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 “I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” Philippians 4:12-13

 I was content…almost.  Contentment is one of the most allusive things.  One minute you are fat and happy and the next minute you are just fat.  Some small, insignificant thing happens that seems to change everything.  It probably has a lot to do with most of us living in the best country in the world—the United States.  We have more than we need and that is a problem, and that is the problem.  Andy Stanley, a pastor in Atlanta, talks about the fact that most of us have houses with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms and get ready, there is even a house for our car attached to the deal. Amazing.

We once went on a mission trip to the Philippines. We were there to repair some damage caused by an earthquake. Two things amazed me—how beautiful it was and how kind and polite the people were.  On a couple of levels, it did indeed seem like paradise.  You see the island we were on was a vacation destination for many.  It was simply beautiful.  The only problem was we didn’t get to see it.  There simply wasn’t time for a lot of sightseeing because there was a mission to accomplish–a job to finish.

Now I know that probably sounds noble–maybe even spiritual, but the truth is even on the mission field it is hard not to think about–ME.  The “resort” we stayed at really was quite nice–particularly when compared to let’s say sleeping in the sand in Mali, West Africa or on the ground in Uganda, East Africa.  I guess I should have been content–and I was–almost.

When we arrived at the resort, we were given our room assignment.  Judy and I were assigned a single unit.  I must admit I did have the best roommate.  We went to our room, and it was nice–small–but nice. There wasn’t a lot of room to walk and have the luggage on the floor, but it was nice. We pushed the twin beds together and it was just like home–just smaller–a lot smaller.  Then we went to check out the other room assignments.

Well, their rooms were also quite nice.  Each person had two twins pushed together to make a double bed and the room was bigger–a lot bigger.  There was even room for their suitcases to be on the floor and still walk around the bed.  Suddenly, my room (well, our room) felt even smaller.  Suddenly, it didn’t seem quite right.

Now I was content until I saw how the rest fared.  I was content until I saw what big was like and then I wasn’t. Just like that I went from contentment to discontentment. I went from feeling blessed to feeling cheated—all in about two seconds flat. Isn’t it amazing how one minute you can be satisfied and the next you’re not?  There’s a word for that and I think it is close to sin. And the crazy part is it doesn’t just happen on a mission trip to the Philippines–it happens to a lot of folks on any given day.  We are content until we see how the other half lives. I think it is something like the grass is always greener somewhere else.

Paul said something quite amazing in Philippians 4:12 “I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot.  In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Oh, and by the way, when Paul wrote those words, he was sitting in a dark, dank, stinking Roman prison.  Ouch.

I think all of us need to learn Paul’s secret to joy–just be content!  The truth is most of us have it a lot better than 90% of the world! The truth is if we look around, we will find that our Heavenly Father has filled our world with “love notes” that simply yet profoundly say, “Just to say, I love you.”

Whether our world has a healthy dose of bumps or if the sun shines consistently, if it is corona crazy or as smooth as a lake at sunset, we have so many reasons to be thankful…to be content.  Why not take the time today to look around and be thankful for what you have rather than rattled about what you don’t?  After all, hasn’t the Giver proven Himself over and again?  Hasn’t He “shown off” time and again in His lavish grace and love.  Sure, He has.  So, settle back and take a rest.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

 “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” Ephesians 5:15-16

The thief is striking again.  Without anyone noticing a thief has been stealing from us all.  It happens every day and no one does anything to stop it because they can’t.  Slowly and almost without notice the thief takes from us.  Who is this thief?  It is time itself…the calendar.

The day of the year with the most daylight hours is around June 21st.  It is known as the summer equinox.  On that day the tilt of the earth allows the northern hemisphere to be closest to the sun allowing the maximum number of daylight hours.  On June 21st sunrise occurs at around 5:32 am in our town.  Fourteen hours and forty-six minutes later it sets at 8:19 pm.  From that time forward, slowly, and surely the amount of daylight hours began to recede.

You ask, “How much?”  Well, today the sun will rise at 7:00 am and will set at 6:19 pm.  If you do the math, you will discover that will give us 11 hours and 19 minutes of daylight.  Amazingly you will find that the thief has taken over three hours of daylight from us.  And each passing day he will take another few minutes.  Finally, someday in the near future, we will get up and wonder why it is still dark or why the sun is setting so early.  The answer is the daylight thief. Like sand through an hourglass, he steals away the amount of light we have each day.

I find all this pretty fascinating.  As the days and weeks march by, it reminds us that fall is here.  Before long the leaves will be changing colors and falling to the ground.  Soon our thoughts will turn to cooler temperatures, beautiful mums, and Thanksgiving.  On December 21 the process will all reverse.  We will begin to gain back those precious minutes of daylight, and it will remind us of the promise that spring is on its way.

