work with a team of Christians who are living to win the championship of life.  Heaven is our goal, the celebration will be sweet, and I know that my brother Andy will do a flip for me at the thrown of God as a celebration of being home. (Well, maybe!) My Christian team was and is my favorite team and many memories have surpassed those baseball memories some 40 years ago. I have lost many of my friends and church family to death, but I know that they are waiting for the final celebration to come in eternity.  I too, with my physical and spiritual family, can't wait to celebrate with Jesus who "pitched a perfect game" in this life and is waiting for us to come home.

I hope you are ready for that celebration.  I would love to see you Sunday at the West Freeway church so that we can worship and praise Him who was perfect in this life so that we would have the chance to join Him for that celebration.  He lived the perfect life to be the perfect sacrifice for us.  "Come, now is the time to worship." 

God bless you.  See you Sunday so that I will be to possibly see you in heaven.

Returning

I never get tired of watching God's children return after an extended time away from home. Spiritually speaking, I can not begin to tell you how many folks I have witnessed in my lifetime return to God with tears and stories that would, as my Grandmother used to say, curl your hair. Story after story of folks walking through the darkness so long that when finally they come to their right minds and begin looking for the light again they have a hard time believing they are worth saving.

Ever been there? I have and it is even tougher when you don't feel comfortable sharing it with anyone. My story is so dark compared to some of the ones I have heard. So much so that I am not going to share it with my readers. Just suffice it to say, "I've been there!" "I know how it feels."

Waking up wondering why God hasn't called your name to judgment. Waiting to see what discipline there will be for you when you finally come to grips with it all. Knowing you deserve so much more than you received in discipline, or have received.

However, on the up side, there is always a light at the end tunnel as we always say. God will forgive and forget and that is his promise. No matter where we come from or what we have done he will accept us back. The father of the prodigal son didn't leave home to seek out the lost boy. He waited patiently for him at home with the rest of the family. His thoughts were on him, his love was with him and his prayers were for his lost son. But, he didn't run after the boy, he waited for the boy to return...to come home...to take his proper place at the table.

Don't wait for God to find you, he is waiting for you at home with the family.

I'll see you later!