Month: June 2024

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful

The Gift of Words

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” Proverbs 25:11

It is a Taylor Tribe tradition.  While I know it is June, sometimes you just need to talk about Christmas. For some reason, which I will share later, it has long been a tradition that at least some of the Taylor Tribe practices. After checking out all that Santa may have dropped off during the night, we all gather around in the living room and begin to open our presents. Here’s the Taylor Tribe way. One by one, gift by gift, we hand them out, one at a time and watch and wait as the person opens their gift. And then, when the gift is opened, the person receiving the gift, there and then takes the time to say thank you—usually followed by a hug.

You might be wondering why we do it this way. Well, I’m sure there are several reasons, but the best one is this.  It makes Christmas morning last as long as possible.  We want to savor the moments for as long as we can.  Try it and you just might like it. Oh, and the other reason is that magic moment of saying, “thank you.” We love it and we do it every year. Well, what does that have to do with here and how?  Well, the answer is our next adventure.

On our last Sunday at Dorrisville Baptist, our friends and the church graciously gave us several gifts.  One of them was a “special hat box” where people over the weeks before had placed cards—lots of cards. Well, because of the passing of my sister, it was almost three weeks before we could begin to open our cards.  But even when the time came, we decided to pretend it was Christmas. We slowly began opening the cards, savoring each one. More than a few of them contained gifts—mostly money and gift cards. Amazing.  But each card, every card contained another kind of gift—the gift of words.

Every card, and we are still opening some, contained words of love, appreciation, stories, and encouragement. There aren’t words to express the joy these gifts of 26 letters brought us. There were smiles, laughter and tears.  It is safe to say our cup more than overflowed—and in fact that cup is still flowing. One card thanked Judy and me, as well as our church, for accepting them into our church family even while they were broken.  It was a very tender moment and yes, the tears flowed.

A family in the church gave me a “writing instrument.” It was a gold-plated Cross pen and therefore deserved a name a bit better than simply “ink pen.” With the “writing instrument” came a card but also a spoken comment. After I had opened the gift, the person said, “Dewayne, there is not enough ink in that pen to write how we feel about you and Judy.” It was a very tender and wonderful moment, and it is still wedged safely and securely in my heart.

So, the bottom line is simple this—words can be a wonderful gift. Both Judy and I know because we have and are experiencing them. Each card we received was carefully read and savored like the finest of pecan pies. We will soon begin writing thank you cards but I just couldn’t wait to say thank you to all you who poured into our hearts. You are a precious people indeed. The Bible says that “A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” All I can say is amen and amen.

As precious as your words and love have been, there has been something way more precious. You see, God sent love letters through His Word and those sixty-six letters are filled with His love and affection. As we read them, we are sure of two things. First, we know He loves us without limit and second, with no conditions and no matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, heaven, Integrity, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Going Out with Your Boots On

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Thank you, Ruby and Laura.  I was preparing for a message that I was going to share at the church I used to pastor.  I am always amazed how God brings to my mind different angles and ideas and illustrations to help make a truth stick.  I learned a long time ago if we can’t remember what we heard, well, it can’t help us a lot.  Stories help things to stick.  They are like “duct tape” and I’ve learned that sermons need a lot of duct tape.

The message was about being ready…ready for whatever God has next in our lives.  And for the record that can be just about anything.  My Judy and I have had several God “whatevers” through the years. Some we saw coming and some we didn’t, but it was always exciting to know that God was and is on the move.  Well, when I thought about being ready, I remembered part of a message that pastor John Piper taught.  He was speaking in the year 2000 to a huge group of young people and he was making the point that they should make their lives matter.  Well, let’s just say he did a good job.

As part of his message that day, he told the story of two women, Ruby and Laura.  Ruby was a nurse who had committed her entire life to caring for the poor and broken of the world.  She chose to remain single so she could devote everything…everything…to her mission. She was all in…one hundred percent.  Laura was a medical doctor who took “early retirement” so she could do the same thing.  She wanted to make a bigger difference, so she closed shop and joined Ruby doing mission work.