The amazing part of all of this is how subtly it all happens. It is true of the calendar and the hours of daylight we experience, and it is true of so many small things in our lives.  We take in a few too many calories and before long we wonder why our clothes are tighter.  Humidity?  I mean they do call it the air you can wear.  We miss a few days of exercise and wonder why our energy level suddenly drops.  We miss a few days talking with our Dearest Father and wonder why He feels like a stranger. We miss our time with the Book and find ourselves bumbling our way through life. Sigh.  It is all too familiar and all too predictable.

The secret, I believe, is to be aware.  I have an Apple watch that tells me more than I need or want to know.  One of the things it tells me is the time of sunrise and sunset.  A few days ago, the sun was setting at 7:45 pm and I knew that meant before long it would be setting at 7:00 pm.  Sure enough, it is.  Whether it is exercise or calories or prayer or reading the Book, if we pay attention, we will have fewer surprises and consequences.  I like what Moses said.  He wrote, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”  You know, wisdom to watch what we eat and how much we exercise.  Wisdom to stop and talk to God and read His Book.  Yup…good, good advice.

Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament, put it another way in Ephesians 5.  He said we should make the most of every day, not living as someone who is foolish but as someone who is wise.  He goes on to say we should do this because the days are evil—or full of difficulties and challenges.

The fact is if God grants us a full day of life we all get 1440 minutes—no more, no less. The hours of daylight may change, but time has been set for eternity.  1440 opportunities to make the most of life, to get it right.  And, because we are imperfect humans, we can use some of those minutes to talk to our Dearest Father about our warts and failures.  We can snuggle up close as He whispers assurances of love and forgiveness.  We can just rest and know…that He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

 “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12

They sliced through the air—four as one.  I was raised in Jacksonville, Florida.  My Daddy worked as a jet engine mechanic at Jacksonville Naval Air Station. It was there by example that he taught me to work hard, to be loyal, and to love America. You see, Jacksonville was the home of three Naval bases, so the military was a big part of our lives. We were raised surrounded by men and women who were serving their country and that played a big part of who I am today. It also partly explains today’s story.

Because Jacksonville was the home to several Naval bases, it probably isn’t a surprise that we regularly had the Navy’s precision flying team, The Blue Angels, when the base where my daddy worked had an open house—which was once a year.  My Daddy made sure we went—and that we learned. One of the things I learned was to love the Blue Angels. Now as an Air Force veteran I love the Thunderbirds, but I have to admit the Blue Angels are my firs love. The speed, power and precision that they fly their massive machines just amazes me. Flying mere inches apart, they are the perfect example of teamwork. But the amazing part is it is not just the pilots who fly the planes—it is every member of the team.  They clearly let it be known that everyone matters—everyone counts. They know and understand that the mission can’t be done without everyone.

On a Saturday and Sunday a couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to see the Blue Angels do “their thing” and I was more than amazed. I love aviation, I love airplanes, and I love to see them working together. But do you know what? There is something else that I love more—and that is the family of God. I realize that my pastoring days are in the rearview mirror but that doesn’t taint my love for this thing called the church. Like the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, it is amazing what people, and especially God’s people, can do when they come together. 

It is no accident that God calls His kids the “body of Christ.” It is no accident that when Paul wrote about believers coming together, he wrote about, “the body.” It is an amazing thing when we come together not for our glory but His.  It is then that the impossible becomes possible. But I also know and believe this—when we don’t—the impossible remains exactly that. Satan knows this and we had better not forget it. We must not let anything—generations, race, religion, politics or a few dozen other things—come between us. If we do—things will crash.

You see, the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds know this. Unity brings power and success—disunity brings disaster—failure and loss. So, children of God…followers of Christ, let’s lay aside our petty differences and come together and stay together. This is the only way we can see revival in our land. There is nothing more graceful than to see those planes streaking through the sky—four like one—committed to the task at hand—the mission. They have trained for that, and it works.  We must do the same. Let’s trust the Prince of Peace to bring His peace on us as we follow Him. It is there, it is then, that we know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

 “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.” Ephesians 1:4

I was as surprised as she was.  One of the wonderful things about Key Colony and the Continental Inn happens every day about twelve hours apart. The place where we stayed has a small private sand beach.  Now that doesn’t sound too impressive until you realize that sandy beaches aren’t that common in the Florida Keys.  Most often when you make it to the shore, you find it covered with large rocks.  In fact, that was our first experience many years ago.  The kids were young, and we drove down from Naples where we were staying.  When we arrived, we rushed to the “beach” only to find it covered with large rocks.  Bummer.

At the Inn there is glorious sand and an abundance of clear water.  Both are amazing.  But here is the special part.  The beach faces the east which means every morning there is a beautiful sunrise.  Every day I would go out with a cup of coffee while the water was like glass, and it was still dark.  The fingernail moon would be there offering little light but plenty of beauty and the stars glimmered in the dark night sky.  And slowly, God gave birth to a new and beautiful day.  Every morning, I would say, “This is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it.” At that point it was a blank canvas, but I knew the Maker of masterpieces would be painting that day and He works wonders…always.

So, the sun would rise and about twelve hours later it would take its bow and night, a time of rest, would come.  Everything is beautiful in its time.  Now here is the part you must love.  Every evening Judy and I would walk out of the front parking lot, go about 100 yards and there was Sunset Park.  It was a small peninsula where the community had set up benches and built a small pier, and folks gather there to watch the sunset.  Imagine that.   A place where you can watch the sunrise over the water in the morning then walk a short distance and see the sun set…again over water.  It was amazing.

On our second night, something magical happened.  Again, people gather at Sunset Park every evening to watch the sunset. This night however, I noticed, actually almost bumped into, a group of four young people.  I nodded and smiled, and they did the same.  Judy and I found our favorite bench and the group of four chose to stand about fifteen feet from us. They were smiling…as were we.  It was a moment to enjoy…and then it got better.

About that time, I heard laughter of joy and looked over as one of the young men slipped an engagement ring on the left hand of the “one” he had chosen.  It was a total surprise for her and for us.  I don’t know if I have ever experienced this event as a stranger looking on and in, but it was a beautiful moment.  She was laughing and jumping, and they were hugging and celebrating.  Their friends, who were in on the surprise, were beaming from ear to ear.  And all this is happening in a beautiful waterfront setting as God puts His seal of approval on another day.  It was glorious.

When it was time to go, Judy and I walked over and congratulated the young couple and told them it was their lucky day since I was a pastor, and we could seal the deal right then.  I shared about five lines from the traditional ceremony I use, and we all laughed together.  What a wonderful moment.  I think the joy of it all might be summed up in one word…chosen.  You see, the young man chose her to be his.  Out of all the girls in his world…he chose this one to spend his life with.  And…she chose him by saying, “Yes.” 

It is a wonderful thing to be chosen and never is it more beautiful than when we realize that God chose to love us…He chose us to be His bride. In the New Testament letter called Ephesians, we read, “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.”  How incredible is that?  If we are willing to accept His invitation to be His, like her, our lives will never be the same.  To be loved like that is the greatest of all gifts. God didn’t have to love us…He chose to love us.  We were scarred by sin and brokenness and yet He saw in us beauty.  We weren’t worthy of His love and yet He still extended it and to Him each of us is as beautiful as a bride on her wedding day.

Being chosen is a glorious thing and I hope you have accepted God’s invitation to be His beloved.  Remember, no matter how scarred your life may seem you will always be beautiful in His eyes.  And this marriage, well, it can never go south.  Sadly, many marriages don’t end well, but He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  He will be yours and you will be His…forever.  If you haven’t already, why not accept His proposal today?  He is patiently waiting for you to say, “Yes.”  And, when you do, you will find Someone who will walk by your side no matter what…One who believes in you, One who loves you, and who will whisper security and assurance with six simple words…I’ve got you and no matter what, I’ve got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

“Hi.  My name is Joe.”  A couple of years ago, my wife Judy and I took a trip down to the Florida Keys and Key Colony in particular.  The place we stayed in was called the Continental Inn.  It is a bit of old Florida with twenty or so studio condos combined with a small sand beach and a couple of tiki huts.  It is not very crowded, but this was Labor Weekend, and there were more folks there than usual.  Being a small place, it seemed more like family than just a group of people on vacation.  It was there under one of the tiki huts that I met Joe.

Joe, his wife, and her sister and husband were down for a long weekend from Juniper, Florida.  It was the other couple’s anniversary, and they were there to celebrate.  They were sitting near us on the beach, and it wasn’t long before we struck up a conservation.  Day one was more like a “Hey, good to meet you and glad you are here.”  The next day, we were back on the beach and so were they and it was then that I really got to talk with Joe.

He started by introducing himself again.  And then as his story unfolded, I was fascinated.  First, I learned that Joe was a Korean War era veteran.  While he didn’t serve actively in the war, he did volunteer for service during that difficult time.  He chose the Army and proudly served his country.  Being a Korean War veteran could only mean he was up in his years…and he was.  If I remember right, he was about to turn 84.  Thanks for your service, Joe.

Joe used a large walking stick to get around.  He told me on day two, rather matter-of-factly, that he was legally blind.  That explained the stick.  Rather than a white cane he had this large walking stick that came from the Smokey Mountains.  I asked him how much he could see, and he explained that at about five feet away I was just a blob. You can imagine my surprise when he told me how he still drove a three-wheel bike around his neighborhood.  When I asked him how, he simply said he could see some of the sidewalk and most everyone knew him and kinda stayed out of his way.  A little blindness wasn’t going to stop him.  Way to go, Joe.

About then, Joe shared with me that he had stage four prostate cancer that had gone into his bones.  Almost casually, he said, “And of course, I am on chemo.”  What was amazing was that he didn’t see his cancer as a roadblock or a big deal for that matter.  It was simply something that he dealt with—no whining, no complaining.  Nope, Joe wasn’t gonna let a little cancer stop him either.  You’re amazing, Joe.

All the time we chatted (almost like we were discussing the weather and not cancer and blindness) he was constantly smiling and explaining to me how much he loved life.  These speed bumps were just that—bumps on his highway of life.  He told me how much he loved people.  That is probably why he regularly volunteers at the Veteran’s Hospital, helping guys less fortunate than him.  Less.Fortunate.Than.Him.  I think it will be a long time before I forget Joe and his big smile, big heart, and great outlook. 

There’s one more part of Joe’s story.  You see, Joe was a Jesus follower…in fact, all four in the group were.  What made Joe stand out was his gratitude for each day that God gave him.  I couldn’t help but notice that his knees and elbows were covered with bandages and wounds.  I can only guess those came from the times his blindness got in the way and his stick couldn’t save him. After our hour of conversation, I noticed that not one time did he complain about his circumstances. He shared stories of his past with gratefulness and shared his present days with the gusto of a healthy 45-year-old.  And he was confident of his future too…because he was confident in his relationship with the God who made him.

I know I talk about this verse a lot but that is because it means a lot to me.  The author, who happened to be Moses (you might remember him from the time the Red Sea parted), asked God to help us number our days so that we could have a heart of wisdom.  He was saying, “God help us to appreciate every day you give us.”  It was very obvious that Joe did exactly that.  No, I don’t think he was the richest guy on the beach that day…unless you number richness not in dollars but in joy, and happiness and love. Joe bore the scars from many a fall, but he shined with the victories of never staying down.  I didn’t get around to asking but I bet Joe knew the secret to living out his faith in God.  What is that you ask?  It’s knowing and believing three small words…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

 “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

He asked, “Is this heaven?” The other night I was sitting around and accidentally caught the tail end of the movie, “Field of Dreams.” It is a fantasy movie about a guy who builds a baseball field, and a voice tells him that if he builds it—they will come. Well, he builds it and players from baseball past suddenly start appearing. It is a fun, feel-good movie—especially if you like baseball.

Well, amid all this feel-good stuff, a couple of the players from the past ask, “Is this heaven?” He assures them it is not but rather it is Iowa. To them the ability to play ball again well just felt like heaven. Obviously, they had never been because heaven is way beyond words. With all that said, the other night I fell into food heaven.  Let me explain.  Twenty years ago, some friends invited my wife Judy and I to go to Owensboro, Kentucky to have supper at a place called Moonlight BBQ. As my memory serves me it was somewhere before incredible and heavenly. We enjoyed the food and the company and promised ourselves we would have to make the journey again. Well…we never did.

Now, fast forward twenty years. On my retirement bucket list was to attend an airshow with the Blue Angels and/or the Thunderbirds. On a whim, I searched recently searched airshows only to discover that there was going to be one in Owensboro, Kentucky—just 89 miles from Harrisburg.  What is even more amazing is that Owensboro is a small town to be hosting such a major event.  Well, I told Judy we had to go so we booked a room and made our plans.

It turned out that the airshow, which is on Saturday and Sunday, had a Friday night deal too. At the airport they had several aircraft on display, and you could meet some of the pilots so with Judy’s blessing, I decided I would go to that part too. I went ahead and booked a hotel by the airport and off I went. Well, it turned out rain trashed a major part of the night, so I went ahead to the hotel. I saw a McDonald’s down the road but asked the clerk, “Are there any other restaurants nearby?” He said, “Do you like BBQ?” I said I sure did, and he told me there was a place down the road called…get ready…Moonlight BBQ.

Inadvertently I stumbled into food heaven again. So off I went and what happened next really was a foodie’s paradise. It was a mega BBQ buffet, and everything was just good. There was chopped brisket, ribs, BBQ chicken, pulled pork, fried fish all with all of the trimmings you could imagine. Dessert? Yes sir—seven different kinds of pie with two kinds of cobbler and all with ice cream. It was just about then the analogy from “Field of Dreams” came to mind.  Is this heaven?

Well, of course I know that there is no way anything on this earth can compare to what God has in store for us. But I also know this.  Isn’t it awesome that God created this earth for His creation to enjoy. Take a joy ride though the galaxies and you won’t find anything like what He has prepared here for us. And all of this is just a teaser for the big show He has planned for us in eternity. So, enjoy this but also remember that the best is yet to come. He is the author of all things good because He is good. And because He is good, well, we know, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne