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.

Facebook Realities

Yes, it has hit me and hit me hard. The reality of the fact that past friendships that have been left alone for decades still twinge my heart when I find the outcome has been a death. Wow, I could not have been more saddened by news than when I found my dear friend's, Nick Stevens, daughter had tragically been killed in a freak accident last year. We hadn't seen each other or been in contact in over eighteen years. How sad?



We made connection on Facebook and I cried for two days as I read the story of his daughter's passing. It was as if I had lost a close friend myself. I felt hurt and pain in my heart unlike any I had ever had in a friend losing a child. I was amazed at how it impacted me emotionally and spiritually. I longed to wrap my arms around my friend and comfort him from his loss. But, it had been over a year. He had begun his healing and I found comfort in it.



I do not seek comfort for myself in all of this, I am just thrown back into reality that the world is getting smaller all the time and my days are numbered with nothing but better things to come.



Facebook, last week, brought me face to face with the loss of twelve friends I knew nothing about having passed away. I grieve that I had lost contact. I morn the fact that the only thing I will have for the rest of my life is a memory of them, as vague as they are. I have morned the loss of loved ones but for me to see my class and school mate's names on a list of those who have left this life hurt me and I cry.



I hope that now I can keep up better, because of Facebook, and let them know that they were special and still are in so many respects. Teachers, classmates, church family from the past, church camp friends, ministry friends and my relatives, thanks for letting me know how you are doing.



I'll see you later (on Facebook)

Why Do We Do That?

Why is it that when we travel we ask for prayers for a safe trip, but we fail to pray that same prayer when we drive across town? Why do we ask God to be with our loved ones traveling to see us yet, when they arrive, fail to fall on our knees and thank God for their safe arrival?

We ask a lot of God and many times fail to thank him for what he has given us. We ask expecting God to give us what we ask for, then, when things are given we give no thanks. Too many times we fail to remember that a "No!" is sometimes a better answer. Ever thank God for saying "No"?

I too find this problem at work in my life. So many times I ask God for help in leading me in my studies and then, when the sermon is prepared and delivered, I fail to thank him for clearing my mind to bring the sermon to life. Many times the sermons I am not really happiest with are the ones that get the most "Hey preacher, great sermon today," or "Britt, I really needed to hear what you had to say today. The message was right on target."

Not too long ago one gentleman came up to me and said of a sermon I was not particularly happy with the delivery of and felt I had missed getting the message I was looking to get across to make sense, "Preacher, that was one of the best sermons I have ever heard. I am so glad you listen to God when you prepare your lessons." I definitely stopped right then in my mind and thanked God for the lesson.

What have you stopped and thanked God for specifically lately? Why don't you drop to your knees and be thankful for what he has done in your life in a specific area? Don't expect yeses from God when you pray, expect answers to your needs. Listen to the Father call out your name and lead you to where you need to be and then thank Him for leading you in the direction that is best for you. Thank Him for listening and doing for you what is best.

Sometimes we need to remember to pray about all things. Like I have begun telling folks lately, "Ask God to do for you what is in your best spiritual interest." Then thank Him for the answer, whether it is "Yes", "No!", or "Wait."

I'll see you later.

What Do You Do?

Who knew? Did you? Really, did you know and just not tell me? I was around when you found out and I am totally surprised that you had said nothing to me concerning it. Did you think I knew and just turned a blind eye so as not to have to deal with it. How did you find out? Did someone tell you? Were you knowledgeable about this situation before me or did you think I didn't care enough to take care of it when I could or should?

I don't know. Honestly. When did you know my little boy was on drugs and said nothing to me about it? When did you know he was being influenced by a world gone mad and failed to share with me the knowledge that I did not have. Honestly, do you think I knew and was doing nothing about it.

For all of you who knew and didn't say anything to me, shame on you. I forgive you and don't want to know who you are or were, but shame on you. I pray for you and your family. Drugs hit my son in his weakness and in his strengths and some of you didn't do or say anything. Yes, I am hurt because of it, but it does not mean I will be vengeful nor will you ever know if I knew you didn't say anything to me. I will not be hunting you down for an explanation and don't come to apologize, you are already forgiven and we will get through this.


How? "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides still waters, he restores my soul. He leads me in he paths of righteous for his name sake. And yes, even though I walk in the vally of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil..."

I'll see you later.