So, they were loving God and loving people in Cameroon, East Africa.  They both were now, well, older.  Ruby was into her eighties and Laura was chasing her…she was in her very late seventies.  As John Piper tells the story, these two incredible ladies were driving their jeep in the mountains when, without warning, their brakes went out and they sailed over a cliff and literally into eternity.  Both ladies died in the crash and both ladies went out “with their boots on.”  At a time when most would be at home rocking grand babies, they were still making a difference.

I know, some would say what a tragedy it was that these two ladies died that day.  Some would wonder why they just didn’t play it safe.  I have a feeling that Ruby and Laura would tell us that they were playing it safe—because their lives were not held by circumstance or chance but rather by God.  They would tell us they danced into eternity with the One they loved…Jesus and they would, of course, be right.

I find myself desiring to finish well.  I know, I will not be a Ruby or a Laura, but I do want to go out “dancing” with the One who loves me most and best.  I want to go out with my boots on.  Sometimes we see our later years as years to relax but I wonder if we aren’t missing something. Maybe our later years are our best years to serve Him and them.  Maybe our later years are intended to be the finest chapters of our lives.

When we determine to follow, God gives us opportunities. One of our trips, Judy and I were preparing to get on a plane to fly to Europe to minister to a group of folks from Somalia, East Africa. They were in a poverty-stricken area and few, if any, know Jesus.  It was challenging but it also was a great adventure. I wasn’t driving a jeep on dangerous mountain roads, so I didn’t have to worry about my brakes going out. Smile.  But I do know that no matter what, or where, our lives are in the hands of our Dearest Daddy and that is never a bad thing.  In fact, there is nothing better.

Paul, the guy who wrote a chunk of the New Testament, knew about dangerous mountain roads and losing your brakes.  He was an “all in” sort of guy and ultimately was martyred for his faith.  Anyway, he wrote, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” In other words, if God chose to keep him here on earth…that was good.  If God chose to call him heaven…that was good too.  All that mattered was living “all in” and going out “with his boots on.”

So, no matter what, if you are a Jesus person let me encourage you to go “all in” and leave the details to the One who loves you most.  If you haven’t discovered Jesus yet, let me encourage you to make that your journey starting now.  It is a journey you won’t regret.  Living “all in” and being willing to go out “with your boots on” can sound daunting. Truth is, it just doesn’t sound daunting…it is.  The good news is the One who loves you most will always be right by your side, whispering softly, “Go ahead, don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, friends, Grace, life, love, loving others, Scripture, Trials

Skunked

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

The little stinker was not welcome.  A while back we went down to visit our daughter and son-in-law down by Kentucky Lake.  We really went to see the grandkids, but we won’t tell them that.  The place where they live is just beautiful.  Close to the lake and surrounded by beautiful woods, it is the kind of place drinking a cup of coffee in the morning was made for.  Of course, at this time of the year, everything is lush and green.  Gone is the bareness of winter as the time for things to sleep was replaced by a time of new life.

Because they are in a forested area there is plenty of wildlife around.  It is not uncommon to see deer feeding down by the tree line and birds of every sort.  Up the road a piece is a herd of Bison, a few horses, and cattle.  They have a couple of dogs (well had…Rupp has since gone to doggie heaven) too, which adds to the mix.  Oh, and then there was the unwelcome guest.  Two or three days before our arrival, my son-in-law spotted a skunk in the backyard.  They were hoping that he was just passing through, but apparently, he kinda likes the place.  Even when they don’t see him, they know he is around by the pungent odor that he carries with him.

Their two dogs, Rupp and Callie, seemed to have a real affection for the skunk. They can’t wait to run down to the woods to try and find their new friend.  Despite all their efforts, they keep running and looking and one day, well, its gonna happen.  Saturday morning during our visit, there was a “close encounter of the skunk kind.”  Rupp is the much more obedient of the two dogs.  He will generally come when he is called and while he and the skunk are pals, they are not on a first name basis.  Callie on the other hand has gone over the edge.  That morning, Callie took off and either met the skunk or came close because she came back wearing some of his perfume.  It wasn’t a direct hit, but there was an aroma.

She came in the house and ran into the master suite and soon it wasn’t “sweet” any longer. What she apparently loved to roll in was, uh, not so pleasant to us.  In fact, both occupants of the bedroom were up and outta there.  Now personally, Callie didn’t smell that bad to me.  Either my smeller wasn’t as sensitive (no COVID, thank you) or I quickly got used to it, but regardless it wasn’t a big deal.  Well, Callie ended up banned from the yard forever (except on a leash) and Jen ran her through the equivalent of a dog carwash.  She smelled a lot better. Hey, no harm, no foul.

So that evening, after driving back home, I put on the same pajama shirt that I had worn that morning and proceeded to study my sermon.  As I sat at my desk, I noticed a faint but familiar odor—it was the offensive perfume.  Apparently, there was an odor after all and later when my nose was more awake, it became evident. I changed shirts and threw that one in the wash.  Hopefully by the time we visit again, Mr. Skunk will be history.

You know I was surprised to smell the odor on my shirt that evening.  That morning, I didn’t smell a thing and that night it was clearly obvious.  What was the difference?  I think there was enough odor in the air at my daughter’s house that my shirt simply smelled like everything else.  I grew too accustomed to the odor.  The offensive smell became “normal.”  I have a feeling that may happen more often than we realize.  It has nothing to do with skunks, but everything to do with our “skunky” or sinful actions.

If we are not careful, we become too accustomed to our harsh words, or our negative mindset or our unkind actions.  And, because they are part of our “normal” we never ever know it.  But remember this…those around us know it and Someone even more important knows it—God.  The best way to fix the problem is to live in such a way, that that kind of “normal” is never normal.  Just like a fresh environment revealed the odor in my shirt, we should allow our environment to be so pure that anything stinky will become readily apparent.

One time King David of Old Testament fame got more than a little “skunky” and spent most of the rest of his life trying to get rid of the stench.  He prayed a lot during those days and one of his prayers went like this, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”  That’s a good prayer for sure.  And, by God’s grace, he was made clean.  In fact, he was known as a “man after God’s own heart.”  So, when you get “skunked” just take it to the Father and rest assured that He can handle anything and everything.  He’s got this—even our stinky sin.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, thankful, wisdom

Living Loud – Living Love

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Have you ever wondered what people think…of you…of Christ because of you.  I recently attended the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Contrary to what you may have heard on the news, overall, the tenor of the convention was almost Christ like. It would have been nice if a stranger could have walked into the meeting and figured out quickly that these people were different…different in the way we talked, walked and spoke. I love what Jesus said in John 13:35. There He said, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

It’s ironic that He tells us it is a new command but in reality, it has been the message all along. What is different is the measurement of that love—love as Jesus loves—unconditionally and without limit. And, of course, it is the same love for all the people…All.The.People. And here comes the best part.  He tells us it is this love that will show, and people will know, that we are Jesus’ people.  Not where our car is parked on Sunday morning at 10:15, not our dress, not our bumper stickers or our tee-shirts—nope, it is His love lived out in us.  When we finally figure that out and do it—well, we had better keep the baptismal tank filled.

Something that will help us to remember to live this love out is something that Watchman Nee said.  Here it is, “Outside of Christ, I am only a sinner, but in Christ, I am saved. Outside of Christ, I am empty; in Christ, I am full. Outside of Christ, I am weak; in Christ, I am strong. Outside of Christ, I cannot; in Christ, I am more than able. Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; in Christ, I am already victorious. How meaningful are the words, “in Christ.” What is unusual is that he doesn’t mention love, but he does describe a life filled with Christ’s love. And when we get that, we will start loving like we should.

Someone said, “Live in such a way (filled with love) that those who know you but don’t know God will come to know God because they know you.” How true…how powerful. I hope today we will ask God, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus in us, to help us love like Him. No, we can’t, but with Him by Him and through Him…we can because, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Lizards and Cats

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” Matthew 21:16

It was a priceless moment.  You might remember the MasterCard commercial that starts with a special moment in life and the ending tag line is something like, “for everything else there is Mastercard.”  You also might remember the old Kodak commercials that coined the phrase, “Kodak moment.”  When cameras were finally affordable and easier to use, more and more people were able to save their “Kodak” memories.  Well, this one wasn’t recorded on file, but it lives in my heart.

Three of my grandsons were spending the night with my wife Judy and I one Saturday night.  I passed by the open bedroom door and there were the three boys with their Mamaw. She had a Bible story app open and each of the grandsons would pick a story and they would listen to it.  Well, I went into the room and plopped down on one of the two double beds and soon Will, the middle of the three, plopped down beside me.  Before I knew it, we were having this really cool God discussion.

We talked about this, and we talked about that.  I mentioned the Bible character named Abraham and Will wanted to know was his name Lincoln.  I assured him this was a different guy.  Well before long we had moved on to Jesus and I explained that He was in fact God. Well, Will knew about Mary and Joseph, and he was a bit confused.  He wanted to know, and this is excellent, how two people could have a baby that was God. Now Will, in fact all three of this bunch, are as sharp as tacks. So, I wasn’t too surprised.

Before I could respond, he said this, “So isn’t that kinda like two lizards have a cat?”  Boom.  I loved it.  What a great analogy.  He figured out that two normal everyday people could not conceive a God.  And this is one of those times I’m glad I had an answer for him.  I told him, “Well, Will that is absolutely correct.  But the deal is there weren’t two lizards.” I then explained to him how Jesus had a regular human mother but in fact Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ real dad.  We talked about how some people have a stepdad because of a divorce or something.  He said, “Or if the real dad dies.”  Spot on, Will.

And then I explained how Jesus’ real Father was the Heavenly Father.  How, miraculously God caused her to become pregnant and the Child would be like no other…literally the God Man.  And the really cool part is that He seemed to get it. Like I said it was definitely a spiritual Kodak moment.  The Bible talks about how sometimes out of the mouths of the young come truth and praise and this was one of those times.

The Bible also talks about how it is important that we have the same kind of faith that children do.  They rarely have all the answers, and they don’t always fully understand and yet they trust.  They simply take some things at face value.  I’m sure that Will didn’t under that night all there is to know about the Virgin birth of Christ.  In fact, I’m not sure I can fully grasp it, but you can take this to the bank…I believe. 

So, as you journey along, and you bump into God stuff, you will find some things that make sense and some that simply do not.  You will find some truth that you just can’t get your head around, but don’t let that stop you from believing. Sometimes with spiritual truth, 1 + 1 doesn’t add up to two.  It is then you just trust.  When you wonder how two lizards can have a cat…you gotta believe that maybe one of them is a whole lot more than a lizard.  Smile.  I still love that.  After all, I don’t fully understand how the sun rises so precisely every day but that doesn’t stop me from believing.  I just know this.  No matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, loving others, prayer, pride, Scripture

Soccer and Judging Others

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.” Matthew 7:1

It happens far too often…but the latest occurrence happened in my living room and sparked this story. My wife Judy is the Missions Director for our Baptist Association and that makes her in-charge of this summer’s soccer camp. The camp is staffed by four young adults from an organization called Sports Crusaders.  They come in and teach soccer and talk about Jesus.  The goal is to give the kids something far more than new soccer skills.

The four staffers were due around four in the afternoon. The first young man who came in was just about what I was expecting—polite and willing to share. The other group of three arrived a little later. They consisted of a young lady, the team leader, and two rather tall and lanky guys. From my perspective they definitely looked like soccer players to me.  Judy had told me that one of the team was from Arkansas. We thought (wrongly) that it was the first guy to arrive, so I told him a corny joke that goes like this. “Which state is mentioned in the Bible?” The answer is Arkansas which is always followed by a quizzical look.  I then say, “You know, Noah looked out of the ark and saw.” Now isn’t that great. I thought so, guy number one thought so and when the rest of the team arrived, I tried it again.

Well, I should have quit while I was ahead. The lady team leader thought it was great but the other two guys with her looked at me like a “calf at a new gate.” My prize joke had not even garnered a smile. Hmmm. So, while Judy explained the week the two guys, seemed to hardly pay attention. It kinda rubbed me the wrong way. He kinda struck me as detached—disinterested. Well, right there and then, I judged them as unworthy ambassadors. Why, I bet they couldn’t even play soccer.

Well, hang on.  After explaining the week, Judy asked the guy in the middle his name and his story about Sports Crusaders. As soon as he spoke it was apparent that his heart language was not English. He spoke with a thick accent and since his name was French, I assume that was his accent. The story repeated itself with the other guy, but his name was not French, but his accent was just as thick.  And that is when this judge got fired. I realized that they weren’t rude, they weren’t detached, and they weren’t disinterested.  The fact is I think they were struggling to even understand the conversation.  I had wrongly judged these two young men and yes…I bet they could even play soccer.

My big truth, which I keep repeating in the classroom of life, is that it is so easy to misjudge both people and sometimes a situation.  I hope one day I will finally learn to leaving the judging to the Judge—the Lord Jesus.  I have learned that most of the time when I set myself on the judge’s bench, I miss the call.  Do you find that true too?  So, let me suggest that we learn to hang tight and get the whole picture before we act.  And even then…leave the judging to the Judge.  He always gets it right…right after all, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, forgiveness, friends, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

Traveling Heavy

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us.”  Hebrews 12:1b

I thought it felt heavy. You might remember I told you a story about a group of friends from our church in Cobden, Illinois who took a trip up to hike Mount Leconte in North Carolina.  In that story I slipped on a slippery rock and earned the name, “Chief Wounded Cheek.”  Well, that wasn’t the only story from that trip.  There was at least one more.  You see, even though we were only staying one night, most of us still had a backpack full of stuff to tote up the mountain.

What do you carry up a mountain?  Well, I guess it all depends on the person.  I know one lady in our group had her husband carry just about everything but the kitchen sink.  I remember we laughed when we found out she was taking her curling iron.  It wasn’t that it was inappropriate, it’s just that the top of the mountain didn’t have any electricity! In my case, I decided to leave the curling iron at home (smile) but did have a good selection of food.  I mean can you ever have too much food? I didn’t think so.

So finally, with our packs on our backs, we headed up the mountain.  The climb took us most of the day.  It was about five and a half miles and a lot of it was…up.  We went up and up and up and finally we made it.  The lodge was rustic, but the feeling of accomplishment made it all more than worthwhile.  Bob, our leader, said when we got there, they would give us some of the best hot chocolate in the world.  Well, they did but honestly, I think it was some of the best only because we were tired, chilled, and pretty desperate. 

For supper he told us we would be having canned horse meat.  Remember there was no electricity and that meant no refrigeration.  As it turned out, it really wasn’t horse meat, but I do believe it was canned and for the record…it was pretty stinking good.  Pretty soon it was time for lights out…well, there really weren’t any lights because…well, you know why.  We slept well, got up and had breakfast and soon started our journey back down the mountain.

I threw my backpack on my back and started the journey down.  I remember being surprised how heavy my backpack felt.  Again, a lot of what I carried up was food and it was no longer there…well, at least not in my backpack.  Anyway, we continued walking and after about an hour or so, it was time for a break.  I found a place to sit down, being careful of my “wounded cheek,” and opened by backpack for a quick snack.  And I found a surprise.

Yup, my backpack was heavy all right.  It turned out that some of the guys in the group had put several grapefruit size rocks inside.  They were just waiting for me to make the discovery and when I did, they laughed—we laughed until we couldn’t laugh anymore.  I love practical jokes regardless of what end of the stick I am on—giving or receiving. Well, needless to say, the rocks came out and the pack was considerably lighter, and we had a new story to tell along with my new “wounded cheek” name.

I learned a great lesson that day.  First and foremost—check your backpack—especially when you are traveling with a group of guys who love practical jokes.  I also learned that you should never carry extra weight up or down the mountain. Period. And in hindsight, that is true with hiking and that is true in life.  All of us have the tendency to carry extra weight around…and I’m not talking about around our waist.  I am talking about things that tend to weigh us down.  It might be a bad habit, or it could be the consequence of not starting a habit we should have, like exercise.  It might be misplaced priorities that steal time away from family.  Whatever it is, the truth is we need to chuck the unneeded and unnecessary.

Paul, one of the big writers of the Christian New Testament, said that we should lay aside every weight and the sin that slows us down.  Now that is good advice.  As we travel through this life, let’s get ready to go but let’s also be sure and check our backpacks.  We never know what might be in there and weighing us down.  If you need help figuring it all out, just ask the One who made it all.  You know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, school days, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, wisdom

Lasting Words

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Numbers 90:12

It wouldn’t cut soft butter today but back then it was cutting edge. I’m a tech guy.  I love the newest and greatest technology.  When a new something comes out, if I’m not careful, I am on my way to grab one.  Of course, the funny part is it usually ends up sitting around somewhere.  Even my iPhone is mad because of the hours it sits on the counter—unloved and unattended.  Frequently I must apologize for not returning a call or not answering a text…not because I’m ignoring a person—I’m ignoring my phone.

This love affair with tech began when I was a kid. When it came time for Christmas, I would browse the Sears catalogue and dream of the cool gifts that might come my way. And somehow, Momma and Daddy, with a little help from Santa, would pull it off.  Of course, sometimes they surprised me.  It would have been Christmas of, oh, 1966 and I received something totally unexpected and totally cool. It was a small, battery powered, portable reel-to-reel tape recorder.  This was before eight-tracks, before cassettes…before anything.  The size of large book, it gave me the ability to record something and play that something back.

One time I took my recorder to my grandparents’ house in Gainesville, Florida.  My grandfather (there was no “Papa” with him) was talking with my Daddy and was telling a joke.  I decided to start the recorder and record what they were saying. Sure enough it worked and later, I played the tape for everyone, and we all marveled at the ability for something so small to do that.  But here is the amazing part.  Somewhere in my stuff, is a small reel of tape and on that tape is my grandfather and Daddy’s voices…probably one of the few recordings to exist.  Even though they are gone…their voices live on.

Their.Voices.Live.On.  Think about that for just a moment.  Both men who influenced me so much have long since passed away. But through technology their voices can still be heard.  Oh, I know it is not a big deal now but back then…it was so unusual and that makes the recording valuable.  They are, if you will, speaking from the grave.

In one of those moments of clarity, I recently realized that I too, one day, will speak from the grave.  My life, my actions, my priorities, my values, sermons I have preached, and stories I have written, will all be left behind and all will speak.  And I wonder…what will they say of me and what will they say of who I was?  When my great grandchildren hear the stories of their great Papa, will those stories be stories worthy of sharing? Will the words encourage them to live right and do right, or leave them scratching their head like a batter thrown a good curve ball on a hot Saturday afternoon? We should all hope to leave a story that is worth telling…one that brings some light and laughter into their world.

There is a verse I keep coming back to time and again.  Moses wrote it thousands of years ago and yet is as fresh as today’s news.  He asked God to help him number his days that he could gain a wise heart.  He wasn’t asking for his math to be accurate when he counted birthdays.  No, he was asking that he be wise enough to make the most, the very most, of every single day.

Legacy.  It is a great word, and we are all leaving one.  The only question is, “What kind will it be?” That is up to us.  Five days a week I publish a short story with a big truth but in reality…I write one everyday…and so do you.  Let’s be sure to write one worth telling.  Fortunately, there is a publisher who is all about helping us and if we are Jesus followers, we call Him Dearest Daddy.  He is more than willing to help us write a best seller…after all, that’s just one more thing He does.  He’s got that too.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, USA

Flag Day

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8:36

It is tomorrow.  Tomorrow if the Lord is willing, some of us, most of us but perhaps not all of us, will open our eyes to a brand-new day.  The Bible says that every day is a day that the Lord makes and that…makes it special.  We should pause and rejoice over every single one. But the truth is some days are more special that others…and tomorrow is one of those.  So just about now you might be wondering, “So what is it?”  Is it a birthday? Perhaps a wedding anniversary? Is it marked by the passing of a loved one or a major life change? Well, the answer is, “None of those.” So, what makes tomorrow so special?  Tomorrow is Flag Day.

What is Flag Day? Well, as the name implies, it is a day that we honor the flag of our country, “Old Glory.” Now we might as well be clear because these days people are way unclear on too many things.  Because we have a day dedicated to honoring the flag of our country does not mean we are worshipping it.  You see you can honor something without worshipping it.  We honor the flag not because it is a piece of fabric made with a certain design and colors…no we honor it because it stands for so much.  You see, in the Bible, a name was more than a name.  It represented the character of a person.  As an example, the reason it is such a grievous sin to misuse God’s name is because His name represents Him…who He is. In the same way the flag represents our great country.

A man, a United States Marine, a citizen named Howard Schnauber once wrote a story about Old Glory.  Here’s how it goes. “I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is Old Glory. I fly atop some of the world’s tallest buildings. I stand watch in America’s halls of justice. I fly majestically over institutions of learning. I stand guard with power in the world. Look up and see me. I stand for peace, honor, truth, and justice. I stand for freedom. I am confident. I am proud.


When I am flown with my fellow banners, my head is a little higher, my colors a little truer. solI am recognized all over the world. I am saluted. I am loved – I am revered. I am respected – I am feared. I have fought in every battle of every war for more than 200 years. I flew at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh, and Appomattox. I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy. Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me. I was there. I led my troops.


I was dirty, battle worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me on. I have been burned, torn, and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free. It does not hurt for I am invincible. I have been soiled upon, burned, torn, and trampled in the streets of my country. And when it’s done by those whom I’ve served in battle – it hurts. But I shall overcome – for I am strong.


I have slipped the bonds of earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon. I have born silent witness to all of America’s finest hours, but many fine hours are yet to come. When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield, when I am flown at half-mast to honor a soldier, or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter, I am proud. I am the flag of the United States of America.

So, June 14th, this Flag Day, take a moment and thank God for the country that we live in…for our freedoms and all the sacrifices that were made so that we could be free.  Jesus said that knowing Him truly makes a man, woman, or child free and that is so true. But along those same tracks lie the truth that in America, even with all her warts and flaws, we can still worship the one true God and I am so grateful for that. I am grateful for the God who sovereignly choose to bless us and can sovereignly declare, “I’ve got that.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, friends, life, Scripture, spring, Trials

One Big Earthworm

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” Proverbs 6:27-28

That’s gotta be one big earthworm.  It was a great spring morning.  My wife Judy and I were living in Cobden, Illinois and over the years we had put together a really beautiful yard.  Judy can visualize how something is going to look and then has the knack to make it grow.  I do grunt work.  I’m the yard man and she is the architect. That day we were putting some mulch around the flower beds.

Our yard had a retaining wall at one of the front corners and the yard sloped in that corner.  In the fall I would mulch the leaves (we had four large maple trees) and put them there.  Then next spring we would use it as free (and I love free) mulch.  I would take my trusty pitchfork and our oversized trash can down to the corner, fill up the can and take it to wherever she wanted it dumped.  Then we would spread it out.  Great plan. Beautiful day.  All is well.  And then he showed up.

I went to the corner, loaded up the can, brought it to the middle of the yard to one of our flower beds and where she said dump it.  I was about to dump it when I noticed the tip of an earthworm barely sticking out of the mulch.  To appreciate this, you need to know that earthworms, in Judy’s eyes, are held in very high regard.  It’s something about how they aerate and loosen up the soil making it better for the flowers.  I thought they were just fish bait. Silly me.

“Hey, there’s an earthworm” Judy exclaimed with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning.  “Grab him and put him in the garden.”  So, hey, I’m just the grunt man so I reached down and pulled on the little fella.  The little fella didn’t move.  I looked at Judy with a quizzical look. My thought was that if he wanted to stay that bad, he could just go with the next pitchfork load.  No…that wasn’t gonna happen.  So, I gave it another shot, and this dude wasn’t moving.  “Poud (that’s Judy’s nick name) this guy isn’t coming.”

I took matters to the next level and took the pitchfork and shoved it into the mulch around the earthworm and gave it a lift and a flip.  Well, shoot that thing, there was a stinking snake.  It wasn’t some innocent “let me aerate your soil” earthworm it was a 14-foot boa constrictor.  Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration.  But it was a snake, it was about two feet long and it was moving and so was I.  Now both Judy and I were a lot younger then, but even for our age we were out of there!  And I do believe the grunt man outran the pretty little architect.

You ask, “What kind was it?”  Don’t know. Don’t care.  There are only two kinds of snakes—living and dead and this one was alive.  Honestly, I have blocked out what happened next.  I can’t tell you if we went back and he was gone.  I can’t tell you if I got a shovel and in pure self-defense ended the life of the slithering creature or what.  I can only tell you that he was no longer a threat and I never, and I mean never, looked at the pile of mulch in the same way.

If I learned anything that day…and trust me, I did…it was to be careful what you decide to pull on because things are not always as they seem.  Ask Eve.  The Genesis account of creation and the fall of man says that the serpent (that’s Bible code for snake) was “more crafty” than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. The Hebrew language implies that the snake was beautiful, appealing. Intrigued, she decided to strike up a conversation with him.  “Bad idea, Eve.” Just run. But no, she didn’t, and now we have this messed up world and it was all because Eve grabbed a hold of something she should have left alone.

There’s an old tale about a man who was walking up a mountain and it was getting cold.  The man saw a rattlesnake and the snake said, “Please put me in your coat and take me down the mountain.”  The man said, “No way, you will bite me.”  The snake assured him he would not.  He picks the snake up, puts it in his coat and goes down the mountain.  As the temperature rises the snake gets a little more frisky and bites the man.  The man, shocked, says, “You said you wouldn’t bite me.”  And the snake replied, “You knew what I was when you picked me up.”  So true. So tragically true.

The Bible also says this, “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?”  “What does that mean?” you ask.  It means the next time a snake wants to strike up a conversation, run.  It means the next time you are tempted to sin, run. It means the next time your wife wants you to grab the tail of an oversized earthworm, run. No…it doesn’t mean that, but it does mean be sure you know what you are grabbing before you take hold.

Fortunately, our Abba Father knows all about snakes and sin and grabbing hold when we shouldn’t.  He also loves us enough to give us wisdom to know the difference.  James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” With wise counsel like that we don’t have to fear oversized earthworms or the other stuff we are living through right now.  No, we can rest in Him.  He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne